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I'm in a weird timing crunch. I'm taking Calc I and Gen Chem II over the summer and then taking O-Chem I and Physics I in the fall. So by the time January 2015 rolls around, I'll have taken all of my prereqs plus Calc and Genetics with the exception of O-Chem II and Physics II.
If I wait until I've already completed O-Chem II and Physics II, the new MCAT will be out, and I will need Biochem for it as well, which I won't be able to take until summer 2015 at the earliest and likely fall 2015 because my school often doesn't offer Biochem in the summer. My school flat out refuses to let me take Biochem without having finished O-Chem II. I tried cutting Calc I out of my summer schedule and instead taking Gen Chem II and O-Chem I over the summer, but I can't because my school isn't offering O-Chem I during the second term.
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I'm sorry if I just confused people. Essentially, if I wait until I finish my prereqs to take the MCAT, the new MCAT will be out, at which point I will need to take another semester just for Biochem, which would push me back an entire application cycle. Of course, then if I don't get in on the first try, that would add on yet another year before I can begin med school, and that one course can cause me to wind up matriculating 2 years later than I would have if I didn't need it.
So...on a scale on 1 to 10, how idiotic would it be to try to cram everything I need to know, including two classes worth the coursework I haven't taken yet, into my head by January 2015 so I can take the current MCAT?
Also, would it be a bad idea to take the current MCAT without having taken biochem? I know there's no specific biochem section, but my advisor maintains that there's no way I'll do well without exposure to biochem.
I'm in a weird timing crunch. I'm taking Calc I and Gen Chem II over the summer and then taking O-Chem I and Physics I in the fall. So by the time January 2015 rolls around, I'll have taken all of my prereqs plus Calc and Genetics with the exception of O-Chem II and Physics II.
If I wait until I've already completed O-Chem II and Physics II, the new MCAT will be out, and I will need Biochem for it as well, which I won't be able to take until summer 2015 at the earliest and likely fall 2015 because my school often doesn't offer Biochem in the summer. My school flat out refuses to let me take Biochem without having finished O-Chem II. I tried cutting Calc I out of my summer schedule and instead taking Gen Chem II and O-Chem I over the summer, but I can't because my school isn't offering O-Chem I during the second term.
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I'm sorry if I just confused people. Essentially, if I wait until I finish my prereqs to take the MCAT, the new MCAT will be out, at which point I will need to take another semester just for Biochem, which would push me back an entire application cycle. Of course, then if I don't get in on the first try, that would add on yet another year before I can begin med school, and that one course can cause me to wind up matriculating 2 years later than I would have if I didn't need it.
So...on a scale on 1 to 10, how idiotic would it be to try to cram everything I need to know, including two classes worth the coursework I haven't taken yet, into my head by January 2015 so I can take the current MCAT?
Also, would it be a bad idea to take the current MCAT without having taken biochem? I know there's no specific biochem section, but my advisor maintains that there's no way I'll do well without exposure to biochem.
So you haven't quit?
I'll admit I don't think I'm "quite smart" compared to average MD/DO applicants. I make almost exclusively As in classes, but I work a lot harder than most people in order to get them. I'm far from the type of person who can glance over my notes for 20 minutes before an exam and make a 100.
I live in Georgia, and I'm half Puerto Rican. I assume that qualifies me as a URM, although I don't really look the part. Everyone thinks I'm just white--got more of my mom's genes.
Biochem is absolutely key.
I would try to study 1000+ hours for the MCAT if you can (I'm not kidding). You are competing against science majors who have probably taken their lower division classes at much harder schools than you're currently taking your classes at (just assuming you're like most of us non-trads) and they've also probably taken many upper division classes. In addition, they're studying for hundreds of hours as well.
Who studies for the MCAT for 1000+ hours?
I don't think you could even hit 1000 hours doing SN2ed's schedule...