Do MCAT courses help? Are they worth it?

[On_The_Way_Up]

---

Members don't see this ad.

Most people I’ve talked to say they don’t help or you’re better off studying at your own pace and all the practice material you can get is better than a course. I see courses are $2,500. My parents are really pushing me to take a course but I’m worried if all those hours in the course would be a waste of time and waste of money.

 

[catmullclark]

You don't need a course. There are so many resources readily available online, Khan Academy being one that AAMC has officially collaborated with, that these courses are a waste of money ($2,500 - are you serious?). And because of the breadth of the internet, these courses should be on the decline.

Amendment: If you have trouble adhering to a consistent schedule and motivating yourself - and be honest with yourself - these MCAT courses would benefit you a great deal.

 

[Suture_Self]

YMMV but it didnt help me at all. They can be useful if you need something more structured to tell you what you should be studying, but its basically 2500 for some materials and a babysitter, since I found the class itself somewhat less useful.

 

[rufflev]

I'd say it depends on your study style - I personally benefitted from taking a prep course because it provided me structure and resources that I would otherwise have to spend time searching for. That said, if you are strict with your study regime and are efficient studying outside of the classroom then I'd say you probably wouldn't need one. Keep in mind that a $2,500 investment in your overall future is worth while, you don't want that to be the reason why you need to re-take the exam or re-apply, etc. (Not saying that you would without the class.)

 

[William Shakespeare]

They’re useful if you need a structured study plan and/or have noone to study with. I probably wouldn’t have went with a program if I had a study group to tackle it with.

**Probably the best resource is Khan Academy (especially for psych/soc)

 

[jtd2081]

I think it just depends on your grasping of the concepts you learned during the first 2ish years of undergrad. If you know it all like the back of your hand then maybe don't spend that money. But as Gonnif said, it is the most important exam of your life so far, so why not do it. My parents paid for the class and I found that it did help me stick to a study plan, and gave me more material than I could ever finish. I did well in everything except CARS, but I take the blame for that. All in all, I think it is worth it. Spend the money now to get a good score and you don't have to spend thousands of dollars again retaking the MCAT and applying again. Personally, I say do it.

 

[VincentAdultman]

I look at prep for each of these tests as an investment. From the MCAT through Step One, Two, through board certification. This is not the time to worry about a budget. If you're not spending money, your probably not doing it right.

That being said, know your strengths. I do very well with structure. I took Kaplans class in UG for the MCAT and again in Med School for Step One. Both decisions worked out well for me but not everyone's like that.

 

[efle]

I actually think it is worse than self study, not just a big expense for the equivalent.

When you take a class, you are going to move at the class pace, without any flexibility. When you self study, you can change things up to spend more time on your weak spots and less on your strengths.

The same books and a similar study schedule can be found online easily.

 

[Kingsmen2018]

Yes its worth it. Just use the class to supplement ur study, not to be the only thing u study

 

[de Ribas]

Most people I’ve talked to say they don’t help or you’re better off studying at your own pace and all the practice material you can get is better than a course. I see courses are $2,500. My parents are really pushing me to take a course but I’m worried if all those hours in the course would be a waste of time and waste of money.

Some people find it worthy and some not. It depends on various personal circumstances.

There are many that did not use it and did exceptionally well. Find what will work best for you.

Make sure you do as many FL practice tests as you can.