Taking the 2015(or well 2016 now) MCAT without finishing pre-reqs

[Ischemia1032]

My school structures pre-med in such a way we finish all of our science pre-reqs except physics by the end of sophmore year, physics we take through junior year. BU has an early admission program to their medical school while in undergrad but I need to take the MCAT. I am currently a freshman, you apply second sem of sophmore year, so I basically would have to start self-studying soon. I will have Bio I/II, Cell Bio, Gen Chem I/II, Orgo I, Biochem I(maybe) at most. I know the new MCAT is more biological focus, and some extra psyc and sociology and has less focus on the physical sciences overall. Is it possible to self-study for it? this obviously can primarily be answered by those who have taken the new MCAT.

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[Okazaki Frag Grenade]

You would definitely want biochem prior to the MCAT as this seems to make up a large portion of the test. Even if not explicitly biochem type questions, it is still involved in a majority of the chem and bio sections.

I would also recommend doing physics before the MCAT as well. Multiple adcoms on SDN have stated that a single, strong MCAT is better than a mediocre followed by a big improvement. So based on that, I wouldn't advise sitting for the MCAT without physics 1 and 2.

You can take the exam after junior year and be applying during your senior year without taking a gap year. You would miss out on the early admission at BU though.

What kind of score is the early admit program expecting?

 

[efle]

Really depends how comfortable you are self-teaching the subjects you're lacking. I personally think it's totally manageable to teach yourself a subject for the test (I did for physics).

Biochem is very memorization-heavy though, so if you plan to pursue this you'd probably want to treat MCAT prep as a part time job all summer.

 

[Ischemia1032]

Interesting, I mean I really want to do that, honestly I feel like I really click with BUSM and their core ideas/curriculm. HOWEVER, I defintiely don't want to try it and risk not doing well. I am confused, how do medical schools know how many times you took it? Is it explicity told, are you required to send all scores. If that is the case, then I totally get the reasoning of once or not at all.

 

[gyngyn]

Interesting, I mean I really want to do that, honestly I feel like I really click with BUSM and their core ideas/curriculm. HOWEVER, I defintiely don't want to try it and risk not doing well. I am confused, how do medical schools know how many times you took it? Is it explicity told, are you required to send all scores. If that is the case, then I totally get the reasoning of once or not at all.

AMCAS sends all scores.

 

[efle]

Interesting, I mean I really want to do that, honestly I feel like I really click with BUSM and their core ideas/curriculm. HOWEVER, I defintiely don't want to try it and risk not doing well. I am confused, how do medical schools know how many times you took it? Is it explicity told, are you required to send all scores. If that is the case, then I totally get the reasoning of once or not at all.

They'll see all scores. I would not recommend anyone take it without feeling fully prepared.

But, I think you can become fully prepared without a class on the subject. People study for the MCAT from MCAT prep materials because classes are poor prep, all they can do is try to familiarize you with some of the material because you forget the specifics over the following months. If you're good at BCPM and don't mind putting in the time, you can get the required background knowledge on your own. Doing well is much more about critical thinking/reasoning and the passages than any coursework prep.

 

[avgn]

IIRC OP has not been doing so hot at BU after going to college from Bronx High School of Science, "one of the best, if not the best high school in NY." Thus, I would not recommend a self-study regimen if he is having difficulty with a traditional class regimen.

Either that or he has like 4 family members sharing the account (we already know at least 2 are sharing)

 

[TypeADissection]

It can be done. My wife took hers without ever having taken physics and did well. The caveat is that she had a solid background in high school, is wicked smart and motivated to study. Not me, I'm the king of slackers and so knowing that, I didn't want to take that test (or any standardized tests) until I gave myself the best shot of doing well. I think she used Kaplan and I tried to piggy back on it but it wasn't for me. Exam Crackers was more my style. Those books should give you the foundation you need to take it, not actual classes as echoed above. And above all, do as many practice questions as you can as it exposes and reinforces how you apply the material. This adage rings true for any standardized test. Good luck. Cheers.

 

[Ischemia1032]

(3 total, I did well in high school, no current problems with classes, I have a 3.68)

 

[efle]

IIRC OP has not been doing so hot at BU after going to college from Bronx High School of Science, "one of the best, if not the best high school in NY."

I mean, he said he went there, not that he graduated top of the class and thought everything was easy. And BU has a reputation for deflation and heavy weedout! I wouldn't say a tough first semester means he can't study correctly for the MCAT, which I think we both found easier than the prereq counterparts

@Ischemia1032 what were you planning on doing this summer? That will have a big impact for you. If you're doing research full-time or something, much tougher to pull off than if you can dedicate a lot of time to prep.

 

[Ischemia1032]

I was planning to do some part-time research maybe, some shadowing, nothing too intense, nothing that would occupy more then 20-30 hours of my week.

 

[efle]

If you have 15-20 hours/week to spare that you could thoroughly work through some prep books, you should not be held back at all by lacking the coursework. Like I said above, classes are not at all a good MCAT prep, all they do is get you vaguely familiar with most topics to make prep a little quicker months or years later. Get yourself up to speed on MCAT biochem over the summer, plus whatever socio/psych/organic II you'll be lacking, and you should get a representative score.

Is the BU early accept program something that most people are accepted to that have a certain GPA/MCAT? This is all contingent on BU early accept being a good reason to prep early. Doesn't make sense if you're not wild about staying there another four years or if early accept has a very low admit rate.

 

[Ischemia1032]

It has about a 1-2% admit rate, pretty low. Not a lot of pre-meds apply but the caliber that apply are typically really high. The average accepted GPA is 3.78, MCAT is at least 85th percentile, great recs, shadowing hours, research(especially since BUSM is a huge research instiution), there are a lot of factors.

 

[avgn]

It has about a 1-2% admit rate, pretty low. Not a lot of pre-meds apply but the caliber that apply are typically really high. The average accepted GPA is 3.78, MCAT is at least 85th percentile, great recs, shadowing hours, research(especially since BUSM is a huge research instiution), there are a lot of factors.

Your early admissions program accepts only 1-2%? So if 200 apply, they take 2-3? Wtf is the point of this then, that's about the same odds as going from BU to BU med the regular route. Don't buy the hype, go the traditional route

 

[efle]

It has about a 1-2% admit rate, pretty low. Not a lot of pre-meds apply but the caliber that apply are typically really high. The average accepted GPA is 3.78, MCAT is at least 85th percentile, great recs, shadowing hours, research(especially since BUSM is a huge research instiution), there are a lot of factors.

That's an extremely low admit rate, are you sure that is accurate? BUSM has 23% of their med students come from BU undergrad (about 40 people each class), I'd be very surprised if only 2-4 of those are early app.

 

[iBro]

The new MCAT does not nullify the general consensus that you should take all the pre-reqs before studying and taking the MCAT. If anything I would think it is more important given the expanded topics in biochemistry.

 

[Ischemia1032]

efle, there is early decision obviously, but this program is highly competitive. I think the average was 2-3%< but since BUSM expanded their med school class slightly, I think they are willing to take 5-10 now, but still nothing great.

 

[efle]

The new MCAT does not nullify the general consensus that you should take all the pre-reqs before studying and taking the MCAT. If anything I would think it is more important given the expanded topics in biochemistry.

Why? Courses are bad prep, hence why you study from prep books not class notes or texts. All the prereqs can do is give you a foggy familiarity with topics when prep rolls around. You can absolutely self-teach MCAT topics!

 

[efle]

efle, there is early decision obviously, but this program is highly competitive. I think the average was 2-3%< but since BUSM expanded their med school class slightly, I think they are willing to take 5-10 now, but still nothing great.

What program is this? EMSSP? Is it open to applicants from anywhere in the country or only from within BU?

 

[Ischemia1032]

Only within BU(it's called MMEDIC)

 

[iBro]

Why? Courses are bad prep, hence why you study from prep books not class notes or texts. All the prereqs can do is give you a foggy familiarity with topics when prep rolls around. You can absolutely self-teach MCAT topics!

I thought my science courses like biochemistry, biology, experimental biochemistry and others helped me a ton for the new MCAT. Of course I didn't study out of class notes for the exam, but because I was well versed in almost every topic I could do an abbreviated content review and focus on practice exams. I found that self teaching myself some psychology and sociology topics difficult.

 

[efle]

I thought my science courses like biochemistry, biology, experimental biochemistry and others helped me a ton for the new MCAT. Of course I didn't study out of class notes for the exam, but because I was well versed in almost every topic I could do an abbreviated content review and focus on practice exams. I found that self teaching myself some psychology and sociology topics difficult.

It does take longer when it's new material, but if you have the time to dedicate, you can get fully prepared without classes!

Only within BU(it's called MMEDIC)

Gotcha. Sounds like it's a risk/reward tradeoff only you can decide on. It's feasible to get prepared for the MCAT when you have a lot of time in summer, but that's a lot of effort for slim odds.

If I've worked out the timing right, you'd also be committing yourself to the traditional applicant timeline, since a score from winter 2016 would be too old to use if you ended up applying after your senior year.

 

[avgn]

That's an extremely low admit rate, are you sure that is accurate? BUSM has 23% of their med students come from BU undergrad (about 40 people each class), I'd be very surprised if only 2-4 of those are early app.

You are forgetting about the BU --> BUSM people who are from SMED, their 7-year accelerated BS/MD. They are like 20 a year

 

[efle]

You are forgetting about the BU --> BUSM people who are from SMED, their 7-year accelerated BS/MD. They are like 20 a year

That's what I was missing. If they're already pre-admitting a bunch of people out of highschool it makes sense to have only a few more pre-admit spots for freshman/sophomores

 

[avgn]

If I've worked out the timing right, you'd also be committing yourself to the traditional applicant timeline, since a score from winter 2016 would be too old to use if you ended up applying after your senior year.

Not really. They're valid for 3 years to matriculation, most schools would allow an early sophomore summer MCAT 3 years out (so after 1 gap year). The question is would schools care that it's a Jan '17 test for an Aug '20 matriculation if a gap year is taken. I think most wouldn't give a ****

 

[efle]

Not really. They're valid for 3 years to matriculation, most schools would allow an early sophomore summer MCAT 3 years out (so after 1 gap year). The question is would schools care that it's a Jan '17 test for an Aug '20 matriculation if a gap year is taken. I think most wouldn't give a ****

Is Jan 17 -> Aug 20 not more than 3 years? Most schools in MSAR list oldest allowed I suppose OP can check there

 

[p0gono]

I thought my science courses like biochemistry, biology, experimental biochemistry and others helped me a ton for the new MCAT. Of course I didn't study out of class notes for the exam, but because I was well versed in almost every topic I could do an abbreviated content review and focus on practice exams. I found that self teaching myself some psychology and sociology topics difficult.

I found the most helpful courses for MCAT2015 not to be content-based courses but upper division biology classes that were discussion / journal club oriented. Being comfortable with interpreting scientific data and writing is a huge advantage for the new format.

It's easy to memorize amino acids on your own time, but it's pretty hard to teach yourself how to interpret primary research without lots and lots of time and motivation. I highly recommend upper division biology or psychology courses, maybe even prior to something like biochemistry.

 

[avgn]

Is Jan 17 -> Aug 20 not more than 3 years? Most schools in MSAR list oldest allowed I suppose OP can check there

It is but so are May '12 --> Aug '15 and everyone I know in this situation has not had any problems

 

[GrapesofRath]

It is but so are May '12 --> Aug '15 and everyone I know in this situation has not had any problems

https://students-residents.aamc.org/search/?q=mcatexampolicy.pdf

I think you're right. Tons of schools will accept the old MCAT even for people not applying this cycle but the cycle after(so talking Aug 2018 matriculation). The latest you could ever take the old MCAT was Jan 2015/2014 so that's way over 3 calendar years. Maybe schools made an exception for the old MCAT but I doubt it. Some though might be extra stingy with an MCAT that is say 3.5 years vs 3. You just gotta ask around.

Also btw for anybody wondering I bet more of those Boston U UGs who get in get in through Boston U's MAMs SMP as that SMP probably attracts alot of BU undergrads.