How to prepare for MCAT - Non Traditional Students

[boxtrol]

Hi,

I am a senior manager (BS in Electrical Engineering) in a large IT services company, dreaming about going back to study medicine. The last time i had something to do with biology was in high school in 1997. how do you go about preparing for MCAT in situations like this. I wan to do a MCAT trial run this July 17/18 and if i cant make the cut, plan to retake it in 2016 (but then i will be stuck in IT for 1 more year )

Regards

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[Old&InTheWay]

If you haven't studied bio since 1997, you will probably have to retake at least some of the prerequisite classes. I'd take care of those and study for the MCAT while in classes.

 

[boxtrol]

I want to take it this July to see where i stand, so that i can tweak my preparation accordingly. As for pre requisites , i think i have got physics and Chemistry covered ( during 1st year in engineering with lab). Bio is up in the air. but it is/was my favorite subject and something i believe i can catch up fast.

has anyone here used the study material provided by Khan Academy for MCAT prep? how good is it in terms of completeness? I think there is about 200 plus hours of video there and i have 100 days to study. I assume i can spend 90 min a day on an average towards my studies.

i am panning to take some oneline/hybrid classes starting fall 2015 to meet the Bio prerequisites

 

[Old&InTheWay]

I don't know. I too was a nontraditional applicant. I did a lot of my studying while I was taking my prerequisite courses, and then I had three weeks of full-time study just prior to my test date. If you were fresh out of school your strategy might sound better to me. There's definitely no reason to rush it as you want to get a good score on your first try.

I found most of the test prep materials put out by Kaplan, Princeton Review, etc., to be mostly useless. I used the AAMC guide and practice tests.

 

[jamcat]

I'm not sure how much research you've done on this, boxtrol, but it is a VERY BAD idea to take the MCAT "just to see where you stand." All MCAT scores are reported to med schools, and re-takes are looked down upon. While they certainly aren't an app killer by any means, it is a negative, and you will be limiting your med school options. Many schools average all MCAT scores when they look at your app; it is a serious mistake to have a bad score on your record because you took the MCAT as a practice exam.

Only take the MCAT when you're consistently scoring where you want to be scoring on your practice exams. I don't want to beat a dead horse, but it is a VERY, VERY, VERY bad idea to take the MCAT just 'cause.

As the infamous Goro (an admissions committee member who helps people like us out on SDN) has wisely noted, this is an exam that you want to take once. Do it right, and do it once.

 

[irishRN2doc]

Seriously?!?

 

[Dr. Death]

Altius has a 1/2 MCAT that you can take for free and it will give you your score. I took it and realized how truly unprepared I was. I suggest that as an alternate for you.

 

[DepressedEngineer]

I really suggest doing a post bach

 

[ChodeNode]

You can take an old AAMC full-length exam to see where you stand.

I wouldn't expect to do well even on the physics and chemistry unless you're using that stuff on a regular basis in your work. There's more to taking the MCAT than simply having a passing knowledge of the concepts. There's a lot to prepare for just to handle the test-taking process itself. Maybe you're that 1 in 100 person that retains everything and can blast through any test no problem. Just know that your med school application is unforgiving and every mistake will most likely be held against you. Taking the MCAT ain't like taking the GRE. Like somebody mentioned above. Do it right and do it once.

Prior proper planning prevents piss-poor performance.

 

[malcolm777b]

Definitely take your prerequisites prior to the actual MCAT (since you have to study that material anyway, you might as well be fresh when you take the MCAT) . Just because you haven't seen a particular topic for a number of years though, isn't a reason to necessarily retake the course. I was admitted this cycle, and I hadn't taken physics or general chemistry since 1998, and no organic chemistry since 1999.

 

[clairephillips]

I echo the statement that you don't need to retake classes you've already taken. I hadn't seen Chemistry I since 1999, and took physics and o chem shortly after. Instead, you should invest in a really good video set... Chads videos ROCK... And a cheap older textbook with answers in the back for practice. Be prepared to Google concepts you still struggle with, work lots of practice problems, and you should be fine. Do take prerequisites that you have never taken, but don't retake anything.