Jack Westin MCAT Podcast

Struggling with MCAT CARS, especially when the passage is about something science-y you actually like? 🤯In this Jack Westin MCAT Podcast episode, Molly and guest tutor Asher (4th year med student & CARS expert) walk you through the “Eco-Archaeology” CARS passage from January 14 sentence by sentence and show you exactly how to think while you read.You’ll see how they:🧠 Track the author’s argument & main idea across multiple paragraphs⚖️ Use contrast words like “however” to spot subtle shifts the MCAT loves to test🌲 Handle topic interest & personal bias so your outside knowledge doesn’t tank your CARS scoreThey also show how archaeologists, forests, fish bones, and “manmade ecosystems” all tie into a single main idea the MCAT expects you to recognize and how to use that understanding to crush the questions.Read the passage here first: https://jackwestin.com/daily/mcat-practice-passages/cars-practice-passages/eco-archeologyWant 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-advising-4/jack-westin-academic-advising?utm_source=spotify&utm_medium=podcast💻 Try our Chrome Extension (video solutions to every AAMC passage) https://tinyurl.com/4jw5pad8📚 Free Resources: https://jackwestin.com?utm_source=spotify&utm_medium=podcast🎓 Live Education Sessions: https://jackwestin.com/sessions?utm_source=spotify&utm_medium=podcast👨🏻‍🏫 Courses: https://jackwestin.com/courses?utm_source=spotify&utm_medium=podcast🙋 Tutoring: https://jackwestin.com/services/live-online-mcat-tutoring?utm_source=spotify&utm_medium=podcast📸 Follow Us On Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/jackwestinmcat?utm_source=spotify&utm_medium=podcast👥 Join our Facebook Study Group: https://www.facebook.com/groups/freemcatprep?utm_source=spotify&utm_medium=podcast

Dive into the fascinating world of brain anatomy by exploring the vital functions of the brainstem. Discover how the medulla oblongata oversees breathing and circulation, and learn about the roles of the pons and reticular activating system in regulating sleep and arousal. Understand how caffeine tricks your brain, blocking adenosine to keep you alert. The discussion also highlights the autonomic nervous system's dual roles in fight-or-flight and rest-and-digest responses, ensuring you know the essentials for your studies!

In this MCAT CARS Reading Skills Workshop episode of the Jack Westin MCAT Podcast, Jack and Molly break down the Jack Westin Daily CARS passage “Old Folks Homes” (January 7) sentence by sentence and show you how to lock onto the author’s argument when the passage feels straightforward, but still testable.This passage is a great example of how clear tone and repeated contrasts point directly to the main idea if you know what to track. We treat this like a live CARS tutoring session, reading carefully, flagging tone shifts, and mapping how the author builds a case against institutionalized elderly housing in favor of residential, community-focused design.In this episode, you’ll learn how to:🧠 Identify the main idea when the passage feels “easy” but still hides traps🎯 Track strong tone words that signal the author’s opinion early🔍 Separate background criticism from the author’s real argument🧭 Follow how ideas repeat and evolve across paragraphs⚖️ Understand the key contrast between institutionalized healthcare and residential housing with services🚦 Recognize when a contrast word (but) signals emphasis not a change in directionWhat we cover using the “Old Folks Homes” passage:- Why the author views modern elderly housing as a “depressing wasteland”- How treating seniors as a “monolithic group” creates design failures- Why architects are urged to rethink zoning, healthcare codes, and assumptions- How repeated expert opinions reinforce the passage’s core claim- How MCAT CARS rewards tracking arguments, not memorizing detailsRead the passage first: https://jackwestin.com/daily/mcat-practice-passages/cars-practice-passages/old-folks-homesWant 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-advising-4/jack-westin-academic-advising?utm_source=spotify&utm_medium=podcast💻 Try our Chrome Extension (video solutions to every AAMC passage) https://tinyurl.com/4jw5pad8📚 Free Resources: https://jackwestin.com?utm_source=spotify&utm_medium=podcast🎓 Live Education Sessions: https://jackwestin.com/sessions?utm_source=spotify&utm_medium=podcast👨🏻‍🏫 Courses: https://jackwestin.com/courses?utm_source=spotify&utm_medium=podcast🙋 Tutoring: https://jackwestin.com/services/live-online-mcat-tutoring?utm_source=spotify&utm_medium=podcast📸 Follow Us On Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/jackwestinmcat?utm_source=spotify&utm_medium=podcast👥 Join our Facebook Study Group: https://www.facebook.com/groups/freemcatprep?utm_source=spotify&utm_medium=podcast

In this Jack Westin MCAT Podcast episode, Mike and Molly continue the reproductive story, picking up right where the menstrual cycle left off. This time, they walk you through what actually happens after fertilization, from zygote to blastula to the three germ layers, focusing only on what the MCAT really cares about, not med school level detail.Instead of memorizing random diagrams and timelines, you will learn the logic and sequence behind early embryonic development so you can handle any MCAT passage or discrete that touches fertilization, implantation, stem cells, or germ layers.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-advising-4/jack-westin-academic-advising?utm_source=spotify&utm_medium=podcast💻 Try our Chrome Extension (video solutions to every AAMC passage) https://tinyurl.com/4jw5pad8📚 Free Resources: https://jackwestin.com?utm_source=spotify&utm_medium=podcast🎓 Live Education Sessions: https://jackwestin.com/sessions?utm_source=spotify&utm_medium=podcast👨🏻‍🏫 Courses: https://jackwestin.com/courses?utm_source=spotify&utm_medium=podcast🙋 Tutoring: https://jackwestin.com/services/live-online-mcat-tutoring?utm_source=spotify&utm_medium=podcast📸 Follow Us On Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/jackwestinmcat?utm_source=spotify&utm_medium=podcast👥 Join our Facebook Study Group: https://www.facebook.com/groups/freemcatprep?utm_source=spotify&utm_medium=podcast

Start the new year by finally making peace with MCAT CARS. In this CARS Reading Skills Workshop episode of the Jack Westin MCAT Podcast, we walk through a full Jack Westin Daily CARS passage called “Standardized Tests” (posted on December 31) and show you exactly how to think while you read.We treat this like a live CARS tutoring session: reading sentence by sentence, talking through confusion, and mapping the author’s argument so main idea questions feel way less mysterious.In this MCAT CARS episode, you’ll learn how to:🧠 Understand what the author actually believes about standardized tests🧩 Separate background / history (Thorndike, criterion-referenced tests, etc.) from the real argument🎯 Spot the author’s subtle skepticism about “objective” testing and statistics🧾 Use validity and reliability the way this passage defines them (not your psych/soc memory)🧭 Track when the passage shifts from standardized tests to criterion-referenced tests and why that matters⚖️ Recognize when an author is questioning “objectivity” and hinting at subjectivity and judgmentRead the passage here first: https://jackwestin.com/daily/mcat-practice-passages/cars-practice-passages/standardized-testsWant 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-advising-4/jack-westin-academic-advising?utm_source=spotify&utm_medium=podcast💻 Try our Chrome Extension (video solutions to every AAMC passage) https://tinyurl.com/4jw5pad8📚 Free Resources: https://jackwestin.com?utm_source=spotify&utm_medium=podcast🎓 Live Education Sessions: https://jackwestin.com/sessions?utm_source=spotify&utm_medium=podcast👨🏻‍🏫 Courses: https://jackwestin.com/courses?utm_source=spotify&utm_medium=podcast🙋 Tutoring: https://jackwestin.com/services/live-online-mcat-tutoring?utm_source=spotify&utm_medium=podcast📸 Follow Us On Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/jackwestinmcat?utm_source=spotify&utm_medium=podcast👥 Join our Facebook Study Group: https://www.facebook.com/groups/freemcatprep?utm_source=spotify&utm_medium=podcast

In this episode of the Jack Westin MCAT Podcast, Mike and Molly break down one of the most confusing and heavily tested topics in MCAT Biology: the menstrual cycle.Instead of memorizing hormone charts and phase names, we focus on understanding the story behind the cycle so you can answer any MCAT question, even when it’s asked in an unfamiliar way.We cover:🧠 Why the menstrual cycle is really two parallel cycles (ovarian vs uterine)🔁 The follicular phase, ovulation, and luteal phase—and what actually drives each one📈 How estrogen switches from negative to positive feedback⚡ The LH surge and what truly triggers ovulation🟡 The role of the corpus luteum and why progesterone matters🧬 How the ovarian cycle “calls the shots” for the uterine cycle🚫 Why memorization fails on MCAT hormone questions🧪 How the AAMC tests this topic using passage-based reasoningIf hormone graphs blur together for you, or you’ve ever missed a question because you knew the facts but didn’t understand the why, this episode will help everything finally click.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-advising-4/jack-westin-academic-advising?utm_source=spotify&utm_medium=podcast💻 Try our Chrome Extension (video solutions to every AAMC passage) https://tinyurl.com/4jw5pad8📚 Free Resources: https://jackwestin.com?utm_source=spotify&utm_medium=podcast🎓 Live Education Sessions: https://jackwestin.com/sessions?utm_source=spotify&utm_medium=podcast👨🏻‍🏫 Courses: https://jackwestin.com/courses?utm_source=spotify&utm_medium=podcast🙋 Tutoring: https://jackwestin.com/services/live-online-mcat-tutoring?utm_source=spotify&utm_medium=podcast📸 Follow Us On Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/jackwestinmcat?utm_source=spotify&utm_medium=podcast👥 Join our Facebook Study Group: https://www.facebook.com/groups/freemcatprep?utm_source=spotify&utm_medium=podcast

In this MCAT CARS episode, we walk through a full Jack Westin Daily CARS Passage called “Nativity Ode” (originally posted on December 24) and show you exactly how to read, interpret, and track the author’s ideas for tougher humanities passages.You’ll see us go sentence by sentence and break down:📌 How to identify the subject vs. the author’s point🖼️ Why familiar, domestic nativity paintings matter to the argument✒️ How Milton’s nativity poem contrasts with those paintings🤫 What the author really means by an “uncluttered” poem focused on silence🧩 How to tell when a paragraph is just example/support vs. a new argument🎯 How to extract the main idea without understanding every dense sentence🌀 What to do when a CARS paragraph feels esoteric, abstract, or confusingThis episode is perfect if you’re:❓ Struggling with MCAT CARS main idea questions📚 Unsure how to handle art/literature passages🔁 Over-rereading and still not “getting” what the author wants to say🎧 Looking for guided CARS practice you can follow along with in real time🔗 You can find the original Jack Westin Daily CARS passage “Nativity Ode” here: https://jackwestin.com/daily/mcat-practice-passages/cars-practice-passages/nativity-odeWant 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-advising-4/jack-westin-academic-advising?utm_source=spotify&utm_medium=podcast💻 Try our Chrome Extension (video solutions to every AAMC passage) https://tinyurl.com/4jw5pad8📚 Free Resources: https://jackwestin.com?utm_source=spotify&utm_medium=podcast🎓 Live Education Sessions: https://jackwestin.com/sessions?utm_source=spotify&utm_medium=podcast👨🏻‍🏫 Courses: https://jackwestin.com/courses?utm_source=spotify&utm_medium=podcast🙋 Tutoring: https://jackwestin.com/services/live-online-mcat-tutoring?utm_source=spotify&utm_medium=podcast📸 Follow Us On Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/jackwestinmcat?utm_source=spotify&utm_medium=podcast👥 Join our Facebook Study Group: https://www.facebook.com/groups/freemcatprep?utm_source=spotify&utm_medium=podcast

You can enjoy the holidays and still make real progress on your MCAT prep. This episode walks through how to balance family time, rest, and intentional studying so you don’t burn out or lose momentum.We talk about:🎄 How to handle MCAT studying during the winter holidays without guilt😴 Why rest is required for score growth, not a “reward”🧱 What a “maintenance phase” looks like if your MCAT is still a few months away🎯 How to study intentionally instead of half-studying all day📅 Why consistency matters more than intensity over the holidays📚 How often you should do CARS passages so you don’t “lose” your skills🃏 Smart ways to use Anki, practice questions, and review without grinding 8+ hours📆 What to do if your MCAT is in January vs later in the year✅ Quality over quantity: doing less, but doing it betterIf you’ve ever felt like the MCAT is hanging over your shoulder when you’re trying to relax with family, this conversation is for you. You deserve focused study time and focused rest.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-advising-4/jack-westin-academic-advising?utm_source=spotify&utm_medium=podcast💻 Try our Chrome Extension (video solutions to every AAMC passage) https://tinyurl.com/4jw5pad8📚 Free Resources: https://jackwestin.com?utm_source=spotify&utm_medium=podcast🎓 Live Education Sessions: https://jackwestin.com/sessions?utm_source=spotify&utm_medium=podcast👨🏻‍🏫 Courses: https://jackwestin.com/courses?utm_source=spotify&utm_medium=podcast🙋 Tutoring: https://jackwestin.com/services/live-online-mcat-tutoring?utm_source=spotify&utm_medium=podcast📸 Follow Us On Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/jackwestinmcat?utm_source=spotify&utm_medium=podcast👥 Join our Facebook Study Group: https://www.facebook.com/groups/freemcatprep?utm_source=spotify&utm_medium=podcast

Art passages making your MCAT CARS practice feel extra confusing? In this Jack Westin CARS Reading Skills Workshop, Molly and Jack break down a Rembrandt passage sentence by sentence and show you how to separate tone from main idea without getting lost in the details.Using this Daily CARS Passage, they walk through:How to spot tone words vs argument/content wordsWhy “always,” “never,” and other extreme phrases matter so much on CARSHow religion, nature, and spirituality are used to build the author’s main ideaWhen to ignore overly dense sentences and focus on clear, direct claimsHow to track support (like pupil conversations and biblical references) without memorizing detailsBy the end, you’ll see how to read CARS passages like arguments, not puzzles, and how to turn vague “CARS anxiety” into specific, fixable skills.Read the passage first: https://jackwestin.com/daily/mcat-practice-passages/cars-practice-passages/rembrandtWant 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-advising-4/jack-westin-academic-advising?utm_source=spotify&utm_medium=podcast💻 Try our Chrome Extension (video solutions to every AAMC passage) https://tinyurl.com/4jw5pad8📚 Free Resources: https://jackwestin.com?utm_source=spotify&utm_medium=podcast🎓 Live Education Sessions: https://jackwestin.com/sessions?utm_source=spotify&utm_medium=podcast👨🏻‍🏫 Courses: https://jackwestin.com/courses?utm_source=spotify&utm_medium=podcast🙋 Tutoring: https://jackwestin.com/services/live-online-mcat-tutoring?utm_source=spotify&utm_medium=podcast📸 Follow Us On Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/jackwestinmcat?utm_source=spotify&utm_medium=podcast👥 Join our Facebook Study Group: https://www.facebook.com/groups/freemcatprep?utm_source=spotify&utm_medium=podcast

Dive into the intriguing world of meiosis and gametogenesis! Discover how meiosis uniquely promotes genetic diversity through processes like crossing over and independent assortment. Learn the critical differences between meiosis and mitosis, and how nondisjunction can lead to conditions like trisomy. Explore spermatogenesis step-by-step, from spermatogonia to mature spermatozoa, and understand the unique timing in oogenesis that produces one functional egg. Get essential strategies for tackling these concepts on the MCAT!