Health Science Career Resources
Strategies for Success
MCAT INFORMATION & PREPARATION
For all current information on MCAT please see MCAT
website
http://www.aamc.org/students/mcat/studentmanual/start.htm
- VERBAL REASONING
- WRITING SAMPLE
- ORGANIC CHEMISTRY
- BIOLOGY
- PHYSICS AND GENERAL CHEMISTRY
The Verbal Reasoning section contains multiple-choice questions based on reading selections from the social and natural sciences and the humanities. The section will assess your ability to comprehend, reason, and think critically. Subject-matter knowledge in the humanities, social sciences, and natural sciences will not be tested.
The Writing Sample consists of two items, each composed of a brief topic statement and a set of writing tasks designed to elicit a unified, coherent, first-draft essay exploring the meaning and implications of the statement.
The Physical and Biological Sciences sections contain multiple-choice questions. Most of the questions accompany brief informational passages; a smaller number are independent of any passage and of each other. Questions assess knowledge of basic concepts in biology, chemistry, and physics through their application to the solution of science problems.
The mechanics of taking the MCAT exam, which is multiple-choice,
follow the principle for all such examinations: If you don’t
know the answer to a particular question – guess! Rule out
the answers that you know are incorrect and make an educated guess
at the right answers. However, right answers count for much more
that incorrect ones. So never leave blanks – always
guess.
PREPARING FOR MCAT (VERBAL REASONING SECTION)
Success on the DAT, MCAT, OAT and other admissions tests depends upon good reading skills. In most professional school studies, you will be expected to read and comprehend as much as, if not more than, you do now as an undergraduate. Also, you will be so busy, you'll not have the time to re-read material. After graduation from professional school, you may not need to read as many textbooks as before, but you will need to keep current on many aspects of medicine, drugs, and governmental regulations as well as those of insurance or health care maintenance organizations. If you hope to become a health professional who has a life outside of your practice, you should practice, now, reading with the intent to improve.... - excerpted from Words to the Wise Pre-Health Professional Student
- Read widely
- Order the New York Times Sunday Paper or read it on line.
- Get use to reading high quality writing.
- Read editorial opinions and letters to editors
- The New Physician(a magazine published by medical students). Order a subscription at http://www.amsa.org/tnp or come into the Health Science Career Office. Current issues are located on table.
- NY Times Book Review
- The Wall Street Journal
- Science
- Discover - http://www.discover.com
- American Medical News - http://www.ama-assn.org/public/journals/amnews
- Scientific American - http://www.sciam.com
- Journal of the American Medical Association (JAMA)- http://www.jama.ama-assn.org
- The New England Journal of Medicine(weekly journal) - http://www.nejm.org
- The Next Generation An Introduction to Medicine - http://nextgenmed.org
These resources provide the types of material used in the MCAT. Not only will you get exposure to the language, but also exposure to current ethical and controversial issues across a broad range of topics.
