The Official June 2015 MCAT Thread

MCAT is Hard? Not with BeMo's 515 Score Guarantee.
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Abraxas305

Abraxas305

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DoctorSexy said:
Took a 6-10pm break for Mayweather v Pacman..going back to hitting the books now. I couldn't study during the fight there was so much hype I had to watch it. Anyone else do this or was I the only bum that decided to lose 4 hours of studying on a boxing match?
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Pacman should've won
 
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Btw have you guys heard of any reviews about which test prep company's FLs are most representative of the exam? I saw one review about GS being really bad and wanted to see if you guys have heard of other? Thanks. Hope the studying is going well for everyone.
 
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Hope this is the right place to post this

I'm looking at the outline for Bio section by the AAMC and it seems like there is absolutely no organic in the strictest sense. What I mean is that organic will of course be utilized in the biochemical material but there isn't anything about straight up organic chemistry like there was before. Is this a correct assumption or did I miss something?

If it is, then I'm going to put more emphasis on organic as it relates to biochem but not focus on re-learning/reviewing the material that I would have covered pre-mcat 2015.

[edit: nvmd I found it hiding in the chem/phys section.]
 
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GEToutLADYits6AM said:
Pacman should've won
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Everyone who says this knows nothing about boxing. Fights are scored on a round by round basis, Pacman outright won 3 of the rounds but every other round of the fight mayweather did what he does and eluded any quality shots and landed a few of his own. I know its not about punch counts but they both threw about the same number of punches, and mayweather landed nearly twice as many... There are plenty of reasons why it was a unanimous decision that didn't come close

I even wanted Pacman to win because Floyd is full of himself and I cant stand him but I cant deny the guy is unbelievably skilled when it comes to boxing and that is why after almost 50 fights, he has never been beaten.

Just needed to throw in my 2 cents lol
 
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Sir.SavaLottaLife said:
Everyone who says this knows nothing about boxing. Fights are scored on a round by round basis, Pacman outright won 3 of the rounds but every other round of the fight mayweather did what he does and eluded any quality shots and landed a few of his own. I know its not about punch counts but they both threw about the same number of punches, and mayweather landed nearly twice as many... There are plenty of reasons why it was a unanimous decision that didn't come close

I even wanted Pacman to win because Floyd is full of himself and I cant stand him but I cant deny the guy is unbelievably skilled when it comes to boxing and that is why after almost 50 fights, he has never been beaten.

Just needed to throw in my 2 cents lol
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Don't worry Khan will end his streak in the next fight. It's supposed to be his last anyways!
 
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lmao glass chin Khan might be fast be he won't outbox Mayweather.
Unless Mayweather buffs up x amount of pounds and fights Klitschko lol he is gonna remain undefeated.
 
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Have you guys taken done the AAMC question packs? I've done the biology 1 and 2 so far (86% and 91%). Not sure what to feel about them because most people say they are too easy/ not representative.
 
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I think it's mostly for content review. I'm ~3/4 done with the first Bio pack with solutions (since I do ~2-3 passages per sitting and review them after) and I think I've had 3 instances where I get a red 'x' mark on the question I'm doing when checking my answers out of the 3/4's I've completed so far. So yeah I feel they are way too easy and not indicative of the 2015 exam.
 
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GEToutLADYits6AM said:
What you get on the aamc practice exam?
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Well I haven't taken it yet. Im saving it for a week before my test date. I got 20/30 on the bio/bc section of the official guide but that was before content review and before I took my biochem class this semester. Most of the ones I got wrong were something I would have figured out with the knowledge I have now and I was also easily intimidated/ quick to give up on tough passages and questions. However I have also become aware of hindsight bias via my behavioral sciences review haha.

As for the other sections, I made the same score on the physical/chemical section which I have to work on and 16/30 on both the CARS and psyc/soc sections. I used to average ~8 on EK 101 passages and I made some really stupid mistakes on that section. I took AAMC 11 before I started studying back in January and got a 26(9/7/10) so I've dubbed CARS as my worst section. I only recognized one bio passage in the question packs from this test btw. I'm not worried about the psyc/soc section at all though because almost every single question I got wrong was because I didn't know the term in question, all of which have been covered in content review and I feel this may be my best section when all is said and done.

Does anyone feel passages are a lot easier to tackle after practicing them? I know it seems trivial but I was a skeptic of how much I could improve in this regard at the beginning of my studies but I'm starting to gain a lot of confidence about this because it just seems so much easier after you've seen and worked through so many of them.
 
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Finally getting back into the swing of things after finals. Should be finishing up content review soon, then just practice and FLs! Couldn't be more excited. It's weird, these new prelim scores for April got me pumped to take it. Almost wish I didn't switch my date from May...haha
 
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You guys I'm freaking out. I've been using EK 9th edition to study for the June exam, and people are saying it isn't good. Is anyone else using EK too? What do you think? I am so scared
 
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Abraxas305 said:
lmao glass chin Khan might be fast be he won't outbox Mayweather.
Unless Mayweather buffs up x amount of pounds and fights Klitschko lol he is gonna remain undefeated.
Click to expand...

Khan could also be possibly KO by Mayweather because of his suspect chin even if the Khan vs. Madiana fight showed he can take on the big sluggers out there.
 
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medgirl1993 said:
You guys I'm freaking out. I've been using EK 9th edition to study for the June exam, and people are saying it isn't good. Is anyone else using EK too? What do you think? I am so scared
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I'm using it. Mostly I like it so far (but I haven't taken the exam yet, so I may change my mind post-exam :p). More than anything, I really like their end of chapter tests/questions. I think it probably depends on your background. I did a cell bio undergrad so I've taken all the prereqs, although not recently (as I'm a non-trad), so I have a decent base of understanding. It might not be as great for someone who hasn't taken the necessary prereqs.

I'm also supplementing with Khan Academy for concepts I still find confusing after reading through the EK manual. You also absolutely have to supplement their psych/soci book. They've even posted the additional terms that they are missing on their website (and it's substantial). To fill that in, I'm using Khan, and the Princeton review Psych book. Even with that, I'm having to supplement with good old google now and again, as I'm using the outline to ensure that I don't miss any concepts.

Aside from that, I think the only other stuff that I've really made sure to supplement (and gone against what they say in their book) is the biochem section. I'm making sure to memorize all the AAs, and their 3 letter codes/1 letter codes, and to take a closer look at the metabolic pathways for sugars, and for fats/proteins.

That's all I've got, but you might want to direct that question to the April Test Takers thread so that you can ask people who've actually taken the test.
 
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medgirl1993 said:
You guys I'm freaking out. I've been using EK 9th edition to study for the June exam, and people are saying it isn't good. Is anyone else using EK too? What do you think? I am so scared
Click to expand...

EK 9 was definitely good for April test. Remember that the test is more about testing your skills and less your knowledge!
 
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So I scored a 495 on a Kaplan FL today. Around what are you guys getting at the moment? Do you guys think 6 weeks is enough to bring it up to 510 ( or whatever a 32-33 is) if I continue to do Kaplan FL and AAMC? I am tempted to push to July but is July to late if I want to apply this cycle?
 
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@runningon Ideally, taking the MCAT in July is a bit too late if you want to apply this cycle. I'm actually in the same position as you. With finals and everything that is going on in my life right now, I haven't had enough time to study for my June 19th MCAT and that's almost 5 weeks away! I have spoken to a counselor about this and she said that if you are still scoring low about 1-2 weeks before the actual exam date, then you should most definitely reschedule. My finals are ending this week so I plan on pushing at least 10-12 hours a day in terms of reviewing content and taking practice exams. Studying for the MCAT is really hard when you are in school.
 
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Hey guys, are you all timing yourselves for the AAMC question packs? if so, how are you timing it?
By the way, I'm a bit bummed about the discussion regarding Nextstep :(
 
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^ I usually do around 3-4 a day. I time myself to 7 minutes a passage but some of the passages are pretty short and I usually finish them in 5 minutes/passage.
 
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^^ Same. I'm supplementing AAMC packs with TBR and tpr's science workbook for more practice. I did the official guide questions as my first fl. So now im just gonna switch between Kaplan, TPR and EK exams for endurance practice and take aamc fl sometime soon.
 
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nsharma23 said:
^^ Same. I'm supplementing AAMC packs with TBR and tpr's science workbook for more practice. I did the official guide questions as my first fl. So now im just gonna switch between Kaplan, TPR and EK exams for endurance practice and take aamc fl sometime soon.
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This is literally my same exact plan haha. 2 more days of content review though
 
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Caffein3 said:
This is literally my same exact plan haha. 2 more days of content review though
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Haha nice! Yea I figured that the tbr and tpr Swb are good practice even if they aren't presented the same exact way, it's still good to get the rhythm of practice passages going.

Anyone else feel swamped from mcat, apps and other activities? Cause I'm feeling it..
 
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TPR #2 today: 505

Chem/Phys-127
CARS-124
Bio/BC-128
Psyc/Soc-126

I have mixed feelings. Definite improvement from my first TPR FL (500; 125,124,126,125) at the beginning of content review which I am happy about. On the other hand, I continue to have sub-par scores in CARS which are not showing noticeable improvement. I guessed on 3 whole passages today because I'm such a slow reader, even though I finished each of the other sections with 10-15 minutes to spare. But comically "reading comprehension" was listed as one of my strengths in the Bio/BC portion lol.

I plan on taking one more TPR FL (#3), an EK FL and the AAMC FL between now and test day, as well as TBR, KA and and TPRH verbal workbook passages. I also really need to review my psyc/soc terms again, maybe even make flash cards. I still have both AAMC CARS question packs to use as well, but its starting to be about time to get a good strategy going. It's just like I lose focus reading CARS passages and don't remember a lot of what I read when I get to the questions which is completely opposite of my experience with science passages. It's hard to read through all of the jargon and convoluted sentences but thats what will make us great doctors right?

Less than 6 weeks left! :)
 
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nsharma23 said:
Do you feel like TPR exams are good?
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To be quite honest with you, I don't think they are the most representative but still great practice. Theres only a couple of experimental passages in each section, which looks like is the backbone of the new AAMC material. But they are worth every penny, you only need the ISBN of the MCAT complete book for the practice tests. The book itself, which I used for most of my content review is also a good buy. I wouldn't rely on it exclusively, especially for the new subjects but you can get it for ~$50 on amazon. As for supplementing it for content, I used Kahn Academy videos and my intro biochem textbook. My friend offloaded his TBR materials to me which I'm just going to use for the practice passages.
 
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TPR 1 completed today.

Score: 512

Chem/Phys: 127
CARS: 127
Bio/Biochem: 130
Psych/Socio: 128

Went to sleep last night around 12AM but woke up really early so I decided to take the exam a bit earlier. I'm exhausted! This is really an exam that tests your mental fortitude. Was getting headaches in the psych/socio section so I was surprised that I even scored above a 125.
Tried to emulate testing conditions. Wore my usual earplugs, bathroom breaks after a section was finished, eating protein bars after breaks etc. I was drinking coffee throughout the exam and had a bottle of water with me so the testing conditions wasn't as stringent as it should be.
Whatever, around a month left. Gonna go over it tomorrow and take another FL Saturday. Gonna also do practice passages along with Anki card reviewing on my non-FL days.
Currently using Khan and TPRH for practice passages. Kinda exhausted most of the passages from TBR but I do review them once in a while. I try and do full concept reviewing once a week but it takes a really long time using Anki cards (~1000 total including psych/socio definitions + concept examples) but I feel it has really helped me solidify the concepts and requires less time for me to apply them while in test/passage conditions.
I'll take the rest of the day off and resume tomorrow. Goodnight.
 
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Abraxas305 said:
TPR 1 completed today.

Score: 512

Chem/Phys: 127
CARS: 127
Bio/Biochem: 130
Psych/Socio: 128

Went to sleep last night around 12AM but woke up really early so I decided to take the exam a bit earlier. I'm exhausted! This is really an exam that tests your mental fortitude. Was getting headaches in the psych/socio section so I was surprised that I even scored above a 125.
Tried to emulate testing conditions. Wore my usual earplugs, bathroom breaks after a section was finished, eating protein bars after breaks etc. I was drinking coffee throughout the exam and had a bottle of water with me so the testing conditions wasn't as stringent as it should be.
Whatever, around a month left. Gonna go over it tomorrow and take another FL Saturday. Gonna also do practice passages along with Anki card reviewing on my non-FL days.
Currently using Khan and TPRH for practice passages. Kinda exhausted most of the passages from TBR but I do review them once in a while. I try and do full concept reviewing once a week but it takes a really long time using Anki cards (~1000 total including psych/socio definitions + concept examples) but I feel it has really helped me solidify the concepts and requires less time for me to apply them while in test/passage conditions.
I'll take the rest of the day off and resume tomorrow. Goodnight.
Click to expand...

This is the TPR Demo?

That is the highest score I've seen yet. Congratulations
 
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Abraxas305 said:
TPR 1 completed today.

Score: 512

Chem/Phys: 127
CARS: 127
Bio/Biochem: 130
Psych/Socio: 128

Went to sleep last night around 12AM but woke up really early so I decided to take the exam a bit earlier. I'm exhausted! This is really an exam that tests your mental fortitude. Was getting headaches in the psych/socio section so I was surprised that I even scored above a 125.
Tried to emulate testing conditions. Wore my usual earplugs, bathroom breaks after a section was finished, eating protein bars after breaks etc. I was drinking coffee throughout the exam and had a bottle of water with me so the testing conditions wasn't as stringent as it should be.
Whatever, around a month left. Gonna go over it tomorrow and take another FL Saturday. Gonna also do practice passages along with Anki card reviewing on my non-FL days.
Currently using Khan and TPRH for practice passages. Kinda exhausted most of the passages from TBR but I do review them once in a while. I try and do full concept reviewing once a week but it takes a really long time using Anki cards (~1000 total including psych/socio definitions + concept examples) but I feel it has really helped me solidify the concepts and requires less time for me to apply them while in test/passage conditions.
I'll take the rest of the day off and resume tomorrow. Goodnight.
Click to expand...
CARS approach?
 
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Really? I swore I saw some people here with 515's. Bio/Biochem has always been my strong suit, even when I was studying for the old MCAT last year.
For CARS, I honestly just read the passage. I don't really have an exact approach. I do read the passage pretty quickly ~2 min 30 sec and most questions I can eliminate 2 wrong answers with confidence. If I can do that, I usually do a rapid search of the passage to either confirm or contradict either of the two answers left. Of course that all depends on what the question is asking. I notice that most of the time, earlier in my CARS practice, that I would get questions wrong simply because I was not reading the question correctly.
 
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I have not taken the AAMC FL yet but TPR's question style seems to be a little different that what I have encountered in the AAMC QP. Although I know that the AAMC QP's are not representative of the actual test and only serve as content review, I would think that the style of the questions in the QP would mirror the 2015 FL style. Can anyone who has taken the 2015 FL confirm this?
 
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^ thanks lol
I'm probably gonna do the AAMC FL then. I'll aim for this coming Saturday since my exam is like ~ 6 weeks away. Gonna post-game the exam hard afterwards.
 
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Just finished finals so now I'm going double time. Still have a bit of content review left.. I've gone through a CARS book and a half.. I've taken 3 FL exams and countless passages.. and for all this I have no clue where I stand. Haha
 
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June 19th DALLAS TEXAS testing site.

This was my first practice exam taken. i've been using khan academy videos and passages, but i knew they weren't adequately preparing me for the length and rigor of the real deal. This is form ExamKrackers. I plan on doing PE # 2 possibly tomorrow and then review those questions and answers together.. Can anyone tell me what this score would roughly be for the old/new mcat?

I'm not satisfied with these scores, but I really think that with a few more practice exams and time to study I will continually get better. This was a long exam! I feel that I will only get more used to the questions, and the length with more practice. Please feel free to comment and give me some advice/opinions! Thanks y'all!!

( ExamKrackers EXAM 1 ) 47%
Chemical 21/59
CARS 27/53
Bio 27/59
Psych 33/59
 
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How do you guys feel about utilizing the 10 minute tutorial?

Are we given pencil and paper prior to starting the tutorial?

I am going to train myself to write a "cheat sheet" in this ten minutes including AA's, mnemonics, formulas, acronyms, and useful hints.. is this allowed? If so what would you guys put on it?
 
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mikil100 said:
How do you guys feel about utilizing the 10 minute tutorial?

Are we given pencil and paper prior to starting the tutorial?

I am going to train myself to write a "cheat sheet" in this ten minutes including AA's, mnemonics, formulas, acronyms, and useful hints.. is this allowed? If so what would you guys put on it?
Click to expand...

This is a very good idea to strategize a little helpful cheat sheet of important formulas and what not you can't remember.

I have a few mnemonics I use that I think I'll write down...but I don't think the AAs could be written perfectly in 10 minutes along with other formulas. I can post my mnemonics if people want! What else do you guys think we should put on?
 
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Caffein3 said:
This is a very good idea to strategize a little helpful cheat sheet of important formulas and what not you can't remember.

I have a few mnemonics I use that I think I'll write down...but I don't think the AAs could be written perfectly in 10 minutes along with other formulas. I can post my mnemonics if people want! What else do you guys think we should put on?
Click to expand...

I'm not going to write out their structures, what I will do is write their name, 3 letter name, and 1 letter name. There were so many AA questions on the practice test I feel like it's worth the time.

I'm going to write all the mnemonics for the AA's (polar, etc)
The rules for competitive inhibition, uncompetitive, non competitive... (these always trip me up on the spot...high yield too)
All the constants you use popping up a lot
Roy G Biv for light


Not sure of what else just yet... I know for physics I'm going to have the formulas for liquids and electricity as these seem to be highest yield subjects.

What else?
 
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Hello Everyone,

Long time lurker, first time commenting or maybe second :thinking: anyways I have been trying to keep up with the 2015 mcat threads/comments. However, as expected its a bag of mixed reviews. So, while keeping the comments in mind, I have decided to just stick with my game plan of Kaplan books/Chad videos for the sciences and KA for soc/psych(including their questions). I just need some advice for the practice test, I plan to take the AAMC FL next week, which will give me a good idea of my score. However, I don't want to pay for every single CBT out there by the test prep companies, so if i wanted to invest in CBTs by just one or maybe two companies, which one do you guys recommend? So far I am leaning towards paying for the three EK tests.

Do you guys suggest otherwise? Thank you to anyone who may respond. I understand every minute is precious studying for this test, so it means a lot.
 
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