MCAT without knowledge

[126990]

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today i met with my advisor. he told me to take the mcat when i'm comfortable with all the science material i'll be taught in my 2-yr post-bac. the mcat has stuff on it i won't learn until my 2nd post-bac year. do you recommend taking it before i even finish these courses? or should i finish these basic sciences, including organic chem, and then take the mcat, pushing back my med school application by one year?
thanks.

 

[Scottish Chap]

today i met with my advisor. he told me to take the mcat when i'm comfortable with all the science material i'll be taught in my 2-yr post-bac. the mcat has stuff on it i won't learn until my 2nd post-bac year. do you recommend taking it before i even finish these courses? or should i finish these basic sciences, including organic chem, and then take the mcat, pushing back my med school application by one year?
thanks.

Very bad idea. The MCAT is a reading and interpretation test that requires solid understanding of principles in physics, chemistry, organic chemistry, and biology. I took it with no knowledge of physics and although I gained admission to med school on my first application cycle, I submit to you that it is a massive disadvantage. I would take it when you are best prepared, and that's always after the prerequisite courses and usually also after solid review and exam practice. Medical school is just the start - and 3-6 years residency follows that. One extra year that makes for a stronger application is tiny in comparison. Good luck!

 

[OLYWA]

I agree. The MCAT is quite the grueling test and full of 'trick questions.' Not necessarily tricks...but asked in ways so that you have to completely understand the material to answer correctly. Imagine an extremely complex biochem problem...with 4 correct answers...you have to find the answer they are looking for. Every question is like this...you simply have to know it.

Now that the MCAT is offered so often, there really isn't a good reason to take it early. Wait until you are fully prepared and then take the test.

Please understand...people with bachelor's degress in biochemistry often score in the low 20's on this test. You have to be totally prepared if you plan to do well.

 

[MJB]

I took it before I had taken Physics II or Org. II, and I hadn't had a bio class in nearly 10 years.

I wouldn't recommend it...but I started med school a couple weeks ago whereas I would have just now been applying if I had not taken the MCAT lacking a few classes.

Just thought I'd throw it out there.

As an aside, I do feel like if I had taken all the pre-reqs that it covers in subsequent order leading right up to it, I would have done better...probably a lot better, but there was no way i was going to repeat all those bio classes and chem classes...etc.

 

[Law2Doc]

today i met with my advisor. he told me to take the mcat when i'm comfortable with all the science material i'll be taught in my 2-yr post-bac. the mcat has stuff on it i won't learn until my 2nd post-bac year. do you recommend taking it before i even finish these courses? or should i finish these basic sciences, including organic chem, and then take the mcat, pushing back my med school application by one year?
thanks.

Finish up the prereqs. While some people may take it before they completely finish the latter half of orgo or physics, those courses sometimes do show up heavilly on the MCAT and such people might be leaving precious points on the table. This is not a race and it's always going to be worth burning that extra year if you pick up a few more points on this test. Also you have to study for this test -- you don't just take it based on your postbac. So you want to budget in some concentrated study time, maybe a prep course, and certainly several full length practice tests. Many people find it difficult to do that effectively simultaneously while taking classes.

 

[Empi]

I'm likely taking Physics 1 in the spring. I might be able to take Physics 2 in the summer session, but I was going to take the MCATs in late July, 08.

I was told by med students and docs that Physics 1 will cover the MCAT questions.

 

[Law2Doc]

I was told by med students and docs that Physics 1 will cover the MCAT questions.

Not everyone's MCAT is the same, but I know that the latter half of physics (as well as orgo) was significantly tested on the MCAT I took a few years back. If it's in the prereqs it is fair game. If you don't plan to have taken any of Physics 2, expect to have to self teach yourself pretty significantly. You can end up with an MCAT form with little physics or a lot -- it's just the luck of the draw. I wouldn't bank on seeing none.

 

[QofQuimica]

today i met with my advisor. he told me to take the mcat when i'm comfortable with all the science material i'll be taught in my 2-yr post-bac. the mcat has stuff on it i won't learn until my 2nd post-bac year. do you recommend taking it before i even finish these courses? or should i finish these basic sciences, including organic chem, and then take the mcat, pushing back my med school application by one year?
thanks.

Listen to your advisor about this; s/he is giving you good advice.

 

[QofQuimica]

I'm likely taking Physics 1 in the spring. I might be able to take Physics 2 in the summer session, but I was going to take the MCATs in late July, 08.

I was told by med students and docs that Physics 1 will cover the MCAT questions.

Unless these folks are people who keep up with current trends in the MCAT, their advice isn't worth much. They've never seen every possible MCAT question, and they don't know about what the current test is like. I mean, if you were a HS senior, would you want my advice on studying for the AP calculus test? I did get a five out of five on it. Ok, sure, I took it in 1993 and never saw a single other calc AP test again since. But why should that affect my ability to tell students how to prepare for the spring 2008 AP calc test? Calculus didn't change in the past 15 years....well, probably not, but the tests constantly change. Plus, I have a mind like a steel sieve when it comes to remembering tests I took 15 years ago. You follow me here? 😉

 

[Meatwad]

Go look at a practice test book in your local bookstore, and I think you will have your answer then.

As for the physics questions, I've seen a lot of practice tests that test a lot on electricity, magnetism, circuits, etc. This is all stuff covered in most physics II curricula, I believe.