To take or not to take? That is the question...

[Member071191]

Hello everyone,

I had signed up for the August 22 MCAT a few weeks ago. I am 90% sure that I should cancel (tomorrow last day to get partial refund). I took AAMC 3 and got a 24 ( PS 6, VB 10, BS 8). I am extremely confused about my numbers. For ex. after taking 3 EK 101 Verbal Passages I got 6,6,8 yet on AAMC 3 I got a 10.

Verbal does not scare me as much as PS and BS. I did not do well in my Ochem classes (C's both semester) as I had no idea how to study in those classes nor do I remember any reactions. I have made flash cards of all the reactions/mechanism listed on topic list but I am overwhelmed by how many of them there are. I had difficulties figuring out what the product of a particular reaction or the addition of a certain reactant would produce on the EK 1001 questions.

I feel like I can raise my scores dramatically (by this I mean to a 10) as in BS I had had 15+ minutes leftover and my score was low due to missing 5 questions on Cardio/Lymphatic/Immune systems. I never really studied physiology, everything else is pretty much basic to me (I am Biochem/molecular biology major with survey course in microbiology and high level virology course.

As can be seen from my scores PS is my biggest problem. I will be honest I have used all TBR books (PS and Orgo) except EK Bio for Bio and all 1001 EK books; the TBR books suck for a lack of a better word. I spent 2 months on content review (1-2 weeks I got burnt out and did not look at material), and as can be seen got me no where.

Can you guys suggest any materials that are not as in depth as TBR and that get to the point. I realize now that doing content review is a HUGE waste of time and extremely boring. But we learn from our mistakes, and I have learned that for me to understand physics I have to work 1000s of problems and content review should take no more than 1-2 hours for each section. BTW I made A's in Physics.


The same goes for organic chemistry. I see it is quite simple once you understand it. I understand the concepts and I need quick refreshers to drill the concepts in my head over and over again. I can do one section at a time, for ex. it is easy to do a section that says hydrocarbons (like EK 1001). But if you give me questions that are all mixed up (hydrocarbons,aromatics, ketones, aldehydes, nitrogen compounds, carbs) I will get confused as what reaction is happening because my mind is not organized.


Last Note: Will be taking MCAT in January and this time there will be no cancelling whatsoever. I am also taking a higher level physiology course, an anatomy course, higher level fundamental of neuroscience, high level food microbiology starting in 2 weeks.

I am a senior and at the end of the school year hoping to file AMCAS ASAP in June.

Thanks in advance.

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[Doctor Bob]

Last Note: Will be taking MCAT in January and this time there will be no cancelling whatsoever. I am also taking a higher level physiology course, an anatomy course, higher level fundamental of neuroscience, high level food microbiology.

Those won't help you with the MCAT...

 

[Member071191]

Those won't help you with the MCAT...

A physiology course won't help me on MCAT? Trolling or something? The first chapter of the physiology book I just received covers like 1-2 chapters of EK BIO.

Don't mean to be rude but seriously?

 

[Person0715]

Physiology will definitely help you on the MCAT. You definitely don't need a dedicated physiology course to learn the physiology on the MCAT, but a course will be a huge help nonetheless, so i don't know what the above poster is talking about. However, anatomy probably won't be of much help.

In terms of prep material, have you looked at TPR?

 

[Doctor Bob]

A physiology course won't help me on MCAT? Trolling or something? The first chapter of the physiology book I just received covers like 1-2 chapters of EK BIO.

Don't mean to be rude but seriously?

#1) I will start with some advice that hopefully you will take to heart prior to starting your medical career. You can, with just a sentence, close lots of doors along your road. If we had had this same conversation in real life (you asking for advice, and me giving my response) and you came back with the above reply, you'd find yourself quickly in a very unpleasant situation for a medical student/resident. Now, this is the internet and people are often freer with their words than they would otherwise be, but don't be so quick to be... as you put it... rude.

What would have been better would be something like "A physiology course won't help me on the MCAT? That seems contrary to what I've been told in the past. Can you explain what you mean?" That's a bit more professional response.

Now...

#2) An upper level physiology course won't help you much on the MCAT. I stand by that statement. But now let me expound on it. The physiology on the MCAT is primarily basic level stuff; there is no expectation that people who take the test will have had exposure to Physio II or above courses. In fact, most of the physiology will have been covered in the general bio courses people take. Taking a class that teaches beyond the scope of the test won't help you with the content you need. From your first post, your problem isn't with the BS section; going back and reading the physio portions in the bio review books ought to do it for you (if you didn't study the basic physio stuff in the first place). Will an upper level physiology course help you in the long run? Sure. But that wasn't the thrust of your question.

Food microbiology, neuroscience, anatomy... not much help on the exam. Helpful in the long run? Sure. Will any of these courses harm you for the MCAT? No, probably not. But they aren't going to provide any meaningful help either.

 

[freakingoutabit]

I would cancel and focus on taking the January MCAT. You have too much to do between now and August 22nd.

Don't stress so much over organic chemistry. There isn't very much of it, and most of it is very basic. You don't need to make flashcards with every reaction mechanism. Focus on chirality, enantiomers, naming, etc. I didn't even take orgo (either semester) before taking the MCAT, and it was fine. I studied the basics and banked on the fact that there would only be a handful of orgo questions.

Honestly, I know you don't want to hear this, but I would start your content review over, focusing on having an intuitive, conceptual understanding of each subject. Understanding something well enough to get an A in physics is not the same as understanding it for the MCAT. (Ex: WHY does light bend toward the normal line when moving from X material to Y material? Simply knowing that it does is not enough.) Once you understand a subject well enough to explain it to someone else, drill practice problems. Then once you feel comfortable drilling practice problems in most areas, start taking FL tests.

I do think physiology will help, but the other classes won't. Be careful not to overload your schedule; studying for class isn't the same thing as studying for the MCAT. You need plenty of time for the latter.

 

[Uafl112]

cancel.

 

[Member071191]

#1) I will start with some advice that hopefully you will take to heart prior to starting your medical career. You can, with just a sentence, close lots of doors along your road. If we had had this same conversation in real life (you asking for advice, and me giving my response) and you came back with the above reply, you'd find yourself quickly in a very unpleasant situation for a medical student/resident. Now, this is the internet and people are often freer with their words than they would otherwise be, but don't be so quick to be... as you put it... rude.

What would have been better would be something like "A physiology course won't help me on the MCAT? That seems contrary to what I've been told in the past. Can you explain what you mean?" That's a bit more professional response.

Now...

#2) An upper level physiology course won't help you much on the MCAT. I stand by that statement. But now let me expound on it. The physiology on the MCAT is primarily basic level stuff; there is no expectation that people who take the test will have had exposure to Physio II or above courses. In fact, most of the physiology will have been covered in the general bio courses people take. Taking a class that teaches beyond the scope of the test won't help you with the content you need. From your first post, your problem isn't with the BS section; going back and reading the physio portions in the bio review books ought to do it for you (if you didn't study the basic physio stuff in the first place). Will an upper level physiology course help you in the long run? Sure. But that wasn't the thrust of your question.

Food microbiology, neuroscience, anatomy... not much help on the exam. Helpful in the long run? Sure. Will any of these courses harm you for the MCAT? No, probably not. But they aren't going to provide any meaningful help either.

I give you the same advice you gave me. If you had written what you wrote in #2 that would have been perfectly fine and very professional but the way you wrote your first statement I answered in likewise manner. One should look at oneself first before looking at others.

Once again not being "rude" just stating the obvious and like you said in the internet you can be free.

Anyways thank for the helpful response in #2 and thanks everyone else. Consensus is to cancel. BTW the courses I have listed are courses in my major to complete my degree, those are courses I want to take and some of them I have to take.

 

[gumdrops]

I give you the same advice you gave me. If you had written what you wrote in #2 that would have been perfectly fine and very professional but the way you wrote your first statement I answered in likewise manner. One should look at oneself first before looking at others.

Once again not being "rude" just stating the obvious and like you said in the internet you can be free.

Anyways thank for the helpful response in #2 and thanks everyone else. Consensus is to cancel. BTW the courses I have listed are courses in my major to complete my degree, those are courses I want to take and some of them I have to take.

lol, the OP's tone is about on par with many people I've met who've made it through residency. People who speak this way act IRL as if they're entitled to be abrupt because they have an MD. These people are also so egotistical that they don't take advice well-and then I find out later that they did very poorly in medical school or residency.

That's irrelevant at the moment though. OP, a 23 on AAMC FL #3 means A LOT of work has to be done. Cancel your exam and get some thorough study guides like Berkeley Review. Chad's Videos will help you relearn organic chem entirely. Physiology is fine but the MCAT is becoming more experimental. Work more practice passages in bio to start being able to read critically and glean information. Physiology will help for medical school but the new MCAT seems to be geared towards understanding molecular biology, genetics, immunology and more basic science. Microbiology should be good for that purpose though. Good luck.

 

[Member071191]

lol, the OP's tone is about on par with many people I've met who've made it through residency. People who speak this way act IRL as if they're entitled to be abrupt because they have an MD. These people are also so egotistical that they don't take advice well-and then I find out later that they did very poorly in medical school or residency.

That's irrelevant at the moment though. OP, a 23 on AAMC FL #3 means A LOT of work has to be done. Cancel your exam and get some thorough study guides like Berkeley Review. Chad's Videos will help you relearn organic chem entirely. Physiology is fine but the MCAT is becoming more experimental. Work more practice passages in bio to start being able to read critically and glean information. Physiology will help for medical school but the new MCAT seems to be geared towards understanding molecular biology, genetics, immunology and more basic science. Microbiology should be good for that purpose though. Good luck.

Wow, you make a lot of great suggestions I will definitely implement. If the MCAT leans towards what you mentioned I am ecstatic as those things are pretty much drilled in my head after so many classes in Biochem/Molecular/Micro ( I am a senior so pretty much taken a lot of bio courses). You said to practice physiology/Bio with passages can you recommend other books in addition to TBR (I have the set).

I have heard about Chad's video but not sure how good they are. My problem with organic is that TBR is too much in depth and simply boring and does not help. The Organic Chemistry As a Second Language have done much more for me then TBR.

Why do I like Organic as a second language? Simple, to the point, many problems, concise. If anybody can recommend any MCAT material like it, I would highly appreciate it.

Once again thanks for the great advice. Hopefully this weekend I will be prepping my study schedule for the next few months.

 

[Spinach Dip]

I am extremely confused about my numbers. For ex. after taking 3 EK 101 Verbal Passages I got 6,6,8 yet on AAMC 3 I got a 10.

AAMC is the only material which gives an accurate score. All others (especially for VR) should be used for practice only.

I spent 2 months on content review (1-2 weeks I got burnt out and did not look at material), and as can be seen got me no where.

I also found content review to be essentially useless. What I found best (and what I suggest) is to spend the majority of your time doing practice tests and reviewing what you got wrong. Only by learning from your mistakes can you really increase your score.