How to approach the MCAT as a non-trad?

[Calad]

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Hello everyone, so heres the rundown. I graduated in 2009 with having finished the last of my pre-reqs in 2008, however I discouraged myself from trying the MCAT and applying to med school as my GPA was lackluster. I recently revisited the idea of med school back in the spring and was very invigorated by the thought, so after some deliberation my plan is to take the MCAT in april of next year and apply at the start of that cycle.

The big issue here is that its been 4 years since my last pre-req course so I feel like I would essentially be starting fresh when it comes to the bulk of the MCAT material. I would really like to knock the MCAT out of the park (40+!!) to compensate for my subpar GPA, but I am not too sure where to begin. I looked into some of the review courses but damn are they expensive! I feel like I would study better going solo and going at my own pace anyways, but I don't know what the best resources would be for me going forward. I had noticed the 3 month study plan, and it seems very thorough, but considering my test would be 8 months away should I be collecting more material to study from or should I put off studying for the MCAT until a later date to prevent burnout?

Thanks!

 

[PanRoasted]

See if you can't perhaps take a few of the pre-req courses you are MOST weak in at a local CC (or better yet, try to audit the course). Do content review for the other areas. I think it's most beneficial for people who have no idea where to start to just follow SN2ed's 3 or 4 month schedule, because it's a good schedule and you probably shouldn't expect people to take the time to make a schedule specifically tailored to you unless you're paying them.

I don't think studying for more than 4 months prior to your MCAT is beneficial (unless you're literally relearning material which I assume you will have to do for a few subjects) because the likelihood of burning out is too great, and really I don't think anyone should need more than 4 months if they are diligent.

I'd also like to point out that even 35+ is impossible for many people, so setting an extremely high bar for yourself before you even know or have any evidence of being capable of 40+ isn't realistic. While I believe in the "shoot for the stars" sentiment, you also need to approach your study with realistic goals for each section, or you might end up spending too much time studying one section and forget that your composite score depends on other areas as well. Just be careful with your time, from personal experience I know that the time really flies by when you're preparing for the MCAT (as ironic as it seems).

 

[Calad]

I'd also like to point out that even 35+ is impossible for many people, so setting an extremely high bar for yourself before you even know or have any evidence of being capable of 40+ isn't realistic. While I believe in the "shoot for the stars" sentiment, you also need to approach your study with realistic goals for each section, or you might end up spending too much time studying one section and forget that your composite score depends on other areas as well. Just be careful with your time, from personal experience I know that the time really flies by when you're preparing for the MCAT (as ironic as it seems).

I appreciate the words of caution, but i consider myself a very good test taker and I have confidence that if i can study the material for an appropriate amount of time I am able to get an excellent score, and I can't afford to set the bar low because I can't be satisfied with that. I'd need my MCAT to excel or it would severely limit my chances at getting into an MD school. I plan to take some sort of diagnostic soon to get an idea of where i am and where to begin, but I thought it would be wise to get some input from others who may have been through this before.

 

[Temperature101]

I agree with 'Panroasted'. Getting 40+ put you in 99% (percentile) of test takers. By no means it is not gonna be an easy task. I would suggest to use TBR (The Berkley Review) prep books if it has been more than two years since you took your science classes. Good luck.