Posts tagged #biomedicalsciences

High Yields MCAT Topics: Biology

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Studying for MCAT can be very daunting and requires lots of effort and time. One way to help you study is to focus on ‘high yield’ topics, which are the frequently asked on the MCAT exam. This will save your study time and help you prepared for MCAT more efficiently.

For this blog, we will start off with Biology!

• As you might guess, questions about body systems will come up the most since it covers more than half of Biology. Nervous and endocrine systems are definitely going to show up in either in a passage or independent questions since they are the systems that control other systems. So by studying these two systems thoroughly, you are basically going through the other systems as wells

• Genetics and evolution are the ones not to be missed and luckily, they are actually not that difficult. They are usually asked in independent question and sometimes asked in a passage, especially when it is about a disease or a genetic disorder. Be sure to practice genetic questions by doing Punnett square as well as applying multiplication and addition rules. This is where you can grab as many points as possible!

• Lastly, it’s not biology if there isn’t question about cell. Make sure you know the differences and similarities between prokaryotic cells and eukaryotic cells. This includes overall structures and gene expressions. Questions about viruses are often asked along as well since they can attack both prokaryotes and eukaryotes! Learn how different types of viruses replicate can be very useful.

Focusing on high yield topics is for efficiency, so don’t neglect other areas that I didn’t mention; after all, if you don’t have the necessary basics, you won’t be able to apply your knowledge and draw a right conclusion. That’s all for Biology. See you next blog for high yield topics for Biochemistry!

Jane

MCAT Skills

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MCAT Skills

The MCAT, apart from testing the content and its applications, also tests a few requisite skills: statistical reasoning, deducing a conclusion and analytical thinking. And before I get into the details, this is written specifically for a Thai audience as I have had experiences teaching students in Thailand.

So, let’s get to the skills: (there might be more but I believe that these are the most important) **I am basing this only on Biology and Biochemical Paper as I teach only this paper**

  1. Statistical Reasoning: basically, students have to be able to read and more important – understand the graphs, figures and the numbers. You must understand WHAT the graph is trying to say, what it has NOT included and which part of the passage does it resonate with? Once this skill is accomplished, we move on to the next:
  2. Analytical thinking and Deducing a conclusion: once we have read the graph, we can analyze and come to the conclusion. Literally, common sense right? (See, the steps are something that you use in your everyday life!). Now, you use that information to analyze (what goes up, what goes down, then what happens and what not) to arrive to a conclusion (when this variable increases, this variable decreases as an example). Once, we have arrive at such a conclusion, we can then look for a similar pattern in the answer to choose the correct choice.   **(Again, this is just the way I do it, I don’t force my students to follow my way if they can come up with a faster and better way)***

I believe that even before the content is started, students must be acclimatized to these skills for scientific studies. These skills can then be applied with the content to increase your familiarity with the thought-process and repetitions will increase your accuracy. Now that we are done for scientific studies, let’s move on to CARS.

I have had numerous inquiries regarding how to learn CARS and to answer honestly, and also from the POV of my CARS tutor, it is to do as many papers as possible with the correct foundational skills already perfected. What I mean is first develop a few basic skills then move on to do the questions.

First and foremost, learn to read in academic English. Remember, CARS is one whole paper, therefore, it makes up one whole part of your total MCAT score. And the reading skills gained in CARS can be applied to ALL papers. So it is worth it to learn to read and automatically understand academic English.  

Secondly, there are certain skills needed such as drawing a conclusion, finding the assumptions and predicting the future thoughts of the writer. Again, these skills should be laid before the CARS question bank and developed with the CARS question bank. 

These skills are vital to your making it to above the 505 in the MCAT scores. And remember, that most of the skills are based on logic. You don’t need to have a statistical background nor be a great English reader but what is needed is your ability to connect the dots, analyze them and draw a conclusion. Just like how you perceive information in your everyday life and make decisions based on that. To repeat, these skills are already in you, you just need a nudge in the right direction.

I hope this has helped you, if not much, then at least laid down a process for your preparation.

I believe in you!

Good Luck!!

Rani 🙂

MCAT TIMELINE

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MCAT TIMELINE

MCAT, or the Medical College Admission Test, is an exam taken by aspiring medical doctors, who already have an undergraduate degree from any faculty. The test is taken online; there are no heard copy version or offline. The subjects tested can be found on any website and the skills required will be discussed on the next blog. 

The purpose of today’s article is to explain the timeline required for the optimum preparation for the MCAT. This article is also written from my experience with Thai students in mind. Having experience in teaching MCAT in Thailand for sometime now, aspiring medical doctors are still under the wrong impression that the MCAT can be studied, prepared for and done within 1 to 2 months.

It just cannot. Even for Biomedical students.

Anybody can do and conquer the MCAT. It is not the most difficult thing out there but it may seem overwhelming. We just need to be smart about preparing for it and give it our best shot!

For non-scientific majors, I would recommend at least 6 months. Too long? Too laborious? Don’t panic yet.

Let me explain why:

  1. Non-scientific majors, who have graduated from faculties such as engineering or  BBA, have been too far away from the Biological foundations. It would take maximum at least 1 month to lay the biological, biochemical and organic chemistry foundation. (Think of all the complicated chemical structures….yes, you are seeing the picture now)
  2. Now that the foundation is done in 1 month. Aspiring medical doctors need to start the advance courses, where they have to deal with the real MCAT content followed by time need to familiarize yourself with infinite question banks.  Hence, the content plus question bank will take at least 3 months.
  3. After the question banks, of course, students have to prepare themselves mentally for the 7 hour MCAT by doing at least 4 full-length exams available on the AAMC website. My recommendation would be to do 1 exam per week to  have the time to evaluate the questions students got wrong, revise those topics, strengthen your weak points.***Whatever you get from your FL, subtract 10 and that is your real MCAT score. (I’m not saying this is completely right but this is what I have seen from my students).***
  4. Many aspiring medical doctors in Thailand also experience problems with their English skills, which is a requirement for CARS. Therefore, beginning of the MCAT journey, I recommend students to develop their English to a certain level to be able to critically think automatically. 
  5. Students without the biological foundations would also need to familiarize themselves with laboratory techniques, graphs, statistics.

Points 4&5 together is 1 month.

Totaling to at least 6 months.

This article has not been written to scare or cause panic amongst medical doctors but to paint a real picture for the journey. The MCAT is a difficult exam but it does not mean that it can’t be beaten given the right preparation. I believe that everyone can do it and can ace it. It may be a crazy journey but the finish line: an MD degree, a life as a medical researcher, a life of giving back, a life of helping others to better their quality of life IS worth it.

I believe in you!

Good Luck!