The Official April 11, 2014 MCAT Thread

[txlonghorn2314]

This happens to fall on my birthday...don't know if that's a good thing or bad. Starting sn2d's 3 month program on Monday! I'm scared.

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[jrockit24]

Test Date: 4/11/14
Previous MCAT: 30 (12/8/10) the past summer
Post-Test Expected Score: Knew I made some mistakes on PS during the break...but I figured I did alright overall. Expecting mid-30s
Actual Score: 35 (12/11/12) --> 5 point increase.
Comments: I retook all the AAMCs, so those scores were inflated (36-42), so I knew I would expect something less. I thought I did a lot better on verbal than I did, but an 11 is better than an 8. I feel okay, now time to work on writing that personal statement and those activities! Congratulations on everyone that did well. For those who did not get the score they wanted, it's okay to take it again, you can do better as I did.

 

[nagaS.LraC]

Test Date: 4/11/14
Post-Test Expected Score: 36 (I walked out knowing that I had made at least 3 mistakes and felt terrible about the whole affair)
AAMC Average: 40-42
Actual Score: 41
Comments: I seriously contemplated voiding after the PS section and made the mistake of thinking through PS during the first break (realized I had made 2 mistakes). Verbal was a blur as always; I only recall looking up at the end and seeing that I had 4 minutes left. Felt great about biology and felt it was, if anything, too easy. Take-away: First impressions can be misleading. I spent a good 4 minutes staring at the screen when I had to finally make the decision to void or score. I am glad I made the right choice. I have been lurking for some time and appreciate the advice and inspiration from SDN members. Look forward to seeing you all on the wards.

 

[trailblazer518]

Test Date: 4/11/14
Post-Test Expected Score: 38
AAMC Average: 37-40
Actual Score: 35 (13/11/11)
Comments: I got really sick the day before the exam and ran a high fever until about 7 hours before the exam. Considering that, this wasn't bad. It was still lower than anything I got on the AAMC FL though. Really felt verbal was great, so I was surprised with an 11. Oh well, a relatively balanced 35, so can't really complain.

 

[gymnast20]

Could people who got a 35+ put up the method they used to study for each section as well as any additional advices for future mcat takers?

 

[TheAnonymous]

Could people who got a 35+ put up the method they used to study for each section as well as any additional advices for future mcat takers?

^ agreed... I thought I'm the only one desperately waiting for these geniuses to post in the 30+ thread

 

[Jackaroo]

Test Date: 4/11/14
Previous MCAT: 22Q (7/7/8) two years previous
Post-Test Expected Score: I was thinking 27-28 with a 9 in BS because of some stupid mistakes on some OChem questions.
Actual Score: 31 (9/11/11)
Comments: Only had one official FL left (AAMC 9) to take this time because I used up the rest on my first attempt and I got a 31 on it, so I guess it worked out! I posted on the 30+ thread if you want to read more: http://forums.studentdoctor.net/posts/15229752/

 

[GodComplex]

Could people who got a 35+ put up the method they used to study for each section as well as any additional advices for future mcat takers?

I used a modified SN2ed of the 4 month version since I was taking classes while studying for the MCAT. I did not do the Hat Trick method. At some points I was a whole week or two ahead since I felt the 4 month schedule left me with some extra time. For all of the sections I stopped doing EK 1001 after the first 2-3 chapters.

PS
followed SN2ed. Did all of Physics and Gen Chem passages/questions and even went over some of them twice for those that I felt week on. Also did AAMC SA for physics. Watched Chad's videos one month out from MCAT.

BS
Followed SN2ed for EK reading schedule and tests. Did BS passages from BR books for first 6 chapters or so but then stopped since I did not feel they were representative of MCAT (too detailed for many questions). Also did AAMC SA. I also took physiology the quarter before my MCAT which I felt really simplified the BS content review.

VR
This section was the one I deviated most from SN2ed time wise. for the first month of studying I almost completely ignored VR. Then, I started doing it irregularly, doing lots of passages at one time and then there would be 2-3 days where I would do no passages. I did about 40 questions from the SA. Overall I still did all of EK 101 except for the very last exam. I only did a few passages from the BR verbal.

For all science sections I started marking questions from the BR passages that I got wrong or felt I had the potential to get wrong (guessed or was fuzzy on). For these questions I made flashcards with the questions on them and if the questions were too long or passage specific I would make up a similar question regarding the concept I missed. I feel these really kept my memory fresh for the concepts I was iffy on. I also used the Gold Standard list of physics equations in flashcards plus a few other ones I felt would be beneficial to know.
When I got a couple weeks ahead of schedule I started redoing passages from the BR books that I was weakest on in between doing FL practice exams so I could get closer to being back on schedule.

My advice to future test takers is to really study the sciences until you understand everything rather than having something memorized (although there are some things that can only be memorized). Also, be sure to do everything under times conditions and try to to better than the max time you allotted yourself (get really good at the math so you are not losing time because of this). Do not be afraid to skip hard questions or ones that you don't understand the wording with initially. I got my speed fast enough to where I usually had 10-30 minutes extra time in the PS and BS on many practice exams and on the real thing, which left me time to go back those harder questions after my mind had a chance to refocus. If you fixate on the difficult questions they can be real time killers. The VR I have no real advice on because even though I never got lower than a 10 in practice, I hated this section since everything felt like a big guess.
Also, don't get too discouraged if you do poorly on a couple of practice chapters, just view it as a weak spot you have exposed and use it to grow. Don't just skip over those sections due to frustration.

 

[iap12391]

Long time lurker and I really need advice. I took this test just like you guys and I got a 15. Yup a 15 . Which is more than 15 points below my practice test average (I was averaging 33-34). I did get very anxious during the test (it was my first time taking it). I had a difficult time concentrating (especially during the beginning) and I knew it would impact my score. I was tempted to void for a second, but I decided to try my luck. I definitely plan on retaking (I am thinking about late July).

Do you think that is a good time to take? Too late? And do medical schools see all of your scores?

 

[johnnytest]

Test Date: 4/11/14
Post-Test Expected Score: 30
AAMC Average: 31
Actual Score: 31 (11/6/14)
Comments: First time taking this test. I thought Physical was the easiest section but I suck at PS so that's probably why I got an 11. I thought BS was very hard but it's my strongest section, so the 14 is shocking but in retrospect I'm glad I was able to do well. Not so shocked about VR, I took AAMC #11 the day before and got a 6 on verbal.. talk about killing the confidence. I only broke 10 once in practice tests.

If anyone who did well (10+) on the actual verbal or anyone who have been doing really well on practice VR, if you can private message me regarding how you went about doing VR? I would greatly appreciate it.

If anyone would like advice and tips on BS then feel free to private message me.

My Gpa both cumulative and sci is 3.82. But, I know that 6 in VR is going to get screened from probably every school. Retaking in July.

best of luck to all.

 

[johnnytest]

Long time lurker and I really need advice. I took this test just like you guys and I got a 15. Yup a 15 . Which is more than 15 points below my practice test average (I was averaging 33-34). I did get very anxious during the test (it was my first time taking it). I had a difficult time concentrating (especially during the beginning) and I knew it would impact my score. I was tempted to void for a second, but I decided to try my luck. I definitely plan on retaking (I am thinking about late July).

Do you think that is a good time to take? Too late? And do medical schools see all of your scores?

Yes, medical schools will see all your scores unless you void an exam. But, if you are able to get your practice test average on the next date, they will most likely consider that 15 an outlier. Like you said yourself, you got nervous and stuff. In terms of late July mcat.. it's hard to say. The earlier the better but, it also depends on your gpa, how confidence you feel in other aspects of your application. Also, you may want to use now until July to study and improve your scores even more. Make sure you use AAMC tests to gauge your average.

 

[lpp06]

Hypothetical:

I've taken the MCAT once before in 2009 and received a 34 (14/10/10). If I were to apply this cyle with my 30 (10/10/10), how do Adcoms view this score decrease given the following:

1) I'm 6-8 years removed from most of my pre reqs
2) It's been 4 years since I've been in school in general
3) The 2009 score would not be considered if it were the only score I applied with


Basically trying to figure out if I need to retake or not. I can say with high confidence I'll score better on a retake. However I don't know how confident I'll be basing all my studying progress on non-AAMC FL's.

 

[johnnytest]

Hypothetical:

I've taken the MCAT once before in 2009 and received a 34 (14/10/10). If I were to apply this cyle with my 30 (10/10/10), how do Adcoms view this score decrease given the following:

1) I'm 6-8 years removed from most of my pre reqs
2) It's been 4 years since I've been in school in general
3) The 2009 score would not be considered if it were the only score I applied with


Basically trying to figure out if I need to retake or not. I can say with high confidence I'll score better on a retake. However I don't know how confident I'll be basing all my studying progress on non-AAMC FL's.

I think what is more important is demonstrating your passion and commitment to medical school despite the fact you have been out of school for a while. A 30 is good. Depends on how strong the rest of your application is. If you apply earliest possible and the rest of your application is strong then I'm sure you will get some interviews (apply wisely and broadly). But, a higher mcat is always beneficial if you feel some parts of your application is lacking.

The way I see it in terms of studying after taking the MCAT once and exhausting AAMC exams is you can only improve on the sciences. You should remember everything you have learned and then add more knowledge and build better test taking habits, especially for the math in the PS section.

I'm not sure how they will view that decrease... it won't be considered since it's more than 3 years.. but, your current score isnt bad either.

 

[Blueprint MCAT Tutor]

Test Date: 4/11/14
Post-Test Expected Score: 36 (I walked out knowing that I had made at least 3 mistakes and felt terrible about the whole affair)
AAMC Average: 40-42
Actual Score: 41
Comments: I seriously contemplated voiding after the PS section and made the mistake of thinking through PS during the first break (realized I had made 2 mistakes). Verbal was a blur as always; I only recall looking up at the end and seeing that I had 4 minutes left. Felt great about biology and felt it was, if anything, too easy. Take-away: First impressions can be misleading. I spent a good 4 minutes staring at the screen when I had to finally make the decision to void or score. I am glad I made the right choice. I have been lurking for some time and appreciate the advice and inspiration from SDN members. Look forward to seeing you all on the wards.

Want a tutoring job? PM me

 

[metall17]

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[galactoside]

Test Date: 4/11/14
Post-Test Expected Score: 29
AAMC Average: 30
Actual Score: 29 (8/7/14)
Comments: My first attempt. I had trouble managing my time on PS and didn't have enough time to read the last passage. I was so frustrated that I had trouble focusing during VR. I scored above my averages for BS. I prepared using 10wk EK homestudy. I am a non-trad with a 2.90 uGPA and 4.0 pbGPA, 2000+ hours rural volunteer EMT, and 1.5 years exp as ER Tech. I would like to get into an MD school but I will apply to DO as well. Would anyone recommend that I retake? Thank you.

 

[kl0117]

Hi guys I got a (7/ 7/9) for total of 23 on April 11th test. My cumulative GPA is 3.75 and my science GPA is 3.9. I have research, shadowing, TA, paid clinical experience and a long list of extracurricular activities. I was planning to only apply to DO schools. Now I am in quite the predicament. Do you think I stand a chance of getting into a DO school with these stats or should I just apply late and retake the MCAT in late July to improve score? Any constructive advice would be appreciated.

You deff have a shot with DO good luck!! Deff apply this cycle and retake if you want to be more competitive but as of right now your GPA is competitive try the pre med status report to get a better idea http://www.studentdoc.com/medreport...tm_campaign=MT_StudentDoc_August2013_SO_email

 

[metall17]

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[Bison]

(Comment Deleted)

 

[anon01]

Test Date: 4/11/14
Post-Test Expected Score: 30
AAMC Average: 32
Actual Score: 32 (11/10/11)
Comments: Got a bit sick the night before and therefore got much more sleep than I thought I would before the exam-A good thing in my opinion. Went into the test not knowing what to expect but after scoring 32 on both AAMC 10 and 11, I was pretty confident in my ability to pull a 30+. Honestly felt better in verbal than the 10 shows and felt weaker on the PS. Overall happy with my score, I used Kaplan exclusively which doesn't get as much recognition on this site as I think it should. Not having used other material I can't say for sure, but I felt good to go and I hit right at my average.

 

[uvrsol]

Test Date: 4/11/14
Post-Test Expected Score: 30
AAMC Average: 32
Actual Score: 32 (11/10/11)
Comments: Got a bit sick the night before and therefore got much more sleep than I thought I would before the exam-A good thing in my opinion. Went into the test not knowing what to expect but after scoring 32 on both AAMC 10 and 11, I was pretty confident in my ability to pull a 30+. Honestly felt better in verbal than the 10 shows and felt weaker on the PS. Overall happy with my score, I used Kaplan exclusively which doesn't get as much recognition on this site as I think it should. Not having used other material I can't say for sure, but I felt good to go and I hit right at my average.

what do you think of Kaplan verbal section tests? did you do those? helpful?

 

[anon01]

what do you think of Kaplan verbal section tests? did you do those? helpful?

I used the section tests for both PS and BS but never for verbal, although I can't imagine they are too terrible. I didn't think the VR section on Kaplan's exams were as bad as I have read on here, but I also used all of the AAMC material as well (SAP's, MCATs) to supplement. In my opinion the more practice you can get on Verbal, regardless of source, the better off you will be. Timing is the biggest factor in Verbal, for me anyways, and the only way to get that down is practice, practice, and practice.

 

[TheAnonymous]

I used the section tests for both PS and BS but never for verbal, although I can't imagine they are too terrible. I didn't think the VR section on Kaplan's exams were as bad as I have read on here, but I also used all of the AAMC material as well (SAP's, MCATs) to supplement. In my opinion the more practice you can get on Verbal, regardless of source, the better off you will be. Timing is the biggest factor in Verbal, for me anyways, and the only way to get that down is practice, practice, and practice.

Did you find the section tests for BS and PS helpful? I decided to do all of those in the next upcoming weeks.. also did you use their qBank? Thanks

 

[anon01]

Did you find the section tests for BS and PS helpful? I decided to do all of those in the next upcoming weeks.. also did you use their qBank? Thanks

Yes, I did a PS or BS section test every couple mornings and then would spend a good hour or two going over them and focusing my studying from there. I treated them like the real thing and went over them afterwards just as closely as I did the AAMC's. Your score might not be accurate and I don't suggest basing anything off of what you get at the end, but it is definitely a great learning tool. As with everything, you get out what you put in.

I didn't use the Qbank and truthfully I never even opened it so I'm not entirely sure what it even entails.

 

[TheAnonymous]

Yes, I did a PS or BS section test every couple mornings and then would spend a good hour or two going over them and focusing my studying from there. I treated them like the real thing and went over them afterwards just as closely as I did the AAMC's. Your score might not be accurate and I don't suggest basing anything off of what you get at the end, but it is definitely a great learning tool. As with everything, you get out what you put in.

I didn't use the Qbank and truthfully I never even opened it so I'm not entirely sure what it even entails.

Thanks man. Congrats once again, very nice and balanced score. Best of luck

 

[forgetful]

I've been lurking here for a while, mostly because I prefer suffering silently as I pull myself through such an arduous process.

Test Date: 4/11/14
Post-Test Expected Score: 35-38
AAMC Average: 35-39
Actual Score: 37 (11 PS / 13 V / 13 BS)
Comments: I'm a little sad about my PS score because I was getting solid 12s and 13s on my practice tests. But I started the test at like 7:30am, I was spinning from test anxiety, and I had to pee halfway through the section. I think I got caught up in a calculation somewhere and completely lost track of time.

Verbal has always been unpredictable for me - I generally scored 13-14 on the AAMC full lengths, but I got a few 10s and 15s in there as well. I didn't study much for this section because I never had much difficulty with it, so I kind of walked in there just prepared for the crap shoot. I finished with ~3 minutes to spare and gave myself the time to comb through my answers.

Biology was way easier for me. I finished ~20 minutes early and had plenty of time to go back and triple-check all of my answers.

Study Methods:
I began studying in earnest in December. Honestly, I only studied about 3-4 hours a week (with many weeks off) during the school weeks. I scheduled the test to be at the end of my spring break, so I had two solid weeks of full-time studying. In the meantime, I worked part-time, took physics and gen chem, and dealt with a few family crises. I used AAMC FLs 3, 4, 5, 7, 8, 9, 11, and all of the self-assessments. I used the EK books and bought the EK 1001, but barely used them. I also used Gold Standard Exams 1-10. My study schedule pretty much consisted of me taking 1 GS section every other day. Example:

Monday - GS-1 PS
Tuesday - Review GS-1
Wednesday - GS-1 BS
Thursday - Review
Friday/Sat/Sunday - Content Review

Of course, my schedule was not consistent. I missed a lot of days.

PS: I took my physics and gen chem exams 2 weeks before the MCAT. Most of my preparation for this class came from studying for these classes. I used EK for physics and chem, and purchased but barely used BR Chem. I'm allowed to use a 3x5" note card for my physics exams, so I just saved all of those note cards and wrote out a giant sheet of equations to memorize. I was also tutoring two high school AP chemistry students and a few high school physics students. Tutoring was amazing -- like getting paid to review this stuff.

V: Didn't really study for this. Worked through about half of the EK Verbal tests and the AAMC Self-Assessment. I was doing well here and needed to focus on PS.

BS: Here is where the AAMC Self-Assessment completely saved my butt. I realized that I knew way more than I needed to know about genetics, evolution, cell biology, and the nervous system; I knew nothing about the immune system, cardiovascular system, respiratory system, urinary system, or reproductive system. During the five weeks before the test, I committed one week to each system. I read the relevant chapter from my Anatomy & Physiology textbook, used those crossword puzzle things from wikipremed, made flashcards, crammed.

 

[NYCdude]

Test Date: 4/11/14
Post-Test Expected Score: 29
AAMC Average: 30
Actual Score: 29 (8/7/14)
Comments: My first attempt. I had trouble managing my time on PS and didn't have enough time to read the last passage. I was so frustrated that I had trouble focusing during VR. I scored above my averages for BS. I prepared using 10wk EK homestudy. I am a non-trad with a 2.90 uGPA and 4.0 pbGPA, 2000+ hours rural volunteer EMT, and 1.5 years exp as ER Tech. I would like to get into an MD school but I will apply to DO as well. Would anyone recommend that I retake? Thank you.

Getting into an MD with those stats would be quite the uphill battle I would think. You would be A okay for DO, though. But if your goal is MD, then def need to retake. At least I would.

 

[BlackbirdFly]

Test Date: 4/11/14
Post-Test Expected Score: 25-28??
AAMC Average: 27
Actual Score: 30 (10 PS / 9 V / 11 BS)
Comments: Very happy! This was my goal, and it was higher than my average, so I am definitely not retaking! I walked out of the exam feeling pretty confident, but I couldn't have predicted my score because my FL scores were all over the place. I averaged around a 27, but I took 12 FLs and scored anywhere between a 19 and 33. I think I am all set for DO schools between this score and a 3.4 GPA. I work full time in a lab, so I am working on research experience which is excellent, but it meant that I did not have a whole lot of time to study for the test. I studied an average of around 2 hours a day for about 5 months.

 

[Blueprint MCAT Tutor]

I didn't use the Qbank and truthfully I never even opened it so I'm not entirely sure what it even entails.

If you're talking about the Qbank that Kaplan offers, it's a really good secondary or tertiary practice resource for those just looking for more practice, especially for verbal or particular science topics. Your primary resources are you AAMC materials, of course, along with the topical tests and the VR section tests. The secondary resources are the PS/BS section tests and the Subject Tests (basically just science content tests). The tertiary resources are all those other little quizzes, reviews, lessons, Qbank, etc. For what it's meant to accomplish, it's a decent resource but you really don't want to go there unless you're going to exhaust everything else.

 

[smyelin]

Test Date: 4/11/14
Post-Test Expected Score: 28-30
AAMC Average: 34-36
Actual Score: 36 (11 PS / 11 V / 14 BS)
Comments: This is for the people who asked about test-taking strategies for people who got a 35+ on the MCAT. A little background on me, I study neuroscience and chemistry and I am a pre-MD/PhD applicant. This was my first MCAT attempt. I spend an enormous amount of my time outside of class doing research, and studying for the MCAT seemed like a waste of time to me. You do not actually learn anything meaningful from the test and at the end of the day the goal is just to become familiar enough with the question style and time limits to finish each section rapidly. So, I spent about 8 weeks before the test reviewing material from some hand-me-down Princeton Review books, mostly biology because I felt like it was my weakest subject. I also began my undergraduate thesis that semester, so I was spending about 30 hours a week in the lab. I actually found myself making progress too slowly (went from only a 28 to 30 on my first few AAMC practice tests) those first 4 weeks. For the second 4 weeks I knuckled down. I took at least one practice test a week under the same conditions that I would during the real test, and after every test I made a list of the topics I needed to visit most. I self-studied every day before, between, and after classes. I did not make flash cards, but what I often did was study a chapter and then go to a white board and write out a detailed summary of everything, or I would lecture myself on the topic I just read. After a while the books became a bit useless, so I studied using Wikipedia or whatever else, just based on the topics I needed improvement on from the practice tests. At the end of the day, the practice tests were the best tool available. Learning the information is important I guess, but the test is mostly reading comprehension. The only thing reading those review books actually help with us maybe giving you tidbits of information that will help you get through the test faster. You can achieve that by strategically evaluating yourself after each test and just looking up the subject matter from any source.

I am not sure what I would have done differently. My verbal score varied between 11 and 14 on each test, and I never studied for it (I've always had a knack for those types of test sections, and really they are hard to study for). I was a bit bummed to get the low end of my score, but I do not know how I could have made it any better. I think that I relied on my strong chemistry background too much for the physical science section. I could have spent more time studying some of the physics stuff, particularly springs, waves and optics, so that I could have gone through those questions quicker. I spent too much time on them.

If you get a 30 on the MCAT and are still determined to get into med school, I recommend not wasting your time preparing for this dumb test again. Take a year or two off, go do something to prove that you can make it.

 

[Glycereine]

Test Date: 4/11/14
Post-Test Expected Score: 30?
AAMC Average: 31
Actual Score: 33 (10 PS / 12 VR / 11 BS)
Comments: I am disappointed in the PS score as that is my normally very strong sections (mostly 13/14 on AAMCs). I felt miserable after the trial section of the test but remember feeling pretty good prior to that about both VR and BS. I knew when I left the test however that PS was going to be my weakest which I thought would bring my overall score down to around 30, but I made up for it with slightly stronger VR and BS sections than I had previously gotten. Happy overall and not retaking, but would love to see which questions I missed and the correct answers for them. I am surprised by some of the other PS scores listed. Maybe I was overconfident and needed to review Physics more, but ironically I think most of my misses in PS were Physics and I am a Physics major with over 12 Physics classes. I also definitely DID study physics, just didn't expect it to be an issue. Optics however have always been my weakness due to some overcomplications...