MCAT, gap year, future plans

[laxgirl06]

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Hey everyone. So I am a college junior, and just thinking how my trajectory should go. I was planning on doing a one or two year post-bacc during my gap year, but now, I'm not so sure it is necessary (especially if I would be paying out of pocket for it). Is taking the MCAT next year a good idea? I am taking biochem next semester. So it would still be fresh in my mind. What are your thoughts? I am aiming for a 90th-93rd percentile score.

 

[laxgirl06]

Take the MCAT when you are ready. Simply having the course in college may not be sufficient preparation for the MCAT as it is a very different beast of an exam from anything else you are likely to have seen in school. If you can have sufficient prep time during the term then yes, go for it. But remember, MCAT score is likely weighed as heavily as GPA. You may want to consider the idea of simply taking a gap year and doing the MCAT during that time to aim for possible highest score.

Hey, thanks for the advice! But personally, I feel like I may not be as motivated once I graduate, than while I am still in school. That's why I'm not so sure about taking one or several gap years. I also heard from one that I may forget info I learned in freshman year intro bio, etc if I wait too long. I'm just wondering because if I take it after April of next year (my senior year) won't I have to take two gap years? I'm not sure that is something I want to do, especially since there is no guarantee taking a year to prepare will grant me the score I want. I'm just trying to weigh the pros and cons. If I were to take it next year, I would definitely take a course (maybe Examkrackers) and I would also take the one-month winter break to prepare intensely. What are your thoughts?

 

[eteshoe]

Hey, thanks for the advice! But personally, I feel like I may not be as motivated once I graduate, than while I am still in school. That's why I'm not so sure about taking one or several gap years. I also heard from one that I may forget info I learned in freshman year intro bio, etc if I wait too long. I'm just wondering because if I take it after April of next year (my senior year) won't I have to take two gap years? I'm not sure that is something I want to do, especially since there is no guarantee taking a year to prepare will grant me the score I want. I'm just trying to weigh the pros and cons. If I were to take it next year, I would definitely take a course (maybe Examkrackers) and I would also take the one-month winter break to prepare intensely. What are your thoughts?

I understand where you're coming from but you need to be self-motivated to study and do well on the MCAT. Do not rush your studying and regardless of when you take the exam, by the time you start reviewing there will be things that you've forgotten.

 

[laxgirl06]

I understand where you're coming from but you need to be self-motivated to study and do well on the MCAT. Do not rush your studying and regardless of when you take the exam, by the time you start reviewing there will be things that you've forgotten.

I agree. You're 100% correct. That's why I'm actively working on my self-motivation skills. 😀 I just want to have some sort of general "plan" so that I can know what my future and "life after undergrad" will look like. What was your experience with taking/studying for the mcat?

 

[eteshoe]

I agree. You're 100% correct. That's why I'm actively working on my self-motivation skills. 😀 I just want to have some sort of general "plan" so that I can know what my future and "life after undergrad" will look like. What was your experience with taking/studying for the mcat?

By the time I was ready for Med School/Grad School, I was about 4 yrs out of UG. I'd worked for ~ 2 yrs in industry (engineering) and had gone back to school to get a masters (~ 2 yrs). I started getting together all the appropriate ECs and stuff during my 2 yrs of my masters. About 2 months into the masters I started MCAT studying (and GRE studying since I wasn't sure if I'd get into med school). As with any standardized exam I always take a diagnostic full length exam under test conditions to see where I'm at (and lacking). Then I bought some MCAT books off of Amazon + Anki (didn't have time or money for a prep course) - and made a study schedule. I usually put in about 2 hrs/night 5 days of the week (volunteering on the weekends) for the first 6 months. Then I started doing one practice exam every 2 weeks for the following 3 months. Then 1 month out from the exam: 2 practice exams a week plus review of what I got wrong. About a week out from test - light studying and adjusting my sleep schedule. The experience sucked at times but these are the necessary hoops that need to be jumped through for medicine.

 

[laxgirl06]

By the time I was ready for Med School/Grad School, I was about 4 yrs out of UG. I'd worked for ~ 2 yrs in industry (engineering) and had gone back to school to get a masters (~ 2 yrs). I started getting together all the appropriate ECs and stuff during my 2 yrs of my masters. About 2 months into the masters I started MCAT studying (and GRE studying since I wasn't sure if I'd get into med school). As with any standardized exam I always take a diagnostic full length exam under test conditions to see where I'm at (and lacking). Then I bought some MCAT books off of Amazon + Anki (didn't have time or money for a prep course) - and made a study schedule. I usually put in about 2 hrs/night 5 days of the week (volunteering on the weekends) for the first 6 months. Then I started doing one practice exam every 2 weeks for the following 3 months. Then 1 month out from the exam: 2 practice exams a week plus review of what I got wrong. About a week out from test - light studying and adjusting my sleep schedule. The experience sucked at times but these are the necessary hoops that need to be jumped through for medicine.

Oh, okay. How did you do on the MCAT?

 

[eteshoe]

Oh, okay. How did you do on the MCAT?

I ended up with a 38 (new scale ~521). Again this was just the stuff that worked for me but I think the general approach is applicable and tunable

 

[laxgirl06]

I ended up with a 38 (new scale ~521). Again this was just the stuff that worked for me but I think the general approach is applicable and tunable

😵😱😱😱😱Ummmmmmm........ wow. That's all I have to say. xD 😆Do you happen to still have a general version of that schedule or no? XD

 

[eteshoe]

😵😱😱😱😱Ummmmmmm........ wow. That's all I have to say. xD 😆Do you happen to still have a general version of that schedule or no? XD

Haha thanks. Unfortunately, the computer that had my general study plan on it (as well as some other important docs) kicked the bucket a couple yrs back so I don't have all the details. Though I know the MCAT thread has some study plans available for download.

http://forums.studentdoctor.net/thr...m-sn2ed-mcatjelly-ek-tbr-tprh-kaplan.1127723/

http://forums.studentdoctor.net/threads/509-mcat-study-habits.1143569/

http://forums.studentdoctor.net/threads/my-mcat-2015-study-schedule.1122820/