MCAT advice?

[podbod]

I'm a bit late to the game in deciding to pursue podiatry school, and I am entering my junior year of undergrad.
I will be taking organic chemistry over the fall and spring but will not have taken biochemistry (it's only offered in the fall, AFTER one has taken orgo 1&2, so I have no choice but to wait until my senior year fall to take it).

I hear the new MCAT is going to focus a lot more on biochemistry. Should I still try to take the MCAT without having taken the course the summer after my junior year, or would it be more worth it for me at this point to take more relevant courses my senior year (such as intro to psychology, [I am a bio/psych major who skipped the intro level course, so I have taken other psychology classes] intro to sociology, cell biology, a higher level physiology class) and take the MCAT after graduating, taking a gap year. Would there be cons to retaking the MCAT if I do poorly my first time, besides the fact I'll have to take either a gap year or extra year of undergrad? (Which may not be a bad things since it may afford me scholarships)

basically my 2 questions are:

1. Could I still do well on the MCAT without having taken the courses mentioned above? [Assuming I pull off all the stunts, take an expensive course, buy all the best books, study 6 hours a day, everyday, for 2-3 months]
2. Is there anything wrong with taking an MCAT twice, besides:

-having to sacrifice all that study time (basically, two summers would disappear)
-having to wait for the next admissions cycle

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[ashtonmccants]

I'm a bit late to the game in deciding to pursue podiatry school, and I am entering my junior year of undergrad.
I will be taking organic chemistry over the fall and spring but will not have taken biochemistry (it's only offered in the fall, AFTER one has taken orgo 1&2, so I have no choice but to wait until my senior year fall to take it).

I hear the new MCAT is going to focus a lot more on biochemistry. Should I still try to take the MCAT without having taken the course the summer after my junior year, or would it be more worth it for me at this point to take more relevant courses my senior year (such as intro to psychology, [I am a bio/psych major who skipped the intro level course, so I have taken other psychology classes] intro to sociology, cell biology, a higher level physiology class) and take the MCAT after graduating, taking a gap year. Would there be cons to retaking the MCAT if I do poorly my first time, besides the fact I'll have to take either a gap year or extra year of undergrad? (Which may not be a bad things since it may afford me scholarships)

basically my 2 questions are:

1. Could I still do well on the MCAT without having taken the courses mentioned above? [Assuming I pull off all the stunts, take an expensive course, buy all the best books, study 6 hours a day, everyday, for 2-3 months]
2. Is there anything wrong with taking an MCAT twice, besides:

-having to sacrifice all that study time (basically, two summers would disappear)
-having to wait for the next admissions cycle

Congratulations on your decision to pursue podiatric medicine and surgery. First off, you're not late in deciding to pursue podiatry. Many students don't decide on a medical specialty or path until their junior or senior years. I have not had the "pleasure" to take the new MCAT, but I can tell you that vigorous studying is a must. I spent 3 months studying for my test. I was studying 5-7 hours per day for 6 days a week. As far as finishing prerequisite courses is concerned, I waited until I completed all of my courses before I tested. Personally I felt this was very helpful. It is not necessary, but it made reviewing the material a lot easier. If you are able to learn large amounts of information without instruction, you do not need to complete all of your courses prior to taking the exam. There is no major penalty for taking the test twice. As a matter of fact, there are several people that take this test multiple times. I do recommend only taking it once if possible, since the MCAT is very pricey.

I don't give recommendations on what books to use. I feel that this is personal preference. Everyone has different styles of learning. I found Kaplan books and The Gold Standard MCAT series to be very helpful for my style of learning. GSM (Gold Standard MCAT) has a set of videos that covers all of science sections. They are dry and corny, but they helped me. These may not work for you, but since I am a visual learner, the combination of videos, illustrations and detailed descriptions helped me the most.

Buy all of the AAMC practice test available to you. This is by far the most helpful tip that I can give you. These are real MCAT exams and will give you an idea about the material that will be on the exam. Don't focus so much on the score you receive on the practice test. I didn't find the scores to be very accurate. Everyone will have their opinion about practice test scores, but in reality they are just a "ball park". I've seen people consistently score 25's on the practice exam and receive a 17 on the actual exam (old scoring system). Don't allow the practice test scores to be an end all, be all for you. You may do very well on one test and poorly on others. Don't let it discourage you.

Do not rush the MCAT. It is the first of many important test in your medical career. The test is not easy and at times you may want to give up. This test is meant to "thin the herd". With that being said, study like you've never studied before and make this your top priority. If you can afford it, take a prep course. Many people may disagree with this method, but prep courses will over-prepare you for the MCAT. This can be a good thing when it comes to your level of confidence on test day. They are very expensive, but it may be very helpful to you. Remember, everything that you spend (money, time, etc.) should be considered an investment. It will be hard and discouraging at times, but your hard work will eventually pay off. I wish you all the best. PM me if you have any other questions. I am always happy to help.

 

[CardsFan92]

Congratulations on your decision to pursue podiatric medicine and surgery. First off, you're not late in deciding to pursue podiatry. Many students don't decide on a medical specialty or path until their junior or senior years. I have not had the "pleasure" to take the new MCAT, but I can tell you that vigorous studying is a must. I spent 3 months studying for my test. I was studying 5-7 hours per day for 6 days a week. As far as finishing prerequisite courses is concerned, I waited until I completed all of my courses before I tested. Personally I felt this was very helpful. It is not necessary, but it made reviewing the material a lot easier. If you are able to learn large amounts of information without instruction, you do not need to complete all of your courses prior to taking the exam. There is no major penalty for taking the test twice. As a matter of fact, there are several people that take this test multiple times. I do recommend only taking it once if possible, since the MCAT is very pricey.

I don't give recommendations on what books to use. I feel that this is personal preference. Everyone has different styles of learning. I found Kaplan books and The Gold Standard MCAT series to be very helpful for my style of learning. GSM (Gold Standard MCAT) has a set of videos that covers all of science sections. They are dry and corny, but they helped me. These may not work for you, but since I am a visual learner, the combination of videos, illustrations and detailed descriptions helped me the most.

Buy all of the AAMC practice test available to you. This is by far the most helpful tip that I can give you. These are real MCAT exams and will give you an idea about the material that will be on the exam. Don't focus so much on the score you receive on the practice test. I didn't find the scores to be very accurate. Everyone will have their opinion about practice test scores, but in reality they are just a "ball park". I've seen people consistently score 25's on the practice exam and receive a 17 on the actual exam (old scoring system). Don't allow the practice test scores to be an end all, be all for you. You may do very well on one test and poorly on others. Don't let it discourage you.

Do not rush the MCAT. It is the first of many important test in your medical career. The test is not easy and at times you may want to give up. This test is meant to "thin the herd". With that being said, study like you've never studied before and make this your top priority. If you can afford it, take a prep course. Many people may disagree with this method, but prep courses will over-prepare you for the MCAT. This can be a good thing when it comes to your level of confidence on test day. They are very expensive, but it may be very helpful to you. Remember, everything that you spend (money, time, etc.) should be considered an investment. It will be hard and discouraging at times, but your hard work will eventually pay off. I wish you all the best. PM me if you have any other questions. I am always happy to help.

I'll echo what Ashton is telling you. DO NOT RUSH THE MCAT!!! To be more specific-do not take the test until you have taken all the pre-requisites. Including biochemistry. I made that mistake myself and got absolutely hammered on the orgo section because I took it without the 2nd semester.

For me, I put some serious weight to the practice scores, assuming that the practice tests have been updated to match the format of the new test. I'm sure it's happened before, but I don't know anyone who consistently scored in the low 20's or teens on their practice tests and then went and scored a 30+ on the real thing.

Studying methods are totally up to you. I used Berkeley Review, but I think I would have done a class if I had decided to take the test again. It takes a lot of self-discipline to make yourself study from those books for months on end in advance. With a class, the scheduling can be really helpful.

Finally, there is absolutely nothing wrong with waiting to take the MCAT until you're ready. You're a junior in college man, not in your 40's!! This is the time to take the time to get it right. Be patient.

 

[podbod]

Great advice, thank you very much guys. The time commitment has been my greatest internal struggle in deciding to pursue medicine and up until now, I have not even considered deciding to pursue Medical School. However, I've noticed that times are changing. 28-30 isn't old anymore. In fact, a lot of the people I know that age and approaching it are just starting to move out of their homes. That observation, along with my realization that I feel most comfortable in a classroom, are some of my reasons for making the switch. My desire to dive into the MCAT is a bit contradictory to my new found views. Thanks for calming me down and reminding me that slow and steady wins the race. I'll post again when the time comes what I have decided what to do to study for the MCAT, and again when I have found out what works for me.