Anyone else getting burnt out by MCAT studying?

[Buttermellow]

---

Members don't see this ad.

I can't seem to make myself study. I know I need to study at least an hour a day to take the mcat in april or may, but I can't seem to make myself. It's just so daunting to long-term study that much material, half of which I'll probably never use again.

Anyone have tips for getting motivated?

Or any other complaints. We could just vent.

 

[Geneticist]

Motivation: not taking the MCAT seriously and either having to go through the drag of studying for it again OR never getting into medical school OR if you have the bar set high, not getting into your top choice.

 

[flakpilot]

Motivation: not taking the MCAT seriously and either having to go through the drag of studying for it again OR never getting into medical school OR if you have the bar set high, not getting into your top choice.

+1. I haven't had that much of a hard time sitting down to study. Instead, I'm getting frustrated. I feel like I'm forgetting everything I'm studying. Sometimes I freak out and say, how the f** am I supposed to remember all this by April? Then I calm down and say: review..review..review..constantly..and the end of that week review what you studied that week and practice. Lol trying to stick up to this but it is hard. So that's when I think about what geneticist said lol and sit down and study.

 

[Buttermellow]

I actually had a nightmare about the MCAt the other night, in which I was taking the MCAT and I realized that I had not studied and was going to do terribly. That was a little motivation.

I guess I should set aside a certain amount of time every day to just study with no distractions or excuses.

 

[mishaS]

Maybe you're like me, and it'll hit you as it gets closer. I spent 3 months studying, really I only studied hard the last month.

 

[Geneticist]

I actually had a nightmare about the MCAt the other night, in which I was taking the MCAT and I realized that I had not studied and was going to do terribly. That was a little motivation.

You dream about the MCAT? That's a bit obsessive, don't ya think? 😛

I guess I should set aside a certain amount of time every day to just study with no distractions or excuses.

That's what you should be doing. Allow yourself a sufficient amount of time everyday and get into the routine of studying for the MCAT. I'm sure once you fall into a pattern of study rituals you'll be fine.

Go somewhere where there aren't too many distractions like the library. I always study most efficiently in the library. Try that if you haven't already.

 

[NickNaylor]

Motivation: going to medical school.

 

[Holderlin]

I actually had a nightmare about the MCAt the other night, in which I was taking the MCAT and I realized that I had not studied and was going to do terribly. That was a little motivation.

I guess I should set aside a certain amount of time every day to just study with no distractions or excuses.

Nightmare here too. I was taking the test and I couldn't get through the first passage. And time just kept ticking away.

I got burned out in the first two week, probably because I charged ahead all overzealous and naive. I just finished taking about 5 days off and I'm ready to hit it hard for 3.5 months. I'm more concerned with just getting through all the content so I can review it while I blow through FLs. The consensus is that it's all about taking 6-10 FLs under timed/simulated conditions.

I also have a recurring dream where I'm about to get an F in a math class because I didn't attend one lecture for the entire semester, in the dream it's like I forgot I registered for the class. This probably has something to do with my freshman year of college where there were several classes that I literally never attended. I would miss midterms and go get a Doctor's note for my "sore throat".

 

[raltima07]

How many hours do you guys study a day? I am using SN2ed guide and I average like 1 hour to 2 hours a day....but im not sure im dong that great.

When did you start seeing any improvement?

 

[Slowpoke]

How many hours do you guys study a day? I am using SN2ed guide and I average like 1 hour to 2 hours a day....but im not sure im dong that great.

When did you start seeing any improvement?

When you are sitting there and staring at your piled high MCAT books. Wondering why on earth you are spending all of this time studying, stressing, and being unhappy. You will stand up, and tell yourself.

"**** this test"

And as you utter those 4 words - test. You realize that at the most fundamental that is what it is. A test, just another day in a pre-meds life, in my opinion.

 

[0919mmk]

How many hours do you guys study a day? I am using SN2ed guide and I average like 1 hour to 2 hours a day....but im not sure im dong that great.

When did you start seeing any improvement?

I'm actually doing about 4hrs a day, just because I am a slow reader and Kaplan gives you literally 100 pages to do before each class (twice a week), plus problems. How do I do it? I'M ROCKSO THE THE ROCK N ROLL CLOWN, AND I DO C-C-C-C-COFFEEEEEE

 

[familyaerospace]

Yea, I'm getting burned out. That's for sure. I've studied hard (5-6 hours a day for 6 months) then took a 2 month break of only about an hour or two a day. Now I am putting all the effort into Organic 2 since I am taking that class now and it's a major energy drain although luckily I exempted out of my other courses this semester so this is the only course I am taking. I am almost ready to start trying to do a few more MCAT hours each day. I'm also testing in April.

I keep having people tell me to breath and that I'll do fine. That is not reassuring. I feel a little overwhelmed that I am never going to remember it all.

 

[BenjaminT]

Yes, I'm sick of studying for the MCAT. The last thing I want to do when I have free time from studying for my classes is study for the MCAT. Luckily, I am still taking Physics and Orgo this semester so I feel like studying for those classes is like hitting two birds with one stone.

I'm starting to think I should just stop studying for it altogether. If I can get a decent score without any preparation, then maybe I could get through medical school without studying. Certainly, this would make the next five years of my life much easier.

 

[enTropeeeeeeeee]

Thanks for this thread. I'm doing 6-8h/day + 1-2h break time. I have enough motivation and drive to build a skyscraper. Instead, my dilemma is being overwhelmed by the vast amount of material. I'm ~1/2 way thru the BR books. So at the moment, I'm rereading the trouble chapters and going thru the practice passages to understand the experiments and underlying concepts. Although I feel discouraged, it's helpful to realize other people are fighting thru it as well.

Feel free to PM me if you guys want to talk about it. I think we can both benefit from that conversation.

 

[mrdude]

im totally burnt out already. i pushed back my mcat from january until march and im wondering if i might have to push it back again. ive been studying for the past 5 months 10-20 hours a week but with a full time job its totally exhausting trying to study a few hours a day or sometimes even at all. trying to stay motivated for all this time is tough and since im retaking from 3 years ago i forgot everything so i need to learn that much more. ugh

 

[Charles_Carmichael]

If you feel that you're on the cusp of burning out, take a few days off! Seriously, the worst thing you can do before the exam is to get burnt out. Ideally you want to be building-up throughout the study period and peaking during the week you're taking the real MCAT.

If you're worried about burning out, take a few days off, don't think about the MCAT at all, hang out with friends, go have fun. Taking those few days off won't really hurt you. Definitely not as much as allowing yourself to burn out might.

Yea, I'm getting burned out. That's for sure. I've studied hard (5-6 hours a day for 6 months) then took a 2 month break of only about an hour or two a day. Now I am putting all the effort into Organic 2 since I am taking that class now and it's a major energy drain although luckily I exempted out of my other courses this semester so this is the only course I am taking. I am almost ready to start trying to do a few more MCAT hours each day. I'm also testing in April.

I keep having people tell me to breath and that I'll do fine. That is not reassuring. I feel a little overwhelmed that I am never going to remember it all.

Why are you studying for so long? 😕

Beyond 3 to 4 months of studying, you're risking losing whatever it is you learned earlier. You should be finishing up with content review after 1.5-2 months and the next month or so should be spent doing a ton of passages and practice exams (with occasional review to refresh memory). Content review becomes extremely low-yield after a certain point. So does extending how many months you spend studying for the exam.

Edit: I guess some of you are also working full-time while studying. That would explain the lengthy studying. I worked part-time during my study period and, while I agree that even that sucked, I would still say that you risk forgetting what you've reviewed if you spend more than 4 months studying.

 

[aparks]

I didnt read the whole forum so this may be redundant, but here we go...

So, how i went about the studying process included just an hour or two on each weekend taking practice tests out of examkrackers. It gets you used to multiple choice format if your education has been like mine, and you haven't seen a multiple choice question since freshman year of high school. Plus an hour or two doesnt seem daunting, but it definitely adds up.
Then, I scheduled my mcat in march for the last saturday in spring break, so that whole week I was last minute force motivated to go through all the material in the examcrackers books - I took a little over a day per subject.

What helped me most by far was taking the practice mcats that you buy from the actual mcat people, its like old recycled tests. HUGE HELP

I ended up doing pretty well on the mcat and getting into two schools i really likeed october 17th, really early in the cycle. My method worked pretty well for me, i dont regret it one bit.

 

[YouNeverKnow22]

Thanks for this thread. I'm doing 6-8h/day + 1-2h break time. I have enough motivation and drive to build a skyscraper. Instead, my dilemma is being overwhelmed by the vast amount of material. I'm ~1/2 way thru the BR books. So at the moment, I'm rereading the trouble chapters and going thru the practice passages to understand the experiments and underlying concepts. Although I feel discouraged, it's helpful to realize other people are fighting thru it as well.

Feel free to PM me if you guys want to talk about it. I think we can both benefit from that conversation.

😱

I'm doing a solid 2 hours a day 3-4 days a week.

 

[wrigley09]

Another piece of motivation: scholarship offers with your acceptance.

 

[bacalaca]

just wait til you have to prep for step 1, thats when the real fatigue and burn out sets in.

 

[Nuggles]

just wait til you have to prep for step 1, thats when the real fatigue and burn out sets in.

👍

I mentioned being all stressed out about the MCAT to a resident and he said the exact same thing. My stress level just dropped, guess he put everything into perspective 🙂

 

[wolverinepwns]

Motivation: you'll be studying EVEN MORE in medschool.

 

[DoctwoB]

Yes, I'm sick of studying for the MCAT. The last thing I want to do when I have free time from studying for my classes is study for the MCAT. Luckily, I am still taking Physics and Orgo this semester so I feel like studying for those classes is like hitting two birds with one stone.

I'm starting to think I should just stop studying for it altogether. If I can get a decent score without any preparation, then maybe I could get through medical school without studying. Certainly, this would make the next five years of my life much easier.

Let me know how that works out for you.

Oh and for everyone else on the thread. Imagine how you'll feel after studying 8-12 hours/day for months for step 1 (after preparing for it for 1-2 years). The upside is that the material is more clinically relevant though.

 

[familyaerospace]

Why are you studying for so long? 😕

The short answer is I have 4 kids, run my own business and help my partner with his business, give constant interviews on my research (most recent was to a German newspaper), seem to constantly be traveling to conferences, go to school, sit on about half a dozen committees which I am obliged to remain on, and that doesn't include the rest of the stuff that premeds have to do (volunteering, shadowing, etc). The only reason I took that month or so break is because I became very sick most likely due to lighting the candle at both ends. I don't have any local friends to hang out with. I am 2 hours from the closest city.

I finished the first batch of content review via ExamKrackers a few months back and now I am reviewing again through BR. The passages are annoying me.

I don't believe that about losing what you've learned after 4 months. I would have been about 8 months different from when I started and my practice test after the break placed me one point under where I wanted to be score wise, but still showed a statistical significant gain. Only thing I lost was translational motion although I will admit that it was studied near the beginning of the studying. However, I, for whatever reason, have always had problems with that. Always.

 

[Frazier]

just wait til you have to prep for step 1, thats when the real fatigue and burn out sets in.

I mentioned being all stressed out about the MCAT to a resident and he said the exact same thing. My stress level just dropped, guess he put everything into perspective 🙂

Oh and for everyone else on the thread. Imagine how you'll feel after studying 8-12 hours/day for months for step 1 (after preparing for it for 1-2 years). The upside is that the material is more clinically relevant though.

Except if you score average on Step one (221) you are not only a doctor, but in good shape for most specialties.
Score average on the MCAT and you will likely be looking for a different profession.

If the counterpoint to that is "Well, Fraz, one must study much harder just to score 'average' on the Step1". Okay, extrapolate the above to "scoring below average by one deviation on each respective exam"... Claim still holds true, albeit less # of specialties likely w/ that step1.

 

[DoctwoB]

Except if you score average on Step one (221) you are not only a doctor, but in good shape for most specialties.
Score average on the MCAT and you will likely be looking for a different profession.

If the counterpoint to that is "Well, Fraz, one must study much harder just to score 'average' on the Step1". Okay, extrapolate the above to "scoring below average by one deviation on each respective exam"... Claim still holds true, albeit less # of specialties likely w/ that step1.

Most specialties?
Specialties that will be tough to get into with a 221.

Radiology
Ophthalmology
Orthopedics
Neurosurgery
ENT
Urology
Plastic surgery
Dermatology
Integrated Vascular or Cardiothoracic

That narrows your choices down by a lot. And remember, that is the average among people who scored way above average on the MCAT, so doing average on the MCAT is way easier than average on Step1.

 

[enTropeeeeeeeee]

Except if you score average on Step one (221) you are not only a doctor, but in good shape for most specialties.
Score average on the MCAT and you will likely be looking for a different profession.

If the counterpoint to that is "Well, Fraz, one must study much harder just to score 'average' on the Step1". Okay, extrapolate the above to "scoring below average by one deviation on each respective exam"... Claim still holds true, albeit less # of specialties likely w/ that step1.

Worst case scenario...become a doctor.

 

[Frazier]

Most specialties?
Specialties that will be tough to get into with a 221.

Radiology
Ophthalmology
Orthopedics
Neurosurgery
ENT
Urology
Plastic surgery
Dermatology
Integrated Vascular or Cardiothoracic

That narrows your choices down by a lot. And remember, that is the average among people who scored way above average on the MCAT, so doing average on the MCAT is way easier than average on Step1.

That's the point: doing average on the Step1 is okay, doing average on the MCAT is not... Being "average" on one is a satisfactory result for the majority, being "average" on the other is a death sentence of sorts.

The residencies you listed are approximately the 9 most competitive specialties out of over 50 medical specialties. What was your point?

For every med student that has the world crumble around them because they don't score high enough to be a plastic surgeon (#1), there are numerous pre-meds who's world crumbles because they didn't score high enough to get into Harvard (#1).

 

[exptherainbow]

Except if you score average on Step one (221) you are not only a doctor, but in good shape for most specialties.
Score average on the MCAT and you will likely be looking for a different profession.

If the counterpoint to that is "Well, Fraz, one must study much harder just to score 'average' on the Step1". Okay, extrapolate the above to "scoring below average by one deviation on each respective exam"... Claim still holds true, albeit less # of specialties likely w/ that step1.

That's not even a fair comparison - you're competing against a different population of students on the MCAT than you are when you take the Step 1... The vast majority of people who take the MCAT don't go to med school, the vast majority of people who take the Step 1 go into residencies.

 

[Frazier]

That's not even a fair comparison - you're competing against a different population of students on the MCAT than you are when you take the Step 1... The vast majority of people who take the MCAT don't go to med school, the vast majority of people who take the Step 1 go into residencies.

You further supported my point...

People stated "You think it is stressful studying for the MCAT, wait until studying for Step 1."

I said most people who do merely "average" on the MCAT do not even get into med school, nor become doctors. People that merely do "average" on step 1 do become doctors... People that do piss poor on step 1 still become doctors sans those that simply fail it. What is the fail rate? Isn't it like in the single digits?

Sure, if you're gunning for a specialty that essentially mandates a +235 score, it'll be ultra stressful+1. Just like the MCAT to pre-med gunners that are Harvard/Hopkins/WUSTL or bust...

However, if you have wide interests spanning a spectrum of specialties that correlate with different "mean accepted step1 scores" it isn't [comparatively] as much on the line - do the footwork and you'll get a residency somewhere. Do the footwork on the MCAT, compete with the other 45,000 test takers, come up short - even if you have a wide spectrum of potential schools to apply to: oops, apply Caribbean or chiropractic 🙂p).

The risks of each respective exam is what's "not even a fair comparison" - being that the risks are so vastly different.

Thanks for the support, yo. 😎

 

[movax]

It's a pain to make myself focus, considering I finished classes almost a year ago, and am working full-time, so I'm kinda tired when I get home. (EE, ~60hrs/week). But, it's gotta get done...my first attempt I had studied for a week and got a 33, but now I have a few months (that will likely be filled with attempting to re-learn things I've forgotten).

Somewhere, there's a thing that suggests it takes ~21 days for a habit to form...just like working out, get into the habit of studying, and then you'll feel bad on the days you don't study.

 

[jissho]

I do have some random off days but I'm enjoying the whole process. I've been studying since September for at least 2 hours each day.

 

[45408]

No, not recently. 😀

I took it in 2004, with a PENCIL.

 

[45408]

Most specialties?
Specialties that will be tough to get into with a 221.

Radiology
Ophthalmology
Orthopedics
Neurosurgery
ENT
Urology
Plastic surgery
Dermatology
Integrated Vascular or Cardiothoracic

That narrows your choices down by a lot. And remember, that is the average among people who scored way above average on the MCAT, so doing average on the MCAT is way easier than average on Step1.

Yeah, you just named off a minority of specialties, leaving MOST SPECIALTIES still available....

 

[bacalaca]

You further supported my point...

People stated "You think it is stressful studying for the MCAT, wait until studying for Step 1."

I said most people who do merely "average" on the MCAT do not even get into med school, nor become doctors. People that merely do "average" on step 1 do become doctors... People that do piss poor on step 1 still become doctors sans those that simply fail it. What is the fail rate? Isn't it like in the single digits?

Sure, if you're gunning for a specialty that essentially mandates a +235 score, it'll be ultra stressful+1. Just like the MCAT to pre-med gunners that are Harvard/Hopkins/WUSTL or bust...

However, if you have wide interests spanning a spectrum of specialties that correlate with different "mean accepted step1 scores" it isn't [comparatively] as much on the line - do the footwork and you'll get a residency somewhere. Do the footwork on the MCAT, compete with the other 45,000 test takers, come up short - even if you have a wide spectrum of potential schools to apply to: oops, apply Caribbean or chiropractic 🙂p).

The risks of each respective exam is what's "not even a fair comparison" - being that the risks are so vastly different.

Thanks for the support, yo. 😎

the point of my post was not talking about the stress/pressure to perform well on step 1. I was just pointing out that the sheer volume of material that you need to learn for step 1 as compared to MCAT lends itself to causing more fatigue and burn out. I personally felt that the MCAT was more of a test taker's test, with the answers being provided somewhere in the passages... Step one, you either know it or you dont.

Also, for step 1, you pretty much only get one shot at the test, retaking step 1 hurts your application for the next level much more than retaking the MCAT.

O and step 1 is like 7 hours worth of actual test, and 1 hour of total break time...

That being said, good luck to every one studying for the MCAT... you can PM me questions, but i took it a while back so i dont know how much help i can be

 

[cgk]

Most specialties?
Specialties that will be tough to get into with a 221.

Radiology
Ophthalmology
Orthopedics
Neurosurgery
ENT
Urology
Plastic surgery
Dermatology
Integrated Vascular or Cardiothoracic

That narrows your choices down by a lot. And remember, that is the average among people who scored way above average on the MCAT, so doing average on the MCAT is way easier than average on Step1.

You missed one for the list: Radiation Oncology! Small but elite group!