MCAT prep before postbacc

[FromENGtoMD]

Good day!

I'm sure this question might have been posed a few times in different ways, but I wanted to get some more opinions.

I'm a mechanical engineer who is thinking of moving over to the medical industry. Over the years, my passion for medicine and helping people has grown stronger, and I think the time is now to finally give up the comfort of my lucrative job for something I really care about.

So you don't get too bored, here is my question:

Would I gain anything from doing MCAT self-study before starting a postbacc?

Some more background:

- I do NOT plan on taking the MCAT before postbacc as I don't have any of the prereqs

- Since I am not that great at standardized testing I wanted to familiarize myself with the content, structure, and strategies for taking the exam.

- My plan is to have these reinforced once I start a postbacc program and an MCAT course, so when the MCAT rolls around it wouldn't be my first time seeing the test.

- I think for me, this might be a good approach. Any comments/suggestions? All are welcome and greatly appreciated.

Cheers

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[DrMidlife]

No, self-study doesn't make sense. If you want to get a basic feel for the MCAT, look for a practice test. You can try the CARS section now, presumably, to assess your non-science readiness.

If you don't have experience in a clinical setting yet, get some of that before you dive in. Find out if being at the bottom of the hierarchy in a safety net facility with all its smells and frustrations is something you can tolerate, because that's where you'll spend most of your time for years and years.

Best of luck to you.

 

[FromENGtoMD]

No, self-study doesn't make sense. If you want to get a basic feel for the MCAT, look for a practice test. You can try the CARS section now, presumably, to assess your non-science readiness.

If you don't have experience in a clinical setting yet, get some of that before you dive in. Find out if being at the bottom of the hierarchy in a safety net facility with all its smells and frustrations is something you can tolerate, because that's where you'll spend most of your time for years and years.

Best of luck to you.

DrMidlife,

Thank you much for taking the time to respond. The only MCAT prep book I have is actually for the CARS. I do spend a little time on Khan Academy as well. I do intend on taking a stab at a some practice tests, but with a lot of focus for now on CARS. I have been talking with a doctor friend who will allow me some shadowing experience, and I've also signed up to work in the ER as a volunteer at a local hospital. While in the postbac I will have the opportunity to get more clinical, and possibly research experience. Inspired by your story. Thanks again!

 

[Spriteling]

This is my personal experience, and not something I necessarily recommend:

I took the MCAT before taking many of the prerequisites. I hadn't taken orgo 1 or 2, bio 1 or 2, and chem 1 or 2. On one hand, I did have knowledge of chem and orgo from classes I took in high school. In the end, I self-studied everything using prep books and online resources. I ended up with a pretty good score (34). To do it, you definitely need a lot of self-discipline. Since you don't plan on taking the MCAT until you've taken the prereqs, I'm not sure there is much point in pre-studying, unless you just want to find your weak areas in advance.