MCAT studying without orgo ii or biochem?

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Orgo II itself isn't too important, but biochem is crucial, and orgo II helps a bit with biochem.
 
It’s do able. I took my MCAT without taking biochemistry and scored a 130 on the biology section. Get a good text book and I recommend UC Irving biochemistry open course ware lectures. Just be aware most med school require a full year of organic chemistry and or a semester of biochemistry
 
Toutie said:
Why rush things? Wait until you're fully prepared before you take the MCAT.
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Was gonna say this. I dont know what circumstance it is but I doubt it's more important than doing optimally well on the MCAT.
 
I agree with the previous post. While was able to do it. I do not recommended at all. I had military obligations and reasons that prevented me from taking the class for an extended period. But wait until after you take the class
 
Biochem was the highest yield class for me in the mcat. Imagine not having to memorize the amino acids, their one letter code, three letter code, unique properties and pKAs in full force because you already studied for it in a previous test.

Same for metabolism.
If you see it once in biochem class then it is so much easier in mcat prep
 
One-fourth of both the Bio and Chem-Phy sections are Biochem. So overall you will be self-studying 1/4 of the natural science sections.
 
Right. Thanks for the advice! Before starting MCAT studying I'll spend some time trying to self teach myself it, and if it doesn't work out too well, perhaps a delay wouldn't be too bad of an idea. Cheers!
 
Yeah, I'm going to go against the grain and say that if you're a self-starter and prep sufficiently using strong resources (I used Kahn Academy and Kaplan boxed set of books and flashcards) you can do very well. I took the MCAT before I took Physics 1 or 2, General Chemistry 1 or 2, Organic 1 or 2, or Biochemistry, and I came out with a 516. It probably sounds really risky, but honestly you don't need to take college classes on a subject to learn the material when you have access to so many other resources that can teach you the same concepts.
 
ranne13 said:
Yeah, I'm going to go against the grain and say that if you're a self-starter and prep sufficiently using strong resources (I used Kahn Academy and Kaplan boxed set of books and flashcards) you can do very well. I took the MCAT before I took Physics 1 or 2, General Chemistry 1 or 2, Organic 1 or 2, or Biochemistry, and I came out with a 516. It probably sounds really risky, but honestly you don't need to take college classes on a subject to learn the material when you have access to so many other resources that can teach you the same concepts.
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Holy crap thats an amazing score for how much self study you did. Congrats and thanks for the advice!
 
gonnif said:
You dont base taking the MCAT on your desired schedule: you take it only when ready. And you dont apply to medical school on your desired schedule. You apply when you have the strongesr candidate possible.

You are prepping for a exam that will determine you future and may indeed be the key factor in being a physician or not. This exam should be prepped for by all available means: coursework, test prep class, and self study. Not doing so is increasing risks that are fully under your control. As you well know you should only take the MCAT when fully prepared and then apply once as the strongest applicant. I would advise a student in your situation that to delay MCAT and application if need be.
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To follow up on my learned colleague's wise words, the MCAT is just as much a test of judgement as it is of competence. Taking a high-stakes, career deciding exam without proper prep, or when one is not 100% ready makes Adcoms think that one will make the same bad choices as a med student.
 
Definitely depends on what kind of studier you are. I took a MCAT Princeton Review test before orgo 2 and biochem, then took orgo 2 and biochem and did a bit more studying, and my score went up 18 points. Take that for what you wish. It is possible but it depends on what schools you are looking for. If you really want a top school then you will need a top score and you're better off waiting and taking it later in my opinion. If you are looking for mid-tier/state schools anyway then get the official AMCAS practice tests and see if self studying works for you.
 
Depends on personality/study style. I took it before Orgo II and Biochem. Earned 520 with 132 on Bio/Biochem Section. Studied independently for 1.5 months during winter break using r/MCAT, Khan Academy, and Kaplan Books.

EDIT forgot to mention I was a bio major though. So strong bio background so self teaching biochem wasn't very hard. Also Khan covers everything u need to know tho
 
dodolol21 said:
Depends on personality/study style. I took it before Orgo II and Biochem. Earned 520 with 132 on Bio/Biochem Section. Studied independently for 1.5 months during winter break using r/MCAT, Khan Academy, and Kaplan Books.

EDIT forgot to mention I was a bio major though. So strong bio background so self teaching biochem wasn't very hard. Also Khan covers everything u need to know tho
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Just depends on your study habits and how much of a self starter you are. I majored in math and was still able to teach myself the biochem I needed for the MCAT. And my b/b section was essentially all biochem. Even had a true biochem passage in c/p (which was almost all physics lol).
 
You can teach yourself the topics. I'd focus on collecting a solid list of topics to learn and make sure you actively quiz yourself on the material since you won't have exams like in classes. I made a high-yield list of topics that I saw on basically every exam from when I took the MCAT earlier this year:

Biochemistry:
  • Amino acids** (will get you 5+ points on this section)
  • Nitrogenous base structure
  • Inhibitors (competitive/uncompetitive/noncompetitive)
  • Metabolic pathways (glycolysis, TCA, beta-oxidation, oxidative phosphorylation)
  • Michaelis-Menten equation
 
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Looking back, I feel like I had to relearn biochemistry because my class didn't really emphasize the important things. As far as orgo, the MCAT was mostly orgo 1 if anything. I didn't have to study that section much to do well.
 
I did this the first time I took the Mcat. Scored 124 on Bio. The second time I sat for the test was after I had taken Biochem and I made a 130. n=1 but the class was crucial for me.
 
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