For those who already took the MCAT

[HipChick]

Or those who will take it soon: When did you take it? In relationship to the completion of your courses?
If everything goes to plan, I will finish all prereqs may 2013. So... when would you take the MCAT? Apply to Med school? Barring everying in all the courses went well.

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[FrkyBgStok]

Earliest would be may 2013. I would probably do august at the earliest simply because that would give you a good 3 months study time. You won't be applying as early if you wanted to apply that year but a 33 mcat in aug trumps a 23 in June.

 

[0919mmk]

Earliest would be may 2013. I would probably do august at the earliest simply because that would give you a good 3 months study time. You won't be applying as early if you wanted to apply that year but a 33 mcat in aug trumps a 23 in June.

truth

 

[HipChick]

Ok, say I did well on the MCAT in August, when do most med schools accept applications (on average)?

this is all so exciting, yet overwhelming!

 

[FrkyBgStok]

Application opens in may and the soonest you can apply is June 1st. Understand verification takes a bit of time and taking an aug mcat means you can't apply really until sep or even oct depending on your own turnaround time, which is actually pretty late. Not really late, but late enough that a borderlne mcat score could keep you out.

 

[HipChick]

Application opens in may and the soonest you can apply is June 1st. Understand verification takes a bit of time and taking an aug mcat means you can't apply really until sep or even oct depending on your own turnaround time, which is actually pretty late. Not really late, but late enough that a borderlne mcat score could keep you out.

That makes sense. any other suggestion? Im really on my own researching this :/

 

[FrkyBgStok]

depends on your goals. I took cell bio and biochemistry. I thought it was a huge help for the mcat. are you wanting to apply in 2013? will the rest of your app allow for it? will you have good ECs?

 

[NuttyEngDude]

Take a look at the list of topics on the MCAT. And see how well your courses cover them. My biology courses didn't touch physiology at all. So I added a physiology course. On the other hand, I could have replaced my whole cell bio class with a one week reading on cell signalling since my intro bio classes covered it so well.

I finish my prereq's this semester and am taking the MCAT at the end of the semester

 

[notbobtrustme]

To put applying early in perspective, I received a 37 on my MCAT in August, submitted primary prior to that, and was completed in late Sept/Oct to 6 schools. So far, only one interview invite.

So yea, apply early.

 

[MT Headed]

Remember you can have your primary and secondaries done before your MCAT score arrives. Then when it does arrive you are complete at all your schools.

I took the MCAT late July and got the results / was complete late August. 7 interviews from 20 applications, or 35% yield. Anything above 20% is considered good, I hear. Notbob (above) is just one invite away from 33% yield.

 

[HipChick]

depends on your goals. I took cell bio and biochemistry. I thought it was a huge help for the mcat. are you wanting to apply in 2013? will the rest of your app allow for it? will you have good ECs?

I will be able to take something bio related (probably micro, maybe one more? next semester. I just cant squeeze in anything other than orgo in the fall with work.

I would like to apply in 2013 if possible. Rest of my app allow for it? Im thinking I'll have a lot of EC, I was told to even put stuff down from HS? I have TONS and I mean TONS from HS, less in UG but still some, less since real life started, but still probably more than most.

I have patient contact hours since honestly I was 13. More organized in college. I volunteer lots of time outside of my paid hours because its who I am. I am a facilitator for our football teams leadership group, as well as the coordinator for the student athletic training aid group, I do junior interviews at the high school, as well as career interviews and career fairs. i do career talks in the medical occupations class. I also am a host for local fam med residents. They come out to multiple games to get the "real time" injury action. I let them do as much, or as little, as they like. mhm...I guess I could actually do true community volunteering... just not sure with what TIME.

 

[beckhunter116]

Only include things from high school that you carried over into college. That is typically the advice on here. I would think a May MCAT wouldn't be out of the ordinary considering the pre-reqs are being taken recently, so you aren't having to relearn any topics (hopefully). Good luck.

 

[HipChick]

I can imagine me sitting in my little green golf cart studying for the MCAT at a baseball game. "coach, yeah I see his fibula, yeah I know its through the skin, yeah yeah I'll take care of it just let me figure out this physics question!"

 

[Slev]

x

 

[Jnorman1218]

I can imagine me sitting in my little green golf cart studying for the MCAT at a baseball game. "coach, yeah I see his fibula, yeah I know its through the skin, yeah yeah I'll take care of it just let me figure out this physics question!"

What do you do? AT?

 

[Prncssbuttercup]

I took mine in May 2011, and applied that June. Had classes until 1st week of May, took the test May 21st. Scored a 26 (I didn't try super hard to study) and I got into the schools I needed to. I hadn't taken any of the prereqs in 12 years... If I could have taken in in Aug, I maybe could have done better, but I think I would have needed a prep course...

 

[HipChick]

What do you do? AT?

Yuppers! AT baby... You?

 

[Jnorman1218]

Yuppers! AT baby... You?

Fellow ATC.

 

[HipChick]

Fellow ATC.

PMing you

 

[SLC]

Took mine in Mid September, spent the summer volunteering abroad and came back just in time to make the last MCAT.

I applied in October when my scores were in, got a few interviews and was accepted in February.

My advice is to take your MCAT when you feel comfortable with the material, and confident you can do well. It's best not to retake if you don't have to so take it when you're feeling adequately prepped.

My other advice is to find a way to relax about the exam. If that's through intense study, meditation, recreation, etc. it doesn't really matter. You just need to go in ready, relaxed, and thinking clearly and rationally. If you can accomplish that, there's no reason you can't make an excellent score.

Best of luck.

 

[katiemaude]

If you don't have a heavy courseload your last semester (only taking physics 2, for example), it's possible to study for the MCAT at the same time and take the MCAT a few weeks after your finals. But with the emphasis on getting your app in on June 1st, those last few weeks in May are better spent working on the primary.

If you have the time to wait, I'd study that whole summer after finishing school and take the MCAT in August or January if you need to study for six months. Apply the following June. I tried to do it all last summer and it was too much for me with everything else I had going on. However, lots of people do it successfully. You would be best off taking the MCAT in early May, working on your primary the rest of May and getting it in as close as possible to June 1st, and you would theoretically have your MCAT score and be verified before the end of June. Taking the MCAT in early June pushes everything back but that would mean studying for the MCAT and working on your primary at the same time.

 

[HipChick]

If you don't have a heavy courseload your last semester (only taking physics 2, for example), it's possible to study for the MCAT at the same time and take the MCAT a few weeks after your finals. But with the emphasis on getting your app in on June 1st, those last few weeks in May are better spent working on the primary.

If you have the time to wait, I'd study that whole summer after finishing school and take the MCAT in August or January if you need to study for six months. Apply the following June. I tried to do it all last summer and it was too much for me with everything else I had going on. However, lots of people do it successfully. You would be best off taking the MCAT in early May, working on your primary the rest of May and getting it in as close as possible to June 1st, and you would theoretically have your MCAT score and be verified before the end of June. Taking the MCAT in early June pushes everything back but that would mean studying for the MCAT and working on your primary at the same time.

Is studying for the MCAT and working on the primary at the same time not advisable. Thank you guys SO much for all the help! All the other premed students I know are only going to school full time and/or have no kids/families. I'm sitting pretty with basically a full time job, a preschool diva, husband and house to take care of. I'll be taking orgo 2 next spring if all goes well. Spring sports for me, and an athletic trainer, are less demanding than fall (except track... so many track kids...) and I will have an intern/former student to help me with the workload so I can get some studying in post the end of spring semester 2013 (early may).

I know these seem like simple questions, but NO question seems so simple anymore!

 

[ghostman]

If you don't have a heavy courseload your last semester (only taking physics 2, for example), it's possible to study for the MCAT at the same time and take the MCAT a few weeks after your finals. But with the emphasis on getting your app in on June 1st, those last few weeks in May are better spent working on the primary.

That's what I did. During my last semester of postbac, I only took Bio 2 and Orgo 2. I studied for the MCATs (using Kaplan) and prepared my personal statement. I took the late-May MCATs two weeks after my finals. Submitted my primary within the first week of June, interviews started coming in at Aug, first acceptance in Oct. So far, 20 applications, 2 rejections without interview invites, 10 interview invites, 8 invites attended so far, 1 waitlist, 7 acceptances, and the rest I haven't heard from.

Considering you have kids, a full-time job, etc., you have a heavier load than I did. Regardless of what process we went through, you have to make sure you gauge yourself properly. Be honest with yourself about how well you know your pre-req material. If you feel pretty good and your spring courseload is light, register for an April or May MCAT. Then start studying throughout the spring. Along the way, take practice exams. Your first exam will probably result in a low score. Don't move your test date back yet. With consistent, scheduled studying, you will get better. If you start getting consistent scores that you are happy with (ideally, above 32), you are ready to take the exam. If not, move your test date.

This gives you the best opportunity to get your primary done early and to possibly retake the exam if you don't do as well as you expect. If you do poorly on a late exam, you're out the entire application cycle.

 

[Bliss26]

I was in the same position last year and didn't finish my prereqs til May. I took the MCAT a week after finals which was a bad idea- I scored in the upper 20's. I retook the MCAT in August and scored in the mid 30's. BUT I applied late and missed out on a lot of schools I probably could have received interview invites from. Therefore, if I were you I would try to take it late June/ early July. If you don't think you are ready by then push it back- I still received a fair amount of interview invites and have been accepted to 2 schools. It won't kill you to take it in August but it will hurt your chances at some schools.