ADD and MCAT

[eldoctoraz]

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Is there anyone else out there that can share my same experiences with having severe attention deficit disorder and taking the MCAT. I found out recently after seeing an ADD specialist that I have "extreme" focus problems and that the medicine I had been taking for 2 1/2 years was 2X as much as I should have been taking. I also learned that the duration of each dosage in actuality was only 1/2 as long as what I had been originally told. The specialist told me that the extraneous dosages that I was on could have caused my anxiety, which was one of my main problems in studying and taking the MCAT.

I know they allow the "learning-disabled" to take the test under special conditions, but I really only feel that I need help on the VR section. I can never focus on those damn passages!

Is there anyone out there as messed up in the head as I am??? I would like to hear how similar peeps have dealt with this!!!

 

[tbo]

Eldoctoraz,

I have ADD as well but no MCAT experience in it. I've personally decided to "wing it" since, like your experience, I only really needed time on Verbal. I took it once in normal testing time, and did so-so. I did quite differently from what I expected - verbal being far from what I thought I could achieve. I definitely struggled to concentrate and the score showed. I took it again in August - again under normal testing and we'll wait and see.

It's an absolute struggle. I, personally, am torn about it. Part of me can see how much difference some extra time (like time and a half) can do. I failed OChem my first semester - the next year with extra time, I got an A+. The other part of me takes a more 'tough love' kind of perspective - I struggled to concentrate for 20 years, and was relatively successful in my early years. So I've decided against taking meds for ADD and from extra time. Your miles may vary, though. I'd say get the meds situation stabilized, study hard for the thing, take lots of practice tests - all the good advice about the MCATs still apply, LD or not. Best of luck.

Email me if you want to discuss in private - [email protected]

 

[cjames3]

I had ADD and had asked for exrta time but was denied. I went through all the tests and had 2 recs sent to them. They are really strict when it comes to giving extra time but why no try. I took it this August and am now awaiting my scores. Only a few more weeks of waiting anxiously.

 

[fpr85]

How do you know if you have ADD?

I get up about every 15 minutes after studying to go get something to eat, do I have ADD or am I just a compulsive eater?

 

[eldoctoraz]

FPR85 - I went to the counselor at my university and she administered this little paper-based test that asked questions about your focus and study habits. This test suggested that I may have had ADD, and with my history (I was diagnosed with ADHD as a small child) I should go see a psychiatrist, who also determined that I did indeed have the disorder. There are ADD specialists now that only deal with such cases and they have all this cool, new brain-mapping technology that will actually show you the differences in your brainwave patterns compared to a "normal" brain. I saw one of these in AZ and he was a lot of help. He corrected my medication dosage, which had been 2x as much as I should have been taking and probably was the main cause of my terrible MCAT and college exam anxiety. You just gotta get it checked out. There have been studies showing that the normal human brain can only retain information from one 30 minute study session at a time. So maybe, you just need to change your studying habits. I think it is definately worth looking into!

 

[fpr85]

Thanks, I appreciate the help.