The Official NEW MCAT 2015 Study Habits

[stonyalltheway]

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For those of you who received preliminary percentile ranges of 60% or above, please share what you did.

1) The study method used for each section

2) What materials you used for each section(Kaplan, TPR, Examkrackers, AAMC, etc)

3) Which practice tests did you use?

4) What was your undergraduate major?

5) Any other tips you may have for those of us who still have this test lurking over us?

6) How long did you study for the MCAT?

 

[Alkaidius]

Currently second attempt at a 77-87 percentile range, but my perspective on the exam is very debatable at best. I approached EVERY section like the CARS section. The MCAT now incorporates actual science research papers, so I figured it was important to focus on the main idea behind what the experiment was trying to do and the graphs and charts were trying to say. As long as you knew the whole point of the experiment, the details would fall into place. I felt this was especially true for the Psych/Soc section.

I used EK 9th edition supplemented with Khan Academy (EK apparently printed their Psych/Soc book before aamc released all the tested information). Discovering this a week before the exam = curling into a ball under your bedsheets lol. Don't let this happen to you! I also used EK 101 passages for verbal (GET IT!!!!).

Full Lengths: I used the AAMC FL, and forked over for 2 of the EK FLs.

I was a Human Biology Major.

I studied for 3.5 months at about 5-6 hours per day. I spent about 2 months going over the material in question. Primarily I focused on understanding absolutely everything about it so that I would not get surprised if the MCAT forced me to look at some material from a different perspective or combined multiple topics together. I tried not to actively memorize formulas except for the high yield ones (I spent an hour every day reviewing every formula the first time I took the MCAT and wound up using almost none of them on test day). Then I spent about 4 weeks doing one 30-minute mini practice test/day at the end of each EK book followed by EXTENSIVE review of the practice test and the entire chapter it covered. The last 3 or so weeks, I did one FL for every 5 days. Ex: Day 1, I took the FL. Day 2, I reviewed Phys/Chem section (jumped into books if I forgot a concept). Day 3, I reviewed CARS, etc. Day 6 was a break day. Rinse and repeat. I took the day before the MCAT off entirely. I woke up REALLY early (5:30 AM) and rode to the center to make sure I knew where it was. Went to bed by 9:30PM.

As far as tips go, please don't let this test get you down. Doing bad, does not mean you're dumb and that you can't be a doctor. The MCAT is really good about making you feel that way. No matter how convoluted the question may be, remember that it ALWAYS tests you on a very simple concept! Search for it! It's there, I promise! Don't step out of your comfort zone during your studies. On my first MCAT attempt, I used someone else's study plan (8 hours per day...which eventually grew to 11 hours per day TPR + BR + Kaplan, etc). Find what works for YOU. Burnout is a very real danger. If you're not accustomed to studying 8 hours per day, don't do it just because someone else did. I tried. I failed. You won't know you're burned out until you sit down in front of the test and...blank. And most importantly, live a little. Exercise will relieve stress. I'm very whimsical, so when I had a day after 2 weeks of study where I woke up and almost felt nauseous when I looked at my books, I took the day, went to the gym, read a book, and came back re-energized the next day! Good luck!

 

[happyhippo1958]

I graduated with a biochemistry major and currently taking a gap year and applying. I took the May 22nd MCAT, and my preliminary percentiles were 85-100% across the board, and overall was 90-100%. I studied for one month in February while in school and working, then my school life, work, and research took over March, April and May. I was able to study two weeks before the exam after my graduation. The first week I reviewed all of the content by going over the AAMC outline, and the second week I focused on practice problems and practice exams, with heavy review of any content I had missed during the exam. I used Kaplan complete set for content, and TPR for review. A normal day studying two weeks prior to the exam would entailed taking the full exam in the morning, reviewing CARS immediately after, taking a break (work out/eat). In the evenings, I would look at the questions I had marked/gotten wrong, went to the AAMC outline to find what concepts they are, and review that section. Would not recommend this... I got eye strain the day before the exam and could not look at the computer screen.

Full lengths: Kaplan (took 1, never took any ever again), TPR 1 & 2, AAMC.

TIPS!

1. Engage yourself - if you are taking the exam next year, make sure you immerse yourself in the material this year, and make yourself love it (a good attitude goes a long way!). I lucked out because I was a lecture and lab TA for organic chemistry and general chemistry, so content review was minimal. Additionally, there is a reason why medical school wants research, it is not just a box to check off the pre-med list! Research makes the knowledge YOURS - engage yourself in a research project, develop your own methods, read lots of papers, and expose yourself to various techniques. Then on the MCAT when you see a gel, or an extraction, or enzyme kinetics, your mind will go "yippee"! Learn how scientists science, and then you too can science on the MCAT!

2. Attitude is everything - I found out that if I got "excited" about passages (ugh, mitosis --> OH BOY CELL DIVISION), I ended up scoring a lot higher on the practice exams. This actually worked really well on the actual MCAT, when I had a near anxiety attack during CARS, and I just mentally chanted "all the information is in the passage..." Don't fight the exam, and don't spend lengthy amounts of time drafting angry letters to Kaplan - think of the MCAT as a way for you to show off the awesome amount of knowledge you have acquired during your undergraduate education. Find a fun study buddy that can cook, and studying for the MCAT will not be a chore.

3. Quality of studying >>>> quantity of studying - there are those who study 8 hours a day for a year, and all of that means nothing if you are not studying correctly. I have discovered that everyone who does well with 1 month to 2 month studying (with a solid background) has figured out HOW to study. For me, I went through the AAMC outline and made a study guide, and made sure that I understood each concept, and could apply it. This worked really well for psychology because Kaplan and TPR missed some of the content. I used Kaplan to learn new concepts (psychology & sociology), and used TPR and Kaplan as references for my study guide. You'll soon figure out that Kaplan's figures and material are reworded from wikipedia, so just google anything you don't understand! Figure out how you best study, and then just do it. That being said...don't do what I did, and give yourself a few months of good quality studying.

4. Practice practice practice! Do practice problems every day until you think like the machine. During content review, follow up every section with a passage and questions (TPR has great chapter based practice passages). Lock yourself in your room and simulate the actual exam (pack your food, don't take breaks...) Do push-ups during your breaks between sections - I am completely serious.

5. Focus on yourself - the MCAT is for yourself, not your parents or your friends. Focus on your personal improvement day to day, do NOT compare yourself to other students. I was very frustrated because I was scoring lower on practice exams than my friends and other SDNers (love you all by the way!!! 😍), but I ended up with higher percentile preliminaries than my friends (still doesn't mean anything yet, really...). The main questions to ask yourself are "am I performing the best that I can do? can IIIIII do better? should I eat this cupcake?"

6. Have fun. eat a donut.

 

[Flashfan]

I used PR, with Kaplan and an old EK verbal book. I didn't use much Khan much. I also had some flash cards that I downloaded. To tell you the truth, I don't know what was most effective. I did content review beginning in December for about a month. My biology class did not prepare me at all for the MCAT, so I had to self study all the physiology stuff (which I didn't feel I needed on my test after all). I did all the question packs, 4 Kaplan tests and 4 or 5 PR tests. I waited to do the sample test until three weeks until the test so that I could pinpoint my weaknesses.
I took an entire semester to study, while taking a full class load. I was in Biochemistry while studying, so it was still fresh in my mind. I am a psychology major and chem minor, so that helped.
I ended up with a 90-100 overall and all sections were 85-100 except CARS which was 82-97.
I also go to a small LAC that isn't terribly prestigious but very hard. We write a lot have a lot of reading and class discussions. It helped a lot on CARS.

 

[Jimmy B]

As far as tips go, please don't let this test get you down. Doing bad, does not mean you're dumb and that you can't be a doctor. The MCAT is really good about making you feel that way.

This is VERY true as the MCAT loses its predictive value over time past the first year of med school. This is coming from someone who got a 17 the first time I took it back when it was still on paper and took 8 hours. Years later I am now finishing residency and will subspecialize in stroke at a well-respected academic institution. Keep your head up!!

 

[nour01]

What would you guys recommend as the study material for biochem?

 

[Palindr0me]

I scored between the 90-100th percentile. The only advice I can really give is to be completely adamant that you are going to score as high as possible. Once your attitude aligns with what you are actually doing with your time, you will begin to see results. I took Kaplan's course, but it was only useful for the online materials and practice FL's. I made hundreds of flashcards, and memorized every single equation, amino acid, trend, etc... You can rack up a lot of points through memorization, so don't let people tell you that it's not important.

 

[carpediem22]

I got 85-100% in all four sections and 90-100% overall. I've posted my study pattern in the May 22nd thread, but I think the most important advice I can give is:

DON'T TRY TO FOLLOW THE STUDY SCHEDULE OF ANOTHER PERSON ON SDN

Studying for the MCAT is a highly individual process. You have 3-4 years of science coursework under your belt by this point. You know what has worked for you and what hasn't. Stick to what you know works for you. For me, this meant focusing on content review. I knew from my science classes that if understood a concept, I could easily apply it to a question. I did NOT do thousands of practices passages. In fact I have no idea how many I did. Probably not much beyond what is given by the AAMC and EK. For others, focusing on content review is a death sentence; many people on here say that practice is better than content. It depends on you. What worked for me may not work for you.

I am also naturally good at CARS (humanities major for the win). The only CARS practice I did was in practice exams. Again, for someone else, this may be a ticket to getting an abysmal score. That person may need to do a bunch of CARS practice passages each day to get a good score.

I will also say that I disagree with memorizing everything. I did memorize physics formulas and major aspects of biochemistry pathways, but I didn't memorize every little fact that I came across. It's impossible and will stress you out. At most you will lost 2-3 points on discrete questions from straight up memorization. Not. Worth. It.

Finally, last point. Read academic journals, not just in science but in psychology and sociology. I have a strong research background and this definitely helped me on the test. The MCAT sounds nothing like conventional science questions. It is all about analyzing data and text from academic journals. Be very, very comfortable with this.

Good luck!

 

[Alkaidius]

DON'T TRY TO FOLLOW THE STUDY SCHEDULE OF ANOTHER PERSON ON SDN

Studying for the MCAT is a highly individual process. You have 3-4 years of science coursework under your belt by this point. You know what has worked for you and what hasn't. Stick to what you know works for you.

*foams at the mouth* So much yes in this statement. This should just be in everyone's signature. I, myself, fell prey to advice by someone that thought they had it figured out. I did the literal opposite of everything they suggested on my second attempt, and spiked by 40+ percentiles.

 

[carpediem22]

*foams at the mouth* So much yes in this statement. This should just be in everyone's signature. I, myself, fell prey to advice by someone that thought they had it figured out. I did the literal opposite of everything they suggested on my second attempt, and spiked by 40+ percentiles.

Yesss

Thing is, that person probably did have it figured out -- for his/herself! I would never tell someone to study like I did. I mainly focused on my weak areas. My weak areas =/= your weak areas.

 

[Glazedonutlove]

agree x 100000 with @carpediem22 . I don't understand this spoon feeding attraction of following sn2d or whatever's schedule. screw that (sorry s2n). personally, I learn best by doing passages, reviewing, THEN going back to content.

For me, got 85-100 on all sections and 90-100 overall. Used EK for content and BR/aamc for passages. Studied 2.5 months with classes, research, work, ecs. Sounds terrible but I had solid foundation from prereqs so it made it easier. Also only took 3 FL's including the aamc sample one. Don't regret not doing more at all.