When to take the MCAT?

If you absolutely have to apply in 2010 (ie you're in a BS/MD program), then study over the summer and take the summer MCAT. If you really don't have to take the MCAT, then wait. Don't follow some arbitary timeline. You don't have to go to medical school directly out of college. While it's not a good idea to take the MCAT without all of your pre-reqs, it's a worse idea to try to take the MCAT with a full course load. You'll have a better shot for the summer MCAT after studying for 3 months solid, then the alternative.

I don't know if going into the MCAT without organic 2 would be wise. You need a mastery of carbonyl chemistry, because the MCAT loves that stuff. I'm not sure how your school does it, but we did NMR in second semester, as well as aldol condensations, carboxylic acid derivatives, carbohydrates, and a brief treatment of amino acids. You kind of do need all that stuff to do well on the organic part.

If you were solid in organic 1 and would be fine plowing through the material on your own, go ahead. But otherwise, maybe not and just wait.

I was in this same situation last year. I chose to wait and take an MCAT course spring semester and take the MCAT this summer (I'm applying this cycle).

I can say that I regret it. I AM glad I took orgo first because the orgo questions are all a no-brainer for me now and it is like 25% of the bio section. But I barely studied at all during the school year due to my (normal) courseload. I feel like I would be doing a lot better on the MCAT I'm taking on Friday if I could have studied for the whole summer instead of cramming frantically for 2 weeks after school was over.

Not to say that my MCAT won't turn out OK -- practice tests have been in the 35-37 range -- but I think it's just a personal idiosyncracy because I love standardized tests. I could do a lot better if I had had the summer to study. If you don't like standardized tests then I would tell you to take it over the summer.

UNLESS you are super disciplined and are 90% sure you will be able to study during the year.

don't know how you learn but i would study all summer, then take the test in a few months... I feel that MCAT orgo 2 can be learned independently if you force yourself to fight through it. Hit the high points of organic from BR and other prep sources. IMO that will be sufficient. Its going to get crazy busy this fall and spring for ya and you def dont want to compromise your GPA for your MCAT and vica versa.. good luck

what year are you in pakbabydoll?

pakbabydoll said:

So I decided I am going to Study hardcore this summer while going to Orgo 2 lectures! This way I won't have to worry about my orgo 2 grade since I won't be enrolled in that class... but being in class will keep me focused! and I am going to sign up for the late September/ early October test... That would give me enough time if God forbid I had to take it over... I really don't do well on standardized tests and I can't take any prep courses.

Click to expand...

Smart.

I was going to suggest reading an hour from an organic textbook a day and just plowing through the whole thing...would help in the class too...but you save time doing this for sure

ORGO on the MCAT is bull**** easy, don't let anyone tell you differently

I remember my orgo class to be hard as crap---write out entire synthesis from blah to blah---like 4 of those and 8+ steps each in addition to a bunch of other crazy crap

MCAT is just remember some reactivities, leaving groups, nucleophiles, conditions for SN1, SN2 E1 E2 ---reactivities of C-acid derivatives EWG and EDG and some lab stuff----know pI

Plus stereochemistry but I imagine you covered that in Orgo 1 and its tested very basically

Good luck, study hard