Junior year MCAT question

[The One Who Knocks]

---

Members do not see this ad.

Hello all,

I just recently finished my sophomore year, including my orgo sequence, but I have yet to complete my physics sequence, human physiology, or biochem.

I will be taking classes in the summer, and the fall, and will have completed all my MCAT pre-reqs by the end of the fall semester. I plan on taking one or no classes in the Winter, and studying my butt off from Jan-April for a May MCAT.

However, I am sort of nervous thinking about the span of time from here till then, having already completed my organic chemistry sequence, it will be nearly 8 months from now when I will start my MCAT studying. I am sort of afraid of forgetting all of the material from these classes, and I am kind of regretting not squeezing all of my pre-reqs into my first two years more efficiently for the traditional sophomore-summer MCAT.

For those of you who have taken a junior year MCAT (possibly similar to my schedule), how did it work out? Do you feel the material came back easily, or did you regret the fact that you had such a large gap of time between your gen chem and orgo sequence and your MCAT?

Just looking for some insight to possibly put my mind at ease. Thanks for the input.

 

[22031 Alum]

This was well over a decade ago, but I took the MCAT spring of junior year- as did most of my peers. Took physics as a sophomore, orgo as a freshman, and used AP credits for gen chem- though to be fair, I was a chem major which probably helped keep concepts fresh.

 

[trimethylpurine]

You should be fine. It's the norm to take it junior year, especially now with biochem as such a big portion. If you're only a year or two out from the pre reqs, the material will come back pretty easy since you've already learned it. The MCAT won't go into nearly as much detail as your undergrad did, especially for ochem.

 

[HCHopeful]

I took Gen Chem and Gen Bio freshman year, Physics, Genetics, and Cell Bio sophomore year, and then started Organic and Med A&P my junior year. I took my first MCAT in October of the fall semester of my junior year (taught myself Med A&P and didn't study Organic). Got a 27 (9/9/9). Pretty sure I had some major test anxiety. Didn't study any more material and just took 17 practice tests and did a retake in January of junior year, and got a 31 (12/9/10).

The Gen Chem and Physics came back easily. But those have always been strengths. Phys and Anatomy I gained a lot of from the first semester of Med A&P along with my self-study. Organic I still didn't study at all for (and the 10 in the BS section shows it).

You'll be fine if you have all of the material covered once by the time you take it. In a perfect world, I'd have waited until April or May to take my first MCAT, but with the change I was a bit rushed. Having a once-over in your courses will drastically help with studying.

 

[The One Who Knocks]

You should be fine. It's the norm to take it junior year, especially now with biochem as such a big portion. If you're only a year or two out from the pre reqs, the material will come back pretty easy since you've already learned it. The MCAT won't go into nearly as much detail as your undergrad did, especially for ochem.

Sounds good. I was little worried that my schedule was not very normal, as I have some friends at other universities who are taking their MCAT now (summer of sophomore year), whereas, I plan to take it spring of my junior year.

I took Gen Chem and Gen Bio freshman year, Physics, Genetics, and Cell Bio sophomore year, and then started Organic and Med A&P my junior year. I took my first MCAT in October of the fall semester of my junior year (taught myself Med A&P and didn't study Organic). Got a 27 (9/9/9). Pretty sure I had some major test anxiety. Didn't study any more material and just took 17 practice tests and did a retake in January of junior year, and got a 31 (12/9/10).

The Gen Chem and Physics came back easily. But those have always been strengths. Phys and Anatomy I gained a lot of from the first semester of Med A&P along with my self-study. Organic I still didn't study at all for (and the 10 in the BS section shows it).

You'll be fine if you have all of the material covered once by the time you take it. In a perfect world, I'd have waited until April or May to take my first MCAT, but with the change I was a bit rushed. Having a once-over in your courses will drastically help with studying.

That's reassuring! Thanks!

 

[NickNaylor]

I have little advice to offer with respect to the new MCAT, but I took it in the spring of junior year while also otherwise doing a full course load and probably the busiest year of ECs. It was a hectic time, but I scored well while still doing well in classes and doing all of my other activities. The key is to have a plan and to be diligent with respect to sticking to it. If you can do that, you'll likely do well regardless of the circumstances.

 

[Flashfan]

Those rushing to take the MCAT this year after sophomore year are probably shooting themselves in the foot. If they haven't had biochem they are at a disadvantage with the new test. Also, anyone that took it in April will tell you that the test material did not adequately cover the new test. Better to wait until the materials have been refined and there are more AAMC test materials available.
I studied this semester and I feel like you study differently for content review. It will come back to you.

 

[The One Who Knocks]

Those rushing to take the MCAT this year after sophomore year are probably shooting themselves in the foot. If they haven't had biochem they are at a disadvantage with the new test. Also, anyone that took it in April will tell you that the test material did not adequately cover the new test. Better to wait until the materials have been refined and there are more AAMC test materials available.
I studied this semester and I feel like you study differently for content review. It will come back to you.

So you think the benefit of the extra material outweighs the gap between earlier pre-reqs and a spring junior-year MCAT?

I have little advice to offer with respect to the new MCAT, but I took it in the spring of junior year while also otherwise doing a full course load and probably the busiest year of ECs. It was a hectic time, but I scored well while still doing well in classes and doing all of my other activities. The key is to have a plan and to be diligent with respect to sticking to it. If you can do that, you'll likely do well regardless of the circumstances.

I've heard people block out a length of time for the MCAT alone, but would you suggest that there is time to keep up ECs along with MCAT studying?

 

[NickNaylor]

I've heard people block out a length of time for the MCAT alone, but would you suggest that there is time to keep up ECs along with MCAT studying?

This is something that only you can decide. Again, I think if you go into the process with a clear plan and the ability to be disciplined enough to study despite time constraints, you will have no problems. I always thought of stopping things in service only to MCAT studying was a bit wonky, but plenty of people do that.

 

[HCHopeful]

Not really all that related, but I have a friend who rushed studying that just got his preliminary results back from AAMC for the first administration of MCAT 2015. He felt he did really well, but his cumulative showed he scored in the 42-52 percentile. He said it was so much different than he expected, and now he is left having to retake it. Moral of the story: don't rush.

 

[Flashfan]

So you think the benefit of the extra material outweighs the gap between earlier pre-reqs and a spring junior-year MCAT?

Maybe I am just frustrated with my study program right now, but I do think it has to be better than struggling to piece together study materials piecemeal after finding out that many months of studying the material left others unprepared.
As for blocking out a period of time, I couldn't do it initially. It would be wonderful to work all summer long on MCAT study, but I didn't want a gap year. If I bomb the test in two weeks I will get that opportunity.