MCAT case studies
MCAT · Put your knowledge to work in context.
The Medical College Admission Test (MCAT) is the standardized exam that the AAMC administers for people preparing to apply to medical school. Per the AAMC, the exam "assesses your knowledge of natural and social sciences concepts and your critical thinking and scientific problem-solving skills required to begin the study of medicine." It is therefore a pre-matriculation readiness measure, not a licensure exam, and it is aimed at premed students who are building an application to medical school. The MCAT case studies are 5 cases and about 3,264 words.
1A Competitive Inhibitor of Hepatic Fructokinase: Potency In Vitro Versus Exposure In Vivo
A research team is characterizing Z-14, a small molecule that inhibits hepatic fructokinase (KHK-C), in cell-free assays at 25 °C and pH 7.4. Without Z-14 the enzyme has Km = 2.0 mM for fructose and Vmax = 100 µmol/min per mg of purified protein.
680 words, about 3 min2Stenosis, Poiseuille Flow, and Why In Vivo Flow Falls Less Than Predicted
In an isolated, perfused arteriole preparation, the internal radius is 50 µm and the pressure gradient along a 2 mm segment is held at 40 mmHg; flow is 12 µL/min. Investigators then wrap the segment in a cuff that reduces the radius uniformly to 40 µm, a 20% reduction, while holding pressure gradient, length, and perfusate viscosity (3.5 cP) constant.
651 words, about 3 min3Framing, Experimenter Sex, and a Mediation Claim in a Stereotype-Threat Study
Researchers recruited 120 undergraduates (60 women, 60 men) who had each completed one semester of calculus. Participants were randomly assigned to one of two conditions.
645 words, about 3 min4County-Level Correlations, Ecological Fallacy, and a Press Release About Fast Food
A county health department pooled 2019 data from 298 counties. Adult obesity prevalence came from the Behavioral Risk Factor Surveillance System (BRFSS), which uses self-reported height and weight.
648 words, about 3 min5Differential Attrition and a Switched Primary Outcome in a Supplement Trial
A manufacturer-funded trial randomized 400 adults with chronic fatigue, 1:1, to 12 weeks of a berry-derived polyphenol supplement or a color- and taste-matched placebo. The pre-specified primary outcome was distance walked in 6 minutes.
640 words, about 3 min