Jack Westin MCAT Podcast

Jack Westin

Mike and Molly from Jack Westin discuss anecdotes, advice, and ramblings on the premed years, the MCAT, and life beyond. Have new episodes delivered to you by subscribing.

Note: Dr. Anita Paschal, MD, double PhD now has her own pre-med podcast. You can listen here:
https://open.spotify.com/show/44nzbuzuaedVQxZrgB2rGJ?si=HqfcKNuhQ8mKBMmdNd6vkQ

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20 episodes
Updated Tuesday

Episodes20

Newest first

Tuesday · 47 min
DNA and RNA Structure Explained: Every MCAT Connection You Need
Welcome back to the Jack Westin MCAT Podcast with Mike and Molly! Last episode was hemoglobin. This episode we zoom out even further and ask the question that underlies everything: what is the blueprint that tells your cells what to make in the first place? This is the DNA and RNA episode. And yes, it connects to basically everything you have already studied. 🎧 Next episode: DNA analytical techniques including PCR, Sanger sequencing and CRISPR. Molly has stories. Mike has a segue. It is going to be a great one. Get started with our resources! 📌 Success Advising (get clarity on where you are and on what support and resources are necessary for your success): https://calendly.com/academic-advising-4/jack-westin-academic-advising?utm_source=spotify&utm_medium=podcast 💻 Try our Chrome Extension (expert solutions to every AAMC passage): https://tinyurl.com/4jw5pad8 📚 Free QBANK: https://jackwestin.com/qbank/?utm_source=spotify&utm_medium=podcast 🎓 Live Sessions: https://jackwestin.com/sessions?utm_source=spotify&utm_medium=podcast 👨🏻‍🏫 Courses (guaranteed to improve your score): https://jackwestin.com/courses?utm_source=spotify&utm_medium=podcast 🙋 Tutoring (guaranteed to improve your score): https://jackwestin.com/services/live-online-mcat-tutoring?utm_source=spotify&utm_medium=podcast
July 20 · 51 min
Hemoglobin Explained: Every MCAT Connection You Need to Know
Welcome back to the Jack Westin MCAT Podcast with Mike and Molly! This episode is unlike any other we have done. We are focusing on just one protein. Hemoglobin is arguably the most important protein on the entire exam, and the reason is simple: it touches everything. Amino acids, protein structure, acid-base chemistry, electrostatics, metabolism, spectroscopy, gel electrophoresis, chromatography, mass spec, muscle contraction and more. This is the episode that shows you what real MCAT studying looks like, finding connections instead of memorizing isolated facts. 🎧 Next episode: it touches nearly everything! DNA, its structure, why maintaining that structure is critical, and all the connections to everything you have learned so far. Get started with our resources! 📌 Success Advising (get clarity on where you are and on what support and resources are necessary for your success): https://calendly.com/academic-advising-4/jack-westin-academic-advising?utm_source=spotify&utm_medium=podcast 💻 Try our Chrome Extension (expert solutions to every AAMC passage): https://tinyurl.com/4jw5pad8 📚 Free QBANK: https://jackwestin.com/qbank/?utm_source=spotify&utm_medium=podcast 🎓 Live Sessions: https://jackwestin.com/sessions?utm_source=spotify&utm_medium=podcast 👨🏻‍🏫 Courses (guaranteed to improve your score): https://jackwestin.com/courses?utm_source=spotify&utm_medium=podcast 🙋 Tutoring (guaranteed to improve your score): https://jackwestin.com/services/live-online-mcat-tutoring?utm_source=spotify&utm_medium=podcast
July 15 · 56 min
MCAT Mass Spectrometry & ¹H NMR
Mass spectrometry and ¹H NMR can look intimidating but the MCAT does not expect you to approach them like a full organic chemistry lab exam. In this episode of the Jack Westin MCAT Podcast, Mike and Molly break down the essential concepts you need to interpret mass spectra and proton NMR questions confidently. You’ll learn how to focus on the information that actually matters, eliminate incorrect answer choices faster, and avoid getting distracted by unnecessary complexity. Mike and Molly also walk through ethanol as an example, showing how different analytical techniques can be combined to determine a molecule’s identity. Whether these topics bring back stressful memories from organic chemistry or you are learning them for the first time, this episode will help you understand exactly what the MCAT expects you to know and what you can safely ignore. Next episode: Hemoglobin and the major biochemistry concepts connected to its structure and function. Get started with our resources! 📌 Success Advising (get clarity on where you are and on what support and resources are necessary for your success): https://calendly.com/academic-advising-4/jack-westin-academic-advising?utm_source=spotify&utm_medium=podcast 💻 Try our Chrome Extension (expert solutions to every AAMC passage): https://tinyurl.com/4jw5pad8 📚 Free QBANK: https://jackwestin.com/qbank/?utm_source=spotify&utm_medium=podcast 🎓 Live Sessions: https://jackwestin.com/sessions?utm_source=spotify&utm_medium=podcast 👨🏻‍🏫 Courses (guaranteed to improve your score): https://jackwestin.com/courses?utm_source=spotify&utm_medium=podcast 🙋 Tutoring (guaranteed to improve your score): https://jackwestin.com/services/live-online-mcat-tutoring?utm_source=spotify&utm_medium=podcast
July 15 · 34 min
UV-Vis and IR Spectroscopy Explained: How to Identify Any Molecule on the MCAT
Welcome back to the Jack Westin MCAT Podcast with Mike and Molly! Last episode we laid the foundation with absorption, emission and the electromagnetic spectrum. Now we finally get to use all of that to actually identify molecules. This is the episode most students dread. Spectroscopy diagrams, wave numbers, peaks, and graphs that look like complete gibberish. Mike and Molly break it all down so it actually makes sense, without the memorization spiral that trips everyone up. Get started with our resources! 📌 Success Advising (get clarity on where you are and on what support and resources are necessary for your success): https://calendly.com/academic-advising-4/jack-westin-academic-advising?utm_source=spotify&utm_medium=podcast 💻 Try our Chrome Extension (expert solutions to every AAMC passage): https://tinyurl.com/4jw5pad8 📚 Free QBANK: https://jackwestin.com/qbank/?utm_source=spotify&utm_medium=podcast 🎓 Live Sessions: https://jackwestin.com/sessions?utm_source=spotify&utm_medium=podcast 👨🏻‍🏫 Courses (guaranteed to improve your score): https://jackwestin.com/courses?utm_source=spotify&utm_medium=podcast 🙋 Tutoring (guaranteed to improve your score): https://jackwestin.com/services/live-online-mcat-tutoring?utm_source=spotify&utm_medium=podcast
July 1 · 33 min
Light, Electrons and Energy Levels: The MCAT Physics You Keep Skipping
Welcome back to the Jack Westin MCAT Podcast with Mike and Molly! We just finished chromatography and separation techniques. Before we dive into spectroscopy, there is foundational science that makes all of it make sense: how atoms absorb and emit light, why energy levels are quantized, and why some molecules are colored while others are not. This episode is the one most students skip and then regret when spectroscopy questions show up in their passages and nothing clicks. Get started with our resources! 📌 Success Advising (get clarity on where you are and on what support and resources are necessary for your success): https://calendly.com/academic-advising-4/jack-westin-academic-advising?utm_source=spotify&utm_medium=podcast 💻 Try our Chrome Extension (expert solutions to every AAMC passage): https://tinyurl.com/4jw5pad8 📚 Free QBANK: https://jackwestin.com/qbank/?utm_source=spotify&utm_medium=podcast 🎓 Live Sessions: https://jackwestin.com/sessions?utm_source=spotify&utm_medium=podcast 👨🏻‍🏫 Courses (guaranteed to improve your score): https://jackwestin.com/courses?utm_source=spotify&utm_medium=podcast 🙋 Tutoring (guaranteed to improve your score): https://jackwestin.com/services/live-online-mcat-tutoring?utm_source=spotify&utm_medium=podcast
June 18 · 18 min
MCAT CARS Walkthrough: "Treason" History Passage (June 17)
Welcome back to the Jack Westin CARS Podcast! In this episode we walk through the June 17th daily CARS passage titled Treason, a history passage about how English kings treated rebellion and how Edward the First transformed the legal definition of treason in medieval England. History passages can feel dense and full of unfamiliar names and dates. This episode shows you exactly how to cut through all of that and find the arguments that actually matter. Get started with our resources! 📌 Success Advising (get clarity on where you are and on what support and resources are necessary for your success): https://calendly.com/academic-advising-4/jack-westin-academic-advising?utm_source=spotify&utm_medium=podcast 💻 Try our Chrome Extension (expert solutions to every AAMC passage): https://tinyurl.com/4jw5pad8 📚 Free QBANK: https://jackwestin.com/qbank/?utm_source=spotify&utm_medium=podcast 🎓 Live Sessions: https://jackwestin.com/sessions?utm_source=spotify&utm_medium=podcast 👨🏻‍🏫 Courses (guaranteed to improve your score): https://jackwestin.com/courses?utm_source=spotify&utm_medium=podcast 🙋 Tutoring (guaranteed to improve your score): https://jackwestin.com/services/live-online-mcat-tutoring?utm_source=spotify&utm_medium=podcast
June 16 · 50 min
MCAT Chromatography: TLC, Column Types, RF Values and Molecular Properties
Welcome back to the Jack Westin MCAT Podcast with Mike and Molly! Last episode we tackled gels, SDS-PAGE and Western blots. Now we move into one of the most high-yield experimental technique topics on the MCAT: chromatography. If you have ever seen a chromatography question in a passage and had no idea where to start, this episode gives you a framework that works for every single type. No memorizing, just understanding. Get started with our resources! 📌 Success Advising (get clarity on where you are and on what support and resources are necessary for your success): https://calendly.com/academic-advising-4/jack-westin-academic-advising?utm_source=spotify&utm_medium=podcast 💻 Try our Chrome Extension (expert solutions to every AAMC passage): https://tinyurl.com/4jw5pad8 📚 Free QBANK: https://jackwestin.com/qbank/?utm_source=spotify&utm_medium=podcast 🎓 Live Sessions: https://jackwestin.com/sessions?utm_source=spotify&utm_medium=podcast 👨🏻‍🏫 Courses (guaranteed to improve your score): https://jackwestin.com/courses?utm_source=spotify&utm_medium=podcast 🙋 Tutoring (guaranteed to improve your score): https://jackwestin.com/services/live-online-mcat-tutoring?utm_source=spotify&utm_medium=podcast
June 10 · 27 min
MCAT CARS Walkthrough: "Play" Passage (June 10)
Welcome back to the Jack Westin CARS Podcast with Usher and Molly! In this episode we walk through the June 10th daily CARS passage titled Play, a surprisingly engaging read about the nature of play, why Americans crave it, and what professional sports have lost along the way. This one is a great example of a passage that draws you in naturally but still demands sharp critical thinking on the questions. If you have ever let your guard down on an interesting passage and paid for it on the questions, this episode is for you. Get started with our resources! 📌 Success Advising (get clarity on where you are and on what support and resources are necessary for your success): https://calendly.com/academic-advising-4/jack-westin-academic-advising?utm_source=spotify&utm_medium=podcast 💻 Try our Chrome Extension (expert solutions to every AAMC passage): https://tinyurl.com/4jw5pad8 📚 Free QBANK: https://jackwestin.com/qbank/?utm_source=spotify&utm_medium=podcast 🎓 Live Sessions: https://jackwestin.com/sessions?utm_source=spotify&utm_medium=podcast 👨🏻‍🏫 Courses (guaranteed to improve your score): https://jackwestin.com/courses?utm_source=spotify&utm_medium=podcast 🙋 Tutoring (guaranteed to improve your score): https://jackwestin.com/services/live-online-mcat-tutoring?utm_source=spotify&utm_medium=podcast
June 9 · 47 min
SDS-PAGE, Western Blots and Gel Electrophoresis Explained | MCAT Analytical Techniques Pt 1
Welcome back to the Jack Westin MCAT Podcast with Mike and Molly! We just finished amino acids and protein structure. Now it is time for one of the most feared topics in MCAT biochemistry: analytical and separation techniques. If you have ever stared at a Western blot figure in a passage and had absolutely no idea what you were looking at, this episode is exactly what you need. Mike spent years running these experiments in the lab and still has the PTSD to prove it. Together, Mike and Molly break down every technique you need to know, from the foundational logic of electrophoresis all the way to interpreting banding patterns on a gel. Get started with our resources! 📌 Success Advising (get clarity on where you are and on what support and resources are necessary for your success): https://calendly.com/academic-advising-4/jack-westin-academic-advising?utm_source=spotify&utm_medium=podcast 💻 Try our Chrome Extension (expert solutions to every AAMC passage): https://tinyurl.com/4jw5pad8 📚 Free QBANK: https://jackwestin.com/qbank/?utm_source=spotify&utm_medium=podcast 🎓 Live Sessions: https://jackwestin.com/sessions?utm_source=spotify&utm_medium=podcast 👨🏻‍🏫 Courses (guaranteed to improve your score): https://jackwestin.com/courses?utm_source=spotify&utm_medium=podcast 🙋 Tutoring (guaranteed to improve your score): https://jackwestin.com/services/live-online-mcat-tutoring?utm_source=spotify&utm_medium=podcast
June 8 · 29 min
MCAT CARS Walkthrough: "Averoes" Philosophy Passage
Welcome back to the Jack Westin CARS Podcast with Usher and Molly! In this episode we walk through the June 3rd daily CARS passage titled Averoes, a philosophy passage about the 12th century Muslim thinker Ibn Rushd and his exploration of the relationship between faith and reason.If philosophy passages make you nervous, this one is a great study tool. It is dense, it builds slowly, and it rewards students who know how to track arguments across paragraphs without getting lost in the details. Get started with our resources!📌 Success Advising (get clarity on where you are and on what support and resources are necessary for your success): https://calendly.com/academic-advising-4/jack-westin-academic-advising?utm_source=spotify&utm_medium=podcast💻 Try our Chrome Extension (expert solutions to every AAMC passage): https://tinyurl.com/4jw5pad8📚 Free QBANK: https://jackwestin.com/qbank/?utm_source=spotify&utm_medium=podcast🎓 Live Sessions: https://jackwestin.com/sessions?utm_source=spotify&utm_medium=podcast👨🏻‍🏫 Courses (guaranteed to improve your score): https://jackwestin.com/courses?utm_source=spotify&utm_medium=podcast🙋 Tutoring (guaranteed to improve your score): https://jackwestin.com/services/live-online-mcat-tutoring?utm_source=spotify&utm_medium=podcast
June 8 · 47 min
Protein Structure Explained: Primary to Quaternary and Every MCAT Connection
Welcome back to the Jack Westin MCAT Podcast with Mike and Molly! Last episode we broke down all 20 amino acids. Now we take it to the next level and answer the question every biochemistry student eventually has to face: how do these amino acids actually come together to build the machines that run your entire body? This episode is a deep dive into all four levels of protein structure, why structure and function are completely inseparable, and exactly how the MCAT will test you on this material. Get started with our resources! 📌 Success Advising (get clarity on where you are and on what support and resources are necessary for your success): https://calendly.com/academic-advising-4/jack-westin-academic-advising?utm_source=spotify&utm_medium=podcast 💻 Try our Chrome Extension (expert solutions to every AAMC passage): https://tinyurl.com/4jw5pad8 📚 Free QBANK: https://jackwestin.com/qbank/?utm_source=spotify&utm_medium=podcast 🎓 Live Sessions: https://jackwestin.com/sessions?utm_source=spotify&utm_medium=podcast 👨🏻‍🏫 Courses (guaranteed to improve your score): https://jackwestin.com/courses?utm_source=spotify&utm_medium=podcast 🙋 Tutoring (guaranteed to improve your score): https://jackwestin.com/services/live-online-mcat-tutoring?utm_source=spotify&utm_medium=podcast
May 26 · 1 hr 8 min
Amino Acids Explained: Every Structure, Mnemonic and MCAT Connection You Need
Welcome back to the Jack Westin MCAT Podcast with Mike and Molly! This episode covers the single highest yield topic on the entire MCAT: amino acids. And no, memorizing structures is not enough. If you have ever known your amino acids cold and still gotten questions wrong, this episode is exactly what you need. Mike and Molly go way beyond the list. They break down every amino acid by category, explain what makes each one chemically unique, and show you exactly how the MCAT connects amino acids to neurotransmitters, protein structure, acid-base chemistry, lab techniques, enzyme regulation, and more. 📌 Coming next episode: Protein structure, from individual amino acids to the incredible diversity of proteins they create. Get started with our resources! 📌 Success Advising (get clarity on where you are and on what support and resources are necessary for your success): https://calendly.com/academic-advising-4/jack-westin-academic-advising?utm_source=spotify&utm_medium=podcast 💻 Try our Chrome Extension (expert solutions to every AAMC passage): https://tinyurl.com/4jw5pad8 📚 Free QBANK: https://jackwestin.com/qbank/?utm_source=spotify&utm_medium=podcast 🎓 Live Sessions: https://jackwestin.com/sessions?utm_source=spotify&utm_medium=podcast 👨🏻‍🏫 Courses (guaranteed to improve your score): https://jackwestin.com/courses?utm_source=spotify&utm_medium=podcast 🙋 Tutoring (guaranteed to improve your score): https://jackwestin.com/services/live-online-mcat-tutoring?utm_source=spotify&utm_medium=podcast
May 19 · 38 min
Does Language Control How You Think? Chomsky vs Skinner vs Sapir-Whorf Explained
Welcome back to the Jack Westin MCAT Podcast with Mike and Molly! Last episode we broke down the neurobiology of language; Broca's, Wernicke's, split-brain patients. This episode we zoom all the way out and ask a question that's fascinated scientists for centuries: Does the language you speak actually shape the way you think? This is one of the most debated topics in MCAT psychology and one of the most fascinating. Mike and Molly break it all down, name by name, theory by theory. 📊 High-yield MCAT visual: Picture a number line. Thought on the left, language on the right. Every theory in this episode falls somewhere on that line — and knowing where is everything. 🔑 Names you MUST know for the MCAT: Chomsky · Skinner · Vygotsky · Piaget · Sapir-Whorf 🎧 Next episode: Biomolecules — amino acids, proteins, enzymes, and DNA. The highest-yield topic on the entire MCAT. Don't miss it. Get started with our resources! 📌 Success Advising (get clarity on where you are and on what support and resources are necessary for your success): https://calendly.com/academic-advising-4/jack-westin-academic-advising?utm_source=youtube&utm_medium=podcast 💻 Try our Chrome Extension (expert solutions to every AAMC passage): https://tinyurl.com/4jw5pad8 📚 Free QBANK: https://jackwestin.com/qbank/?utm_source=youtube&utm_medium=podcast 🎓 Live Sessions: https://jackwestin.com/sessions?utm_source=youtube&utm_medium=podcast 👨🏻‍🏫 Courses (guaranteed to improve your score): https://jackwestin.com/courses?utm_source=youtube&utm_medium=podcast 🙋 Tutoring (guaranteed to improve your score): https://jackwestin.com/services/live-online-mcat-tutoring?utm_source=youtube&utm_medium=podcast 0:00 – Intro & recap of last episode (Broca's & Wernicke's) 3:30 – Why language theories matter on the MCAT 7:00 – Chomsky: Universal Grammar & the Language Acquisition Device 14:20 – Skinner: Language as operant conditioning 20:45 – Vygotsky: Social interaction theory of language 25:00 – Critical Period Hypothesis explained 30:10 – Genie Wiley: What isolation teaches us about language 36:00 – The thought vs language number line visual 40:30 – Universalism: thought determines language 44:00 – Piaget's cognitive development theory of language 47:30 – Vygotsky at the center: both matter equally 51:00 – Linguistic Relativity: language influences thought 55:30 – Sapir-Whorf Hypothesis: language determines thought 1:01:00 – How to apply these theories on MCAT questions 1:06:00 – Coming up next: Biomolecules
May 12 · 32 min
You Can't Speak. You Can't Understand. Here's Why I MCAT Broca's & Wernicke's Area Explained
Welcome back to the Jack Westin MCAT Podcast with Mike and Molly! In this episode, we're breaking down one of the most high-yield neuroscience topics on the MCAT, the biology of language and the brain areas behind it. Ever wonder why some people lose the ability to speak clearly after a stroke, while others speak fluently but make zero sense? That's not random, it comes down to specific brain regions, and the MCAT loves to test exactly this. 🔑 High-yield MCAT tip: If you see broken, labored speech with intact comprehension → Broca's. Fluent speech that makes no sense → Wernicke's. Can't repeat phrases → conduction aphasia (arcuate fasciculus). 🎧 Next episode: Theories of language and language development — Chomsky, Whorf, and more. Don't miss it. Get started with our resources! 📌 Success Advising (get clarity on where you are and on what support and resources are necessary for your success): https://calendly.com/academic-advising-4/jack-westin-academic-advising?utm_source=spotify&utm_medium=podcast 💻 Try our Chrome Extension (expert solutions to every AAMC passage): https://tinyurl.com/4jw5pad8 📚 Free QBANK: https://jackwestin.com/qbank/?utm_source=spotify&utm_medium=podcast 🎓 Live Sessions: https://jackwestin.com/sessions?utm_source=spotify&utm_medium=podcast 👨🏻‍🏫 Courses (guaranteed to improve your score): https://jackwestin.com/courses?utm_source=spotify&utm_medium=podcast 🙋 Tutoring (guaranteed to improve your score): https://jackwestin.com/services/live-online-mcat-tutoring?utm_source=spotify&utm_medium=podcast
May 8 · 29 min
MCAT CARS Walkthrough: "Moral Relations" Philosophy Passage
In this episode of the Jack Westin CARS Podcast, Usher and Molly tackle one of the trickier philosophy passages in recent memory, "Moral Relations" from May 6th. If philosophy passages make you nervous on the MCAT, this one's for you. Get started with our resources! 📌 Success Advising (get clarity on where you are and on what support and resources are necessary for your success): https://calendly.com/academic-advising-4/jack-westin-academic-advising?utm_source=spotify&utm_medium=podcast 💻 Try our Chrome Extension (expert solutions to every AAMC passage): https://tinyurl.com/4jw5pad8 📚 Free QBANK: https://jackwestin.com/qbank/?utm_source=spotify&utm_medium=podcast 🎓 Live Sessions: https://jackwestin.com/sessions?utm_source=spotify&utm_medium=podcast 👨🏻‍🏫 Courses (guaranteed to improve your score): https://jackwestin.com/courses?utm_source=spotify&utm_medium=podcast 🙋 Tutoring (guaranteed to improve your score): https://jackwestin.com/services/live-online-mcat-tutoring?utm_source=spotify&utm_medium=podcast 📖 This passage is linked in the description and available free on jackwestin.com as part of our daily CARS practice passages.
May 5 · 48 min
Theories of Emotion & Stress on the MCAT: James-Lange, Cannon-Bard & Cognitive Appraisal
Is stress a bad thing? Not according to the science. In this Jack Westin MCAT Podcast episode, Mike and Molly flip the coin from last episode's neurobiology of emotion to the psychology of emotion and stress. They walk through the major theories of emotion, break down eustress vs. distress, explain cognitive appraisal, and connect it to the MCAT study experience in a way that might actually change how you approach test day. Get started with our resources! 📌 Success Advising (get clarity on where you are and on what support and resources are necessary for your success): https://calendly.com/academic-advising-4/jack-westin-academic-advising?utm_source=spotify&utm_medium=podcast 💻 Try our Chrome Extension (expert solutions to every AAMC passage): https://tinyurl.com/4jw5pad8 📚 Free QBANK: https://jackwestin.com/qbank/?utm_source=spotify&utm_medium=podcast 🎓 Live Sessions: https://jackwestin.com/sessions?utm_source=spotify&utm_medium=podcast 👨🏻‍🏫 Courses (guaranteed to improve your score): https://jackwestin.com/courses?utm_source=spotify&utm_medium=podcast 🙋 Tutoring (guaranteed to improve your score): https://jackwestin.com/services/live-online-mcat-tutoring?utm_source=spotify&utm_medium=podcast Next episode: Language, thought, and aphasias
April 29 · 30 min
MCAT CARS Passage Breakdown: Chimpanzee Domestication & Mutual Dependence
Did chimpanzees domesticate us? And if wild chimps don't exploit each other, why do captive chimps exploit humans? In this Jack Westin CARS Reading Skills Workshop, Usher and Molly break down the daily CARS passage "Chimpanzee Domestication" (April 29th), a surprisingly philosophical passage about the mutual relationship between humans and chimps that's way more nuanced than it first appears. Get started with our resources! 📌 Success Advising (get clarity on where you are and on what support and resources are necessary for your success): https://calendly.com/academic-advising-4/jack-westin-academic-advising?utm_source=spotify&utm_medium=podcast 💻 Try our Chrome Extension (expert solutions to every AAMC passage): https://tinyurl.com/4jw5pad8 📚 Free QBANK: https://jackwestin.com/qbank/?utm_source=spotify&utm_medium=podcast 🎓 Live Sessions: https://jackwestin.com/sessions?utm_source=spotify&utm_medium=podcast 👨🏻‍🏫 Courses (guaranteed to improve your score): https://jackwestin.com/courses?utm_source=spotify&utm_medium=podcast 🙋 Tutoring (guaranteed to improve your score): https://jackwestin.com/services/live-online-mcat-tutoring?utm_source=spotify&utm_medium=podcast This is a great episode for anyone who struggles with passages where the same idea appears in slightly different forms across paragraphs, or who tends to over-complicate a passage that's actually more straightforward than it seems.
April 28 · 44 min
Limbic System, Emotion & Stress on the MCAT: Amygdala, Hippocampus & HPA Axis
Why do you remember your most stressful moments so vividly but can't recall what you had for lunch last Tuesday? It's all about the limbic system. In this Jack Westin MCAT Podcast episode, Mike and Molly break down the biology of emotion and stress, covering every limbic system structure, the HPA axis, cortisol, and general adaptation syndrome, plus how all of it directly applies to surviving your MCAT prep without burning out. Get started with our resources! 📌 Success Advising (get clarity on where you are and on what support and resources are necessary for your success): https://calendly.com/academic-advising-4/jack-westin-academic-advising?utm_source=spotify&utm_medium=podcast 💻 Try our Chrome Extension (expert solutions to every AAMC passage): https://tinyurl.com/4jw5pad8 📚 Free QBANK: https://jackwestin.com/qbank/?utm_source=spotify&utm_medium=podcast 🎓 Live Sessions: https://jackwestin.com/sessions?utm_source=spotify&utm_medium=podcast 👨🏻‍🏫 Courses (guaranteed to improve your score): https://jackwestin.com/courses?utm_source=spotify&utm_medium=podcast 🙋 Tutoring (guaranteed to improve your score): https://jackwestin.com/services/live-online-mcat-tutoring?utm_source=spotify&utm_medium=podcast Next episode: The psychology of emotion and stress (theories, stages of experiencing emotion, and how we respond to stressors)
April 22 · 35 min
MCAT CARS Passage Breakdown: Rituals, Speech Act Theory & Performance Failures
What do you do when a CARS passage gives you a laundry list of examples in one paragraph and then repeats the same idea with a new layer in every paragraph after that? You learn to recognize the pattern and stop over-mapping. In this Jack Westin CARS Reading Skills Workshop, Usher and Molly break down the daily CARS passage "Ritual Failures" (April 22nd), an unusual passage that blends philosophy, anthropology, and speech act theory to explore why rituals go wrong. This one is packed with examples, parallel structure across paragraphs, and a rare gift-wrapped thesis statement that makes the main idea surprisingly clear if you know what to look for. Get started with our resources! 📌 Success Advising (get clarity on where you are and on what support and resources are necessary for your success): https://calendly.com/academic-advising-4/jack-westin-academic-advising?utm_source=spotify&utm_medium=podcast 💻 Try our Chrome Extension (expert solutions to every AAMC passage): https://tinyurl.com/4jw5pad8 📚 Free QBANK: https://jackwestin.com/qbank/?utm_source=spotify&utm_medium=podcast 🎓 Live Sessions: https://jackwestin.com/sessions?utm_source=spotify&utm_medium=podcast 👨🏻‍🏫 Courses (guaranteed to improve your score): https://jackwestin.com/courses?utm_source=spotify&utm_medium=podcast 🙋 Tutoring (guaranteed to improve your score): https://jackwestin.com/services/live-online-mcat-tutoring?utm_source=spotify&utm_medium=podcast This is a great episode for anyone who struggles with philosophy or anthropology passages, tends to over-map examples, or has trouble recognizing when paragraphs are just adding layers to the same core argument.
April 21 · 57 min
Atoms & Radioactive Decay on the MCAT: Alpha, Beta, Gamma, Half-Life & PET Scans
Alpha, beta minus, beta plus, gamma. Do you know which decay changes mass, which changes identity, and which changes nothing? In this Jack Westin MCAT Podcast episode, Mike and Molly finally cover the topic they've been putting off for over a year: atoms and radioactive decay. They build from the ground up, starting with atomic structure, isotopes, and stability, then walk through every type of decay and connect it all back to PET scans and carbon dating. Next episode: The limbic system, emotion, and stress Get started with our resources! 📌 Success Advising (get clarity on where you are and on what support and resources are necessary for your success): https://calendly.com/academic-advising-4/jack-westin-academic-advising?utm_source=spotify&utm_medium=podcast 💻 Try our Chrome Extension (expert solutions to every AAMC passage): https://tinyurl.com/4jw5pad8 📚 Free QBANK: https://jackwestin.com/qbank/?utm_source=spotify&utm_medium=podcast 🎓 Live Sessions: https://jackwestin.com/sessions?utm_source=spotify&utm_medium=podcast 👨🏻‍🏫 Courses (guaranteed to improve your score): https://jackwestin.com/courses?utm_source=spotify&utm_medium=podcast 🙋 Tutoring (guaranteed to improve your score): https://jackwestin.com/services/live-online-mcat-tutoring?utm_source=spotify&utm_medium=podcast