I finally got my MCAT review book in the mail. It looks like a great book from the glance I've given it. It has good 150-250 page reviews for bio/gen chem/o chem/physics that are pretty clear and succinct (as far as a 200 page review could be), and should be a much better way to study than trying to wade through 400 page books on each topic instead. It also has an online thing I can access, with 4 practice MCATs, extra review stuff, etc. - and little monthly diagnostic quizzes that track your percentages, your time spent answering, and everything else.
Should be helpful, and assist me a lot in studying.
I'm thinking more seriously about pushing back my test from April to May now though. There's so much on it, and I'm very much not convinced that I'll be ready this April. Especially if I want to put in a good amount of time to studying Organic Chemistry for my tests there (I do), and to working in my lab (I do). There's no way to be sure... still a good bit of time between now and then.... but I don't want to make myself take the test early out of principle and do badly. I think as little as that one extra month could make a pretty big difference; a difference worth applying later in the cycle for.
One of the things that I'll have to check for is if I can still take the MCAT at the same location at the later date. I'm pretty sure I'd have to take it at an 8:00am time, which is awful, but if it's at the same location would still be close and familiar. Don't really want to wake up at 4:00 and have to go out to the middle of nowhere to take the test at 8:00am though, if it's not still open around here.
Friday, January 21, 2011
Tuesday, January 18, 2011
First Day On The Job
Well, was my first day. It didn't go exactly as scheduled - an awful freezing rain coated the ground this morning, and led to people showing up at different times, but eventually everyone involved was able to get together with me.
I'm getting a basic understanding of what the project is - and it's really really really just basic. Not even up to the level of basic, yet. But I'll try to explain it as best I can at this point to give an idea of what I'm doing. Not that I could be wrong, and this is subject to extensive change.
Anyhow. Basically, the deal is beta-lactam. Beta-lactam is a ring-like structure/molecular piece consisting of I believe three carbons and one nitrogen atom, and is notable because it formed the key component of penicillin (and other antibiotics with similar structures). In a fashion I don't quite understand yet, it's responsible for inhibiting bacterial reproduction by interfering with their cell walls. The problem is that many bacteria have or are developing resistances to these types of drugs.
In the lab, we're trying to synthetically create molecules that feature structures similar to, but slightly different from, standard beta-lactams. For instance, reversed chirality or the addition of tiny fluorine atoms are some of the things being tested. The specific disease we're focusing on happens to be tuberculosis, in part because it's a very relevant disease, and in part because some of the structures created by the lab so far seem particularly suited to interfering with it, rather than other diseases.
In my section of the lab, we're tracking fluorine atoms added to the beta-lactams to try and determine whether the synthetic molecule is interfering with bacteria around the cell wall, or whether the molecules created are going to other parts of the bacteria and proving less effective.
My own role is fairly simple to start, naturally. I'm going to help assemble the head groups of various molecules, and test their purity on the Nuclear Magnetic Resonance machine we have. My roll might grow as time/skill allows.
I'm not sure how much time will go into this yet. It's very open ended, and the people I'm working for all seem really nice. I'm thinking I'll start on the low end and add hours as possible, rather than plunge in only to realize I've over-committed myself. It's a neat lab, and would be fun to work for entirely aside from letter of recommendation purposes. But I have to make sure that basic MCAT studying still comes first. And I also have to make sure I keep up with my Organic Chemistry course, which will be as tough as ever.
I'm getting a basic understanding of what the project is - and it's really really really just basic. Not even up to the level of basic, yet. But I'll try to explain it as best I can at this point to give an idea of what I'm doing. Not that I could be wrong, and this is subject to extensive change.
Anyhow. Basically, the deal is beta-lactam. Beta-lactam is a ring-like structure/molecular piece consisting of I believe three carbons and one nitrogen atom, and is notable because it formed the key component of penicillin (and other antibiotics with similar structures). In a fashion I don't quite understand yet, it's responsible for inhibiting bacterial reproduction by interfering with their cell walls. The problem is that many bacteria have or are developing resistances to these types of drugs.
In the lab, we're trying to synthetically create molecules that feature structures similar to, but slightly different from, standard beta-lactams. For instance, reversed chirality or the addition of tiny fluorine atoms are some of the things being tested. The specific disease we're focusing on happens to be tuberculosis, in part because it's a very relevant disease, and in part because some of the structures created by the lab so far seem particularly suited to interfering with it, rather than other diseases.
In my section of the lab, we're tracking fluorine atoms added to the beta-lactams to try and determine whether the synthetic molecule is interfering with bacteria around the cell wall, or whether the molecules created are going to other parts of the bacteria and proving less effective.
My own role is fairly simple to start, naturally. I'm going to help assemble the head groups of various molecules, and test their purity on the Nuclear Magnetic Resonance machine we have. My roll might grow as time/skill allows.
I'm not sure how much time will go into this yet. It's very open ended, and the people I'm working for all seem really nice. I'm thinking I'll start on the low end and add hours as possible, rather than plunge in only to realize I've over-committed myself. It's a neat lab, and would be fun to work for entirely aside from letter of recommendation purposes. But I have to make sure that basic MCAT studying still comes first. And I also have to make sure I keep up with my Organic Chemistry course, which will be as tough as ever.
Thursday, January 13, 2011
Mental Note: Work Starts
More of a note for myself than an exciting post for anyone stumbling on this. My work starts next Tuesday, and I need to make sure I show up by 1:00 or so.
As far as other stuff goes, nothing of note. Organic Chemistry is scary because I've forgotten everything from last semester already, and the MCAT is scary because its the MCAT. I'm feeling panicky, generally. I ordered some more study material, which should arrive soon and hopefully help me come up with a more organized approach. Working in the chem lab, coupled with hard work at home, should hopefully get me feeling more comfortable with O. Chem as well.
Thought about changing my MCAT date from the April one to the May one today. Still not planning on that change though. Will talk to adviser (next week?) to see what someone else thinks though.
As far as other stuff goes, nothing of note. Organic Chemistry is scary because I've forgotten everything from last semester already, and the MCAT is scary because its the MCAT. I'm feeling panicky, generally. I ordered some more study material, which should arrive soon and hopefully help me come up with a more organized approach. Working in the chem lab, coupled with hard work at home, should hopefully get me feeling more comfortable with O. Chem as well.
Thought about changing my MCAT date from the April one to the May one today. Still not planning on that change though. Will talk to adviser (next week?) to see what someone else thinks though.
Monday, January 10, 2011
And We're On
No posts in awhile. I had a long vacation, which was nice but entirely uneventful. That has now come and gone though, and I'm moving on the last stretch of undergraduate courses I'll ever take, for better or worse.
The campus opened today, but my own Organic Chemistry class and lab only meets on Tuesdays and Thursdays so I'm still waiting on that. It should be a good bit harder than last semester, but having the finish in sight should be able to help me out. It's easier to work for things when a clear end is visible and you're not floundering about seemingly moving nowhere.
For the MCAT studying I've actually opted to do it on my own. Which could save a few thousand dollars, or could be a bad call. There won't be any good way to decide which until hindsight kicks in. I have a physics "review" book, and am hoping that I can get to an "ok" place by a combination of that, my old text, and possibly meeting my old teacher one or twice with any questions. For biology I'm hoping that the basic bio material is mostly what's covered, and not the much more in depth material we did in cell biology. For chemistry, I think I should simply be ok if I can get a decent amount of review time in.
The deadline for that test is fast approaching. While I could take it again some months later if I do badly, I really don't want to go down that road. It would also look bad, and further hurt whatever acceptance chances I might happen to still have. So here we are, and this is pretty much it. Four months to go.
The campus opened today, but my own Organic Chemistry class and lab only meets on Tuesdays and Thursdays so I'm still waiting on that. It should be a good bit harder than last semester, but having the finish in sight should be able to help me out. It's easier to work for things when a clear end is visible and you're not floundering about seemingly moving nowhere.
For the MCAT studying I've actually opted to do it on my own. Which could save a few thousand dollars, or could be a bad call. There won't be any good way to decide which until hindsight kicks in. I have a physics "review" book, and am hoping that I can get to an "ok" place by a combination of that, my old text, and possibly meeting my old teacher one or twice with any questions. For biology I'm hoping that the basic bio material is mostly what's covered, and not the much more in depth material we did in cell biology. For chemistry, I think I should simply be ok if I can get a decent amount of review time in.
The deadline for that test is fast approaching. While I could take it again some months later if I do badly, I really don't want to go down that road. It would also look bad, and further hurt whatever acceptance chances I might happen to still have. So here we are, and this is pretty much it. Four months to go.
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