MCAT Preperation while not in school

[tensazangetsu2]

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Hey guys, apologies in advance if this question has come up. I know how annoying it is that threads are often repeated. Anyways, just finished my sophomore year as a comp-sci major at , I'm taking a year off for financial reasons. I recently became interested in medicine, years ago I installed computers for a recent graduate who just finished residency opening his own practice, he had loans so I agreed to volunteer. One thing led to another and now, I enjoy what I do there, and I know medicine is for me. Now, during my year off, I was hoping to prepare for the MCAT. I took Bio and Chem so far, haven't done Physics or orgo. Any way for someone to prepare for the mcat and take it without the prereqs? Any resources available are welcome.

 

[db4277]

https://www.khanacademy.org/ has some really great free resources.

 

[GreatApalachee]

I can only speak from personal experience, but my exam had a full orgo passage requiring some pretty deep analysis of a mechanism and it stumped many of those who took it with me. It was tough material and took the kind of quick problem solving that you can only get from taking the course. You can expect 25% of your biological sciences section to be orgo. Little more, little less, depending on the exam.

About 50% of your physical sciences section will be pure physics. The thing is, there can be a lot of crossover between physics and gen chem in some areas, and the MCAT is interdisciplinary by nature. Sometimes problems don't fit neatly into a particular subject, and knowledge in all of it often paints a much clearer picture of the problem.

Take the courses first. They're required anyway. It's much better to have a score that represents a good shot than having to worry about a retake. Again, from personal experience: when you get to score release day, the last thing you will want after all that stress, worry, and studying will be to face reliving it all again.

 

[costales]

Theoretically it's possible using your local library. The thing is, most librarians don't know much about physics or orgo and they won't be able to answer questions if you're stuck.

 

[doreegon]

There are many prep courses with material available, and if you're well off then you can purchase ExamKrackers or Kaplan (if you're not well off then check craigslist or torrent sites). I personally thought examkrackers was a tad better than Kaplan. I also used the qbank at M Prep as well. I also used the Gold Standard video series to brush up on concepts that I was weak in. Khan academy does have some good video lectures, but you'll want to supplement them with actual coursework and problems to retain the information.

MCAT resources are good for brush-ups but I'm not convinced that they are a good substitute for the classes themselves. It depends on the student, but you're going to have to take Orgo and Physics anyways to meet the requirements of most schools, so why not just take them in community college before you take the MCAT?