Taking the MCAT freshmen year?

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browneyes124

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I have been doing dual enrollment all through out high school so ill come in with around 40 credits. I really would like to finish as early as possible ( I have my reasons). My major is B.S in Neuroscience. I will be taking 18 credit hours a semester, including summer so I should be finished in 2 years. God willingly. But this has made me realize I will have to take the MCAT at the end of my freshmen year :arghh:
I will be doing HSPS and be a surgeon for the Navy... but this is all stressing me out.. I know the obvious answer is not to finish as soon as possible but that is not an option. So how should I study for it? Should I start study at the beginning of my freshmen year? Take it the summer of my freshmen year and go to med school technically in what would be my junior year? any advice ???

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Whoa. Pump the brakes. I don't think you realize it, but you are setting yourself up to crash hardcore. I understand that you have your reasons for wanting to graduate/matriculate early, but hear me out.

You learn a lot more in college than course material. When I began college at 18, I was under the impression that I was already prepared for the road to graduate school that lay ahead of me. I thought I knew how to study, manage my time, and conduct myself with professionalism. I could not have been more wrong. Without sounding cliche, you really do develop as a person during your college years. A successful graduate will not only have a diploma in hand and a high GPA, but will also have the maturity and insight to tackle what lies ahead. I was certain that I was on a "fast track" to pharmacy school my freshman year. It was not long after that I realized it just wasn't for me. I ditched the Pharm.D. and threw myself into the nebulousness of being undecided. It took me until the end of my sophomore to even begin to consider going to medical school. I did a lot of soul searching, rocked my classes, and had a great time doing it. I assume that you're either 18 or 19. I strongly advise you to enjoy it. You'll have plenty of time to be a medical student, plenty of time to be a resident, and more than enough time to be a physician.

I have an acceptance to a really great DO school, and am waiting to hear back from two MD programs. I didn't rush it, and no one beat me to the finish line. I hope you do the same.

As an anecdote, I spoke with an ER doc a few years ago. I told her I was pre-med, and she asked me if I was on a fast track. I said no. She gave a huge sigh of relief and told me she was happy to hear it. She told me that she did a 2+4 undergraduate/medical school program, and that it was nothing but an oversized dump truck load of unnecessary stress.

So, my advice is to consider what your reasons for wanting to graduate early are, and then reconsider them. I admit that I am not fully aware of your situation, and I do not pretend to be. I do, however, think that taking the MCAT after freshman year is crazy. I would have lost my mind.

Anyway, that's all my 22 years of wisdom and experience have to offer. Best of luck to you.
 
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Go for it, a classmate got accepted at 19 and was in medical school at 20, but it takes truly exceptional performance. With a 41 MCAT and summa cum laude you have a shot at a lot of schools.

He was still rejected from many (probably because of the age factor)
 
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Whoa. Pump the brakes. I don't think you realize it, but you are setting yourself up to crash hardcore. I understand that you have your reasons for wanting to graduate/matriculate early, but hear me out.

You learn a lot more in college than course material. When I began college at 18, I was under the impression that I was already prepared for the road to graduate school that lay ahead of me. I thought I knew how to study, manage my time, and conduct myself with professionalism. I could not have been more wrong. Without sounding cliche, you really do develop as a person during your college years. A successful graduate will not only have a diploma in hand and a high GPA, but will also have the maturity and insight to tackle what lies ahead. I was certain that I was on a "fast track" to pharmacy school my freshman year. It was not long after that I realized it just wasn't for me. I ditched the Pharm.D. and threw myself into the nebulousness of being undecided. It took me until the end of my sophomore to even begin to consider going to medical school. I did a lot of soul searching, rocked my classes, and had a great time doing it. I assume that you're either 18 or 19. I strongly advise you to enjoy it. You'll have plenty of time to be a medical student, plenty of time to be a resident, and more than enough time to be a physician.

I have an acceptance to a really great DO school, and am waiting to hear back from two MD programs. I didn't rush it, and no one beat me to the finish line. I hope you do the same.

As an anecdote, I spoke with an ER doc a few years ago. I told her I was pre-med, and she asked me if I was on a fast track. I said no. She gave a huge sigh of relief and told me she was happy to hear it. She told me that she did a 2+4 undergraduate/medical school program, and that it was nothing but an oversized dump truck load of unnecessary stress.

So, my advice is to consider what your reasons for wanting to graduate early are, and then reconsider them. I admit that I am not fully aware of your situation, and I do not pretend to be. I do, however, think that taking the MCAT after freshman year is crazy. I would have lost my mind.

Anyway, that's all my 22 years of wisdom and experience have to offer. Best of luck to you.
How soon did you start studying for the MCAT and did you do alot of self studying like prep books or did you actually go to MCAT seminars ?
 
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Go for it, a classmate got accepted at 19 and was in medical school at 20, but it takes truly exceptional performance. With a 41 MCAT and summa cum laude you have a shot at a lot of schools.

He was still rejected from many (probably because of the age factor)
Is there a age restriction? And do you know how he studied for it?
 
Is there a age restriction?
There is no age restriction but they are concerned about the maturity and life experiences of young applicants. Interviews involve a lot of questions that try and elucidate your ability to communicate with future patients. You can be asked things like "How do you feel about euthanasia?" or "What are your thoughts on the Affordable Care Act?".. The biggest disadvantage of applying very young is that they will question your ability to interact with a patients so you need to demonstrate that in your essays and interviews.

Do you know how he studied for it?
Not specifically but I would suggest practicing for the Verbal section if you start early, as it doesn't require any prior scientific knowledge to practice.. And a 38 is no good if it's 15/8/15
 
To the OP's defense, there are some schools whose normal premed classes can be finished in more or less 1 year (gen chem, ochem, physics, bio) but this is rare.

I would only even consider it if you were trying to take the old MCAT before the new one comes.
 
There is no age restriction but they are concerned about the maturity and life experiences of young applicants. Interviews involve a lot of questions that try and elucidate your ability to communicate with future patients. You can be asked things like "How do you feel about euthanasia?" or "What are your thoughts on the Affordable Care Act?".. The biggest disadvantage of applying very young is that they will question your ability to interact with a patients so you need to demonstrate that in your essays and interviews.


Not specifically but I would suggest practicing for the Verbal section if you start early, as it doesn't require any prior scientific knowledge to practice.. And a 38 is no good if it's 15/8/15

Precisely.
 
if I had a chance to redo college I think the optimal time to take the MCAT would've been after my sophomore year, and my only bio class going into college was basic biology (not AP). is there a way to shift your schedule so that you have a very light course load the summer after freshman year, maybe at the expense of taking more courses in your sophomore (senior) year? assuming that high school/freshman year covers all the core classes (physics, general chemistry, organic chemistry, cell bio/genetics/physio, maybe basic biochemistry), if you study over the summer like a full-time job and take the test right before school starts in the fall, you should smash it.
 
There is no age restriction but they are concerned about the maturity and life experiences of young applicants. Interviews involve a lot of questions that try and elucidate your ability to communicate with future patients. You can be asked things like "How do you feel about euthanasia?" or "What are your thoughts on the Affordable Care Act?".. The biggest disadvantage of applying very young is that they will question your ability to interact with a patients so you need to demonstrate that in your essays and interviews.


Not specifically but I would suggest practicing for the Verbal section if you start early, as it doesn't require any prior scientific knowledge to practice.. And a 38 is no good if it's 15/8/15
Didn't they take that section out of the new MCAT?
 
if I had a chance to redo college I think the optimal time to take the MCAT would've been after my sophomore year, and my only bio class going into college was basic biology (not AP). is there a way to shift your schedule so that you have a very light course load the summer after freshman year, maybe at the expense of taking more courses in your sophomore (senior) year? assuming that high school/freshman year covers all the core classes (physics, general chemistry, organic chemistry, cell bio/genetics/physio, maybe basic biochemistry), if you study over the summer like a full-time job and take the test right before school starts in the fall, you should smash it.
are you suggesting taking maybe only 9-12 hours in the summer of my freshmen/sophomore year so I can study for the MCAT and take it my sophomore year? Also how did you study for the MCAT?
 
are you suggesting taking maybe only 9-12 hours in the summer of my freshmen/sophomore year so I can study for the MCAT and take it my sophomore year? Also how did you study for the MCAT?
something like that. I don't know how credit hours work. depending on your background and target score you probably want to set aside a few hours (4-8) every day for the whole summer. I actually forgot the MCAT is changing after january and this one will probably be more difficult because there is another section that is not traditionally covered by intro courses.
 
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