If I don't take the MCAT in 2016 ...

[Zyrathornrise]

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... I'm going to have to stay an extra year in school or take a gap year.

Pls advice about my situation, it's keeping me up at night.

I am taking organic II and Bio I in the spring.

In order to take the MCAT in august (I want to study for it during the summer), I will need to take Biochemistry during summer at the same time that I'm studying for it. And I wont have time to take Bio II

Biochemistry summer May-July 20th. And then take the MCAT in august 20th?


What should I do? Wait until summer 2017 to take the MCAT?

And then apply to Med school in June 2018? (Medical school in town has an early decision option but I have to apply in Jun, it's also a rolling admission so I want to apply asap)


1. That means I have to stay in school an extra year or take a gap year but I have a student loan that I will have to pay back.

2. I'm afraid to forget Organic chemistry and physics material if I wait an extra year to take the MCAT.


Pls help 🙁

 

[mistafab]

I will take this opportunity to push a gap year on you.

-graduate on time while applying for a lab or clinical experience
-work at lab or clinical experience your last few months at school on a volunteer, a few hour a week basis
-once graduated, transition to working at the experience full time, but paid (make sure when you are applying you make this clear)
-work full time while studying for the mcat. You wont forget anything important because there is nothing to remember, a good subject review book can work wonders
-take MCAT then apply to school

-profit

 

[Goro]

Take the MCAT ONLY when you are 100% ready for it, even if it means taking a gap year. Med schools aren't going anywhere.

... I'm going to have to stay an extra year in school or take a gap year.

Pls advice about my situation, it's keeping me up at night.

I am taking organic II and Bio I in the spring.

In order to take the MCAT in august (I want to study for it during the summer), I will need to take Biochemistry during summer at the same time that I'm studying for it. And I wont have time to take Bio II

Biochemistry summer May-July 20th. And then take the MCAT in august 20th?


What should I do? Wait until summer 2017 to take the MCAT?

And then apply to Med school in June 2018? (Medical school in town has an early decision option but I have to apply in Jun, it's also a rolling admission so I want to apply asap)


1. That means I have to stay in school an extra year or take a gap year but I have a student loan that I will have to pay back.

2. I'm afraid to forget Organic chemistry and physics material if I wait an extra year to take the MCAT.


Pls help 🙁

 

[Satire5Texul]

Take the extra year. Do not rush the MCAT which might possibly result in retake, and further delay which will put you in the same situation you asked us about, a forced gap year.

Just take the year to beef up your application even more, work, study really well, and take the MCAT once when ready and give them one good score and no other details to be up for speculation/discussion for the test.

Bio II does not matter, if your school covers what mine does. If its about phylogeny and classification of organisms, it will not matter. All the kids at my school delay this class as much as possible, aiming to take it after MCAT so it doesnt clutter up.

This notion of "you will forget" I am unsure of where it comes from, I see it a lot. When people make these claims I go ahead and ask them if they remember what entropy is. And how will it increase. Does it need to be positive or negative to increase. Normally they know the answer. So my point is you will not forget. You will not be relearning material. you will be using recall to review it, which is much faster and efficient. You will essentially be filling any gaps in knowledge. I think the people that say this are those that cram for every test and have nothing but a large capacity for short-term memory. Which serves little function in the long-run for any future in medicine.

Good luck on the test !! Aim high

 

[raiderette]

You wouldn't want to apply late with an August test date. Read the panic threads here with people that have no interview invites. Better to have time to study, get your recs, personal statement and ECs in order. Besides, if you rush your MCAT prep you may need time for a retake.

 

[CommonIon]

Unless I'm missing something, why can't you take the MCAT in the spring of 2017 and apply for med schools that summer?

 

[ConfusedChemist]

I'd skip taking biochem. You don't need as much detail as you would for the class, it's just intro stuff on the MCAT

 

[raiderette]

I'd skip taking biochem. You don't need as much detail as you would for the class, it's just intro stuff on the MCAT

My test covered almost every detail of my semester class. It was much more than O-chem.

 

[ConfusedChemist]

My test covered almost every detail of my semester class. It was much more than O-chem.

Yeah....but it covers a very, very, intro level class. Like all you needed to do was memorize the AAs and their properties and you got 50% of the questions easy. I would just start glancing at it soon rather than delay applying so someone can tell you to memorize the amino acids in a structured course

 

[acslater99]

Take the gap year. I'm in the same position as you I'm also taking a gap year and will be applying 2018 cycle.