MCAT Irvine MCAT Course

[BerkReviewTeach]

Quick facts:
1) Irvine's Berkeley Review course has the smallest teacher : student ratio
2) The Irvine teaching staff includes two current (or former) award-winning college professors
3) Todd and Dale (the founders) both teach in Irvine

Location: 2500 Michaelson Drive, Irvine, CA
We teach at Aliant University, which includes a lounge area where students may study, a spacious classroom that comfortably seats 28 students, internet access for practice exams, three whiteboards, and state of the art audio-visual equipment, and free parking.

(Outstanding) Instructors/Tutors: Out team consists of six experienced teachers delivering high-quality lectures that are painstakingly developed and redeveloped several times per year.

Our teaching philosophy is simple. Help students learn to do better on multiple-choice questions on the MCAT. This entails building a science vocabulary, understanding many concepts, thinking logically, becoming fast at integrating multiple concepts, avoiding careless errors, and mastering test-taking skills. Our teachers are selected for their ability to teach these skills. Many teachers are hired to teach just one to three of our lecture topics (we have forty-four total topic lectures as well as five skills lectures), to ensure that every class has excellent instruction at those specific subjects. Our teachers are experts at what they teach.

We have been fortunate enough to once again keep our Irvine teaching team intact including a Pepperdine professor and our founders are once again teaching. Listed below are the members of our teaching and tutoring team.

Chemistry
Todd Bennett, FIVE-time OUTSTANDING TEACHING ASSISTANT Award Winner (at UCSD, UCB, and UCI), Outstanding Adjunct Faculty Award (IVC), Primary Developer of Hyperlearning MCAT Course, co-Founder of Berkeley Review, 22 years of MCAT teaching experience, Author of Berkeley Review Chemistry Books, 6.89 Student Evaluation Rating (1-7 scale)
Teaches seven of the ten general chemistry lectures and two of the seven organic chemistry lectures

Maha Sami, Former UCLA Teaching Assistant, Six Sessions of MCAT experience, Outstanding Tutor Awards, 6.55 Student Evaluation Rating
Teaches three of the ten general chemistry lectures and three of the seven organic chemistry lectures

Physics
Todd Bennett, Winner of Coveted Faculty Teaching Award (Hartnell College), co-Author of Berkeley Review Physics Book, 13 years of MCAT physics teaching experience, 6.89 Student Evaluation Rating

Biology
Andrew Eads, UCI Medical Student, Tutor/Instructor for six years at UCLA , Fifteen Sessions of MCAT experience, 6.50 Student Evaluation Rating

Chelsea Pagan, UCI Graduate Student, Department-Select Tutor (One of the highest undergraduate instructor appointments at UCI), Seven Sessions of MCAT experience, 6.05 Student Evaluation Rating

Dale Schmidt, co-Founder Berkeley Review, Author of Berkeley Review Biology Book, 19 years of MCAT teaching experience, 6.59 Student Evaluation Rating

Verbal Reasoning
Sean Batson, Top of the chart on MCAT Verbal exam, Verbal Reasoning Expert, 6.00 Student Evaluation Rating

*Student Evaluation Score based Student Evaluations of teaching on scale of 1 - 7 (7 being Excellent)

Seasonal Classes
Session 1 (aiming for January exams) starts first week of October until first week of January (four to six classes per week, meeting Fridays and twice on Saturdays and Sundays)

Sessions 2 and 3 (aiming for March/April exams) starts first week of January until first week of April with the option to finish in early March with estra classes in January (four to six classes per week, meeting Fridays and twice on Saturdays and Sundays)

Sessions 4 and 5 (aiming for August/September exams) starts third week of June until last week of August (four to six classes per week, meeting 2x on Tuesday, 2x on Thursday, and 2x on Saturdays with occassional Sunday)

Lecture Topics
Biology 1 Prokaryotic and Eukaryotic Cells, Cellular Function, Viruses, and Biological Molecules
Biology 2 Metabolism, Enzymes, Kinetics, Glycolysis, Kreb's Cycle, and Electron Transport-Oxidative Phosph
Biology 3 Beta Oxidation, Gluconeogenesis, Urea Cycle, and Calvin Cycle
Biology 4 Introduction to Nucleic Acids, DNA, RNA, Replication, Transcription, and Translation
Biology 5 Genetic Information, More Translation, Genetic Engineering, and Recombination
Biology 6 Cumulative Review of Molecular Biology, Cell Biology, Genetics, and Biochemistry

Gen Chem 1 Stoichiometry, Limiting Reagents, Concentration Units, Dilution, and Solubility
Gen Chem 2 Atomic Theory, Electronic Configurations, Periodic Trends, Excitation/Relaxation, and VSEPR Theory
Gen Chem 3 Equilibrium Constant, Equilibrium, Le Châtelier's Principle, Reaction Rate, and Reaction Order
Gen Chem 4 Weak Acids & Bases, Strong Acids & Bases, pH Scale, Neutralization, and Buffers
Gen Chem 5 pH Calculations, Polyprotic Acids, Titration Curves, Multiple Equivalent Points, and Indicators
Gen Chem 6 Gas Definitions, Kinetic Theory of Gases, Gas Laws, Partial Pressure, and Effusion
Gen Chem 7 Phases Changes, Heat Exchange, Phase Diagrams, Vapor Pressure, and Raoult's Law
Gen Chem 8 Enthalpy, Entropy, Free Energy, Calorimetry, Bond Energies, Reaction Rate, and Order
Gen Chem 9 Classical Experiments in Atomic Structure, Isotopes, Nuclear Chemistry, and Half-Lives
Gen Chem 10 Balancing Redox Reactions, Electromotive Force, Electrochemical Cells, and Nernst Equation
Gen Chem 11 Overview of Chemistry Topics, Review of Heavily Tested Topics, and Test Strategy

Org Chem 1 Organic Structure, Resonance, Hybridization, Aromaticity, and Steric Hindrance
Org Chem 2 IR Spectroscopy, UV-Visible Spectroscopy, NMR Spectroscopy, and Structure Elucidation
Org Chem 3 Stereochemistry, Enantiomers, Diastereomers, Meso, and Nucleophilic Substitution
Org Chem 4 Elimination, Diels Alder Reaction, Terpenes, and Free Radicals
Org Chem 5 Carbonyl Reactions, Protecting Groups, Acetals, Hemiacetals, and Redox Chemistry
Org Chem 6 Titration, Isoelectric pH, Electrophoresis, Sequencing, Affinity Chromatography, and Protein Structure
Org Chem 7 Chromatography, Distillation, Extraction, Recrystallization, and Basic Lab Ideology
Org Chem 8 Overview of Chemistry Topics, Review of Heavily Tested Topics, and Test Strategy

Physics 1 Translational Motion, Kinematics, Acceleration, Velocity, and Projectile Motion
Physics 2 Forces, Force Diagrams, Circular Motion, and Newton's Laws
Physics 3 Potential Energy, Kinetic Energy, Work, Heat, and Momentum
Physics 4 Transfer of Momentum, Transfer of Energy, Friction, and Gravity
Physics 5 Periodic Motion, Beats, Period, Frequency, Cyclic Processes, Springs, Pendulums, and Waves
Physics 6 Sound, Doppler Effect, Beat Frequency, Decibel Scale, and Longitudinal Waves
Physics 7 Fluid Dynamics, Bernoulli's Law, Archimedes' Principle, Hydraulics, and Solids
Physics 8 Electrostatics,Electric Fields, Magnetic Fields, and Motion of Charged Particles
Physics 9 Simple Circuits, Current, Resistance, Voltage, Circuit Rules, and Circuit Features
Physics 10 Light Spectrum, Electromagnetic Radiation, Refraction, Reflection, Mirrors, and Lenses

Physiology 1 Central Nervous System, Peripheral Nervous System, and Skeletal/Muscular System
Physiology 2 Cardiovascular Physiology, Hemoglobin, Myoglobin, and Circulatory System
Physiology 3 Gastrointestinal System, Renal Physiology, Nephron Dynamics, and Regulation of GI
Physiology 4 Reproductive Systems (M/F), Female Hormone Cycle, Gastrulation, and Development
Physiology 5 Immune System, B-Cells, T-Cells, Antigens, Antibodies, Defense Mechanisms, and Hormones
Physiology 6 Physiological Pathways, Integration of Pathways, Physiological Feedback Mechanisms

Verbal 1 Introduction to the Verbal Reasoning Test, Eclectic Topic Overview, and Establishing a Game Plan
Verbal 2 The Mapping Technique, Typical Questions ("The List"), and Letting Go of Science Reading Habits
Verbal 3 Introduction to Speed Reading, Effective Skimming, Test Timing, and Your Testing Strategy
Verbal 4 Critical Reading for Ideas and Concepts, Pre-reading Questions, and Recognizing the 'Best' Answer
Verbal 5 Recognizing Topics, Concentration Skills, and Time Allotment During Exam
Essay Comp Establishing an Outline, The Essay Formula, and Making it Look Good

Course Materials to be used with lectures (all passages include full explanations)
Biology Text 1 (Physiology) 75 passages
Biology Text 2 (Cellular Biology, Biochemistry, Molecular Biology, and Genetics) 75 passages

General Chemistry Text 1 (Stoichiometry, Atomic Structure, Equilibrium, and Acids & Bases) 68 passages
General Chemistry Text 2 (Gases, Phases, Electrochemistry, Thermodynamics, and Kinetics) 63 passages

Organic Chemistry Text 1 (Organic Structure, Spectroscopy, Stereochemistry, and Hydrocarbons) 53 passages
Organic Chemistry Text 2 (Carbonyls, Carbohydrates, Amino Acids, and Laboratory Techniques) 54 passages

Physics Text 1 (Translational Motion, Forces, Work, Momentum, Torque, and Waves) 50 passages
Physics Text 2 (Sound, Fluids & Solids, Electrostatics, Circuits, Light, and Optics) 50 passages

Verbal Reasoning Text includes 105 passages with full answer explanations and test strategy tips
Essay Composition Text includes sample essays and a strategy formula for writing a strong essay

Test Materials (9 Full-Length CBT Exams)
Full-Length Tests TBR Practice Test I 21 Passages with complete answer explanations
TBR Practice Test II 21 Passages with complete answer explanations
TBR Practice Test III 21 Passages with complete answer explanations
TBR Practice Test IV 21 Passages with complete answer explanations
TBR Practice Test V 21 Passages with complete answer explanations
TBR Practice Test VI 21 Passages with complete answer explanations
TBR Practice Test VII 21 Passages with complete answer explanations
TBR Practice Test VIII 21 Passages with complete answer explanations
TBR Practice Test IX 21 Passages with complete answer explanations

Extra Materials for Continued Review
Verbal Reasoning 32 In-Class Passages and 21 Test Passages with complete answer explanations
Physical Sciences 14 Passages in Two Topical Tests with complete answer explanations
General Chemistry Problem Session Passage Sets 14 Passages with complete answer explanations
Cumulative Chemistry Tests 14 Passages with complete answer explanations
In-Class Passages 40 Passages with complete answer explanations
Organic Chemistry Problem Session Passage Sets 12 Passages with complete answer explanations
Cumulative Chemistry Tests 14 Passages with complete answer explanations
In-Class Passages 28 Passages with complete answer explanations
Biology Integrative Review I 11 Passages with complete answer explanations
Integrative Review II 11 Passages with complete answer explanations
Physics Problem Session Passage Sets 14 Passages with complete answer explanations
Cumulative Chemistry Tests 14 Passages with complete answer explanations
In-Class Passages 50 Passages with complete answer explanations
Miscellaneous MCAT Grab Bag I, II, & III 20± Passages with complete answer explanations

Supplemental Materials (for application assistance)
Application Guideline A detailed timeline for and statistical look at applying to medical school
Interview Tips Collected comments from people who have given and received interviews

Key Facts
Student-to-Teacher Ratio of 3 : 1 to 6 : 1, depending on the season.
Class Size: 21.5 students on average, 27 Students maximum in Irvine
MCAT only, so we know MCAT strategies and techniques better than anyone

"Turn 26s into 32s, 30s into 35s, and 36s into 40s"

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[PhoenixBlaze500]

What percentage of the students who do the course does better on the MCAT?

 

[BerkReviewTeach]

What percentage of the students who do the course does better on the MCAT?

A little over three quarters of our students who take the MCAT are taking it for the first time, so it's not possible to generate the number you are looking for. Of the repeat students who report their scores to us, it seems like nearly all of them improve with their second sitting. But that really is such a small number of people that I don't think I could give you a reliable number.

 

[CheekyFellow]

Are these going to be the same teachers for the summer course in June?

 

[BerkReviewTeach]

Are these going to be the same teachers for the summer course in June?

Yes for the most part. There is also going to be a Pepperdine chemistry professor covering two of the lectures and the verbal instructor is being changed to match the new focus of the lectures. The verbal reasoning lectures will include more skill development exercises and group overviews.

 

[greathl21]

Is there enough time over the summer if I am taking the exam on August 23rd? I always hear about taking 3 months to study for the MCAT's, yet if the session starts mid June I will only have about 2 months to study for the exam on August 23rd.

 

[greathl21]

Yes for the most part. There is also going to be a Pepperdine chemistry professor covering two of the lectures and the verbal instructor is being changed to match the new focus of the lectures. The verbal reasoning lectures will include more skill development exercises and group overviews.

I have not had the second semester of organic chemistry and will not take it until the Fall. Do the instructors assume that students have had organic chemistry or is that something that they teach you during the course? Am I at a huge disadvantage if I have not had OChem 2???

 

[BerkReviewTeach]

I have not had the second semester of organic chemistry and will not take it until the Fall. Do the instructors assume that students have had organic chemistry or is that something that they teach you during the course? Am I at a huge disadvantage if I have not had OChem 2???

The only concern might be carbonyl compounds, which hopefully you got a taste of in your first semester class. I'd suggest you hit office hours before that lecture to get some of the terminology ahead of time. Other than that, most everything on the MCAT is first semester material or biochem related.

 

[Kivi]

Is it too late to sign up for Session I for the Irvine Location? Is there any way for me to bring my application materials and check to the Irvine location?

I'm going to call on Monday and I'm hoping I can get through

Also, if I can't get enrolled in the course, is it possible to bring cash to the irvine location to purchase the books?

Thanks

Kevin
[email protected]