Biochemistry and Organic for the MCAT

[whystress?]

I know there isn't a biochemistry section on the MCAT but I have heard from some that it is more useful to take biochem over organic. Apparently you can learn the specific material for organic which will be on the MCAT. So my question is: should I take organic or biochem this year in prep for the MCAT? (I don't want to take both since that will be a definite GPA killer)

[FireWarden]

You would have both...but technically....the amount of Organic on the MCAT is pretty tiny....and you can pick up an MCAT prep book and usually learn whatever you need from there.

 

However, most people like the cushion of having the done the course....instills them with a lot of confidence...which is probably needed more for the MCAT than any amount of scientific knowledge haha.

 

So I would say take Organic and leave Biochem for later on.

[Rach]

So are you saying that biochem is essentially not needed for the MCAT? or taking organic puts you at a bit more of an advantage

 

I never took nor studied any biochem for the mcat. My scores on the practice and real tests for BS varied between 10-12.... My real mcat in june had 3 passages on Organic (which was terrible considering I kept hearing that only a tiny amount of o-chem was likely to be included so I didn't study that either, don't make the same mistake). IMO you would be better off taking organic since there have been a lot of tests this year that have had 3 passages plus discretes on it.

[FireWarden]

Obviously each MCAT varies. The BS on mine consisted of very little Organic...just one passage and maybe 4 or 5 discrete questions. Even I was surprised on how little there was. On the other hand, there was quite a bit of questions dealing with genetics.

 

My initial point however still stands.....its better to take Organic to nail those question for sure (confidence/actual knowledge), than to take Biochem as there are no specific questions that relate to biochem that you shouldn't already know from General Bio or Micro.

 

Biochem can be taken later when talking wrt the MCAT

[hkmedic]

Taking Organic Chemistry and Biochemistry together is not a GPA killer. Those courses are so over-rated, and everyone just makes it seem like a GPA killer. Just take both of them at the same time to get them over with. In the end, both these courses will benefit you on the BS section, even if "biochemistry" isn't explicitly tested.

[Neptune]

I know that organic might not count for much on the MCAT, but if it's about 25% of the BS component (as it was both times I wrote it) and you don't know it, you are pretty much toast. I think it is much easier to pick up biochem on the fly than it is to pick up organic, even though marks-wise it might be better to take biochem over organic. I can't imagine having to cram for MCAT organic chemistry if I had no training beyond high school. It is a very complicated and non-intuitive subject, and if you get every organic question in the MCAT wrong, it could mean the difference between a 9 and a 12.

 

I will say that on a personal level, I have found the biochem courses that I have taken to be far more interesting and relevant to the real world than organic chemistry. Because I found it interesting, it was easier for me to do well. I think it takes a very special type of person to love organic, and I am not one of these people. (And I think I am not in the minority on this one.) But I am glad that I took organic and biochem at the same time. You learn very different things, and so long as you make studying for the organic a priority, you can still pull off a decent GPA.

 

So in conclusion, if the GPA is a priority, go for biochem, if your MCAT score is a priority, go for organic, and if you just want to learn stuff that's both interesting and useful and don't mind a challenge, take both.