MCAT while working/studying

[hawashs]

Hello-- I had initially intended on studying for the MCAT during the summer when I didn't have as much going on (and taking in Sep.) I unfortunately wasn't able to make that happen and now I need to start from scratch. My Kaplan course expires in Nov. 8th but I also work/study/have 1,000 other things going on. My new plan is to dedicate my Sat/Sun's for MCAT plus my winter break so that [in theory] I'll be ready for January. I'm having trouble with motivation/time management though, and I was wondering if anyone had any thoughts/advice on how to deal with that?

---

Members don't see this ad.

 

[TwoHighways]

Take a practice full length to see where you stand. If you do worse than you expected and it doesn’t light a fire under your ass, consider another profession. Or take a gap year if you simply can’t handle prepping for the MCAT while taking a full course load.

 

[Cornfed101]

I agree with @google12 you need to prioritize this. Drop 950 of your 1000 responsibilities. I worked full time, went to school part time, volunteered, spent time with my kids, and still found time to study 20 hours a week. You can’t just cram it all in on the weekends and expect to do well. That’s not the optimal way to learn.

Its like if I said I’m going to get into shape, but I only have time to go to the gym on the weekends. I’ll work out 10 hours on Saturday and 10 on Sunday to make up for the other days. It doesn’t work like this.

 

[I'mJustCurious]

Ideally, you want to take the MCAT once. If you are set on taking it in January then I would simplify the load and keep things simple. If you can't, then prepare to take it in the summer or in your gap year. In terms of motivation.. I would suggest setting a routine because it will get you farther.

 

[Blueprint Med School]

Life is tough. Life is busy. I certainly understand that and every one of us live that.

The best bet is to get organized and then put all of your competing priorities and interests on a spreadsheet. Rank them in terms of importance and time commitment and then see what you can cut. Get trusted friends and family involved, they can help here.

The worst thing you could do is try to squeeze yourself thin over a long period of time. Only leads to burnout, depression, etc. If you need to push back timelines in order to make yourself whole and happy, do it and do it without a thought.

Hope this helps

David D, MD - USMLE and MCAT Tutor
Med School Tutors

 

[anniekat2025]

I studied for the MCAT while working full time. I managed to study ~20 hours a week for 12 weeks, and then I took 4 weeks for the last month before my test. During this time period I did ~30 hours/week. For me this was adequate and I'm very happy with my score. However, in order to get to that score I needed to cut back on a lot of other areas of responsibility. I cut back on volunteering. I didn't socialize as much. Personally, I did 2-3 hours a day Monday through Thursday and 5-6 hours Saturday and Sunday. I took Fridays off. (TAKING TIME OFF IS KEY.)

Doing well on the MCAT will require sacrifice. You might have to cut some things you love to do out of your schedule in order to study enough, but remember, this is only temporary. When your MCAT is complete, you can go back to your old lifestyle.