What to do when your friend wants to take the MCAT.....

[crazy person]

So I don't know what to do in terms of being realistic and being honest or hurt her feelings. My friend wants to take her MCAT this August and apply to some DO Schools and MD'S BUT the problem is that she took all her sciences 3 years ago and recently decided to study for this beast. I mean, I want to encourage her but at the same time I don't know if she'll have enough time to learn the material and then review and do practice tests. I mean we all know the MCAT is no joke. I don't want to hurt her feelings but truthfully I don't know if she'll finish on time. What do you guys think? Is it possible? has anyone done this before?

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[thumbz]

I wrote my MCAT in May, started studying for it in late March doing classes full time. And then in May I was doing 50 hours a week in a lab and studying for it in the evening. I think your friend will have no problem learning it over the summer.

 

[Helixkam]

If she studies very very hard she can do it for sure. It's very possible for her to do well

 

[brood910]

If she doesnt do anything else, it is more than enough..

 

[valkener]

Just tell your friend your honest opinion while still being respectful, and then let him/her make the decision. That's all you can do and you would do him/her a disfavor by not being honest.

 

[mcgst9]

So I don't know what to do in terms of being realistic and being honest or hurt her feelings. My friend wants to take her MCAT this August and apply to some DO Schools and MD'S BUT the problem is that she took all her sciences 3 years ago and recently decided to study for this beast. I mean, I want to encourage her but at the same time I don't know if she'll have enough time to learn the material and then review and do practice tests. I mean we all know the MCAT is no joke. I don't want to hurt her feelings but truthfully I don't know if she'll finish on time. What do you guys think? Is it possible? has anyone done this before?

The material on the MCAT isn't all that difficult though. It's pretty basic stuff, most of it being high school level science. If she takes it in late August, she should be fine as long as she orders her books like now.

But if she has a fairly low GPA, she probably didn't learn the material well three years ago, and she probably doesn't remember what she did learn. I would recommend waiting in this case.

 

[survivordo]

Just recommend that she takes a practice test (as we would for anyone) before taking the real thing, hopefully she is smart enough to figure out that if she is doing poorly on the practice test than she is not ready. If she is not smart enough to figure this out then... maybe she shouldn't be going to med school...

Survivor DO

 

[mcloaf]

So I don't know what to do in terms of being realistic and being honest or hurt her feelings. My friend wants to take her MCAT this August and apply to some DO Schools and MD'S BUT the problem is that she took all her sciences 3 years ago and recently decided to study for this beast. I mean, I want to encourage her but at the same time I don't know if she'll have enough time to learn the material and then review and do practice tests. I mean we all know the MCAT is no joke. I don't want to hurt her feelings but truthfully I don't know if she'll finish on time. What do you guys think? Is it possible? has anyone done this before?

Honestly, unless she asks for your opinion, the only way to not look like an ******* here is not to say anything except good luck.

 

[alpharez]

So I don't know what to do in terms of being realistic and being honest or hurt her feelings. My friend wants to take her MCAT this August and apply to some DO Schools and MD'S BUT the problem is that she took all her sciences 3 years ago and recently decided to study for this beast. I mean, I want to encourage her but at the same time I don't know if she'll have enough time to learn the material and then review and do practice tests. I mean we all know the MCAT is no joke. I don't want to hurt her feelings but truthfully I don't know if she'll finish on time. What do you guys think? Is it possible? has anyone done this before?

How do you know this? 3 months is plenty of time. Give her advice about how to study effectively instead of telling her she can't do it.

 

[crazy person]

Thanks for all your responses. Basically I'm giving her my support since she ended up getting her books and she is basically determined to take her MCAT late August. I'm hoping that she'll finish everything by then and do well. The only thing I told her is to follow the 3 month schedule and to just keep up ! Who knows? maybe she'll get a good score...

 

[Greedo]

I was in the same situation when I decided to take the MCAT, and so are plenty of nontraditional students. Just let your friend do what she has to do to be a doctor.