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 (succinate dehydrogenase)

How proton gradients drive ATP production

Why uncouplers like 2,4-DNP are dangerous

Why cyanide is lethal (hint: Complex IV)

Final ATP yields from NADH and FADH₂ (30–36 total!)

📚 Pro Tip: Make sure to review Redox and Thermodynamics before watching this episode.

Next up: We'll break down alternative fuel sources—like proteins, fats, and ketones—in our upcoming non-glucose metabolism episode!

Want to learn more? Shoot us a text at 415-855-4435 or email us at [email protected]! 📱

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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 background facts from testable opinions

- Track tone (“impatient, slightly exasperated”) without getting lost in details

- Build a concise main‑idea statement you can lean on for every question

Read the passage first: https://jackwestin.com/daily/mcat-practice-passages/cars-practice-passages/eu-enlargement

Want to learn more? Shoot us a text at 415-855-4435 or email us at [email protected]! 📱

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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 activators/inhibitors that flip the complex on or off

- Real‑world connections – how arsenic poisoning and Wernicke‑Korsakoff syndrome derail PDC function

- TCA Cycle essentials – step‑by‑step walk‑through, enzyme mnemonics (“Can I Keep Selling Shells…”) and the must‑know Big 3 regulators

- High‑yield nuggets – why Succinate Dehydrogenase pulls double duty as ETC Complex II, Ca²⁺ activation during muscle contraction, plus glucogenic vs. ketogenic amino acid entry points

By the end, you’ll know the exact products (NADH, FADH₂, GTP, CO₂), how to spot test‑maker tricks, and which regulatory enzymes to memorize for test day.

👉 Next up: Electron Transport Chain & Oxidative Phosphorylation—subscribe so you don’t miss Part 3 of our Metabolism series!

Want to learn more? Shoot us a text at 415-855-4435 or email us at [email protected]! 📱

📚 Free Resources: https://jackwestin.com

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Stressed about squeezing Bio, Chem, Orgo + Physics into four years? 🎓 In this Jack Weston Pre‑Med Podcast episode, Dr. Lauren and Dr. Christina reveal proven course‑planning strategies, GPA‐boosting hacks, and flexible timelines that keep you MCAT‑ready and med‑school competitive—all without burning out.

What you’ll learn

- Year‑by‑year prerequisites: the standard “straight‑to‑med‑school” course map

- Smart schedule tweaks: summer classes, split lab/lecture options & post‑grad catch‑ups

- Math myths busted: calculus vs statistics—what med schools actually require

- Professor power moves: how the right instructor can save (or sink) your GPA

- Real‑life timelines for athletes, club leaders & career changers

Want to learn more? Shoot us a text at 415-855-4435 or email us at [email protected]! 📱

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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 – spot the author’s underlying argument beneath allegory and nostalgia.

- Decode symbolism quickly – translate lions, wardrobes, and eternal winters into testable main ideas.

- Control pacing – keep long descriptive sentences from eating up precious minutes.

- Anticipate question traps – apply “tone vs. fact” and “extreme language” filters before answer choices appear.

Get the most out of it

Read first: Grab the free daily passage “Lewis’s Narnia” on https://jackwestin.com/daily/mcat-practice-passages/cars-practice-passages/lewiss-narnia

Want to learn more? Shoot us a text at 415-855-4435 or email us at [email protected]! 📱

📚 Free Resources: https://jackwestin.com

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👨🏻‍🏫 Courses: https://jackwestin.com/courses

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Thinking about medical school but worried you’ll crack under nonstop feedback, grueling hours, and the pressure to put patients ahead of everything else? In Episode 2 of the Jack Westin Pre-Med Podcast, hosts Mike and Molly dive into three gut-check questions every future doctor must answer before hitting “submit” on their AMCAS:

0️⃣ Can you take constructive criticism without shutting down?

• Why med-school feedback feels like “drinking from a fire hose” – and how to turn it into growth fuel.

• Sports-coach mindset shifts that make feedback your superpower.

1️⃣ Are you truly ready to put others first?

• The real costs of a medical career – missed family events, 3 a.m. pages, laundry piling up.

• Balancing empathy for patients with the bare-minimum self-care that keeps you functional.

2️⃣ Can you trust yourself and the process?

• Concrete ways to explore medicine (shadowing, scribing, informational interviews) so your decision isn’t a guess.

• The one mindset reframing that helps you stay steady when advice from mentors contradicts.

You’ll walk away with a clearer, more honest picture of the road ahead—and a checklist to decide whether medicine fits your life, values, and mental stamina.

Want to learn more? Shoot us a text at 415-855-4435 or email us at [email protected]! 📱

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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 with the hormonal signals that flip glycolysis on or off in real life. Along the way they debunk lactic-acid myths, link fasting physiology to MCAT passages, and hand you regulation mnemonics that actually stick.

Key takeaways at a glance

- Net yield, location & oxygen: Cytoplasmic pathway that nets 2 ATP, 2 NADH, 2 pyruvate—no O₂ required.

- Energy investment vs. payoff: Why you spend 2 ATP up front and gain 4 later (+2 net).

- Regulation checkpoints: Steps 1, 3 & 10 are irreversible; PFK-1 is the commitment step; ATP inhibits, ADP/AMP activate.

- Hormonal control: Insulin (via PFK-2) ramps glycolysis up; glucagon turns it down—crucial in fed vs. fasting states.

- Clinical & exam links: Cori cycle, muscle soreness myth, and how enzymes like hexokinase signal MCAT question writers.

Next episode: PDH complex, electron-transport chain, and oxidative phosphorylation—subscribe so you’re ready for the hand-off from glycolysis to ATP powerhouse.

Want to learn more? Shoot us a text at 415-855-4435 or email us at [email protected]! 📱

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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 cameo) into testable MCAT questions

- Turn every practice passage into timed, active-reading reps you can repeat on exam day

👉 Read first: grab the free “Aging Brain” passage in official style format here https://jackwestin.com/daily/mcat-practice-passages/cars-practice-passages/aging-brain

Want to learn more? Shoot us a text at 415-855-4435 or email us at [email protected]! 📱

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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

- Rapid hacks for reading a Lineweaver-Burk plot (1/Vmax on the Y-intercept, –1/Km on the X)

- Competitive vs. uncompetitive vs. mixed vs. non-competitive inhibition—how each one shifts Vmax, Km and the double-reciprocal graph

- Mike & Molly’s test-day mnemonics (👀 “Uncompetitive Inhibitors Unify” ) that keep the rules straight under pressure

- Why all allosteric inhibitors must drop Vmax (and how the MCAT likes to hide that clue)

Whether you’re baffled by the math or tripped up by the terminology, this episode gives you a clear mental framework plus concrete MCAT angles—no more hand-waving.

Want to learn more? Shoot us a text at 415-855-4435 or email us at [email protected]! 📱

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Thinking about becoming a doctor—but not sure medicine is really your calling? In this two-part conversation, Mike and Molly get brutally honest about the realities of the journey and share a practical framework to help you decide.What we cover:- “Why Medicine?” Discovery Tips – exercises to uncover your true motivations before you apply.- The Real Price Tag – tuition, lost income, lifestyle costs, and how long it actually takes to break even.- Alternatives to an MD/DO – rewarding health-care careers (and salaries) that most pre-meds overlook.- Shadowing & Exploration – smart ways to test-drive medicine now and gather stories for your personal statement.Gut-Check Questions!* Do I still love learning when classes get brutal?* Can I handle constant evaluation and criticism?* Am I willing to put patients’ needs ahead of my own comfort?Trusting Yourself – red-flags that say “keep exploring” and green-lights that say “submit the application.”Whether you're early in college or finishing a post-bacc, these reflections will save you time, money, and second-guessing down the road.

Want to learn more? Shoot us a text at 415-855-4435 or email us at [email protected]! 📱📚 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