postbac timeline, when to take mcat?

[potentiallymd]

I was looking through typical timelines of "do-it-yourself" postbac programs, and usually you end up taking orgo 1 during your third semester unless you start in the summer, so then you would take the mcat i'm assuming also during that 3rd or 4th semester, and only (hopefully) start med school 3 years after starting the postbac, is there any way to organize the timeline so I can start medical school after a total of 2 years? or is the only way to start in the summer instead of the fall?

Thanks

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[johnnyscans]

I was looking through typical timelines of "do-it-yourself" postbac programs, and usually you end up taking orgo 1 during your third semester unless you start in the summer, so then you would take the mcat i'm assuming also during that 3rd or 4th semester, and only (hopefully) start med school 3 years after starting the postbac, is there any way to organize the timeline so I can start medical school after a total of 2 years? or is the only way to start in the summer instead of the fall?

Thanks

Let's assume you need to take 8 classes, and start in the summer.
Summer - General Chemistry
Fall - Orgo I, Phys I, Bio I (keep in mind, this is a HEAVY courseload)
Spring - Orgo II, Phys II Bio II, MCAT prep (an even heavier courseload)
Apply Early Summer
Start the following year

That said, this schedule is freakin' tough. MCAT prep while doing 12 credits of coursework is going to be hard, especially if you have to work during the day.

 

[thlaxer]

In addition to everything that johnnyscans has said, you'll also want to have some volunteering and potentially research at the time of application to med school.. How much of these medically-related ECs do you have going into the post-bacc?

I don't think it's a good idea to try to rush through your pre-reqs in one year unless 1) you are positive you can handle the science-heavy course load and 2) you do not need to engage in significant amounts of ECs during the post-bacc year. Imo, it's much better to "play it safe" and do the pre-reqs over two years. This'll give you a much better chance of applying with a competitive application (solid GPA, ECs, more time to devote to MCAT prep, etc.).

Just my thoughts, good luck!

 

[potentiallymd]

In addition to everything that johnnyscans has said, you'll also want to have some volunteering and potentially research at the time of application to med school.. How much of these medically-related ECs do you have going into the post-bacc?

I don't think it's a good idea to try to rush through your pre-reqs in one year unless 1) you are positive you can handle the science-heavy course load and 2) you do not need to engage in significant amounts of ECs during the post-bacc year. Imo, it's much better to "play it safe" and do the pre-reqs over two years. This'll give you a much better chance of applying with a competitive application (solid GPA, ECs, more time to devote to MCAT prep, etc.).

Just my thoughts, good luck!

Yeah, I think you are right, and that's what I will probably end up doing, but then unless I get into some kind of linkage program I will have another year of waiting to get into med school (and doing EC's and maybe taking extra classes), which would bring the total time between finishing undergrad and starting medical school to 3 years, right?

Thanks!

 

[johnnyscans]

Yeah, I think you are right, and that's what I will probably end up doing, but then unless I get into some kind of linkage program I will have another year of waiting to get into med school (and doing EC's and maybe taking extra classes), which would bring the total time between finishing undergrad and starting medical school to 3 years, right?

Thanks!

You're correct, but there's no harm done in spending that time traveling, pursuing a hobby, or taking upper level courses (biochemistry, neuro, immuno, genetics) to ramp up for medical school.

 

[thlaxer]

Yup, my application year is also my gap year, so I will be starting med school three years after I started my post-bacc. Some of my original classmates are now MS1's because they applied for my school's linkages. So it's possible to start in two years even when taking the two-year pre-req route.

Once med school starts, there aren't many more breaks until maybe your fourth year from what I hear. So I'm taking advantage of this down time before school starts. So far it's been great, I'm glad I have this time off .

 

[gehr4733]

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[DrMidlife]

Ideal MCAT timing:
after you've done considerable prep and your practice tests are above your goal, and before the end of April, so that you have your best possible score in time to submit AMCAS in June.

If you're not able to do extremely well on the MCAT by the end of April, you lose the earliest advantage.

If you're not able to do extremely well on the MCAT by the end of May, you lose the early advantage.

If you're not able to do extremely well on the MCAT by the end of June, skip the app year.

What we see too much of and it makes me sad:
1. a hurried MCAT in April
2. crap score in June, so AMCAS is delayed
3. Hurry-up retake in July/August with no better score
4. AMCAS submission in August or September as a hail mary
5. Rejection pile
(edit: 6. Ubiquitous "what do I do now?" post in the reapplicants forum)

Best of luck to you.

 

[gehr4733]

Ideal MCAT timing:
after you've done considerable prep and your practice tests are above your goal, and before the end of April, so that you have your best possible score in time to submit AMCAS in June.

If you're not able to do extremely well on the MCAT by the end of April, you lose the earliest advantage.

If you're not able to do extremely well on the MCAT by the end of May, you lose the early advantage.

If you're not able to do extremely well on the MCAT by the end of June, skip the app year.

What we see too much of and it makes me sad:
1. a hurried MCAT in April
2. crap score in June, so AMCAS is delayed
3. Hurry-up retake in July/August with no better score
4. AMCAS submission in August or September as a hail mary
5. Rejection pile
(edit: 6. Ubiquitous "what do I do now?" post in the reapplicants forum)

Best of luck to you.

I know that you have mentioned previously the greater weight on General Chem as opposed to Organic Chem on the MCAT. I was thinking about starting studying by Jan/Feb and aiming for April date but will not take it unless I am confident. By that time I'll be fresh with Gen Chem and Bio. This is dependent on how confident one is with the outcomes of prereq classes too I suppose. Is this dreaming of too much?

 

[DrMidlife]

I know that you have mentioned previously the greater weight on General Chem as opposed to Organic Chem on the MCAT. I was thinking about starting studying by Jan/Feb and aiming for April date but will not take it unless I am confident. By that time I'll be fresh with Gen Chem and Bio. This is dependent on how confident one is with the outcomes of prereq classes too I suppose. Is this dreaming of too much?

If you had really strong academics (particularly math) before you started prereqs, that's a decent indicator that you'll do well in prereqs. If you do well in prereqs, that's a decent indicator that you'll do well on the MCAT. If you did well on the SAT, that's a decent indicator that you'll do well on the MCAT.

If you have all of the above indicators, you can take some liberties in MCAT planning. If you're missing some of those indicators, you'll want to err on the side of caution in MCAT planning.

Best of luck to you.