Please list pros and cons of taking a semester off for MCAT?

[ClarkKentofPreMD]

What are some of pros and cons of taking a semester off for MCAT study?

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[gyngyn]

What are some of pros and cons of taking a semester off for MCAT study?

Gaps in a resume raise eyebrows. The differential diagnosis includes several serious problems.

 

[pepocho]

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[DrOMG]

Stop being lazy. Get a pen and paper and figure it out for yourself. No-one on here can give you that kind of information as it depends completely on your circumstances. E.g. Do you work? Loss of wages. Volunteer? Loss of hours. How far will it push you back? Some colleges only offer a class once a year so you may have to push off your graduation for a year, etc, etc.... you get my point.

 

[ClarkKentofPreMD]

Here is a suggestion (not a recommendation but just a another way to do this). Some people will take the MCAT at the end of their junior summer. This puts them at a disadvantage for the med school cycle so most of these people will wait and apply for the cycle after that. This means they must take a gap year after college. You will have time to study for the MCAT, and during that year you will have time to increase ECs during this time, and time to relax and hang with family.

Obviously the cons are a year loss of your life but it is only one year. Also, as gyngyn, you MUST do something during this gap year. It will look bad on your resume if you decided to be unproductive during this gap year.

Again, just a suggestion you should consider. However, since I do not know your circumstances it may not work for you.

I will be starting my senior year this fall semester and I'm signed up for 13 credits. If I take this semester off I will be graduating at the end of next fall. I just want a really good score on the mcat 40+. Will it look bad if I apply for medical school next summer and they see that I have taken a semester off or it doesn't matter? How does that process go?

 

[ClarkKentofPreMD]

Gaps in a resume raise eyebrows. The differential diagnosis includes several serious problems.

Thank you for your advice. I won't take off the semester. I'm just going to go hard on it.

 

[moisne]

I will be starting my senior year this fall semester and I'm signed up for 13 credits. If I take this semester off I will be graduating at the end of next fall. I just want a really good score on the mcat 40+. Will it look bad if I apply for medical school next summer and they see that I have taken a semester off or it doesn't matter? How does that process go?

40+ probably not gonna happen...

 

[TheBossDoctor]

I will be starting my senior year this fall semester and I'm signed up for 13 credits. If I take this semester off I will be graduating at the end of next fall. I just want a really good score on the mcat 40+. Will it look bad if I apply for medical school next summer and they see that I have taken a semester off or it doesn't matter? How does that process go?

Why 40+? A 35 would be equally good.

A lot of people take it during the school year and still do fine, so I'm sure it will raise eyebrows if you have to take time off during the year to study. Don't take time off. Just take easier classes and cut back (NOT eliminate) the number of hours with work/activities and you'll be fine. It's not that hard.

 

[ClarkKentofPreMD]

40+ probably not gonna happen...

Everything is located in one's perception.

 

[ciestar]

Dude, where can I get your self confidence? I'm sitting over here thinking I'm doomed for the mcat

 

[nOchemallday]

Everything is located in one's perception.

Can't use search function on SDN (however poor it may be) - expects 40+ on MCAT. It would appear that the improbable is also "located in [your] perception."

On an almost more serious note, you should start a diary about your progress as you study. Some others may recall this gem of a thread.

 

[aegistitan]

Why don't you take a light credit load that semester? Take 1 "serious" class for your major, or maybe a higher level science class to supplement MCAT prep (biochem/genetics), then two attendance-based electives (perhaps online - if you want to be even more thorough make sure it doesn't show up on your transcript as online), and 3 credits worth of research (if possible).. At my school there are several classes that are pretty much attendance based. If they're in lecture halls feel free to do your other work. I've even seen some students take laptops and do work for their other classes in fine arts classes, which in retrospect I'm surprised the professor didn't notice when we were in a dance class watching performances.

That way you keep up your research anyway, and you can spend a good 30-40 hrs/week studying for the MCAT.. The one thing I'm concerned with is whether or not taking the minimum number of credits to be considered full time (12 at my school) is bad. If it is, maybe take another online course or take a course that only meets the first half of the semester, that way you only take it during your content review and spend the latter half concentrating on practice questions.

If you wanted to I suppose you could enroll in only online classes that semester too, that way you don't even need to live on campus. You could be anywhere, take your classes and study for the MCAT - although this may be a tad drastic.

 

[ClarkKentofPreMD]

Why don't you take a light credit load that semester? Take 1 "serious" class for your major, or maybe a higher level science class to supplement MCAT prep (biochem/genetics), then two attendance-based electives (perhaps online - if you want to be even more thorough make sure it doesn't show up on your transcript as online), and 3 credits worth of research (if possible).. At my school there are several classes that are pretty much attendance based. If they're in lecture halls feel free to do your other work. I've even seen some students take laptops and do work for their other classes in fine arts classes, which in retrospect I'm surprised the professor didn't notice when we were in a dance class watching performances.

That way you keep up your research anyway, and you can spend a good 30-40 hrs/week studying for the MCAT.. The one thing I'm concerned with is whether or not taking the minimum number of credits to be considered full time (12 at my school) is bad. If it is, maybe take another online course or take a course that only meets the first half of the semester, that way you only take it during your content review and spend the latter half concentrating on practice questions.

If you wanted to I suppose you could enroll in only online classes that semester too, that way you don't even need to live on campus. You could be anywhere, take your classes and study for the MCAT - although this may be a tad drastic.

I'm taking two upper level science courses that are required for my bio degree and statistics. One of the upper level is an online course and the other one is called neurology of pain. Apparently the professor of neurology of pain is amazing!! So I have school only 2 days and long breaks in between those two days. In total I have signed up for 9 credits. I dropped micro. I will be taking that next semester with molecular. I got A in both biochem and genetics . Cell biology is the worst even though I got an A. It was a pain. I hated it.

I just started TBR physics and finished two chapters. I understood 95% of it. It is intense and tricky but I'm getting the hang of it. I cannot afford TBR CBT or else I would definitely get them. My friend gave me 2 AAMC CBTs.

 

[aegistitan]

I'm taking two upper level science courses that are required for my bio degree and statistics. One of the upper level is an online course and the other one is called neurology of pain. Apparently the professor of neurology of pain is amazing!! So I have school only 2 days and long breaks in between those two days. In total I have signed up for 9 credits. I dropped micro. I will be taking that next semester with molecular. I got A in both biochem and genetics . Cell biology is the worst even though I got an A. It was a pain. I hated it.

I just started TBR physics and finished two chapters. I understood 95% of it. It is intense and tricky but I'm getting the hang of it. I cannot afford TBR CBT or else I would definitely get them. My friend gave me 2 AAMC CBTs.

9 credits might leave you as a part time student, or at least it would at my school. I don't know how adcoms feel about doing a semester as a part-time student... I also do not know if it will affect your financial aid/other school-specific situations

 

[ClarkKentofPreMD]

9 credits might leave you as a part time student, or at least it would at my school. I don't know how adcoms feel about doing a semester as a part-time student... I also do not know if it will affect your financial aid/other school-specific situations

It is the only choice I have if I want to do well on the MCAT. I have not taken physics 2 yet so I have to learn that on my own and from what I have heard physics 2 is the only thing mcat tests you on.
I had a 2.7 in a community college before I transferred to a 4 year school. This was four semesters ago. Then each of these four semesters I took 17 credits (3.92GPA), 17 credits (4.00GPA), 18 credits (3.95GPA), and 17 credits (3.86GPA 1B+ in a 3 credit elective class (( FML) in order. I took most of my science courses and pre-reqs at this 4 year school. This upcoming fall semester I'm looking at a 4.00GPA in these 9 credits and a 40+ on the MCAT in january. I only have two days of school and 5 days for MCAT. No labs . If I finish it the way I have it planned. I'm sure the adcom won't mind. As far as financial aid goes it does cover it and I have won scholarships so that covers my tuition also. At my school 12 credits are considered full time. I just want to do really well on the MCAT. I started with Berkeley physics and right now I'm finishing up chapter 3. Any tips for getting acing the mcat?

By the way I believe in mind over matter.

 

[Aerus]

You haven't taken Physics 2 (arguably one of the most difficult prereqs to self-conceptualize) and you only understood 95% of the TBR Reading. It's good to aim high but people who have aced all their prereqs and understand 100% of the readings have enough trouble getting a 35+ on the MCAT. Getting a 40 isn't something you can just expect and given your academic record and progress on studying so far, it's unlikely that it will happen.

In any case, there is a lot of useful information in the MCAT Discussions sub-forums. Go have a look there. Best of luck with your MCAT studying.


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[ClarkKentofPreMD]

You haven't taken Physics 2 (arguably one of the most difficult prereqs to self-conceptualize) and you only understood 95% of the TBR Reading. It's good to aim high but people who have aced all their prereqs and understand 100% of the readings have enough trouble getting a 35+ on the MCAT. Getting a 40 isn't something you can just expect and given your academic record and progress on studying so far, it's unlikely that it will happen.

In any case, there is a lot of useful information in the MCAT Discussions sub-forums. Go have a look there. Best of luck with your MCAT studying.


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Thank you!
"practice makes perfect"