MCAT With a Full Course Load?

[agoron]

Hey!

I would love some advice about the MCAT. So, I'm a rising junior in undergraduate school who is planning to take the MCAT in January before it switches over to the 2015 version. I am planning on applying to medical school for fall 2016 acceptance (so applying spring-summer 2015). Next semester, I have a pretty busy semester and was just wondering if anyone had any strategies for studying the MCAT as well as having a full course load.

The positives are: 1. I will be finishing up physics and taking the MCAT right after finishing it, so it will be fresh in my mind (physics is my weakest point, so that's also good that I will have just completed it.)
2. I'm TA-ing anatomy (which I loved when I took) and I know that is a component on the MCAT, so that will also be fresh in my mind.
3. I'll be possibly tutoring orgo on and off (which I love as well), so orgo will be fresh and familiar to me as well.

Although I don't have the resources to take a prep course, I do have access to Kaplan study books and I am confident in my abilities to manage my time well and self-study for the exam. I consider myself to be strong in time management and planning, and I am definitely going to start preparing this summer for the MCAT (although not as intensely as I will next semester), and I was just hoping to get some insight and some advice on helpful timelines or self-studying strategies for studying during the semester.

If possible, I would rather take the exam before it switches over to the new version. I haven't taken any sociology or psychology courses that will prepare me for the new 2015 version, and I feel like I would be cutting it close to take it right before I apply, especially if I do poorly. If I do poorly in January, yes I would have to learn some new material to retake it with the 2015 version in the spring, but at least I would have a second chance then.

Any advice is appreciated! Thank you so much!

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[Paul Darlington]

Don't I tried and almost drowned. Believe it or not, MCAT prep is like a full time job

 

[Gauss44]

Hey!

I would love some advice about the MCAT. So, I'm a rising junior in undergraduate school who is planning to take the MCAT in January before it switches over to the 2015 version. I am planning on applying to medical school for fall 2016 acceptance (so applying spring-summer 2015). Next semester, I have a pretty busy semester and was just wondering if anyone had any strategies for studying the MCAT as well as having a full course load.

The positives are: 1. I will be finishing up physics and taking the MCAT right after finishing it, so it will be fresh in my mind (physics is my weakest point, so that's also good that I will have just completed it.)
2. I'm TA-ing anatomy (which I loved when I took) and I know that is a component on the MCAT, so that will also be fresh in my mind.
3. I'll be possibly tutoring orgo on and off (which I love as well), so orgo will be fresh and familiar to me as well.

Although I don't have the resources to take a prep course, I do have access to Kaplan study books and I am confident in my abilities to manage my time well and self-study for the exam. I consider myself to be strong in time management and planning, and I am definitely going to start preparing this summer for the MCAT (although not as intensely as I will next semester), and I was just hoping to get some insight and some advice on helpful timelines or self-studying strategies for studying during the semester.

If possible, I would rather take the exam before it switches over to the new version. I haven't taken any sociology or psychology courses that will prepare me for the new 2015 version, and I feel like I would be cutting it close to take it right before I apply, especially if I do poorly. If I do poorly in January, yes I would have to learn some new material to retake it with the 2015 version in the spring, but at least I would have a second chance then.

Any advice is appreciated! Thank you so much!

My advice: AAMC practice tests RULE.

(This means that AAMC practice tests are your best prediction of what you're actual score will be. If you're not happy with those test results, you're better off waiting to take the MCAT. The opposite is true as well, if you are happy with your AAMC practice test score, you're probably ready.)

 

[czastrow]

I am married with a 2 year old. Full time senior graduating in 2 weeks. My wife is in school full time, and I had an internship this semester. I take the mcat this coming Thursday, and I feel pretty confident I can get a decent score. It has been some late nights and not the easiest load by any means but depending who you are, it is doable. Not ideal, but doable.

 

[EMDO2018]

As soon as I saw the title, I just thought NO!

 

[HopeItWorksOut]

I was in a similar position (full time job over 40+ hrs) when it time for me to take the MCAT. I am in medical school now, so lets say I made it. I always look at blogs to see how other people have tackled the same obstacles. I would check this out. Also personally, I think it can be done, being in school full time and studying for the exam, but you must be insanely productive and disciplined. You don't want to &*$@ up your GPA either since med schools will see it.

http://medstudentintraining.wordpress.com/2014/04/19/how-to-prepare-for-the-mcat/

 

[HopeItWorksOut]

Also, know that you can borrow someone else's books or buy them on ebay/amazon and then sell them, getting most of your money back.

 

[mavric1298]

I'm in the same/worse boat, I have a upper level full time job at a hospital, and am going to school just less then full time (10 credit), and will be studying for the Jan. test as well. I think a big difference is what classes you are taking, and all of them are in fact almost "studying". My case is between now and MCAT, my classes are phys 1 this term, ochem 1/phys 2 next term, phys 3/ochem 2 fall quarter, then MCAT. This means all of my studying for classes is really MCAT content studying, and will be fresh. Now if you were taking a full course of humanities, social sciences, sciences that are only briefly covered, I think would be a big difference.

I'm also doing a middle of the road in length TPR course, I believe its 3 hours thursday nights, then Sunday's morning and evenings from late sept right into early january (about 3.5 months in total length).

Will that schedule leave any time for anything else? Not in the slightest, but can it be done, of course.

 

[Lamel]

Try to take the lightest load possible; even then it is tough.

 

[Czarcasm]

Don't I tried and almost drowned. Believe it or not, MCAT prep is like a full time job

1000% second this. Took 3 grueling science classes this semester, and even though I did extremely well in them, it left me with little to no time to prepare for the MCAT. Anytime I would try to prepare for the MCAT, I'd constantly have to play catch-up with my classes and so, I basically had to just put it aside until this May. It sucks because I wanted to finish it by May 31, but looks like I won't be taking mine until August. You know what I'll be doing this summer.