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Home Intersection Healthcare US Medical School Applications

Intro

This by no means replaces the readings or the course. These consolidated notes is just used to guide students to content that is already available in books. Just like any book that has been noted from extensively this information I beleive its up to the individual to chose how they prepare for the test.

Do not get hung up on which course is better or to needlessly accumulate all the courses in hopes of determining which is the BEST (Exam Krackers, Kaplan, Barrons, Princeton Review, Berkley Prep, Gold Standard and etc.). Just make sure you at least know how to handle the concepts. Use other materials if you have to confirm concepts not effectively stated in another material. Don't bash studying materials - it is a waste of brain power comparing and contrasting questions WHEN YOU SHOULD FOCUS ON STUDYING THE CONCEPTS. Don't let an elitist complex be a disruptive force for what you should really focus on: to reiterate, S T U D Y I N G.

Of course each student will have their strenghts and weaknesses. Im sorry if your concept strenghts and weaknesses do not mesh well with what is available here. At the very least there is free data for you to hone in on how much and some idea of what concepts to refresh your memmory with.

I wish you all the best of luck and hope to see you over to the other side. Oh before I forget, to decipher my notes the yellow are just ways for me to remember the concepts and the light blues are just what I need to go over again.

Tips/Suggestions

0a) Before you want to consider BUYING ANYTHING, please take a look at MCAT-Review.org to see if this is enough. AMAZING WORK.
0b) Personal Tip#1: GET ADEQUATE SLEEP BEFORE THE MCAT, don't do what this guy did and sleep only a few hours (3-4 hours) in the parking lot of the Prometrics testing site - my verbal took a hit!
0c) Go to the bookstore and either read or invest in $15 in Barron's "Getting Into Medical School" 10th ed by Dr. Sanford Brown. Pretty good informational from freshman to upperclassmen. GOOD READ!
1) If anyone wants further studying, check out the flashcards via flashcardexchange.com
2) This is a good go-to site for any questions from AAMC.
2a) Please consider buying their publication "The Official Guide To The MCAT Exam" (click the book cover on the right hand side underneath the "search" box) prior to spending 33 times that on study packages. This source is directly from the people that make the tests.
2b) Please consider buying their Practice tests - unfortunately their explanations are quick so that is the only down side. If you would like to see what they offer, they currently (as of 5/10) have CBT Practice Test 3 FREE!
- 2b1) However, (as of 5/10) their explanations only target correct answer without explanations of why the other answers are wrong. But I feel safer knowing that there is a decreased chance of typos from this source. I experienced typos in some study materials in the past that have really disrupted understanding a concept.
2c) Practice the writing sample with topics supplied by AAMC you have 1 hour.
3) Take a look at your application deadlines either in the school's website or through an initial AMCAS account - strictly to understand the application process (if you don't want to, I will also dedicate a page with pictures showing what you need). It maybehoove you to open an account a year before to understand the nitty gritty of what is necessary in terms of character counts of descriptions and give you an idea of what you need to compile so that filling out the application is a breeze with simple copy and pasting. You may want to consider lightening your load or taking a semmester off so that the transcript requests are sent out as soon as you are able to get your ID number from either AMCAS or AACOMAS.
4) Personal Tip#2: Drill the science portion religiously EVEN IF TIRED. Review the answers EVEN IF TIRED for the first third of your studying schedule. WHY? Regardless how tired you get, these will forever be ingrained into you even when sleepy. It trains you to be able to solve science questions even when at your mind's end and build up the stamina to handle more. (Beleive in me it works if you wish to devote yourself to it).
5) General Advice on how to aproach the test

Notes

FAQ for Notes

The numbering is based on Kaplan's System and Statistics
The higher out of 6, the more likely it is to be on the MCAT exam

General/Inorganic Chemistry Notes

Kaplan General/Inorganic Chemistry Overview

Chapter 1 - Atomic Structure
Chapter 2 - The Periodic Table
Chapter 3 - Bonding and Chemical Interaction
Chapter 4 - Compounds and Stoichiometry
Chapter 5 - Chemical Kinetics and Equilibrium
Chapter 6 - Thermochemistry
Chapter 7 - Gas Phase
Chapter 8 - Phase and Phase Changes
Chapter 9 - Solutions
Chapter 10 - Acids and Bases
Chapter 11 - Redox Chemistry

Berkley Prep General/Inorganic Chemistry Overview

Part I

Section 1 - Stoichiometry
Section 2 - Atomic Theory
Section 3 - Equilibrium
Section 4 - Acids and Bases
Section 5 - Buffers and Titrations

Part II

Section 6 - Gases
Section 7 - Phases and Phase Changes
Section 8 - Thermochemistry
Section 9 - Kinetics
Section 10 - Electrochemistry

Physics Notes

Kaplan Physics Overview

Chapter 1 - Units and Kinematics
Chapter 2 - Newtonian Mechanics
Chapter 3 - Work Energy and Momentum
Chapter 4 - Thermodynamics
Chapter 5 - Fluids and Solids
Chapter 6 - Electrostatics
Chapter 7 - Magnetism
Chapter 8 - DC and AC Circuits
Chapter 9 - Periodic Motion, Waves and Sound
Chapter 10 - Light and Optics
Chapter 11 - Atomic Phenomena
Chapter 12 - Nuclear Phenomena

Berkley Prep Physics Overview

Part I

Section 1 - Translational Motion
Section 2 - Force and Motion Graviation
Section 3 - Work and Energy
Section 4 - Equilibrium and Momentum
Section 5 - Periodic Motion and Wave Characteristics

Part II

Section 6 - Sound
Section 7 - Fluids and Solids
Section 8 - Electrostatics and Electromagnetism
Section 9 - Electric Circuits
Section 10 - Light and Optics

Biology Notes

Biology Notes KCH1-16

Kaplan Biology Overview

Chapter 1 - The Cell
Chapter 2 - Enzymes
Chapter 3 - Cellular Metabolism
Chapter 4 - Reproduction
Chapter 5 - Embryology
Chapter 6 - Musculoskeletal System
Chapter 7 - Digestion
Chapter 8 - Respiration
Chapter 9 - Cardiovascular System
Chapter 10 - Immune System
Chapter 11 - Homeostasis
Chapter 12 - Endocrine System
Chapter 13 - Nervous System
Chapter 14 - Genetics
Chapter 15 - Molecular Genetics
Chapter 16 - Evolution

Berkley Prep Biology Overview

Part I

Section 1 - Nerve and Muscle
Section 2 - Heart and Lungs
Section 3 - Gastrointestinal Tract and Kidneys
Section 4 - Reproduction and Development
Section 5 - Endocrinology and Immunology

Part II

Section 6 - Structure and Function in Cells and Viruses
Section 7 - Metabolic Components
Section 8 - Metabolic Pathways
Section 9 - Genetic Information
Section 10 - Expression of Genetic Information

Organic Chemistry Notes

OChmKCH1-15
In Class Organic Chemistry 1 & 2 Notes (incomplete) - Organic Chemistry 1 and 2

Kaplan Organic Chemistry Overview

Chapter 1 - Nomenclature
Chapter 2 - Isomers
Chapter 3 - Bonding
Chapter 4 - Alkanes, Alkyl Halides, and Substitution RXNs
Chapter 5 - Alkenes, Alkynes and Elimination RXNs
Chapter 6 - Aromatic Compounds
Chapter 7 - Alcohols and Ethers
Chapter 8 - Aldehydes and Ketones
Chapter 9 - Carboxylic Acids
Chapter 10 - Carboxylic Acid Derivatives
Chapter 11 - Amines and Nitrogen Containing Compounds
Chapter 12 - Purification and Separation
Chapter 13 - Spectroscopy
Chapter 14 - Carbohydrates
Chapter 15 - Amino Acids, Peptides and Proteins

Berkley Prep Organic Chemistry Overview

Part I

Section 1 - Organic Strucutre and Bonding
Section 2 - Alkanes Alkenes and Benzene
Section 3 - Stereochemistry

Part II

Section 4 - Carbonyls and Alcohols
Section 5 - Carbohydrates
Section 6 - Amino Acids and Amines
Section 7 - Laboratory Techniques and Spectroscopy

Practice Tests

Source 1 - these have questions with it but the interface is not like the CBTs
Source 2 - well it used to have the questions with it, but you can get IMMEDIATE grading of AAMC Practice Tests 1-4

Tags: MCAT Last modified 04:19 Thu, 24 Feb 2011 by Van Castillo. Accessed 708 times Children What Links Here Except where expressly noted, this work is licensed under a Creative Commons License.