Questions

[joelmamchur]

Hi everyone,
My name is Joel Mamchur and I just found this board yesterday.
I have a few questions that I hope someone can answer:

First, I was wondering in which year most people take the MCAT. I am a freshman and am taking the test this saturday (as I'm sure most of you are). Also, what books did most people use to study? I used Barron's "How to study for the MCAT" and found it to be terrible (It doesn't even cover topis like capacitation).

Second, I was wondering what the weight of was in the biological sciences section pertaining to the ratio of biology vs. Organic chemistry. The tests I have taken appear to comprise mostly of biological oriented questions.....

Any help will be appreciated!
Thanks,
Joel Mamchur

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[TTSD]

Do you like pain? I was just wondering.. 'cuz you're a freshman and all. Did you take all the pre-req classes like Biology, Chemistry, Ochem and Physics? And not AP classes from your high school either. While physics and chemistry you probably only need a good basic understanding.. Biology and Ochem is another story.

Biology incorporates a lot of information and Ochem.. well, ochem is just a bitch.

But best of luck to you.

 

[joelmamchur]

LOL. It actually has been painful so far....
And nope, I don't have all my pre-reqs... I"m done both bio classes....although I never took bio in high school, so I've been cramming for the bio portion so far.

I've only taken 1 university physics course but I'm pretty sure I have enough knowledge to at least get me an 8....
I've taken O chem, and thats actually a strong point of mine (I also took 2 yrs of ochem in high school) but I took gen chem in high school in the AP and IB programs.
Does the MCAT really have that much ochem on it?
And for the bio section, is it just me, or do most of the questions seem to require analysis moreso then factual knowledge?
Thanks,
-Joel

 

[sgilani]

hi,
from someone who has taken the mcat before and was very disappointed, i don't suggest taking the mcat until you're fully ready. firstly, you're a freshman. you have tons of time to study. secondly, i have the barron's book and i think the info in that book is so far fetched and you don't necessarily have to know all of it. have you looked into kaplan/TPR/examkrackers? also, have you taken practice tests so you can guage how much you really know?
personally, in hindsight, i wish i had just studied once and taken the mcat and done well. i think med schools prefer that too. if you are saying that maybe you can clinch and 8 in bio, i'm sure you can do better than that if you study with more resources.
one thing you're right about is the bio being more of a reasoning test than anything.
good luck.

 

[AlternateSome1]

Joel,
What's the rush? Most people don't take the MCAT until after their prereqs, and usually not until the end of their junior year. Have you taken practice tests, and do you know what the average scores for acceptance and matriculation are? While an 8 is the average score on each section, acceptance averages are 2 points higher. I think if you take the test right now you are really going to sell yourself short.

~AS1~

 

[silenthunder]

Dude, this is just my .02,


I, like many of the other people replying, believe that you
don't need to rush into this. Adequate preparation is key for this test. You don't want to have to rewrite this thing if you don't need to, and you won't need to if you prepare properly.

I am rewriting, and wish I didn't need to, but I do.

BTW don't write it just for experience. If you want the experience of being kicked in the nuts just go and ask one of your buddies, I'm sure they'll be happy to oblige.

it also doesn't sound like you desperately need the score anytime soon. Call AAMC and see if they'll allow you to defer it without losing a ton of money. I know that for some of my friends they did (although I live in Toronto, so it was probably because of SARS)

Cheers all,

Silenthunder

 

[Pontifex Maximus]

You're not gonna get in without a degree anyway...why rush the MCAT?

 

[DieselPetrolGrl]

rush it!
cause yourself searing pain!
it may entertain us at some point

 

[lynnier79]

not only do i think there is no need to rush (what med schools seem to respect most is a mature decision to attend... made over a long periopd of time) but am i right in remembering that the MCAT is only good for 3 years? so if you are a freshman then your MCAT comes very close to expiration BEFORE you get out of college! then you HAVE to take it again anyway.... that would be even more painful, i think.

anyway, as many folks have said -- if you think you can get an 8 now wouldnt you want to wait until you can get a 10 or 11? you have plenty of time. eariler in this case is NOT always better.

 

[joelmamchur]

Thanks to everyone for the feedback!,

I honestly did not know that most people waited to take the test! I know things are different down in the states ( not in a negative way), so I did'nt know how things would transfer over. The school I plan on attensing for med only requires an MCAT score of 7,8,8,N or better, so I am not SURE I will hit that, but I'll feel prtty pathetic if I can't pull that off! Up here I know that universities put a much larger emphasis on grades... apparently the MCAT only weighs like 10% or less of entrance. MY GPA is 90.7% so far ( I have no idea as to how that will convert to a 4.0 scale) so I felt that if I could pass the exam it would save a lot of tuition money and a year of my time. Many Canadian schools allow entry to MED after the second year, so I have to take it now if I want to get in right after my Pre-Med. But looking back on it, it does look like a mistake...... if I fail I will feel like so much time has been wasted (and money). Plus, I used Barron's "How To Study For The MCAT" book and it was TERRIBLE ( please refrain from buying this book and supporting the evil people who wrote it.... it has fun leaving out random topics in physics, and goes WAY overboard on the bio!).
We'll see how it goes though.... I am very ill prepared, and am only averaging 7-8 in phys 7-9 in bio and 9-11 in VR, so I guess I should just hope to hit the higher numbers in those ranges!
Thanks again for the feedback,
-Joel
P.S.: Sorry about any bad punctuation or typing..... I need sleep

 

[rainwoman]

Joel, Joel, Joel...well, i'd feel badly if i didn't contribute some input here. Like yourself, I graduated high school at barely 17 with lots of credit (did the IB program as well) and was ready to take on the world. I finished college in three years...and have regretted it ever since. Sooner (hopefully) or later, you will realize that there is so much more than just school, and then you'll be stuck in a position you put yourself in.

My advice...finish university (all 4 years). Take a semester to do something crazy and different - study abroad, Semester at Sea, etc. Do well in your classes, but have fun and find a hobby, a sport, or something you love and do it often. Wait, and take the MCAT when you're prepared, and set yourself up to suceed. Almost EVERY doctor I've talked to that went straight throuh wishes they hadn't rushed into medical school.

I know this all sounds cliche-ic, but it took me 3 years of overachieving to realize this, and I'm finally out doing things that I love and taking a semester off to do something really cool. Slowing down gives you time to really mature, to become well-rounded, and to get outside yourself and understand other people (all of this is experience needed to be a great doctor).

-Rainwoman

"Twenty years from now you will be more disappointed by the things that you didn't do than by the ones you did do. So throw off the bowlines. Sail away from the safe harbor. Catch the trade winds in your sails. Explore. Dream. Discover." - Mark Twain

 

[Childe]

what is the deal with canadian med schools lol.. ive heard from another guy about a similar program, sounds bizarre..