Kicking @ss on the MCATs

[rachel]

This is for Smile and anyone else who have the secrets to kicking ass on the MCATs.
For the first time Im taking the MCATs in April (I heard the April version is easier) after taking them twice in August. I took the Kaplan course..didnt like it too much..I got some USMLE books from a friend of mine who got 13's and 14's and admission to John Hopkins and he swore by them but they have a little too much info.
I also got a Petersons MCAT review book plus another one by Nilajen Sen which consists of MCAT index review cards.
However, Id realllllyy appreciate some advice from all of you med students on how you did well on the MCATs. How long did you study for it etc...
I would really appreciate any input

Rachel

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[Simul]

Well, do so many passages, till your eyes bleed. Study a lot, but try to focus on the passages from TPR or Kaplan's materials, because you end up learning the science from the science passages anyway.
Read! Read the Journal or the Times or Newsweek or Penthouse or something every morning, just to get used to it.
Do one verbal passage every morning at breakfast with no time limit.
Give yourself plenty of exercise, an at least one night a week of chillin. I mean hard core chillin - drinking with your boys, poker, stealing cars, whatever.
Do a ton of practice tests, once a week, I recommend. And you don't even have to do them all at once, do bio, go for a run, do verbal, eat dinner, do physical.
If you are in a course, abuse the good instructors. They get paid a lot to meet with you privately, so have them explain some of the harder material (for me acid/base, and Newtonian physics) over at Starbucks.
I got 10(verbal),12,S,12 on the August 99.
Hope this helps,
Simul

 

[UHS03]

Also, I don't think the April MCAT is easier. Students who take it in April are often in school AND trying to study for the MCAT. I believe this results in a lower overall average on each section. Since the scores are based on the averages of other people taking the test at the same time, the cutoffs between scores may be a little lower. Therefore, you can get a 10 and miss more than maybe someone taking the August MCAT could get away with (since they have had all summer to just study, averages are higher.) This is my theory anyway

 

[Smile]

Rachel,

Since you asked so nicely for my input...

The key to the MCAT is practice, practice, practice!

For both sciences sections, you should have a sound understanding of all topics covered, since the exam doesn't test how much you know (or can recall), rather how well you can USE that information. They claim you only need to be able to interpret the information in the passages, but truth is you have to have outside knowledge of the particular topic in order to thoroughly reason each passage out.

My advice...
1) Review all the topics and know the basics of each. Don't just memorize stuff, rather try and UNDERSTAND the topics.
2) Make flash cards for all important facts and formulas and review them every day. That way, on the day of the test that information will be ingrained in your head for your use, i.e. it will almost be automatic stuff for you to recall... you won't really have to think to remember it.
3) Do as many practice problems as you can daily... perhaps 2 biological and 2 physical passages each day.

For the verbal section, again it is all about practice. You should again try to do at least 2-3 passages a day. This will not only increase your reading speed, but will help develop a sort of intuition for how to read the passages and the types of questions that follow. After doing enough passages, you should even be able to almost predict what kinds of questions will be asked.

This is a lot of work, I know, but this strategy worked well for me. The more material you can get your hands on, the better. I took TPR, and I thought their materials were great. The class sucked in my opinion, but their books helped to really learn the sciences better. They also had tons and tons of practice material for all sections.

Best of luck to you... I certainly don't envy you having to study for that exam again! You don't have a lot of time left, so I would concentrate most on practicing all that you can.

 

[saline]

Rachel,

Take a kaplan class and all the full length mock practice tests. Get your score on each section and study your lowest section that week the hardest. That's it.

P.S. You already know how to study for your learning style, just keep doing it...but a little more intensely.

[This message has been edited by saline (edited 03-05-2000).]

 

[rachel]

Thanks for all your input guys

Im planning on taking the MCATs next April. I read the Times everyday since late last year so Im getting used to it. I guess the secret to success here is practice.
I also took the Kaplan course once, didnt spend too much time there and I found a lot of typos in their books. As for TPR, I think the price is out of my range. So I guess Ill be practicing on my own and trying to kick ass. Is that even possible? To kick ass on the MCATs without a review course? Most of you guys took one right?
Thanks

Rachel