Patho for MCAT?

[samac]

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I'm already in med school, but I took the old MCAT and can't give a very good friend of mine solid advice.
The pre med advisor is telling her to take patho physiology for the MCAT (I think it's because he teaches it). I don't think it would be beneficial, definitely wasn't for the old one, but I could be mistaken. That's the hardest class I took at that undergrad and I'm telling her to take it after the MCAT because she's looking to take an easier schedule to put in time for MCAT prep and her other option is developmental bio, which was a lot easier patho, which I don't think helps with the MCAT either.

So what would you take: patho or developmental?


This thread is 3 months old. 😉

 

[socialhermit]

I'm already in med school, but I took the old MCAT and can't give a very good friend of mine solid advice.
The pre med advisor is telling her to take patho physiology for the MCAT (I think it's because he teaches it). I don't think it would be beneficial, definitely wasn't for the old one, but I could be mistaken. That's the hardest class I took at that undergrad and I'm telling her to take it after the MCAT because she's looking to take an easier schedule to put in time for MCAT prep and her other option is developmental bio, which was a lot easier patho, which I don't think helps with the MCAT either.

So what would you take: patho or developmental?

The new MCAT test very little physiology and none of it is pathology related but a good understanding cellular development could be useful.

 

[Doctor Dream]

The new MCAT test very little physiology and none of it is pathology related but a good understanding cellular development could be useful.

What makes you say that? If you look at the AAMC content outline there are numerous topics related to physiology. Renal function, action potential propagation, muscle contraction, and the menstrual cycle to name a few.

This thread is also like 3 months old so I'm guessing OP's friend already is enrolled for one of the classes. Hopefully they chose developmental bio.

 

[socialhermit]

What makes you say that? If you look at the AAMC content outline there are numerous topics related to physiology. Renal function, action potential propagation, muscle contraction, and the menstrual cycle to name a few.

This thread is also like 3 months old so I'm guessing OP's friend already is enrolled for one of the classes. Hopefully they chose developmental bio.

I don't mean to say that physiology is not on the MCAT because it is and although most of what you learned wont come into play some of it definitely will. However, I do think that the knowledge you would gain from taking developmental biology course would help answer a few more questions than a physiology course would even though physiology has more related concepts.

 

[Lucca]

The physiology on the MCAT can be self studied. If you have the room and it's a required class, I say take it before because it definitely can help but it's low yield. On the practice tests there are occasionally some weirdly specific physiology questions (kidneys lol) but not enough to make taking a whole course worth it. Reviewing what's on KA and on the bullet points on the AAMC checklist is enough.

If it's not required, don't bother. You are better off taking biochemistry (if you take the new MCAT without biochem under your belt then you are wrong, imho) or molecular / cellular biology.

 

[samac]

I appreciate the responses 3 months later, but she got bullied into taking Patho by the pre-med advisor. (He teaches it)
He's a great guy, and he's very good at getting people into med school, but he knows squat about the MCAT. He told them it was on a scale to 700.
Biochem is required there and I'm sure she's taken it.
Patho is an elective, but he is a very rough professor and he's been equated to med school level classes, not the best when you're studying for the MCAT.
I can fully say my undergrad histology with him was harder than my histology component in med school.

 

[socialhermit]

I appreciate the responses 3 months later, but she got bullied into taking Patho by the pre-med advisor. (He teaches it)
He's a great guy, and he's very good at getting people into med school, but he knows squat about the MCAT. He told them it was on a scale to 700.
Biochem is required there and I'm sure she's taken it.
Patho is an elective, but he is a very rough professor and he's been equated to med school level classes, not the best when you're studying for the MCAT.
I can't fully say my undergrad histology with him was harder than my histology component in med school.

Its awesome your undergrad offers pathology and histology, I previously thought these were med school courses only.