Microbiology on Bio

[aznxrice]

Are there certain diseases and organisms we need to know for the PCAT? It just seems like a random draw....

 

[IwantPharmD]

Are there certain diseases and organisms we need to know for the PCAT? It just seems like a random draw....

From taking practice tests, it justs seems so random that there's no point in trying to review for it. I feel the same way about questions having to do with genus and what what not. For example you could spend your whole life studying King Philip and how he came over from Geneva Switzerland and still miss a question on it.

 

[phathead]

There was not any specific organisms other than knowing the basic differences between classes. For instance, what the man difference is between Gram- and Gram+ bacteria.

 

[angrytunafish]

How to study microbiology easily



http://www.ehow.com/how_6929724_study-microbiology-easily.html

 

[mcalabr3]

I feel like one particullar type of micro question that is asked is about the 'shape' of the bacteria. So know your latin/greek common roots like cocci- round spir-spiral.

 

[wmw]

my advice would be to learn as much 'general micro' as possible, dont worry about small details but try to maybe skim all the chapters in a micro textbook for example

 

[delano2000]

There was not any specific organisms other than knowing the basic differences between classes. For instance, what the man difference is between Gram- and Gram+ bacteria.

I beg to differ. I have actually seen a question about a specific microbe causing a specific disease.


I would say to have a pretty good knowledge base of the most popular ones. eg. candida albicans etc.

 

[SparkLy09]

I beg to differ. I have actually seen a question about a specific microbe causing a specific disease.


I would say to have a pretty good knowledge base of the most popular ones. eg. candida albicans etc.

Agree with that. They even had random drug related questions on the June 2010 PCAT so I'd at least skim over the major ones. Of course, it'll probably be like 2 questions on the exam, but I suppose it's better to got those right! 🙂

List of a few I'd personally go over
Fungi : Candida, Aspergillus, Rhizopus, Penicillium etc...
Bacteria: E.coli/Enterobacter, Bacillus, Staph, Strep, Treponema, Pseudomonas, Clostridium, mycobacteria (t.b/leprosy) etc...
Viruses : Herpes, Varicella Zoster + Herpes Zoster, Epstein-Barr, Rhinovirus...

 

[helloeveryone]

I beg to differ. I have actually seen a question about a specific microbe causing a specific disease.


I would say to have a pretty good knowledge base of the most popular ones. eg. candida albicans etc.

I agree. Sometimes they can give you really random questions about very specific diseases or specific antibiotics, etc... Having a broad knowledge of most important stuff is good, but I doubt if anyone would be able to get all those random questions right!