So what courses do you need for the MCATs?
There are 4 sections in the MCATS - though they are currently in the process of revising it so there will be a few more sections.
The sections are:
1) Physical Science - Chemistry and Physics
2) Biological Science - Organic Chemistry and Biology
3) Verbal
4) Writing
The verbal and writing are probably the only two sections that don't require any coursework. Writing and verbal just need practice. For verbal, try reading a newspaper everyday. For writing, just practice.
For the physical science portion of the exam, you will need to take General Chemistry I and II and General Physics I and II. You do NOT need anything beyond this. Having said that, some universities' General Physics courses do not cover everything that the MCATs require - such as buoyancy and fluid motion. You do not need to take a course covering this - just study in in your MCAT review book.
For the biological science, you do not need anything more than General Biology I and II and Organic Chemistry I. Many students take Organic Chemistry II for the MCATs. This might be useful but only rarely. You can get by with no problem without taking Organic Chemistry II. There is already very little organic chemistry on the MCATs and you will learn almost nothing from an Organic Chemistry II course that you could not pick up from your MCAT review books for the actual exam.
This is all you need. What other courses will help you prepare for the MCATs? Personally, I believe Basic Cell Biology and Molecular Biology are extremely useful courses for the MCATs. Other than that, it's based on luck of the draw. You may get a passage from an Inorganic Chemistry course. Even if you just relax! All the information you will need will be provided in the passage if its outside the realm of General Science courses. Though the more classes you take, the more information you will comfortable with and therefore the less opportunities there are for unseen material on the MCAT.
