MCAT Junior or Senior year pros/cons

[PurefighaUCD]

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I'm starting my Junior year and have completed all pre-med requirements aside from physics.

What are the Pros/Cons of taking the MCAT Junior or Senior year?

From what I've read, people do much better on the MCAT when they have taken upper divsion courses(Biochem, genetics, cell biology..ect) and have an easier last quarter/semester.

I dont mind taking a year off after to better my odds no rush

 

[YouNeverKnow22]

I took the MCAT after my junior year. My studying was rushed (read: I didn't study) and, as a result, I didn't realize my potential on the MCAT. Flash forward two years. I'm preparing to re-take for application in 2013 and I'll have studied for at least three months before I sit for the exam again. You have to weigh the odds of performing well on the exam with rushed preparation against your patience for medical school admission. Personally, I wish I had taken the time to study up and done it right the first time.

yeah ideally i wish I would have finished all pre-reqs at the end of sophomore year, studied all summer and taken it in August of my junior year, oh how things would be so much more less stressful 😎

 

[gettheleadout]

If you have a compelling reason to take a gap year (i.e. you have something meaningful you could do during) and you want to go that route then taking the MCAT at the end of the summer after your junior year would be ideal. You will have totally finished both semesters of physics, rather than studying for an early summer MCAT during part of your Physics II semester in the Spring. In this situation, you would have all summer to prep for the MCAT essentially full-time if needed, and your senior year semesters would be free from MCAT studying obligations.

If you'd rather avoid a gap year, your best bet for an MCAT prior to a Summer 2013 application would be in the early summer/late spring, around April/May. This would entail MCAT studying during your Physics II course in the Spring.

 

[yankee4life]

Well for current freshmen/rising sophomores (depending on if you're still in school or not), taking the MCAT during junior year would be better, assuming you want to avoid the new 2015 version.

 

[btown8908]

I'm starting my Junior year and have completed all pre-med requirements aside from physics.

What are the Pros/Cons of taking the MCAT Junior or Senior year?

From what I've read, people do much better on the MCAT when they have taken upper divsion courses(Biochem, genetics, cell biology..ect) and have an easier last quarter/semester.

I dont mind taking a year off after to better my odds no rush

Pro: You're by now pretty committed plus you may have taken more upper level courses (which in theory could help).
Con: If you do poorly you may freak out that the world is coming to an end and that you'll never get into med school?

 

[Big N Tasty]

I just completed my sophomore year and have also taken all prereqs except for physics. I've already self taught the phys material though and after taking my university's old exams (they're posted on the course website) I've been scoring high 90's so I'm comfortable enough with it. I'm also a math minor, so that helped in understanding the concepts 😛

Anyway, I'm taking the MCAT September 1st and am already 2 or 3 weeks in to my studying. Hopefully all will go well and I can overcome this hurdle to focus more on my EC's and even just things I enjoy during my junior year. 😀

IMHO OP, I guess it all comes down to when you personally feel ready for it. Whenever that may be, good luck!