Kiel Posted August 30, 2006 Report Share Posted August 30, 2006 Which course^ is better for MCAT prep? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Kuantum Posted August 30, 2006 Report Share Posted August 30, 2006 PhysiologyPhysiologyPhysiologyPhysiologyPhysiologyPhysiologyPhysiologyPhysiologyPhysiologyPhysiologyPhysiologyPhysiology Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jochi1543 Posted August 30, 2006 Report Share Posted August 30, 2006 LOL! Yeah, after prepping for the test, I'd also recommend physiology. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Darla Posted August 30, 2006 Report Share Posted August 30, 2006 I agree with my esteemed colleagues Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Kiel Posted August 30, 2006 Author Report Share Posted August 30, 2006 Thankyou very much for the replies! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
The Law Posted August 31, 2006 Report Share Posted August 31, 2006 I agree with my esteemed colleagues Would you highly reccomend physiology? What if I don't take a physiology course, am I doomed? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Kuantum Posted August 31, 2006 Report Share Posted August 31, 2006 I never took physiology or mendellian genetics, however, I wish I did. It is not absolutely necessary, but I found on test day that for things I knew, I was more comfortable understanding what was presented. More comfort = less stress = happy Kuantum Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
PHANTOMPHOENIX Posted August 31, 2006 Report Share Posted August 31, 2006 Would you highly reccomend physiology? What if I don't take a physiology course, am I doomed? It is not necessary but sure helps. U can always find the info in the passage but if u have the physio background then u can answer the questions without stressing out about finding it in the passage. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
The Law Posted August 31, 2006 Report Share Posted August 31, 2006 Oh okay, thanks guys! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Kiel Posted August 31, 2006 Author Report Share Posted August 31, 2006 What about cell biology or ecology? Are these big MCAT topics? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Smurfette Posted September 1, 2006 Report Share Posted September 1, 2006 There's some basic cell biology, especially the biochem side of cell bio. There isn't usually any ecology though (unless it's in the verbal section, LOL). Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jochi1543 Posted September 1, 2006 Report Share Posted September 1, 2006 Yeah, I think cell biology is good, though not absolutely vital. I took genetics and cell bio and felt very comfortable with the bio prep outside of all the anatomy/physiology stuff. I feel like if you've taken genetics, cell bio, anatomy, and physio, you'll be prepared for 90% of the stuff that may show up in the biology section. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Kiel Posted September 1, 2006 Author Report Share Posted September 1, 2006 Yeah, I think cell biology is good, though not absolutely vital. I took genetics and cell bio and felt very comfortable with the bio prep outside of all the anatomy/physiology stuff. I feel like if you've taken genetics, cell bio, anatomy, and physio, you'll be prepared for 90% of the stuff that may show up in the biology section. What's the other 10%? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jade Posted September 1, 2006 Report Share Posted September 1, 2006 What's the other 10%? Biochem, Microbio, Immunology....just a few on top of my head. But seriously, I don't think you need to take an entire course on each of these topics to do well on the MCAT. The MCAT you write might not even have a passage on some of these topics. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Kiel Posted September 1, 2006 Author Report Share Posted September 1, 2006 Alright thanks! But knowing this information before studying will definately help! right? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jade Posted September 1, 2006 Report Share Posted September 1, 2006 Alright thanks! But knowing this information before studying will definately help! right? Of course. Experience goes a long way in anything that you will do in life. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
peachy Posted September 2, 2006 Report Share Posted September 2, 2006 Alright thanks! But knowing this information before studying will definately help! right?If you're planning to apply to Ontario medical schools, there's a point of diminishing returns. The MCAT is really not that important as long as you can make the cutoffs, and you really don't need to know that much to make those cutoffs. So worrying about what courses you need in order to do well in the MCATs, while you're still in high school? Not at all useful to you. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Kiel Posted September 2, 2006 Author Report Share Posted September 2, 2006 It's alright just to be curious right? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
peachy Posted September 2, 2006 Report Share Posted September 2, 2006 It's alright just to be curious right?Of course, I'm just trying to explain that the MCATs, for the purpose of Ontario medical school admissions, are not as big a deal as one might think. Making the cutoffs is basically what matters, and if you're good at test-taking you can do that without taking anatomy, physiology, or anything other specialized biology courses. Taking courses that improve reading/writing skills, for example, would typically be much more useful towards improving one's score, imho. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
scarface Posted September 2, 2006 Report Share Posted September 2, 2006 In Ontario, you need the MCAT for Queens. And once you make the cutoffs, academics are no longer a factor in who gets accepted unlike UWO. It's one of the few schools in all of Canada that won't discriminate applicants based on residency status unlike UWO. The only reason why I'm picking on UWO is because it's the only other school in ontario which the MCAT plays a big role. I could see the MCAT cutoffs for Queens approaching a combined total of 35 a few years down the road. Sure some of the readers of the forums would label that as blasphemy, but who ever thought the MCAT cutoff for Queens would be 32 at the time when it was 29? There was one point when people thought it was impossible to run a 4 minute mile. Then along came a fellow called Roger Bannister. Many were to follow after him. Sure I could be wrong. Maybe 32 is the highest these MCAT cutoffs will be for Queens. Who knows, maybe Queens will stop using the MCAT at some point the road. But the way I see it, it's better to play it safe than sorry. Our young friend Kiel may have to apply to medicine after doing a master's degree. That would be approximately 6 years down the road. And in 6 years, the MCAT cutoff for Queens could very well be 35. Or it could drop back down again to 29. Nobody can predict the future, but it's better to be safe than sorry. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
peachy Posted September 2, 2006 Report Share Posted September 2, 2006 Nobody can predict the future, but it's better to be safe than sorry.I guess ... I just don't see how planning to take one course rather than another four years down the road is an example of being safe rather than sorry. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Kiel Posted September 2, 2006 Author Report Share Posted September 2, 2006 Thanks for your words of wisdom! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Smurfette Posted September 4, 2006 Report Share Posted September 4, 2006 Along the lines of what peachy is saying about making minimum cutoffs...I would say that it makes a lot more sense to be somewhat prepared in ALL sections rather than trying to take every single possible course to be prepared in a single section (biology as the trend of this thread is going). It's a lot easier to be at a 11-11-Q-9 and study a little bit of biochem to boost up your biology to a 10 or an 11, than to be at a 6-14-T-14 and have to study all of mechanics, fluids, optics, and sound to boost up your physics to a 10. This is coming from someone who (arrgh!) had to re-write the MCAT because of a single section. Good luck! I always smile at the high school kids on this board - you guys are so keen. Back in high school, I was worried about whether I would be cool when I got to university. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dr. Martos Posted September 4, 2006 Report Share Posted September 4, 2006 The best way to prepare for the MCATs is to do lots of practice tests, mixed in with studying an MCAT specific book. I'm not sold on the course, but if you have the money to burn, it can't hurt. I rarely touched any of my old textbooks, but they are good to have for reference only. Keep the studying focused on what you are positive to be on the exam, without going into insane detail. Write it after second year if possible, because if you are doing a health sciences degree, nothing after 2nd year will be tested (at least that was the case when I wrote in 2003). Also, that gives you a couple more changes if necessary. Good luck. "scarface" is right about MCATs standards getting higher... the entire process is getting more competitive by the year, and Canada needs more medical student seats. But that is an other post entirely. Dr. Martos Dal 2010 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mcater2006 Posted September 8, 2006 Report Share Posted September 8, 2006 physiology hands down Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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