The Official 3/23/13 MCAT Thread

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Figured I'd start this one out. I'll be registering for the MCAT first thing tomorrow. Who else is taking it on this date? How do you all plan on studying over the school year?
 
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NuttyEngDude said:
Just got 22 out of 33 on my first 1/3. On Passage 7 I missed almost every single one lol. Oh well
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Hey me too!! Lmao passage 7 is ridiculous...smh ..hey can someone tell Mr what Troll is haha...i see people call people that...I'm guessing its a bad thing lol

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Jr MD said:
.hey can someone tell Mr what Troll is haha...i see people call people that...I'm guessing its a bad thing lol
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http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Troll_(Internet)

In Internet slang, a troll (pron.: /ˈtroʊl/, /ˈtrɒl/) is someone who posts inflammatory,[1] extraneous, or off-topic messages in an online community, such as a forum, chat room, or blog, with the primary intent of provoking readers into an emotional response[2] or of otherwise disrupting normal on-topic discussion.[3] The noun troll may also refer to the provocative message itself, as in: "That was an excellent troll you posted."

While the word troll and its associated verb trolling are associated with Internet discourse, media attention in recent years has made such labels subjective, with trolling describing intentionally provocative actions and harassment outside of an online context. For example, mass media has used troll to describe "a person who defaces Internet tribute sites with the aim of causing grief to families."
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Barely any activity today. How's every one doing?? You guys are like my long distance support group so i gotta check up on y'all lol

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36/40 on PRHL Verbal Test#2

11 VR on PR Online Test 2 (10 bio)

I think my verbal is slightly improving. I want a 12 so badly 😍
 
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I planned to take the exam on january, so i started studying on october. Finished all Princeton core material in mid december. Family problems made me change the date because I didn't have enough time to study in december.

Took 2 AAMC practice test before january. One on november(AAMC3) and scored a 23(7PS, 8V, 8BS)
Took another (AAMC4) in december and scored a 24( 7PS, 9V, 8BS)

Took AAMC 5 and scored a 24 again( 6PS, 9V,9BS)

Took AAMC 7 and scored a 27 (10PS,7V,10 BS)

I'm pretty stressed out because i am taking a hard course this semester which is limiting my time to study for MCAT. I'm afraid that i might loose the rhythm of things.

Every other day since october, I did 3 verbal passages. Since december, i haven't done this and I have seen the results in my last test in which i lowered the verbal section score.

Heard of a few people that took the test on january and said that the physics part was the worst and this is the part in which i am struggling the most.

My goal is to see if I can score higher on physics and biology.
I am reading EK and doing EK1001 practices, but i'm wondering if anybody has any suggestions. I was thinking of also doing at least 2 passages of the online content for princeton course, but not sure what to do.
Help.
Thanks

Want to score at least a 30.
 
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I think people feel it is comparable to Kaplan in terms of question quality. But I will use it and the kaplan passages since I have them. There seems to be no disagreement that EK101 and the TPR verbal is the best, with people varying between the two as which in particular is the best.
 
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NuttyEngDude said:
I think people feel it is comparable to Kaplan in terms of question quality. But I will use it and the kaplan passages since I have them. There seems to be no disagreement that EK101 and the TPR verbal is the best, with people varying between the two as which in particular is the best.
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I haven't seen any Kaplan material, but know a lot of people don't like BR. I have EK 101 which I haven't started yet and have been alternating between PR and BR. My BR verbal has been getting progressively worse, but PR hasn't been too bad so I'm wondering if I should be worried or not.
 
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Answers below!


**SPOILERS**
Entadus said:
Step right up, folks! Come one, come all! Fun with chemical kinetics, give it a try! 🙂

:luck::luck:GOOD LUCK:luck::luck:

Passage 2

Researchers are working to elucidate the mechanism of the common reaction:

A + 2C + E ------> F + G ( ΔH = -227 kJ/mol at Standard Temperature and Pressure)

A 3-step mechanism for the reaction has recently been proposed. According to this hypothesis, the reaction involves key intermediates B and D, and includes a rapid initiation step whereby 2 molecules of reactant A reversibly form 1 molecule of activated intermediate B. The proposed mechanism is shown below in Figure 1.

Step 1: 2A <=(forward k1 , backwards k-1)=> B - **fast, reversible**
Step 2: B + 2 C -----------k2---------------------> A + D
Step 3: D + E ------------k3----------------------> F + G

^Figure 1^

A researcher on the team decides to test this mechanism by the method of initial rates. The concentrations of reactants A, C, and E are varied and the rate of formation of product G is determined during the course of the first second of the reaction. The experimental data are provided below (figure 2).

Exp. . . .[A]. . . . . . . [C]. . . . . . . . [E]. . . . . . .initial rate (M/s)
1...........0.1M...........0.1M..........0M................x
2..........0.1M............0.1M........0.05M........1.0*10^-4
3..........0.1M...........0.1M.........0.1M..........1.0*10^-4
4..........0.1M...........0.05M.......0.2M..........2.5*10^-5
5..........0.2M...........0.05M.......0.05M.......5.0*10^-5

^Figure 2^

A second researcher on the team draws an Energy diagram as shown in Figure 3 for an unrelated pair of similar reactions involving Reactant "R", abbreviated as follows:

R -----> P
R -----> P*

Both reactions are known to be exothermic and exergonic at STP.

Figure 3 - see attached image
View attachment 22480

Questions
1. According to the balanced overall reaction in figure 1, what can be inferred about the entropy of reaction and the Gibbs free energy of reaction at temperature T?
A. &#916;S < 0 , &#916;G < 0
B. &#916;S < 0 , &#916;G cannot be determined
C. &#916;S > 0 , &#916;G < 0
D. &#916;S > 0 , &#916;G > 0
For this question, use &#916;G = &#916;H - T&#916;S. Since &#916;H is negative (given) and &#916;S is negative (4 reactant molecules make 2 product molecules, less disorder), the sign of &#916;G will depend on temperature. At high temperatures, the entropic term could overpower the enthalpic term and make &#916;G positive. At low temperatures the enthalpic term wins and &#916;G is negative.

2. The research team has evidence that step #2 in the proposed mechanism shown in Figure 1 is the slow step. What is the correct and experimentally useful rate law suggested by this mechanism?
A. Rate = k2/k-1 * [A]^2 * [C]^2
B. Rate = k2 * [C]^2
C. Rate = k1k2/k-1 * [A]^2 * [C]^2
D. Rate = k1k2k3 * [A]^2 * [C]^2 * [E]

Note: I had to use (B) instead of in the explanation below, because writing was messing with the bold formatting. Haha.
Since step #2 is the slow step, we start there with the answer choice "B". However, we are not finished because this would include the intermediate B in our rate law, which is nonsense since this is just a consumed intermediate and would not be measurable during the reaction. Therefore we need to substitute out (B), and to do this we use the first step (fast, reversible). We assume an equilibrium is quickly reached, that is, rate forward = rate backward. Therefore k1 * [A]^2 = k-1 * (B). Solving for (B) we get (B) = k1/k-1 * [A]^2. Plugging this in to our rate law from Step 2, we get our final answer (Choice C).

3. What is the experimental rate law the team derived from the data in figure 2?
A. Rate = k * [A][C]
B. Rate = k * [A] * [C]^2
C. Rate = k * [A]^2 * [C]^2
D. Rate = k * [A] * [C] * [E]
Using the data in the table, we quickly find that the rate is independent of [E]. Next, we see that doubling [A] simply doubles the rate, so the reaction is first order in A. Halving [C] we find the rate is one-quarter what it was before, so the reaction is 2nd order in C.

4. In the data in figure 2, experiment 1, what is most likely the measured rate of formation of G (what is the value of "x" )?
A. 0 M/s
B. 1.0*10^-4 M/s
C. 2.5*10^-5 M/s
D. Cannot be determined
This is a tricky question since at first glance we are convinced the reaction rate is independent of [E]. Therefore you would be tempted to pick answer choice B. However, realize that without any reactant "E", it would be impossible to form product "G". Since we are measuring not the disappearance of "A" and "E", but rather the rate of appearance of "G", we would not measure any "G" being formed.

5. What is the correct value of k in the experimental rate law from Figure 2?
A. 10^-2 M/s
B. 10^-2 M^-2
C. 10^-1 M/s
D. 10^-1 M^-2

Sorry I forgot to put seconds^-1 in the correct answer choice (my bad). This question requires you to have the rate law correct in question 3. The rate is in units of (M/s), and [A] in units of (M), and (B)^2 would therefore be in units (M)^2. To make the units cancel properly, the rate constant must have units M^-2 * s^-1. Sorry I messed that one up, we need seconds on the bottom somewhere in there 😛

6. In Figure 3, what could be a method for favoring the formation of P* over P?
A. The use of a catalyst to lower the activation energy
B. Changing the energy of the reactants
C. Increasing the temperature of the reaction
D. Decreasing the temperature of the reaction

A catalyst would not work since a catalyst will lower the energy of the transition state, but not change which product we get. This question is about thermodynamic vs kinetic control.

Since P is the more stable product, we consider it to be the thermodynamic product. The high activation energy barrier to get to P would mean a high temperature would favor formation of P.

Since P* is the kinetic product (lower activation energy barrier), it would form faster. At low temperatures, reactant would be less likely to climb the high barrier to P, and comparatively more likely to form P*.

7. What is true about the reactions indicated in Figure 3?
A. P* is thermodynamically favored and &#916;(&#916;G) is negative.
B. P is thermodynamically favored and &#916;(&#916;G) is positive.
C. P is thermodynamically favored and the sign of &#916;(&#916;G) has not been defined.
D. P* is thermodynamically favored and &#916;(&#916;G) is positive.
P is lower in energy than P*, and so it is thermodynamically favored. &#916;(&#916;G) on the energy diagram is marked as the difference in energy between P and P*, however it does not tell us which order to subtract them. The sign is not important, what is important is to realize P* is higher than P.
Click to expand...


Great job to the people who attempted this one 🙂 Sorry about #5, and it doesn't seem like anyone got #1 right :naughty: Keep studying!
 
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vsmrp said:
I'm taking biochemistry
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Not sure what I can tell you regarding your courseload and mcat, just do what you can to have the right time to prep. I think if physics is your worst section and you havent worked any problems in a while, then it is ok to rework some of your older material just to have the concepts and equations fresh again. it isnt like verbal where you MUST practice new material to make progress. speaking of verbal, my suggestion is to make sure you are FRESH AND NOT TIRED when doing these, otherwise you might not make the gains you are hoping for. It really does require solid attention and concentration to improve, just my opinion.


Albein said:
I haven't seen any Kaplan material, but know a lot of people don't like BR. I have EK 101 which I haven't started yet and have been alternating between PR and BR. My BR verbal has been getting progressively worse, but PR hasn't been too bad so I'm wondering if I should be worried or not.
Click to expand...

I personally found TBR to be too easy and kaplan to be kind of off the mark. TPR kills me and EK is inbetween. My AAMC verbal scores were inbetween my TPR and EK scores. this is based on my results last summer. a lot of this is based on passage material, stuff on literature analysis absolutely destroys me. everything else, i think, for the most part i'm ok with.


--------

I think I'm starting to hit my groove with Bio. I no longer feel as if Bio is a large monolithic block of content landing on my head and can recognize if I'm missing problems due to content or if it's due to the passage or due to experiment. It's a small victory but I will take what I can.

Tomorrow is review day... and verbal lol
 
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NED I've been wondering. What's your study plan since you're not doing SN2? I need to reconfigure mines so i wanted to see what others are doing that are non SN2 plans

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I personally found TBR to be too easy and kaplan to be kind of off the mark. TPR kills me and EK is inbetween. My AAMC verbal scores were inbetween my TPR and EK scores. this is based on my results last summer. a lot of this is based on passage material, stuff on literature analysis absolutely destroys me. everything else, i think, for the most part i'm ok with.

I find TBR to be difficult or maybe it's that the passages are actual length while TPR are considerably shorter. I did a few PR passages this morning and did significantly better than I did on BR yesterday; it's odd. I've heard for a while that BR and Kaplan verbal are horrible and PR and EK are the way to go, but the huge range in scores is weird.

--------

I think I'm starting to hit my groove with Bio. I no longer feel as if Bio is a large monolithic block of content landing on my head and can recognize if I'm missing problems due to content or if it's due to the passage or due to experiment. It's a small victory but I will take what I can.

Tomorrow is review day... and verbal lol[/QUOTE]

That's awesome! Small victories quite often build up into bigger ones. I've grasped a number of Chemistry and some Physics passages that I couldn't for last year's exam although my bio is struggling which is odd. I can't wait to finish content review and see how my exam scores go. I really hope it doesn't follow the same pattern as last year.
 
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Jr MD said:
NED I've been wondering. What's your study plan since you're not doing SN2? I need to reconfigure mines so i wanted to see what others are doing that are non SN2 plans
Click to expand...

this is what I did/am doing and probably not the best for everyone. I am moving topics/chapters around if it makes sense to me based on what classes i'm taking or what I'm in the mood to work on. Obviously, as content review topics get covered i have less freedom for this 😛

The far left column is how many days left until exam day (as of today we have 50 😱 ). The rest should be explanatory, I shade out what I've done and what i havent i leave blank. I still have yet to do orgo. According to this I will be done with content review in a week.

I dont have a lot of review days which I can see is hurting me, but today is a reveiw day but i have it labelled as "BREAK/CATCH UP".

8435682290_4f1cf8b788_c.jpg
 
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Albein said:
That's awesome! Small victories quite often build up into bigger ones. I've grasped a number of Chemistry and some Physics passages that I couldn't for last year's exam although my bio is struggling which is odd. I can't wait to finish content review and see how my exam scores go. I really hope it doesn't follow the same pattern as last year.
Click to expand...

Albein said:
Nutty,^ that was directed towards you. Apparently my phone forgot how to quote.
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hehe. thanks. I am certain bio will be my weakest section but that's ok.
 
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NuttyEngDude said:
How far does everyone have until Content Review is done?
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I have a lot. I can't seem to catch up and soon as I make some progress my scumbag brain decides to take a vacation. I still have 2 chapters in physics, chem, 3 in bio and 1 in orgo :/
So much for having ample time for exams.
 
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Noticing the progress everyone is making on content review and it makes me wonder if I'm on track or putting myself at a disadvantage. If I stay on schedule, I'll finish content review the 1st week of March. After that, I'll do AAMC FL's and focus on weak areas. Similar to your schedule or are you guys leaving more time for FL's and weak areas???

Fell behind a bit this week and starting to get nervous. School work is starting to get heavy and making 5-6 hours of studying/day pretty hard to do...

#8weekstogo
 
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It's different for everyone. The SN2ED schedule suggests a solid month of only test work. If you have your content review down cold then it's just adjusting to the test proper including timing and question style.
 
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NuttyEngDude said:
How far does everyone have until Content Review is done?
Click to expand...
Done with content review 🙂 Just have to brush up on whatever weak points are revealed in passages and full length practice exams. Also, I still have lots of verbal practice needed.

I have roughly 60 bio passages left, around 30 verbal passages, and I also want to do at least 25 physics passages and 20 o-chem passages. I also want to do 9 practice exams. :scared:

#8weekstogo
Click to expand...
Uh.... no! There are 7 weeks to go! 😛
 
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Question of the day!! haha jk but anyway...

What is the difference between a coulombic charge and potential? I cant seem to grasp this important concept. Plus I have a test on wednesday lol

Thanks guys
 
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For those of you doing the Sn2ed schedule, do you guys literally read over all the chapters on that review day?
 
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fila246 said:
For those of you doing the Sn2ed schedule, do you guys literally read over all the chapters on that review day?
Click to expand...

No that seems kinda pointless. I take detailed notes when I read through the chapter the first time and then I just go through them on review days.
 
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See the previous Fact here

Today's fact concerns physiological pathways!

Here are some pathways I've written out that I find helpful in understanding system organization:

The Respiratory System – General Pathway of Air Flow (Inhalation)

Nose/Mouth &#8594; Pharynx &#8594; Larynx &#8594; Trachea &#8594; Bronchi &#8594; Bronchioles &#8594; Alveoli

Systemic Circulatory Pathway

Heart &#8594; Aorta &#8594; Arteries &#8594; Arterioles &#8594; Capillaries &#8594; Venules &#8594; Veins &#8594; Vena Cava &#8594; Heart

General Circulatory Pathway

Heart &#8594; Systemic Circulation &#8594; Heart &#8594; Pulmonary Circulation &#8594; Heart

Cardiac Impulse Propagation Pathway

SA Node &#8594; Atria &#8594; AV Node &#8594; Bundle of His &#8594; Purkinje Fibers &#8594; Ventricles

Renal Excretory Pathway

Nephrons &#8594; Renal Calyces &#8594; Renal Pelvis &#8594; Ureters &#8594; Bladder

The Lymphatic System – General Pathway of Lymph Flow

ISF &#8594; [Lymphatic Vessels &#8592;&#8594; Lymph Nodes] &#8594; Lymphatic Ducts &#8594; Subclavian Veins

Coagulation (Clot Formation) Cascade

[Coagulation Factors &#8594; Prothrombinase] + Prothrombin &#8594; Thrombin + Fibrinogen &#8594; Fibrin
 
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just out of curiosity, but for those who are taking classes + studying for the MCAT this semester, how many hours do you put in per day? Or maybe it's better to ask, how do you fit in your mcat studying during the school days?

So far, it's early in the smester so I've been doing 2-6 hours/day of MCAT studying on weekdays and 8ish hours on weekend. I'll admit I haven't put in much effort in my classes so far, but it's early in the semester...

And how many ppl have finished content review? Good luck everyone! 😀
 
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Well, I didnt realize it until I took Friday off but I was pretty burnt out, so I took the rest of the weekend off from MCAT studies.... :naughty:

On the bright side I did pretty well on one of the Kaplan Bio Topical tests so that makes me feel good.

Welcome back GTLO glad to see those tips of the day again.


argama said:
just out of curiosity, but for those who are taking classes + studying for the MCAT this semester, how many hours do you put in per day? Or maybe it's better to ask, how do you fit in your mcat studying during the school days?
Click to expand...

I have friends who have a morning class and a late afternoon class and just hang out on campus studying. I have morning classes then go home and study, this works best for me. If I spend too much time on campus I get tired.
 
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I'm also struggling with finding time to devote to mcat study while taking classes. By the time I get all the crap done for my other classes I'm pretty beat and have a hard time focusing. Anyone have any other tips for this?
 
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Weeellll....what I do is study ANYTIME during the day...that means reading flashcards at the bus stop, while I'm on the bus to class, and anytime before the professore starts lecturing (and I'm sortof studying there because I'm in physics 2 and Ochem 2 so I'm either reviewing or "pre studying" for a topic...I have audio osmosis so when I go and workout I'm listening to that too...then when time allows, I sit my butt down at my library turn off my phone and read after taking a hot shower (and I mean hot to where your jumping around in the shower..wakes me up nice and good 🙂 ) I have to stay up late and wake up early usually but it all works out thanks to a lot of prayer if your a believer but yea! Basically I use anytime presented to me to study during the week...the weekend are all mine...its hard to not get distracted but I try ...do whatever it takes to seize the 24 hours given to you in a day!! Stay positive! Wooo! Lol

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Well put Jr MD, I did not have a good answer. 👍

This may work for you, as I believe it will work for me. I am going to add a small run after class but before I study. This should not only help me get back in shape but also help to make my study time more productive overall.
 
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Glad I could help in some way after all your helpful insight NED! Gotta stay in shape physically to stay in shape mentally! After all, the MCAT is like a Pre-med Olympics as I've heard. Here's to (insert MCAT test site city here) 2013!!:beer::beer::beer:

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O Grady said:
I'm also struggling with finding time to devote to mcat study while taking classes. By the time I get all the crap done for my other classes I'm pretty beat and have a hard time focusing. Anyone have any other tips for this?
Click to expand...

kind of in the same boat. i haven't been very good about studying but i find after work studying is best done with the coffee.
 
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O Grady said:
haha I'm the say way, but with Mtn Dew. I'm pretty sure the stuff's flowing through my arteries/veins at this point
Click to expand...

that's no good. among other problems that might result the carbonation in the mountain dew will cause an increased level of blood co2 leading to decreased blood ph from carbonic anhydrase activity, which will result in a decreased hb affinity for oxygen. symptoms may include lethargy with prolonged exposure. also bubbles in the blood might cause some issues. furthermore, intravenous high fructose corn syrup will result in severe metabolic issues.

tldr if you need to take soda intravenously make sure it's flat and uses real sugar. may i suggest Mexican Coca cola, or perhaps some Texas Dr Pepper?
 
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Captain Sisko said:
that's no good. among other problems that might result the carbonation in the mountain dew will cause an increased level of blood co2 leading to decreased blood ph from carbonic anhydrase activity, which will result in a decreased hb affinity for oxygen. symptoms may include lethargy with prolonged exposure. also bubbles in the blood might cause some issues. furthermore, intravenous high fructose corn syrup will result in severe metabolic issues.

tldr if you need to take soda intravenously make sure it's flat and uses real sugar. may i suggest Mexican Coca cola, or perhaps some Texas Dr Pepper?
Click to expand...

lol ok I'll keep all that in mind 😀
 
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For those of you who outline each chapter in great detail and use BR Biology, how did you outline the metabolic pathways chapter? I can't imagine we're expected to memorize each step in these pathways.
 
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Albein said:
For those of you who outline each chapter in great detail and use BR Biology, how did you outline the metabolic pathways chapter? I can't imagine we're expected to memorize each step in these pathways.
Click to expand...

I take notes in great detail but I use EK Bio supplemented with selected portions of TBR Bio. The Metabolic Pathways chapter is insane. Know the purpose of the major pathways and the starting substrates and products.
 
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gettheleadout said:
I take notes in great detail but I use EK Bio supplemented with selected portions of TBR Bio. The Metabolic Pathways chapter is insane. Know the purpose of the major pathways and the starting substrates and products.
Click to expand...

Thanks. I was going to do something to that effect. I can't imagine writing every step of all of those pathways is an effective way to study.
 
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Has anybody else been doing Kaplan BS section tests? Just finished test 4 and got a 69%. They are definitely demoralizing, my Biology is doing good at 80% but Ochem is around 43%! Maybe its just me but I think Kaplans ochem sections are brutal.
 
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Took AAMC #4 today!

13PS / 12VR / 13 BS = 38 🙂

Was only one question away from a 14 in PS. One of the PS questions I really should have gotten...

Going over it tomorrow, I'm exhausted
 
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