MCAT After Sophomore Year

[Catalyst]

Has anyone here taking Physics, an MCAT review course, and the MCAT all in one summer after sophomore year? What has been your experience? It is do-able?

Sachin

---

Members don't see this ad.

 

[radiohead_fan]

indian right? yeah im indian also. i took the MCAT the summer after my sophmore year in august. i took kaplan and was researching at the medical college of wisconsin. i had taken intro bio, calculus physics, and organic + gen chem prior to it. It was good to have the whole summer to study for it. i got a 33Q, but with a 9 in verbal. If I had to do it over again, I would have waited till this april, because now i know a lot more bio after taking physiology and biochemistry, so my bio might be a 12 instead of a 10, and due to random stupid luck my verbal was a 9 on test day, when i had been getting 10's on practice tests. conceivably, my maxed out score could be a 36 or so. WAIT until you are ready. sure, youll never be 100% ready, there is no way. i studied my ass off for the summer and a little before then to assure myself i was ready. and i was "ready" in the sense that i studied and did kaplan religiously, but there are some scientific concepts that are SO clear to me in physics ( i got a 14 in PS) that are becoming clearer now in upper level bio classes. Thus you want to take the MCAT after you have garnered as much science info as possible, and as far as verbal goes...**** its the first section of the day, and im nervous as hell...gosh, i have my problems with that section.

 

[UCMonkey]

This is not a phenomenon I understand. Here, it is virtually impossible to get all of gen chem, o-chem, bio, math (a pre-req), and physics done in 2 years without killing yourself. Therefore, it seems impossible, at least to me, to be REALLY prepared for the MCAT in August after sophomore year. Most people here take it April of Junior year, or that August after Junior year.

Another disadvantage: most schools don't accept MCAT scores older than 3 years. If you take the MCAT after sophomore year, those scores sit around during junior and senior year, so when you're ready to apply, they're already at least a year old.

It seems to me that a possibly better thing to do would be to take the test a little later, and run less of a risk of having your scores expire, should you be unexpectedly delayed in applying.

 

[Catalyst]

Thanks for the advice guys, I was just asking to find out what people's experience has been since my friend did it 2 years ago and did pretty well. He's advising me to do the same but I'm edgy about screwing up on the MCAT.

Radiohead fan, yep, I'm Indian..

Sachin

 

[hansy]

I took the MCAT in August after my sophomore year, and I did alright. It was nice because I was not a science major, so I pretty much had all of junior and senior years to relax and take it easy. I decided to take the MCAT at that time because I was finished with all of my prereqs, and I didn't want to forget the orgo and phyx I had taken during sophomore year. Plus, I figured if I wasn't happy with my score, I could retake it in April without being delayed in the admissions cycle (although, I wouldn't necessarily recommend going in with the expectation that the MCAT should be taken twice) If you feel you can handle it, I'd say go for it. Also, consider what types of classes you'd be taking spring semester of junior year. If they're going to be tough ones, I'd recommend taking it now so that you're not burdened with hard classes while studying for the MCAT. However, if they're not going to be too bad, you might just want to wait until April. And, as the previous posters have said, there is no major rush, as the majority of pre-meds take the exam during their junior year or directly following junior year.

 

[Coalboy]

A woman in my Kaplan class this past summer was taking it after her sophomore year. I think she was scoring in the high thirties on the practice tests, too. Coincidentally, she was also Indian.

 

[Catalyst]

heheh, Indians, the overachievers

My mom just reminded me about how the reality is that all Indians are very competitive applicants and that I have to make sure that I do well in college (i.e. high MCAT/GPA_. I'm sure this subject will arouse some interesting conversation among us Indians here .

 

[vyc]

actually it's not impossible. i did it.
though i took one semester of intensive intro chem instead of two semesters, which is fine as far as the MCAT material goes. (but the premed req is that you do need TWO semester of inorganic chem so i'm doing pchem now in my senior year)

but i did it by taking two labs every semester for 3 semesters. (my first semester i had one lab and math)

•••quote:•••Originally posted by Monkeyrunner:
[QB]This is not a phenomenon I understand. Here, it is virtually impossible to get all of gen chem, o-chem, bio, math (a pre-req), and physics done in 2 years without killing yourself. Therefore, it seems impossible, at least to me, to be REALLY prepared for the MCAT in August after sophomore year. Most people here take it April of Junior year, or that August after Junior year.
[QB]••••

 

[Doctora Foxy]

It can definitely be done. I took G-chem freshman year and Bio & Physics my sophomore year.....I took orgo the summer after that, but I could have taken it the summer after freshman year.

Then again, via this route I wouldn't have been able to do a cool summer internship.

 

[waiting anxiously]

I think it's definitely a good idea if you feel like you've taken all the classes that you need. I took mine the summer after my sophomore year because I had completed all of my requirements by the end of freshmen year. It is possible to do well if you think you're prepared - I ended up scoring in the 40's even though I hadn't taken that many upper level classes at that point in time. Also, I didn't have to worry about finals/term papers while cramming those last few weeks before the MCATS as many of my friends did that took the test in April.

 

[souljah1]

I'd like to point out that all indians are not competitive applicants. I know some brilliant indians and I also know some indians who are not "strong" candidates for medicine etc..

As far as the MCAT, I took it after my sophomore year and I did fine. I think I would have done better if I had taken it after biochem and quant.analysis, but I did well enough.

No harm in taking it after soph year, always leaves you with the possibility for a retake in april of your junior year or the next summer. I highly recommend not going straight into medicine from undergrad. Take some time off and experience life outside of school/home/etc..It will allow you to unwind acadmemically and will also make you stronger for interviews (my opinion).

good luck

 

[hansy]

•••quote:•••Originally posted by souljah1:
•I highly recommend not going straight into medicine from undergrad. Take some time off and experience life outside of school/home/etc..It will allow you to unwind acadmemically and will also make you stronger for interviews (my opinion).

•••••I agree 100%

 

[Mr. H]

Trust me, you definitley want to take it after your sophomore year. It is doable, I had takend organic chem lab (4 hours a day, 4 days week) for then entire summer, took a kaplan review course, and of course, took the mcat. While I got a decent mcat of 33 (11V10P R 12B), I think that the pain of taking it over the school year was worth it enough for me take it in the summer. You really have plenty of time to work to a decent score. Of course, now that I took bact. and physio, things that I had to teach myself are being taught, and questions that I couldn't have answered are now doable. So maybe I coull've got higher, or maybe not, maybe my grades would've dropped, maybe it wouldn't have. So basically, if you got the those basic courses, just practice up and take it. Trust me, its really nice to not have to worry about taking that MCAT in April.
peace

 

[riopsedm]

definitely doable. did the exact same thing myself--you just have to REALLY discipline yourself and be comfortable with the idea that you're denying yourself of something (read 'life')

riopsedm

ps. im sure you'll still find time to sing though