Background:
I don’t have a Baccalaureate degree but I had a bunch of credits from being a paramedic (4-years experience). I’ve got one semester of pre-MCAT classes left and then about a full year of upper division classes (Biochem 1&2, Immunology, A&P, Patho etc). As it stands right now I have a 4.0. The only class I technically have left to take for the MCAT is Physics 2. I’m taking physics 2 with upper level 5-credit Microbio (not the nurse’s microbio), and another class (12hr total) next semester–spring '12. I also landed a paid research position that starts in a few weeks and is indefinite. I hope to graduate Spring of '13 or Summer '13 if class availability or a fluke semester gets in the way. I want(!) to start med school Fall of '13.
Options:
I have my schedule planned out so that I have Summer A '12 off–the first 6 weeks of the semester. My plan was to do light studying all Spring, 6 weeks of intense study summer A, take the MCAT at the end of Summer A in June before my summer B class starts.
Conventional wisdom says take the MCAT at the end of your spring semester. I have done well in all my premed classes and am disciplined enough to study for the MCAT and do well. I feel like that intense 6 weeks will get me a good score and think it makes more sense to use that 6 weeks on the front end instead of saving it as a back up–which goes against conventional thought. If the MCAT is shifting to the primary admissions factor doesn’t it make sense to have a really good score in one try? Doesn’t doing it mid-summer give me the best chance for that?
The pro’s of taking a end-of-spring MCAT is that if I do well I can move a class into the summer A slot and definitely not have to do a summer before I matriculate. I can sign up for the test right now. I have the fail safe second try if I oops it.
Cons: balancing research, two moderately difficult but time consuming science classes (+labs) with MCAT studying could hurt both my GPA and my score.
Question:
That’s where I’m at with my decision making. I’d just like to know if anyone sees anything I’m missing? Was anyone in a similar boat? Any advice? Thanks guys.
I think your timing is OK, June isnt that late to take the MCAT, though I usually advise people not to apply unless they have their scores or are very confident of their scores. In your case, do not wait for MCAT scores to submit
- Part of my Rules for Nontrads is not biting off more that you can chew or risk bad grades by taking too much. In your spring 2012 term, dont let the light prep for MCAT distract you from keeping your good grades.
2)The MCAT is a different beast of an exam then anything you have ever taken. Most people concentrate on content (which I do not think will be your issue) without getting into how to take the exam, how to analyze questions and answers, how to focus and get timing, how to become one with the exam, how to get the mindset for the exam. I am not sure that your six weeks will give you that.
- possible solution and/or risk mitigation. You may want to take a intense winter recess MCAT class or start an online class the end of this year PRIOR to spring. Even if you do not have all the prereqs, the “how to take the exam” will bubble and percolate in your head during spring. Then your six week study marathon to exam day. I think that would work well for you to get the exam mindset.
- As Judy Colwell always says, do not take the MCAT until you are ready. My rule of thumb for judging that is taking at least 4 to 6 practice exams, from two different sources, under realistic conditions, and get a consistent score that you are comfortable with.
- dont forget to plug in time to do the actual application. If you can get your PS done prior to spring, that would be a big help.
I have from 12/8 - 1/9 as my winter break. What would you recommend doing with that month as far as getting acquainted with the exam? I’m a pretty independent learner and don’t really need a classroom/teacher as long as there is a book that talks about it relatively well.
Also, it would be the END of June if that makes a difference.
Matt, I’d take one of the easier AAMC practice tests, maybe test 3, if you want a serious taste. that one’s free, and it’s a bit old so not quite as representative of the current test, but it should be a thorough introduction.
- Matt1986 Said:
I think you would be best served by a book or online site that deals with the strategy of taking the exam:
1) how to read the passages to seek out keywords on important info
2) how to read the questions for the same and more importantly how to recognize the answer types in the selection (ie they design the wrong answer choices to be misleading in fairly specific ways). You should be able to rule out at least 1 answer choice almost immediately and another almost as fast.
3) learn how to focus solely on the question in front of you, not looking back wondering what the last question was, or forward to what the next would be.
4) Discipline, which includes focus as above and timing. Many students run into difficulties in the exam due to panic and timing. They scour the passage looking for the info, work on a problem without regard to time, then rush thru the rest. Get into a very strict time discipline that allows you a minute to work each question. If you do not have an answer by then, you rule out what you can, guess and move on.
5) another point I like to make: you should have absolutely no need to calculate an answer or do any kind of math on the exam. If you are, you are doing something wrong. You should be able to quickly set up a formula, plug in the numbers and see from the answer choices (one is too high, one is too low, one has wrong units, etc) what has to be the correct answer.
6)One last suggestion I had a freshman chem professor give many years ago. He would not give full credit to an exam solution unless it was presented in a SINGLE formula. That it, he wanted you to manipulate all the variables before plugging in numbers. I found this help in my MCAT prep as some answers where simply looking for the right units or the magnitude of the answer.
Generally, if you just get a book of passages and start reading them, it will do great deal to get you head into an MCAT mindset.
I second Richard. With regard to test prep materials:
A lot of people really like Kaplan because of the way it teaches the material. It left a bad taste in my mouth because a good friend of mine who would have made a fantastic OB got blindsided by the VR questions. That said, my hunch with Kaplan is to say that it’s not bad for sciences, but it doesn’t adequately address VR material.
My personal favorite of all the books I’ve looked at is the Princeton Review (I used the 2009-2010 version). It does a fantastic job addressing the VR strategy, which is applicable to the whole test, and doesn’t slack at all on the sciences, either. I’d recommend looking into investing in a copy if you can take a look and see if you like it.
I also used the Audiolearn MCAT review, but found it to be only somewhat helpful. It’s a good last-minute cramming tool, but it doesn’t address a lot of the why of the material. It also fails to come up with useful mnemonics, but that should be something you do yourself (it will be more memorable if you do).
Good luck with the test! 
- Anemos Said:
A lot of people really like Kaplan because of the way it teaches the material. It left a bad taste in my mouth because a good friend of mine who would have made a fantastic OB got blindsided by the VR questions. That said, my hunch with Kaplan is to say that it's not bad for sciences, but it doesn't adequately address VR material.
I really think the Kaplan VR strategy is just so idiotic. Their basic idea of theme and purpose is OK and there like 7 types of questions has some merit but then they go into this god awful process that is just to complex to be useful. I wonder if they wrote it to appease the neurotic regular undergrad science majors who cant think.
I like the ExamKrackers audio osmosis for VR. Out of 12 CDs for all the MCAT, it was 1/2 a CD. Personally I think the is 1 or 2 pages of how to examine a passage and question, and then about 100 passages of practice.