MCAT dilemma

[#DailyGrind]

Hi,
I just finished my freshman year in college and was looking at my schedule for the next couple years of undergrad. I wanted to take the MCAT in may after my junior year and apply in June. Sadly, my school only Offers orgo chem and bio chem every other year, so I got pretty unlucky. I understand Biochem is a major concept on the MCAT. What would you do in my position, take a gap year, or try and cram everything in the summer before junior year?
-Sophomore (1)
-Genetics
- Human A/P
- Physics 1
- Sophomore (2)
- microbio
- Human A/P (2)
- Junior (1)
- Orgo
- Cell bio
- Junior (2)
- Orgo (2)
- Physics (2)
- Senior(1)
- Biochem
- Analytical chem
- Senior (2)
- Biochem (2)
- Analytical chem (2)

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[Zenabi90]

With how important GPA and MCAT are, if it will negatively impact your scores by cramming everything in, I'd vote for a gap year.

 

[#DailyGrind]

With how important GPA and MCAT are, if it will negatively impact your scores by cramming everything in, I'd vote for a gap year.

Thanks!
I was thinking of doing the same thing, but really did not want to take a gap year. When would be the best time to take the MCAT, considering the best time to apply is early in June? January of my senior year???

 

[Zenabi90]

Hi,
What would you do in my position, take a gap year, or try and cram everything in the summer before junior year?

Thanks!
I was thinking of doing the same thing, but really did not want to take a gap year. When would be the best time to take the MCAT, considering the best time to apply is early in June? January of my senior year???

Work it out so your final semester of school is as light as possible so you can still nail your GPA while prepping for the MCAT. Start MCAT prep in Nov/Dec of your senior year and aim to take it in late March so you get your scores back in April and have time for a retake if you need it.

Honestly you're thinking so far ahead though. Work out your class schedule first, then see where you can fit your MCAT.

 

[ajax224]

So I was against the gap year, but once I actually started thinking about it, it made so much more sense to me. So right now I'm studying for the mcat alllll summer with NO other responsibilities because of my gap year I have the ability to. A lot of my friends balanced spring semester with MCAT with applying for med schools and a few of them totally fell apart. I'm 100% for gap year because I am less stressed than everyone trying to balance it. I can take my time and excel.

Edit: I'm in between my junior and senior year. Also is there a way you can take biochem during the summer or something? Taking biochem has helped me a lot for mcat because it is covered in both C/P and B/B sections so I would try to take it before studying.

 

[#DailyGrind]

So I was against the gap year, but once I actually started thinking about it, it made so much more sense to me. So right now I'm studying for the mcat alllll summer with NO other responsibilities because of my gap year I have the ability to. A lot of my friends balanced spring semester with MCAT with applying for med schools and a few of them totally fell apart. I'm 100% for gap year because I am less stressed than everyone trying to balance it. I can take my time and excel.

Edit: I'm in between my junior and senior year. Also is there a way you can take biochem during the summer or something? Taking biochem has helped me a lot for mcat because it is covered in both C/P and B/B sections so I would try to take it before studying.

That’s great to hear! I totally understand I am looking way into the future, but I’m just trying to prepare a rough draft schedule so I don’t fall behind on deadlines.
Seems like taking a gap year is the best option for me right now. I could try to take biochemistry in fall of 2018, but I haven’t taken organic chem yet and I was advised to take organic chem first. I am a biochem major, so I am required to take this class at my university.

Thank you for the advice!!!

 

[ajax224]

That’s great to hear! I totally understand I am looking way into the future, but I’m just trying to prepare a rough draft schedule so I don’t fall behind on deadlines.
Seems like taking a gap year is the best option for me right now. I could try to take biochemistry in fall of 2018, but I haven’t taken organic chem yet and I was advised to take organic chem first. I am a biochem major, so I am required to take this class at my university.

Thank you for the advice!!!

Yeah definitely take Orgo first. And I’m a biochem major too!

 

[PrincetonReviewPreMed]

Hi,
I just finished my freshman year in college and was looking at my schedule for the next couple years of undergrad. I wanted to take the MCAT in may after my junior year and apply in June. Sadly, my school only Offers orgo chem and bio chem every other year, so I got pretty unlucky. I understand Biochem is a major concept on the MCAT. What would you do in my position, take a gap year, or try and cram everything in the summer before junior year?
-Sophomore (1)
-Genetics
- Human A/P
- Physics 1
- Sophomore (2)
- microbio
- Human A/P (2)
- Junior (1)
- Orgo
- Cell bio
- Junior (2)
- Orgo (2)
- Physics (2)
- Senior(1)
- Biochem
- Analytical chem
- Senior (2)
- Biochem (2)
- Analytical chem (2)

Hello there

One of the best pieces of advice that I got early in college from an advisor was to never take more than two pre-req courses in a given semester. This turned out to be prudent because at some point during the semester those courses would inevitably get very challenging and compete for all of my time.

You can definitely study for the MCAT with a prep course having NOT taken all the pre-req courses. I have worked with many students who were a course or two short on their pre-reqs and they have done just fine on the MCAT. You just need to have those courses finished by the time you graduate from college and matriculate to a medical school.

If you absolutely cannot get everything done by the time you'll graduate, that'd be a good case for a gap year. Otherwise, it's okay to be enrolled in a pre-req course at the time you apply for medical school. You need to have a good science GPA up till that point, and the med schools may even want to see your final grade in the pre-req course before they start sending admission offers out.

I hope that helps you! Also, for what it's worth, there was a rising sophomore in the MCAT course I took and he for sure did not have all the pre-req courses taken. He still did great on his MCAT and had it locked in three years in advance. I would not recommend this for most people, but it really made it clear to me that prep classes work and timing for each person is unique to his/her situation.

David
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David Savage, MD, PhD