MCAT vs. OAT

[student2008]

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Hi all, I am preparing for the OAT exam using a whole bunch of MCAT studying materials. I'm interested in hearing from those who have done the same thing and have already taken the OAT, how well did you do? What are the differences between the two tests in terms of depth and breadth and do you think this is an effective studying method as compared to taking a Kaplan OAT course. The reason I am using MCAT stuff is that there just isn't that much OAT prep material out there.

 

[asmaka19]

I haven't taken the OAT test yet but it was suggested to me by people that have taken OAT to get the MCAT course materials (either kaplan or princeton, I got the princeton stuff) to reference information or to learn concepts that you're weak on because the OAT stuff that's out is pretty much just a whole bunch of practice questions with answers, as you know!

In comparison to the MCAT, I've taken the MCAT and did well and when I took the practice OAT in the kaplan book I made above average on all of the sections the first time and that's before i started actually preparing for the OAT. My friend who has taken both the MCAT and OAT said the OAT is alot more straightforward and simpler in terms of questions and if the sample test is representative of the real thing that's definately the truth!

 

[BYUIDoctor]

asmaka....

if you did well on the MCAT why are you not going to medical school?
just curious.

 

[asmaka19]

asmaka....

if you did well on the MCAT why are you not going to medical school?
just curious.

Well the answer to your question is really long but I'll give you a shortened version. I applied to MD school 3 years ago as a junior in college with a good mcat but a low GPA (3.2ish) and didn't get any interviews (had a whole bunch of typical extracurrics). I did a masters to bring up my GPA but by the time I finished (this past may) I just lost my enthusiasm for wanting to be an MD mainly because it's not the lifestyle I want for myself-especially after seeing the struggles of some of my MD female cousins. I don't want to make the sacrifices they're making.

I met someone who just graduated from opto school and she encouraged me to look into optometry schools because I still would like to be a some sort of clinician, after doing some research and talking to advisors and shadowing optometrists I decided that becoming an optometrist is going to be really ideal for me.

 

[luckyfool]

Well the answer to your question is really long but I'll give you a shortened version. I applied to MD school 3 years ago as a junior in college with a good mcat but a low GPA (3.2ish) and didn't get any interviews (had a whole bunch of typical extracurrics). I did a masters to bring up my GPA but by the time I finished (this past may) I just lost my enthusiasm for wanting to be an MD mainly because it's not the lifestyle I want for myself-especially after seeing the struggles of some of my MD female cousins. I don't want to make the sacrifices they're making.

I met someone who just graduated from opto school and she encouraged me to look into optometry schools because I still would like to be a some sort of clinician, after doing some research and talking to advisors and shadowing optometrists I decided that becoming an optometrist is going to be really ideal for me.

after shadowing both MDs and ODs, i think a doctor's lifestyle is what they make of it. you can see less patients per day as a MD and no one requires you to meet certain quota of patients per day.

 

[still_confused]

i used mcat material study material and took the mcat and the oat. mcat is WAY harder(longer, trickier, more thinking involved!!!), but using mcat material to study for the oat is fine, the questions are different but the underlying material is the same (chem is chem and bio is bio). Just make sure you do a couple of practice oat tests, and brush up on some math.

a even better idea is to use DAT materials since those are exactly the same with the exception we dont have that weird 3D questions

i didnt take the oat seriously at all and did way worst on the oat then the mcat. DONT BE LIKE ME!

good luck

 

[asmaka19]

after shadowing both MDs and ODs, i think a doctor's lifestyle is what they make of it. you can see less patients per day as a MD and no one requires you to meet certain quota of patients per day.

In the long run that's true but the MD has a longer and tougher road before they attain some autonomy, I've also shadowed MDs. Besides that, it's not just the lifestyle, like I said that's the shortened explanation but that was where I started having doubts and later knew it's not for me. When I started looking into optometry the more I knew the more I felt this is what I was meant to do

 

[superjas]

I wrote the oat last fall using kaplan MCAT books and I did pretty well (TS 400, AA 360). Just be sure to go to the opted website and make sure you study all of the topics they have listed there. I know the kaplan MCAT books don't cover absolutely everything you need to know, espeacially the Biology section.

I also used Barrons Math for the SAT for QR, and I thought that worked really really well. It prepares you well for the questions you'll encounter on the OAT. Actually, I thought this book was harder than the actual OAT.

 

[student2008]

thanks everyone for your input. I have looked at both the mcat and the dat books and it looks like both will be useful (mcat for orgo, physics and pchem; dat for math, verbal and bio).

i also looked into medical school, but don't think i want to spend the next 5-7 years laboring so hard. I know you get out what you put into, but i think i'm content with lower income/prestige but less work and years in school. it is ultimately just a personal choice.