Is it possible to improve my MCAT score significantly?

[mnmoore]

I took the MCAT last July, and I messed up bad!! I knew going in that I was not ready but I didn't want to loose $300 dollars, so I took it to get a feel for the test. I studied for 2 months, and took 5 Kaplan practice exams. My score on the MCAT is so embarrassing, it is low that it does not even seem like I studies at all. I scored a (487) I need to improve my score by 20 points, but I am not sure how. I know that I need to do more content review, so I have started just reading the books and taking notes, and reviewing the notes everyday. In addition to content review I have planned to take 12 practice MCATs. I am currently signed up to take another Kaplan class in the spring.

Is there anyone else who has improved their score on the new MCAT by this many points? I am willing to work hard to accomplish the score I want, but I am not sure if I am studying the right way or if something is not clicking. Any suggestions or positive/ encouraging comments would be appreciated.

Background:
Graduated with a BS in human biology (GPA N/A), finishing up a MS in physiology (3.6 sGPA/cGPA)

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[Ad2b]

I got a 497 on the diagnostic from Kaplan and about dropped dead.

What I changed was my method of studying.

Can you improve the score? Yes! Obviously!

How did you use the Kaplan class the 1st time around?

 

[mnmoore]

How did you change your study methods?

I have to say the first time I took the class I was lost, I had no clue what to expect. I thought the class would be more of a review the material. I had the class T, w, Th it moved so fast There was no way I could keep up we were suppose to read 300+ pages and actually learn that material in one night. By the end of the class I felt more unprepared than I did when I walked in the door the first day.

Changes I have made so far: I am actually going to cover most of the materials in the books before the class starts. I think that being able to follow the material will allow me to focus more on how to take the test. I will also be taking way more practices test, and actually reviewing them, not just getting frustrated with the score.

I have a plan but I have no clue if it is a good one...

 

[Ad2b]

Sounds like me the 1st time

1st time around (2014 prep)

1) Didn't do all the work

2) I made TONS of flashcards, tossed them in a pretty box; we're talking 1000s of them... never looked at them much again

3) I attended most of the classes; watched TV while classes were on (Scandal is my downfall)

4) got lost in the physics, freaked out (had not taken physics yet); really freaked out

2nd time around (2015 prep)

1) Did all content review; put books in my son's office when done (he is taking the thing in spring 2017)

2) Attended all classes

3) Attended all the special sessions multiple times

4) Started doing q-packs 8 weeks before exam date; how did I use them?

• Did every question on accommodated mode which allows you to answer the question and get the response immediately
• For every question I got wrong or was right but not solid on, I wrote that topic and question on a sheet of paper
• After done with the entire section, went back to Kaplan's books, Khan Academy and took more notes and if the question was biological in nature (T/B cells, etc), I drew the mechanics of the system
• I did that for all special systems as well - kidney, heart, fetal heart, neurons, hearing, sight, brain, hormones, etc.
• I printed out the entire AAMC topics guide thing ("What's On the 2015 MCAT Exam?") and crossed off EVERY topic that I covered and could speak to; if I could not speak to it, or feel I could teach it, back to Khan and Kaplan I went
• After ALL of that, I took the AAMC OG

I was ready and eager to take it and be done. Set to take the AAMC FL on 9/3. Then my dad had a heart attack, another family member died, my contract was up in the air and I no-showed the MCAT.

BUT I felt ready. Very ready.

As I prep for 1/23, I'm doing things slightly differently.

Attending all sessions and special interest sessions multiple times just as before; but instead of flashcards, I'm going through the content books and making notes (I'll post them shortly); and then once done with content review (again ), I'm going to do step 4.

Realizing the material won't have changed from late August to early September, I'm glad the AAMC is releasing a true FL next week or so. That will by my last test I take on 1/16.

With Step 4, you should do that with every FL you take. These questions should be so normalized by the time you get to the AAMC material that you are stone cold and solid while answering questions.

I posted my PRELIM notes from Kaplan Orgo book to show you want I'm doing. Note that there is a separate page for all reactions that are listed in the AAMC "WOTM" booklet. In the end, I will have a folder with all sections covered on the MCAT in my possession as review for over lunch or before heading to bed.

Because they are MY notes, and not the quicksheets from Kaplan (which I also like), my hope is that it will solidify those things that I want to make sure I know cold.

 

[mnmoore]

Thank You for all of your advice!

Good luck on the MCAT, I am sure you will do great!

When you get your scores back if you want to share them, feel free to post them on here. It always motivates me when I see that others have worked hard and their hard work has paid off.

 

[Jack Westin]

If you want it enough you can get the score you want. You just have to put in the effort and learn all the critical topics the MCAT tests. Here is the list the AAMC provides: https://aamc-orange.global.ssl.fast...a-4c00-83dd-c17cee034c47/mcat2015-content.pdf

The best way to learn the topics is practice! Practice as much as humanly possible. If you do enough questions, your mind will get used to the exam and on top of that, you will master the content necessary to take the exam.

When you are unsure of a topic, practice even more. Read about the topic via textbooks, prep-books, or have a tutor for that subject explain it to you. Bottom line: don't give up. You will see that if put in the effort, you will not only defeat this exam, but you will have gained a set of skills that will help you throughout your medical career.

 

[Altius Premier Tutor]

What you need is a metamorphosis. Keep that in mind. You don't need to study a little harder, or even a lot harder, you need to pretty much change your entire approach, mentality, confidence, conceptual mastery, and essentially all aspects of your discipline and preparation level...by metamorphosizing THOSE things, you can create a metamorphosis in your score. I have mentored students through such changes, but it only works if you are willing to put in that kind of drastic BEHAVIOR change. One student recently went from a (old scoring system) 7 to a 28. He did everything differently. He basically changed from below-average to above average study habits, from a below average to an above average teacher (i.e., his ability to teach the MCAT topics to others), went from below average to above average in hours invested per week, went from below average to above average in his attention to and mastery of an Anki notecard deck, below average to above average in his habit of writing and analyzing AAMC-style MCAT-2015 questions, and so on....It wasn't really a surprise when his second test score was SO different, because by that time he was SO different! No magic bullet will do it. Not even a really strong effort. You want to make a huge score change and it requires appropriately huge behavior changes. Just give yourself the time you need to do it and don't stop until you have drastically changed everything. You can do it. Good luck!

 

[learner01]

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