is 4 months enough to study for the MCAT with a full-time job

[Hijabipre-med]

Just as the title says. I'm a non-traditional pre med student with a full-time job. I work odd hours during the day so it's not a steady 9-5. I like my job because i sometimes I have between 1-3 hours in the day where i can study, and work at the same time which is why i can't quit my job. As an immigrant first gen. I also have familial responsibilities and family to take care of. Some are back home and some are here. my current gpa is 3.4 cGPA and 3.5sGPA. I'm planning on applying for the 2024-2025 cycle and scheduled my MCAT the beginning of May. My mother who lives back home in Somalia thinks that it's too early to take it given my responsibilities and the things that i have to take care of. I used to be a medical student in Somalia, but I left my lasts semester of 3rd year (family issues) I couldn't continue med school from here so i started over. I obviously don't know anything about the MCAT i purchased and downloaded materials needed to study for it. I don't have friends who are taking the MCAT next year, and most of my peers are planning on taking a gap year or two before applying. Please help.

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[ACKjp]

In my experience, if you have any doubts regarding factors that will negatively impact your score, delay the MCAT. I too was working a full time job, but only had 2.5 months to study after my 9-5. I got a decent score, but I know that if I had taken a few months off and dedicated myself to studying I would have done much better, which would have opened more doors. Of course, it is highly dependent on you as an individual; however, based on your current responsibilities I would delay it to give yourself the best chance possible.

 

[Hijabipre-med]

In my experience, if you have any doubts regarding factors that will negatively impact your score, delay the MCAT. I too was working a full time job, but only had 2.5 months to study after my 9-5. I got a decent score, but I know that if I had taken a few months off and dedicated myself to studying I would have done much better, which would have opened more doors. Of course, it is highly dependent on you as an individual; however, based on your current responsibilities I would delay it to give yourself the best chance possible.

If i delay it to say beginning of June would that affect my application time given that google says it takes a month for the MCAT test results to come back

 

[type1doc]

Just as the title says. I'm a non-traditional pre med student with a full-time job. I work odd hours during the day so it's not a steady 9-5. I like my job because i sometimes I have between 1-3 hours in the day where i can study, and work at the same time which is why i can't quit my job. As an immigrant first gen. I also have familial responsibilities and family to take care of. Some are back home and some are here. my current gpa is 3.4 cGPA and 3.5sGPA. I'm planning on applying for the 2024-2025 cycle and scheduled my MCAT the beginning of May. My mother who lives back home in Somalia thinks that it's too early to take it given my responsibilities and the things that i have to take care of. I used to be a medical student in Somalia, but I left my lasts semester of 3rd year (family issues) I couldn't continue med school from here so i started over. I obviously don't know anything about the MCAT i purchased and downloaded materials needed to study for it. I don't have friends who are taking the MCAT next year, and most of my peers are planning on taking a gap year or two before applying. Please help.

Have you taken the pre-reqs? You will also have to be working on your application at that time, did you account for that?

 

[Hijabipre-med]

Have you taken the pre-reqs? You will also have to be working on your application at that time, did you account for that?

Thank you for responding. Yes sorry for not adding that to my thread. I finished my bachelors in Biology and medical science with a minor in public health two weeks ago.
research so far this semester i was able to get a grant to do my own individual research and present it at a conference later in April

I have about 9300 hours working at a warehouse for window manufacturing. 2018-2021
I have about 4000 hours working at my current job as a DSP 2021-until now( i have about 200 hours of taking care of clinically ill individual during that period, and will continue working this job.
So far about 10 hours of shadowing (obviously lack of time) working on getting about 40 in the next 4 months I have a good amount of PTO hours saved up, and the doctor am shadowing is understanding of my situation. I have a lot of clinical shadowing from my time as a medical student. I don't know if it will count. I volunteer at my community mosque during events and on Sundays when i can. Yeah that's all.
I'm working on my personal statement slowly as I go, and will probably need guidance later. I just don't know if 4 months is enough to study for the MCAT and if i should push it to June instead of May, and if it will affect my application.

 

[DoctorRatFink]

I also worked full time and it took me about 8 months of part time studying to still get a weak score. Four months may be enough for you but don’t feel ashamed if you have to reschedule a few times

 

[LindaAccepted]

Just as the title says. I'm a non-traditional pre med student with a full-time job. I work odd hours during the day so it's not a steady 9-5. I like my job because i sometimes I have between 1-3 hours in the day where i can study, and work at the same time which is why i can't quit my job. As an immigrant first gen. I also have familial responsibilities and family to take care of. Some are back home and some are here. my current gpa is 3.4 cGPA and 3.5sGPA. I'm planning on applying for the 2024-2025 cycle and scheduled my MCAT the beginning of May. My mother who lives back home in Somalia thinks that it's too early to take it given my responsibilities and the things that i have to take care of. I used to be a medical student in Somalia, but I left my lasts semester of 3rd year (family issues) I couldn't continue med school from here so i started over. I obviously don't know anything about the MCAT i purchased and downloaded materials needed to study for it. I don't have friends who are taking the MCAT next year, and most of my peers are planning on taking a gap year or two before applying. Please help.

Why don' you see how your studying is going? Take a practice exam before the real thing to see if your score is what you think you are capable of. if not, you can postpone, and if necessary, apply next cycle. Whatever you decide, don't take the exam before you feel you are ready and getting the practice scores you want to be getting.

 

[Goro]

If i delay it to say beginning of June would that affect my application time given that google says it takes a month for the MCAT test results to come back

Nope

 

[Mr.Smile12]

Just as the title says. I'm a non-traditional pre med student with a full-time job. I work odd hours during the day so it's not a steady 9-5. I like my job because i sometimes I have between 1-3 hours in the day where i can study, and work at the same time which is why i can't quit my job. As an immigrant first gen. I also have familial responsibilities and family to take care of. Some are back home and some are here. my current gpa is 3.4 cGPA and 3.5sGPA. I'm planning on applying for the 2024-2025 cycle and scheduled my MCAT the beginning of May. My mother who lives back home in Somalia thinks that it's too early to take it given my responsibilities and the things that i have to take care of. I used to be a medical student in Somalia, but I left my lasts semester of 3rd year (family issues) I couldn't continue med school from here so i started over. I obviously don't know anything about the MCAT i purchased and downloaded materials needed to study for it. I don't have friends who are taking the MCAT next year, and most of my peers are planning on taking a gap year or two before applying. Please help.

Can you give us a more complete profile? I know you haven't taken the MCAT, but to be fair to your efforts and being an immigrant applicant, a full record of what you have done so far so be helpful.

You need to calculate your GPA for all coursework taken in the US (does your estimate include any courses from your earlier education? Have you requested an evaluation of that coursework with WES or ECE?). Have you taken all the prerequisites and some recommended biomedical science classes? Have you shadowed physicians in the US and worked in a US hospital or clinic?

 

[Hijabipre-med]

Can you give us a more complete profile? I know you haven't taken the MCAT, but to be fair to your efforts and being an immigrant applicant, a full record of what you have done so far so be helpful.

You need to calculate your GPA for all coursework taken in the US (does your estimate include any courses from your earlier education? Have you requested an evaluation of that coursework with WES or ECE?). Have you taken all the prerequisites and some recommended biomedical science classes? Have you shadowed physicians in the US and worked in a US hospital or clinic?

Hi yeah this is a reply from an earlier comment "
Hi, no i didn't use my transcript from medical school i was advised to start over and i did. I redid all the course work with the biology degree and then some
I finished my bachelors in Biology and medical science with a minor in public health two weeks ago. My gpa cGPA is 3.4 i guessed my science gpa to be around 3.5
I have done research and one poster for a class and I have the opportunity to do my own research with a grant that i have received and present it at a conference in April.

I have about 9300 hours of non-clinical working at a warehouse for window manufacturing. 2018-2021
I have about 4000 hours working at my current job as a DSP 2021-until now( i have about 200 hours of taking care of clinically ill individual during that period, and will continue working this job.
So far about 10 hours of shadowing (obviously lack of time) working on getting about 40 in the next 4 months I have a good amount of PTO hours saved up, and the doctor am shadowing is understanding of my situation. I have a lot of clinical shadowing from my time as a medical student. I don't know if it will count. I volunteer at my community mosque during events and on Sundays when i can. Yeah that's all.