What are some classes that would help improve my critical thinking skills for the new MCAT?

[veryborderlineapplicant]

I'm reapplying to medical school this cycle, and I'm having to take Sociology this semester to prepare for the new mcat. What would be some upper division classes that'd be really helpful for the new mcat and to improve my critical thinking skills for the new mcat?

I've already taken all the premed requirements except for Sociology. I've also taken Biochemistry, MCB, Genetics, and Microbio, but not NPB. The reason why I didn't take NPB is because I self-studied for it on the old mcat and even though my MCAT scores went from a 31 to a 28, my Biosci score went from a 10 to a 13 between those two tests. I'm not a great standardized test taker, and would really like to take some upper division science classes that'd help me get in the right mindset and develop the necessary critical thinking skills to do better on this test and improve my critical thinking skills. I know standardized tests are a HUGE part of medicine, so I want to develop the necessary critical thinking skills as best as possible. These courses would also serve as a topic to discuss in my interviews next cycle to "demonstrate my improvement".

Otherwise, I was thinking of maybe taking an engineering elective class and tying it into to my interest in surgery, or maybe a computer programming class and tying it into my need to improve my technical literacy considering how much of medicine is electronic these days. Would either of these type of classes help? I'm definitely open to other much stronger ideas and suggestions to really work on my standardized test skills though.

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[Rogert]

I don't know of a class that "teaches" critical thinking. Just pick up a couple philosophy books or a few copies of the New Yorker.

I think you could also make a case for certain types of video games (if you're into that sort of thing) that reward thinking and pattern recognition over brute force or level grinding.

 

[veryborderlineapplicant]

I don't know of a class that "teaches" critical thinking. Just pick up a couple philosophy books or a few copies of the New Yorker.

I think you could also make a case for certain types of video games (if you're into that sort of thing) that reward thinking and pattern recognition over brute force or level grinding.

I play video games, but what about courses that really emphasize qualities that'd help me with standardized test taking and further familiarize myself with 2015 mcat content? One thing I found, especially in terms of bio sci, was that developing a deeper understanding of physiology was what helped me get a 13. Verbal reasoning was also my weakest section on the mcat and I'm a pretty avid reader and english is my first language, so if you have any more recommendations for course that could help with the new "critical analysis and reasoning skills" section I'd really appreciate that.

I was gonna retake physics and do the calculus based version but then I realized there's basically minimal physics on the new mcat, and I did decent on phys sci.

 

[FindMeOnTheLinks]

Take intro to philosophy or logic. It is entirely abstract thinking that can be pretty challenging which is helpful for critical reasoning.

 

[TheRhymenocerous]

Try a poetry class! Or any kind of lit that you wouldn't ordinarily pick up on your own. I'm an English major so I'm a little biased, but reading and analyzing complicated texts is really great prep for the verbal section. All sections, really.

 

[veryborderlineapplicant]

Great suggestions! Thanks. What about a class to help for medical school interviews, would a public speaking class or communication class help or is there a better way to get experience and good practice for interviews?

 

[Lucca]

I appreciate that you are looking to take things that will supplement the deficits in your knowledge and skills but you really can't take classes to prepare for everything. There are other ways to prepare. In all honesty, it's hard to make up for anything in a single class; education is cumulative and includes a lot of things that are never tested or taught in school.

Philosophy, Logic, some non-calculus math class, a rigorous English or Economics class are all good suggestion though. They all require you to solve problems with tools that are either not given to you or non-obvious and allow you to draw from a variety of topics outside the coursework to be able to solve a problem.

As far as public speaking, I would focus less on the speaking bit and more on figuring out what to say. Read your own application and figure out a story. What does it say about you? Who is this person? Figure out how to convey that. Pick some stories or activities that aren't included that supplement that person you want to portray. In other words, fake it till you make it (but that "fake" character should still be you, just a more coherent and narrative friendly you, people understand narratives, people like narratives even though it's impossible to be completely narrative for many people).

Go to your career services office and sign up for mock interviews is you can. Practice with your friends. Don't memorize a speech but know what high points you want to emphasize in an interview and have a healthy knowledge of current ethical and policy issues concerning healthcare.

 

[Lamel]

What helped me most was to simply read a lot of things, be it fiction, non-fiction, science etc. I had been reading novels/articles throughout college for years and it helped improve my reading speed. This is what helped me most for the MCAT apart from the basic content review.