5+ month mcat study schedule

This forum made possible through the generous support of SDN members, donors, and sponsors. Thank you.

Sir Buckethead

Full Member
10+ Year Member
15+ Year Member
Joined
May 18, 2007
Messages
397
Reaction score
0
Hey guys. From what I can tell the consensus seems to be that taking longer than 3 or 4 months to prepare for the MCAT is useless if not detrimental. However I have to work full time and take classes for the forseeable future so I cant devote much more than 10 or 12 hours a week to studying. It's also been a bit since my prereqs so I'll need to review content more robustly.

Anyone have any experiences or advice to share regarding a very gradual study plan? I'm doing an adaptation of Vihsadas' 3 month plan with extra days for problem sets and a few more FLs.

Members don't see this ad.
 
Just be mindful to continuously recycle material through each day. Dont do renal phys day 1 and then day 150 not have a clue ab it cause its been so long....but i'm sure you've thought of this... Doing it is harder... GL
 
It is definitely doable. Look in the 30+ thread, there are plenty of people there who have done it. For people who take the longer route, I think it is most important to always look for weaknesses. Like unDRdog said, some of the material will have been reviewed so long ago you probably won't remember too much of it. That is why you need to find your weaknesses right before you start full lengths and review that material. It can definitely be done though.

Hope this helps,

-LIS
 
Hey guys. From what I can tell the consensus seems to be that taking longer than 3 or 4 months to prepare for the MCAT is useless if not detrimental. However I have to work full time and take classes for the forseeable future so I cant devote much more than 10 or 12 hours a week to studying. It's also been a bit since my prereqs so I'll need to review content more robustly.

Anyone have any experiences or advice to share regarding a very gradual study plan? I'm doing an adaptation of Vihsadas' 3 month plan with extra days for problem sets and a few more FLs.

I was a long-termer (about 6 months of studying), and got a 34. Not high by SDN standards, but I also hadn't taken Bio in over a year and took all my premed classes at community colleges. If I could go back and do it again, I would definitely shorten the amount of study time, but it isn't a death sentence.

My problem was is that I started out gung-ho and didn't ramp up the intensity quite like I had planned in the final weeks. I think doing 10-12 hours a week 5 months out is a great plan; just ramp that s*** up the last month. I would even try to get out of work for the last 2 weeks, if that is possible. Either way, I would definitely mention somewhere in your application that you were working full-time! That is a hell of an accomplishment, and I think many old-school ADCOMs appreciate that more than some of the exotic ECs that other premeds have.

The good thing about having long-term studying is Verbal Preparation. If you have more than 3 months to study, you have the luxury of developing your reading comprehension, which is one of the shortcomings of the 3-month plan (unless you are a natural in the section). I just don't think that 90 days is enough time to hone your skills and grasp the nuances of VR, so since you have the extra time, read read read.
 
Members don't see this ad :)
Thanks for the replies guys I appreciate it. I'll definitely set aside some schedule time for targeted review and try to get some vacation right before the test. As depressing as it is to use vacation days for studying...

@Segovia: did you have any specific method for boosting reading comprehension or did you just read books.
 
A good idea for this type of study is to take notes on what you study, like write down just the important stuff. A lot of time review books add a lot of background nonsense.

Bring each page of reading down to a few lines of condensed stuff you need to really know. Then study those review notes you took later on. instead of re-reading all the fluff.
 
  • Like
Reactions: 1 user
I was a long-termer (about 6 months of studying), and got a 34. Not high by SDN standards, but I also hadn't taken Bio in over a year and took all my premed classes at community colleges. If I could go back and do it again, I would definitely shorten the amount of study time, but it isn't a death sentence.

My problem was is that I started out gung-ho and didn't ramp up the intensity quite like I had planned in the final weeks. I think doing 10-12 hours a week 5 months out is a great plan; just ramp that s*** up the last month. I would even try to get out of work for the last 2 weeks, if that is possible. Either way, I would definitely mention somewhere in your application that you were working full-time! That is a hell of an accomplishment, and I think many old-school ADCOMs appreciate that more than some of the exotic ECs that other premeds have.

The good thing about having long-term studying is Verbal Preparation. If you have more than 3 months to study, you have the luxury of developing your reading comprehension, which is one of the shortcomings of the 3-month plan (unless you are a natural in the section). I just don't think that 90 days is enough time to hone your skills and grasp the nuances of VR, so since you have the extra time, read read read.

Thank you for your post. Non-Traditional seeking a 5-6 month plan as I've been out of school for some time and just finishing up one last pre-req. course. Working 35-40 hours at this time and taking biochem so it would probably not make sense starting to study now until the course is over in Dec. Maybe start on verbal to get a leg up? Would appreciate any foundation or detail on your schedule. A 34 was more than reasonable to me, especially considering your circum... thanks :thumbup:
 
Top