Jack Westin MCAT Podcast

Electrons jumping around shouldn’t tank your score. In this episode, Mike and Molly break down redox reactions so it finally clicks:- LEO goes GER – the one mnemonic you actually need- Spotting oxidizing vs. reducing agents (and why the wording trips people up)- Assigning oxidation numbers without rote memorization—yes, even the LiAlH₄ exception- How redox drives real bio: NADH/FADH₂, the ETC, cyanide poisoning, and antioxidant myths- High-yield orgo reagents: PCC vs. CrO₃/KMnO₄ for oxidation, NaBH₄ & LiAlH₄ for reductionWalk away knowing exactly which clues the MCAT drops and how to pounce on them for fast points.Want to learn more? Shoot us a text at 415-855-4435 or email us at podcast@jackwestin.com! 📱📚 Free Resources: https://jackwestin.com 🎓 Live Education Sessions: https://jackwestin.com/sessions 👨🏻‍🏫 Courses: https://jackwestin.com/courses 🙋 Tutoring: https://jackwestin.com/services/live-online-mcat-tutoring📸 Follow Us On Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/jackwestinmcat👥 Join our Facebook Study Group: https://www.facebook.com/groups/freemcatprep

You can memorize every formula in the Kaplan book and STILL miss those sneaky MCAT acid–base questions. Let’s fix that. In this episode of the Jack Westin MCAT Podcast, Mike & Molly walk you from first-semester chem definitions all the way to high-yield clinical tie-ins—so you understand (not just memorize) acids and bases.🔑 What you’ll master- Choosing the right definition (Arrhenius, Brønsted, or Lewis) in seconds- Predicting acid/base strength from conjugate stability- Fast mental math with Ka, pKa, and pH (goodbye endless logs)- Buffer problems—identifying the true conjugate pair and pH shifts under stress- Clinically framed MCAT scenarios that lock the concepts in memoryWant to learn more? Shoot us a text at 415-855-4435 or email us at podcast@jackwestin.com! 📱📚 Free Resources: https://jackwestin.com 🎓 Live Education Sessions: https://jackwestin.com/sessions 👨🏻‍🏫 Courses: https://jackwestin.com/courses 🙋 Tutoring: https://jackwestin.com/services/live-online-mcat-tutoring📸 Follow Us On Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/jackwestinmcat👥 Join our Facebook Study Group: https://www.facebook.com/groups/freemcatprep

Struggling to keep the nervous system straight—or just worried you’ll blank on that -70 mV resting potential? 🧠 In this episode, Mike & Molly break down EVERY high-yield concept the AAMC loves to test—from CNS vs PNS and “fight-or-flight” pathways to action potentials, neurotransmitters, and real-world drug tie-ins like lidocaine, SSRIs, and Botox.Why watch?- Highest-yield system on the MCAT (Molly’s tip @ 7:21)- Walkthrough of neurons, myelin, action-potential phases, refractory periods & Nodes of Ranvier- Quick-hit mnemonics (3 → 2 → 1 No Ki A) and clinical correlates to lock in recall- Neurotransmitter cheat-sheet: ACh, Epi/NE, dopamine, GABA, glutamate & more- “Real Life Applications” so the biophysics actually sticksWant to learn more? Shoot us a text at 415-855-4435 or email us at podcast@jackwestin.com! 📱📚 Free Resources: https://jackwestin.com 🎓 Live Education Sessions: https://jackwestin.com/sessions 👨🏻‍🏫 Courses: https://jackwestin.com/courses 🙋 Tutoring: https://jackwestin.com/services/live-online-mcat-tutoring📸 Follow Us On Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/jackwestinmcat👥 Join our Facebook Study Group: https://www.facebook.com/groups/freemcatprep

In this week’s CARS Reading Skills Workshop, Molly and Jack dissect the June 2 daily passage, “Mutiny of 1857.” You’ll see—in real time—how 129 + scorers turn dense paragraphs on British-Indian politics into a clear, test-day game plan.What you’ll learn:- How to spot the true argument inside a long list of dates, names, and facts- Why the trial of India’s Mughal Emperor signaled a power shift—and how the author uses that to prove a point- “Mythological symbols” as a hidden theme the MCAT loves to test- When a single sentence is the key to the entire passage (and how to find it fast)- Why tougher reads usually mean easier questions—and how to exploit that pattern📄 Read first, then watchGrab it free in AAMC-style format here: https://jackwestin.com/daily/mcat-practice-passages/cars-practice-passages/mutiny-of-1857Want to learn more? Shoot us a text at 415-855-4435 or email us at podcast@jackwestin.com! 📱📚 Free Resources: https://jackwestin.com 🎓 Live Education Sessions: https://jackwestin.com/sessions 👨🏻‍🏫 Courses: https://jackwestin.com/courses 🙋 Tutoring: https://jackwestin.com/services/live-online-mcat-tutoring📸 Follow Us On Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/jackwestinmcat👥 Join our Facebook Study Group: https://www.facebook.com/groups/freemcatprep

Feeling lost when a “dry” history passage pops up in CARS? In this week’s Jack Westin CARS Reading Skills Workshop, Molly and Jack prove that even the most yawn-inducing topic—British colonial revolutions—can become score-boosting gold once you know how to read it like a 129 + scorer.🔑 What you’ll see us do:- Turn a six-paragraph history excerpt into one crystal-clear main idea- Stay focused through filler sentences and tricky vocabulary (no background knowledge required)- Spot extreme author language that flips the usual “avoid extremes” rule on its head- Use context to decode words like “sanctimonious” and “affront” without slowing down- Apply paragraph-by-paragraph “nutshells” to predict the toughest MCAT questions📄 Read first, then watchThis workshop walks line-by-line through the May 26 “Colonial Revolutions” daily CARS passage. Grab it free in AAMC-style format here: https://jackwestin.com/daily/mcat-practice-passages/cars-practice-passages/colonial-revolutionsWant to learn more? Shoot us a text at 415-855-4435 or email us at podcast@jackwestin.com! 📱📚 Free Resources: https://jackwestin.com 🎓 Live Education Sessions: https://jackwestin.com/sessions 👨🏻‍🏫 Courses: https://jackwestin.com/courses 🙋 Tutoring: https://jackwestin.com/services/live-online-mcat-tutoring📸 Follow Us On Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/jackwestinmcat👥 Join our Facebook Study Group: https://www.facebook.com/groups/freemcatprep

Struggling to keep peptide, steroid, and amino-acid hormones straight—or how the HPA, HPT, and HPG axes actually work? In this of the Jack Westin MCAT Podcast, Mike and Molly unpack the entire endocrine system from first principles, so you’re not memorizing random facts—you’re learning the why behind every hormone and pathway the MCAT loves to test.🔑 What you’ll learn-Nervous vs. endocrine speed: why hormones act “slow but steady”- Peptide, steroid, and amino-acid hormones—structure, receptors, and 2-min mnemonics- Rough ER rule: anything secreted is built on the RER (Mike’s high-yield tip)- FLAT PEG, AMEND, “-one/-ol” name patterns, zymogens, and more score-boosting shortcuts- How to trace the HPA, HPG, and HPT axes—plus negative-feedback pitfalls the MCAT hides in questions- Clinical tie-ins (hyperthyroidism, AAA, T2DM) that make details stickWant to learn more? Shoot us a text at 415-855-4435 or email us at podcast@jackwestin.com! 📱📚 Free Resources: https://jackwestin.com 🎓 Live Education Sessions: https://jackwestin.com/sessions 👨🏻‍🏫 Courses: https://jackwestin.com/courses 🙋 Tutoring: https://jackwestin.com/services/live-online-mcat-tutoring📸 Follow Us On Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/jackwestinmcat👥 Join our Facebook Study Group: https://www.facebook.com/groups/freemcatprep

In this week’s Jack Westin CARS Workshop, Molly and Jack work through an entire passage live (see link below). You’ll hear their unfiltered thought-process, why they slow down on certain lines, and exactly how they decide between tempting answer choices.🔎 In this session you’ll learn to:- Map each paragraph so you never ask “Wait… what’s the author’s point?”- Spot subtle tone shifts and hidden comparisons that fuel inference questions- Control timing with mini-pauses and margin notes (watch Jack model it in real time)- Slice through trap answers by matching scope, tone, and direction- Turn every mistake into an actionable takeaway for the next passage🎯 Try the passage first: https://jackwestin.com/daily/mcat-practice-passages/cars-practice-passages/animal-languageThen hit play and follow along with Molly & Jack to refine your own CARS routine.Want to learn more? Shoot us a text at 415-855-4435 or email us at podcast@jackwestin.com! 📱📚 Free Resources: https://jackwestin.com 🎓 Live Education Sessions: https://jackwestin.com/sessions 👨🏻‍🏫 Courses: https://jackwestin.com/courses 🙋 Tutoring: https://jackwestin.com/services/live-online-mcat-tutoring📸 Follow Us On Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/jackwestinmcat👥 Join our Facebook Study Group: https://www.facebook.com/groups/freemcatprep

In this high-yield episode Mike and Molly travel through the entire nephron—from Bowman's capsule to the collecting duct—to show how the kidneys quietly run four huge homeostatic jobs:- Water balance (ADH / vasopressin & aquaporins)- Sodium-potassium balance (aldosterone & the distal convoluted tubule)- Blood-pressure regulation (the full RAAS pathway + ACE)- Acid-base regulation (H⁺ / HCO₃⁻ handling)Along the way we connect the dots to the cardiovascular, respiratory and endocrine systems and share memory hooks, MCAT “buzz-words,” real-life examples (why alcohol makes you pee!), and pro tips for spotting kidney questions in passages.Want to learn more? Shoot us a text at 415-855-4435 or email us at podcast@jackwestin.com! 📱📚 Free Resources: https://jackwestin.com 🎓 Live Education Sessions: https://jackwestin.com/sessions 👨🏻‍🏫 Courses: https://jackwestin.com/courses 🙋 Tutoring: https://jackwestin.com/services/live-online-mcat-tutoring📸 Follow Us On Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/jackwestinmcat👥 Join our Facebook Study Group: https://www.facebook.com/groups/freemcatprep

In this episode of the Jack Westin MCAT CARS Podcast, Molly and Jack tackle a notoriously difficult CARS passage focused on European finance—and show you exactly how to break it down with confidence.Try this exact passage and its questions for free: https://jackwestin.com/daily/mcat-practice-passages/cars-practice-passages/european-finance👉 What you’ll learn in this workshop:- How to handle dense, intimidating passages without panicking- The key reading strategies to stay focused and avoid overthinking- How to identify main ideas even when the passage seems confusing- Why passages that feel 'hard to read' might actually have easier questions- How to train your brain to spot the author’s argument quickly and effectivelyMain Takeaway:Even the most complex CARS passages have a clear main idea. In this case? Any international financial system in Europe must include Russia to succeed. Jack and Molly show you how to spot these golden sentences and not get lost in the weeds.Want to learn more? Shoot us a text at 415-855-4435 or email us at podcast@jackwestin.com! 📱📚 Free Resources: https://jackwestin.com 🎓 Live Education Sessions: https://jackwestin.com/sessions 👨🏻‍🏫 Courses: https://jackwestin.com/courses 🙋 Tutoring: https://jackwestin.com/services/live-online-mcat-tutoring📸 Follow Us On Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/jackwestinmcat👥 Join our Facebook Study Group: https://www.facebook.com/groups/freemcatprep

Are negative-feedback loops really the body’s default setting? 🤔 How do Le Chatelier’s principle and the bicarbonate buffer keep your blood pH rock-steady at 7.4? In this Jack Westin MCAT Podcast episode, Mike and Molly break down the science of homeostasis and chemical equilibrium—then show you exactly how to apply those concepts on test day and in medicine.🔑 What you’ll learn- Dynamic vs. static homeostasis—and why “set points” constantly shift- Positive-feedback mechanisms (oxytocin, prolactin, estrogen, clotting) vs. negative feedback- The RAAS pathway & ACE inhibitors for blood-pressure control- Equilibrium constants (Keq) and why Km is the outlier- Real-world crossover tips: lungs, kidneys, and systemic pH regulationWant to learn more? Shoot us a text at 415-855-4435 or email us at podcast@jackwestin.com! 📱📚 Free Resources: https://jackwestin.com 🎓 Live Education Sessions: https://jackwestin.com/sessions 👨🏻‍🏫 Courses: https://jackwestin.com/courses 🙋 Tutoring: https://jackwestin.com/services/live-online-mcat-tutoring📸 Follow Us On Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/jackwestinmcat👥 Join our Facebook Study Group: https://www.facebook.com/groups/freemcatprep