How to study for MCAT with abnormal sequence of pre-reqs

[csdoc69]

hi! current cs major switching towards the premedical route. i'm basically trying my best not to take more than one gap year. i fear that i'm taking all my prereqs within the span of 1 year. i've taken chem1/bio1/phys1 already. my schedule basically looks like this:

junior spring:
chem 2
bio 2

summer:
orgo 1/2

senior fall:
psych
biochem

how does studying work when i haven't finished prereqs? how do people take FL's when they don't have any background? do you guys have any suggestions on how to study on this weird schedule? ex. should i not study for biochem until right before the MCAT assuming i take it january senior spring? i don't know if it'd even be remotely feasible for me to start studying during the summer because summer orgo is its own beast. im kind of banking on studying starting aug senior fall and CRAMMING december into january. thx

HELP ;-;

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[mangocrashout6]

if you study for the mcat w/o having the knowledge behind the pre-reqs, it will be chaos. your mcat prep will take substantially longer given you will have to self teach each topic (except for maybe physics if you are CS). why the rush? it will only make your mcat prep harder. just focus on getting As and learning the best you can, then study for the mcat. it also makes no sense to study for biochem if you know no concepts behind general chemistry and organic chemistry. you will thank yourself later.

 

[Dr.S at Princeton Review]

Trying to study without taking a majority of the pre-reqs is extremely difficult as the MCAT is more than just understanding content. It's about being apply to the foundation of content you already know and utilizing your critical thinking skills. I understand not wanting to take more than one gap year, but trying to take full-length exams without any foundational knowledge is just going to make you more frustrated. Focus on learning the content in your classes and getting the best possible grades you can. Also, keep in mind that the MCAT is just one piece of the puzzle for medical school applications so don't forget to become involved in community service, research (if that's your thing), and shadowing different physicians. These are also critical pieces of a strong application to medical school!

 

[gyngyn]

how does studying work when i haven't finished prereqs?

You don't.

how do people take FL's when they don't have any background?

They don't.

do you guys have any suggestions on how to study on this weird schedule?

Study for your classes instead. That will maximize both content acquisition and gpa.

ex. should i not study for biochem until right before the MCAT assuming i take it january senior spring?

The best MCAT strategy is to take it once, having mastered both content and test strategy.

In addition to the points made above, remember that gpa trend is also important.
Sacrificing both gpa trend and MCAT in order to get there quicker is not recommended.

 

[RangerBob]

The best way to study for the MCAT is to study for your classes.

Seriously. Just get A's in your classes. Then do a quick refresh before the MCAT.

It's obviously easier said then done, but I guarantee that's easier and will give you a better MCAT score than trying to study without having taken the class (or study for the MCAT after getting B's or worse in your classes).

I'm a fan of compressing pre-reqs like you are. I took bio/ochem/physics all in the same year, after having finished gen chem the summer prior. I was both a perfect example of it working great and going horribly.

The horrible part:
I took gen chem over one summer (each quarter was three weeks if I recall) at my undergrad. I think I managed B's/B-'s at best.

The great:
I did a post bac starting in the fall. Something about being around career changes/older students helped me a lot. Got all A's/A-'s, for a 3.9 GPA. Plus did all my volunteering and worked a bit as well. Found my wife too! (Though were were just dating at the time)

I signed up to take the MCAT a few weeks after the year ended. So I had maybe 3 weeks or so for fine-tuning/prep. Mostly I focused on learning gen chem (because clearly I hadn't learned it that great in the first place), and reviewing ochem/physics/bio. Took lots of practice tests. Did great on MCAT. (There's a bit of a story there with me getting sick at the first and retaking it two weeks later--long story short is I did very well with the above prep system)

You have more pre-reqs/MCAT sections than I had when I took it about 20y ago. But the concept is the same. Ace the class and you'll do well on the MCAT.