Intimidated by MCATS

I am about to start my pre-reqs as a non-traditional student. I am taking Physics I&II, Chemistry I&II, Organic Chemistry I&II, and Biology I (refresher).


Under advise of my friends who have finished med school, they told me to go ahead and start looking at the MCATS to see what it’s all about… and to be honest, I am really freaking out just looking at the questions! I’m thinking “What did I get myself into!!!” Did anyone else go through this before taking their pre-reqs?? Is this a normal reaction?? Will I feel more comfortable after I complete this coursework? Everyone has such high expectations of me, and the pressure is really scary! Now that I see sample MCAT questions, I’m even more scared!

Now, that wasn’t really friendly advice…the only area on the MCAT I would suggest you look at would be the verbal section as it isn’t related to the sciences you still have to take.


I would advise you to wait until you’ve undertaken more of your prereqs before you do this. Also keep in mind, you’ve probably 2 years (at least 4 semesters) before you should be ready to take the MCAT and things will be a lot clearer then.


Kris

thanks, krisss, what a relief! i was seriously having a panic attack!


ok, next question…when to take the MCAT…


If I want to matriculate in 2009, then I would have to follow this path:


Fall 2007


Physics I


Chem I


Spring 2008


Physics II


Chem II


Summer 2008 (Quit Full-time Job)


Org Chem I


Biology I


Take the MCAT in September 2008


Or, I could slow down and just take Bio I&II in the Summer of 2008, take Org Chem I in Fall 2008, and take the MCAT in Spring 2009, to matriculate in 2010…


I want to take it in 2008 rather than 2009 because I will have a year of absolute nothing from 2009-2010,but, I guess a year of relaxing before hardcore med school could be nice, too…


I’m just confused, overall…any advice?



Hello, Noor .


W/re the MCAT, Kriss is right. It seems that half of the test is just meant to intimidate us - and looking at it prior to taking the pre-reqs will only enhance that effect. I did the same thing, briefly, and I realized that it would be best to come back later. With the perspective I have now, I can look at a complex question and break it down into the components-they’re-testin g-me-on, which are often much simpler. Without the pre-req background, you’ll probably just freak yourself out.


So for the MCAT - don’t sweat it for now. Just focus on understanding your coursework as best you can.


You have options as far as your schedule goes, and only you can determine what is best. From my experience, here are some things to keep in mind. These are in no particular order, and of course take em all with a grain of salt :


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  • Accelerated coursework over the summer can be fast-paced. Make sure you'll give yourself enough time to study and retain the information. Organic in particular will probably be a harsh summer class to take.

    .
  • This is a marathon, not a sprint. Go with whatever pace will allow you to excel

    .
  • Make sure you budget enough time for labs. The time requirements vary but may be very high

    .
  • We non-trads usually end up with a glide year, in which we're either taking finishing pre-reqs (some hold off on, say, organic 2, as it's not necessarily required MCAT info), further coursework (biochem, etc), or work-family-and/or-life stuff.

    .
  • If you can fit something full time student-ish into your schedule, you may want to try that. I wouldn't recommend you take fluff, and I certainly wouldn't say to overextend yourself. As I understand, though, it looks good if you can maintain FT coursework and a solid GPA. For many non-trads though, that's not an option.

    .
  • Check into your school's Bio II. At my school, Bio2 covers plants and such, so it's recommended pre-meds take a higher level biology course instead.

    .
  • Check into the requirements of schools you're interested in applying to. Some may require English, Calculus, Biochem, or other courses.

    .
  • Spreading out your schedule may allow you to fit in more classes that are interesting, fun, or whatnot. I'm really glad I made the time to take Genetics and Neurobiology, for instance, even though they aren't the hard-and-fast required BPCM.

    .
  • You're doing well by getting involved in this process and planning early. Good for you! Keep this up, and I'm sure you'll put yourself in a very good position.

    .
  • Have fun! This is a long and arduous process, and it's only worth it if you enjoy the ride.



There are a lot of options and a lot of choices for you to make. Of course, in the end, there's no right answer - so find what works for you!

thanks, adam! i’m going to have to copy/paste this and keep it in my book of advice! i really appreciate it!


naureen

  • noor524 Said:
thanks, krisss, what a relief! i was seriously having a panic attack!

ok, next question....when to take the MCAT....

If I want to matriculate in 2009, then I would have to follow this path:

Fall 2007

Physics I

Chem I

Spring 2008

Physics II

Chem II

Summer 2008 (Quit Full-time Job)

Org Chem I

Biology I

Take the MCAT in September 2008

Or, I could slow down and just take Bio I&II in the Summer of 2008, take Org Chem I in Fall 2008, and take the MCAT in Spring 2009, to matriculate in 2010....

I want to take it in 2008 rather than 2009 because I will have a year of absolute nothing from 2009-2010,,,,,but, I guess a year of relaxing before hardcore med school could be nice, too....

I'm just confused, overall.....any advice?



Hi Noor,

Some more food for thought: If you plan to apply for the 2009 year, you would actually need to submit your AMCAS applications in June of 2008 (early in the cycle is better), so you would actually need to take the MCAT earlier than September (is it offered in September?).

Also, taking Organic I in the summer even without another class is really risky. You are risking your GPA, your MCAT score and may find that you are setting yourself up for losing a lot of money in the application process (which is not cheap!).

As a nontrad, it is in our best interest to have the strongest application possible, and that includes a good UG GPA, MCAT score, LORs and ECs.

Adam gave some real good pointers. Using that year to take some advanced courses and strengthening your application would be a good use of that 2009-2010 year. And the one phrase you will hear on Old PreMeds a lot is "Marathon, not sprint!" (can't remember the whole phrase, but I've been working the night shift and my brain is still a little mushy!).

Kris


I know I wanted to figure out a way to get through the pre-reqs quicker and get into med school sooner but the reality of the schedule soo convinced me that it just couldn’t happen.


Everyone focuses on the MCAT and whether you’ve got enough prereq preparation to do well on it. But there’s something else to consider - and that is having all your prereqs done at the time you apply. The more recent good grades you’ve got, the better it looks. I really think it’s a mistake to apply without completed prereqs unless your initial college experience was relatively recent and relatively science-intensive. My $0.02.


Mary

  • Krisss17 Said:


Some more food for thought: If you plan to apply for the 2009 year, you would actually need to submit your AMCAS applications in June of 2008 (early in the cycle is better), so you would actually need to take the MCAT earlier than September (is it offered in September?).



Yes, the MCATS are offered monthly from April-September, starting this year 2007!! Pretty cool, hey?

I’m in a similiar situation. However, my undergrad degree (20 years ago) was engineering with a 3.3 GPA (not excellent, but not too bad). Back then, I had a semester of chemistry and a lot of physics.


This is my best-case plan (subject to vary WIDELY):


Reteach myself physics (have already begun)


Fall 07: Chem I & Bio I


Spring 08: Chem II & Bio II


Summer 08: Organic I


take MCAT in mid-August IF READY (with application complete & waiting for score)


Fall 08: Organic II & Physics I


Spring 09: Physics II & Biochem


Fall 09: matriculate


If I’m not scoring a 30 on the old MCATs, I’ll hold off the MCAT until Spring 09 to matriculate in '10.


I’ll be working as long as I can do so and get a 4.0, but think I’ll probably have to resign sometime next year (yikes).


Good luck to both of us

Angela,


May I comment on your plan? It is only my opinion, and you are likely to hear other things from other people.


MCAT before the full year of Organic Chemistry is already for the birds. But taking the first semester of organic chemistry, in the summer, simultaneous to MCAT preparation, and filling out AMCAS, is madness. One of these things, all of which are absolutely critical, is going to become slapdash, with bad consequences.


If you wait till the summer of 2009 to take the test and apply, you will have the benefit of the biochemistry (great idea, by the way) which can REALLY enhance your score. Also if you apply in the summer of 2008 as you plan, you won’t have much in the way of prereq coursework to put on your application-- just 50% or so.


Matt

Matt said it much more nicely and succinctly than I could have. O-chem in the summer is a nightmare to contemplate; adding AMCAS and MCAT is beyond contemplating. I’ve said it before and I’ll say it again, the application process is a ROYAL pain in the a$$, requires a great deal of attention to detail and focus - things that you will not be able to spare if you are also studying o-chem, not to mention MCAT.


I found o-chem took some time to sink in. I dunno how I would’ve done if I’d taken it in a summer session because it really seemed to grow on me with repetition. I wouldn’t have had the time to “digest” it before moving on if it’d been summertime… I don’t advise o-chem in the summer, but I recognize that people’s learning styles differ.


(you see why I admire Matt’s response; all I am doing is agreeing with him and mine is already longer)


More than anything you want to set yourself up to succeed on this quest, and the schedule you’ve laid out does not optimize your chances of doing that.


Mary

Dr. Renard, your life story is inspiring. I’m new to this forum. I’m 33 yrs. old and graduating in Dec. 07 with a BBM (4.o). My goal is Med. School. I’m excited but afraid. I’m planning to get all of my science classes done and then take my MCAT in April 09. I’m not good in math and I’m planning to work on that. Any pointers on how to get started with Pre-med prep?

MaryJ, welcome to OPM! Please note I’m only “Dr. Renard” in the office… and don’t actually use it much there, either; here among friends I’m Mary.


That said, you’ve noted math is a challenge for you so you may want to start by figuring out what you’ll need to be ready for general chemistry and physics, the two places where you’ll encounter lots of math. This is not something I can give much advice on because math wasn’t an issue for me. If you do a search, though, you’ll find lots of discussions of tips for preparing and readying your math skills.


In fact you’ll find a LOT of discussion about these topics in the more general topic headings… once you read through a few threads you’ll probably have some better ideas about good phrases to search, or if you like wasting time on the internet as much as I do, you can just keep reading back further and further and you’ll eventually find that these are topics that get discussed regularly.


Welcome to OPM!


Mary

I freaked too when I saw the Practice test. I’m a non-traditional student with a BBM. I’m starting pre-reqs this fall. I’m going to attempt the best grades poss. and keep a high GPA. I’ll be reviewing for the MCAT as I move along. Just wanted to let you know your not alone.

HELP!!! If you guys know of a great way to improve my response time (&, hence, my scores)on the MCAT, please let me know. I know that practice is important, but is there anything outside of MCAT prep material that will help to turn us into lean, mean, MCAT machines?


Teebone.

Other than practice the test under testing conditions, there really is no other way. If you have or will take a prep course they will show you how to cut some time off of your reading.

Thanks for responding Gabelerman, even though I inadvertently posted in the wrong location. Man, these late hours are just not working for me. Good night everyone!

You know what I found to be really helpful teebone - was practice doing everyday things in silence. i couldn’t believe how difficult it was for me to focus on one thing at a time. Like you and many people here, I am constantly juggling whatever is going on in my life so when it came down to just focussing on just one task, it was actually difficult. When taking the MCATs thats exactly what you have to do. You have to block out everything and just focus on the given passage. Outside of what gabe said, practice focussing on one task. For instance eat dinner and focus just on the meal. Don’t watch TV, think about you need to do for the next day, just focus on what you are eating. You would think it is easy but its harder than you might actually think.

I think you’ve got something there, OPM buddy! I’ve taken the MCAT before (I’m not going to say how many times yet), and there’s no doubt in my mind that once I figure out how to focus fully on the task at hand, my score is going to improve dramatically. Thanks for the great tip dude (sorry, “obesedude” just doesn’t work for me; I don’t know why you would want to go with that).

Naureen,


Adam, Kris, Dr Renard and others have given stellar advice to which I will just second and throw in my orderlyand by-the-numbers “recipe” for success.


Please check out “Richards rules” http://www.oldpremeds.org/fusionbb/showtopic.php?t… for a full exposition on this.


The short version tho…


There are many advisors that recommend you set up your schedule to take the MCAT during your second semester of Organic Chemistry, since I did this the traditional way (at 38 versus 18) there is a lot to be said for that…


The KEY is to be sure to set up your plan (and I FIRMLY recommend a formal written plan… prevents the waste doing it willy nilly) that will outline a “gentle start” to get used to the “SHOW” then one that leaves (either your last or “Junior” year) pretty clean: O Chem and some fluff, specifically in order to prep for the MCAT and of course to do well in Organic. Do not forget to build flexibility in to it and do not fall into the “I gotta finish NOW” pitfall!


As to the “prep course”… you are just gonna have to look around. For me I had a review course but I caught myself noting that “darn, I could be getting so much more done elsewhere”… I wish I had just used the good review book I had… My MCAT was the only part of my application package that was not what it should have been…


I guess because everything ELSE was top notch, I still got in!


Remember we are all in this together


Richard