Advice for my plan

[GCS-15]

Hi everyone,

I'm a CA resident- starting my 4th year at a UC. 3.7gpa/3.65sgpa. I plan to apply to MPH programs December 1st and MD programs next year. I studied all summer for the mcat today- but it didn't go so well so I voided it.

My questions are:
1. I plan to take the mcat again April 1st because I need to study for the gre/ apply to mph fall quarter. Is this too big of a gap? Has anyone waited for a while and taken the mcat again?

2.during my winter quarter I need to re study so I'm only going to take 2 classes. Will adcoms look at this negatively?

3. For people that took the mcat again- how did you study differently? Did you do another prep course or just review the same material again?

Thanks!

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[BurghMed]

1) I think it was a mistake to void your MCAT. Now you have no idea what amount of work you need to do to improve section A vs. B, and your money was lit on fire.

2) What I just said above isn't helpful to you because there's no turning back. I took the MCAT twice, didn't do as well as I would've liked, and then took it again 5-6 months later (couldn't study for 4 of those months, in school). I studied so hard the first time that I focused more on strategy as to what I needed to do. I can talk more about what I did if you're interested.

3) Be aware that there are MD/MPH programs. Consider going the route of a combined program.

4) No one really cares how many classes you take, but see if you can at least remain a full time student with a "close" to full load by taking meditation or something, that likely looks better to schools. Probably doesn't matter, though. This question has guaranteed been answered by other threads and adcom members on sdn. Check them out.

Hope this helps!

 

[GCS-15]

How did you study differently when you took it after 5-6 months?

 

[BurghMed]

How did you study differently when you took it after 5-6 months?

For me, I had already take about 15-20 practice tests and an enormous amount of content review. I was incredibly burned out, so it was a blessing and a curse to take the time off from studying. I studied again mainly over winter break and into the beginning of the second semester. I recognize that after I took the real deal the first time around, I straight up didn't finish in time. In fact, I left many blank in one section or was just finishing up as the clock hit 0 in another. One thing I did was just take even more practice tests, hammer out a few concepts I wasn't too comfortable with, but I also just moved faster through the test. Get comfortable skipping a few questions that are just really hard instead of wasting 4 minutes on 1 impossible physics question. Hope this helps.

 

[GCS-15]

For me, I had already take about 15-20 practice tests and an enormous amount of content review. I was incredibly burned out, so it was a blessing and a curse to take the time off from studying. I studied again mainly over winter break and into the beginning of the second semester. I recognize that after I took the real deal the first time around, I straight up didn't finish in time. In fact, I left many blank in one section or was just finishing up as the clock hit 0 in another. One thing I did was just take even more practice tests, hammer out a few concepts I wasn't too comfortable with, but I also just moved faster through the test. Get comfortable skipping a few questions that are just really hard instead of wasting 4 minutes on 1 impossible physics question. Hope this helps.

Thanks!