Dr. Earl F. Bloch
Associate Professor
Department of Microbiology
Howard University College of Medicine
www.DrEarlBloch.com
12 Step Program For Academic Success
Preparation for College/Medical School
Prerequisite College Courses For Medical School
1. 1 year of Math (College algebra, calculus)
2. 1 year of general chemistry
3. 1 year of organic chemistry
4. 1 year of physics
5. 1 year of biology
6. 1 year of English
7. Take medical college aptitude test in your third or junior year of college (Prepare a year in advance to take this examination by enrolling in a Stanley Kaplan course or by purchasing commercial review books in the above six areas)
You must maintain at least a “B” or better average (80%+)in the required and non-required courses for medical school
The required courses along with a full credit load of 18-21 credits in college each semester may make it difficult for you to do well in the sciences courses.
Solution. In the summers before and during college take science and or math courses at community colleges, because they are less expensive than at four year colleges. This will give you advanced preparation when you enroll in those courses during the school year. Remember that classes during the fall and spring semesters cover more material than in compressed summer sessions. Do not use science and math courses you have taken in the summer for exception from the same courses during the school year. The purpose for taking the courses in the summer is to increase your confidence and decrease your anxiety in subject areas you have not had in great depth. You will be better prepared and should obtain at least grades of “B” in those courses during the school year at the community or the four year college. This is extremely important because applicants should have at least grades of B in the prerequisite courses for medical school (see the courses above)
Examples (these are just suggestions, please feel free to modify)
The summer before freshman year in college you should take the following courses: General chemistry I and general Biology I
The summer before sophomore year in college you should take the following courses: Organic chemistry I and general Physics I
The summer before junior year in college you should take the following
courses: [College math or (calculus I)] and microbiology
The summer before senior year in college you should take the following courses: Biochemistry and animal physiology
The summer after graduating from college you should take the following courses: Cell biology and human genetics
Additional Tips
1. You must leave every class in high school and college with at least an 80% understanding of the subject matter.
2. Do not be afraid to ask questions in class or after class.
3. Do your homework first and then speak to friends (or watch TV) or listen to the radio.
4. Enhance your understanding of the subject area by doing additional reading in the library and or the use of the internet.
5. Medical school demands excellent study habits, discipline and motivation. Therefore, it is important to develop those habits now and not wait until you completed college to do so.
6. Hard work creates opportunities and most of all do not doubt your ability to be successful.
How To Prepare For The MCAT
Purchase a review book(s) with questions and answers for general chemistry, organic chemistry, physics, biology, math, and English. The review books should provide numerous examples of problems with complete solutions. I believe that if you understand how to solve problems, then you should be able to make up similar problems. To ensure your complete understanding of a given topic, you should prepare at least 30 new questions for every topic covered.
Example
Assume that general chemistry consists of 20 topics. For each topic you should solve 30 questions of that type. That is, the total number of questions for general chemistry should be 20 x 30 or 600. Use a similar format for organic chemistry, physics, math, and biology. This is meant to show you how much work is involved and how much time is needed to do extremely well on the examination. Unfortunately, I have heard over and over again from students that they were doing all the questions in the review books and were getting all those questions correct. Unfortunately a number of those same students performed poorly on the MCAT. I think this is because the students did not solve enough questions on a given topic to ensure their complete understanding of the subject matter. Other students try to prepare several weeks before the examination, while taking a very heavy credit load the same semester. To me, it is not a wise thing to do. You have to treat your extensive preparation for the examination as if it were a course in itself. That is, during the semester in which you plan to take the examination, take four credits less (17 credits not 21 credits) and treat the preparation for the MCAT as if it were a four credit course.
