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Ghassan S. Gammoh 14 has taken Life Sciences 1a and 1b, Mathematics 1a and 1b, Statistics 104, Life Sciences 2, Physical Sciences 1, 2, and 3, a summer school class on organic chemistry, and a freshman seminar entitled The Neurophysiology of Visual Perception during his time at Harvard.</p>
<p>But when it came time for Gammoh to take the Medical College Admission Test, the exam every premedical student must take before applying to medical schools, he felt his Harvard education had left him underprepared.
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<p>I wonder if college science classes not preparing pre-meds well for the MCAT is specific to Harvard. At the Harvard Crimson site, several commenters write that they don't want science courses to be structured around the MCAT.</p>
<p>It sounds like Harvard is presenting a “pre-medicine” program, not a test prep program (with the idea that they are educating future doctors, not future test takers.)</p>
<p>I also wonder if this perceived need for structured “prep” is a cultural thing. Kids these days are so used to the idea that you need tutoring and prep classes because they’ve always had them. When my H took the MCAT, he spent the summer self-studying, especially by taking practice tests, and looking up what he didn’t know.</p>
<p>Same thing when more recently I took the GRE. I did many, many practice tests so I could see how the test questions worked. This idea that you “have to” learn strategies from a class seems more like a mindset issue than a true need.</p>
<p>It seems to me that those from test-heavy cultures and backgrounds think the point of education is to prepare one to take tests. My spouse took the MCAT and did his own prep. He didn’t expect his elite undergrad to teach him how to take tests. I say good for Harvard for educating future doctors, not providing MCAT prep courses. (If they wish to provide such courses, great, but not as part of curriculum.)</p>
<p>I believe life science is what Harvard terms biology, much like how some schools label an intro geology class, “Earth Science”.</p>
<p>Also, if a university’s premed courses focused only on the MCAT, they’re not properly teaching the class. Sorry, but I don’t have any sympathy for Gammoh or other whiny premeds who complain that they need to spend some time studying for a test. These were probably the students who in their AP classes decrying the fact that they shouldn’t have to write a term paper, since the AP exams don’t require any more than a few short essays.</p>
<p>This type of test taking is sort of a skill. Often that skill aligns with classroom ability, sometimes not. I enjoy taking multiple choice tests (yes, I know that is a strange hobby) and generally do pretty well on them whereas I was certainly not a straight A college student or anywhere near one.</p>
<p>I was a mediocre engineering student but when I took the PE exam (many years after graduating) I found it easy. Some of my colleagues with far higher GPAs had to retake it several times to pass.</p>
<p>Anybody can take a free sample mcat at [Welcome</a> to Practice Test Site](<a href=“http://www.e-mcat.com%5DWelcome”>http://www.e-mcat.com). I took one after work one day a few years ago. I think it may have changed somewhat since then, but when I took it, there were three sections - verbal, physical sciences, bio sciences
(and a writing test which I didn’t take). I won’t give my score but despite a pretty low score on the bio section (35 years since I took any biology) I still did far better than my performance in class 35 years ago would indicate (my first degree was in biophysics).</p>
<p>BTW - the exam is fun to look at even if you don’t have time to take the whole thing. Supposedly it is pretty similar to an actual mcat, and may even be an old exam.</p>
<p>I’m with garland here. Kids who have enrolled at Harvard were encouraged to take ‘the most challenging curriculum’ in high school, which for them would have been AP courses–AP Biology. AP Chemistry, etc. And what AP courses have become are essentially preparation for the AP test. </p>
<p>So it would be natural for them to think that the corresponding pre-med course requirements in college like biology and chemistry would essentially be MCAT Biology and MCAT Chemistry–since med school require these courses, as well as the MCAT, it’s easy to see the course as the prep element for the test.</p>
<p>Its like saying high schools should have prepared someone for SAT. </p>
<p>The real issue here is financial aid. Harvard admits all these poor kids by giving them great aid but does not provide them the tools to prepare for MCAT, LSE etc. They should provide some coaching on the side or subsidize them for some external coaching. </p>
<p>The change in MCAT format is going to be a nightmare.</p>
<p>Basic science courses have a greater purpose than preparing kids for MCAT. I would hate it, if HYPS, JHU and other top schools structure their basic science courses around the format of MCAT. </p>
<p>
texaspg,</p>
<p>While I agree with the spirit of what you said, as you surely know, SAT and MCAT are two different beasts.</p>
<p>Based on what I know about MCAT, it is not a fact recall kind of test and require critical thinking. During the pre-requisite courses, if the students don’t develop a good grasp of the basics and an ability to apply that knowledge to solve problems, MCAT could be problematic.</p>
<p>I wonder if college science classes not preparing pre-meds well for the MCAT is specific to Harvard. At the Harvard Crimson site, several commenters write that they don’t want science courses to be structured around the MCAT.</p>
<p>since premed prereqs are often the SAME classes that the STEM students take, the classes don’t specifically teach to the MCAT. </p>
<p>And, the MCAT isn’t just a knowledge test. It’s a test to see how you can process and apply information. Some people may not be able to do that as well, regardless of the strength of their undergrad bio, chem, physics and math classes.</p>
<p>^it’s a mix of the above, as well as the money to afford good prep.</p>
<p>From the article:</p>
<p>“When I sat down to learn the material, I had been exposed to pretty much everything that was going to be on the MCAT at least once,” Cloutier said. “But you definitely still need to study after taking the classes.”</p>
<p>This is what it’s supposed to be. The MCAT is its own skill set. I found my classes at Brown taught me all of the material I needed for the MCAT (and well beyond) but obviously you still need to sit down with the actual MCAT and study it’s patterns and methods. Anyone expecting anything different is just lazy.</p>
<p>I see nothing wrong with Harvard (or whoever) offering some specific MCAT prep courses, and whether they charge or they are free, whatever, but it’s not right to expect the science classes to be specific MCAT-prep.</p>
<p>My daughter graduated in 2010. She was in the first class that had the modified life sciences courses. It was poorly put together and confusing. I thought that they had since improved it. She would also agree that the courses did not do a good job covering material that was present on the mcat.</p>
<p>sklvr–I appreciate that you are with me, but I was more saying that I think some students are too invested in the test-prep culture, and over-expect that this is the goal, not that I think that this is a reasonable point of view. I actually don’t. I would like to think that future doctors can tell the difference between gaining actual knowledge and critical thinking ability, as opposed to just learning testing “tricks.”</p>
<p>And I gotta add, if you got into and through Harvard, you should dang well be able to figure out how to study for a test without a test prep course. It’s truly disturbing that that is the culture we’ve created–show me how to prepare–I can’t figure it out on my own!</p>
<p>Not a fair assessment since the classes mentioned would be the bare minimum requirements to take the MCAT. Anyone only taking that as prep would find the MCAT hard. The article is trying to blame Harvard prep, when the real problem is thinking that just going to Harvard gives you a pass. Neglecting to do enough coursework to fully prepare for the test, regardless of where you went to undergrad, just doesn’t work.</p>