The Official May 22, 2015 MCAT Thread

Started by fenderboi930
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fenderboi930

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I think many of you will agree that today is a great day to officially prepare for the May 22nd MCAT!!!

I was against the April 2015 MCAT because a typical 3 month schedule doesn't seem to work for
students and/or working test takers. With a little over 4 months of preparation we can go in with confidence!
It's all new and really scary--so let's kick MCAT butt together!!

I was also wondering, wouldn't many professional MCAT test takers and tutors want to take the MCAT 2015 as soon
as possible (April MCAT) so they can better they're material or teaching? Wouldn't that just destroy the curve?
 
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I hated the old physics but I feel the new physics is sooo much easier, a lot can be answered from the passage or just using really simple equations.


Also is anyone else getting very similar EK/AAMC scores? For some reason Bio/Chem are very similar for me.. CARS is like 30% higher for AAMC and Psych is like 15% higher for AAMC 🙁
 
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July test-taker here to wish everyone Good Luck!!!

Here is good advice I read recently; I hope it helps someone: When feeling anxious tell yourself you're actually just excited. Remember that you're excited because you've done a lot of work, you're excited to finally put it to use, you're excited because you are so committed to your dream of becoming a doctor and serving others that you're about to take a test most people won't even ever attempt. You're excited because you've got this!
http://www.bloomberg.com/bw/articles/2013-12-31/feeling-nervous-dont-try-to-calm-down-get-excited
 
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WhiskeyTangoFoxtrot said:
July test-taker here to wish everyone Good Luck!!!

Here is good advice I read recently; I hope it helps someone: When feeling anxious tell yourself you're actually just excited. Remember that you're excited because you've done a lot of work, you're excited to finally put it to use, you're excited because you are so committed to your dream of becoming a doctor and serving others that you're about to take a test most people won't even ever attempt. You're excited because you've got this!
http://www.bloomberg.com/bw/articles/2013-12-31/feeling-nervous-dont-try-to-calm-down-get-excited
Click to expand...

Positivity never hurts! Put another way (psych YAY!), our nervousness can help us because we will be optimally aroused. Yerkes-Dodson law woo
 
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HelpMe212 said:
As long as they don't ask how many ATP molecules are synthesized during aerobic respiration, I think we will be fine...
Click to expand...

Right? IIRC there was some solution from the sample test or some other AAMC material that said 38! That's kinda high! In biochem second term we learned 30 or 32 and learned how to account for every single ATP (the only reason it was 30 in some cells was if they used a shuttle system that took 1 ATP each per pyruvate) in great detail and were tested on it extensively. No idea where 38 came from.

Just to double check I went back to my notes from the samplr test to be sure and in the explanation to Q28 (though it wasn't asked in the Q) it says 38 ATP is the net yield for aerobic cellular respiration.

Tl;dr if it shows up as a question on your MCAT tmrw put 38. Ignore the mental image of your biochem prof freaking out. Hopefully they won't ask.

Anyway, good luck to everyone tmrw!! I'll be in your shoes in a few months.
 
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RaspberrySlushy said:
Right? IIRC there was some solution from the sample test or some other AAMC material that said 38! That's kinda high! In biochem second term we learned 30 or 32 and learned how to account for every single ATP (the only reason it was 30 in some cells was if they used a shuttle system that took 1 ATP each per pyruvate) in great detail and were tested on it extensively. No idea where 38 came from.

Just to double check I went back to my notes from the samplr test to be sure and in the explanation to Q28 (though it wasn't asked in the Q) it says 38 ATP is the net yield for aerobic cellular respiration.

Tl;dr if it shows up as a question on your MCAT tmrw put 38. Ignore the mental image of your biochem prof freaking out. Hopefully they won't ask.

Anyway, good luck to everyone tmrw!! I'll be in your shoes in a few months.
Click to expand...


I think the total number of ATP produced depends on which carriers are used, as some are more efficient than others. That said, from my April testing experience, this is beyond the scope of the MCAT and AAMC seems to be more focused on you understanding conditions that may increase/decrease ATP yield and a general understanding of the processes themselves.
 
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In the words and mannerisms of an 86-year-old patient, with short pigtails, I had last week,

**as I throw my hands to the sky with a gummy, toothless, smile**
"It is what it is, it's what it's gonna be"
​
 
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From everything I've seen about ATP I would definitely put 38.

Glycolysis = 2 atp + 2 nadh
Krebs x2 = 2 atp + 8nadh + 2fadh2

4 atp
10 nadh x3 = 30 atp
2 fadh2 x2 = 4 atp

Also just got a call from prometric saying I can arrive as early as 6:45 =0. Zombie mode engaged.
 
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somedudehere said:
From everything I've seen about ATP I would definitely put 38.

Glycolysis = 2 atp + 2 nadh
Krebs x2 = 2 atp + 8nadh + 2fadh2

4 atp
10 nadh x3 = 30 atp
2 fadh2 x2 = 4 atp

Also just got a call from prometric saying I can arrive as early as 6:45 =0. Zombie mode engaged.
Click to expand...
Hmm I feel like I always learned NADH is 2.5 and FADH2 is 1.5 ATP per molecule, but at this point I'll just accept 38 and be done with it
 
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carpediem22 said:
These pictures show it better than the one above:

View attachment 192287 View attachment 192288

The one on the left is our friend a-D-glucose, otherwise known as a-D-glucopyranose. The one on the right is L-glucose (I'm not sure if it is a or B, but I doubt it will even show up).
Click to expand...

i know this is way late. But Alpha sugars have the OH group down on the anomeric carbon (C1) and Beta has the OH groups up.

My teachers taught it to us this way. Fish swim (since the Greek lowercase letter alpha looks like a fish), birds fly (b for beta!)
 
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BellaWriterChic said:
i know this is way late. But Alpha sugars have the OH group down on the anomeric carbon (C1) and Beta has the OH groups up.

My teachers taught it to us this way. Fish swim (since the Greek lowercase letter alpha looks like a fish), birds fly (b for beta!)
Click to expand...
that's how I learned it too, except ants and bees lol
 
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BellaWriterChic said:
i know this is way late. But Alpha sugars have the OH group down on the anomeric carbon (C1) and Beta has the OH groups up.

My teachers taught it to us this way. Fish swim (since the Greek lowercase letter alpha looks like a fish), birds fly (b for beta!)
Click to expand...

For D sugars yes, I'm not sure that holds true for L sugars. But D sugars are all that matter 🙂
 
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I think Tyrosine is one of the "funny ones." It is mostly non-polar due to the fact that it only has one measly hydroxyl next to a huge phenyl ring, but technically it could still hydrogen bond. Also, at a pH above its pKa (~10), it would be deprotonated and therefore more polar.

At the pH of the body, it would act more like a non-polar residue than a polar one.

I doubt they will ask us whether tyrosine is polar or not since it is an bit of a in-between example. But if they ask whether it can hydrogen bond, I'd know that it can.
 
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Question about my AAMC FL please!

47%
89%
73%
75%

I know my PS sucks, but I had just learned some bad news and was trying to read through my tears lol, so hopefully it won't be that bad tomorrow.

Thoughts??

Also I just wanted to say, I've been mostly observing this board and haven't posted anything, but you guys are awesome.

GOOD LUCK!!!
 
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Liz1234 said:
Hey guys, can somebody pls explain to me the difference between positive reinforcement and aversive control?
Click to expand...
Aversive control is controlling behavior through something inherently "aversive" or "bad." So types of aversive control would be positive punishment (adding something bad that would decrease the likelihood of behavior - like spanking a child) or negative reinforcement (subtracting something good to decrease the likelihood of a behavior - like taking away cell phone privileges.)

Positive reinforcement is when you add something good to increase the likelihood of a behavior (like giving a dog a treat when they do a trick). It's a type of control, but it's not aversive control. Along with positive reinforcement is negative reinforcement (subtracting something bad to increase the likelihood of a behavior - like omitting vegetables from a child's food so they're more likely to eat.)

Does that make sense? 🙂
 
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May222015 said:
Aversive control is controlling behavior through something inherently "aversive" or "bad." So types of aversive control would be positive punishment (adding something bad that would decrease the likelihood of behavior - like spanking a child) or negative reinforcement (subtracting something good to decrease the likelihood of a behavior - like taking away cell phone privileges.)

Positive reinforcement is when you add something good to increase the likelihood of a behavior (like giving a dog a treat when they do a trick). It's a type of control, but it's not aversive control. Along with positive reinforcement is negative reinforcement (subtracting something bad to increase the likelihood of a behavior -
Click to expand...

Ah! Thanks 🙂
 
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May222015 said:
Question about my AAMC FL please!

47%
89%
73%
75%

I know my PS sucks, but I had just learned some bad news and was trying to read through my tears lol, so hopefully it won't be that bad tomorrow.

Thoughts??

Also I just wanted to say, I've been mostly observing this board and haven't posted anything, but you guys are awesome.

GOOD LUCK!!!
Click to expand...

I did horrible on the PS part too, otherwise you and I are about the same. I made stupid mistakes on the FL. Let's look on the bright side it will be the first section and we will be in full attack mode. It's all going to be great.
 
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May222015 said:
Question about my AAMC FL please!

47%
89%
73%
75%

I know my PS sucks, but I had just learned some bad news and was trying to read through my tears lol, so hopefully it won't be that bad tomorrow.

Thoughts??

Also I just wanted to say, I've been mostly observing this board and haven't posted anything, but you guys are awesome.

GOOD LUCK!!!
Click to expand...

We are about the same. i did a little better on my PS 59% our CARS and SOC are the same. Remember that was also your first time you looking at the test. Review see where you ran into trouble. If you have studied effectively I would be almost willing to bet you missed more questions due test taking mistakes than lack of knowledge. Test taking mistakes should be better the second time around.
 
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RaspberrySlushy said:
Right? IIRC there was some solution from the sample test or some other AAMC material that said 38! That's kinda high! In biochem second term we learned 30 or 32 and learned how to account for every single ATP (the only reason it was 30 in some cells was if they used a shuttle system that took 1 ATP each per pyruvate) in great detail and were tested on it extensively. No idea where 38 came from.

Just to double check I went back to my notes from the samplr test to be sure and in the explanation to Q28 (though it wasn't asked in the Q) it says 38 ATP is the net yield for aerobic cellular respiration.

Tl;dr if it shows up as a question on your MCAT tmrw put 38. Ignore the mental image of your biochem prof freaking out. Hopefully they won't ask.

Anyway, good luck to everyone tmrw!! I'll be in your shoes in a few months.
Click to expand...
Can confirm, my biochem professor said it was 30-32 as well lol... Maybe that's just for oxidative respiration only? So 2 ATP from glycolysis + 2(x2) ATP from Krebs would mean 36-38?
 
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I think sometimes sources take off some ATP for shuttling NADH into the mitochondria from glycolysis.

But I would just not over think it and accept that for the MCAT, one glucose = 38 ATP. And know what glycolysis and Kreb's produce individually in terms of electron carriers / ATP.
 
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AAMC FL

PS 64%
CARS 75%
Bio 75%
Psych 68%

I made stupid mistakes on Cars and psych as well with Bio. Ive just gotta go over my AA more. Any advice on what is an acceptable score for the MCAT or percentile range i should say? I'm literally lost in almost every spectrum possible.
 
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ispam said:
AAMC FL

PS 64%
CARS 75%
Bio 75%
Psych 68%

I made stupid mistakes on Cars and psych as well with Bio. Ive just gotta go over my AA more. Any advice on what is an acceptable score for the MCAT or percentile range i should say? I'm literally lost in almost every spectrum possible.
Click to expand...
Same, I made some silly mistakes as well. I posted above, the reply I got was pretty good - it was your first time taking the exam from AAMC, so it was probably due to test-taking errors rather than lack of knowledge.
Acceptable score is a 510+, and percentile I would say is probably 80%+, but that's just my guess. Any takers??
 
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