Study Advice

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Hello fellow MCAT enthusiasts! I really abhor the MCAT but I am taking it again in spring 2007. This will be the third time for me, and both times before I got scores of 23. I took a Kaplan course in 2005 and still received the same score on the test(I waited tables full-time and never studied) I barely studied for the MCAT my senior year in college and received a 23 on that test (2001). I really want to be a doctor and this test seems to be my "weed-out" course. For those of you who received excellent scores 30+ I need your advice on a study plan. I am considering buying Examkrackers prep books. I do not have test anxiety normally, but I do have standardized test anxiety. I recently took the GRE and used three prep books and did 20 practice tests. I barely broke a 1000 on the real thing. Is this test going to be the end of my medical school dreams? Please help!

I do not have test anxiety normally, but I do have standardized test anxiety. I recently took the GRE and used three prep books and did 20 practice tests. I barely broke a 1000 on the real thing. Is this test going to be the end of my medical school dreams? Please help![/QUOTE]

I truly empathize with you. I think with the MCAT that you must devote the time, and once you do, you will rid yourself of this anxiety. It's like training for a marathon and you have got to envision the finish line and that you will perform at your very best the day of the exam. Also, I think that your first score is representative of your schedule..and that you can do much MUCH better with more time spent preparing. Additionally, from a psychological standpoint, once you get a score that is not satisfying, you tend to hold it with you and think that it will happen again, but it will not!! Just erase that score out of your mind, and keep going. to you!

There is a thread with people who scored 30+ on the most recent administration giving advice. Search for it and you'll find what you're looking for.

Originally Posted by bimbag79

Hello fellow MCAT enthusiasts! I really abhor the MCAT but I am taking it again in spring 2007. This will be the third time for me, and both times before I got scores of 23. I took a Kaplan course in 2005 and still received the same score on the test(I waited tables full-time and never studied) I barely studied for the MCAT my senior year in college and received a 23 on that test (2001). I really want to be a doctor and this test seems to be my "weed-out" course. For those of you who received excellent scores 30+ I need your advice on a study plan. I am considering buying Examkrackers prep books. I do not have test anxiety normally, but I do have standardized test anxiety. I recently took the GRE and used three prep books and did 20 practice tests. I barely broke a 1000 on the real thing. Is this test going to be the end of my medical school dreams? Please help!

the thread that enigma is talking about is http://forums.studentdoctor.net/showthread.php?t=46880

Originally Posted by bimbag79

Hello fellow MCAT enthusiasts! I really abhor the MCAT but I am taking it again in spring 2007. This will be the third time for me, and both times before I got scores of 23. I took a Kaplan course in 2005 and still received the same score on the test(I waited tables full-time and never studied) I barely studied for the MCAT my senior year in college and received a 23 on that test (2001). I really want to be a doctor and this test seems to be my "weed-out" course.

A weed-out course is a course where most people will bomb the final exam despite studying really hard. DESPITE STUDYING REALLY HARD.

Unless you actually are planning to study (LOTS) this time around, there is no advice that will be able to help you.

Originally Posted by bimbag79

Hello fellow MCAT enthusiasts! I really abhor the MCAT but I am taking it again in spring 2007. This will be the third time for me, and both times before I got scores of 23. I took a Kaplan course in 2005 and still received the same score on the test(I waited tables full-time and never studied) I barely studied for the MCAT my senior year in college and received a 23 on that test (2001). I really want to be a doctor and this test seems to be my "weed-out" course. For those of you who received excellent scores 30+ I need your advice on a study plan. I am considering buying Examkrackers prep books. I do not have test anxiety normally, but I do have standardized test anxiety. I recently took the GRE and used three prep books and did 20 practice tests. I barely broke a 1000 on the real thing. Is this test going to be the end of my medical school dreams? Please help!

Well, if you don't study for it, it will probably be hard to do well. I would follow the advice in the other post and you should be able to improve!

Troz: I guess what I was implying about the MCAT is does it make a difference to study for it or do people score as well as someone who did not study ie like the GRE or SAT. Some people are excellent at taking standardized tests and they never have to prepare. I, on the other hand, get psyched out most of the time, so I was asking will studying really hard this go'round increase my score? I appreciate your frankness in your reply.

Originally Posted by bimbag79

Troz: I guess what I was implying about the MCAT is does it make a difference to study for it or do people score as well as someone who did not study ie like the GRE or SAT. Some people are excellent at taking standardized tests and they never have to prepare. I, on the other hand, get psyched out most of the time, so I was asking will studying really hard this go'round increase my score? I appreciate your frankness in your reply.

The MCAT is standardized, which means that there is some score that is a reflection of your innate abilities as a test-taker/learner. However, to reach that certain score, you DO have to study for it.. because part of what it tests is your ability to effectively retain and quickly recall information.

So no, it is not at all like the SAT or GRE... think of it more as a GRE + subject test. You can be a great standardized test taker and still bomb the subject test, which excludes you from many graduate programs.

Most people who get 30s start off in their low 20s.. so if you actually buckle down and study (and don't dismiss studying because you think you'll do poorly), then you can expect a lot of improvement.