Studying for MCAT & working 12 hr shifts

[raewants2beadoc]

I'm a non-trad, I just finished my bachelor's degree and finished up the courses I needed to take the MCAT. I was planning on taking it in September, but I don't know if there's any way I'll be ready by then. I'm an ER nurse and I work approx (4) 12hr shifts a week.
I have the new BR book set, and I was planning to use other resources for FL tests. I was hoping to use the 120 day plan that BR suggests....
I work nights and have been studying at work when our patient #'s are low, and before work.... but I'm already falling behind schedule.

How can I make this work? Or is this just unrealistic.... and I need to plan on taking the MCAT in Jan instead??

Thanks

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[pms_testosterone]

You should be fine. Plan to study on weekends, with any studying you can do at work an unplanned bonus, since you can't count on it.
Instead of sticking rigidly to a test prep company's study schedule, study with the AAMC's "What's on the MCAT exam?" page open and make sure you cover each topic listed. Importantly, this will prevent you from studying topics that aren't tested on the MCAT, but may be covered in books. Spend more time on the points you're unfamiliar with and skip over ones you're very familiar with. For example, you're a nurse so you can probably skip studying anatomy, or at least spend very little time on it.

 

[morejedi]

Going to be really honest with you - I was studying for the MCAT while working 36 hour weeks and it was horrible. I kept my job but it definitely hindered my studying and in retrospect I wish I had quit for the 3-month duration where I was studying.

 

[Semmelweiser]

I spent 6 months studying for the MCAT while taking organic chemistry and working approximately 50 hours per week, with additional on-call time. It's definitely doable, but you'll either need to make the MCAT your non-work life, or find creative ways to incorporate it into your daily routine.

I.e. my shower curtain still has the remnants of kinematic equations written in window crayon.

 

[ServiceFirst]

I think it's very realistic considering September is more than 3 months away. I found that even studying 1-2 hours a day, on a strict, daily-basis, allowed me enough time to adequately review content and work with practice material. I did this while taking an 18-unit course load, 10-15 hour part-time job, and maintaining my EC's.

 

[raewants2beadoc]

You should be fine. Plan to study on weekends, with any studying you can do at work an unplanned bonus, since you can't count on it.
Instead of sticking rigidly to a test prep company's study schedule, study with the AAMC's "What's on the MCAT exam?" page open and make sure you cover each topic listed. Importantly, this will prevent you from studying topics that aren't tested on the MCAT, but may be covered in books. Spend more time on the points you're unfamiliar with and skip over ones you're very familiar with. For example, you're a nurse so you can probably skip studying anatomy, or at least spend very little time on it.

Thank you for the great tip! I hadn't thought about doing this, but taking this approach makes it feel more feasible to test in Sept.

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[raewants2beadoc]

I think it's very realistic considering September is more than 3 months away. I found that even studying 1-2 hours a day, on a strict, daily-basis, allowed me enough time to adequately review content and work with practice material. I did this while taking an 18-unit course load, 10-15 hour part-time job, and maintaining my EC's.

Just wanted to say that you are a rock star! This is some serious dedication!

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