When to take MCAT

I’m finally approaching the end of my pre-reqs and I’ll be starting my year of physics this fall. Everything else is done. In fact, I was pre-PA until this spring so I’m more than done (Microbiology, Genetics, Biochem, etc.)


I would like to apply in the next cycle but need to find a way to prepare for the MCAT’s. Is it remotely reasonable to think I could study for that along with the physics classes (I just spent the last year retaking my Gen Chem and Organic Chem so that is pretty fresh).


I do have a family and work FT on 24 hour shifts as a paramedic (moderately high volume hospital transport service). I looked at the SDN plan and got a bit freaked out at 8 hour days of studying for 3-4 months as that just doesn’t seem possible with my schedule and keeping up with my life. Should I just take some time to study and delay applying for a year? I’m 42 so I’d rather not wait forever.


Deb

As it is the absolute earliest you could probably take it will be in the next couple weeks, and if you don’t want to leave the state to do so you’ll likely have to wait until the end of the August. That means you won’t have your scores until the end of September. Even an amazing application going in that late can hurt with MD schools quite a bit as I understand it, because so many schools do rolling admissions, by the time they get to yours their slots are full. Not as much if you want to go the DO route, as their application deadlines are 3-5 months later than the MD’s.


All of that assumes that you’ll be ready to take it in 2-6 weeks. My pre-med adviser told us that on average people that “do well” on the MCAT study about 25 hours a week in the 3-4 months before taking the exam. I was probably close to 15-20 myself in addition to working, school (Physics 2 and a ton of Micro), a dedicated prep course, etc.


I would head over to the MCAT section of the AAMC’s website and take their free practice test and see if your score is anywhere near what you would like to apply with. If you already have a solid grasp on the material and don’t have any issues with the practice test as far as score/timing are concerned you might try rolling the dice with the real thing. But this late in the application cycle, if you haven’t started studying for the thing yet, my advice would be to take it early next year. I think you can do it as early as January (also you don’t have to deal with the joke that is the writing section next year) and if you don’t like your score you’ll have months to retake it and still have scores back before the applications even open. That also gives you lots of time to research schools, get awesome letters, get shadowing in if you haven’t already, etc.

  • Prodigal Said:
But this late in the application cycle, if you haven't started studying for the thing yet, my advice would be to take it early next year. I think you can do it as early as January (also you don't have to deal with the joke that is the writing section next year) and if you don't like your score you'll have months to retake it and still have scores back before the applications even open. That also gives you lots of time to research schools, get awesome letters, get shadowing in if you haven't already, etc.



That's an excellent piece of advice right there. I didn't realize that students work that much before the test. I certainly didn't have 25h/week, only 5to 10, but I knew the science quite well. So I concentrated on Verbal knowing I would try to minimize the extent to which it would hurt.

If you haven't started already, then definitely take an extra year. Even if you feel you are doing well, it is a bit late in cycle for taking the MCAT for a first time, and you would shoot yourself in the foot.

By all means, I would delay a year. In fact, in my case I did (and I scored 30 on first try, and felt unsatisfied by it).

Good luck to you.

I think I’m reading the original question differently: Is it possible to take physics, work full time, deal with a family, and still study adequately for the MCAT (to be taken for 2014 application cycle)?


The answer is that it depends on you. I did exactly this over the last year (physics, full time work, husband & 4 kids, MCAT study), and I did well on my MCAT.


That said, I know how I learn and how I needed to study. I did not given equal time to each subject, but spent extra time on my weak areas after doing a more surface review of the areas that I was okay in. I only studied for about 3 months, but many report that is not adequate. I took about 6-8 hours solid one day a week, plus an hour here and there scattered across the week.


I wrote down the concepts and formulas I needed to know on flash cards that I could review on the 5-10 minute downtimes I had.


I used about 5 of the later AAMC practice tests, and found that the practice in timing was essential to my completing the “real” MCAT in the allotted time.


How are you on standardized testing? How well do you know the material? How well can you manipulate the material without getting freaked out by what you don’t know? Much of the test was “Not A, not C…more likely B than D…okay, pick B and move on.” Triage, be comfortable with letting something go after “best guess” choice because you don’t have time to be fully confident of your answer.

I meant to say apply for the 2014 cycle. I don’t think there is any way I could remotely be ready for this one. I was one of the rare few who have yet to take ANY physics course, even in high school. I figured that would cause some issues with the physical sciences portion of the MCAT if I went ahead without that.


Thanks, Annette! I just needed to know if I planned ahead that I could squeeze in enough studying to get a decent score.


My science GPA will end up being about a 3.45 (I have a really bad undergrad chem class grade that really isn’t possible to retake dragging me WAY down) and my cumulative is around 3.3 but that is because I have like 270 hours of undergrad credit. Moving it much just doesn’t happen and I went through a few majors and had a few low grades to end up on this course of study.


I need to apply early to help my chances. Since I work in a hospital and closely with the Adult and Peds ED in a Level II trauma center, I get all kinds of shadowing experiences.


I did contact my local medical school to even see if I was competitive in April before I switched from PA to DO and they seemed to think I was. This is all pretty new to me but manageable so far. It all started with needing to retake my chemistry classes to improve my PA application and now this!


I really appreciate all the responses! I’ve been doing this on my own for so long its nice to have others who can comment!


Deb