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musashi

Ninja Paramedic
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Hello to all. I have read through these posts for the past month or so and was happy to stumble accidentally on to this forum. I am starting my prereqs in January having already earned a B.A. & M.A. in history. I am starting at the beginning, having had NO science classes in both my undergraduate and graduate training (kinda funny having two degrees without any science classes). It wasn’t until I recently started this new journey that I ever contemplated taking a science course and don’t consider myself a “brainiac” in the sciences as most of you who visit this forum. I will have to work very hard, but I know with effort and austere determination that even Mt. Everest can be conquered.

My question is similar to other questions asked about when/how to take the MCAT. I now know from reading the plethora of posts that exist on the MCAT that I should not contemplate the actual test until through all prereqs except maybe Organic II & Physics II. Would any care to comment on that? Over the course of the next 3 semesters (Spring, Summer, and Fall of 2007) I will knock out all the Bio and Gen. Chemistry, Anatomy, and Physiology, Microbiology, and the first of Organic and Physics. I plan on taking the MCAT in 2008 towards the end of the spring, start of summer. That will be the semester when I finish Organic II and Physics II and possibly take Genetics or Biochemistry. As I start to take my prereqs I would like to begin studying for the MCAT. I have essentially 18-20 months from now until I plan on applying for medical school. My reasoning is why wait until 3 months prior to taking the MCAT to study? Now, the caveat here is I can’t study for something I haven’t learned yet. So, how can I use the next 18-20 months to set myself up for success with regards to the MCAT? I have a copy of the topic list from the AAMC and was thinking as I take my classes that I will try and correlate where I am in each class compared to the topic list. Sort of, mark off as I go. Any thoughts?

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I took Ochem I, Ochem II, and Physics II all during this past summer while studying for the August 2006 MCAT. I was faced with the same dilemma of wondering how to study for the MCAT in those areas on top of simultaneously LEARNING the stuff for the first time in classes.

The answer is to do them both at once. I bought the Examkrackers books, and used them to supplement my classwork. It actually helped two ways, because the EK books helped me out a lot in class too. As you learn another topic within the subject, go over that stuff in your MCAT study materials and see if you understand it not only the way your professor requires, but the way the MCAT requires. It ended up working well for me, particularly in the Physical Sciences section. At the beginning of the summer, I took a few AAMC exams (the early ones) and was scoring solid 11's on the PS section. After going through Physics II, and simultaneously going over that stuff with EK, I was getting straight 13's on PS and indeed got a 13 on the real thing at the end of the summer.

Overall, I recommend getting the EK study package, as they have plenty of practice questions within the text, and they're organized by topic (they quiz you on a topic right after you learn it). This helps you to track your progress.
 
Hello to all. I have read through these posts for the past month or so and was happy to stumble accidentally on to this forum. I am starting my prereqs in January having already earned a B.A. & M.A. in history. I am starting at the beginning, having had NO science classes in both my undergraduate and graduate training (kinda funny having two degrees without any science classes). It wasn’t until I recently started this new journey that I ever contemplated taking a science course and don’t consider myself a “brainiac” in the sciences as most of you who visit this forum. I will have to work very hard, but I know with effort and austere determination that even Mt. Everest can be conquered.

My question is similar to other questions asked about when/how to take the MCAT. I now know from reading the plethora of posts that exist on the MCAT that I should not contemplate the actual test until through all prereqs except maybe Organic II & Physics II. Would any care to comment on that? Over the course of the next 3 semesters (Spring, Summer, and Fall of 2007) I will knock out all the Bio and Gen. Chemistry, Anatomy, and Physiology, Microbiology, and the first of Organic and Physics. I plan on taking the MCAT in 2008 towards the end of the spring, start of summer. That will be the semester when I finish Organic II and Physics II and possibly take Genetics or Biochemistry. As I start to take my prereqs I would like to begin studying for the MCAT. I have essentially 18-20 months from now until I plan on applying for medical school. My reasoning is why wait until 3 months prior to taking the MCAT to study? Now, the caveat here is I can’t study for something I haven’t learned yet. So, how can I use the next 18-20 months to set myself up for success with regards to the MCAT? I have a copy of the topic list from the AAMC and was thinking as I take my classes that I will try and correlate where I am in each class compared to the topic list. Sort of, mark off as I go. Any thoughts?

Do yourself a big favour - do not take the MCAT without Physics II. =]
 
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