physics before OAT?

[alleigh79]

How necessary is it to take physics before the OAT? I know organic is pretty important - my schedule has gotten all screwed up and I'm afraid it is going to set me back a year!

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[msjang]

For me, I think it is important to take physics 1 before taking the OAT. I feel that physics is a subject that you really have to understand the concept and apply it to a problem, you have to be clear minded and be able to think relatively quickly. I feel that it is different from chemistry where you see 2 or 3 mole problems, you have seen it all. For physics, they can change one tiny part of the problem, and the calculations part will be different. Like for 2 D projectile motion, incline problem, there's so many ways they can ask it. One key trick in physics is to think about sum of the forces, for every problem, which can be vastly different for diff types of problems, so it really requires you to think clearly. And OAT is known for putting a common wrong answer among the ans choices, so you really gotta know it, plus theres the time constraint too.

If you can't take physics 1 by the time you take the OAT, I suggest you get your hands on either Princeton MCAT physics review, or the Kaplan big book OAT book + the physics subject tests. I think those were VERY helpful in preparing me (got 370 on this section), since they are harder, so it really drills in the concepts.

you might also want to check out this thread, its about taking physics and the OAT

http://forums.studentdoctor.net/showthread.php?t=467063

 

[alleigh79]

If I take Organic I in the fall, will it be too late to take the OAT in early Dec? (at the end of the semester?)
UAB says the last test date accepted is 12/15. That's the school that I am interested in with the earliest date.

I would apply early - like Aug. and get everything except the OAT finished.

 

[Oogilily]

You can get away with just one semester of organic. But you really need both semesters of physics to do well on the OAT. Most definetly take both semesters before you take the OAT.

 

[jaguilar]

i didn't have both physics and i did alright. 360 on physics. i took the online kaplain course, which was expensive but worth the money and it taught me everythying i needed to know. it was alot of hard work though

 

[Oogilily]

Man, I took both and pulled a 330 on physics haha. Good work .

 

[subedude]

hey jaguilar, did you just have physics one and then learn the rest from kaplan? because this might be my situation i think unless classes open up..thanks

 

[jaguilar]

i only had physics 1 and bio 1. I had only really taken the classes for Chem. I'm a chem major so that didn't bother me anyway. The kaplan course goes above and beyond what you will need to know for the test. I was really comfortable with the physics section and it wasn't a really good course at school for me.

 

[subedude]

ok thanks, that's very reassuring..appreciate it

 

[alleigh79]

Is Dec. too late to take the OAT for admissions for the following year?

 

[EyeQ]

It's not too late as long as you have everything in before December. It's also critical that you do well on the OAT if you're planning to take it in December. Don't worry about taking physics before the OAT. I had a very weak physics foundation. I had to learn everything from scratch for the OAT. To be honest, I studied the least for physics and was still about to pull 320. It's not impressive but considering how I abhor physics, I'm satisfied.

 

[Chuffsla]

Certainly taking physics before the OAT can help, but the concepts they test are actually pretty simple. The calculations are easy (no calculators, remember) you just have to know what you're doing. I went through undergrad in a weird way, so my physics courses were pretty much long forgotten by the time I got around to taking the OAT. I studied some MCAT prep material, an OAT question booklet, and went over the basic stuff from a physics text. It ended up going really well.