MS1 how hard it really is?

[073116]

Ok, we are all here mature folks - non-trads - compared to usual 24y.o. applicant going straight from undergrads to med.school. So we have passed that stage when we believe to rumors and scary stories about MCAT. It turns out it wasn't that difficult or hard, but people at MCAT forum are crying out loud and licking their snots and complaining about it all over. I kinda new it wasn't the case, but I guess not only me knew about it, majority of us did - we are too old, experienced etc. to fall for that crap rumors.
Ok, now somebody tell me the truth from non-trad perspective which I consider more real, more close to what it really is, how is MS1 in terms of toughness? Currently I think that material itself is not at all hard, it's just amount of it is a bit of a concern, but nothing 5-8hours of study everyday can't solve - even if I'm just an average Joe in terms of smartness. Am I right? Or should I believe in scary stories "Oh, the horror!" that traditional young (and inexperienced) applicants like to tell to incoming brethren? I think I can handle the truth - so somebody cut it straight for us please? Thank you

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[Kera]

I am a rising M2. I think it depends entirely on your background.

There are non-trads in my class that are struggling MIGHTILY because they don't have as strong science backgrounds. A non-trad friend of mine studied constantly, and she failed the year. There are also non-trads who are at the top of the class.

Are you an incoming M1?

 

[Mad Jack]

It's hard, but you adjust. The first semester was extremely difficult for me to deal with as a nontrad, because working hard at a job and memorizing material from seven different subjects at a time is very different. Your brain adapts, but there were entire weeks where I regretted my decision to go to medical school. Anatomy was a struggle for me due to the depth our particular curriculum taught to, and doing fill-in-the-blank anatomy practicals after a lifetime of multiple choice tests was much harder than I anticipated.

MS1 was extremely difficult. MS2 was pretty chill (most curriculums are the opposite). The boards are a nightmare though- that cannot be overstated. With hard work, most people will pass, but you will work harder than you ever have in your life to prepare for them.

 

[sp4k]

I am a rising M2. I think it depends entirely on your background.

There are non-trads in my class that are struggling MIGHTILY because they don't have as strong science backgrounds. A non-trad friend of mine studied constantly, and she failed the year. There are also non-trads who are at the top of the class.

Are you an incoming M1?

I'm not a medical student, but basically it's this ^^^. There's some good evidence showing age related decline in cognitive skills and brain plasticity, so your performance will in some degree depend on prior knowledge, how well you obtain new knowledge, and how well you adapt.

 

[futuremdforme]

A strong science background helps but so do your memorization skills, study habits, etc. I didn't retake any science classes since graduating undergrad eons ago. I studied a lot, but I also did very well. The material is not hard, it is just plentiful. I have lots of friends with PhDs - what they do is definitely harder cognitively, but MS1 is harder in terms of work ethic and discipline, if that makes sense.

 

[Goro]

Drinking from a fire hose while running after the fire truck is an apt descriptor.

Ok, we are all here mature folks - non-trads - compared to usual 24y.o. applicant going straight from undergrads to med.school. So we have passed that stage when we believe to rumors and scary stories about MCAT. It turns out it wasn't that difficult or hard, but people at MCAT forum are crying out loud and licking their snots and complaining about it all over. I kinda new it wasn't the case, but I guess not only me knew about it, majority of us did - we are too old, experienced etc. to fall for that crap rumors.
Ok, now somebody tell me the truth from non-trad perspective which I consider more real, more close to what it really is, how is MS1 in terms of toughness? Currently I think that material itself is not at all hard, it's just amount of it is a bit of a concern, but nothing 5-8hours of study everyday can't solve - even if I'm just an average Joe in terms of smartness. Am I right? Or should I believe in scary stories "Oh, the horror!" that traditional young (and inexperienced) applicants like to tell to incoming brethren? I think I can handle the truth - so somebody cut it straight for us please? Thank you

 

[Kera]

Drinking from a fire hose while running after the fire truck is an apt descriptor.

I've also heard looking both ways before you cross the street and then being hit by an airplane 🙂

 

[QofQuimica]

Ok, we are all here mature folks - non-trads - compared to usual 24y.o. applicant going straight from undergrads to med.school. So we have passed that stage when we believe to rumors and scary stories about MCAT. It turns out it wasn't that difficult or hard, but people at MCAT forum are crying out loud and licking their snots and complaining about it all over. I kinda new it wasn't the case, but I guess not only me knew about it, majority of us did - we are too old, experienced etc. to fall for that crap rumors.
Ok, now somebody tell me the truth from non-trad perspective which I consider more real, more close to what it really is, how is MS1 in terms of toughness? Currently I think that material itself is not at all hard, it's just amount of it is a bit of a concern, but nothing 5-8hours of study everyday can't solve - even if I'm just an average Joe in terms of smartness. Am I right? Or should I believe in scary stories "Oh, the horror!" that traditional young (and inexperienced) applicants like to tell to incoming brethren? I think I can handle the truth - so somebody cut it straight for us please? Thank you

Cutting it straight: don't be cocky. You are basically going to be taking the equivalent of about 30 credit hours of science classes per semester, with classmates who are much smarter and better prepared than the ones you did prereqs with. They are all accustomed to being "A" students just like you are, and it's a hard pill to swallow, but half the people in your class are going to be in the bottom half of the class. Maybe including you, no matter how hard you work. None of what you you learn in med school is intellectually difficult, but it comes at you hard and fast in a massive volume. Some people (of all ages) have to bust butt just to barely pass. Others can glide through more easily. It helps if you're a strong memorizer and/or have a photographic memory, but even if you don't, you can overcome that "deficiency" with a strong enough work ethic. You won't know where you shake out relative to your classmates until after your first couple of tests. But I suggest you go in there prepared to work harder than you ever have in any classes before. You can always dial back if you find that your grades are too high. :-/

 

[Ad2b]

Ok, we are all here mature folks - non-trads - compared to usual 24y.o. applicant going straight from undergrads to med.school. So we have passed that stage when we believe to rumors and scary stories about MCAT. It turns out it wasn't that difficult or hard, but people at MCAT forum are crying out loud and licking their snots and complaining about it all over. I kinda new it wasn't the case, but I guess not only me knew about it, majority of us did - we are too old, experienced etc. to fall for that crap rumors

So, a couple of points:

1) Not sure when you took your MCAT but I've looked at the old one, and you're right, it's pretty straightforward. The new one? Ever loving for the love of God, who the hell put someone at the AAMC in charge of creating this beast? It's a @#$-fest and yes, it's hard as hell. So, please take your condescending attitude back a little bit, okay? You're going to be in school with people who just slogged through that thing. Possibly even me (should I be so lucky)

2) Please dial back your condescension toward your younger peers. THEY are mature adults as well. IF they were not, no medical school would admit them. Yes, there are a few who slide through but largely, the med students that I have seen and know - length of life or not - are pretty awesome people not prone to drama.

As for being too old, I suspect you're far younger than I am. So please, see #2 again. I expect to be treated fairly and expect my younger peers to be treated likewise. With respect. Your post above indicated a lack of this.

Good luck to you!

 

[ChE04]

2) Please dial back your condescension toward your younger peers. THEY are mature adults as well. IF they were not, no medical school would admit them. Yes, there are a few who slide through but largely, the med students that I have seen and know - length of life or not - are pretty awesome people not prone to drama.

Agree with this. Don't discount your younger peers' experiences or their opinions just because they haven't been on this planet as long as you have. I can't say that my nontrad background gave me any academic advantage over my peers whatsoever.

To answer the OP's question, medical school is probably harder than what it sounds like you think it will be, but not as hard as what it sounds like people are telling you. You should still be able to carry on a life outside of it (most of the time) if you do it right, but there will be times when you throw up your hands and think "how the hell do they expect me to learn all of this by Friday!" It's just a lot of information that comes at you fast, as others have said.

 

[073116]

Thank you everyone! I learned from you that it's better to expect tough times and to be ready, than underestimate it and then struggle. (About my cocky post 🙂 I just want to clarify, I only meant exaggeration that is common among younger applicants, never intended to imply anything else).

Just couple of things I see differently:
1. sp4k - I agree that there is some decline in cognitive skills and plasticity of brain, but question remains by how much? 3%? I mean will that gradual decline limit in any way ability to successfully study, retain info and process cognitive skills? I highly doubt it. I have examples of 50-60y.o persons who are at their max top in terms of cognitive skills, plasticity etc. I know 80y.o. professors who still actively participate in not only teaching, but actually moving science forward and doing it better than their younger peers. I myself believe that brain is probably the only muscle that can function and even improve abilities until the very end.
2. Ad2b - I passed new MCAT and I think it is easier than old one as it has a whole section of "fiction reading" - PS - which is blatantly easy - all I did was memorized 1 .doc file full of terms with short explanations and examples (lots of pages tho). Physics section is easier in terms that now you don't even have to know and quickly process in your head formulas and solve problems - they dropped physics section to a new "easy" levels. They added Biochem - probably the only thing harder than old test. So IMHO MCAT is not a beast. I'm hearing Step 1 is a beast (after reviewing briefly it's content I tend to agree that Step 1 is more closer to beast than MCAT). YMMV

 

[Shotapp]

2. Ad2b - I passed new MCAT and I think it is easier than old one as it has a whole section of "fiction reading" - PS - which is blatantly easy - all I did was memorized 1 .doc file full of terms with short explanations and examples (lots of pages tho). Physics section is easier in terms that now you don't even have to know and quickly process in your head formulas and solve problems - they dropped physics section to a new "easy" levels. They added Biochem - probably the only thing harder than old test. So IMHO MCAT is not a beast. I'm hearing Step 1 is a beast (after reviewing briefly it's content I tend to agree that Step 1 is more closer to beast than MCAT). YMMV

hurbis meter is off the charts dude...

 

[Kera]

Well, since the MCAT and studying are so easy for you, I can only assume you have a 4.0 and a 45-equivalent (whatever that is these days) and are starting at Harvard Med in a few weeks, right? 😉

Since you didn't seem to understand, part of the cockiness of your post was you talking about how easy the MCAT is. A lot of people here struggle with the MCAT, and you are saying it has sections that are "blatantly easy", use phrases like "all I did was memorize...", and talk about how they "dropped" sections to "new easy levels." Everyone struggles with something. One friend had such a low MCAT after several retakes she barely made it into med school, and she just blew Step 1 out of the water. It sounds like you got a perfect score on your MCAT since it was so easy for you, but I guarantee you'll struggle with something in med school. Think of how it might make you feel when you are having a really hard time with a class and someone tells you how "blatantly easy" that class actually is and how they've "dropped it to new easy levels." That's what people are talking about.

 

[073116]

Ok, I'll just shut up

P.S. My MCAT was only 30 (509), but on the first try and I know I'm average, I know I was accepted to only 1 school, I know there are lots of people smarter and more knowledgeable than me. Thus why I asked about MS1. I just think, from my point of view, that MCAT wasn't as hard as folks at MCAT forum say. They tend to say it's way harder than it really is. I noticed same thing goes for MS1 - folks are scaring incoming MS1 students and I was trying to understand how hard it really is. That's all.
P.P.S. Remember OrgoChem exams? Everyone said they were hell. Now we all laugh about it.

 

[073116]

Well, since the MCAT and studying are so easy for you, I can only assume you have a 4.0 and a 45-equivalent (whatever that is these days) and are starting at Harvard Med in a few weeks, right? 😉

Since you didn't seem to understand, part of the cockiness of your post was you talking about how easy the MCAT is. A lot of people here struggle with the MCAT, and you are saying it has sections that are "blatantly easy", use phrases like "all I did was memorize...", and talk about how they "dropped" sections to "new easy levels." Everyone struggles with something. One friend had such a low MCAT after several retakes she barely made it into med school, and she just blew Step 1 out of the water. It sounds like you got a perfect score on your MCAT since it was so easy for you, but I guarantee you'll struggle with something in med school. Think of how it might make you feel when you are having a really hard time with a class and someone tells you how "blatantly easy" that class actually is and how they've "dropped it to new easy levels." That's what people are talking about.

Have you listened to old Examcrackers? Remember how they teach you to solve physics problem quickly in your mind using 1-2 formulas? This was hard. New MCAT has very little of it now. This is why I said they made it easy on Physics. PS section is mostly knowledge of terms. I'm not the only one who says it's not the hardest section. I don't want to go into details and derail the thread, but my point was that on average majorit yof applicants study for MCAT for 3-4months and pass it on first go. Do we really have to talk about MCAT more than this?

 

[Kera]

Wait...have you actually taken the MCAT yet? There is no "pass," so your statement that the majority of applicants "pass it on the first go" has no meaning. And the majority of medical students pass Step 1 on the first go too, so does that make Step 1 easy?

I don't mean to argue, so I won't be responding to any more nitty gritty of MCAT difficulty levels. But please reflect on the tone of what you're saying. What everyone is telling you here is that different things are hard for different people, from the MCAT to med school classes to Step 1. You're coming across as dismissive to those for whom the MCAT was a challenge.

Edit:

Remember how they teach you to solve physics problem quickly in your mind using 1-2 formulas? This was hard.

I don't want to beat a dead horse but this example was too clear to pass up: Personally, I found this to be really easy. Apparently, you found it to be hard. I'm sure you find things to be easy that I find to be hard. (I feel like I'm a kindergarten teacher: Everyone's different, but everyone's special! 😉 )

Edit 2:
You just posted your scores, and I'm sorry, but to say the MCAT was "blatantly easy" when you got a 30...

I think maybe you just mean to say that the MCAT wasn't the scary beast you thought it was going to be. This is a much better way of phrasing it, mmkay?

 

[073116]

Wait...have you actually taken the MCAT yet? There is no "pass," so your statement that the majority of applicants "pass it on the first go" has no meaning. And the majority of medical students pass Step 1 on the first go too, so does that make Step 1 easy?

I don't mean to argue, so I won't be responding to any more nitty gritty of MCAT difficulty levels. But please reflect on the tone of what you're saying. What everyone is telling you here is that different things are hard for different people, from the MCAT to med school classes to Step 1. You're coming across as dismissive to those for whom the MCAT was a challenge.

By Pass I meant the score they get is enough for them to not retake and get into school of their choice. I'm realistic. If you are saying MCAT was a challenge for someone, then they are going to have a difficult MS1 and MS2 time right? Anyway, I only referred to MCAT in the first place as it was my recent experience and was wondering if same "exaggeration" of difficulty is taking place with MS1 horror stories? I never intended to come as a cocky - what's cocky in a average, not smart dude, who barely got 30 on mcat? I think some forum members here exaggerated my cockiness too 🙂

For poor future readers of this derailed thread: here's a summary IMHO about MS1: it's harder than you expect, but easier than most try to make you believe

 

[NWwildcat2013]

Easier than college in many ways. At least for me. I preferred being able to focus on one thing.

 

[073116]

Edit 2:
You just posted your scores, and I'm sorry, but to say the MCAT was "blatantly easy" when you got a 30...

I think maybe you just mean to say that the MCAT wasn't the scary beast you thought it was going to be. This is a much better way of phrasing it, mmkay?

Eh, I never said MCAT was blatantly easy, I said PS section was. Please don't misread my posts. And yes, that is exactly what I said - MCAT wasn't a beast I thought it was going to be - I said it literally without any phrasing. Come on guys, please read the posts if you respond, not try to imagine things, i don't want to be a teacher in kinder-garden correcting verbal reasoning (especially me a non-native speaker)

 

[073116]

Ok, after exchanging some pleasant ideas and successfully derailing the thread - I think we can close this one, unless someone else can contribute something useful and not MCAT related?

 

[sp4k]

Thank you everyone! I learned from you that it's better to expect tough times and to be ready, than underestimate it and then struggle. (About my cocky post 🙂 I just want to clarify, I only meant exaggeration that is common among younger applicants, never intended to imply anything else).

Just couple of things I see differently:
1. sp4k - I agree that there is some decline in cognitive skills and plasticity of brain, but question remains by how much? 3%? I mean will that gradual decline limit in any way ability to successfully study, retain info and process cognitive skills? I highly doubt it. I have examples of 50-60y.o persons who are at their max top in terms of cognitive skills, plasticity etc. I know 80y.o. professors who still actively participate in not only teaching, but actually moving science forward and doing it better than their younger peers. I myself believe that brain is probably the only muscle that can function and even improve abilities until the very end.
2. Ad2b - I passed new MCAT and I think it is easier than old one as it has a whole section of "fiction reading" - PS - which is blatantly easy - all I did was memorized 1 .doc file full of terms with short explanations and examples (lots of pages tho). Physics section is easier in terms that now you don't even have to know and quickly process in your head formulas and solve problems - they dropped physics section to a new "easy" levels. They added Biochem - probably the only thing harder than old test. So IMHO MCAT is not a beast. I'm hearing Step 1 is a beast (after reviewing briefly it's content I tend to agree that Step 1 is more closer to beast than MCAT). YMMV

Well, there's a lot of factors that influence the decline like overall health or gender. Most people don't notice it though but it definitely affects the way you obtain and retain information. It also depends what type of information we're talking about. And yeah, there are extraordinary cases, Eric Kandel is in his late 80s and still actively works in his lab.

Every single person I know fell off the face of the earth after they enter med school (and that includes a person who was approached by Harvard Med even though they didn't apply there). It's probably going to be the most difficult thing you've done thus far.

 

[Mad Jack]

So, a couple of points:

1) Not sure when you took your MCAT but I've looked at the old one, and you're right, it's pretty straightforward. The new one? Ever loving for the love of God, who the hell put someone at the AAMC in charge of creating this beast? It's a @#$-fest and yes, it's hard as hell. So, please take your condescending attitude back a little bit, okay? You're going to be in school with people who just slogged through that thing. Possibly even me (should I be so lucky)

2) Please dial back your condescension toward your younger peers. THEY are mature adults as well. IF they were not, no medical school would admit them. Yes, there are a few who slide through but largely, the med students that I have seen and know - length of life or not - are pretty awesome people not prone to drama.

As for being too old, I suspect you're far younger than I am. So please, see #2 again. I expect to be treated fairly and expect my younger peers to be treated likewise. With respect. Your post above indicated a lack of this.

Good luck to you!

I wouldn't be so discounting in regard to the difficulty of the old MCAT. They dumbed down some of the harder physics and math, where you used to have entire blocks on gravitational motion and other such fun things. I had one on my test back in the day, and it's not all that easy having your entire future basically riding on whether you remembered the constants and equations for how fast something is constantly falling in the sky. They made chemistry and physics much more palatable, while adding subjects that tend to be much more intuitive in their place. They are very different exams, but I'd say the difficulty is likely about equal, given the scoring curves that I've seen for each. The grass may seem greener, but it's just a different shade of brown.

 

[Mad Jack]

Eh, I never said MCAT was blatantly easy, I said PS section was. Please don't misread my posts. And yes, that is exactly what I said - MCAT wasn't a beast I thought it was going to be - I said it literally without any phrasing. Come on guys, please read the posts if you respond, not try to imagine things, i don't want to be a teacher in kinder-garden correcting verbal reasoning (especially me a non-native speaker)

Do you currently work while attending school?

 

[Ad2b]

I wouldn't be so discounting in regard to the difficulty of the old MCAT.

I understand that, MJ, I also saw the old MCAT and have all the old tests. I'd rather have taken it, not this beast. Neither is meant to be a snow-cone day at Disney 🙂

My point was the dude was absolutely condescending and denigrating to people who are nervous about the test.

 

[cabinbuilder]

Ok, I'll just shut up

P.S. My MCAT was only 30 (509), but on the first try and I know I'm average, I know I was accepted to only 1 school, I know there are lots of people smarter and more knowledgeable than me. Thus why I asked about MS1. I just think, from my point of view, that MCAT wasn't as hard as folks at MCAT forum say. They tend to say it's way harder than it really is. I noticed same thing goes for MS1 - folks are scaring incoming MS1 students and I was trying to understand how hard it really is. That's all.
P.P.S. Remember OrgoChem exams? Everyone said they were hell. Now we all laugh about it.

Really?

I took the MCAT 3 times in the early 1990's before it was computerized and found it exceedingly difficult. To say it was "only 30" just makes you sound like an ASS. That's why the "cocky" comments.
I found Organic to be the most brutal class I have ever suffered through.
Medical school pounded me over and over but I made it through and passed all the licensing exams on the first try. I found Pathology exceptionally easy and that was my saving class in every system.

I could say the same thing that courses are "easier" and "dumbed down" these days because the next generation is a bunch of whiney students who don't want to work too hard. Medicine is hard as is the path to get to the end.

 

[Ad2b]

Ok, we are all here mature folks - non-trads - compared to usual 24y.o. applicant going straight from undergrads to med.school. So we have passed that stage when we believe to rumors and scary stories about MCAT. It turns out it wasn't that difficult or hard, but people at MCAT forum are crying out loud and licking their snots and complaining about it all over. I kinda new it wasn't the case, but I guess not only me knew about it, majority of us did - we are too old, experienced etc. to fall for that crap rumors.

That's what makes you sound like an ass. Then you top it off with a 30 on the old scale. But in a subsequent thread, you said you took the new one. What was the score if it was so "easy" ... (I don't really care, tbh, because unless you got a 522+, I don't think the MCAT was easy for you either)

Tone down the condescension and I bet you find a whole group trying to help you rather than teach you to be HUMBLE ... in action and words. You may be in the former but not in the latter.

Trust me, SDN handed me my ass when I wrote my first post; it took a few people to show me how I came across (which was never my intent) ... suggest you do the same rather than dismiss us.

 

[QofQuimica]

You know, test-taking is an interesting skill. It's the kind of thing that does look "easy" when done well, and people who are innately good at it don't necessarily even consciously know what it is that they're doing. I include myself in that group. I scored a 43 on the old MCAT in 2004, helped found the Q&A subforum here on SDN, and spent years teaching/tutoring for Kaplan. Over the past decade plus, I've had hundreds of people ask me "how I did it." I've spent many hours thinking about it and trying to explain it. I've spent many hours trying to help others replicate that feat. And to be honest, I'm still not entirely sure A) how I did it myself, and B) how I can teach someone else to do it. No one I ever taught or spoke to about what *I* did to prep for the MCAT was ever able to use my experience to replicate my score, AFAIK. Maybe I wouldn't have even been able to replicate it myself. (We'll never know, since I obviously wasn't about to retake a 43!)

Be that as it may, while it's a mistake to go into this process assuming that any of it is going to be "easy," I think what the OP is trying to say (albeit badly) is that getting a reasonable score on the MCAT wasn't as overwhelming and impossible of a task as she had feared it might be. And that's a fair thing to say, and IMO, true. Clearly, test-taking *is* a learned skill to a great degree, and it's a skill that can be improved with practice. If test prep didn't work at all, then companies like Kaplan would be out of business.

I think the takeaway here is that one should give all of these tests and training hurdles their proper respect, but not live in fear of failing them. Study, do question banks, train yourself to improve your testing abilities, and aim to reach your personal potential and get the best scores you are capable of achieving. But at the same time, don't psych yourself out about how "hard" these tests will be. The truth is, most people who get into medical school are able to pass their classes and boards to become licensed physicians. And although I doubt that any of us who have completed the entire training process will ever say that it was "easy," it is definitely doable through sheer persistence.

 

[Dullhead]

...with a 30 on the old scale. But in a subsequent thread, you said you took the new one.

They said 509 which is about a 30 on the old one - they took the new one but converted the score for us...

P.S. My MCAT was only 30 (509)...

 

[Ad2b]

They said 509 which is about a 30 on the old one - they took the new one but converted the score for us...

Your point? he was still very and overly obnoxious which was my entire point; to tone it down. A lot.

 

[Dullhead]

Your point? he was still very and overly obnoxious which was my entire point; to tone it down. A lot.

No point. I thought your previous post was asking them which test exactly they took - old or new - because they said they took the new and posted a score for the old. I was trying to answer your question, maybe you weren't really asking...

 

[dushash]

I think OP has a point. As QofQuimica said: "I think what the OP is trying to say (albeit badly) is that getting a reasonable score on the MCAT wasn't as overwhelming and impossible of a task as she had feared it might be. And that's a fair thing to say, and IMO, true". I too found mcat not as intimidating as you might imagine if you listen to some forum members here. It's all doable. And OP did state she took a new exam and she even converted her new score 509 to old one 30. Sometimes reading before posting is a good idea 😉 People have to be more chill and accommodating instead of attacking every new member. I saw similar behavior in mcat forum and I certainly don't want to see same old here

 

[ChE04]

Geez. The op thought the MCAT wasn't that bad, and he is entitled to his opinion. Doesn't mean he's condescending everyone who found it impossible. Everyone getting offended is acting like it's the hardest test you will ever take. Although it's a tough test, I guarantee you it's got nothing on step 1. And get used to people telling you that the test you just took (that almost killed you) was no big deal, that's an almost monthly occurrence in med school.

 

[Shotapp]

"...but people at MCAT forum are crying out loud and licking their snots and complaining about it all over."
Yes, he/she is entitled to his/her opinion, but his/her manner and delivery of his/her opinion insulted the portion of the Mcat forum population that are finding this test very difficult. Just because he/she received a reasonable score on the Mcat doesn't automatically mean it should be expected of others. Everyone tests differently... Lumping and labeling individuals as criers and snot lickers is not respectful or justifiable in any sense.

 

[TRPMinus]

[successfully study, retain info and process cognitive skills? I highly doubt it. I have examples of 50-60y.o persons who are at their max top in terms of cognitive skills, plasticity etc. I know 80y.o. professors who still actively participate in not only teaching, but actually moving science forward and doing it better than their younger peers. I myself believe that brain is probably the only muscle that can function and even improve abilities until the very end.
2. Ad2b - I passed new MCAT and I think it is easier than old one as it has a whole section of "fiction reading" - PS - which is blatantly easy - all I did was memorized 1 .doc file full of terms with short explanations and examples (lots of pages tho). Physics section is easier in terms that now you don't even have to know and quickly process in your head formulas and solve problems - they dropped physics section to a new "easy" levels. They added Biochem - probably the only thing harder than old test. So IMHO MCAT is not a beast. I'm hearing Step 1 is a beast (after reviewing briefly it's content I tend to agree that Step 1 is more closer to beast than MCAT). YMMV[/QUOTE]

 

[Sardinia]

.

 

[tnedoots]

Thread got a bit derailed, but I'll offer this:

The top 75% of the class will probably be spread out over a 5-10% range in average test scores.
The bottom 25% will probably spread out over 20-25%.
(my experience, yours and others may vary)

There will be people in your class, regardless of age, that will have one of two abilities: 1) photographic memories or 2) the ability to sit down and study for 12+ hours a day, nonstop.

The people that have either one of those abilities will be at the top of the class. If you lack either of those abilities, be prepared to be in the left half or lower of the bell curve.

If you lack those abilities, learn to triage the material. You'll never get through all of it, so you have to learn what to skip and what to focus on.

When you take all of the above average students and throw them into a single pot, not all of them can be above average.

 

[Jlaw]

Ok, we are all here mature folks - non-trads - compared to usual 24y.o. applicant going straight from undergrads to med.school. So we have passed that stage when we believe to rumors and scary stories about MCAT. It turns out it wasn't that difficult or hard, but people at MCAT forum are crying out loud and licking their snots and complaining about it all over. I kinda new it wasn't the case, but I guess not only me knew about it, majority of us did - we are too old, experienced etc. to fall for that crap rumors.
Ok, now somebody tell me the truth from non-trad perspective which I consider more real, more close to what it really is, how is MS1 in terms of toughness? Currently I think that material itself is not at all hard, it's just amount of it is a bit of a concern, but nothing 5-8hours of study everyday can't solve - even if I'm just an average Joe in terms of smartness. Am I right? Or should I believe in scary stories "Oh, the horror!" that traditional young (and inexperienced) applicants like to tell to incoming brethren? I think I can handle the truth - so somebody cut it straight for us please? Thank you

Med school is not that hard. Persistence will get you through, if you are a hard worker who can actually put in the hard work and dont have any crazy test anxiety issues or other psych things going on you will be totally fine.

I worked on wall st before med school and I worked longer hours as an analyst and associate on the street than I ever worked in med school or so far in residency. I think the people who have never worked a serious job before give it the reputation. If undergrad college in the US is the hardest thing you've done then yes, it might sting. At the end of the day I dont think you can show me a job where you make low to mid 6 figures and work less.