MCAT studying

[elitehacker1337]

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Hello,
I'm asking for a friend; is it advisable for someone to START studying for the MCAT after graduation? Ideally the person claims that he wants to spend 6-7 months preparing as he isn't good at standardized tests and wants to leave no room for error. Therefore he would graduate Spring 2019 and apply for professional school for fall 2021.

 

[efle]

That's overkill. Devoting a single summer to MCAT prep should be plenty.

 

[gyngyn]

That's overkill.

Agreed. Unless it includes the primary acquisition of content.

 

[elitehacker1337]

Agreed. Unless it includes the primary acquisition of content.

Not primary acquisition. My friend will have majored in microbiology which includes all relevant upper division classes and the prereqs. All classes will be intensely studied for at the time of taking e.g. during semester, so the MCAT prep will be mostly covering all bases and mastering material in order to feel confident and ready. He doesn't really do well with standardized tests such as SAT/ACT and manages to score merely 70-80th percentile on ACS chemistry exams

 

[gyngyn]

Not primary acquisition. My friend will have majored in microbiology which includes all relevant upper division classes and the prereqs. All classes will be intensely studied for at the time of taking e.g. during semester, so the MCAT prep will be mostly covering all bases and mastering material in order to feel confident and ready. He doesn't really do well with standardized tests such as SAT/ACT and manages to score merely 70-80th percentile on ACS chemistry exams

Then, 7 months will benefit him naught.

 

[efle]

Not primary acquisition. My friend will have majored in microbiology which includes all relevant upper division classes and the prereqs. All classes will be intensely studied for at the time of taking e.g. during semester, so the MCAT prep will be mostly covering all bases and mastering material in order to feel confident and ready. He doesn't really do well with standardized tests such as SAT/ACT and manages to score merely 70-80th percentile on ACS chemistry exams

7 months of content review/memorizing isn't going to make him a better test taker. He should be able to review everything and exhaust a full set of practice exams in just 2-3 months of prep. If he's not ready to test after a few hundred hours of review and practice, he will probably never be.

 

[elitehacker1337]

Thanks guys. I have advised him to spend the summer (~3 months) before Senior year to study for the MCAT while gaining ECs. I ended up with 2 gap years, so I think he would end up with 1 gap year and apply for fall 2020. Is this correct?

 

[efle]

He would be submitting an app in Summer 2019, right after he graduates, and would have to find work for the year-long cycle before starting med school around August 2020!

 

[whathappened1]

3-4 months is ideal... anything above is overkill

 

[AdaptPrep]

Hello,
I'm asking for a friend; is it advisable for someone to START studying for the MCAT after graduation? Ideally the person claims that he wants to spend 6-7 months preparing as he isn't good at standardized tests and wants to leave no room for error. Therefore he would graduate Spring 2019 and apply for professional school for fall 2021.

On average people who score above 500 on the MCAT put in 200-300 hours of studying. However there is always the age old saying, "Quantity is not the same as quality." Be smart about creating a study plan, assessing your progress, adjusting your methods if need, and keep after it! Good luck to your friend!