MCAT after soph or junior year

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AH11

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I'm a sophomore that got a B in Orgo1 and I'm wondering whether to push Orgo2 from this semester until the Summer (6wks in july/aug... so no summer research programs? ) so I'd have more time to focus entirely on that and hopefully do better.

I've taken Bio1+2 already, in the form of Evolutionary Bio and Cell Bio, and I'm wondering whether it'd be an advantage waiting to take the MCAT until after my Junior year, since I'll take micro OR biochem + anatomy/physiology that year... In other words, how much Bio do you need to do well on the BS section of the MCAT?

Finally, is it too crammed to try and do all the MCAT studying right after the spring semester of your Junior year and still be able to apply on time?

btw.. i plan on doing an MCAT review course in either scenario

Thanks in advance!

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I'm a sophomore that got a B in Orgo1 and I'm wondering whether to push Orgo2 from this semester until the Summer (6wks in july/aug... so no summer research programs? ) so I'd have more time to focus entirely on that and hopefully do better.

I've taken Bio1+2 already, in the form of Evolutionary Bio and Cell Bio, and I'm wondering whether it'd be an advantage waiting to take the MCAT until after my Junior year, since I'll take micro OR biochem + anatomy/physiology that year... In other words, how much Bio do you need to do well on the BS section of the MCAT?

Finally, is it too crammed to try and do all the MCAT studying right after the spring semester of your Junior year and still be able to apply on time?

btw.. i plan on doing an MCAT review course in either scenario

Thanks in advance!

I took my first MCAT after my sophomore year, and I was grossly underprepared. It was my fault, but if you can put in the time and get 30+, do what you need to do.
 
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hi

i was all gun-ho about taking the mcat after this year (soph) too. ill be finished w/ all my prereqs (except physics II) after next semester and ive done well in the pre-reqs.
my premed adviser stressed that regardless of what i scored this summer, that my mcat would go up the more i wait.. and that thoughts such as "i better take it now so i dont forgot all organic chem" for example, are silly. im taking his word for it, but i still think i'll do some light review this summer if i get the chance.

also, about delaying to take upper levels. ive asked this a million times to med students and the concensus is that some classes can be helpful (like biochem, genetics, maybe even physio very slightly) but they are not necesary. thats why they are not prereqs for all schools. a good gen bio course plus mcat review books is enough, they say.

to sum up: dont delay just to take more courses. you can review over the summer and if you are hitting the score range you want consistently, go for it. but, it is apparently likely that if you delay (idk, maybe to improve study skills or something unless you have a 4.0) your score will be higher.. i actually think it just might be a maturity issue.. maybe sophomores are less likely than upper classmen to study hardcore?
 
Two of my best friends took the MCAT May of their junior year and began the application process before they got their scores back and finished by the end of the summer.
 
Want to know how much you need to know for the MCAT? Take a practice test or two. Then gauge it for yourself.
 
Have you taken physics?

I took the MCAT a year early (after sophmore year) and did very poorly. I only had one physics at the time, however, but I think it was more the fact that I was not ready for it so early on.

On the other hand, I had a friend who took it at the same time as me and made a 30.....

I would just take a few practice tests and see what you think. You will forget Organic, but you will pick it up again quick and its not that difficult on the MCAT or important. I think it is personal. If you REALLY feel ready, go for it, but don't try and do something your not ready for. Of course you can take it again, and it won't look to bad to schools or anything, but you might just waste your summer if your not ready.

hope this helps
 
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From alot of people I have talked to, they have said that alot of the stuff on the MCAT can be deduced from the passages they give you. So forgetting some stuff isnt that huge of a deal I guess, so waiting till Junior isnt that bad.

Doesnt mean you dont have to study for it though.

HAHAHAHAHA...69 posts...sorry Im immature
 
If you have finished a year each of physics, orgo, gen chem, and bio, then I say take the MCAT. I took it after sophomore year, and I think it was one of the best decisions I made. I had only had one year of intro bio (or Principles of Biology, as my school puts it, haha) and I felt that it was plenty. If you're taking a review class, then they'll fill you in on anything you need to know. Just give yourself lots of time to prepare and then take the test at the end of the summer. Good luck!
 
hey guys, I remember I read a poster on SDN who said he took his MCAT after his sophomore year and that was an advantage for him. He wrote that one of his interviewers was "impressed" that he took it so early.
I don't remember now where on SDN it was. My question is, is this true? Are adcoms more impressed with you taking the MCAT after 2nd year than the 3rd year if you do well on the MCAT regardless?
 
Take the MCAT as late as possible. Every extra class you have will help.


My suggestion is take it the spring of your junior year.
Take as few/easy credits as you can get away with and just spend the term studying. Make up any of the credits that you did not take during the summer.

I had no real problem with remembering subjects such as O-chem that were tested on the MCAT...actually especially O-chem.
 
hey guys, I remember I read a poster on SDN who said he took his MCAT after his sophomore year and that was an advantage for him. He wrote that one of his interviewers was "impressed" that he took it so early.
I don't remember now where on SDN it was. My question is, is this true? Are adcoms more impressed with you taking the MCAT after 2nd year than the 3rd year if you do well on the MCAT regardless?

I dont think they would give two squirts of [fresh squeezed orange juice] when you took the MCAT.
 
hey guys, I remember I read a poster on SDN who said he took his MCAT after his sophomore year and that was an advantage for him. He wrote that one of his interviewers was "impressed" that he took it so early.
I don't remember now where on SDN it was. My question is, is this true? Are adcoms more impressed with you taking the MCAT after 2nd year than the 3rd year if you do well on the MCAT regardless?

No one said anything to me, positive or negative, about having taken my MCAT after my sophomore year. It's not really that apparent, because you'd have to look at the MCAT date, then figure out what year in school the person would have been at that time. It's not something clearly advertised.

I think it's best just to take the test when you feel that you're best prepared.
 
If you're going to take it after your sophomore year, you should be very sure that you're going to apply after your junior year to head straight into school after your senior year because you now have one unusable year of your 3 year score window. If for any reason you decide to take time off after school or you aren't accepted, you might end up taking the test again.
 
I took my MCAT right after my sophomore year. I did it mainly for practical reasons - I had a degree recital to give in the spring of my Junior year that would have precluded studying for the test. However, I did find it nice to have all of that organic chemistry fresh in my mind. It is amazing how fast those reactions can slip from your mind, and even more amazing how your motivation to relearn those reaction does as well. Same thing with physics equations.

On the other hand, I have known plenty of people that took the MCAT in the spring of their junior year and still applied and were accepted to medical school.
 
you now have one unusable year of your 3 year score window


This is a really important reason to think about. If you decide to take a year off, you'll have to take the test again...

and god forbid, if your not accepted your first go around, you'll have to take it again.

Personally, at the top of my list was only taking the test once, and doing well enough to be accepted. It was painful enough just doing it once.

On the orgo topic, some folks may disagree (different schools, different curriculum) but I thought there was a lot of Orgo 2 material on my mcat.
 
Well I have all Summer to study for the MCAT if I really want to... my only concern is that my only Bio experience is Evolutionary Bio + Cell Bio...

How much would anat+physio and either micro/biochem help for the MCAT?
 
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