MCAT workshop
Dr. Chace Tydell
Research lab experience
• UCI Bridges program
http://engageinstemfc.com/opportunitiespost/ucibaccalaureateprogram/
• Long Beach State Bridges Program
http://www.csulb.edu/colleges/cnsm/sas/bridges/
There are now 4 sections
1. Biological and Biochemical Foundations of
Living Systems
Biology, Organic Chemistry and Intro Biochemistry
2. Chemical and Physical Foundations of
Biological Systems
General Chemistry and Physics
3. Psychological, Social and Biological
Foundations of Behavior
4. Critical Analysis and Reasoning Skills
Study aids
• Khan Academy MCAT test prep
FREE
– www.khanacademy.org/test-prep/mcat
• AAMC
– MCAT Official Guide
$30
• aamc.org/officialmcatguide
– Self assessment
$104 for all 3
• aamc.org/mcatsap
– Practice tests
One free, others $35
• aamc.org/mcatpracticetests
Some questions stand alone
An ideal gas sample has a certain volume at 350 K and
1 atm. The volume of the same sample at STP will be
closest to the volume at 350 K and 1 atm multiplied by:
25%
1.
2.
3.
4.
25%
25%
2
3
25%
350/273
350/298
298/350
273/350
40%
hard
1
4
A teacher is interested in memory of novel words. She shows
participants unrelated words printed on cards one after another.
Participants see 20 words in total, wait for two minutes and then
are asked to write down all of the words they can remember.
95% of the subjects remember the first three words.
This is an example of:
100%
1.
2.
3.
4.
recency effect
proactive interference
the primacy effect
retroactive interference
1
The host cell is LEAST likely to contribute which of
the following enzymes or enzymatic complexes to
the retroviral life cycle?
25%
25%
25%
25%
1) Ribosomes
2) DNA-dependent RNA
polymerase
3) RNA-dependent DNA
polymerase
4) DNA-dependent DNA
polymerase
45%
1
2
3
4
Which of the following would NOT change within a
sarcomere during skeletal muscle contraction?
1) The length of the thick filaments 25%
2) The overlap between the thick
and the thin filaments
3) The position of
troponin/tropomyosin complexes
on the thin filaments
4) The positions at which the
globular heads of the thick
filaments bind to the thin
filaments
70%
1
25%
25%
2
3
25%
4
During the respiratory
cycle, contraction of
the diaphragm causes:
25%
1
25%
2
25%
25%
3
30%
4
1) exhalation
2) elevation of the rib
3) the intrapleural pressure to
increase
4) the intra-alveolar pressure to
decrease
Constriction of the afferent arteriole that
supplies blood directly to the glomerulus
of a nephron would most immediately
affect the volume of renal filtrate in which
of the following tubule components of that
nephron?
25%
25%
25%
25%
1) Loop of Henle
2) Proximal tubule
3) Collecting tubule
4) Bowmen’s capsule
65%
1
2
3
4
The ‘passages’ section asks you
to quickly read and understand a
short scientific essay (often with
graphs). You will answer
questions using the essay AND
your own scientific knowledge.
With respect to serotonin’s actions in liver
regeneration as presented in this passage,
serotonin can be functionally classified as:
25%
25%
25%
25%
1) An enzyme
2) A hormone
3) A clotting factor
4) A neurotransmitter
1
2
3
4
Individuals
Individualsrequiring
requiringaaliver
livertransplant
transplantoften
oftenhave
have
reduced
reducedplatelet
plateletcounts.
counts. Given
Given the
the experimental
experimental
results
an appropriate
appropriate
results presented
presented in
in the
the passage,
passage, an
treatment
treatmentfor
forthese
theseindividuals
individualsafter
afterthey
theyhave
havereceived
received
aaportion
portionof
ofaadonor’s
donor’sliver
liverwould
wouldmost
mostlikely
likelybe
be
intravenous
25%
25%
25%
25%
intravenousinjections
injectionsof:
of:
1.
2.
3.
4.
5 HT2A and 5 HT2B antagonists
An anti-platelet antibody
An anti-TPH1 antibody
A serotonin agonist
1
2
3
4
The serotonin precursor discussed in the passage associates
directly with the enzyme TPH1. Given this, the data
presented best support the conclusion that in the serotonin
biosynthetic pathway, this serotonin precursor is:
25%
1
25%
25%
2
3
25%
4
1) The substrate of the TPH1-catalyzed
reaction
2) The product of the TPH1-catalyzed
reaction
3) A coenzyme of the TPH1-catalyzed
reaction
4) An inhibitor of the TPH1-catalyzed
reaction
Based on the passage, platelets are LEAST likely to
contain:
25%
1
25%
25%
2
3
25%
4
1) Transmembrane serotonin
transporters
2) Ribosomes
3) Serotonin
4) Ki67
The liver synthesizes factors that act cooperatively
with platelets to facilitate which of the following
processes?
25%
25%
25%
25%
1) Cholesterol synthesis
2) Glucose metabolism
3) Blood clotting
4) Fat digestion
1
2
3
4
Study aids
• Khan Academy MCAT test prep FREE
– www.khanacademy.org/test-prep/mcat
• AAMC
– MCAT Official Guide
$30
• aamc.org/officialmcatguide
– Self assessment
$104 for all 3
• aamc.org/mcatsap
– Practice tests
One free, others $35
• aamc.org/mcatpracticetests
More ‘stand alone’ questions.
Anxious about a nagging illness, a patient feels ignored by a doctor
who is struggling to catch up with patient examinations on a very busy
day. Conversely, the doctor misinterprets the discomfort and
agitation of the patient as hostility. This scenario is most closely
related to which paradigm?
25%
1.
2.
3.
4.
25%
25%
2
3
25%
Functionalism
Conflict Theory
Symbolic Interactionism
Social Constructionism
1
4
Among the halogens F2, Cl2, Br2 and I2, an increase in
which of the following types of intermolecular forces
causes an increase in boiling point going down the group?
1. Dipole-dipole forces
2. Ion-dipole forces
3. Ion-induced dipole
forces
4. London dispersion
forces
25%
25%
25%
2
3
25%
55%
1
4
An image of the Sun formed by a convex lens of focal
length f appears at what distance from the lens?
1.
2.
3.
4.
f in front of the lens
f behind the lens
2f in front of the lens
2f behind the lens
25%
1
25%
25%
2
3
25%
4
Assume that a certain trait is determined by a single gene that has
only two alleles and that the phenotype produced by the dominant
allele is completely dominant. Given that 9% of a particular
population in Hardy Weinberg equilibrium displays the recessive
phenotype, what percentage of the population would both display
the dominant phenotype and be capable of producing a child who
displays the recessive phenotype? (Note: assume no new mutations in the
gene occur.)
In the MCAT, you
cannot look for the
‘reasonable’ answer.
Each answer to the left
is the result of an
incorrect formula.
Assume that a certain trait is determined by a single gene that has only
two alleles and that the phenotype produced by the dominant allele is
completely dominant. Given that 9% of a particular population in Hardy
Weinberg equilibrium displays the recessive phenotype, what
percentage of the population would both display the dominant
phenotype and be capable of producing a child who displays the
recessive phenotype? (Note: assume no new mutations in the gene occur.)
25%
25%
25%
25%
50%
1
2
3
4
1) 21%
2) 42%
3) 49%
4) 91%
They are asking ‘What is the percentage of
the population that is heterozygous?’
p2+2pq+q2
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
9% of the population is q2 so q2 = .09
If q2 = 0.09 then q = 0.3
If q = 0.3 then p = 0.7
2pq is the percentage of heterozygotes
Solving the formula
2 x 0.3 x 0.7 = 2 x 0.21 = 0.42 = 42%
Researchers conducted an experiment to study Weber’s aw. Going
from 10- to 12-pound weights created the just noticeable
difference for one participant. For this participant, how many
pounds need to be added to a 20-pound weight to create the just
noticeable difference?
25%
1.
2.
3.
4.
25%
25%
2
3
25%
1 pound
2 pounds
4 pounds
8 pounds
1
4