The Official August 15, 2014 MCAT Thread

[axa5780]

Hey guys, I'am signed up for this date. I didn't find a thread for August 15th, so here it is. Let's make this a fun experience, and hope we all come out the other end satisfied with our score.

Materials:
PS: BR Physics, NOVA Physics, BR Chemistry, EK 1001 Chem & Phys
BS: EK Biology, BR Biology, EK 1001 Biol
Verbal: EK 101, TPR Verbal

Extras: TPRH SW, WIkiPremed Flashcards & videos. All AAMC FL plus all Kaplan FL.

Lets do this.

---

Members don't see this ad.

 

[iforget2]

Every time the MCAT pops into my head I have to change the subject for fear of throwing up on the spot. Anyone else having that problem? Laying in my bed at night asking myself "do I really not know anything about freaking rush hour traffic??" and such. Nightmares about digestion. Deleting the post every time some kind soul writes on my timeline, "How was your test?" ..... At a family barbecue on Saturday I found myself making a model of a plasma membrane out of drink coasters and trying to explain to grandma the difference between lipid and water soluble hormones. I am an MCAT crackhead. I need my score.

Probably the most relatable thing I've read all week.

Also, can anyone else say they thought that BS was not that easy?? I feel like I'm one of the few that felt bad about BS and it's worrying me that I did terribly

 

[cdyryky]

I definitely feel like I did worse on BS than anything else...

 

[PlasticBag]

Yep, BS was just horrible. Had no idea what was going on for at least three passages. Preparing myself for the worst.

 

[thezambia]

.

 

[HalpSendHalp]

-Crying on the floor-
My feelings: What was that test?
AND WHY DOES IT EXIST

 

[HalpSendHalp]

I'm still kicking myself for guessing on two and accidently leaving one blank on PS. Last second I noticed a mark was a mark and an incomplete. I get waves of anxiety about five times a day. It's worse because everyone says oh you killed it etc and I'm just like, but the PS.....

Wait now I'm slightly overthinking if I left anything blank fuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuu
Also wow if you guessed only two I think you did great
I don't want to count how many I guessed on

 

[Dr.TonySoprano]

Where on the aamc website can I find when the scores will be released?

 

[aesklepi]

Where on the aamc website can I find when the scores will be released?

https://www.aamc.org/students/applying/mcat/reserving/355164/scorereleaseschedule.html

27 Days

 

[breezy16]

Wait now I'm slightly overthinking if I left anything blank fuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuu
Also wow if you guessed only two I think you did great
I don't want to count how many I guessed on

Not necessarily.. I mean, I could've been terribly wrong on many questions. I felt it was a horror show during the entirety.

 

[sunshineman]

Still surprised at the response for the PS section. I write next week. Given the comparison everyone makes to the similarity of Ebola to the real BS passages, is there any comparison type passages from the AAMC FL's PS section that would give a similar reflection of your experience? Because from what i'm reading it's coming off as very different. If it's anything like that Earthquake one which was part VR/PS i'm in for a long 70 minutes. I'm hoping this question is allowed since people make the Ebola comparison almost religiously on here it seems.

 

[TBRBiosadist]

Still surprised at the response for the PS section. I write next week. Given the comparison everyone makes to the similarity of Ebola to the real BS passages, is there any comparison type passages from the AAMC FL's PS section that would give a similar reflection of your experience? Because from what i'm reading it's coming off as very different. If it's anything like that Earthquake one which was part VR/PS i'm in for a long 70 minutes. I'm hoping this question is allowed since people make the Ebola comparison almost religiously on here it seems.

It was very much like the earthquake one

 

[Maduah]

Was there a lot of Organic Chem on this test? I'm writing August 27

 

[TBRBiosadist]

yes

 

[zzzetrigan]

There was quite a bit of organic chemistry and all I can say was that it wasn't your run of the mill low level Organic chemistry if you get my drift

 

[breezy16]

There was quite a bit of organic chemistry and all I can say was that it wasn't your run of the mill low level Organic chemistry if you get my drift

^^
Truth.

 

[TBRBiosadist]

Aug 21 was pretty easy by the sounds of it. #fml

 

[zzzetrigan]

Since the MCAT is supposed to be a standardized test, I hope this means our curves are very generous

 

[medbound18]

Aug 21 was pretty easy by the sounds of it. #fml

I almost signed up for the 21st initially and then decided I wanted more time off before classes start. #fml

 

[TBRBiosadist]

I almost signed up for the 21st initially and then decided I wanted more time off before classes start. #fml

sammmmeee

 

[TBRBiosadist]

Since the MCAT is supposed to be a standardized test, I hope this means our curves are very generous

we all end up with 45s

 

[zzzetrigan]

^if only, at this point I'd be ecstatic about 10/11/12 (PS/VR/BS)

 

[breezy16]

I almost signed up for the 21st initially and then decided I wanted more time off before classes start. #fml

A week off of studying I said... Who would've thought it could've caused another two months of prepping

 

[TeamDaenerys23]

Rarely post on here but decided to throw in my 2 cents.
PS - Wasn't really difficult, but just felt like some of the topics for the passages were presented kinda awkwardly unlike in the AAMCs that were used to. Not sure, maybe its just test day nerves? Didn't think it was too bad but I remembered that I had quite a few marked Avg: ~13 (prediction: 9-12)
VR - Usually my weakest section. Felt pretty good about it on this exam though. There were about 5 or 6 questions that I didn't understand what they were trying to get at so ended up randomly guessing. Overall the passages were fairly easy read. Avg: ~9 (prediction: 10-11)
BS - Definitely thought this was the easiest section on the exam (but not by much). Orgo passage was relatively difficult and there were some random discretes that were totally from left field. Everything else seemed relatively straightforward. Avg: ~11 (prediction: 11-12)
Overall: AAMC avg: ~32
Prediction: ~29 to 35
Felt good after walking out of the exam but starting to have my doubts as time passes on. I would be ecstatic with anything above a 30+.
T-minus 26 days!

 

[iforget2]

Woot one week down!

 

[ddc150]

Wooo yes, lol. It's like road tripping and perception of time, it seems slower at first, as each week passes it's all relative..

 

[HalpSendHalp]

ALL I WANT IS A 10/10/10

 

[swanman]

Prediction: 17

 

[ddc150]

Dude a 17 on physics or bio is a for awesome!!!

 

[southernpremed]

I have 2 exams before we are supposed to get our scores back...

 

[breezy16]

We start next week so I'm supposing our first tests will be a week or two after the score release.. fingers crossed​

 

[TBRBiosadist]

Oh great curve gods,
May your median be low,
Your bell curve right shifted
and your units of standard deviation large
We pray to you

 

[PlasticBag]

I read on other threads that scores are pre-scaled, i.e. no curve. I'm confused and hope it's not true. If there is no curve, then why would they need a month to figure out our scores...

 

[ddc150]

lol the scores were already set, they just wait out a month to make sure no one is cheating or whatev. the pre determined curve is based on how people answered experimental questions on previous tests during each section. the more harder a test is, it will have a curve adjusted accordingly.

 

[zzzetrigan]

I read on other threads that scores are pre-scaled, i.e. no curve. I'm confused and hope it's not true. If there is no curve, then why would they need a month to figure out our scores...

I think the definition of a curve is misinterpreted on SDN sometimes. A curve is nothing more than the graph of the scores of all MCAT writers on that day (in a sense). When someone hopes that the curve is generous, what this means for the MCAT which has a pre-determined scale is the following:

The test writers have tested out the questions before (usually experimentally on previous MCATs) or likely have some idea of the level of difficulty of the questions/section that they are using for the MCAT on that specific test date. They then set a scale to match that difficulty based on what they believe is the difficulty of that test in comparison to all others tests. In this sense, it's graded on a "curve". We hope that the test writers thought our test was hard, our questions where hard enough that previous MCAT-ers also did poorly on it, so that they test writers set the scale VERY LOW for us to do VERY WELL with a LOW SCORE.

One can always dream

 

[ddc150]

nicely said. I don't think the test was that much harder than other aamc's (besides my humble opinion about the bio section), but the whole test day mentality probably allows for a more generous curve slightly compared to how aamc's practice tests are graded.. Tbh, hard tests are a good thing, bc this allows more of a buffer for the easy mistake miss questions.

 

[ddc150]

i think this is why they say practice tests that are notoriously difficult compared to aamc practice tests have such a generous curve. for ex, kaplan practice tests its easier to score high on the sciences bc you can miss so many (8-10). i think the aamc tests, although appearing "slightly easier", are actually harder bc of the curve is so strict.

 

[PlasticBag]

Thanks guys, this makes more sense now.

I thought aamc FL were graded "realistically" though, since they all were once actual MCATs? I remember taking one of the aamc FLs and was surprised that what I thought was "only" five mistakes on the verbal dropped my score to 11. But I was also surprised that a 9 on bio or phys actually allows for quite a few mistakes

 

[aesklepi]

The MCAT acts like a separation column, and each student can only run so far in the way of correct answers. The scores are derived from percentile scores. So, in theory, at the end of the season, all the students should be able to line up based on score and that would represent test ranks if everyone had taken the same test. So, we should hope for a harder test, because you don't want someone to accidentally get your same score because they may guess correctly. A harder test would increase the separation. If you guys are getting 13+ on the practice exams, then out of 100 students, you beat 95 of them. You'll still beat those 95 on test day, especially if the test is harder.

23 days

 

[breezy16]

@aesklepi you make my wine-hazed mind happy. I really hope we all do well!

 

[PlasticBag]

If you guys are getting 13+ on the practice exams, then out of 100 students, you beat 95 of them. You'll still beat those 95 on test day, especially if the test is harder.

23 days

Haha, well, i'm one of the 95, never got 13+ on anything. But it sounds reassuring that getting a harder test is overall better. Seriously, after I saw the "wtf" passage on PS, my jaw started shaking and didn't stop until the very last bio question. At least I provided people working at the test center with some entertaining footage . I can even imagine the comments "hey, i bet we'll see that person again for a retake".

 

[ddc150]

I agree, harder tests are more favorable. I've heard some say that people score Kaplan averages around the same as their aamc averages, but I also heard that Kaplan averages tend to be a little higher. That was definitely the case for me, my aamc average was a point or two lower. Aamc just knows how to get the score out of ya. Nevertheless, I scored better on the later ones of aamc, and hope that the curve of our test date reflects a Kaplan curve so we can miss a lot of questions.

 

[swanman]

Dude a 17 on physics or bio is a for awesome!!!

17 in total...I am pretty sure I scored at least a 17

 

[aesklepi]

.

 

[babyoreo]

Did anyone feel like you ran into "experimental" questions that would not be graded? I can't think of a single question that was outside of the scope of the MCAT...

 

[ddc150]

experimental questions can be inside the scope of the mcat, so they may be used for future test dates as real mcat questions.

 

[babyoreo]

experimental questions can be inside the scope of the mcat, so they may be used for future test dates as real mcat questions.

Ohhhh thanks for clearing that up... Well that's a little depressing.

 

[opersian]

I expect more stress in this thread. Let's pick it up with predictions.

 

[TBRBiosadist]

Sorry, more stressed from classes right now. Biochem prof started the class with saying that historically a third of the class drops within the first three weeks. She's a fierce lioness who isn't afraid to call her students stupid. I love her.

 

[breezy16]

Our professor resigned the day before classes and caused a mandatory class for grad to be cancelled. Needless to say it's been a mess and frantic rescheduling.

 

[wuhsabee]

Our Physics prof died of a heart attack in his office the day before school started, and a lot of pre-med's taking physics did not have class for 3 weeks. (We only have one physics prof.) May he rest in peace, but the department was honestly just waiting for him to resign because he was not a very good prof.