April Mcat + pre-reqs 10 years ago

[Lugnut]

Is it possible to do well on the MCAT using the kaplan on-line course and some examcrackers materials if you have not seen the material in 10 years?

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[HunterGatherer]

Took physics and gen chem about 12 years ago. Used only EK to get a 10 on that part of actual MCAT. Bio and ochem I took right before the MCAT. My only tip is to start early which I think you are doing.

Also I was a straight A calc based physics student so I figured everything would "just come right back to me" and this would be a subject I did not have to work on too much. Physics and Gen Chem turned out to be my weakest subject. So its probably hard to predict which of your subjects will be the most difficult. When you do find it try to dedicate the last 6 weeks (or more) of study to those topics/subjects. This is what I did.

 

[DrBuro]

It's definitely possible. A quick review of the old material is pretty much all you need to do well, with the exception of PS. The majority of the test is reading comprehension.

 

[jebus]

I took the pre-reqs in 1998-99 (graduated in 2002 and worked in labs since, though, so the material from the biology classes was still fresh in my mind) and took the MCAT in August 2005 and did well. So, 5-7 years without physics, general chemistry, and organic chemistry and I only used the kaplan book, the princeton review book, the AAMC practice tests, and old class notes and texts and I did well. And it is definitely a reading comprehension test! Also, learn relationships between concepts and you'll do great!
You can do well! Good luck!

 

[remo]

You may need textbooks in addition to the review books. Some of the stuff is not explained well enough in the review materials is you haven't seen it for awhile. If you're anything like me then you won't remember anything but a few basics from classes taken that long ago. There are some classes I got A's in 10 years ago and it is like looking at it for the first time now. In my opinion you need a really solid understanding of the content to get a 30+.

 

[HunterGatherer]

You may need textbooks in addition to the review books. Some of the stuff is not explained well enough in the review materials is you haven't seen it for awhile. If you're anything like me then you won't remember anything but a few basics from classes taken that long ago. There are some classes I got A's in 10 years ago and it is like looking at it for the first time now. In my opinion you need a really solid understanding of the content to get a 30+.

I agree. I purchased some old editions of Physics and Chemistry texts from ebay. A number of topics were just too unfamiliar for me to understand without text books.

 

[RAD11]

Is it possible to do well on the MCAT using the kaplan on-line course and some examcrackers materials if you have not seen the material in 10 years?

Like you, its been approx 8-10 yrs since I took my pre-reqs. I took Kaplan Review and took last April's MCAT and did horrbile. I felt that the Kaplan Review didn't really help me at all because I felt that I needed a good understanding of the material first and was falling behind on my review course (w/ exception of biology portion). I am currently re-taking gen chem I, orgo I, and physics I and will be taking part 2 next semester.