What classes REALLY help on the MCAT?

[ssandedoc]

I'm sure this is a common question, sorry if its redudent (if I can spell).

Okay, I'm nearing the end of my community college days and am transferring to a 4 year school. My enrollment/advicement is only weeks away for the Fall semester. I want to take the MCAT for the 1st time in April of 2006. I've taken the following already (or doing some of them now):
Zoology
Chemistry I & II
Organic I
Physics I
English I & II
College Algebra
Trignometry
Intro to Logic
Intro to Philosophy
History of Science
Intro to Nutrition
Ethics in Healthcare
Intro to Psycology
Intro to Sociology
History before the Civil War
American Federal Government

Think that's it. I know I still need Organic II and Physics II and another Biology course. But any recommendation on what courses I could take would be helpful. I've heard Genetics is good?

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[MoosePilot]

I'm sure this is a common question, sorry if its redudent (if I can spell).

Okay, I'm nearing the end of my community college days and am transferring to a 4 year school. My enrollment/advicement is only weeks away for the Fall semester. I want to take the MCAT for the 1st time in April of 2006. I've taken the following already (or doing some of them now):
Zoology
Chemistry I & II
Organic I
Physics I
English I & II
College Algebra
Trignometry
Intro to Logic
Intro to Philosophy
History of Science
Intro to Nutrition
Ethics in Healthcare
Intro to Psycology
Intro to Sociology
History before the Civil War
American Federal Government

Think that's it. I know I still need Organic II and Physics II and another Biology course. But any recommendation on what courses I could take would be helpful. I've heard Genetics is good?

Genetics is good. Physiology is pretty good. Cell biology is good.

Or take a commercial prep class 😀

 

[Prophecies]

You are missing biochem. Even though biochem isn't a topic listed on aamc, almost all the organic chem on the MCAT is biochem...I can't even imagine what my score would be without biochem...so...yeah...take biochem 😉

 

[Shredder]

genetics, physiology, perhaps biochem. i think genetics encompasses more material and is less specific than cell bio, not to mention easier. introductory cell bio is plenty of knowledge for the mcat. biochem is also difficult compared to the first two. yeah, id have to say genetics, then phys.

 

[MoosePilot]

You are missing biochem. Even though biochem isn't a topic listed on aamc, almost all the organic chem on the MCAT is biochem...I can't even imagine what my score would be without biochem...so...yeah...take biochem 😉

I'd say there are biochem questions, but the organic questions are organic and the biochem questions are biochem. Biochem question example = something about an amino acid, organic question example = something about ortho/para groups on a substituted benzene ring.

 

[Prophecies]

All my friends have agreed with me that biochem is the way to go. Yes, there is a difference between biochem and organic but, unfortunately, most of the questions on the MCAT now are biochem, not organic, questions (except for stereoisomer stuff). A lot of the organic questions have to do with carbohydrates, general metabolism, and drug reactions...seems like biochem to me.

Anyway like I said...the organic on the MCAT has been watered down so much (no benzene reactions, no alkenes/alkynes, no ring-forming reactions, etc.) that it can be handled and probably better understood if someone has taken biochemistry.

 

[chopper]

The following are all you NEED for the MCAT:
Gen Bio I/II
Gen Chem I/II
Orgo I/II
Physics I/II

If you can master the concepts in these four classes, you will do great on the MCAT. Now, I will say that some people say taking biochem or genetics or whatever helped them. And maybe it did. But the MCAT does not assume you know any of it. If the MCAT asks a question that has material not covered in the basic pre-reqs, then the answer will be in the passage and the question is basically a variant of a verbal comprehension question. And if you try to learn all the advanced stuff, it is often at the expense of the basics.

I think that the mindset of many getting ready to take the MCAT is a bit backward: I need to know EVERYTHING. Instead of the right mindset (granted, in my own opinion): KNOW THE BASICS COLD. Know them enough that you are comfortable applying them to situations you may not have had before. Know them enough so that when you get a 'genetics' passage on the MCAT, you are comfortable enough using the passage to answer the difficult questions, using your basic knowledge to come up with the answer.

My opinion of importance for MCAT in rank order:
1. Confidence (maybe if this is all you have, you won't get far. But if you don't have it, you will sink no matter how much you 'know')
2. Basic Science knowledge. Not everything from the pre-reqs, but the important stuff. COLD. The stuff you get form a review course.
3. background in 'upper division' courses.

Now, if taking all those extra courses helps you build up your confidence, they are worth it. Just don't expect them to be some sort of panacea to a good score in lieu of confidence and the basics.

Now that I teach the MCAT, I am disheartened when students come up to me (and this is common) with an "MCAT 45" book or a "Master the most difficult questions on MCAT" book asking me some out there question on some exception to the exception on some topic like molecular orbital theory. But when i ask them "What are the 4 quantum numbers", they don't know.

sorry for the rant. Just tired of people putting forth tremendous effort and not improving. Good luck with whatever route you decide to do.

(By the way, I took this method to its extreme when I prepared for the test. I took all 4 of the basic classes in the school year leading up to MCAT - I'm a post-bac. I had NO upper division science courses. I got a 14PS/15BS on the MCAT.)

 

[Twitch]

The following are all you NEED for the MCAT:
Gen Bio I/II
Gen Chem I/II
Orgo I/II
Physics I/II

I concur with chopper. A key component to the question you've asked (and has been answered many times) is topics.pdf from AAMC that lists out the topics covered.

So it boils down to this, IMHO:

If the topics on the AAMC list have not been covered in your basic classes (listed above) OR you fell asleep at that lecture then do find a way to go over those topics. You decide if you're time is better spent at a semester of class learning that "thing" you're uncomfortable with or going back to the text and looking up that topic and working it's associated problems.

G'luck,
-Y_Marker

 

[SailCrazy]

I've posted a thread on this topic and searched several others in the past. There were always differing opinions, but my summary of all the input was this:

Top 2:
Genetics
Physiology

Next 2:BioChem
MicroBiology

Someone mentioned that if you've mastered the topics in all of the minimum pre-req courses, then you'll be fine.
My interpretation of this statment is that technically it is true, but it would take an exceptionally talented person to sit through only the intro classes and fully master every small detail along the way - to the level that it can be readily remembered and applied to the MCAT. Advanced classes definitely help to reinforce those concepts.

If you have room in your schedule to take them before the MCAT, definitely do it.
If not, don't think you'll bomb as a result. Just make sure you start studying early enough to identify the areas that you need the most review.

 

[SailCrazy]

If youre lucky, History before the Civil War & American Federal Government will really pay dividends on the verbal reasoning section!

 

[cfdavid]

I take the MCAT next month, but I feel that having had cell biology has made that part of my preparation easier. It covers quite a bit of the genetics that you may find on the MCAT, too. At least mine did.

 

[MoosePilot]

I agree with Chopper. Know the basics first. If you completely know the basics, that other stuff might help you get an extra question or two.

 

[fpr85]

Chances are you'll have to retake a lot of those science courses since many med. schools won't accept (science course) credits from a community college -- research on their sites.

 

[danielle53181]

This may sound weird, but other than the basics (which you definitely need in my opinion -- I have known some who have taken the MCAT w/o all the basics, but you would probably feel much better having the background) classes that encourage logical reasoning to a heightened degree seemed to help me. For example, my philosophy class was like that and I am taking a pure logic theory class right now which has helped me to take complex themes and break them down to their simplest, logical components. I agree that on a passage here and there it is really nice if you have seen the info before, but you can't rely on that. You need to rely on your critical thinking skills. So my advice? Take the hardest reasoning classes you can -- take the challenging teachers who will make you think. For me, my biochem class was like this (although it depended wholly on the teacher), my organic class was like this (again, level of difficulty was insanely dependent on who taught it) and my logic/philosphy classes were like this. Just don't make the common pre-med mistake and try to make sure you get an A in everything by taking the easiest teacher -- it will likely come back on you on the MCAT.

 

[Shredder]

Just don't make the common pre-med mistake and try to make sure you get an A in everything by taking the easiest teacher -- it will likely come back on you on the MCAT.

disagree. take the easiest profs possible--you can never change Bs to As in the future, but you can make up for poor knowledge of subjects by studying for them harder before the mcat. the prep books have all the information you need anyway, youll just have to spend less time on info you learned well in classes and more on the rest. if you cant understand concepts, just pester people who do. youll learn it faster than you would in class. and dont expect to remember all the info from your classes, it will need to be studied no matter what. forget about "actually learning" material from certain profs; all the adcoms see is gpa, not how much you really know or who taught you it. were not trying to be master engineers or scientists, so leave that for those who are, and especially right out of college.

 

[danielle53181]

disagree. take the easiest profs possible--you can never change Bs to As in the future, but you can make up for poor knowledge of subjects by studying for them harder before the mcat. the prep books have all the information you need anyway, youll just have to spend less time on info you learned well in classes and more on the rest. if you cant understand concepts, just pester people who do. youll learn it faster than you would in class. and dont expect to remember all the info from your classes, it will need to be studied no matter what. forget about "actually learning" material from certain profs; all the adcoms see is gpa, not how much you really know or who taught you it. were not trying to be master engineers or scientists, so leave that for those who are, and especially right out of college.

definitely another way to look at it =)... in the end, the MCAT is a standardized test that puts everyone up against each other and separates the men from the boys, the women from the girls, which is why the MCAT is here in the first place -- a 3.9 GPA doesn't mean nearly as much with a score of 27, whereas a 3.6 GPA means a whole lot more with an MCAT score of 35+. Of course, anytime the GPA falls below 3.5, you are getting in a border zone, and so you need to maintain grades as well. Take that for what it is and tailor your profile as you see fit.

 

[Shredder]

this is true, with 3.5/40 you can always say you obviously knew the material but had an unlucky time with teachers, but a 4.0/25 doesnt look too hot. even 4.0/30 if you put them side by side, and if it was up to me id perhaps even pass on a 4.0/35 since im a big supporter of standardized testing. still, you might as well have your cake and eat it too by taking the easy profs, having free time and fun, and studying for and acing the mcat.

 

[DrMojorisin]

I concur with what most are saying. Physics ii, Physiology, Biochem, and Genetics would be most helpful - but not necessary. Focus on your basic coursework for study. Definitely buy a review book set. You could score well enough from where you're at with no additional courses if you prepped with good review books.

 

[ssandedoc]

Chances are you'll have to retake a lot of those science courses since many med. schools won't accept (science course) credits from a community college -- research on their sites.

Why would schools be anti community college? OU Med's school accepts community college credits, I know someone who got in and took a lot of their classes at the community college.

 

[danielle53181]

Why would schools be anti community college? OU Med's school accepts community college credits, I know someone who got in and took a lot of their classes at the community college.

This is a quote from the examkrackers forum, roundtable discussion with Judy Levine (she is fomer medical school admissions director and offers excellent advice to people about their applications)

"You're probably right that the courses for the military at a community college will carry less weight. I think that would only hurt if you got A's there and then dropped significantly at the U of Nebraska. But you have continued to excel, so there is no reason to doubt the strength of your academic preparation. "

You should post your question to her, as you will get a more informed answer -- here we are all just making educated guesses. This person had taken some courses at a community college for military technical school. However, he had begun an undergraduate at a four year university and was continuing to maintain good grades. So, from this post I would say that as long as you continue to do really well in a university setting (hopefully taking some upper division sciences to show you can do university level science), you will probably be ok. I have looked at a couple of the top 5 school sites and haven't seen that they do not accept community college credit. However, it would probably make your application weaker if your only science is from a community college. Definitely ask this question in the examkrackers.com Round table forum to get a clear answer so you won't worry about it anymore.