Kinda wasted my summer...now what?

[molarseeker]

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SDN:

So here is the situation. I started the summer pre-med and started studying for the MCAT planning to take it on September 11th. After a month of studying, I decided I wanted to do oral surgery, so I stopped studying for the MCAT and started studying for the DAT. I also started shadowing a dentist and really realized that dentistry is NOT for me. I am not interested at all in it. I am very interested in medicine and that is why I was on that path in the first place. Now, I start my senior year at UCLA on September 27th so I pretty much have done about a month of MCAT prep and a month of DAT prep. I want to apply for medical schools at the end of this school year, so when should/can I take the MCAT. I know that it is best to take it during the summer, but I kinda screwed that up with what happened. Can anyone give me any tips as to how I can do this or if any of you have studied during school, give me some pointers on how YOU did it? Thanks!

 

[untouchable]

make a cheat sheet 1 to 2 pieces of paper with all the important formulas (for example, V=Ed ), trends (periodic table, phase transitions etc etc), important facts pertaining to certain topics (for example gases cool when they expand etc), veins have valves yada yada ya

Condense all the material into 1-2 pages of your own writing (try to make it as small (I mean really small) as you can for no other reason then psychologically feeling its only two pages of stuff).

Review that sheet every day for the rest of the year (it should only take an hour which you probably spend on facebook anyways. Then do at least two months of test taking before your preferred date. Enter the profession for the right reasons, only the losers enter for money, and every one will figure out who the losers are because they never will make good doctors.

 

[molarseeker]

make a cheat sheet 1 to 2 pieces of paper with all the important formulas (for example, V=Ed ), trends (periodic table, phase transitions etc etc), important facts pertaining to certain topics (for example gases cool when they expand etc), veins have valves yada yada ya

Condense all the material into 1-2 pages of your own writing (try to make it as small (I mean really small) as you can for no other reason then psychologically feeling its only two pages of stuff).

Review that sheet every day for the rest of the year (it should only take an hour which you probably spend on facebook anyways. Then do at least two months of test taking before your preferred date. Enter the profession for the right reasons, only the losers enter for money, and every one will figure out who the losers are because they never will make good doctors.

I'm want medicine because it interests me. Not bc of
Money.

 

[Plane]

You should have stuck with MCAT prep since you can adapt to DAT prep since it seems you were so undecided. Best of luck, but the most important thing is to have a solid, bullet-proof goal in mind, when taking the MCAT, when applying to med school, and most of all when you practice medicine.

 

[gtbROX]

I think there could be overlap with the sciences, not too sure about the content of DATs, but verbal would probably be the more limiting factor since it takes a lot of consistent studying to improve on.

 

[molarseeker]

You should have stuck with MCAT prep since you can adapt to DAT prep since it seems you were so undecided. Best of luck, but the most important thing is to have a solid, bullet-proof goal in mind, when taking the MCAT, when applying to med school, and most of all when you practice medicine.

I know what I "should" have done. That's not what I was asking. I was asking what I should do now.

 

[MedPR]

make a cheat sheet 1 to 2 pieces of paper with all the important formulas (for example, V=Ed ), trends (periodic table, phase transitions etc etc), important facts pertaining to certain topics (for example gases cool when they expand etc), veins have valves yada yada ya

Condense all the material into 1-2 pages of your own writing (try to make it as small (I mean really small) as you can for no other reason then psychologically feeling its only two pages of stuff).

Review that sheet every day for the rest of the year (it should only take an hour which you probably spend on facebook anyways. Then do at least two months of test taking before your preferred date. Enter the profession for the right reasons, only the losers enter for money, and every one will figure out who the losers are because they never will make good doctors.

False.

 

[molarseeker]

You're reading the question wrong. I am not asking what I SHOULD have done. I am asking how I can move forward.

 

[angemon89]

We are in the same boat. I'm entering my senior year starting on Sep 27 and I also plan on applying next June.

My plan is to start studying Fall quarter, and to take the MCAT in January. UCD allows you to go part-time for one quarter if you're a senior (not sure about UCLA) so I will go part-time during Fall to allow for enough study time.

In the event that I don't do well on the MCAT the first time around, I have plenty of time to retake. I can even retake it next summer. I just need to indicate that I am planning on retaking the MCAT on my primary application.

I just wanted to throw out what I plan on doing, and maybe you can extract some ideas from that to fit your needs 👍

 

[molarseeker]

We are in the same boat. I'm entering my senior year starting on Sep 27 and I also plan on applying next June.

My plan is to start studying Fall quarter, and to take the MCAT in January. UCD allows you to go part-time for one quarter if you're a senior (not sure about UCLA) so I will go part-time during Fall to allow for enough study time.

In the event that I don't do well on the MCAT the first time around, I have plenty of time to retake. I can even retake it next summer. I just need to indicate that I am planning on retaking the MCAT on my primary application.

I just wanted to throw out what I plan on doing, and maybe you can extract some ideas from that to fit your needs 👍

Thanks for the ideas. Unfortunately, I can't really go part time. Being a transfer student I am already behind in my classes so I am taking 3 classes this quarter.

 

[angemon89]

If you don't have time during the school year, you can always just take it next summer. But try to take one of the earlier tests (like in late July).

 

[Lucky Louie]

You can take either the January or the April tests. Both would provide scores so you can apply next cycle. Why not just add MCAT prep to this semester's work*? You can, at least, get a feel for how you'd do if you took the AAMC practice test. Then work on your weaknesses.

*I'm assuming you're pre-med, so maybe you're still taking some MCAT-related classes anyway. That is, if you're already taking a Biology class, maybe you can lighten up in the biology MCAT prep.

 

[molarseeker]

You can take either the January or the April tests. Both would provide scores so you can apply next cycle. Why not just add MCAT prep to this semester's work*? You can, at least, get a feel for how you'd do if you took the AAMC practice test. Then work on your weaknesses.

*I'm assuming you're pre-med, so maybe you're still taking some MCAT-related classes anyway. That is, if you're already taking a Biology class, maybe you can lighten up in the biology MCAT prep.

When are applications open for DO ad md schools?