Well I made a baby step (seems like a huge step) forward and signed up for the MCAT Early Start Course of TPR. It goes from November through April. When I clicked the order button in my browser suddenly the enormity of all of this became very real. Perhaps it is just jitters since I have been out of school a while. I figured that having a structured, classroom based course would work better for me. Luckily I found one that minimizes the havoc on my schedule. I searched through the board on TPR and found most people gave it a thumbs up. We'll see. Is there anybody out there who hasn't piped in on TPR's MCAT course…what did you think?
I thought TPR was very good, lots of review and practice and the instructors were very good for the most part. Here in NYC our instructors were all in medical school currently or about to start - I don’t know if that’s true elsewhere.
One thing that bummed me out was that the Physics instructors do a kind of stand and deliver thing with the problems in class. Even if you don’t know the answer, which you have to publicly admit to when it comes to your turn, then the instructor will STILL make you work out the answer in front of everyone else. Again, I’m not sure if this is just a NYC thing but if you’re a math-phobe like me, and shy like me, it can be a harsh thing. I found it such an upsetting thing that it made my work in physics much much harder. I don’t learn very well when I am being publicly embarrassed. 
I ended up having to get a grad student tutor to work through the phyiscs privately. I don’t know why they do that but it’s not such a good thing for learning such a difficult subject.
I never liked being put on display either. But in any case I think I may bail on the class. I am still signed up but an thinking it over. Considering I haven’t touched some of this stuff in several years I think I need to do some massive review before I can seriously do an “MCAT” review. I am thinking that most of the people in the class will be ahead of me from the beginning. I need some remedial review before I can throw that much money into a prep class. Plus I always was frustrated back in college by the “old student” who took longer to understand the material. Keep in mind here that I am now the old student…I was 23 when I graduated and am 33 now…nothing against us old folk!
For now I think I am going to get a few new texts, and check out the Examkrackers. I have seen a lot of positive reviews on here and elsewhere about them. Hopefully they live up to their promise.
I will be signing up for TPR in January, and also have the EK review stuff and Kaplan material. I am shooting to use all three of the review materail to get a wider perspective and see which one works best for me. I am not going to let this exam freak me out dammit. It is another exam that we need to prepare for in a slightly different way and for a longer period of time, but after all it is an exam that I have to take hence like Mary once said I own it.
Waiting for scores in the mail but my mantra is TPR… TPR…
Arlita