Is my plan do-able?

[jmin]

Hello fellow pre-meds and anyone else out there,

After withdrawing for a term due to depression, I am back to tackle my pre-med education. But I have a slight dilemma:

My school is on a term system rather than a semester system (3 terms/year) - this means our school year ends mid-June rather than during May. I am taking physics next year, which means I will complete General Physics around June 15th, 2012.

But here's the dilemma - I want to start applying to med schools around June-July 2012, due to rolling admissions. This means I need to take the MCATs around June, right?

I was curious if this was do-able? Can I study for AND do well on the MCATs without prior knowledge of 3rd term physics? (The last 1/3 of physics for those of you on a semester system). I'm asking since I would need to start studying 3 months before June, where I will have zero knowledge of 3rd term physics, at least initially.

And does it seem reasonable for me to study for the MCATs while simultaneously taking ~10-12 credits of science courses and volunteering/shadowing? Has anyone done it successfully?

And I would just take physics this summer, but I am taking organic chemistry this summer. This is because I only have two terms of ochem left (rather than 3) and I think it's probably a better idea to learn ochem/solidify it in my brain at least several months before taking the MCATs.

Anyway thanks in advance everyone. Any advice or insight would be appreciated.

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[TTigers70]

Because you are on a term based system I can't say for sure where the 2nd term leaves off and the 3rd term picks up. It seems a given to me that you had all your kinetics, etc in the 1st and 2nd terms. Torque usually comes in later but still I'd imagine you go through it in 2 terms. Off the top of my head (so I'm sure I'll leave off an important main theme or two) the only really valuable things I learned in my second semester of physics were E&M, sound, light interference, and mirrors/lenses. The class covered a good amount more naturally but, for example, I haven't come across relativistic speeds on any practice problems yet. I guess it could be fair game but pretty low yield and seemingly a worse value to wait to learn it and thus push back your MCAT.

So how much orgo have you taken? I see a good mix of orgo 1 and 2 on practice materials...

 

[jmin]

Because you are on a term based system I can't say for sure where the 2nd term leaves off and the 3rd term picks up. It seems a given to me that you had all your kinetics, etc in the 1st and 2nd terms. Torque usually comes in later but still I'd imagine you go through it in 2 terms. Off the top of my head (so I'm sure I'll leave off an important main theme or two) the only really valuable things I learned in my second semester of physics were E&M, sound, light interference, and mirrors/lenses. The class covered a good amount more naturally but, for example, I haven't come across relativistic speeds on any practice problems yet. I guess it could be fair game but pretty low yield and seemingly a worse value to wait to learn it and thus push back your MCAT.

So how much orgo have you taken? I see a good mix of orgo 1 and 2 on practice materials...

Thanks for your reply.

3rd term focuses a lot on E&M and mirrors/lenses. 3rd term also covers relativity, duality, uncertainty, and a few other things.

Maybe I can study ahead for third term physics during my second term of physics? Or does the knowledge build upon itself? Hmm

And so far I've taken 1 term of organic chemistry + lab. Got 2 more terms to go!

 

[Lil Mick]

I took the MCAT without all of the pre-recs. I wouldn't recommend it, but it is definitely doable. I self-taught a lot of the physics and chemistry on the PS section during the semester before I took the exam, and I still ended up with a pretty high score on that section. However, you need to be the type of person with a high drive to study on your own. If you aren't and can't get through it on your own, you won't do as well on the MCAT.

 

[TTigers70]

E&M and mirrors/lenses are definitely important (as well as the other things I mentioned). As a starting point, get those concepts down whether you have to front teach it to yourself or however you may work it out. Then I think you can worry about the other stuff you'll learn in your third term. I've never seen any duality/ difficult quantum stuff on meaningful MCAT prep. I don't want to say blow it off and then you have a whole section on it, but rather focus on the high yield topics first.

1 term of orgo concerns me for some reason. There is arguably less orgo on the exam than physics but I've found my class preparation helped leaps and bounds for orgo whereas the other subjects are really supported with MCAT-specific prep materials. Most of the (more) complicated concepts will be explained in a passage but familiarity helped me a lot at least. Just something to consider.

 

[SoyRicoSuave]

I had a particle in a box passage on my MCAT, so it would be nice but if you said your planning on taking the MCAT in June then you'd take it while reaching the end of your term.
My gf is doing this right now and seems to handling it fine, mind you she studies everyday.
I say do it over taking a year off, worst case: you don't feel ready for the MCAT and take it in late July or early August.

I submitted my primary and a couple of secondaries without my MCAT score back yet this cycle (took it in August) and it didn't seem to hurt my chances.

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M.D. Class of 2015!

 

[jmin]

1 term of orgo concerns me for some reason. There is arguably less orgo on the exam than physics but I've found my class preparation helped leaps and bounds for orgo whereas the other subjects are really supported with MCAT-specific prep materials. Most of the (more) complicated concepts will be explained in a passage but familiarity helped me a lot at least. Just something to consider.

To clarify - I am taking two terms of organic chemistry this summer. So I will have taken ochem before taking the MCATs.
I'm just hoping summer ochem will cover enough of the necessary knowledge! And that I won't drown in the massive amounts of info overload.

I had a particle in a box passage on my MCAT, so it would be nice but if you said your planning on taking the MCAT in June then you'd take it while reaching the end of your term.
My gf is doing this right now and seems to handling it fine, mind you she studies everyday.
I say do it over taking a year off, worst case: you don't feel ready for the MCAT and take it in late July or early August.

I submitted my primary and a couple of secondaries without my MCAT score back yet this cycle (took it in August) and it didn't seem to hurt my chances.

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M.D. Class of 2015!

Ah okay, thanks for sharing! So if I take it in July or August, it really shouldn't hurt me too much?
Hopefully I'll take it June, and July at the latest. But yeah, I would hate to put my apps off for another year. I'm already a year behind!

 

[SFO-IST]

the answer to your question has less to do with your school schedule and more to do with the rest of your application. Even if you can make it this year, taking an extra year will get you more options when you do apply.