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MCAT2015: Something NewCategories: MCAT

In celebration of the launch of our MCAT2015 Question of the Day (the first one out there!), we

wanted to do something a little different than what youll find on the blogosphere about the new

MCAT2015.

Pretty much every premed blogger and MCAT prep company has offered their two cents on the

upcoming MCAT in 2015. Yes, the exam is going to be (much) longer and thus more challenging.

The format is probably going to remain very much the same (passages + discrete questions). But

its too early to know too much else. But there are some things we do know

Lets talk about whats going to be on the exam and how to start getting ready for it. The AAMC

released a preview guide to the MCAT2015 which is a solid 150 pages of curriculum and example

questions. Theres a ton of overlapping content between the old (current) MCAT and the

MCAT2015, and a lot of young premeds right now are on the cusp of which exam theyll take. If

youre reading this and youre a freshman or a sophomore, you may end up actually preparing for

both. Is that worthwhile? Probably theres not very much on the current MCAT that wont show

up on the new one. So we decided to offer you something actually useful: a list of content that is

NEW on MCAT2015 as well as content that is on the current MCAT but will not be on MCAT2015.

But first whats on the new exam anyway? Heres a table that might be helpful (we only bothered

making it because nobody else bothered to make it yet)!

Exam SectionsSubject Bio and Biochem Chem and Physics Psych and Sociology TotalsBiology 65% 2% 10% 26%Biochemistry 25% 25% 17%General Chemistry 4% 33% 12%Organic Chemistry 6% 15% 7%Physics 25% 8%Psychology 60% 20%Sociology 30% 10%

Current Content that is NOT on MCAT2015Biological Sciences

Comparative anatomy (chordate features, vertebrate phylogeny)FungiRecrystallizationAlcohols (Note: some topics remain)

Substitution reactionsPinacolsHalogenationEsterificationInorganic Esters

Aldehydes and Ketones (Note: some topics remain)1,3-dicarbonyl compounds, internal hydrogen bondingorganometallic reagentsWolff-Kishner reactionGrignard reagentsHaloform reactions

Acid Derivatives (Note: some topics remain)Hofmann rearrangement

Amines, except for what you need to know about imines and enamines in other sectionsPhosphorous compound reactions (Wittig reaction), except for what you need to know about ATP andphosphoesters like DNA/RNA

Physical Sciences

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Quantum numbers l, m, sIonic bondColloidsCenter of massUniform circular motionFrictionPulley SystemsMomentum, impulse, and collisionsSolids (elastic properties, shear, compression)Coulombs Law, electric dipole, electrostatic induction, and Gausss LawMagnetismBatteries (internal resistance, terminal potential)Power in circuitsAlternating currents and reactive circuitsFission, fusion, mass deficit

MCAT2015 Content that is NEWBiochemistry

Mixed and Uncompetitive inhibitionRegulatory enzymes: allostery, covalently-modified enzymes, zymogensFlavoproteinsOncogeneseGluconeogenesis, Pentose Phosphate Pathway, and regulation of these mechanismsFatty acid metabolism and biosynthesisChromatography: size-exclusion, affinityAmino acids: Strecker Synthesis, Gabriel SynthesisLipids: sphingolipids, prostaglandins

BiologyEukaryotic chromosome organization: Single copy vs. repetitive DNA, supercoilingEukaryotic gene regulation: Gene amplification and duplication, cancer formation, non-coding RNAsProkaryotic gene regulation: Jacob-Monod Model, gene repression, positive controlBiotechnology applications: DNA libraries, generation of cDNA, analyzing gene expression, determininggene function, stem cells, practical applications in medicine, therapy, pharma, forensics, environment, andagriculture, as well as safety and ethics implications of DNA technologyGenetics: synaptonemal complex, tetrad, composition of the Y chromosome, cytoplasmic/extranuclearinheritance, statistical methodsOther microbiology: transposons, prions and viroids, chemotaxisEmbryogenesis: neural crest, environment-gene interaction in development, differentiation anddetermination of cell type, cell-cell communication in development, stem cells, gene regulation indevelopment, senescence and agingBiosignalling: receptor enzymes, G protein-coupled receptorsImmune system: clonal selection, MHC complex

ChemistryElectrochemistry: Nerst equation, electrolysis, Faradays Law, lead-storage batteries, nickel-cadmiumbatteriesElectronic structure: paramagnetism and diamagnetism, Heisenberg Uncertainty PrincipleUse of the Arrhenius Equation, Law of Mass Action

PhysicsViscosity: Poiseuille FlowVenturi effect, pitot tubeBoltzmanns constantVan der Waals EquationElectricity: circuit metersSound: shock wavesCoefficient of expansion

Organic ChemistryAldehydes and Ketones: hydride reagents, cyanohydrin, enolate chemistry, retro-aldol, kinetic vs.thermodynamic enolate, carbanionsCarboxylic acids: lactam, lactone formationPhenols: oxidation and reductionBiological aromatic heterocycles

Psychology and SociologyVision, hearing, and other sensory processing (physiological and psychological)Perception, attention, cognition, consciousness, and memoryEmotion, stressBiological bases of behavior (brain structure and function, genetics, development)Personality, psychological disorders, motivation, attitudesSocial influences, group processes, culture, and socializationAssociative learning, observational learning

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Theories of attitude and behavior changeSelf-concept and identity, formation of identitySocial thinking (attributing behavior to persons or situations), prejudice and bias, stereotypesElements of social interaction, self-presentation, social behavior, and discriminationTheoretical approaches to understanding social structure, social institutions, and cultureDemographic structure of society, demographic shifts and social changeSpatial inequality, social class, health and healthcare disparities

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