I have written extensively about how I prepared for the MCAT. Perhaps you'll find it useful.
First off, "WOW" to your blog. That is really well written and one of the most thorough breakdowns of the MCAT preparation experience. Great job MDO!
anyone have success studying for the MCAT without taking a class? I kind of feel like I should be able to do well on the MCAT without a class but if it will help me do better I'm going to take it.
As to whether a prep course is necessary, the answer is the same as it is with any other question of how to prepare for an event. Should you sign up for a running group to prepare for a 10K? For some the answer is yes, because they need the motivation and more so the immersion into an environment aimed at preparing for their event. For others, a running group can stymie their growth, not use their time efficiently (waste time commuting for instance), and actually lessen their self-motivation.
No matter what, you need to do the training, but whether you need a group (or in the case of the MCAT, a class) is an individual question. I've seen people take our class that would have been better suited to have studied on their own. They knew their material really well, and the pace of the class slowed them down. About the only utility they got that they couldn't have gotten by simply buying the books was the office hours and some test tricks. I've also seen people that without our class would have floundered and bombed, because they would have never learned to think about the exam the
right way. They needed the structure and the insights of the lectures. So the best answer to your quesion is "maybe."
Only
you truly know what
you need. Everyone is different, so there is no universal answer. Try sitting in on a class and see what you think. Choose the absolute hardest topic for you, so you can get the best possible assessment of how the teacher will help you during the time you spend in class. After that, you'll have a better answer.