Weak background in Genetics

[up40loves]

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I have a weak background in genetics and so I was was wondering, does anyone have any prep books or study guides that they recommend? I am taking the MCAT at the end of August so I don't have a ton of time for reading textbooks and such.

Thanks!

 

[Eliot Spitzer]

Don't worry about it just believe in yourself. Then you can do anything.

 

[Libtech]

I took the MCAT on May 27th, and yes there were a bunch of molecular/genetics questions. If you are comfortable reading primary literature, then you should be fine (not necessarily the genetics itself).

I remember when I got to a passage related to a lab technique that we use in our lab (geneticin selection,) I smiled inside. After working through it, it reminded me of a hybrid verbal-biology passage.

But overall if you can logically discern what A does to B which helps C and regulates D which feedsback to A again etc etc... in a primary lit. type of document then you should be good!

Don't stress too much on text book (seeing how your schedule is) and just brush up on up-regulation/down-regulation, enhancers, promoters, DNA polymerase v. RNA Pol. (obviously there's more things to know, but just know their general mechanism/purpose) Anyways just some things that come to my mind, hope it helps!

 

[up40loves]

I took the MCAT on May 27th, and yes there were a bunch of molecular/genetics questions. If you are comfortable reading primary literature, then you should be fine (not necessarily the genetics itself).

I remember when I got to a passage related to a lab technique that we use in our lab (geneticin selection,) I smiled inside. After working through it, it reminded me of a hybrid verbal-biology passage.

But overall if you can logically discern what A does to B which helps C and regulates D which feedsback to A again etc etc... in a primary lit. type of document then you should be good!

Don't stress too much on text book (seeing how your schedule is) and just brush up on up-regulation/down-regulation, enhancers, promoters, DNA polymerase v. RNA Pol. (obviously there's more things to know, but just know their general mechanism/purpose) Anyways just some things that come to my mind, hope it helps!

What prep books do you recommend? Do you think the Kaplan bio book is fine?

 

[Libtech]

Hmmm. I never used any Kaplan materials so I can not speak for it. But my friend who taught for them mentioned that their verbal and physical sections are excessive and not representative of the real MCAT. The biology he felt was more reasonable (as EK did not have very in depth genetic/molecular based questions)

I personally used EK, but I TA'd for biochem the semester before so fortunately I was relatively fresh on the detailed stuff 🙂.

I really think if you've taken genetics/microbiology, you should be perfectly fine. And I'm sure the Kaplan is more than suitable.

 

[ldnk]

Your first year general Bio book should have more than enough genetics material to cover you, even if your course didn't use all of the material. If it is genetics problems that are bothering you, stick to knowing the ratios for crosses and realize that if you can pick them out, any crosses are actually considerably easier than you think. The numbers give away the answer.