Physics is a required prerequisite for most medical, dental, and optometry programs, and it constitutes a significant portion of the MCAT®, DAT®, and OAT®. Many pre-health students approach physics with anxiety because it feels less directly connected to medicine than biology or chemistry. In reality, physics principles underlie much of clinical medicine: blood pressure and fluid dynamics (cardiovascular system), optics (ophthalmology and optometry), sound waves (ultrasound and hearing), electricity (ECG, nerve conduction), radiation (imaging and cancer treatment), and biomechanics (orthopedics and physical therapy). This guide covers the key topics, free resources, and study strategies.
Key Topics to Master
Kinematics and Mechanics: Displacement, velocity, acceleration, projectile motion, Newton’s three laws, free body diagrams, friction, inclined planes, circular motion, work, energy, power, momentum, and collisions. These concepts are foundational and appear frequently on the MCAT® Chem/Phys section. Focus on conceptual understanding and problem-solving rather than memorizing equations. Know how to set up free body diagrams for any scenario.
Fluids and Fluid Dynamics: Density, pressure (Pascal’s principle, hydrostatic pressure), buoyancy (Archimedes’ principle), continuity equation, Bernoulli’s equation, viscosity, and surface tension. Fluid dynamics is directly relevant to cardiovascular physiology (blood flow, blood pressure, atherosclerosis, aneurysms) and is high-yield on the MCAT®. Understand how vessel radius affects flow rate (Poiseuille’s law).
Thermodynamics: Temperature scales, heat transfer (conduction, convection, radiation), specific heat, calorimetry, laws of thermodynamics, entropy, and heat engines. Thermodynamics connects directly to general chemistry (Gibbs free energy, spontaneity) and biochemistry (metabolic energetics). This overlap means studying thermodynamics well pays dividends across multiple subjects.
Waves and Sound: Wave properties (wavelength, frequency, amplitude, speed), standing waves, resonance, Doppler effect, sound intensity, and decibel scale. Sound physics is relevant to understanding hearing, audiometry, and ultrasound imaging. The Doppler effect appears in Doppler ultrasound, a common clinical diagnostic tool.
Optics: Reflection, refraction (Snell’s law), total internal reflection, mirrors (concave and convex), lenses (converging and diverging), thin lens equation, magnification, optical instruments, and the human eye. Optics is especially high-yield for the OAT® given its relevance to optometry and is also tested on the MCAT® and DAT®. Know how to use ray diagrams and the thin lens equation to determine image characteristics.
Electricity and Magnetism: Electric charge, Coulomb’s law, electric fields, electric potential, capacitors, current, resistance (Ohm’s law), circuits (series and parallel), power, and basic magnetism. Electricity concepts are relevant to understanding nerve impulse propagation, ECG interpretation, defibrillation, and electrosurgery. Know how to analyze simple circuits with resistors in series and parallel.
Atomic and Nuclear Physics: Atomic models, electromagnetic spectrum, photoelectric effect, radioactive decay (alpha, beta, gamma), half-life, and nuclear medicine basics. Radioactive decay and half-life are relevant to understanding medical imaging (PET scans, SPECT), radiation therapy, and radiation safety.
Free Study Resources
Khan Academy® (Free): Khan Academy® offers comprehensive physics content covering mechanics, thermodynamics, waves, optics, electricity, and magnetism. The MCAT® physics collection is well-aligned with exam content. See our Khan Academy® guide.
OpenStax College Physics (Free): OpenStax publishes a free, algebra-based college physics textbook that covers all standard introductory physics topics. See our free textbooks page.
Anki Flashcard Decks (Free): Physics flashcard decks cover key equations, constants, unit conversions, and conceptual principles. See our spaced repetition guide.
Study Strategies
Understand Concepts Over Equations: The MCAT® and other exams test your understanding of physics concepts more than your ability to plug numbers into equations. For every equation you learn, understand what each variable represents, what happens when one variable increases or decreases, and when the equation applies. If you understand the concept, you can often derive or reconstruct the equation when needed.
Connect Physics to Physiology: Blood pressure is hydrostatic pressure. The heart is a pump obeying fluid dynamics. Nerve impulses are electrical signals. Hearing involves sound wave physics. Vision involves optics. Making these connections improves both your physics understanding and your preparation for clinical coursework.
Practice with Medical Contexts: When doing practice problems, seek out problems framed in medical or biological contexts. The MCAT® almost always presents physics within biological scenarios. Practicing with these contexts improves your ability to recognize which physics principles apply to clinical situations. See our test-taking strategies guide for approaching physics questions on standardized exams.
For exam-specific preparation, see our MCAT®, DAT®, and OAT® prep guides.
Radiation and Medical Imaging: X-rays, CT scans, MRI, PET scans, and ultrasound all rely on physics principles. X-rays involve electromagnetic radiation and photoelectric absorption. CT uses computed tomographic reconstruction from multiple X-ray projections. MRI uses nuclear magnetic resonance of hydrogen atoms in a strong magnetic field. PET scans detect positron-antielectron annihilation radiation. Ultrasound uses sound wave reflection and the Doppler effect. Understanding the physics behind these imaging modalities helps you interpret clinical images and understand their limitations and risks.
Biomechanics: Torque, lever systems (first, second, and third class levers in the human body), center of mass, rotational equilibrium, and stress/strain relationships. The musculoskeletal system is a complex lever system, and understanding these physics principles is directly relevant to physical therapy, orthopedic surgery, and sports medicine. Questions about levers and torque appear on the MCAT® and are particularly high-yield for PT students preparing for the NPTE®.
Common Pitfalls in Physics: Many students try to memorize equations without understanding the underlying concepts. On the MCAT®, physics questions often test conceptual understanding through novel scenarios where equation memorization alone will not help. Practice explaining physics concepts in words before trying to apply them mathematically. Another pitfall is neglecting units; always carry units through your calculations to catch errors. If your answer comes out in the wrong units, your setup is incorrect regardless of whether the number looks reasonable.
Dimensional Analysis: Physics problems on standardized exams can often be solved or checked through dimensional analysis alone. If a question asks for a result in units of meters per second, and your calculation gives you kilograms, you know something is wrong. Practice identifying the expected units for an answer before calculating, and use unit analysis to verify your result. This technique is especially useful when you cannot remember an exact equation but know the relationship between variables.
Approaching Physics Word Problems: Physics problems on standardized exams are almost always embedded in word problems. Develop a systematic approach: read the problem completely, identify what you are solving for, draw a diagram if applicable, list the known quantities and their units, select the relevant equation or principle, solve algebraically before substituting numbers, and check your answer for reasonableness. Many students lose points not because they do not know the physics but because they rush through the problem setup. Slowing down during setup saves time overall by reducing errors.
Integrating Physics with Other Subjects: Physics does not exist in isolation on the MCAT®. Questions frequently combine physics with biology or chemistry. A question about blood flow might require you to apply Poiseuille’s law (physics) while interpreting the clinical significance of atherosclerosis (biology). A question about nerve conduction might combine Ohm’s law with membrane physiology. Practice with integrated questions that cross subject boundaries. Our active learning guide covers interleaving, which is the study technique of mixing subjects during a single study session to improve your ability to make these connections.
References
Khan Academy. “Physics.” Khan Academy, 2025. https://www.khanacademy.org/science/physics. Accessed March 2026.
OpenStax. “College Physics.” Rice University, 2025. https://openstax.org/details/books/college-physics-2e. Accessed March 2026.
AAMC. “MCAT Content Outline.” AAMC, 2025. https://students-residents.aamc.org/mcat-exam. Accessed March 2026.