In Need of Some Advice!

[gxfiles919]

Hey everyone!

I am new to this forum and was searching for an answer to my burning medical school questions. I am in a very interesting situation when it comes to medical school aplications and the MCATs. At the start of my junior year I realized that although I was a sociology major, that I wanted to start on the pre-med track. So, my junior year, I took general chemistry and this summer I am taking organic chemistry. In the fall, I am planning to finish up the track with cell biology/genetics and physics. I already realize that I will need to take a year off between undergrad and medical school, but I was curious about when to take the MCATs. I have already set my mind on taking a Kaplan course, but was wondering if when would be the best time to take this course and then the MCATs. Will I be able to take the course and while simulaneously taking cell bio/genetics and physics. Will it be too much? Would it be better to wait until the August? I realize that taking the exam in April or August makes no difference when it comes to my application, but I am concerned with the heavy workload. Besides the workload, my huge concern is the fact that I won't have the second half of genetics and physics under my belt while taking the Kaplan class or the MCATs. Any thoughts or suggestions? An advance THANK YOU to all who reply .

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[Ames980]

....well - it really depends on how you handle the workload. a lot of my friends took multiple science classes their senior year second semester with the kaplan course. personally, i decided to wait and take it the august after i graduated. because of this, however, i ended up waiting to apply for this cycle because a) i wanted to improve my mcat score and b) i wanted the extra edge that applying early gives. since most applications are rolling, its to your benefit to apply as early as possible. if - though - you have a high gpa, do really well on the mcat, have great LOR and ECs, then timing might not be as important....

do you feel like you want to take kaplan - which is more or less an extra class - the second semester of your senior year? if you take it in august, do you feel your application is strong enough to not need the advantage applying early would give you? if you take it in august and dont do as well as youd like, how would you feel about taking it in april and having to wait another year? [vs taking in in april and then potentially retaking it in august]
it really comes down to your personal preferences and how you feel you would handle different situations.
good luck with your decision and your senior year!

 

[gxfiles919]

Basically I am leaning towards taking it the April MCATs. Basically I think I have a high enough gpa and EC's to be fine for the August MCATs, but then agian, looking at some of those med school admissions statistics are intimidating me. In the long run I think it will come down to how the fall semester goes. I am going to try a free practice mcat offered at my school this fall and see how I do. I am also going to see how the two science courses with labs go. If I can manage those classes plus a fourth class in the fall and my crazy extra curriculars (RA, campus EMT crew chief and Equestrian Team), then I will shot for the April MCATs. If things are horrific, then it's gonna be August.

 

[shadowy onion]

I think you have a plan!
Good luck

 

[ethanolabsolute]

I am currently taking the mcat course, and figured Id give u some input on what I think about it. Different people learn differently, so stuff that I dont like about the course might not bother u. Anyways, I personally think that if I could do it again, I wouldn't take a course. U can buy the review material online or at a bookstore, and u can buy full length practice tests from AAMC, or buy full lengths made by companies. I would suggest buying these materials, and studying on ur own. The reason that I say this is because the Kaplan course costs $1500 and the only things that I find useful about it are the review and practice materials (which I could have just purchased for much cheaper). With kaplans class u basically get the review books (with all the science content u need to know), classes, and way more practice material than u can possibly use (Im not complaining, but the point is its just not necessary). As far as the classes go, they are completely worthless in my opinion. The teacher always knows less about the topics than I do (anyone can teach at kaplan, their teachers are not professors), and the classes always take 3 hours to cover material that probably could be done in 1 hour. This is just my 2 cents, I have heard some people say they liked the classes (I almost fell out of my chair upon hearing this, but anyway....) so maybe it helps some people.