Not knowing MCAT material?

[MortellarPreMed]

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While studying for the MCAT, has anyone ever stumbled across problems, questions or formulas they are unsure of even if they already had the class it should have been taught in?

 

[bigdogrob4284]

Yeah. There were some physics concepts that were fair game for the mcat, but were not covered at any time during my year of physics. Such as solids and fluids. Just make sure you teach it to yourself from your mcat study materials.

 

[Charles Darwin]

Yes. This kind of thing happens all the time.

 

[Mako555]

it wouldn't be studying if you already knew everything...

 

[chillaxbro]

I wish 100% of the test was stuff they didn't teach in class

 

[Drrrrrr. Celty]

Plenty, my physics class never covered sound and my organic chemistry class never covered a lot of reactions.

 

[Geebeejay]

I wish 100% of the test was stuff they didn't teach in class

Why? Then we would have to spend even longer studying information that is more-or-less irrelevant to being a doctor for a 5-hr long placement exam. Do you enjoy torturing yourself for no reason?

 

[Drrrrrr. Celty]

Why? Then we would have to spend even longer studying information that is more-or-less irrelevant to being a doctor for a 5-hr long placement exam. Do you enjoy torturing yourself for no reason?

It'd be nicer if it were just a logic exam broken up into a quantitative logic section and a verbal logic section, oh, right... the GRE.

 

[Sidereum]

It'd be nicer if it were just a logic exam broken up into a quantitative logic section and a verbal logic section, oh, right... the GRE.

I envy the Ph.d. applicants 🙁

 

[487806]

While studying for the MCAT, has anyone ever stumbled across problems, questions or formulas they are unsure of even if they already had the class it should have been taught in?

Orgo seemed to have a few new concepts, such as some new reactions I didn't see before. Also, physiology is my disadvantage since the course is thought so poorly at my college. 🙁

 

[pre med 2014]

We never talked about oogogenesis in my bio class.

 

[pre med 2014]

It'd be nicer if it were just a logic exam broken up into a quantitative logic section and a verbal logic section, oh, right... the GRE.

Science PhDs have to take specific GREs - to go to Chemistry grad school for example you have to take basically the equivalent of the MCAT in terms of science material. There's no physics or bio but there is analytical, organic, general, and quantum I think?

Difficulty science wise it's probably the same as MCAT. Maybe a bit less competitive though...

 

[Drrrrrr. Celty]

Science PhDs have to take specific GREs - to go to Chemistry grad school for example you have to take basically the equivalent of the MCAT in terms of science material. There's no physics or bio but there is analytical, organic, general, and quantum I think?

Difficulty science wise it's probably the same as MCAT. Maybe a bit less competitive though...

Very few require subject tests.

 

[Charles Darwin]

Science PhDs have to take specific GREs - to go to Chemistry grad school for example you have to take basically the equivalent of the MCAT in terms of science material. There's no physics or bio but there is analytical, organic, general, and quantum I think?

Difficulty science wise it's probably the same as MCAT. Maybe a bit less competitive though...

There's also biochemistry

 

[Spinach Dip]

Oh of course!

When I took physics, we basically glanced at optics and harmonic motion (two big topics on the MCAT). And when I took intro to bio, the teacher spent loads of time on plants (which are not on the MCAT at all!)

 

[ur2l8]

We never talked about oogogenesis in my bio class.

Lol we spent tooo much time on that. We never really did plants in mine. Or fluids for physics. Or beat frequencies

 

[Bangersandmash]

I envy the Ph.d. applicants 🙁

Oh, because you want to spend 4 years in a lab to not be able to get a job afterwards?

Lol we spent tooo much time on that. We never really did plants in mine. Or fluids for physics. Or beat frequencies

We never talked about oogogenesis in my bio class.

Plenty, my physics class never covered sound and my organic chemistry class never covered a lot of reactions.

Yeah. There were some physics concepts that were fair game for the mcat, but were not covered at any time during my year of physics. Such as solids and fluids. Just make sure you teach it to yourself from your mcat study materials.

I find this very interesting that 4 of you had such similar experiences. I know I've only taken physics/orgo/bio/chem at one university with one specific professor for each class, but I always assumed there was a standard set of information that all professors had to hit in basic classes (hence why schools are accredited and degree programs require specific classes). Physics at my school spends a decent amount of time on sound, fluids and solids and optics. Bio covers oogenesis. Orgo classes expose you to 95% of the reactions on the MCAT. I know some professors suck, but I find it strange that things that my professors spent at least an hour for each topic on were skipped at other universities.

Going through my MCAT review book, I had seen >95% of each topic covered on the MCAT in my intro classes, although I still had to spend a lot of time going over it again. I guess there is more variability than I thought.

 

[Sidereum]

Oh, because you want to spend 4 years in a lab to not be able to get a job afterwards?
.

I envy the applicants, not the graduates 😉