MCAT while working a full time job

[lynnier79]

I'm wondering if I can connect with anyone else who is taking the MCAT in April '04 who is NOT a student now and has a full time job (i work 65+ hours/week)


How do you motivate yourself to work at the end of a rough day?
Is anyone planning to take a prep course?
Any other tips?

Im just curious. Feel free to email me at [email protected], too, if you would rather not post.

lynnie

---

Members don't see this ad.

 

[Lilith]

Hi!

I am taking the MCAT this Saturday. I work full-time as a medicinal chemist, and had been out of school for three years. I decided not to take a review course since I don't have time for it. It is really hard at first study after a full day of work. I had been studying everynight for 4-6 hours during the weekdays, and 10+ hours on the weekends for the past two months. Although I don't know if I can break 30+ on this test, I realize that I still can sit down and study. This means a lot to me, because med school will require much more effort and devotion than studying for the MCAT. If I can't study, that means that school is not for me. Seeing my scores improving over the course of the last two months, I know that it can be done.

The important things are to look for good study materials, set a strict study schedule, and be willing to sacrifice your fun time for your dream. I recommend EK materials, and Berkeley review. They are good for someone like me who is rusty on the subjects. Good luck!

 

[lynnier79]

thanks everyone for the great tips! it sounds like there are a lot of different strategies that work for different people.

ive managed to get the exam krackers books, and i agree with everyone that they seem to have a good grasp of the basic info without being too overwhelming. i plan to review the material over the next couple of months, and then really move on to working on problems starting in january sometime.

i hope to take a review course, though the one im going to do it 45 mins away.... not ideal, but could still be ok.

anyway, thanks again for the great advice -- i look forward to even more in the future.

lynnie

 

[Thundrstorm]

Well, I only worked 40 hrs/wk this summer while studying, but what I did was study at night after work at a bookstore. I wasn't home, so I couldn't sleep or watch tv. I just went straight from work and studied until the store closed (11pm). I also studied every weekend, averaging 20-30 hrs/wk. It sucked and I ate alot of deli sandwiches for dinner, but it started to feel like part of my routine and really wasn't all that bad. Whatever you decide to do, just make it a regular part fo your schedule and don't allow yourself to make excuses.

 

[jjannie]

after reading all your posts, I feel the pain. i'm working +40hrs/wk and planing to take mcat this august 04. i was just wondered after all those hard work, did it work for you guys? and how well did you guys do on the test? what else did you wish that you should have done?

thanks
just a follower....

 

[DSM]

I currently work a full time job, take two classes at a university and I am taking the mcat in april......I study when I can and I make time....I am using the audio osmosis to help me study when I can not hold a book....like when I am driving, exercising, cleaning house, you name it....This has helped a lot.

 

[jjannie]

wow, you are tough. thanks for the advice. it sounds good. hopefully it might work for me too.
good luck to you. let me know how you do in the april.

 

[ozarka]

i took the mcat while working part time but i was in school full-time and did a lot of what deepsouthmedic did. Audio OSmisis was really useful.

 

[NonTradMed]

I work full time and am currently studying for the MCAT. The company I work at "expects" 50 hours....but as I see no future in the company and have no big payments or dependents....I can afford to slack off with my 40 hour work week!

I started out feeling very motivated for the exam, but it faltered in March. It is definitely not easy to study for the MCAT while holding down a fulltime job.....but then I realized it is never easy under ANY circumstances! There are no "midway" checkpoints for those of us studying on our own, and the only exam we have is the real one LOL! After a hard day at work, it isn't always easy to crack the books at night and weekends, especially when you have friends going out all times of the week.

The inspiration I draw from is my school days. I went to a competitive college where so many people were premed, or heading to grad school, so all my friends studied into the wee hours every night.....as did I. I just pretend that the full day of work is like taking a full load of classes and doing studying/homework for THEM. At the end of the day, full time students still have to study the MCAT on top of their other classes. So I just follow my old college schedule of doing five hours studying on sat. and sunday and 2-3 hours a night on week nights. It's been working out ok. I also keep telling myself in some ways I'm luckier than my college counterparts in that I have nothing else to study for. To have to study for five or six classes and than do MCAT prep would strain my brain! I guess with thoughts like these, it gets me through....

I feel somewhat unprepared for the MCAT, but I've decided to go for it anyway, but I am pretty sure I will have to retake it in August....but who knows?