Who here did NOT take genetics in uni & still scored 30+?

[HistoRocks]

All this time I was planning to take genetics, as per the requirements of the "bio" major... but now my uni has a BIOMED major.... with which I can avoid genetics altogether & take several dozen biochem classes instead. Well kinda. Actually I can take classes that r totally med-school related... which genetics doesn't seem to be! The only downside is that genetics is on the MCAT! So I dunno! Without genetics, excluding physics lab, I'd basically be on cruise control here......... so...... I wanna know how many of u didn't take genetics and still scored 30+! And what was ur exact score? I'd also like to know how many of u didn't volunteer & got into med school, but I'll leave that for a different thread!

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[willthatsall]

No genetics, 14 on BS and I didn't see any genetics questions I needed a better genetics background for. But some people think you need genetics, it probably depends on how well your intro course covered genetics.

 

[HistoRocks]

No genetics, 14 on BS and I didn't see any genetics questions I needed a better genetics background for. But some people think you need genetics, it probably depends on how well your intro course covered genetics.

Thats great to hear! A 13 on BS is good enough for me, coz' I know I can get a 13 on Verbal without studying. So 26 there, and a 9 on physical... love how this works out! Maybe i should start attending lectures, one of these days. And do that volunteer thing, to prove I'm a caring, compassionate individual, capable of extroardinary feats of altruism, worthy of veneration & a 200 K surgeon's salary.

 

[bgreet]

30 without taking genetics (or any upper level bio really for that matter)

 

[Pinkertinkle]

mememe

 

[gujuDoc]

A friend of mine had a 32 on her MCAT without any higher level courses. Genetics can be useful, but the info you need you will find in any test prep book and in the genetics chapters of your bio 1 and 2 book.

 

[Shrike]

38 with no college science except physics.

Re genetics: guju is right, all you need are the bare-bones basics and a willingness to look slowly and carefully at the information contained in the passage. It's all there. Genetics class may be hard, I dunno, but genetics on the MCAT is only hard if you make it so.

 

[HistoRocks]

Thanks for all your replies. Personally, much as I despise genetics, I would take it just to enhance my knowledge of cell bio (which I can't get enough of). But dun wanna risk hurting my GPA, unless it was absolutely essential for MCAT preparation. Can't be bothered explaining a "C" to an admissions committee (and y should they understand, when applicant B, a Mendel-in-the making, got an A?) And if its such a difficult class, don't want to imagine the time committment. Plus there is no genetics in med school, thankfully.

 

[willthatsall]

I think you should rephrase your question to ask for a certain BS score and not an MCAT score of 30. In theory, you could score a 30 on the MCAT with a BS score of 1, and you probably don't want that person's opinion about genetics.

 

[HistoRocks]

I think you should rephrase your question to ask for a certain BS score and not an MCAT score of 30. In theory, you could score a 30 on the MCAT with a BS score of 1, and you probably don't want that person's opinion about genetics.

Actually a 29, if each section is worth 14 points. Personally, a 30 par se is not what I'm after, a 35 min is. 30 is the bare bones minimum for med school admission, so I hear. Hence the phrasing of the question.

 

[gdk]

i didn't have genetics and still scored over 30.. my version of the test had at least one (maybe two) pedigree charts and asked about the chance of male offspring having xyz. these were not passage pased questions. this level ov genetics knowledge was pretty much covered in the ek books (from what i remember).

 

[Shrike]

Actually a 29, if each section is worth 14 points. Personally, a 30 par se is not what I'm after, a 35 min is. 30 is the bare bones minimum for med school admission, so I hear. Hence the phrasing of the question.

I'm confused. Sections are worth 15 points, not 14. 30 is possible under the stated conditions. 31, too.

 

[willthatsall]

Actually a 29, if each section is worth 14 points. Personally, a 30 par se is not what I'm after, a 35 min is. 30 is the bare bones minimum for med school admission, so I hear. Hence the phrasing of the question.

3 sections scored 1-15. You could make a 1 on a section and still make as high as a 31, but obviously that wasn't my point. I was just pointing out that since you wanted advice on the BS section from high scoreres, it would make more since to ask for a high score in BS. A person with a 28 (13 BS, 7 PS, 8 VR) would probably be more qualified to answer than a person with a 33 (7 BS, 13 VR, 13 PS). That's all I was trying to suggest.

 

[HistoRocks]

3 sections scored 1-15. You could make a 1 on a section and still make as high as a 31, but obviously that wasn't my point. I was just pointing out that since you wanted advice on the BS section from high scoreres, it would make more since to ask for a high score in BS. A person with a 28 (13 BS, 7 PS, 8 VR) would probably be more qualified to answer than a person with a 33 (7 BS, 13 VR, 13 PS). That's all I was trying to suggest.

The only way you could get a 1, or anything less than 5 on any section, if you ask me, is to (I) leave the test sheet blank, (II) intentionally put down wrong answers - you'd have to know the right answers, coincidentally. But if you put down the same answer choice for all the questions in a section, you'd at least get 5.

Anyway, all this is besides the point... my question was specifically about genetics, not the BS section of MCAT. I wanted to know if there was a correlation between taking undergrad genetics and a high MCAT score, not just a high bio sciences score. In other words, I was open to the possibility that people who may have scored low on the BS section might have been able to make up for it via other sections of the test. Better to get ppl's experience with genetics as it correlates to MCAT in the context of their total MCAT score, as opposed to just their BS score.

 

[marglinw]

Your screwed Man! Before I took Genetics I earned a 20 on the MCAT. Then I took Genetics and I made a 40. It was totally the major difference.

 

[willthatsall]

The only way you could get a 1, or anything less than 5 on any section, if you ask me, is to (I) leave the test sheet blank, (II) intentionally put down wrong answers - you'd have to know the right answers, coincidentally. But if you put down the same answer choice for all the questions in a section, you'd at least get 5.

Anyway, all this is besides the point... my question was specifically about genetics, not the BS section of MCAT. I wanted to know if there was a correlation between taking undergrad genetics and a high MCAT score, not just a high bio sciences score. In other words, I was open to the possibility that people who may have scored low on the BS section might have been able to make up for it via other sections of the test. Better to get ppl's experience with genetics as it correlates to MCAT in the context of their total MCAT score, as opposed to just their BS score.

So you are suggesting that genetics maybe helps on other sections of the MCAT? Seriously, is this gujuDoc with a new screen name? I can tell you right now you aren't breaking a 30.

 

[gujuDoc]

So you are suggesting that genetics maybe helps on other sections of the MCAT? Seriously, is this gujuDoc with a new screen name? I can tell you right now you aren't breaking a 30.

I don't know if you are trying to cause trouble by bringing my name up in another thread. But in no way shape or form am I historock, nor do I know who this poster is.

Do you really think I would waste time creating new screenames, when I already have an account?

And I already gave my 2 cents earlier if you saw my post. I already told the original poster that there was no need to take higher genetics because everything is in both MCAT books and in the text book for bio one and two.

Also, I'm well aware genetics has nothing in anyway shape or form to do with the physical sciences or verbal section. And I don't know what the original poster meant. But as I already said, I gave my two cents if you scroll upward you'll see that.

 

[willthatsall]

I don't know if you are trying to cause trouble by bringing my name up in another thread. But in no way shape or form am I historock, nor do I know who this poster is.

Do you really think I would waste time creating new screenames, when I already have an account?

And I already gave my 2 cents earlier if you saw my post. I already told the original poster that there was no need to take higher genetics because everything is in both MCAT books and in the text book for bio one and two.

Also, I'm well aware genetics has nothing in anyway shape or form to do with the physical sciences or verbal section. And I don't know what the original poster meant. But as I already said, I gave my two cents if you scroll upward you'll see that.

Nah, I didn't really think that. I was just busting your balls since you don't respond to the other thread anymore.

 

[HistoRocks]

So you are suggesting that genetics maybe helps on other sections of the MCAT? Seriously, is this gujuDoc with a new screen name? I can tell you right now you aren't breaking a 30.

Okay, let me make this clear. Yes, genetics only affects the BS score. I never said anything contrary to the fact. Now read very very carefully (consider using a magnifying class if necessary). Someone who didn't take genetics in uni may have scored very low on the BS section. But it didn't matter because they were able to make up for it with high scores in other sections. In contrast, someone who took genetics was able to get a high BS score and they scored high in the other sections as well. And third case... someone took genetics and got a high score, but scored poorly in the other two passages. These scenarios are only meaningful if one considers the OVERALL MCAT score, not just a BS score. Maybe my point is made more clear if I express it this way: does a poor knowledge of genetics correlate to a poor BS score, and how does that affect my overall MCAT score? Just knowing a BS score doesn't help in this situation.

P.S: And no, I am not gujudoc. I'm not gonna get 30 or higher? We'll see when the time comes. Whatever the case, I do believe I'm more aware of my capabilities than a stranger I know only via a pseudonym

 

[gujuDoc]

Okay, let me make this clear. Yes, genetics only affects the BS score. I never said anything contrary to the fact. Now read very very carefully (consider using a magnifying class if necessary). Someone who didn't take genetics in uni may have scored very low on the BS section. But it didn't matter because they were able to make up for it with high scores in other sections. In contrast, someone who took genetics was able to get a high BS score and they scored high in the other sections as well. And third case... someone took genetics and got a high score, but scored poorly in the other two passages. These scenarios are only meaningful if one considers the OVERALL MCAT score, not just a BS score. Maybe my point is made more clear if I express it this way: does a poor knowledge of genetics correlate to a poor BS score, and how does that affect my overall MCAT score? Just knowing a BS score doesn't help in this situation.

P.S: And no, I am not gujudoc. I'm not gonna get 30 or higher? We'll see when the time comes. Whatever the case, I do believe I'm more aware of my capabilities than a stranger I know only via a pseudonym

First I would like to say that you should aim for a 30 with no lower than a 9 in a given section.

secondly, as posted earlier by myself and by Shrike whom happens to be a TPR teacher..........

There is no need to take genetics to do better on the MCAT. You can break a 30 with studying the bare minimums of genetics on your own.

Keep in mind the MCAT is more conceptual as we pointed out in the physics thread.

So even with genetics the same can be said.

See the MCAT takes concepts from several different courses and applies them into one passage, which makes sense since that real life is more application of everything as a whole.


Also, I don't know of specific correlations.........but I will say that several people do very well with taking the bare minimum prereqs by just using test prep or textbooks to get the basics and then applying to practice tests.

 

[Shrike]

Boys, boys (or girls, for all I know). . .

Margl: That's a good one. I'm not sure the rest of 'em got it, though.

Will: Maybe you should abuse Guju on only one thread. That seems fair, don't you think?

Guju: I think Histo gets the importance of basic knowledge over details. At least he ought to: as you point out, several of us have made this clear, and frankly it's pretty obvious. He's not arguing with you; I think if you'll read carefully you'll see that no one is.

Histo: Interesting question. I understand your reasoning about genetics being correlated with performance in non-biology sections in interesting ways. I suspect there's too much statistical noise to track it, though, especially if your data are self-selected on an internet forum. Still cool, though. I do think a possibly better question is whether taking genetics substantially affects the bio sci score (as Will already pointed out); your question is legitimate, but that doesn't mean it's going to get you much useful information.

My opinon, which is only that and which I cannot support well: as with so much on the MCAT, depth of knowledge is not only not terribly useful, but at least has the potential to slow you down or trip you up. I'll bet that taking genetics won't hurt your score, but it won't help it much because any advantage will be offset by your tendency to get bogged down in minutiae.

If I were you, I'd take the stuff I really felt like taking, but then I'm not the one who wants to be a doctor. Tough call. Good luck.

Shrike
TPR physics, verbal, bio (yes, without college biology; you'd still be happy to be in my class, and your score would improve)

 

[rn2md10]

Okay, let me make this clear. Yes, genetics only affects the BS score. I never said anything contrary to the fact. Now read very very carefully (consider using a magnifying class if necessary). Someone who didn't take genetics in uni may have scored very low on the BS section. But it didn't matter because they were able to make up for it with high scores in other sections. In contrast, someone who took genetics was able to get a high BS score and they scored high in the other sections as well. And third case... someone took genetics and got a high score, but scored poorly in the other two passages. These scenarios are only meaningful if one considers the OVERALL MCAT score, not just a BS score. Maybe my point is made more clear if I express it this way: does a poor knowledge of genetics correlate to a poor BS score, and how does that affect my overall MCAT score? Just knowing a BS score doesn't help in this situation.

P.S: And no, I am not gujudoc. I'm not gonna get 30 or higher? We'll see when the time comes. Whatever the case, I do believe I'm more aware of my capabilities than a stranger I know only via a pseudonym

2 Questions
1. If you are aware of you capabilities why ask the question?
2. When the majority of replies are against taking the course, you still state you are going to take genetics. Why ask the community for their help if your mind is set already?

Anyway thanks for asking the question and to those who replied I also thank you. I was under the impression the MCAT favored genetics, Ill stick to the basics. Hope that 'll do

 

[HistoRocks]

Histo: Interesting question. I understand your reasoning about genetics being correlated with performance in non-biology sections in interesting ways. I suspect there's too much statistical noise to track it, though, especially if your data are self-selected on an internet forum. Still cool, though. I do think a possibly better question is whether taking genetics substantially affects the bio sci score (as Will already pointed out); your question is legitimate, but that doesn't mean it's going to get you much useful information.

I don't understand your reasoning behind misinterpreting my earlier point. So let me repeat again: if I was just interested in how genetics affects one's BS score, I would have asked that. What I actually asked, albeit indirectly, was whether a poor score in BS - due to genetics - could be offset by a high score in the the other two passages. The only way I could know is to ask the total MCAT score. Now if you disagree, quote me where I said genetics comes up in verbal or genetics comes up in the physical sciences. Because thats what you're implying.

 

[HistoRocks]

2 Questions
1. If you are aware of you capabilities why ask the question?
2. When the majority of replies are against taking the course, you still state you are going to take genetics. Why ask the community for their help if your mind is set already?

Anyway thanks for asking the question and to those who replied I also thank you. I was under the impression the MCAT favored genetics, Ill stick to the basics. Hope that 'll do

1. Capabilities referring to a decent MCAT score. Personally, I believe anyone is capable, given sufficient time and resources.

2. I did not say I would take it for sure. I would LIKE to take it, just coz' it relates to cell bio (one of my favorite subjects). Then again, I have to take my GPA into consideration.

Glad the thread helped you. Wasn't supposed to degenerate, but thats not my fault.

 

[gujuDoc]

[/Quote]
My opinon, which is only that and which I cannot support well: as with so much on the MCAT, depth of knowledge is not only not terribly useful, but at least has the potential to slow you down or trip you up. I'll bet that taking genetics won't hurt your score, but it won't help it much because any advantage will be offset by your tendency to get bogged down in minutiae.

If I were you, I'd take the stuff I really felt like taking, but then I'm not the one who wants to be a doctor. Tough call. Good luck.

Shrike
TPR physics, verbal, bio (yes, without college biology; you'd still be happy to be in my class, and your score would improve)[/QUOTE]


Good point about details.

 

[QofQuimica]

Just to join you all in beating the dead horse, I agree that taking a genetics course is not necessary to do well on the BS section. If you want to take genetics, it won't hurt you, but you'd be better off spending that time doing more practice tests if your goal is merely to do well on the MCAT. Most of all, I'm sick and tired of Shrike giving all the good advice before I get a chance to do it.

 

[Shrike]

The only way I could know is to ask the total MCAT score. Now if you disagree, quote me where I said genetics comes up in verbal or genetics comes up in the physical sciences. Because thats what you're implying.

I wanted to know if there was a correlation between taking undergrad genetics and a high MCAT score, not just a high bio sciences score. In other words, I was open to the possibility that people who may have scored low on the BS section might have been able to make up for it via other sections of the test.

If you're asking about correlation between taking genetics and overall score, but not between genetics and bio sciences score, then you are by implication asking at least partly about correlation (which can be positive, negative, or zero) between taking genetics and performance on the rest of the test, viz., physical sciences and verbal reasoning. This is basic statistics, and common sense. I was not misinterpreting you -- I was understanding you, addressing your question and the issue raised directly thereby, opining that though interesting the question may be unanswerable because of statistical noise, and offering that there is a related question the answer to which might be discoverable and also interesting in a way related to your original question. At no point did I imply that genetics comes up on the physical sciences and verbal reasoning; perhaps you inferred that from my statement that genetics would not help, and might hurt, but at that point I was addressing what I considered to be the related issue, not your original question.

To make it really clear: I understood. I answered. I added something else. You may not care about the something else, but I thought you might. Apparently you don't, and you are offended that I added it. Excuse me for offering related information; it is withdrawn.

 

[HistoRocks]

If you're asking about correlation between taking genetics and overall score, but not between genetics and bio sciences score, then you are by implication asking at least partly about correlation (which can be positive, negative, or zero) between taking genetics and performance on the rest of the test, viz., physical sciences and verbal reasoning. This is basic statistics, and common sense. I was not misinterpreting you -- I was understanding you, addressing your question and the issue raised directly thereby, opining that though interesting the question may be unanswerable because of statistical noise, and offering that there is a related question the answer to which might be discoverable and also interesting in a way related to your original question. At no point did I imply that genetics comes up on the physical sciences and verbal reasoning; perhaps you inferred that from my statement that genetics would not help, and might hurt, but at that point I was addressing what I considered to be the related issue, not your original question.

To make it really clear: I understood. I answered. I added something else. You may not care about the something else, but I thought you might. Apparently you don't, and you are offended that I added it. Excuse me for offering related information; it is withdrawn.

Your point about statistical noise wasn't very clear at first. Anyway, I just wanted to point out that I never said genetics comes up on verbal or physical science, as that one other guy (no need to name names) seemed to imply.

 

[gujuDoc]

Just to join you all in beating the dead horse, I agree that taking a genetics course is not necessary to do well on the BS section. If you want to take genetics, it won't hurt you, but you'd be better off spending that time doing more practice tests if your goal is merely to do well on the MCAT. Most of all, I'm sick and tired of Shrike giving all the good advice before I get a chance to do it.

at your comment to Shrike

 

[crys20]

me! and i got a 12 in bio

 

[Anasimsim]

me 2, w/ 11 in bio; (32 overall)

Dude, just take the min. reqs, unless you're
a science major.
Genetics may help, but i doubt to any really significant degree.
just my op.

 

[crys20]

the key to mcat bio is knowing everything in the EK bio book inside and out...this means you may have to go a bit deeper but no deeper than your intro bio book and vander's physiology yes, vanders. they say physio doesn't show up but i tell you half my test was physio. lucky for me i had taken a year of hardcore physio, hence the 12. so maybe this disproves what i said. but seriously, you will be much better off learning whats in the review books. also i completed the EK 1001 bio book which was helpful. good luck to all the april mcaters, my god am I glad that's over for me

 

[Shrike]

Just to join you all in beating the dead horse. . . Most of all, I'm sick and tired of Shrike giving all the good advice before I get a chance to do it.

Sorry I missed this the first time, Q; had my dander up about who was misunderstanding whom.

Any time you want to join me in beating a horse, I'm thrilled to have you; are you into leather?

Shrike
TPR, leading the way for Kaplan yet again. . . [smirking, but good-naturedly]

 

[QofQuimica]

Any time you want to join me in beating a horse, I'm thrilled to have you; are you into leather?

(Note to self: this guy should never be allowed to make the plans for a first date.... )

 

[Shrike]

Note to Q: Sounds fine. You paying, too?

Shrike

 

[myodana]

you'll be fine. just study.

 

[QofQuimica]

Note to Q: Sounds fine. You paying, too?

Shrike

lol, I suppose you expect me to come pick you up, too.

 

[Shrike]

lol, I suppose you expect me to come pick you up, too.

I'm a guy. Guys drive. The liking-driving gene is somewhere on the Y chromosome. Friday at eight? (I may be a bit late, as it is about a thousand miles.)

 

[QofQuimica]

I'm a guy. Guys drive. The liking-driving gene is somewhere on the Y chromosome. Friday at eight? (I may be a bit late, as it is about a thousand miles.)

I'm just not sure that I'm ready for a thousand miles level of commitment.

 

[carn311]

38 with no college science except physics.

none except physics???

How in the heck did you pull that off? I need to use your study method!

 

[Shrike]

I'm just not sure that I'm ready for a thousand miles level of commitment.

"Commitment" is on the X chromosome, isn't it? But fine, we'll meet halfway.