For those with MCAT experience...

[moto_za]

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Hi,

I am planning on taking the MCAT in April. I was wondering from especially those of you who have taken the MCAT will it be better to:

1) Spend more time studying for the MCAT by transcribing (writing everything down in a folder from EK, Kaplan etc) in a notebook (writing helps me remember things much better but takes a long time to write everything) or

2) Instead JUST READ (dont write) the books (EK kaplan etc) and then spend the extra time taking practice questions and exams?

Note: I am afraid I will forget things if I do not write it.

Any advice will be greatly appreciated.
Thanks a million!

 

[akinf]

The MCAT is a standardized test evaluating you on specific skills and a bodies of knowledge. Style and test-taking skills, I think, are just as important or more than the actual content. Thus, make good use of practice exams. Whatever else you do is really up to you as long as you can take those tests.

 

[kevster2001]

writing would take way too long. i'd just read and do a lot of practice problems

 

[spicedmanna]

Hi,

I am planning on taking the MCAT in April. I was wondering from especially those of you who have taken the MCAT will it be better to:

1) Spend more time studying for the MCAT by transcribing (writing everything down in a folder from EK, Kaplan etc) in a notebook (writing helps me remember things much better but takes a long time to write everything) or

2) Instead JUST READ (dont write) the books (EK kaplan etc) and then spend the extra time taking practice questions and exams?

Note: I am afraid I will forget things if I do not write it.

Any advice will be greatly appreciated.
Thanks a million!

Well, do whatever it takes for you to know the basic material cold. If your learning style means that you will benefit from transcription, then go for it. Honestly, there isn't much hard data to memorize though. It's just some basic formulas and concepts that you will be required to know backwards and forwards. Play with the basic concepts and formulas until you can relate with them in unusual and unfamiliar circumstances very quickly; and definitely USE them in all kinds of problem variations. Do as many different types of problems as you possibly can. Furthermore, I found making and using flash cards useful. I'm also a highlighter, so my entire book was a mess of yellow. Highlighting keeps me focused, if nothing else.

Knowing the content is never enough for the MCAT, however. You definitely need to have that basic foundation, but it will only get you about 50% there. Over the years, the MCAT has evolved into a sophisticated test that "wraps" familiar concepts into unfamiliar passages and material. It's almost like a puzzle. You need to be able to quickly assess the situation, find out what is relevant and what is useless, and pull out the key information/formula that you need from memory, and then manipulate it within the context of the passage to solve the problem. Often, you will be racing against the clock, dissecting complex looking passages, charts, and graphs. That being the case, the best way to win this game is to take as many (and I emphasize the word many) full length practice tests as you reasonably can. Do it until you get sick of all the problem variations. Get to know how AAMC likes to "trick" you. Understand where and how you get "tricked" and what you can learn from that. And make sure you have absolutely no holes in your basic knowledge.

Good luck!!!

 

[DrBowtie]

#2 but with the caveat on taking extremely high yield notes. I basically took all of the EK books and distilled them down into 10 pages of stuff I really didn't know all that well. That way the last week I just studied that stuff predominately like hormones and some physiology.

 

[estairella]

I have almost 200 pages of notes on computer condensed from the EK books. But I absolutely suck at memorizing... I was still frantically looking at my hormones and orgo-reactions sheet the morning of the MCAT.

On the other hand, I took tons of practices as well. Honestly, knowing all the little facts only added a few more points in the long run (like I said, I was still trying to remember biol stuff the day of the midterm, but ended up with 14)... doing the practices again and again helps a lot more in my opinion. Plus you get so accustomed to the style and sitting down for 8 hours (shorter now cause of computer), that for me, it was like "meh just another practice".

If you're short on time, make it 25% study and 75% practices. I went about 45/55...

But you know, if you have the time, just do both. Is it worth 2 more months to not have to take the test twice? In my opinion, totally yes.

 

[ndmed]

I think it depends on the section exactly how you tackle your studying. For me, the PS was all about just knowing the key formulas and then practicing applying them on the practice tests, etc. VR, all you can do is read, read, and read some more and just keep taking the practice exams to work on your timing. The only section I see writing things out being useful for is the BS. Although it is major concepts that are tested, etc, I think it's the little facts you remember and the outside knowledge you have that really make that last bit of difference.