Applying the Socratic Method

What Socratic Method Does...

Learn to reason through difficult problems when the answer is not obvious or simply a matter of recall. Instead of focusing on answers, focus on questions FOCUS ON WHAT YOU DO KNOW AND BUILD TO THE ANSWER Then the brain is guided in a way that allows one to clearly see the correct answer.

MCAT is conceptual

MCAT doesn't ask 2+2 questions asks for understanding of basic science topics and student ability to THINK critically in applying. Socratic method is therefore very helpful way to tackle the MCAT

Importance of Conceptual Understanding

Mastering the lessons is therefore important Know what 'are' and 'how' and 'why'

History of Socratic Method

Socrates never gave direct answer to his students he only asked questions that lead students to develop their own answers

Approach for each answer choice

Test validity of statements with what I know how does it stack against... conceptual definitions? Real Life Examples? Ask self: "if this statement were true, what else would have to be true" That can often lead to the clear realization that something is false and the answer choice is also false It will make it so you never feel stranded (still can miss questions but it will be because I made an error in my reasoning, NOT because I was stumped and had no clue)

So What to do.

The first thing to do in any MCAT question is to ask? "What do I know about this subject?" "What formulas do I know?" The writer of the question is asking a basic principle of science and will not ask for obscure extremely difficult concept. THAT MEANS WE HAVE COVERED THE SCIENCE NECESSARY TO ANSWER EVERYTHING ON MCAT Take this attitude to work: there is a simple principle being tested and you just have to figure out which one. FOCUS ON QUESTIONS. Read the answer choice and deconstruct it "acceleration due to gravity is always independent of mass" "Is that true?" "What does 'acceleration due to gravity' mean?" "Are there situations I know where acceleration is dependent on mass?" "What formulas do I know that involve both acceleration and mass?"

How we were trained to answer questions...

We take simplified view that one question has one answer and decide to memorize question and answer pairs Then to answer we simply recite what we remembered, instead of analyzing and conceptualizing. Our mind freezes if can't recall answer correctly and instead of thinking we hope that we get triggered into remembering