Since you are a retaker, here is my Full Length REDO-REVIEW Strategy.
1. AAMC gives you unlimited attempts on the FL exams, so open up a new attempt that is UNTIMED. Proceed to complete the first 15-25 questions. Try and take your time and give it your best on these attempts. Try and use the strategies listed below on any passages.
2. After you finish the set of 15-25 questions, record your answers on a piece of paper, and then open back up the version of FL that you did this week. Now, start the process of reviewing the answers. This time you will be comparing the answers that you put down on the paper to the answers that you originally answered the first time you did the exam. Only review question you got wrong both times.
3) the questions you get wrong twice and pick the same answer - content issue.
4) the questions you get wrong twice and pick different answers - passage comprehension problem
4. REPEAT THIS PROCESS: Break up your review of the section into 15-25 question sections.
Here is a near too to track everything:
• HOW TO USE THE MCAT FL EXAM REVIEW TOOL:
1. The google sheet will allow you to easily catalog each passage based on its subject and the passage topic (according to the AAMC Content Catalog Tag).
2. The drop down menu includes a list of the content catalog tags/topic area. You can fill in the “Topic” column by:
▪ Typing the content catalog tag into the cell which will produce all the MCAT Topic areas that share that tag after which you can click on the one that you’d like to use or
▪ You can also navigate the drop down menu using your mouse as well.
UNDERSTANDING MCAT SCIENCE PASSAGE TYPES:
1. Informational Passage: Either a straightforward presentation of scientific information or a description of a physical phenomenon
▪ Identify the main topic based on the background paragraph
▪ What are they trying to focus on?
▪ How are they measuring the phenomenon or the scientific information they are giving
▪ Confirm the trend line / sanity check/ inputextremes
2. Experimental/Research Passage: The passage presents a main concept of interest, a hypothesis that will be investigated, independent variables that affect the outcome/dependent variable.
3. Persuasive Reasoning Passage: Present a scientific phenomenon along with a hypothesis that explains the phenomenon. Questions associated with these passages will ask you to evaluate the hypothesis presented in the passage against any data that is presented in the passage or any relevant physical/physiological laws/principles that you know.
• REVIEW: How to Approach Experimental Design Passages
1. What is the main topic (i.e. enzyme/biological process/chemical process/cellular process/physical phenomenon) that the researcher/passage is interested in exploring?
2. What outcome/dependent variable is the researcher interested in observing?
3. How is the researcher going to measure the outcome/dependent variable?
4. What enzyme/biological process/chemical process/cellular process CAUSES the outcome/dependent variable of interest?
5. What independent variable(s) is the researcher interested in examining?
6. What is the effect of the independent variable(s) have on the passage’s main idea (enzyme/biological process/chemical process/cellular process/physical phenomenon)?
▪ Sanity check**
• UNDERSTANDING MCAT SCIENCE PASSAGE TYPES:
1. Informational Passage: Either a straightforward presentation of scientific information or a description of a physical phenomenon
▪ Identify the main topic based on the background paragraph
▪ What are they trying to focus on?
▪ How are they measuring the phenomenon or the scientific information they are giving
▪ Confirm the trend line / sanity check/ inputextremes
2. Experimental/Research Passage: The passage presents a main concept of interest, a hypothesis that will be investigated, independent variables that affect the outcome/dependent variable.
3. Persuasive Reasoning Passage: Present a scientific phenomenon along with a hypothesis that explains the phenomenon. Questions associated with these passages will ask you to evaluate the hypothesis presented in the passage against any data that is presented in the passage or any relevant physical/physiological laws/principles that you know.
• COMMON PASSAGE PATTERNS: EXPERIMENTAL/RESEARCH PASSAGES
1. Researcher is interested in studying a cellular process that REQUIRE INPUT FROM THE EXTERNAL ENVIROMENT. Research provides the cell with a tagged (ex: radiolabeled) nutrient which the cell will take up and process through the cellular process of interest. This experimental set up will determine the rate of the intracellular process by measure rate the cell takes up the labeled nutrient. CONCENTRATION OF TAGGED NUTRIENT IS INVERVERSLY RELATED TO THE RATE AT WHICH THE INTRACELLULAR PROCESS OF INTEREST OCCURS
2. Output first: Researcher is interested in studying a cellular process that PRODUCES A KNOWN BYPRODUCT. The rate of the intracellular process of interest is directly proportional to the rate of byproduct production. In this experimental design the researcher will measure the rate of byproduct production (ex: through fluoresce or accumulation of a metabolite of the main byproduct) in order to estimate the rate of the cellular process of interest and in order to understand how various independent factor affect the cellular process. CONCENTRATION OF TAGGED NUTRIENT IS DIRECTLY RELATED TO THE RATE AT WHICH THE INTRACELLULAR PROCESS OF INTEREST OCCURS
3. Mutant cell lines and knockout mice:
▪ A common experimental design utilizes mutant cell lines that lack the DNA sequence necessarily to produce biomolecules of interest (e.g.: proteins, enzymes/receptors/regulatory elements). In this research set-up, the independent variables are represented by the various mutant lines or knock out mice lines. A researcher will then compare the outcome/dependent variable in wild-type/control and various mutant strains (independent variables). Any difference can therefore be attributed to the biomolecule (e.g.: proteins, enzymes/receptors/regulatory elements) which has been deleted from knock-out mice line or mutant cell line.
4. Understanding how missense mutations can affect the structure and function of a protein by substituting a new amino acids that has different biochemical properties than the wild-type amino acid
▪ The MCAT often likes to present passage that test your ability to understand how differences in amino acid properties (e.g. charge, polarity, hydrophobicity, reactivity, etc.) can disrupt protein folding stability, inhibit activity at key protein sites (active site, allosteric site, binding site etc.).
▪ Attacking this passage type requires a strong knowledge of amino acids, protein structure and function, enzyme kinetics and thermodynamics.
5. Applying Biochemistry lab techniques to tackle experimental design passages
▪ Experimental design passages often utilize biochemistry lab techniques to measure outcomes/dependent variables of interest. It is therefore HIGH YIELD to be proficient in biochemistry lab techniques
▪ The MCAT will challenge whether or not you understand the key biochemistry principle that underlies each lab technique (Cation exchange, Gas Chromatography, Western Blot, ELISA etc) and whether you can apply that knowledge to interpret the measurement of the passage’s dependent variable.
▪ PLEASE INDEPDENDENTLY REVIEW BIOCHEMISTRY LAB TECHNIQUES AND CHEMISTRY SEPARATION TECHNIQUES. We can schedule a biochemistry lab technique tutoring session if needed.
6. Disruptions to any closed biochemical process (build up and decrease relative to the blockage) - will discuss further during BIOCHEMISTRY: METABOLISM REVIEW
7. Understanding the steps in a biological process: Example DNA replication to protein folding – what techniques/approaches can you use to experimentally evaluate each step along the way.
▪ DNA probes are commonly used to CONFIRM the presence of a specific genomic sequence within a sample. NOTE: This doesn’t mean that the gene of interest is expressed, only confirms it’s presence in the genome of the cell of interest.
▪ Gene expression can approximated by measuring the amount of gene specific mRNA available within a cell à Northern Blot
▪ Determining protein expression and quantification
• Western Blot
• Gel Electrophoresis (SDS-PAGE or SDS-PAGE w/ reducing agent)
• ELISA
o Direct ELISA
o Indirect ELISA
• CATION/ANION EXCHANGER
• Gas/Liquid/High Pressure chromatography
