MCAT without Physics 1 :-(

[FloridaSun]

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Hi SDNers,

Problem: I have to take the MCAT in April without one of my semesters of physics and, since my high school physics class was almost entirely mechanics/Newtonian physics, I've opted to take physics 2 next semester instead of physics 1.

Do any of you have advice about taking the MCAT without physics 1? How can I better prepare for the physics 1 section of the MCAT?

Thanks,
-V

P.S. I'll be taking the other semester of physics over this summer. If you were in my shoes, would you finish both semesters of physics, take the MCAT in August, and apply for medical school in August? Or is that just too risky?

P.P.S. For perspective, I'm scoring ~10 on physics right now and I'm not planning on taking the MCAT until April. So it's a tough call, I guess.

 

[abcxyz0123]

i took it w/o physics 1, physics 2, orgo 2, and biology. i got a 32 (12 ps, 11bs, 9vr)

 

[FloridaSun]

i took it w/o physics 1, physics 2, orgo 2, and biology. i got a 32 (12 ps, 11bs, 9vr)

heh. Major props to you. 🙂 Good to know it *can* be done...

 

[halekulani]

if you did well with HS physics i think taking physics ii would be ok.

it really depends on how well you understand physics I. just look in the review book and see if you understand everything.

 

[FloridaSun]

Thank you halekulani 🙂 Your advice is very much appreciated.

 

[Legato]

I took physics 2 in college (but kind of took phyics 1 in high school - AP physics B - i didn't really know what I was doing though) and got 14 PS. Newtonian mechanics and other stuff from physics 1 isn't too hard to learn yourself. Just do the problems in MCAT course/practice book (usually, at some point, deal with every trick MCAT throws at you) and make sure your concepts are straight.

Pay extra attention in Physics 2 so that there is less studying to do for the MCAT.

Take the MCAT in April so you can apply over the summer, unless you want a year off like me.

 

[FloridaSun]

Good advice. Yeah, so far Newtonian mechanics hasn't been too bad. I took the AP and IB physics exams in high school.

Electricity, however, is another story altogether.

I'm glad to see that people have done what I'm doing 🙂 Boy...I hope I'm motivated to do well when I actually TAKE physics 1.