Hi gatewasani, I can try to help you out. I've been a long time lurker on this site but this is my first post. I'm in a somewhat similar situation as yours so I can give you some advice. I'm also working twice a week, I plan on taking my mcat in May/June, and my gpa is slightly higher than yours. I'm also using EK complete package but in combination with the Kaplan course.
1.) First, If you plan on taking the MCAT in April or May, you should really begin to study now. Even if its 2-3 hours a day, it better than cramming a month or two before your actual exam date. Then, you really need to set aside your priorities and make a study schedule for yourself. If you feel that a full courseload will leave you to a minimal study time for the mcat, then you should consider dropping a class or two and take those classes the next semester. The mcat requires a lot of content review studying and taking as many practice exams as you can. If you have not done well in your pre-med courses, you really need to spend time perfecting your knowledge on the subjects for the mcat. You should leave atleast a month to take practice exams to be comfortable with the exam material and format including timing.
You also need to factor in your work days and make your study schedule around that. I work twice a day as a tutor for my school so I pretty much get paid for studying. If you have to work on Tues. and Fri. then make time to study atleast 1-2 hours on those days and study more on other days. Also remember to take breaks every now and then because you don't want to be burnt out. The first 1-2 months should be hardcore studying and then the last 2-3 months should be light review and practice exams. It's really up to you on how much time you think you need to study the material. Only you know your study habits the best. I suggest reading the 30+ study habits forum to get an idea on how other people have studied. You may find several people who have had similar study time and are using the same materials as you.
I believe the latest you can take your mcat for fall 2010 is in August. However, you need to consider the time it takes for you to complete your primary application along with your secondaries. I would suggest not to take your mcat no later than the end of June/ beginning of July so you can get everything in by atleast early/mid August. Since you don't have a strong GPA, I would suggest taking the mcat early and applying early. Only do this if you have a strong mcat though. With a gpa of 3.2, I would think you need atleast 32+ to be considered competitive. So you really should take the mcat when you feel most prepared. This is one thing you should never rush. If you feel that you need more time to study and can score high, take it in August. It's better to apply in August with a 32 mcat than with a 28 mcat in April. But again, only you can judge how much time you need.
2. ) The EK complete study package is good study material to have. However, you should consider getting material from another test prep company that goes in more detail. EK is good for a concise review for the subjects and is good for people who have a solid background in all the subjects. If you do not have a strong background on some of the subjects or have not well in some of your pre-med courses, you should combine EK with any other test prep material. You don't need a classroom course to do well on the mcat, but I think it would benefit you by atleast purchasing the big comprehensive book from either TPR or Kaplan. It's always good to study side by side with different test prep companys since some go in more detail than others on some topics. You should also consider buying as many practice exams as you can. The AAMC exams are the best representation for the actual exam and are good practice material. I believe the TPR ' Cracking the mcat CBT' book comes with 4 practice exams and the Kaplan comprehensive book comes with 2 practice exams. If you purchase the AAMC practice exams along with either TPR or Kaplan, you should have a good 10-12 practice exams available to you in addition to the one EK provides you.
Again, only you can tell whether 10-12 practice exams are enough for you. If you score well on them, then that's fine. But if you don't then you really need more practice exam material to be more prepared. By the time I take my mcat, I plan on taking at least 30 practice exams and dedicating at least 2 months to taking and reviewing them.
I realize that the material and practice exams are expensive, but if you really want to be well prepared for your actual exam, it's best to get your hands on as much material and practice exams as you can. The EK study package would suffice if you feel that you have a solid background in all the subjects and I think you can get away with getting at least 3-4 AAMC exams. I hear AAMC 9 and 10 are the most helpful and you also have access to the free AAMC 3. The medical school process is expensive and just think about how much money you will spend on applying to schools and sending secondaries. You really can't be cheap when it comes to the mcat because its the first or second most important thing on your application along with your gpa.
Again I'm not saying you need a classroom course or loads of material to do well. You just need to make the best from what you have. I think someone who has a decent background in all the material can get an awesome score just by studying EK materials and taking 3-5 practice exams. But then again, the person might test well and know the material. It's up to you to figure that out. If you feel that you're not getting enough information from EK, then buy other materials. If you feel that you can use more practice exams, then buy more. Just don't overwhelm yourself by buying so much material at first. Buy books and practice exams as you feel you need them. You will save money this way.
That being said, try to make a study schedule and stick to it. Start using EK materials and if you feel you need another perspective on the subject, then buy more material. Take a couple of practice exams, if you do well on them and feel that you don't need more practice then great. If you could use more practice, which everyone could, then buy more. Also don't fall behind in your classes. You need to keep up with your gpa and try to raise it this semester before you apply. A .01 increase can make a difference in your application. Drop a class or two if you feel like its too much and most importantly take the mcat when your most prepared. Don't worry about being early. The average age of people entering medical school is 23-25. You can take a year off, improve your gpa, improve your extracurriculars, gain more clinical experience and still be considered early and probably more competitive depending on your mcat score.
Figure out what's best for you to keep up with your gpa, do well on your mcat, and still be competitive for medical school. This just advice so you don't need to take all or any of it. But I do hope it helped you somewhat. Let me know if you need more advice. Would be glad to help out.
Oh and yes the exam is on the computer. It's a CBT MCAT ( Computer based test) mcat. Scratch paper will be provided to you and you would use that to work out your problems. If you havent already, I would suggest taking a practice exam online to see where you stand and just to get familiar with the test format. I think Kaplan/PR offers a free one their websites or you can take the AAMC 3.
Good Luck!
Queenshawtii: You can purchase AAMC exams from
www.e-mcat.com. I'm not too sure about the TBR CBT exams, but I believe they have 3 cbts available for $100, 5 cbts for $150, and 7 cbts for $200. You can purchase them from this website :
http://www.berkeley-review.com/TBR/home-study.html
