MMI and VR prep?

[leah]

Hi,

 

I'm wondering what type of class(es) in university would be most helpful for preparing for both the MMI and the VR section of the MCAT?

 

Here are some of the options that I'm considering:

 

Intro to Ethics (focus on metaethical questions concerning the possibility of moral truth)

 

Intro to Applied Ethics (focus on the application of ethical theories to controversial public issues)

 

Reasoning about Social Issues (focus on the mass media concerning social issues, and different positions taken on these issues)

 

Reasoning about Morality and Values ("This course uses examples drawn from areas of thought where value judgments are made. Different sections will stress different topics in ethics, aesthetics, religion or law.")

 

Techniques of Persuasion ("This course takes examples from the various modes of persuasion including advertising, propaganda and political argument.")

 

 

I can only take one or maybe two of these, so I'm trying to figure out which of these (or any others) would be most helpful.

 

Thanks in advance!

[jozn]

I don't know about VR, but I'm skeptical that any of these courses will actually benefit you for the MMI. The interviewers certainly don't expect you to know ethics on a theoretical level. Instead, they're looking for your thought process. Reading something like Doing Right and practicing a bunch of scenarios is all you really need to do in preparation for questions on medical ethics.

[itimebomb2]

Yeah i agree with jozn.

 

As for VR - i suppose any course with a lot of reading will help you slightly. But definitely nothing can prepare you for the mmi (besides practicing)

[leah]

Okay, that's good to know. Thanks. I'll definitely check out that book though.

[nemesis]

I also read the CMAJ series: Bioethics at the bedside: A clinician's guide. I personally found this resource to be even more useful than Doing Right.

 

As far as Verbal Reasoning goes, I feel that the best way to improve your score is to study practice VR passages under timed conditions.

 

[mizz.lee]

I think Intro to Applied Ethics sounds incredibly useful. A major skill that is tested in the MMI is the ability to apply abstract ethical principles to real situations, and recognize the relevant ethical principles when they are not always obvious.

 

Nothing will help you with VR other than practicing VR, but if you have some background in literature, social science argument construction, and natural science reading you have a good start. You should understand basic things about the different styles of writing like english lit is just about using flourish-y phrases to hammer away at one point, social science passages contain one main argument or clause per paragraph and each builds on the other to eventually 'prove' the thesis statement laid out in the intro paragraph (which is probably not given), natural sciences pack a lot of info in but keep paragraphs consistent by subject, etc......

 

I would say take applied ethics, but try to take intro soc at some point if you have the time

[mizz.lee]

Also, techniques of persuasion would be extremely helpful for the writing sample!

[panda__eyes]

I agree with the previous posters.

I also think that it's important to demonstrate your ability to identify what details are relevant, to see the bigger picture and to see the different possibilities of a situation under different contexts.

[rskhan29@hotmail.com]

For the MMI:

 

Read the newspaper.

 

Argue over the internet (make sure to seriously read and contemplate the other person's opinion).

 

If you've already been doing this for years, you should be fine.

 

For the VR section of the MCAT:

 

I think you'd be best served doing the Exam Krackers practice booklet.