1st Half of MCAT Prep
Main Content Review – 12 hours
Epicycles – 3 hours
Global Question Bank – 3 hours
Passage Strategy / Understanding the Test – 2 hours
Psych / Soc – 3 hours
CARS – 2 hours

The Interdisciplinary Content Review – 40-hour video course. Watch the videos in order. Try to get through 1-2 modules per week.
Course Slides for Note-Taking – PDF with blank slides for note-taking and problem solving in the Main Content Review.
Chem/Phys Practice Items – Our tried-and-true practice items for Physics, General Chemistry, and Organic Chemistry
MCAT Organic Within Biochemistry – Each mechanism by itself and how it works in biochemistry.
Physics Mini-Course – Flash-card course covering all of the topical goals.

The Structure of the Content Review
Before starting, take a moment to understand the structure of the video course by reading this introduction. These videos are not meant to be watched out of order—follow them sequentially. The Interdisciplinary Content Review is a cohesive, systems-level course that begins with physics and progresses through general chemistry, organic chemistry, biochemistry, and molecular and cell biology. It uniquely integrates the interdisciplinary goals of the MCAT while providing comprehensive coverage of all topical objectives, including physiology.

1) Preparing for Chemistry with Physics We start with motion, dynamics, and work & energy in mechanics. Unlike typical content review, we also introduce electricity early, so you may need to jump ahead in Kaplan, TPR, or UWorld for corresponding summaries and practice questions. Covering electrostatics first gives you the conceptual vocabulary needed for Module 2, where we explore atomic theory, chemical bonding, and intermolecular forces within a systems-level framework.

Interdisciplinary Discussion

2) The Structure of Matter We begin chemistry by covering the core topical goals, but we also draw on mechanics and electricity from physics to understand atomic-level changes, chemical bonding, and intermolecular forces. While keeping in mind that chemical systems are fundamentally quantum-electrodynamic, we use classical mechanics and electrostatics to make these concepts more intuitive and accessible.

Discussion

3) Internal Energy and Heat Flow The study of thermodynamics alternates between physics and chemistry. We begin with the internal energy of an ideal gas in a piston and then expand the discussion into chemistry. By building our understanding of internal energy changes from the ground up, we create a framework that naturally extends to chemical transformations at the atomic level, including chemical bonding and intermolecular forces, in an intuitive and cohesive way.

Discussion

4) Chemical Thermodynamics and Spontaneity This module alternates between physics and chemistry perspectives on the second law of thermodynamics to develop a conceptual understanding of spontaneity and equilibrium, which we then apply to living systems. Just as spontaneous heat flow drives a working body in a heat engine, the spontaneous oxidation of glucose drives ATP production in oxidative metabolism. Grounding bioenergetic transformation in chemical thermodynamics, this module lays the foundation for much of the biochemistry that follows.

Discussion

5) Solutions and Acids & Bases At this stage of the course, our coverage of AAMC general chemistry is nearly complete. Our MCAT general chemistry foundation is becoming fully integrated. Topics like solutions and acids & bases are essential for understanding living systems, and we frequently frame them within biochemistry contexts, mirroring the way they appear in MCAT passages.

Discussion

6) Fluid Mechanics and Wave Motion In this module, we cover the topical learning goals in fluids and waves, both of which are important for the MCAT. This is also an ideal point to pause and consolidate the foundation we’ve built so far. In other words, it’s a good opportunity for a global review of the material covered to date and to prepare for the organic mechanisms that follow.

Discussion

7) Organic Mechanisms in Biochemistry AAMC selected the organic reactions on the MCAT because of their relevance to biochemistry. In this module, we not only cover each mechanism, but also demonstrate how each reaction functions within biochemical pathways. This approach both prepares you for biochemistry and makes the organic mechanisms easier to understand and remember.

Discussion

8) Protein Structure Topical MCAT content review often presents amino acids in the same way they appear at the beginning of biochemistry courses. In this module, we place amino acids in a broader context, offering a deeper, more integrated perspective. Every amino acid has a unique “personality” in biochemistry, and developing a sophisticated understanding of them is a key advantage for the MCAT.

Discussion

9) Enzymes We show how core ideas from general and organic chemistry light up the understanding of enzymes. The treatment of enzymes in this module corresponds to the important of enzymes in MCAT passages where enzyme activity is often used to build puzzles around interdisciplinary learning goals.

Discussion

10) Zymogens, Connective Tissue Proteins, Carbohydrates and Lipids As with molecular cell biology, with carbohydrates and lipids, AAMC will often go beyond the scope of their topical outline in MCAT passages. You will see advanced material as a figure of merit for AAMC to challenge comfort in the passage. Getting a little beyond the topical scope in this area is a figure of merit in the science sections.

Discussion

11) Biochemical Pathways Part 1 Many MCAT passages are designed to test interdisciplinary conceptual reasoning, for example, understanding the fall of electrons from NADH in terms of electrochemistry or seeing 1,3-bisphosphoglycerate as a “compressed spring.” In this course, we deliberately build a foundation in physics, general chemistry, and organic chemistry to make biochemical pathways not only easier to understand and remember, but also more substantive and engaging.

Discussion

12) DC Current, Magnetism, Redox & Electrochemistry We have been introducing redox and electrochemistry concepts from the start of the course. In this module, we focus on achieving comprehensive mastery of these ideas to prepare for oxidative phosphorylation in the next module. Redox is important both as a standalone topic and as a foundation for biochemistry, providing the conceptual framework for understanding the electron transport chain.

Discussion

13) Biochemical Pathways Part 2 With respect to the AAMC topical goals, general chemistry and biochemistry are now fully covered. Organic chemistry and physics will reach the same point after we complete light and optics, molecular spectroscopy, and nuclear physics in the next module. Finishing oxidative phosphorylation and the biochemical pathways marks a major milestone and culmination of the course.

Discussion

14) Light & Optics and Nuclear Physics The interaction of light and matter has been a major spiraling theme since our study of atomic theory. Concepts from this module are important not only for meeting topical goals but also for developing interdisciplinary reasoning skills. Geometric optics and nuclear physics, in particular, are frequent favorites of the AAMC for topical questions.

Discussion

15) Molecular Cell Biology Our molecular and cell biology coverage extends slightly beyond the level usually tested by the AAMC. Going a bit further gives you a clear advantage in approaching Bio/Biochem passages. You don’t need to chase every detail or memorize everything, but gaining a deeper perspective beyond the standard topical scope consistently helps students perform better.

Discussion

Basic Bio-101 Content
The Interdisciplinary Content Review video course provides thorough coverage of the AAMC topical goals in physics, general and organic chemistry, biochemistry, and molecular and cell biology. However, it does not include some of the foundational Bio-101 factual material, such as the organ systems. Students in our learning program review this material independently, and we support their study with quizzes and targeted drills.

If main content review is like exploring a city street by street, epicycles are like seeing the entire city from the top of its tallest building. They are essential for priming new material, reinforcing concepts, and organizing your knowledge throughout MCAT preparation.

Pre-Med Village Rapid Review Videos – These videos present the structure of a discipline and overview the topical learning goals in a short time.
AAMC Topics in Traditional Order – This is the AAMC outline of topics from the Handbook but rearranged in traditional disciplinarity. The traditional order helps to structure your knowledge-base for completeness.
MCAT Physics Formulas – Cycle through the formulas. Use your imagination to picture how each formula describes the changes that occur within a model system or real world example.
MCAT Organic Within Biochemistry – Each time you epicycle the mechanisms, this knowledge-base will shrink and become more manageable. Cycling the mechanisms also primes biochemistry.
Catch Blue – An online game with over 4000 conceptual vocabulary questions.

Global question bank is problem centered learning where questions can come from the entire topical scope. Global question bank helps you begin to hold yourself responsible for the topical learning goals long before main content review is complete. With epicycles you build the whole city of knowledge while in main content review, you explore it at the street level. If you only give yourself positive feedback with global question bank, you can make it a part of MCAT prep from the beginning..

Catch Blue – Catch Blue is an online game with over 4000 conceptual vocabulary questions. It's a fun way to hold yourself responsible for the entire knowledge-base.

We put a great deal of work into creating our study resources for this section. Our students have always done as well in this section as the others. Our learning materials for Psych/Soc really do work. Many students delay with this section, so you can get a good advantage if you start early and work steadily.

1200 Psychology Concepts – This is our illustrated structured outline of 1200 Psych/Soc concepts. Additionally, there is an online version of this resource available on the site.
600 Psychology Practice Items – This is the most effective collection of Psych/Soc questions in MCAT Prep. These practice items really work ! ! !

CARS is a major focus in our teaching program. We help our students understand how the performance metric works in this part of the exam and to develop a reliable method. Our CARS curriculum teaches critical reading based on the structure of argument, and our one-on-one students always improve fast.

12 CARS Lessons – These 12 lessons help students build a reliable body of techniques for CARS through a structured curriculum. CARS has long been a strength of our live teaching program.

Begin Using Prep-Hub from the Start of MCAT review

Begin working with MCAT passages at the start of MCAT prep, but don’t let them measure you. You measure them to learn how they work. On the surface, MCAT passages resemble scientific writing, but if you look closely, you can learn how everything in an MCAT passage is intentionally designed to create a spectrum of performance.

Within a strategy method in our teaching program called MCAT Passage Reader Response (MPRR), we set aside Section Bank I to study how MCAT passages work to create a spectrum of performance. Taking as much time as we need with each passage, we study them as if we were learning to design MCAT passages ourselves. We learn there are genres of passages and a repertoire AAMC uses to create passage elements. MCAT passage elements are like puzzles made from topical, interdisciplinary, and research logic learning goals. We help our students develop “reader response” strategies on the way to MCAT mastery.

Our students have always done well because of our content review, but now this is happening faster. Our students can rely on our videos, and we focus on targeted content review, CARS and test strategy in our teaching sessions.

One big lesson in developing MPRR has been to set aside some Prep-Hub resources to study the test from the start. When you understand the strategies of AAMC in creating MCAT passages, you can build your own repertoire of strategies to respond, and you can govern content review better because you understand how the topical knowledge needs to perform in the test.