I need some help here! anyone who has experience help!

[member10101010]

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So I have about 12 more credits till I graduate but I am going to take a year off. I will hopefully be applying to Med. school in June. My problem is that I dont want to take the Mcat in the summer because of some personal issues but I wanted to take it in April or May. Would it be a good Idea to not take any classes this spring and study completely for the mcat and just take those classes in the summer or next fall or should I just get these classes over with and study in the summer (which I don't want too). I am a senior right now.
Would it effect me in any way? I think it would be better if I just get the MCAT over with and just worry about those classes later and just submit my application first thing in june.

 

[MedPR]

So I have about 12 more credits till I graduate but I am going to take a year off. I will hopefully be applying to Med. school in June. My problem is that I dont want to take the Mcat in the summer because of some personal issues but I wanted to take it in April or May. Would it be a good Idea to not take any classes this spring and study completely for the mcat and just take those classes in the summer or next fall or should I just get these classes over with and study in the summer (which I don't want too). I am a senior right now.
Would it effect me in any way? I think it would be better if I just get the MCAT over with and just worry about those classes later and just submit my application first thing in june.

I don't see why you can't take 12 credits (a light load) and study for the MCAT.

 

[member10101010]

There are two really hard science courses that I don't want to risk getting a low score in. It would require that I study for those classes instead of MCAT, If I did take them.

 

[MedPR]

There are two really hard science courses that I don't want to risk getting a low score in. It would require that I study for those classes instead of MCAT, If I did take them.

So you don't think you can handle 2 hard classes and MCAT prep, but you think you can handle med school? k.

Imo, taking a semester off (before you graduate) just to study for the MCAT is going to raise eyebrows.

 

[member10101010]

Mcat and classes are two different ball games lol

 

[MedPR]

Mcat and classes are two different ball games lol

Traditional students take full-time classes and study for the MCAT every year. Also most non-trads don't have the luxury of dropping everything for the MCAT. That's basically 99% of the applicant pool, but if you really want to be part of the other 1% that's your prerogative.

If you're going to drop out of school in order to do MCAT prep, at least get a job and do some other ECs.

 

[Hopefull22]

So you don't think you can handle 2 hard classes and MCAT prep, but you think you can handle med school? k.

Imo, taking a semester off (before you graduate) just to study for the MCAT is going to raise eyebrows.

I completely understand what the op is saying here, this is why I took the mcat over the summer so that I could focus on classes. I was originally signed up for the May MCAT of last year, then realized that taking the MCAT so close to finals week was way too much to handle. What you could always do is sign up for a spring MCAT, and if it turns out to be too much, like I found, you can move it to a later date for $70.

 

[drshark]

i would take minimal units and just focus for mcat for 3months and do some ECs once a week

 

[as1212559]

Should use a break like xmas break to start studying, this lightens the load of studying while school term is going on. Most people take the MCAT during school terms. Taking it over the summer is fine but will delay your application significantly.

Planning, folks.

 

[GopherMD]

I studied for the MCAT while taking 14 credits and volunteering every week. Took the MCAT that April and did just fine. You just have to manage your time wisely.

 

[jinobi]

There are two really hard science courses that I don't want to risk getting a low score in. It would require that I study for those classes instead of MCAT, If I did take them.

So rationalize this yourself, it's your life and our opinions.

I'd think you should be able to take 12 units and study for MCAT. You're going to have to do the same for USMLE/COMLEX...you have to constantly study for boards in bits and pieces until your dedicated board time, and you'll be taking way more than 12 units/semester in medical school.

 

[SpecterGT260]

So you don't think you can handle 2 hard classes and MCAT prep, but you think you can handle med school? k.

Imo, taking a semester off (before you graduate) just to study for the MCAT is going to raise eyebrows.

This is a common concern for pre meds. I tend to agree. No sense in killing yourself with work load, but if 2 courses is really too much then we have other problems to talk about. It usually has more to do with "don't want to get low scores while taking these classes AND refusing to sacrifice my social life".

And taking a year off is typically fine. But 1) it doesn't take an entire year to study for the mcat 2) adcoms will want to see you do something productive. Get a job in research or in clinical role, volunteer your butt off, gain life experience. If the year is nothing but mcat prep you are not doing yourself favors.

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[EmergDoc2B]

So you don't think you can handle 2 hard classes and MCAT prep, but you think you can handle med school? k.

Imo, taking a semester off (before you graduate) just to study for the MCAT is going to raise eyebrows.

I did just that and didnt have to explain my reasoning. I was asked simply if I studied by myself or used a test taking course. Its more important to get your MCAT or grades as High as possible at this point.

 

[EmergDoc2B]

This is a common concern for pre meds. I tend to agree. No sense in killing yourself with work load, but if 2 courses is really too much then we have other problems to talk about. It usually has more to do with "don't want to get low scores while taking these classes AND refusing to sacrifice my social life".

And taking a year off is typically fine. But 1) it doesn't take an entire year to study for the mcat 2) adcoms will want to see you do something productive. Get a job in research or in clinical role, volunteer your butt off, gain life experience. If the year is nothing but mcat prep you are not doing yourself favors.

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[Goro]

STRONGLY concur. We expect you top walk and chew gum at the same time.

So you don't think you can handle 2 hard classes and MCAT prep, but you think you can handle med school? k.

Imo, taking a semester off (before you graduate) just to study for the MCAT is going to raise eyebrows.

 

[MedPR]

I did just that and didnt have to explain my reasoning. I was asked simply if I studied by myself or used a test taking course. Its more important to get your MCAT or grades as High as possible at this point.

I was asking more out of concern that the OP will be able to survive med school in the event that he matriculates. I said nothing about an interviewer asking about it.

 

[EmergDoc2B]

I was asking more out of concern that the OP will be able to survive med school in the event that he matriculates. I said nothing about an interviewer asking about it.

I quoted you referring to the eyebrows that hypothetically would be raised. The only eyebrows that matter would be adcoms who interview you.🙂

Also, before you get riled up (if you were) I get it that ideally adcoms want to see course load with good grades while studying for an mcat. But, sometimes as the OP has stated you want to protect your grades and I get that.
I did just that. I finished all my course work then took only biochem while I studied for the mcat. It may not be exactly apples to apples but I understand where the OP is coming from. In my interviews I was never asked about it
but who knows maybe I would have gotten more interviews had I taken 12 hours + sciences while getting my same score on the mcat. 🙂

 

[MedPR]

I quoted you referring to the eyebrows that hypothetically would be raised. The only eyebrows that matter would be adcoms who interview you.🙂

Also, before you get riled up (if you were) I get it that ideally adcoms want to see course load with good grades while studying for an mcat. But, sometimes as the OP has stated you want to protect your grades and I get that.
I did just that. I finished all my course work then took only biochem while I studied for the mcat. It may not be exactly apples to apples but I understand where the OP is coming from. In my interviews I was never asked about it
but who knows maybe I would have gotten more interviews had I taken 12 hours + sciences while getting my same score on the mcat. 🙂

Uh, no. The eyebrows of every adcom member at every school you apply to matter.

And again, I was pointing out the fact that someone thinks they can't handle a light UG load and MCAT prep but thinks they can handle med school, which everyone knows is way more challenging.

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[ACOM2017]

So I have about 12 more credits till I graduate but I am going to take a year off. I will hopefully be applying to Med. school in June. My problem is that I dont want to take the Mcat in the summer because of some personal issues but I wanted to take it in April or May. Would it be a good Idea to not take any classes this spring and study completely for the mcat and just take those classes in the summer or next fall or should I just get these classes over with and study in the summer (which I don't want too). I am a senior right now.
Would it effect me in any way? I think it would be better if I just get the MCAT over with and just worry about those classes later and just submit my application first thing in june.

This depends largely on how you are doing on the practice MCAT's. If you have a long way to go to get a competitive score, then studying for the MCAT while also taking 12 credits may be too much. The MCAT is not about regurgitating information like your college coursework. It is a test that largely challenges your test taking ability. Some students are much better prepared to attack the test than others, even if they both have had similar success in undergraduate coursework.

Nothing is wrong with taking a year off. Just continue to show interest in medicine during the year and be productive.