Product Description

Examkrackers MCAT Audio Osmosis with Jordan and Jon is complete preparation for the MCAT on 12 audio CDs:
Every MCAT topic and formula thoroughly explained by two of the top MCAT experts in the country.
Exciting and interesting delivery keeps you awake and assists recall.
Intonation and sound effects clarify concepts in ways that can't be duplicated in books or even in the classroom.
Convenient tracking allows easy repetition of important points.
Designed to be used with or without Examkrackers MCAT Complete Study Package.
As comprehensive as any MCAT prep course available.

Product Details

• Amazon Sales Rank: #8134 in Books
• Published on: 2001-11-05
• Formats: Audiobook, Unknown format
• Original language: English
• Number of items: 1
• Binding: Audio CD
• 12 pages

Review
Convenient & Effective, April 23, 2002
Reviewer: A reader from Virginia USA I used the Audio Osmosis CDs, my textbooks, and AAMC practice tests for self-directed MCAT prep. In my opinion, A.O. is a great bargain; I am very glad I "took a chance" on it rather than blowing $1K+ on a prep class. All I wanted, and what I got from A.O., was a clear, concise refresher of the science covered on the MCAT (as a post-bacc premed, my general chem and physics are about 7 years old). To boot, they also give a useful "strategy" for the verbal reasoning section - worked for me.

In short, I found Jon's description hits its mark: the CDs condense many major concepts into a series of compact, conversational lectures (and they're portable and repeatable). Dense topics are frequently leavened with humor and goofy sound effects - these also generally make factoids and rules-of-thumb stick in your head. Please note that a few errors slipped through, you'll probably catch them, but you can also check their website for the short list of errata. Finally, the authors support their product(s) personally via a bulletin board system on their website.
-- Review

From the Author
When I heard about an all-audio product for MCAT, I was skeptical. I knew that all the information tested by the MCAT couldn't be crammed into a couple of hours of cassette tapes, and with no visual cues it would be very difficult to command attention. In addition, the slow cassette rewind button nullifies the easy playback advantage of audio. But with a CD product, I began to see that audio had certain advantages. And with two people discussing MCAT, as opposed to just one person reading from a book, audio allowed science concepts to be explored in depth. Still, 13+ hours of straight science is tough to swallow, so we added humor and sound effects, which we quickly discovered could act as excellent memory aids and increased attention spans and retention of material. I am proud to have been a part of the production of Audio Osmosis, which I consider to be pioneering work in the area of audio learning. I hope that you find it useful in the pursuit of your! medical career.

About the Author
Jonathan Orsay is uniquely qualified to write the manuscripts for MCAT Audio Osmosis. He graduated on the Dean’s list with a B.A. in History from Columbia University. While considering medical school, he sat for the real MCAT three times from 1989 to 1996. He scored in the 90 percentiles on all sections before becoming an MCAT instructor. He has lectured in MCAT test preparation for thousands of hours and across the country for every MCAT administration since August 1994. He has taught premeds from such prestigious Universities as Harvard and Columbia. He was the editor of one of the best selling MCAT prep books in 1996 and again in 1997. Orsay is currently the Director of MCAT for Examkrackers. He has written and published the following books and audio products in MCAT preparation: “Examkrackers MCAT Physics”; “Examkrackers MCAT Chemistry”; “Examkrackers MCAT Organic Chemistry”; “Examkrackers MCAT Biology”; “Examkrackers MCAT Verbal Reasoning & Math”; “Examkrackers 1001 questions in MCAT Physics”, “Examkrackers 1001 questions in MCAT Chemistry”,“Examkrackers MCAT Audio Osmosis with Jordan and Jon".

Customer Reviews

Good way to organize/pace your review...
I'm satisfied with my 35, and I give these CDs a fair bit of the credit. I'd recommend, as another reviewer has, taking notes the first time through. It is a bit time consuming to do that, but you'll engage another learning modality. I think such an approach really helps drive home concepts later while listening over and over...and porta-lecture is the true beauty/benefit of AO CDs.

Yes, the humor and sound effects are goofy and sometimes get carried away, but generally they are welcome breathers. I'd second the call for a revision that maybe shortens some of the longer comedy bits. But after a few listens, you'll know when to hit the ">>" button.

I just can't see paying $1,000 for such a class, given resources like the AO CDs, the plethora of study books (by various companies including Kaplan), your textbooks and notes, and cold AAMC exams (be sure you self-administer, timed, several of these!!). AO CDs are broken into topical lectures so you can create a very efficient schedule of study and there is website where questions can be posted to the lecturers. Just be sure to listen frequently and actively for 3 months; don't take "osmosis" literally, you need to think...Good luck!

Great way to SUPPLEMENT your studying!
I would not recommend "studying" straight from these audio CD's, though it can be done. Instead, it is very helpful to REVIEW the topics you're uncomfortable with. I listened to them in the car, in my lab job, before bed. They offer great flexibility to one's studying and the jokes help you relax a bit and not be so tense. The topics are covered with depth and help you become more INTUITIVE with the science.
Because the audio CD's go closely with the Examcrackers books, it feels like you can supplement a "lecture" with the great books. These guys are the best hands down on MCAT materials and have an online message board to answer any questions (very quickly too).

Convenient & Effective
I used the Audio Osmosis CDs, my textbooks, and AAMC practice tests for self-directed MCAT prep. In my opinion, A.O. is a great bargain; I am very glad I "took a chance" on it rather than blowing $1K+ on a prep class. All I wanted, and what I got from A.O., was a clear, concise refresher of the science covered on the MCAT (as a post-bacc premed, my general chem and physics are about 7 years old). To boot, they also give a useful "strategy" for the verbal reasoning section - worked for me.

In short, I found Jon's description hits its mark: the CDs condense many major concepts into a series of compact, conversational lectures (and they're portable and repeatable). Dense topics are frequently leavened with humor and goofy sound effects - these also generally make factoids and rules-of-thumb stick in your head. Please note that a few errors slipped through, you'll probably catch them, but you can also check their website for the short list of errata. Finally, the authors support their product(s) personally via a bulletin board system on their website.