MCAT without Physics

[tchuptchik]

I'm planning for this next summer (between soph and junior years) and because of study abroad plans, It would be very advantageous for me to take this year's August MCAT. Originally, I had planned to take Physics over the summer at the same time as MCAT prep but realized that the course shedule would not allow me to work as much as I would like to in a lab where I have a job.

Does anyone know of someone who was able to prep and take the MCAT (successfully) without having taken the full physics course? I did some phys. in highschool and have a good background in math... and as I understand it, it's mostly equasions.

Is this insane or do you think it could work?

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[McGillGrad]

You would be shooting yourself in the foot. It is ~50% of the PS section.

 

[DiverDoc]

I'm planning for this next summer (between soph and junior years) and because of study abroad plans, It would be very advantageous for me to take this year's August MCAT. Originally, I had planned to take Physics over the summer at the same time as MCAT prep but realized that the course shedule would not allow me to work as much as I would like to in a lab where I have a job.

Does anyone know of someone who was able to prep and take the MCAT (successfully) without having taken the full physics course? I did some phys. in highschool and have a good background in math... and as I understand it, it's mostly equasions.

Is this insane or do you think it could work?

I agree that you definitly wouldnt be doing yourself a favor. Take a practice PS section from AAMC and you will quickly realize that it is needed.. Patience is a virtue for you in this case.

 

[shantster]

I agree that you definitly wouldnt be doing yourself a favor. Take a practice PS section from AAMC and you will quickly realize that it is needed.. Patience is a virtue for you in this case.

Or look at the topic list on the AAMC website to get an idea of what you need to know. Unless you took AP Physics in high school, I don't think there's any way that you covered all those topics.

 

[KeyLime]

A good friend of mine took the MCAT for the first time without having any college physics. He tried to teach himself. He had a high gpa, and was a smart guy. Anyway, he bombed the PS section, and ended up taking the MCAT two more times before he finally got into med school. If it takes you an extra year to finish classes, it is better than bombing the MCAT.
However, if you really think that you can teach the materail to yourself, I agree with the poster above who suggested to take a practice test to see where you stand.
Good luck!

 

[DoctorAck]

Don't be discouraged by people telling you how difficult this is going to be, obviously you understand it will be difficult, which means you must be willing to work hard. I, personally, did the same thing that you are going to do,---that is, take the MCAT my summer between my sophomore and junior year, without having any physics yet. At the time of the test, I had never taken any physics before, even in high school. I spent the bulk of my summer (probably too much of my summer) teaching physics to myself, and I pulled off a 10 in the PS. Im now a junior and i'm in my second semester of General Physics, and I plan to take the April MCAT in hopes of raising this score... good luck,... and remember, with enough hard work-- you CAN do it.

 

[QofQuimica]

Don't be discouraged by people telling you how difficult this is going to be, obviously you understand it will be difficult, which means you must be willing to work hard. I, personally, did the same thing that you are going to do,---that is, take the MCAT my summer between my sophomore and junior year, without having any physics yet. At the time of the test, I had never taken any physics before, even in high school. I spent the bulk of my summer (probably too much of my summer) teaching physics to myself, and I pulled off a 10 in the PS. Im now a junior and i'm in my second semester of General Physics, and I plan to take the April MCAT in hopes of raising this score... good luck,... and remember, with enough hard work-- you CAN do it.

You know, considering that you are re-taking the MCAT to raise your own score, you might not want to use yourself as a "successful" anecdotal example to encourage someone else to take the test without proper preparation for it. 🙄

OP, it's not a good idea to take the MCAT without taking physics. Sure, there may be a handful of people who manage it and do "all right," but odds are, you aren't going to be one of them. Statistically, the vast majority of people will not do well on the MCAT without taking all four pre-requisite courses beforehand. It is a curved test, and you will be competing against people who have not only taken college physics but have also studied their butts off in a test prep course besides. Why would you want to put yourself at such a huge disadvantage that will in all likelihood prevent you from scoring the best that you are capable of doing? I agree with the posters who suggested that you wait until 2007 to take it if your schedule won't allow you to take physics before the 2006 exams. Depending on where you are going abroad, you may actually be able to take the MCAT while you're there; they do administer it in some other countries. You may want to consider that option if it's available to you and if you don't think you'll be in the US for the test during 2007.

 

[tchuptchik]

The idea of spending so much time studying for the MCAT during my semester in Australia (easy to find MCAT there) sounds very depressing... I'd rather study all the time at home/ the lab over the summer than give up enjoying the land down under.

The way things will work with my major (first semester next year is full without physics included) it's either take it (the MCAT) this summer... or forcing myself into taking a year off- not a bad thing at all but I would really like the option of matriculating fall after I graduate if I felt so inclined.

 

[pslee]

Well, i think if you have some math background, you could still pull off a soild 10 or 11. Just get those prep books ready in your free time. I am also going for mcat this August without taking orgo. We will see how it goes.

 

[QofQuimica]

Well, i think if you have some math background, you could still pull off a soild 10 or 11. Just get those prep books ready in your free time. I am also going for mcat this August without taking orgo. We will see how it goes.

Well, I hope that works out for you. If so, congrats; you are one of the lucky exceptions. But I have to stress again, taking the MCAT with any missing pre-reqs is a very BAD idea for most students, and will almost always result in the student re-taking the exam after taking ALL of the pre-reqs like s/he should have done in the first place.

OP, we all have to make sacrifices in life. Your choices are basically these, as far as I can tell:
1) Take the MCAT a year early missing physics, and probably not do as well as you would otherwise, but maybe do well enough to get yourself a passable score in PS. You risk bombing the PS section and having to re-take the exam when you get home anyway, but there is a non-zero albeit small chance that you'll pull it off, especially if you're historically a superior standardized test-taker.
2) Take the MCAT in Australia, and have to spend some of your time there studying for it instead of traveling or partying or whatever else you have planned. You can still go to med school right after you graduate, but you may feel "depressed" while your Aussie friends are out living it up and you're stuck studying.
3) Take the MCAT when you get back and take a glide year. You will be able to properly prepare for the test and still have your fun in Australia, but all of your friends will be starting med school without you. Still, you could spend that year doing something interesting like Teach for America, Rhodes Scholar, research, etc.

You have to decide what your priority is out of these things: the best possible MCAT score you can have, the most carefree trip to Australia you can have, or the fastest entry into med school you can have. Pick any two of those; you can't have all three. And best of to you whatever you decide to do.

 

[pslee]

i will suggest this. If you are really passionate and willing to take the MCAT this year and ace it even without physics, go for it. There is nothing you can't do when you give everything you got. But if you still don't whether you are competent in april or august, take the AAMC practice exams few days before the real MCAT and see where you are. it is totally upon on your decision.

 

[lilzelda]

I took the MCATS without my second semester of physics and I think that hindered my grade alittle. There weren't too many things from first semester on there but I would learn circuits and waves. But you can do, I also went abroad thats y I started the sequence late, would i give up going abroad to take a full year of physics for the MCAT nooooo!!! You can do it just study physics and learn the laws