MCAT Preparation

MCAT Discussion
1

Tthis is my first year in college, and i am starting to take the basic sciences that are tested in the MCAT. I was looking for some good MCAT preparation books that i can study as i learn the basic sciences. I have read other forums, so please don’t advise me to read the other forums. Some personal recommendations would be nice.I have searched amazon, there are some books that cover everything like Barrons and Kaplan, but i am still confused. So, can you name a good book that covers everything, thank you


If I an not mistaken (from other forums), you generally take the MCATs at the end of the sophmore years, right.


Also, when the time comes, is this a good preparation guide (information combined from other forums)



the complete package exam crackers books and a kaplan course

thank you, in advance
2

There is no need to start preparaing for the MCAT right now. The way you can prepare w/o buying additional books, is to do well in the pre-med classes (get A’s and more importantly understand the concepts taught and know them well). Doing well on the MCAT is all about having a good solid foundation and taking simulated exams (timed and better those offered from the AAMC). Studying with prep books now will be counterproductive and may distract you from your classes. This process is not a sprint but a marathon and taking things at a slow pace will do you a world of good. Good luck.

3

I’d agree with efex and stress understanding the coursework. If you learn to learn, instead of just for the test, you’ll put yourself in a very good position for the future.


I’m not 100% sure what the traditional trends are, but I’d expect junior year would be more common for the MCAT - though I imagine any time after the pre-reqs would be ok.


Good luck!

4

One of the best things you can do is learn how to read critically. The MCAT is all about critical reading and analysis. Make it a habit to read well written publications such as NYT, WSJ, Foreign Affairs, etc. at your college library, and constantly question what the writer is saying: is this point true? is it supported? What does he really mean? What is the central thesis of this article? Courses in history and philosophy are also useful.


If you cultivate this kind of critical reading skill, and learn to do it quickly and instinctively, then in conjunction with hard work in your basic sciences and, possibly, a Kaplan/Princeton prep course about four months before you plan to take the test, you will do very well. Best of luck,

5

Hm… on the topic of critical reading: do you think that a BS detector finely honed from years of internet messageboard drivel* will come in handy?

  • Present company excepted, of course.
6

I would say internet skills are useful in the sense that you develop an ability to quickly scan a page for useful content. However, the level of sophistication and complexity of MCAT essays is a couple of orders of magnitude higher than most of the off-the-cuff remarks that one encounters in chat forums.