Physics vs. Orgo During Summer

Colleges & Universities Emory University
1

<p>I’m going into my sophomore year at Emory and was conflicted between taking orgo and physics. If I took one during the year, then I would take the other the following year. In both scenarios I would be taking Weinschenk for orgo, at least the first semester, and Bing for physics. </p>

<p>Things to take into account:
I want to get my prereqs out of the way to start studying for/take the MCAT before the 2015 change.
The difficulty of taking orgo vs. physics over summer and during the academic year
How these courses will prepare me for the MCAT based on when I take them</p>

<p>Thanks!</p>

2

<p>I would just do physics over the summer (Bing will be teaching both summer sessions whereas during the year, he may only teach one semester) and have Weinschenk during the year to maximize what you get out of orgo (not much of it on MCAT, and MCAT physics is not that rigorous, but it certainly helps if you retain it and it’s easier to retain if you take it during the year. Most students, especially a lot pre-health people won’t retain much physics regardless of its pace, so better to take that one closer to your MCAT so it’s at least kind of “fresh”). Is your schedule too rigorous to take both classes during the year? Physics 140 series is kind of a joke (still don’t know why we offer it. All other elites make pre-meds take C-based now), even with Bing, so I wouldn’t worry about it. Difficulty is same in summer and year. Orgo. is much harder during the year, but it’s also better (more stimulating) that way (also, I wouldn’t worry about this because the tests are just harder because you have more time to grasp the material. The summer exams that Weinschenk gives are less intensive, but actually still yield low averages. He simply makes the exams as challenging as he can w/respect to the content he teaches). With Weinschenk, you’ll get more out of the class than just MCAT prep if you do it right. </p>

<p>Interestingly, a friend recently taking the MCAT said that most physical science passages were gen. chem. so I honestly wouldn’t worry about either of these classes. Just try to get as much as you can from them. </p>

<p>Weinschenk, for example is hard, but the class and his tests essentially have a magical formula. You memorize specifics from his lecture notes and the reactions he went over for like 50-70% of the test and then you do applications for the rest. If you even get some of the application stuff, you’ll get above average. The secret to getting some of that is mainly to simply figure out which applications really only require memorization (sometimes he’ll have kind of a weird/complex technical phrasing of a scenario and the problem becomes easy to simplify if you just know the terminology, which was taught via his lectures/supplements or the book). Even that part of the exam has some cheap points to scrap up. Also, often he’ll essentially guide you through the more difficult problems as well, so if you’re studied up and stay calm, you can do it. Don’t let complex structures scare you and just follow his “hints” or guides. (It’s not like how Soria’s problems were just: “here is very strange, complex situation/observation, figure something out on your own. Good luck”; Weinschenk’s hard test questions require an ability to synthesize and apply at a high level, but normally don’t require too much in the way of creativity because, again, he guides you through more difficult situations) and can easily be beaten if you keep up with the material and are actually prepared once the back exams are released (if you find yourself mainly learning from back exam answer keys, then you’ll probably get the average, because you’ll just have memorized). Physics 14x is just…well physics 14x. The classes can honestly be managed together (many people even manage Weinschenk or Soria w/physics 15x and bio for example) unless you’re taking like NBB 301 or any other traditionally difficult math, physics, or bio course.</p>

3

<p>I’m dealing with a similar issue. </p>

<p>I’m going to post a thread about the new MCAT because I want to generally find out whether people are trying to miss the new MCAT. I know people are, but why?</p>

<p>I’m scheduled for weinschenk this year and am now conflicted with whether I should schedule phys 151 this year too. I’m not sure if its necessary. Will I be able to manage it? Shoukd I wait for phys junior year?</p>

<p>I mean, what’s this new section really going to demand of us? We see humanities classes as GPA buffers so why aren’t we seeing this MCAT section as the same. </p>

<p>I’ve also heard that upper level bios/chems help for the MCAT. I willl lose that advantage if i squeeze the MCAT in aftwr sophomore year. As of right now, I am deciding to take the new MCAT second semester junior year. </p>

<p>Any thoughts?</p>

4

<p>The new MCAT is 7hrs long. That’s why I would want to miss it. However, I admittedly prefer the format and questioning style (my roommate, who is a Kaplan tutor/teacher showed me some of the sample questions from the MCAT 2015 info. packet, and it looks fine to me) showed me some. </p>

<p>1) Many people take Weinschenk and 15x (some people even took Soria w/this and ended up fine). They do fine. 15x at Emory is nowhere near as difficult as a C-based physics class at a top 20 should be (I’m sure the professors just assume students aren’t interested in physics, even in C-based), though it’s still tougher than 14x.</p>

<p>2) I wouldn’t say that about the humanities. It really isn’t true (I mean, I often hear some of my pre-med friends running around saying stuff like “I hate writing, why do I have take more writing requirements”. Do you think many of these folks are going to choose courses that are actually considered serious humanities and social science options? I mean, many don’t even choose the best science courses and professors because they want their science courses to involve as little critical thinking as possible. They believe that, even in science courses, whatever the teacher gives in class should occur verbatim on an exam. No new situations should be presented or higher order skills evoked. Many run around as if this is HS or something sometimes). Pre-meds typically try to take what they know to be the easiest humanities and writing requirements (poetry and English classes with Rushie, I think, are notorious to get this type of student looking for an English credit). Many I hear will only take the profs. that nearly guarantee a lower workload and high grades. I’ve been in the real social science and humanities courses with professors are more demanding and you don’t really see many pre-meds in these special topics courses. Although doable, it appeared that the MCAT humanities sections will require more rigorous assessment and analysis of data tables and trends in those fields (similar to skills you would see required in like a psyche/soc. or polisci stats or methods course. Courses a pre-med that isn’t majoring in those areas normally will not take) than would the easier humanities many of you guys intentionally take to buffer your GPA. Also, they cover psychology too. The intro. psyche series at Emory is rarely considered a grade buffer by anyone (especially 110). </p>

<p>3) Upperlevel science and maths will help you better for the new MCAT than the old (though it could keep the old MCAT material fresh and you’re re-exposed to it in another context). Warning: I would avoid biochem in the bio. dept if you want to take the new MCAT. It is very easy, but it doesn’t approach the material in a way that would prepare you to handle a problem on the MCAT. Bio biochem is straight up regurgitation (the class is literally like bio 141, but poorer and asking for more regurgitation. I would actually say that, if 141 were to incorporate all the pathways and stuff, it is taught in a way more useful for MCAT success than biochem over there. They at least try to get you to apply and problem solve and read data, etc). Chem profs (though do not take when Conticello teaches it) tries to emphasize more applications/problem solving and thinking about how material ties together to larger biological phenomenon. Weinschenk should give you a firm enough background to handle the chem. version of the course. </p>

<p>I feel like many are avoiding the new MCAT because they know they didn’t diversify their schedule (not enough legit humanities and social science exposure) enough or did not choose rigorous enough science courses to be prepared for it. I mean, many really didn’t do that for the old one either, but they know for sure that they wouldn’t want to be held accountable for material that they learned in biochemistry (a class many were just taking because certain med. schools recommended it. That is a class where many just got a grade and left) and ways of thinking about humanities and social sciences that they have not exposed themselves to, all things which are indeed going on the new one. And again…it’s 7 hours long.</p>

<p>Hey, also q for you. Did you choose decent 141/142 professors (like who did you take)? It can perhaps make a difference for whether or not you want to take chem. biochem. I mean, I guess a lot of stuff is retaught in biochem in both depts, but the chem. version tends to be have students with more rigorous preparation.</p>

5

<p>Do you mean general chemistry 141/142? I had Mulford both semesters. I’m going to be a chem mentor next year. </p>

<p>I completely understand what you mean about the humanities. I spent just as much time for my freshman writing requirement this year as I did for chem/bio. I just happened to get stuck with a demanding professor but the work paid off and I still got the A. </p>

<p>I was planning to take the chem dept’s biochem before the new MCAT came out. I’m still at a loss of what to do…but my conscience almost always gets the best of me. I feel like I will probably end up taking the new one so as to not look like I was trying to take “the easy way out.” It sounds dumb but I can’t do anything about it, it’s just the way I am.</p>

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<p>Med schools aren’t going to care which one you will take and will just look at the score with respect to the one you took. </p>

<p>Also, I was referring to biology (however, Mulford does teach you how to work hard which will make Weinschenk’s class more doable). If you think you’ll be better off taking some upperlevel work to get a better foundation, then gone ahead and do so and take the new MCAT. If you want to “get it out of the way”, then do that and take the old one (I doubt med. schools won’t read into it as much as you suggested, and again, will likely not read into it at all. Also, they may not view the new MCAT as “harder” moreso than different). </p>

<p>However, I had dinner with a friend last week who said he wish he had waited until some of his upperlevel work had sunk in before he took it (he actually took it summer after freshman year and scored well, but says he wish he waited. He took the old one). As in, if taking your time and getting some more knowledge and exposure is beneficial to you, but it means taking the new one, I would not be afraid. Just continue to take decent social science and humanities GERs that will keep you ready for that section. Sounds like you are off to a good start.</p>