What should you know about the social and physical sciences?
In part one of our MCAT prep series, we reviewed the basics of Critical Analysis and Reasoning Skills. In this second and final part of the series, we will discuss both the Psychological, Social, and Biological Foundations of Behavior (Psych/Soc) section and the Chemical and Physical Foundations of Biological Systems (Chem/Phys) section.
What you should know for MCAT prep
The MCAT contains integrated sections. This remains true for the Psych/Soc section and the Chem/Phys section—and as a reminder this means that the subjects are not tested independently, but include overlapping areas of concentration, more closely reflecting the way you’ll encounter these subjects in medical school.
Psychological, Social & Biological Foundations of Behavior
Let’s take a look at the Psych/Soc section, which was added with the recent MCAT update in 2015 and encompasses content that is becoming more and more relevant in medical education. Strangely, most medical schools do not require psychology or sociology as part of their prerequisite coursework, yet the MCAT recommends one semester of introductory courses in these areas.
The good news is that since these courses aren’t necessary for any of the other pre-med courses, you can opt to take them any time before starting your MCAT prep. However, it’s wise to take these course early—especially psychology, since it contains so many connections to critical analysis of research. The sooner you can train yourself to think critically, the better you will perform on Test Day.
Psychology
Psychology depends on strong research design, and creating a robust psychological study is actually quite difficult. Controlling for lurking variables, assessing for sampling and generalizability errors, and finding creative ways to present data are some of the major challenges of this line of research, and—as explained later—a major part of the MCAT.
Courses that require you to read and interpret research studies will prove helpful to your MCAT prep. Given the push towards evidence-based medicine, the ability to critically analyze a research study will also dictate your success at keeping up with the latest advances further along in your medical career.
Sociology
The sociology material you’ll need to master in your MCAT prep is quite broad in scope, but the depth is not as great as for other sciences included on the exam. Much of sociology may make intuitive sense to you, but it’s important to know how to translate that intuition into the terminology the test-makers will use. A basic sociology course will arm you with the terminology you need to comprehend material on Test Day.
Taking introductory courses in psychology and sociology as a pre-med will lay a strong foundation for MCAT prep. The main thing to keep in mind with the Psych/Soc section is how the behavioral sciences connect to the biological sciences, as the section is rooted in the application of the behavioral sciences in a biological context.
Chemical & Physical Foundations of Biological Systems
While the Chem/Phys section may superficially appear to be a section that’s testing the “physical sciences,” it’s actually far more complex. The physical sciences are being tested in the context of the biological sciences, which is a departure from the traditional way we learn these sciences.
As a first step, you should plan on completing a sequence in general chemistry and introductory physics. If your program offers it, you should take the track that is geared towards biological science majors. Keep in mind that you don’t need calculus-based physics for the MCAT or medical school.
Chemistry
The trick to mining your general chemistry classes for the purpose of MCAT prep is to look for themes and principles—and not to get caught up in math. As you take general chemistry, remember that it forms the basis of biological chemistry. The conceptual relationships are more important than the calculations. Unfortunately, in introductory courses we are typically forced to complete problem set after problem set instead of using our critical thinking skills, which are necessary for the MCAT. Also, recall from part one of this series that biochemistry will show up equally in the Chem/Phys section and the Bio/Biochem section.
Physics
Similar to general chemistry, many undergraduate physics classes are focused heavily on solving problems mathematically. Even so, knowing all of the formulas relevant to the MCAT is indispensable to your success. The test-makers like to write questions that require you to incorporate content knowledge from vastly different areas, and being able to find the connections between concepts will contribute to your success on the MCAT and in your physics classes. But again, remember effective MCAT prep means going beyond the formulas and thinking of the applicability of physics to biological systems.
In short, the more you are able to think about the sciences in an integrated manner and focus on the concepts rather than the calculations, the closer you will be to wearing your white coat!
Familiarize yourself with everything you’ll need to know on Test Day by signing up for a free Kaplan MCAT Practice Test.
The post MCAT Prep Basics: Psych/Soc and Chem/Phys appeared first on Med School Pulse.
