Is it manageable to study for the MCAT during the school year?

[doctorswag]

Hello all,

So Im new here, and I've looked at all the SDN posts on the subject and the general consensus is "Don't study for the MCAT during the school year if you dont have to." or "It is manageable with a LIGHT course load, little to no ECs, and ridiculous time management." Id like to present my personal situation and get some input because this is an issue thats been bothering me for quite some time.

I will be starting my third year this fall (Starting September 22) and I am doing my absolute best to plan it so I do not have to take a gap year. Id rather just hop straight into Med School. 🙂

For Fall quarter, Ill be taking two intro Neuroscience courses (Neuroanatomy and Cellular Neuroscience) and a Medical ethics course for my philosophy GE (eww). Id also like to continue the ECs ive been a part of since last year which include working part time (10 hours/week) at the IT department on campus, Neuroscience research, and volunteering for CityLab, a science educational program for high school students.

For Winter quarter, I understand that Im required to take another Neuroscience course, but otherwise, ill take the lightest courses available. Same for Spring quarter if need be!

The plan is to ignore the MCAT for the Fall quarter and start MCAT preparation as soon as Winter break starts (December 9), then take it during Spring break (late March, early April). Id also like to continue to participate in ECs listed above as much as possible as soon as classes start back up again on January 9.

If worst comes to worst and I am not ready by Spring break, then Ill probably postpone it to May or June, but do you think its worth trying to get my scores before I apply in June?

What do you all think? Am I giving myself enough time to study? Would this be manageable? What should I plan for?

Thanks in advance!

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[gyropath]

It's probably not a good idea to study for the MCAT and take classes. Yes, there are enough physical hours in the day for it to be accomplished, but you wouldn't have time for much of anything else, especially if you want to continue your ECs. 90-120 days of studying 3+ hours a day for the MCAT, plus studying for classes, plus ECs, plus trying to get everything for your application together in time to apply is a recipe for burnout and disaster.

 

[OCDOCDOCD]

On top of what gyropath said, when you study while taking classes you can't devote nearly as much time as you could if you dedicated an entire summer to MCAT prep. Unless you plan to study for longer than 4 months your score will very likely be worse as a result. I wouldn't recommend studying for longer than 4 months if you're a student though. Granted I studied for about six months, but I working a full time job, not being a student in school, so there was little risk of burnout.

 

[gtbROX]

Not many people can pull it off. It's much safer and better for you to just set aside a few months to prep for the mcat. No matter what score you could get on it while taking classes in school, you could definitely get a better score if you prepped for the mcat while not taking classes, and you should never say no to a higher score.

 

[angldrps]

Honestly, from the schedule you have mentioned, I would HIGHLY advise you to not to study during the school year. I made this mistake and I had a much lighter course load than you. I ended up wasting precious study material and going through the agony of retake. . Plus, I am sure majority of applicants take a gap year because it allows them to get all their duck in the row (good grades, MCAT, ECs) before they apply. Its nothing you should be dreading. Yes, getting into med.school straight out of undergrad sounds like the dream scenario but its not worth risking your grades and MCAT score.

 

[Robert I]

It's possible to study during the semester. Don't actually take the test during the semester, though. Aim for a late May or early/mid June date. You'll want a couple of weeks to focus on the MCAT alone, with no other distractions.

 

[MikeyMCAT]

Hey Swag,

None of us know your situation as well as you do, but I just wanted to let you know that it can be done. I had the same exact schedule as you going into my third year. Lots of neuro classes, EC's, working, social life, etc. and took the April MCAT so that I could apply without having to take a gap year.

I dedicated almost all of winter break to studying for the MCAT, and used any spare time that I had during spring semester for practice questions and review.

From December-April you have about 5 months. That is plenty of time to study for the test. If you take the test early May, you will be totally fine getting your AMCAS verified early.

The key is not to waste your time while studying. Make sure that every hour counts!

 

[supafly0]

I say go for it. I studied for a semester of school (took Princeton review) plus two weeks of the summer. I was taking 4 classes (forensic psychology, systems neuroscience, mental health law, and writing for the health sciences).

As long as you got discipline, you can manage. I ended up with a 40 and while I missed out on some social opportunities I chilled with friends at least 3 days out of the week. People say not to take science classes, but if you feel confident in the schedule you picked it's ultimately your decision.

 

[MedPR]

Most pre-meds do it, why can't you?

 

[SN2ed]

Most pre-meds do it, why can't you?

Most MCAT test takers also score below a 30.

 

[UrshumMurshum]

This is a question that highly depends on your study habits and commitment.

I studied about 8 hours/day for 6 weeks and about ~2-3 hours a day for 4 weeks prior to that.

 

[Roxas]

.

 

[doctorswag]

Thank you all so much for your input! I feel like the consensus is sort of split 50/50! I have decided that, although it may not be the greatest idea and it'll take a lot of time management skills that I dont necessarily have yet, I'm going to follow my above mentioned plan and take the test sometime in the Spring.

That being said, whats the best way to go about this? If I need to cut down on any EC's, which ones? How many hours a day should I study for those 4 and a half months? When should I start my prep class? Which prep class should I take (PR, Kaplan, Berkeley review)?

Thanks again! You all have been a great help!

 

[cheesier]

I'm going to be in the same situation OP. Break down how many hours you spend on schoolwork and other commitments per week. For me, I really don't have more than 45 hours of stuff a week which leaves a lot of time for studying. Yeah, it will suck, but it is temporary.

 

[Mehd School]

I'm currently doing it.

I'm also taking 17 hours of all science courses and working 25 hours per week. It sucks so far, but it has also been going good. I studied from May - August for the 8/4 test and voided, so most of the material is really fresh. If it weren't so fresh, I wouldn't recommend doing it. I just didn't want to relearn everything after 8 or so months off, so I'm going for a solid score in January.

Granted, three of my current courses cover material directly tested on the mcat. (Physiology, Biochemistry, Organic Chemistry Methods)

 

[csn897]

I'm currently doing it.

I'm also taking 17 hours of all science courses and working 25 hours per week. It sucks so far, but it has also been going good. I studied from May - August for the 8/4 test and voided, so most of the material is really fresh. If it weren't so fresh, I wouldn't recommend doing it. I just didn't want to relearn everything after 8 or so months off, so I'm going for a solid score in January.

Granted, three of my current courses cover material directly tested on the mcat. (Physiology, Biochemistry, Organic Chemistry Methods)

I'm in a similar situation. Studied June-Aug for the MCAT then made the difficult realization that I wasn't ready and canceled my test date. This semester I'm taking Biochemistry, Molecular Biology, and Anatomy all with labs (20 hours total). Since the content is still fresh in my head, I am planning on doing 1-2 hours of practice problems per day, study my ass off winter break and take the MCAT in January. What do you guys think?

 

[Renaissance Man]

OP,

I think it is possible. I knew about a year in advance that I wanted to take the MCAT early (April before my application cycle started). So, I planned ahead and took 20 hours in the fall, so that I could take 12 easy, easy hours in the spring. Only being enrolled in 12 hours I was able to study for 3-4 hours a day for the entire semesters. I didn't have much homework, so the weekends I did marathon MCAT study sessions (and practice tests). It is definitely doable (I got a 37), and it enabled me to apply early.

Wouldn't recommend adding the MCAT on-top of multiple science courses and labs. Only "tough" class I took while studying was Cell Biology, and it was a nice review for the BS section.