MCAT studying while working FT

[JGChiO11]

Hi everyone, I currently work 40-50 hours a week at a hospital. As you all know, hospitals never close so we have to work rotating schedules every week - ie. every other weekend and day/evening shifts.

I work 2- 12 hour shifts and 2-8 hour shifts a week and some weeks I work overtime. If I don't work overtime, I have 3 days off/week. I usually volunteer at a hospice home or do some shadowing on my days off.

I don't plan on applying to med school until June 2014 but I am really worried about having time to study for the MCAT. If I'm lucky, I could study maybe 2 days a week. Is that enough?? I think I want to take the MCAT in January but I'm not even sure when a good time would be to take it.

I plan on getting the EK 1001 and 101 for verbal and TBR for the sciences.

Any suggestions or words of encouragement? Unfortunately with my financial situation, I need to work full-time AND overtime when I can... hoping it will all pay off soon enough when I rock the MCAT and become a doctor!!

Thank you all!! Love seeing all the help and encouragement on this forum!

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[Elevencents]

Lots of people have taken the MCAT with excessive time obligations. It's all about how you manage your time.

 

[dsoz]

It depends on how much is "review of what you already know" and how much is "I should have learned this before but I only studied enough to pass the test then forgot everything" that you did in your classes.

If you really learned, and retain, most of the material then it won't take much to get you to a place where you will do well on the test.

If all you did was cram, regurgitate and forget, then it will be a loooooong road ahead of you. There will be a lot of late nights. The other alternative is to decrease the number of hours you volunteer. If you don't score verynhighnon the MCAT, it does not matter how many hours you have, your app won't be looked at anyway.

Good luck. May you score your best the first time.

To answer your question, I worked full time as a high school teacher, was taking a 4 credit class, volunteering 6-7 hours a week at a hospital, have a spouse and teenaged children. I still found a couple of hours a night for MCAT prep. It can be done, sleep and personal time suffers.

dsoz

 

[TriagePreMed]

I really don't recommend you do this. I would suggest you take a practice test. See what you score on it. If you score within 5-6 points of your target score, it might be possible to do, but if you're behind 10 points, I say forget it. This test is no joke. I didn't take it as seriously as I should have the first time by working P/T, going to school full time and volunteering. I paid dearly for that mistake. This time I only have a P/T job because I need to pay rent/food, but any other second of my day is to study.

 

[CCRNCSC78]

I work three 12 hour shifts in the hospital. I did the SN2ED 4 month schedule. It was brutal but doable. As others have said it depends on time management and what you know going into it.

 

[faith hopelove]

I work full time too in a hospital and its veryyyyy hard! but it is doable....so far I rescheduled my exam like 3 times already

 

[Captain Sisko]

Hi everyone, I currently work 40-50 hours a week at a hospital. As you all know, hospitals never close so we have to work rotating schedules every week - ie. every other weekend and day/evening shifts.

I work 2- 12 hour shifts and 2-8 hour shifts a week and some weeks I work overtime. If I don't work overtime, I have 3 days off/week. I usually volunteer at a hospice home or do some shadowing on my days off.

I don't plan on applying to med school until June 2014 but I am really worried about having time to study for the MCAT. If I'm lucky, I could study maybe 2 days a week. Is that enough?? I think I want to take the MCAT in January but I'm not even sure when a good time would be to take it.

I plan on getting the EK 1001 and 101 for verbal and TBR for the sciences.

Any suggestions or words of encouragement? Unfortunately with my financial situation, I need to work full-time AND overtime when I can... hoping it will all pay off soon enough when I rock the MCAT and become a doctor!!

Thank you all!! Love seeing all the help and encouragement on this forum!

I studied for a year or so while working full time. Lots of low level, low stress studying for about six months then starting practice exams. I did well but it really depends on the person. I just wrote it up in the 30+ thread if you're interested. Pm me if you have other questions. Good luck!

 

[KMS07]

after being out of school for 7 yrs, i studied for the mcat for 4 months while working full time. i literally did not do much else though during those 4 months and it seemed to be enough for me. you just need some serious dedication and time management to make it work. good luck!

 

[JGChiO11]

Thanks for the input everyone I love volunteering at the hospice home so I'm not giving that up but I did a practice MCAT in college without any studying for a diagnostic purpose and scored a 24. So I'm confident with studying, I can do fairly well.

I am used to all nighters from work and college but I do need time to review and refresh everything... I took gen chem 6 years ago now, ouch!

If anyone else is going through this same situation and wants to have a study buddy or someone to keep them on track, PM me! I hope this thread can encourage someone else in my situation!!

 

[kmp0410]

Well you seem like you do pretty well with managing your time as it is, so if you feel like you can do it then sure.

It seems like it would be difficult with that schedule. I understand working to eat, so I would maybe recommend cutting down temporarily on some of the other EC's, or atleast cutting back. But only you can make that decision.

So maybe pick a tentative date, start studying and see how it goes. If you feel good, then schedule a date and take it. Since your not applying immediately, you could always change your plans depending on how it all goes.

 

[Greedo]

It's definitely doable. I studied for about 2.5 months, ~15-20 hours a week and was prepared in time for the test. That was while working 45-55 hours a week. I did have to give up some extracurriculars though.

 

[adrakdavra]

Thanks for the input everyone I love volunteering at the hospice home so I'm not giving that up but I did a practice MCAT in college without any studying for a diagnostic purpose and scored a 24. So I'm confident with studying, I can do fairly well.

I am used to all nighters from work and college but I do need time to review and refresh everything... I took gen chem 6 years ago now, ouch!

If anyone else is going through this same situation and wants to have a study buddy or someone to keep them on track, PM me! I hope this thread can encourage someone else in my situation!![/QUOTE

1. Can you break down your scored 24??? Phy, Bio, VR
2. What are your scores on G.ch, O.ch , Phy and Bio did you get an B+ or more in each class?
3. How is your VR?
4. what is your long term goal? Top medical schools or any medical school? MD or DO?