Guest Dockrh Posted July 3, 2006 Report Share Posted July 3, 2006 Hey everybody, Is there a lot of biochemistry in the MCAT? At Queens university, biochem is not offered until third year. Is this course absolutely essential to prepare? Please give your thoughts and opinions dockrh Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest HP Posted July 3, 2006 Report Share Posted July 3, 2006 Hey Dockrh, The AAMC publishes a MCAT manual (www.aamc.org/students/mca...start.htm) that lists the concepts they consider fair game. The link for biology is www.aamc.org/students/mca...ology.pdf. I would consider the first two sections with bold headings to be biochem-related, but I wouldn't consider a course in biochemistry to be absolutely essential. Most of those concepts are at least touched on in high school and/or junior bio courses. I didn't take a really in-depth course on metabolism and DNA until the semester after I wrote the MCAT, and I didn't feel like I was missing any key knowledge. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Jochi1543 Posted July 3, 2006 Report Share Posted July 3, 2006 I studied DNA and metabolism in cell biology, and found that I had already learned all the material that was covered in the Kaplan MCAT prep book regarding that. Irregardless, it's only like 2 chapters' worth of material, maybe even less? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest red like blood Posted July 3, 2006 Report Share Posted July 3, 2006 personally, I think you can do it without taking a biochm course.. just use the books, and if you need some more help buy a used biochm book or use the internet! gl Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Dockrh Posted July 3, 2006 Report Share Posted July 3, 2006 Thanks everybody for the advice!(sigh of relief). I am going to Western next year (specializing in biochem or physiology). Your thoughts are greatly appreciated!! Thanks again:) dockrh Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest rae21 Posted July 3, 2006 Report Share Posted July 3, 2006 So is the material covered in a Kaplan book (I bought one from Chapters...urgh, it was pricey) enough to prep you for the mcat? I'm worried because I wanted to take an anatomy course next year but it's full so I'll be learning what I can from the book (+ the Kaplan course when I take it). Is that sufficient? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest red like blood Posted July 3, 2006 Report Share Posted July 3, 2006 hi well I have yet to take the MCAT, but I think that they cover all the topics that you need to know for the MCAt in Kaplan or PR.. However, they may not explain some things in enough detail for some ppl if they haven't taken previous courses in it. I think you will do fine with just the Kaplan or PR and just using some books/internet as a reference to get more detail when you don't understand something. For ex. for me, some of the Physio stuff I haven't learned before so I just borrowed a physio text and that helped me understand some things more. Don't worry... (yeah it is easier said than done!) This is the advice I got from friends who took the MCAT gl Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest scooter Posted July 3, 2006 Report Share Posted July 3, 2006 Hey, I mainly only studied from the Kaplan, however, over the years I had taken other courses in them. I never took any university physics classes and it was by far the hardest for me. I wrote the mcat 2 years but my physics stuck at 7 even though everything increased with more studying. If i were to do it again (which luckily I don't have to;) ) i would buy a physics text from Ebay or something and go through it. The problem with just using the mcat prep books is that they just brush over the topics explaining how to figure out specific problems that have been on the mcat, and if faced with those questions you are set... but you don't develop a thorough understanding of how things work. Interms of biochem, the course covers a lot of extra, but means that the easier parts are very well understood because more complicated topics are built on them. I think it helped me in understanding the kaplan book concepts more completely and thoroughly. The practice tests (all available on ebay for 10$) are extremely useful. You start to get a feel for how the questions are asked and how to better guess at hte answer when you are not sure. Good luck either way Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest treehuggingbiologist Posted July 4, 2006 Report Share Posted July 4, 2006 Okay, if you're going to Western next year for first year, DON'T WORRY ABOUT THE MCAT. Worry about it when you get around to writing it either between 2nd and 3rd or 3rd and 4th year - for now you should be enjoying your last summer before you get the soul sapped out of you like university does. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest red like blood Posted July 4, 2006 Report Share Posted July 4, 2006 ^:lol that's some good advice Also, treehuggingbiologist.. your name is cool!:hat Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest The Law Posted July 4, 2006 Report Share Posted July 4, 2006 Yeah it's real fresh. :hat lol Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Dockrh Posted July 4, 2006 Report Share Posted July 4, 2006 Thanks for your advice treehugginbiologist. I believe at no time you can not plan enough. Many people have been screwed over as a result of poor course selections. I am just inquiring and trying to get informed. Have a great summer dockrh Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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