The Official 01/28/2012 MCAT Club

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.Test Date.: Saturday, January 28, 2012
.Exam Start Time.: 1 p.m.
.Registration Opens.: October 12, 2011
...Tentative.. Score Release Date.: February 28, 2012
.After 5 p.m. ET.

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Wow its been a while since I browsed the MCAT section of SDN. I remember being in the same position as you guys about a year ago: Setting up my study schedule, getting the books, registering for the Jan. MCAT, etc.

Good luck to all of you!!! Use your winter break wisely!
Thanks! Congrats on that great MCAT score and your acceptances! Any advice for MCAT studying?
 
I just signed up for this! I'm a first-timer, just graduated from college and am now working 65+ hrs/week in a lab and a restaurant. I wish I took this while I was still in school. I think I'll do two hours in the morning before work, audio osmosis while I'm at work, and two hours when I get home. That's feasible, right? :(

I'd be interested in a skype group or something along those lines.
 
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EK 101, and AAMC practice tests

i know you didn't use the LSAT material, but i'm just wondering, have you heard of LSAT verbal being similar/close to other MCAT materials (EK101/TPRH) and is that why you recommended it?

thanks
 
I just registered for the mcat, after a horrible 8/23 test. 1/28 needs to work out for me. going to make this happen. lets do it!

got a 9/8Q/7:)confused:) don't know what happened in bio, but i guess i have some serious flaws. if i can get my PS up to an 11 i'd be stoked. likewise i need to do much much better than a measly 7 in BS.

I prepared with EK and Kaplan, using about 5 AAMC tests, getting close to 30's like 28 ish (i was looking for a miracle --> bad idea).

This time i am using the material from SN2ed's study guide. I heard a lot of good things about BR G-chem/Physics, and their passages. Hopefully it will help me fix my serious flaws and get me passed the 30+ mark.

I've still got AAMC 10,11 and TBR CBT 1-7 to use. I was looking into buying Gold Standard exams as i hear they are good for practice, especially the PS section. hopefully their 10 exams along with the 9 i have would be plenty of practice. I've got a few old MCAT's along as well, the R versions, so i am going to be using those extra passages. gotta get my hands on as much practice.
 
Hey everyone,

Registered for this test as well. I'll be applying to SMP programs come January-February. I have all the material ready and will also be following the SN2ed schedule (had I found that guide sooner, I swear my friends and I would have saved a lot of money).

Planning to start Sunday October 23 or Monday October 24. I think I'll try for Sunday since that would give me the full 97 days with an extra 1 day. I wish I had ordered the material earlier, though. I also wish I allotted more break/****-happens days...and yes I could start sooner, but Blizzcon is this weekend, and there's no way I'm missing that. So I'll aim for Sunday start day, with Monday as my safety day.

Little about myself...I'm Canadian wooo... so it's an uphill battle for me all the way. Applying to the US MD/DO schools, not even aiming for the Canadian ones...but I'll app to them anyway, maybe the SMP might change their mind.

Anyways, got all my material ready and I'm just mentally preparing myself these next few days and taking care of every small thing I can think of in my personal life.

To all January MCAT takers...what are your plans for the winter holidays? My plan is to study, but man is it going to be hard to stick to the plan...
 
i know you didn't use the LSAT material, but i'm just wondering, have you heard of LSAT verbal being similar/close to other MCAT materials (EK101/TPRH) and is that why you recommended it?

thanks

Yes, they are similar and those who have used LSAT materials have recommended it.
 
Where are you applying? I'm Canadian too and will probs need to start looking into SMPs starting next year.

I'm going to be applying broadly. BU and Georgetown are on my list for sure, will be applying right after give my January MCAT. How about you?

Not sure if all the SMPs accept Canadians, so I gotta get on finding out which ones do and their app deadlines.
 
To all January MCAT takers...what are your plans for the winter holidays? My plan is to study, but man is it going to be hard to stick to the plan...

Dec. 23 - last final (until 5pm :cool:)
Dec. 24 to Jan. 1 - maybe study some, I'll try to enjoy Christmas and I have a Campus Crusades conference for a couple days during that time as well. Probably won't get much done.
Jan. 2 to 26 - my mom works at a library, so go there with her every day and get my own study room, do FLs
 
Dec. 23 - last final (until 5pm :cool:)
Dec. 24 to Jan. 1 - maybe study some, I'll try to enjoy Christmas and I have a Campus Crusades conference for a couple days during that time as well. Probably won't get much done.
Jan. 2 to 26 - my mom works at a library, so go there with her every day and get my own study room, do FLs
Nice, very nice.

The feeling after your last final...it's just so amazing. It's like some test high that everyone gets even if you did bad.

That's very fortunate for you to have full access to the library and first dibs on study rooms! Study rooms are very useful. You just get so much work done alone in that quiet room, as opposed to the somewhat noisy area where all the books are. I'll probably just stay home; I'm too used to my 28" monitor to go back to looking at 13-17" screens on a laptop :( But the study rooms...maybe I might visit...I know regulations are different everywhere, but at your mom's library, what are the rules for signing out rooms and is it possible to do it online?
 
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Nice, very nice.

The feeling after your last final...it's just so amazing. It's like some test high that everyone gets even if you did bad.

That's very fortunate for you to have full access to the library and first dibs on study rooms! Study rooms are very useful. You just get so much work done alone in that quiet room, as opposed to the somewhat noisy area where all the books are. I'll probably just stay home; I'm too used to my 28" monitor to go back to looking at 13-17" screens on a laptop :( But the study rooms...maybe I might visit...I know regulations are different everywhere, but at your mom's library, what are the rules for signing out rooms and is it possible to do it online?

I agree, I wish I didn't have finals until basically Christmas Eve, but eh it'll feel good to be done.

It's so hard for me to study at my apartment, and it's even worse when I go home, so the study room will be awesome. I haven't gotten one yet, but I think when my mom told me about them, she said that you could reserve them and everything online, and for any length of time. I'll probably just have her do all that for me though :p
 
Man. It's amazing seeing everyone so motivated to take this exam. Goodluck to you all.

As for me, I work full-time and attend school part-time, I will be taking unpaid leave in January. I still haven't found a solid study schedule to adhere to. Since I'll be working and in class in spring and summer of 2012, there is absolutely NO WAY I can pull off taking the exam then.

I would love to hear back from someone who's working and in school (or anyone with advice really): What's your study schedule like? ExamKracker's 10 wk schedule?

Goodluck to all.
 
Man. It's amazing seeing everyone so motivated to take this exam. Goodluck to you all.

As for me, I work full-time and attend school part-time, I will be taking unpaid leave in January. I still haven't found a solid study schedule to adhere to. Since I'll be working and in class in spring and summer of 2012, there is absolutely NO WAY I can pull off taking the exam then.

I would love to hear back from someone who's working and in school (or anyone with advice really): What's your study schedule like? ExamKracker's 10 wk schedule?

Goodluck to all.


I'm sort of in the same boat. I work 50 hrs/week in a research lab and I also work 20-25 hrs/wk in a restaurant. I have very little time to study and I'm signed up for the 1/28 exam. What I've been doing so far is studying EK in the morning and ~2-3 hours when I get home from work, and I listen to Audio Osmosis (downloaded for free, shh!) while I'm in lab doing tedious tasks. I know it's not as much as most people, but it's all I can handle. I'm taking a week off around Christmastime to go home and visit my family but I'll probably cram a lot in then too. I haven't taken chemistry in over three years so I'm spending a lot of time on that. I feel okay with biology because it was my major and I work in a developmental biology lab now. I think it's just important to be honest with yourself-- assess your weaknesses, spend a lot of time improving them, and take lots of practice tests. I will be starting to take one practice test every Sunday until the test date. I think I will learn the most from those. I think the hardest part of it all is coming home from a long day at work and managing to open a book and really stick to it. Another thing I've found that's helpful is if I set a timer and if I take any breaks at all, I stop the timer. That way I know I'm studying for a full two hours or whatever I've planned for that night. Good luck!
 
Tru dat @ being honest with yourself.

Physics and Orgo are my weakest, since I haven't had them in such a long time. I spent last night transcribing the EK 10 wk home study schedule and tweaking it to accommodate my work/school schedule. I can afford 2-3 hrs of study per day and 4-6 hrs on the wknds.

I will officially inaugurate the new study plan starting Sunday Oct. 30th by taking AAMC 3. I am saving AAMC 7-11 for early January. And I am going to milk those Kaplan & Princeton Review free exams for what they're worth.

I also made an accountabilibuddy. LOL. I am sharing the spreadsheet of my study schedule on google docs with one of my friends. At the completion of each day's study, I will be entering a 'yes' in a column titled "completed". If I miss a day's study, I am going to take away one of the breaks in the schedule as a make-up. Its completely based on trust.

If anyone wants to be accountabilibuddies, holler!
 
Also consider looking at the SN2ed schedule and the 30+ MCAT scorers advice thread before finalizing your schedule.
 
I'm in this club, but does it make anyone else sad that the thread OP was banned? It's a little depressing every time I go to view new posts :(
 
I'm in this club, but does it make anyone else sad that the thread OP was banned? It's a little depressing every time I go to view new posts :(
Just checked thread OPs previous posts...apparently he/she made the account very recently and was trolling/being sexist in a lot of threads.
 
Scores:

VR: 3
PS: 6
BS: 6

I have purchased AAMC tests 4 - 10. Reviewing test 3 now to see where I went wrong. Failed to utilized any practice questions or tests to prepare. Only studied content and pulled a 6 with PS/BS. Hoping scores to significantly improve with practice.

The test is really challenging. Working on Nuclear Reactivity (Physics) any tips for subtopic? Trying to understand the difference between electron capture and beta decay. :)
 
mcat100,

Was that your diagnostic score? If that's the case, expect to improve significantly with proper/structured/efficient studying. If that is your previous actual MCAT score, I would suggest revisiting the basics and getting a foundation in the various subjects before sitting down to prepare to take the MCAT.... (if that makes sense?)

The first time you see phys, chem, orgo, bio should not be when you are starting to study for the MCAT. Khan Academy is a good resource for anyone who isn't familiar with phys, orgo, bio, and chem.

It could also just be that you're a poor test taker. No offense... but that was the case for me. I sucked at taking standardized tests. I just never knew how to properly take an exam even if I knew the content. If that's the case for you as well, get the princeton review reading comprehension for the LSAT and the Princeton review Logic games bible. These two books teach you how to read and answer questions efficiently. You might be thinking that they are unrelated to the mcat. BUT IF ONLY people knew how to manage their time and read critically... a lot of the worlds problems would be resolved. You get into a certain mindset where you are looking for loopholes... searching for things you can eliminate so you can get to a 50/50 scenario. Its pretty exciting. Those books really helped me become an efficient test taker. You can THEN apply those skills to the MCAT. So if you were presented with a question, you'd know what choices to eliminate... which choices to keep.... and how to read the passages critically to support your answer choice.

Hope that helps.
 
mcat100,

Was that your diagnostic score? If that's the case, expect to improve significantly with proper/structured/efficient studying. If that is your previous actual MCAT score, I would suggest revisiting the basics and getting a foundation in the various subjects before sitting down to prepare to take the MCAT.... (if that makes sense?)

The first time you see phys, chem, orgo, bio should not be when you are starting to study for the MCAT. Khan Academy is a good resource for anyone who isn't familiar with phys, orgo, bio, and chem.

It could also just be that you're a poor test taker. No offense... but that was the case for me. I sucked at taking standardized tests. I just never knew how to properly take an exam even if I knew the content. If that's the case for you as well, get the princeton review reading comprehension for the LSAT and the Princeton review Logic games bible. These two books teach you how to read and answer questions efficiently. You might be thinking that they are unrelated to the mcat. BUT IF ONLY people knew how to manage their time and read critically... a lot of the worlds problems would be resolved. You get into a certain mindset where you are looking for loopholes... searching for things you can eliminate so you can get to a 50/50 scenario. Its pretty exciting. Those books really helped me become an efficient test taker. You can THEN apply those skills to the MCAT. So if you were presented with a question, you'd know what choices to eliminate... which choices to keep.... and how to read the passages critically to support your answer choice.

Hope that helps.
Thanks for your assistance. Those scores were out of 15 each - not sure if diagnostic or not. I will begin studying according to a schedule next month. This month, I am randomly reviewing AAMC test 3 and Kaplan, Barron full-length tests. I really did not understand the complexity of the MCAT test. Also, I may need to take a review course.
 
I'm using NickNaylor's MCAT schedule, though SN2ed's schedule looks really useful as well. I still haven't registered for this exam yet, so I better get on that soon. :oops:
 
I'm in this club!

Have my ~90 days schedule set up for Jan MCAT...
My "rough" diagnostic is
Verbal 7
Phy Sci 8
Bio Sci 8

I'm shooting for 45 :thumbup::thumbup:
Am a re-applicant and took MCAT once before, so i know where my weakness is in each section.
Away from full time work for three months.

Let's do this!
 
I'm using NickNaylor's MCAT schedule, though SN2ed's schedule looks really useful as well. I still haven't registered for this exam yet, so I better get on that soon. :oops:
Could you link that schedule please? I can't seem to find it. Thank you!
 
Thanks!

Damn, 4.5 months long schedule? How far in are you and is it going well? Wish I had found SDN in August or something :(

I've only just started this schedule recently, since I was studying in a disorganized manner before. I still haven't registered for the January 28th MCAT, so I might take the March one if I feel like I'm not adequately prepared.
 
I've only just started this schedule recently, since I was studying in a disorganized manner before. I still haven't registered for the January 28th MCAT, so I might take the March one if I feel like I'm not adequately prepared.
I'd study hard for the January MCAT and use March as your backup date in case you fk up on the January one. That's my plan :p

Anyways, update from me:

Day 3 Orgo Chem...jesus fk this chapter is so damn long. Double the length of anything else I've read so far...god my brain hurts.

On the bright side, I've waaaaay more comfortable with acids/bases now. I think I learned more today about acids/bases than all of my undergrad :p Granted, I didn't really focus during my undergrad though, so I probably was taught all this, just didn't pay attention :(

Bio tomorrow...anyone know if I should go through the chapter and just memorize everything for bio? The orgo section of TBR actually says "Memorize this table" or "Memorize this list of prefixes for carbon chains" etc. Does the Bio section do this at all for EK Bio?
 
i'm already behind schedule. MUST KEEP UP!!!
Hope everyone is studying better than me :)
 
just dropping in. how's studying going for everybody?
also, shameless plug for the threads below for anyone also using EK to study.
Making sure you understand what you're getting wrong and how to avoid it in the future, is certainly most important, but I find posting my progress and looking at the performance of previous people helps me keep my as$ in gear when I don't wanna study. stay motivated everyone!

1. EK 30 min. exam scores thread:http://forums.studentdoctor.net/showthread.php?t=366567
2.EK 1001 Bio score thread:
http://forums.studentdoctor.net/showthread.php?t=634204&page=2
 
Just registered for 1/28, I had scheduled last year, but postponed and at the end didn't take it..I had to much work stuff going on. This date is set in stone for me though I'm applying this 2012 and this is the perfect date. So...here we go...
 
those of you who are full time students, how are you managing your mcat studies?

i keep putting school before mcat and it's stressing me out MORE
 
its definitely tough. im going to be using the next day or two to catch up with the material in school and then subsequently keep up with my material after lecture so that way when it comes to studying for the exam i don't have to waste my nights studying the material.

going to incorporate it in my schedule. def tough but doable if its a decent and realistic schedule.
 
I'm not doing too well managing both either. :(

Same. I'm working 65 hrs a week and I'm so burnt out by the end of the day that I can't focus on studying. I don't know what to do. I can't quit my job but I don't know if I can handle this test date. Since I already paid for it I might just try it and let my ****ty score motivate me to do better in March? Who knows..
 
Same. I'm working 65 hrs a week and I'm so burnt out by the end of the day that I can't focus on studying. I don't know what to do. I can't quit my job but I don't know if I can handle this test date. Since I already paid for it I might just try it and let my ****ty score motivate me to do better in March? Who knows..

It would be best if you were to reschedule. Of course if that won't work you are just going to have to tough it out. Trying to study for the MCAT when you can't give it the proper time never works.
 
Same. I'm working 65 hrs a week and I'm so burnt out by the end of the day that I can't focus on studying. I don't know what to do. I can't quit my job but I don't know if I can handle this test date. Since I already paid for it I might just try it and let my ****ty score motivate me to do better in March? Who knows..

I would suggest giving it your best -as tough as it is to keep up- and then deciding whether to take it or not after you complete 2 or 3 FL's, say AAMC 3-5; if you are not within a 2 points of your target score then postpone. You really want to get this test out of the way (I am proof of that) because the more it lingers it becomes a bigger and bigger weight on your back. On the other hand, you want to take it when you are 100% ready. That's why I suggest holding until the last day you can reschedule without a penalty to decide after taking a few FL's man.
 
I completed the VR & BS sections and working on PS of test 3. I am carefully reviewing this practice test to analyze the format. Hopefully, I will gain a clearer understanding. The VR section is very difficult. The BS and PS sections are not as difficult. It just seems as though the answer is well beyond the content expected. Overall, this test is a challenge!
 
I completed the VR & BS sections and working on PS of test 3. I am carefully reviewing this practice test to analyze the format. Hopefully, I will gain a clearer understanding. The VR section is very difficult. The BS and PS sections are not as difficult. It just seems as though the answer is well beyond the content expected. Overall, this test is a challenge!

Don't stay under the impression that the PS and BS aren't that bad. Aamc 3 isn't that representative of what the BS is like. Taking any exam from 7-11 (harder ones closer to 11) are going to be what the real mcat will be like. Honestly AAMC 3 is completely different from say AAMC 9. Atleast this is what I felt. Hope it helps in your preparation. I am finding TBR books to have very good practice and representative of what my hard passages will look like.U can get the medium difficulty ones from the tpr science workbook. The easiest ones can be found on ek 1001 bio but u are rarely ever going to run into an easy passage that requires you to regurgitate information back from the passage. Atleast I have yet to encounter it. Hope this help my friend.
 
those of you who are full time students, how are you managing your mcat studies?

i keep putting school before mcat and it's stressing me out MORE

going well actually , I'm only taking 14 hours and have easy classes...still want to do more studying..maybe I should wake up earlier everyday :rolleyes:
 
going well actually , I'm only taking 14 hours and have easy classes...still want to do more studying..maybe I should wake up earlier everyday :rolleyes:

Worked for me for September and October. But then it got cold out and my morning study trip to Starbucks was a lot less appealing, so sleep has been taking over haha.

What is everyone here doing for verbal? I have EK101 and TPR Hyperlearning. So far EK101 has been good (doing 2 passages per day).

Test 1: 8
Test 2: 8
Test 3: 12
Test 4: halfway through, on pace for an 11
 
CuCl2 + 2Cl- → CuCl4-2, the CuCl2

The CuCl2 is the Lewis acid and the Cl- is the Lewis base. What is the rationale for the Cl- acting as the Lewis base? Could you explain showing how Cl- lost electrons and the new charge associated with Cl as a product. The question referred to CuCl2 as a molecule and deemed it to be the Lewis acid in this reaction. Thanks.
 
Don't stay under the impression that the PS and BS aren't that bad. Aamc 3 isn't that representative of what the BS is like. Taking any exam from 7-11 (harder ones closer to 11) are going to be what the real mcat will be like. Honestly AAMC 3 is completely different from say AAMC 9. Atleast this is what I felt. Hope it helps in your preparation. I am finding TBR books to have very good practice and representative of what my hard passages will look like.U can get the medium difficulty ones from the tpr science workbook. The easiest ones can be found on ek 1001 bio but u are rarely ever going to run into an easy passage that requires you to regurgitate information back from the passage. Atleast I have yet to encounter it. Hope this help my friend.
Aromatic Amine - thanks for the insight. So, the AAMC tests will get more difficult... Any thoughts regarding the MCAT 45 question bank books? They are suppose to be really difficult questions. I plan on picking up a copy of one this week. Thanks.
 
Anybody scheduling campus tours of prospective med schools? Any suggestions on things to do or questions to ask while on campus?
 
TXKnight the fact that you have Camus as your avatar rocks!

Also, Just successfully completed week 1. Stayed on track throughout. There are plenty of schedules available on this website with suggested materials. I started this off with a hodgepodge of materials and an inconsistent schedule. I am now structured and have given myself some leeway to slack off once in a blue moon (9 days total out of the 11 wk schedule). I've even scheduled in vacations... well pseudo-vacations since I'll probably have flash cards or do some question drills.

Full Time job (with lots of flexibility) + part time school here. Just gotta keep telling myself that it can be done.
 
TXKnight the fact that you have Camus as your avatar rocks!

Also, Just successfully completed week 1. Stayed on track throughout. There are plenty of schedules available on this website with suggested materials. I started this off with a hodgepodge of materials and an inconsistent schedule. I am now structured and have given myself some leeway to slack off once in a blue moon (9 days total out of the 11 wk schedule). I've even scheduled in vacations... well pseudo-vacations since I'll probably have flash cards or do some question drills.

Full Time job (with lots of flexibility) + part time school here. Just gotta keep telling myself that it can be done.

Thanx GeelDaq!...Never imagined anyone would notice, but yeah I enjoy reading Camus...
:thumbup:
 
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