Pre recs not preparing you for the MCAT

[Columbia09]

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Did any of you feel that your pre recs didn't prepare you well enough for the MCAT ? I'm particularly interested in students who took a couple of pre recs over the summer such as myself. Physics 2 ends for me tomorrow and with that all pre recs are completed. However I feel that I didn't learn much and especially not enough to do well on the PS section. How did you guys cope with this ? Also, if you're in a class with an easier professor, will you be less prepared for the MCAT?

 

[Roxas]

All of my prereqs (minus O-chem) did NOT prepare me well enough for the MCAT. My physics and g-chem professors were horrible, particularly physics. And maybe my school is weird because I've heard some people mention their gen bio classes covered basic physio stuff. That is not at all my experience. Bio 1 is essentially a quick overview of cell bio and genetics. Bio 2 just talked about plants/animals and evolution.

Had I only taken the prereqs I would be screwed for the MCAT, but luckily I took genetics, anatomy, physiology, and cell/molecular bio which all helped a bit.

 

[Moose A Moose]

Also, if you're in a class with an easier professor, will you be less prepared for the MCAT?

More often than not, yuuuuup.
Just have to make up for it with extra leg work on our own time.

It sucks...

 

[TriagePreMed]

My teachers covered everything necessary for the MCAT, but I also feel the MCAT tests for different skills than in a normal classroom. I think the only subject that truly didn't prepare me at all was O.Chem 2 because the professor was horrible at teaching it.

 

[Drrrrrr. Celty]

All of my prereqs (minus O-chem) did NOT prepare me well enough for the MCAT. My physics and g-chem professors were horrible, particularly physics. And maybe my school is weird because I've heard some people mention their gen bio classes covered basic physio stuff. That is not at all my experience. Bio 1 is essentially a quick overview of cell bio and genetics. Bio 2 just talked about plants/animals and evolution.

Had I only taken the prereqs I would be screwed for the MCAT, but luckily I took genetics, anatomy, physiology, and cell/molecular bio which all helped a bit.

I agree with this strongly. Organic chemistry prepared me so well that I barely needed to study it. However general chemistry & physics for me were poorly instructed and as such were mostly me memorizing a bunch of equations and ways to solve problems that I immediately forgot.

Regardless, prereqs aren't enough for anything.

 

[Starry]

I was fortunate and thought that my pre-reqs all prepared me FAR beyond what was needed for the MCAT.

Seriously, my exams in class were 2x harder than the MCAT. For example, I felt that the inorganic chemisty and physics was very basic on the MCAT. Even the organic chemistry on the MCAT tested basic concepts.

However, the MCAT covers FAR more breadth than depth, and is a test of time management and stamina as well. For me, the hardest thing about the MCAT wasn't the material; it was knowing it all at once and being able to do it FAST.

Also, if you're in a class with an easier professor, will you be less prepared for the MCAT?

Okay, I wouldn't recommend doing what I did cause it was rough. But it worked for me and I don't regret it.

I sought out the BEST teacher for each of my classes, regardless of the difficulty. My chemistry class kicked my @$$ but the professor kicked serious @$$ and I learned a lot that came in useful later. Attitude also helped a lot - while other students would waste time b!tching about how hard the class was, I'd just suck it up and try to really understand everything. I figured that medical school would be 23049102938 times harder, so I shouldn't complain.

I have noticed a definite bonus in some of my later classes as some people who had taken "easier" professors would still struggle to understand DNA replication while I had it down cold. Maybe that's why my GPA is below average (3.4) but my MCAT is above average (33).

 

[jm192]

My physics 1 guy was downright horrible. I had to re-learn all of that stuff.

My O-Chem teacher graded on a curve--my 80% Test average translated into an A. The MCAT was O-Chem was cake after him. Great teacher.

The problem with Gen Chem was that it was so far away from the MCAT. I did well in both gen Chems and Quant. Then had to spend a lot of time brushing up on it.

 

[NontradCA]

I only studied physics. My gen chem 2 prepared me well for any mcat chemistry. That being said, I found the verbal and bio section to be very similar: reading comprehension. The only preparation I did for those sections were practice tests.

 

[GUH]

Prereqs generally don't cover the A&P material on the MCAT.

My prereq coursework covered the other material more than enough.

 

[pdeco1]

The material on the MCAT is not challenging, it is the pace at which you must proceed through the exam in order to finish all of the questions in the allotted time.

I took a prep course and they teach you how to attack the test. I highly recommend a prep course if you have not scored well on a diagnostic.

 

[Starry]

The material on the MCAT is not challenging, it is the pace at which you must proceed through the exam in order to finish all of the questions in the allotted time.

I took a prep course and they teach you how to attack the test. I highly recommend a prep course if you have not scored well on a diagnostic.

Yep this is how I felt. You had to know it and know it quick.