The Official August 7, 2014 MCAT Thread

[Thoroughbred_Med]

107 days out! Who all is signed up to obliterate the MCAT August 7th?

I know it's a bit early but I searched and could not find another August 7th, 2014 MCAT thread! I am hoping that we can keep each other motivated this summer while studying...

I am starting a slightly modified SN2ed schedule May 7th.... slightly modified due to my incredible weakness with physics. I am not taking physics 2 before the MCAT and therefore will be self-teaching it.

Looking forward to hearing from some of y'all!

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[goft20]

That movie is definitely depressing! All the more reason to try to make a difference, though. Btw, a 9 on on subsection still won't take you out of the running. Just think of it as your bad day score and take it as a comfort instead of a terror.

Yeah. I blame dicaprio though. I hope he never wins an oscar lol


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[moop]

Cool, I've been practicing some of the bio experimental passages from Kaplan sources, and I don't really feel that I need them as much for PS so I've been focusing that effort toward BS. I've got my fingers crossed, we will see!

BS is amazingly predictable. There were questions that were literally the same wording (just replace the enzymes, genes, etc.) on my actual test as AAMC 11, so study those questions well.

 

[Relz.]

That movie is definitely depressing! All the more reason to try to make a difference, though. Btw, a 9 on on subsection still won't take you out of the running. Just think of it as your bad day score and take it as a comfort instead of a terror.

Im starting to feel like a bit of an underachiever here, your bad day score is a score I would be happy with on the real MCAT. I've consistently been getting a 10 or higher in verbal, roughly 9 or 10 in BS, then only about 8 or 9 in physical. I have a week until I write and I'm trying to focus on improving the physical sciences section but it doesn't seem to be going up. Should I be worried?

 

[clairephillips]

Guys, I'm having a real problem finishing the physical sciences sections in time. What did you do to keep your timing under control?

 

[clairephillips]

Im starting to feel like a bit of an underachiever here, your bad day score is a score I would be happy with on the real MCAT. I've consistently been getting a 10 or higher in verbal, roughly 9 or 10 in BS, then only about 8 or 9 in physical. I have a week until I write and I'm trying to focus on improving the physical sciences section but it doesn't seem to be going up. Should I be worried?

That depends on what you want. That's a perfectly respectable score for osteopathic schools, but it won't get you in to Harvard.

 

[Relz.]

That depends on what you want. That's a perfectly respectable score for osteopathic schools, but it won't get you in to Harvard.

I definitely want to study allopathic medicine but not looking to get into Harvard! Im actually from Canada so forgive my ignorance, i'm still trying to learn about my chances between state schools and private institutions. I'm looking at a wide range of schools but the higher end of my spectrum is probably Tufts, Tulane, Arizona (Phoenix), and George Washington. I know I should be posting this on the "What are my chances page" but since I haven't written the MCAT yet and my GPA would just be speculative/what I'm aiming for, I didn't post.

Oh and for timing on PS, I haven't had a problem except on AAMC 11. What I did was kind of gauge it as I was going through the questions and allow myself about 9 minutes per passage/section. If I was stuck or felt a question was taking long, I marked it and went on. Then when I had time at the end I went back and did it. That can be tough because sometimes it takes a bit to get back into the passage/question but its better than completely missing other questions that you might have been able to get, given more time.

 

[clairephillips]

I definitely want to study allopathic medicine but not looking to get into Harvard! Im actually from Canada so forgive my ignorance, i'm still trying to learn about my chances between state schools and private institutions. I'm looking at a wide range of schools but the higher end of my spectrum is probably Tufts, Tulane, Arizona (Phoenix), and George Washington. I know I should be posting this on the "What are my chances page" but since I haven't written the MCAT yet and my GPA would just be speculative/what I'm aiming for, I didn't post.

Oh and for timing on PS, I haven't had a problem except on AAMC 11. What I did was kind of gauge it as I was going through the questions and allow myself about 9 minutes per passage/section. If I was stuck or felt a question was taking long, I marked it and went on. Then when I had time at the end I went back and did it. That can be tough because sometimes it takes a bit to get back into the passage/question but its better than completely missing other questions that you might have been able to get, given more time.

I definitely want to study allopathic medicine but not looking to get into Harvard! Im actually from Canada so forgive my ignorance, i'm still trying to learn about my chances between state schools and private institutions. I'm looking at a wide range of schools but the higher end of my spectrum is probably Tufts, Tulane, Arizona (Phoenix), and George Washington. I know I should be posting this on the "What are my chances page" but since I haven't written the MCAT yet and my GPA would just be speculative/what I'm aiming for, I didn't post.

Oh and for timing on PS, I haven't had a problem except on AAMC 11. What I did was kind of gauge it as I was going through the questions and allow myself about 9 minutes per passage/section. If I was stuck or felt a question was taking long, I marked it and went on. Then when I had time at the end I went back and did it. That can be tough because sometimes it takes a bit to get back into the passage/question but its better than completely missing other questions that you might have been able to get, given more time.

I would strongly encourage you to check out the MSAR to compare your score to your target schools. Also, there are two or three quick calculators available online that will tell you your chances assets certain schools if you do a Google search. Good luck, and thanks for the timing tips!

 

[waywin22]

Just wanted to update my score which has been inconsistent. Idk how well I will do on the actual test.
AAMC 3 = 7/10/12
AAMC 4 = 13/11/5
AAMC 5 = 11/9/10
AAMC 7 = 10/7/12

 

[ciestar]

Guys, I just took a Kaplan test (it was their course diagnostic, but anyway). I got a 20.
A freaking 20! I've been studying since April.

Im at such a loss right now.

 

[StuDoc*Mùn*Man]

Guys, I just took a Kaplan test (it was their course diagnostic, but anyway). I got a 20.
A freaking 20! I've been studying since April.

Im at such a loss right now.

Hey Ciestar. Keep your head up and keep grinding! Do not let anyone tell you what you can't do.
This test is a monster no one said it is easy. You're not the only one out there. Sometimes it just comes slower than usual. I had to reschedule also, but you have to keep on studying. Look it over and see what you don't understand and learn from your mistakes!

 

[StuDoc*Mùn*Man]

I love this thread btw! Y'all are troopers and true motivators! Keep it up and take out that exam in two weeks!

 

[Blob229]

Guys, I just took a Kaplan test (it was their course diagnostic, but anyway). I got a 20.
A freaking 20! I've been studying since April.

Im at such a loss right now.

Don't worry about a diagnostic test, they're not representative of how you will score on a real exam. They're designed to make you score lower than normal so that once you've taken the course and take your first FL you see an increase. The fact that it's not even a normal length supports that it's less accurate. Kaplan's diagnostic has 39 questions in 50 minutes for PS and BS and 32 questions in 40 minutes for VR. This means that you have less time per question (it's not a huge difference - something like 1.3min/question vs 1.4 (PS/BS) or 1.5min/q(VR), but if time is an issue then it could cost a number of points) and that they can scale it however they want.

You've been studying for a while, don't let this get you down! Use it to identify specific content that you can review and move on. The score is meaningless.

Also, SN2ed posted about this a while back in "Why Diagnostics are Worthless": http://forums.studentdoctor.net/showthread.php?t=557231

 

[evooo8]

Just took AAMC #9, it was the first normal length test (AAMC #4-8 were the R versions so 77 questions), and my scores have improved!
AAMC #9 29 11/9/9

I could have done better on the verbal, I spent too much time on a passage in the beginning so I was practically guessing at the end, and I missed some simple Bio questions so hopefully that score can improve! My test taking skills seem to be getting much better as well. I don't find myself falling for trick answers anymore. Hopefully I can get 30+ on AAMC #10 and 11 and 30+ on the real deal!

My plan is to do one complete round, maybe two, of content review before taking AAMC #10 and #11 just to make sure every little detail is memorized. I don't want to miss easy knowledge questions on the test. and spend most of the last week going over every single questions on the practice, especially the ones I missed.

 

[Dr.TonySoprano]

Hey guys I'm taking AAMC 5 tomorrow morning and need some motivation! How did that go for you guys?

 

[clairephillips]

Hey guys I'm taking AAMC 5 tomorrow morning and need some motivation! How did that go for you guys?

My best so far! Kick butt tomorrow!

 

[nvas]

Hey guys I'm taking AAMC 5 tomorrow morning and need some motivation! How did that go for you guys?

AAMC 5 was also one of my best! Good luck!

 

[sg808]

Any thoughts on AAMC 8? I'm taking it tomorrow. On other threads I read it is one of the more harder ones like 10 and 11.

 

[Dr.TonySoprano]

@nvas @clairephillips thanks!!!!

 

[jenniferrae]

Any thoughts on AAMC 8? I'm taking it tomorrow. On other threads I read it is one of the more harder ones like 10 and 11.

In my opinion, it was harder. It was my worst score! Might have just been a fluke though. I did much better on the rest though so don't be discouraged if it doesn't go exactly as planned... it shook my confidence big time and it shouldn't have!

 

[jenniferrae]

Guys, I just took a Kaplan test (it was their course diagnostic, but anyway). I got a 20.
A freaking 20! I've been studying since April.

Im at such a loss right now.

Don't be discouraged!!! They do that on purpose ($$$$). From what I've seen, most people score 10 points below what they score on AAMCs on that damn test... I refuse to take it because I know I'll cry.

 

[sg808]

In my opinion, it was harder. It was my worst score! Might have just been a fluke though. I did much better on the rest though so don't be discouraged if it doesn't go exactly as planned... it shook my confidence big time and it shouldn't have!

@jenniferrae thanks! hopefully i don't do too bad.

 

[RumbaToMD]

Took AAMC #4 yesterday and scored a 20...then again, attempting to take a practice exam while dealing with the stomach flu wasn't the smartest idea :/

 

[futuredoc2389]

The sensitivity in this forum runs deeeep! Jesus try not to look so far into

My score went down 5 points from AAMC 7 to AAMC 8 (36 to 31). Pretty discouraged right now, especially since I'm going out of town this weekend and won't be able to study. Is this burnout or just a bad day?

Honestly its ok. Just don't let it bring you down this close to the exam. Was there something you did differently this time around?

 

[futuredoc2389]

Took AAMC #4 yesterday and scored a 20...then again, attempting to take a practice exam while dealing with the stomach flu wasn't the smartest idea :/

I think I scored that low on 4 too... Not too sure though lol. Are you taking the exam with us?

 

[futuredoc2389]

Whoa, that they're still a teacher??? Is that somehow less important, less special, less professional? I'm a teacher, you know. It's damned hard, but what gets me through the school year is caring deeply about my kids and believing they can be successful... that they need a ciestar level shot in the arm of success and belief and that maybe, during that year, I could say or do something that would stick with them and shape them in a positive way. The reason I'm taking the MCAT and going to med school has nothing to do with having "failed" by becoming a teacher and everything to do with succeeding in the classroom and learning to believe in myself so much that this childhood dream started looking actually attainable when I'd been too afraid before.
Ciestar, I wish you every success and hope that you find the confidence to keep pushing. Futuredoc, be very careful. The Lake Woebegone Effect is very real. In med school, you will be among the best of the best of the best and you might just discover that a little humility is a good thing.

I apologize for disrespecting teachers... My intention was to disrespect only one teacher lol

 

[futuredoc2389]

Guys, I'm having a real problem finishing the physical sciences sections in time. What did you do to keep your timing under control?

I am doing discrete's for the first 13 minutes then 2 to 41, 2 to 26 and 2 to 9.

 

[futuredoc2389]

Don't be discouraged!!! They do that on purpose ($$$$). From what I've seen, most people score 10 points below what they score on AAMCs on that damn test... I refuse to take it because I know I'll cry.

DO NOT TAKE KAPLAN EXAM SCORES FOR FACE VALUE! Sorry for the caps but I want to stress the importance of not taking those scores for face value lol... I think I scores something like a 24 average on their exams 1-5... Yea they are a bitch. If absolutely anything their benefit lies in that they give you a higher degree of difficulty to cope with in the same time frame forcing you to think in a different way. That kinda makes AAMC exams seem like a walk in the park.

 

[Dr.TonySoprano]

What are your favorite types of questions to see on the mcat?

Mine's definitely Le Chatelier's principle

 

[Dr.TonySoprano]

Update:
07/13: AAMC 3 (PS 14, VR 10, BS 13)
07/14:Bio SA 92%
07/15: Orgo SA 90%
07/16: Gen Chem SA 96%
07/17: Physics SA 87%
07/18: Verbal SA 78% (would've been 82% if I didn't absolutely tank the last passage with a whopping 0/6)

Spent the last few days thoroughly re-memorizing anything I might've forgotten. Next little while will be alternating practice test days and doing practice passages from TBR/TPR SW.

07/24: AAMC 4 (PS __ will update, VR 9, BS 14)

You don't do the tests in one sitting?

 

[clairephillips]

I am doing discrete's for the first 13 minutes then 2 to 41, 2 to 26 and 2 to 9.

In confused what that means. 2 to 41? If time don't mind, could you elaborate?

 

[jenniferrae]

What are your favorite types of questions to see on the mcat?

Mine's definitely Le Chatelier's principle

Love me some Le Chatelier lol. Also kinetics, circuits, anything biochem related (it's my major)...
BUT I HATE GENETICS AND MIRRORS/LENSES!!!!

Who's with me??

 

[Shipley231]

Love me some Le Chatelier lol. Also kinetics, circuits, anything biochem related (it's my major)...
BUT I HATE GENETICS AND MIRRORS/LENSES!!!!

Who's with me??

For me, I hate solutions and acids/bases and practically anything ochem.

I love most anything physics and genetics/evolution related

 

[futuredoc2389]

In confused what that means. 2 to 41? If time don't mind, could you elaborate?

So here is my spread:
13 minutes = all discretes
57-41 = complete the first two passages
41-26 = complete the next two passages
26-9 = complete next two passages
9-0 = last passage

 

[Blob229]

So here is my spread:
13 minutes = all discretes
57-41 = complete the first two passages
41-26 = complete the next two passages
26-9 = complete next two passages
9-0 = last passage

Interesting. I really like the discretes as mini "breaks" from the passages, if that makes sense. But obviously do whatever works best for you.

 

[clairephillips]

So here is my spread:
13 minutes = all discretes
57-41 = complete the first two passages
41-26 = complete the next two passages
26-9 = complete next two passages
9-0 = last passage

Wow, looking back at some of my posts, my phone has done a number on my grammar. I'm glad you could even figure out what i said. Lol. Thank you.

 

[clairephillips]

Anybody else absolutely despise horrible junk science fiction movies that propagate myths like Lucy? This one is totally driving me crazy!

 

[RumbaToMD]

I think I scored that low on 4 too... Not too sure though lol. Are you taking the exam with us?

That's the plan! This stomach flu has set me back this whole week on studying though!

 

[kenjixshadow]

x

 

[waywin22]

Just updating my scores. My test is on August 1st sigh
AAMC 3 = 7/10/12
AAMC 4 = 13/11/5
AAMC 5 = 11/9/10
AAMC 7 = 10/7/12
AAMC 8 = 12/10/11

 

[Midnight Schemes]

Just finished AAMC 9, 10-10-13 split for a 33 TS. Happy my verbal came back up from a goddamned 7. Physical science only needs to go up by one, mainly because I doubt my Bio will be that high on the actual test.

 

[waywin22]

Just finished AAMC 9, 10-10-13 split for a 33 TS. Happy my verbal came back up from a goddamned 7. Physical science only needs to go up by one, mainly because I doubt my Bio will be that high on the actual test.

I feel like I am going to choke on the real test. I have no strong subjects

 

[Blob229]

Hi guys, I'll join you guys on August 7th as my retake. I wrote an exam today and PS section was insanely hard, a lot of calculation intensive and experimental. The VS & BS are similar to AAMC11. Happy studying.

You decided to retake before you got your score?

Regardless, good luck studying for the next two weeks!

 

[nvas]

Honestly its ok. Just don't let it bring you down this close to the exam. Was there something you did differently this time around?

I was a little tired. I actually felt pretty alright after each section whereas normally I feel kind of unsure. Looking back, I guess my full focus wasn't on the task at hand.

 

[goft20]

Do you have to arrive at the testing center 30 minutes before? So like at 730 if you have 800? Can you walk in at 750 and be fine?? Just curious.

 

[IslandStyle808]

Do you have to arrive at the testing center 30 minutes before? So like at 730 if you have 800? Can you walk in at 750 and be fine?? Just curious.

Depends on how lax the staff is. One time I came in 10 minutes before my exam and they let me take it on time (let's just say I know from friends and having taken exams there before in the past, some come pretty late). I wouldn't risk it though.

 

[Relz.]

Do you guys think the real MCAT will have as few ochem questions as AAMC #11? I've heard the MCAT is most like 11 but it was one of the only ones that had that few questions about ochem and focused more on biology.

 

[Shipley231]

Hi guys, I'll join you guys on August 7th as my retake. I wrote an exam today and PS section was insanely hard, a lot of calculation intensive and experimental. The VS & BS are similar to AAMC11. Happy studying.

Did you void your test?

I've heard some horror stories of people rewriting their MCAT before they get their first scores back, and it turns out they did really well on the first one and then bombed the second one. Don't want to freak you out but I just want you to do whats best!

 

[itsgonnabeok]

Really thankful that we'll have the rest of August to enjoy what's left of this summer. Can't wait for this to be over, almost there!

 

[moop]

Do you guys think the real MCAT will have as few ochem questions as AAMC #11? I've heard the MCAT is most like 11 but it was one of the only ones that had that few questions about ochem and focused more on biology.

Depends. Mine was only 1 passage and a couple of discrete but others have reported 3-4 passages recently. It's just luck of the draw, but it does seem like from SDN that orgo is being deemphasized. Sample size problems, though.

 

[Shipley231]

Really thankful that we'll have the rest of August to enjoy what's left of this summer. Can't wait for this to be over, almost there!

My school starts back on the 20th >.> not much summer left for me.