recommended MCAT courses

[pioneer22]

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Hi all,

Besides the required courses (Orgo, Chem, Bio, Phys), what other courses did you find helpful and/or necessary for success on the new MCAT: ie. Physiology, M.C.B, Genetics?

Thanks.

 

[Hopeful_vet]

I found both Genetics and Physiology to be very helpful.


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[GCS-15]

Psych 1 and a class on analyzing scientific papers

 

[pioneer22]

bump

 

[FCMike11]

Biochemistry is a must. Then I'd second physiology and genetics (physiology >).

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[Lawpy]

Hi all,

Besides the required courses (Orgo, Chem, Bio, Phys), what other courses did you find helpful and/or necessary for success on the new MCAT: ie. Physiology, M.C.B, Genetics?

Thanks.

Biochem is strongly recommended/required because it's a critical part of the exam. Psychology and sociology courses are also helpful. Taking few humanities courses that emphasize critical reading and evaluation of dense texts will help in conquering the CARS/verbal section.

 

[pioneer22]

Biochem is strongly recommended/required because it's a critical part of the exam. Psychology and sociology courses are also helpful. Taking few humanities courses that emphasize critical reading and evaluation of dense texts will help in conquering the CARS/verbal section.

thanks.

what would i look for in a ' humanities class emphasizing critical reading'? what would that fall under? ie. shakespeare?

 

[Fluffy123]

Biochem
Genetics
Micro
Cell Bio
Statistics (psych or bio stats if your school has these as they are geared more towards writing/analyzing scientific papers)
Psych of adolescence
Motivational psychology

 

[Lawpy]

thanks.

what would i look for in a ' humanities class emphasizing critical reading'? what would that fall under? ie. shakespeare?

any literature or philosophy course would be fine.

 

[stickgirl390]

Statistics and Microbiology. There were actually 3 or 4 passages in my MCAT that were micro heavy

 

[pioneer22]

My tentative plan is to take it after soph. summer to have ample time to apply straight out of college (ie. apps during junior summer)

ie.
Soph. Fall—

Orgo +lab
Physics +lab
english
statistics?
biochem or genetics

Soph Spring—

orgo +lab
physics +lab
english
biochem or genetics
sociology


does this seem feasible, and like a good plan?

 

[URMfemaleMPH]

If you're a non-science major and aren't sure what classes would help get you exposure to analyzing scientific lit, try to get permission to take a seminar class for Bio majors. I took one and it was incredibly helpful for the MCAT. I'd also strongly recommend genetics, cell bio, biochem, and a microbial physiology class (it really helps with understanding metabolic pathways).

 

[benjamin94559]

Im pretty sure i would have gotten an extra point on biology had i taken physiology first lol. There was a passage on starling mechanism and the week after we went over it in class and i was liek oh fk me

 

[BunnyMan17]

If you can pull it off soph summer then power to you but I can tell you I've only met 1 person (of ~N=10) that had success with that. April or May of junior year makes for a rough semester but that whole year of extra classes seems to help most people.

As far as classes go I found social psych to be really good prep for the soc/psych section. As in I didn't study for that section outside of the class and did just fine.

 

[pioneer22]

If you can pull it off soph summer then power to you but I can tell you I've only met 1 person (of ~N=10) that had success with that. April or May of junior year makes for a rough semester but that whole year of extra classes seems to help most people.

As far as classes go I found social psych to be really good prep for the soc/psych section. As in I didn't study for that section outside of the class and did just fine.

doesn't that make it stressful come application season though? waiting to take mcat late Junior school year

 

[pioneer22]

and plus, isn't studying from end of soph. year until late august much more guaranteed time for MCAT (3+ months) vs. during school year with 15-18 credit hours?

 

[BunnyMan17]

doesn't that make it stressful come application season though? waiting to take mcat late Junior school year

Oh yeah, super stressful. Although if you're gonna go into medicine stress is something good to learn to cope with.

and plus, isn't studying from end of soph. year until late august much more guaranteed time for MCAT (3+ months) vs. during school year with 15-18 credit hours?

It's complicated and really does depend on each individual person, but....
1) If taking the MCAT at the end of the spring you usually drop down 3 credits from what you normally do
2) Taking it in the Spring allows for the info you just learned in classes to be fresh, assuming you planned properly to have MCAT related classes that semester
3) Again the whole extra year of taking MCAT related/advanced science classes will increase your base knowledge for when the MCAT comes rolling around. This is allows for more time learning to increase your score/% correct.
4) It's hard to explain until you've actually done it but the MCAT is not something you want to do twice, so don't rush it.
---If you can pull it off then I think it's a great idea but just realize taking it a year early is a risk.

 

[pioneer22]

Oh yeah, super stressful. Although if you're gonna go into medicine stress is something good to learn to cope with.



It's complicated and really does depend on each individual person, but....
1) If taking the MCAT at the end of the spring you usually drop down 3 credits from what you normally do
2) Taking it in the Spring allows for the info you just learned in classes to be fresh, assuming you planned properly to have MCAT related classes that semester
3) Again the whole extra year of taking MCAT related/advanced science classes will increase your base knowledge for when the MCAT comes rolling around. This is allows for more time learning to increase your score/% correct.
4) It's hard to explain until you've actually done it but the MCAT is not something you want to do twice, so don't rush it.
---If you can pull it off then I think it's a great idea but just realize taking it a year early is a risk.

I understand, but isn't it not taking it a year early?

These classes would be complete by sophomore summer: Bio 1 and 2, Chem 1 and 2, Orgo 1 and 2, Physics 1 and 2, Biochem, genetics, statistics, psychology, sociology

besides more bio classes like physiology or micro, what else could i do to prep as a junior for mcat?

 

[pioneer22]

^?

 

[BunnyMan17]

I understand, but isn't it not taking it a year early?

These classes would be complete by sophomore summer: Bio 1 and 2, Chem 1 and 2, Orgo 1 and 2, Physics 1 and 2, Biochem, genetics, statistics, psychology, sociology

besides more bio classes like physiology or micro, what else could i do to prep as a junior for mcat?

It is if you consider spring/summer after 3rd year to be the standard. Other classes could include A&P, Pchem, second semester of biochem and/or more advanced biochem, independent research, humanities for CARS, immunology, cell bio, etc.
I do not mean to argue. What you have planned is plenty of class prep, all thing things consider. I'm just trying to give a little advice as someone who has already taken it and managed to do well. Like I said, if you can pull it off it's a good plan. Whatever floats your goat.

 

[iqe2010]

I've started some light MCAT studying, I plan to go full on in the upcoming weeks,

Anyways, what I see from the practice questions is that you need to have the fundamentals down pretty good. And I mean the fundamentals of chemistry and biology. I can't speak on physics just yet. For example, you should have ochem steriochemistry down pat because one question will have all of the configurations.

If you're a biology major or minor, you should be good but just in case you're not, these courses are very helpful:

Cell Bio
Biochem
Genetics
Microbiology

 

[pioneer22]

Gotcha. Just for reinforcement, all of the actual biology / mcat material covered can be found in mcat prep books (ie. Berkeley review, Kaplan), but taking extra classes beyond bio, Chem, Orgo, and physics, biochem (ie. Genetics, physiology) adds more context and familiarity with the subjects, not better coverage for the mcat material than prep books, correct?

 

[deleted738762]

Instead of taking 3 hard science classes and 2 GE's. Just take 2 hard science classes and 2 GE's. Labs take up a lot of time as well. Plus, it depends on your school, but I would just take my advice. You will have plenty of time to take those other courses, so just push them back a semester. It's up to you, but I've seen countless pre-medical students take way too many credits and most of them drop out (of the course) or end up with a worse GPA than what they started with going into that semester. Do whatever works to get the highest GPA, but don't be unrealistic. Although some people can take a good amount of courses, but if it's your first time, then I suggest otherwise.