Jack Westin MCAT Podcast

Struggling with MCAT Physics? Forces, energy, and power intimidate students but they don’t have to. In this episode, Mike and Molly break down Newton’s laws, friction, springs, conservation of energy, and power in a way that actually makes sense. From elevators to ramps to rolling balls, you’ll see why these topics are the foundation of physics and how mastering them can unlock half of the physics...

Struggle to tell what really matters in CARS passages that feel “straightforward but wordy”? In this Reading Skills Workshop, Jack and Molly walk through the “Polygamy” Jack Westin Daily (Sept 10) sentence by sentence to show you how to extract the thesis fast and avoid over-reading. - Identify the core claim: Traditional polygamy is morally objectionable because it embeds inequality. - Contrast w...

Challenged by artsy CARS passages that feel more like scene-setting than argument? In this CARS Reading Skills Workshop, Molly and Jack dissect the “Billy the Kid” daily passage (Sept 3) and show you, step by step, how to stay focused, spot the author’s hidden claims, and avoid getting lost in musical/dance details. You’ll learn how to:- Separate vivid context (music, choreography, imagery) from t...

Struggling with MCAT math without a calculator? In this episode, Mike and Molly break down the most common math mistakes students make on the MCAT and share their decade of expertise to help save you time and improve your accuracy for test day. Want to learn more? Shoot us a text at 415-855-4435 or email us at podcast@jackwestin.com! 📱 📌 Free Academic Advising: https://calendly.com/academic-advi...

Struggling with CARS passages that feel more like vivid stories than arguments? In this episode, we’ll show you how to stay engaged, avoid getting lost in the details, and uncover the author’s arguments in story-based CARS Passages. Learn how to separate narrative from argument, and spot what's important despite being hidden in descriptive writing. These skills will help you raise your CARS sc...

Struggling with MCAT questions? In this episode of the Jack Westin MCAT Podcast, Mike and Molly break down the most overlooked skill in test prep: building a consistent, intentional MCAT question strategy. 👉 Practice what you learn with our Free Live Sessions: jackwestin.com/sessions Want to learn more? Shoot us a text at 415-855-4435 or email us at podcast@jackwestin.com! 📱 📌 Free Academic Adv...

CARS passages that involve history can be tricky. Between the dates, names, and places, it’s easy to get caught up in the details and lose track of what the author is actually saying. In this passage breakdown, Jack and Molly walk through an AAMC-style passage on the British monarchy and demonstrate how to separate facts from the author’s arguments. Cut through the noise, and zero in on the author...

In this video, we break down how memory works—from forming new memories to strategies that help you study smarter . We’ll cover the information processing model, working vs. short-term memory, and encoding strategies. Not only do we review how memory is tested on the MCAT, but we also show you how to apply these concepts directly to your prep so you can get the most out of your studying. Boost ret...

Dense, philosophical CARS passages don’t have to tank your score. In this reading skills workshop, Jack and Molly walk through an AAMC-style passage on patriotism showing how to map the author’s argument, and avoid common CARS pitfalls. Friendly Reminder - try to complete this passage on your own first to maximize your learning! The “Patriotism” passage (posted Aug 13) on our site: https://jackwes...

Stop brute-forcing science passages. In this 520+ strategy guide, we show you how top scorers read slower, map smarter, and mine “testable info” then fly through questions. You’ll learn the TAUT framework for figures (Title, Axes, Units, Trends), what not to do (over-highlighting, skipping figures), and a repeatable plan you can use on every Bio/Biochem, Chem/Phys, and Psych/Soc passage. Want to l...

Can you keep your outside knowledge from hijacking a CARS passage, especially when the topic screams “medicine”? Join Molly and Jack as they dissect an AAMC-style CARS passage on "Chronic Illness" and show you how to spot the author’s real agenda—single-parent burden—while sidestepping your own medical instincts. Read the passage here: https://jackwestin.com/daily/mcat-practice-passages/...

Get ready to make sense of all those arrows on your metabolism chart! 🧪 In this Jack Westin MCAT Podcast episode, Mike and Molly walk through the big picture of carbohydrate metabolism and show you how every pathway, from glycolysis to the pentose-phosphate pathway, fits together and shows up on Test Day. What you’ll learn Fed vs. fasted state logic – how insulin & glucagon flip metabolic swi...

Jack and Molly walks you through a full CARS Reading Skills Workshop using an AAMC-style passage on Teenager Health. By the end of the session you’ll know how to: Preview & Predict the passage’s purpose in 60 seconds Map the Argument so you never lose the author’s main idea Spot Traps in inference and function questions Pace Yourself to hit the 10 min / passage target Apply Active Reading tech...

In this CARS Reading Skills Workshop, we dive deep into the July 23rd Daily Passage titled "Internet Instruction"—a thought-provoking look at how online education transformed college learning and the challenges it still faces. 🎯 What You’ll Learn in This Episode: How to break down complex CARS passages effectively Why identifying main ideas vs. examples is crucial Key arguments: Interne...

In Episode 27, we wrap up our Metabolism series by diving into one of the most testable—and often misunderstood—topics on the MCAT: The Electron Transport Chain (ETC) and Oxidative Phosphorylation. We cover everything you need to know for MCAT success: 🔬 What You’ll Learn: Where ETC happens: The inner mitochondrial membrane Complex I vs. Complex II: NADH vs. FADH₂ The secret identity of SDH (succ...

Think political‑science passages are “easy newspaper reads”? 📰 Think again. In this week’s workshop Jack and Molly tackle a real EU‑enlargement passage—packed with dates, diplomats, and hidden tone shifts—to show you how to: - Spot the author’s true stance (even when it’s buried in polite prose) - Use contrast words (“but,” “yet,” “however”) to zero‑in on high‑yield sentences - Separate neutral b...

Ready to move beyond glycolysis? In Episode 26 of the Jack Westin MCAT Podcast, Mike and Molly guide you through the Pyruvate Dehydrogenase Complex (PDC) and the Citric Acid (TCA) Cycle—two of the highest‑yield pathways the MCAT loves to test. What we cover - Where it all happens – cytoplasm vs. mitochondrial matrix - PDC outputs & regulation – 2 Acetyl‑CoA, 2 NADH, 2 CO₂ and the key activator...

In this Jack Westin CARS Reading Skills Workshop, Jack and Molly tackle a lyrical passage pulled from Lewis’s fantasy classic and show you how to keep your critical-reasoning compass steady when the prose turns mythical. Watch them read in real time, map each paragraph’s purpose, and convert rich imagery into clear MCAT takeaways. In this session you’ll learn how to - Separate story from stance –...

In this week’s Jack Westin MCAT Podcast, Mike and Molly pull glycolysis out of the rote-memorization zone and rebuild it as a story you can see, explain—and defend—on test day. Starting with the big-picture difference between aerobic and anaerobic metabolism, they zoom into the 10 classic steps, spotlight why hexokinase and especially PFK-1 are the pathway’s “no-turning-back” moments, and finish w...

In this episode we slow-walk a brand-new Psych/Soc passage—“Aging Brain” showing you, sentence-by-sentence, how top scorers: - Decode unfamiliar social-science jargon without getting stuck - Spot author attitude and trap wording that hide inside “friendly” topics - Build quick mental maps that link each paragraph back to the central thesis - Translate real-world quotes (yes, even a Henry Ford came...

In this Jack Westin MCAT Podcast episode, Mike and Molly turn the intimidating world of enzyme kinetics into a step-by-step masterclass you can use on your very next practice exam. What you’ll learn - The real meaning of a Michaelis-Menten hyperbolic curve—and why enzyme concentration must stay fixed - How to picture Vmax, kcat, Km, and catalytic efficiency (kcat/Km) without memorizing charts - Ra...

Struggling to keep all the rate-law rules and enzyme facts straight? In this Jack Westin MCAT Podcast episode, Mike and Molly break down exactly what the AAMC expects you to know—no fluff, just high-yield kinetics you’ll see on Test Day. What we cover in Part 1* Big-picture difference between K (equilibrium) vs k (rate)* The Arrhenius equation & how Ea and T really control reaction speed* How...

In this episode, Molly and Jack dive into a refreshingly relatable CARS passage—this time, it's all about architecture and the city of Las Vegas. 🏙️ Learn how to tackle neutral passages, stay engaged with real-world context, and apply the power of visualization—a core strategy we emphasize in our CARS skills workshop. Whether you're prepping for test day or just want to sharpen your reading compre...

Confused about Gibbs Free Energy, reduction potentials, or how batteries actually work? 🔋 This episode of the Jack Westin MCAT Podcast is your go-to breakdown of Thermodynamics & Electrochemistry—taught through real MCAT examples, from redox reactions to the electron transport chain. Join Mike and Molly as they simplify key MCAT science concepts and help you understand why reactions happen an...

Welcome back to the Jack Westin MCAT Podcast – CARS Reading Skills Workshop edition! In this episode, your hosts Jack and Molly tackle a passage that’s deceptively simple yet rich in critical reasoning practice: “Turns” 🎨 While the topic may sound like a snooze, this passage is the perfect test of your ability to stay focused on something totally unfamiliar—a challenge many MCAT students struggle...