Summer Classes and MCAT Prep?

[matchmeifyoucan]

I plan on self-studying for the MCAT this summer for the September exam with a 4 month schedule using mostly TBR material. I'm also taking a summer biochem course that meets 4 times a week for 6 weeks (each class is 2 hours long) and for the second half of the summer, I'll be taking a lab class that meets for 2 times a week for 6 weeks (each class is 3 hours long). I also want to add that for part of the summer I will be working for about 20 hours total (not per week).

How feasible is this set-up with me self-studying for the MCAT with TBR? I guess the better question is, on average, how many hours per day do you spend self-studying using a TBR-heavy 3/4 month schedule?

---

Members don't see this ad.

 

[Petrichor1]

good plan. You may have to shift the mcat to january possibly but if I had to do it all over again, I would have done what you are doing.

 

[Skydive Fox]

It's different for everyone and just depends on how well they've mastered the material already. I know some people who didn't need much content review but just needed to build endurance by taking practice tests once or twice a week for a month prior. Others like me need much more time for content review, especially since some of the material is new for me. If I were you, I would take a diagnostic test to see where you're at. Your plan sounds feasible though unless you're diagnostic is like <480. Plus, the summer biochem class will double up as content review for significant chunks of the high-yield biology, biochem, gen chem, and organic chem you could see on test day. Good luck!

 

[matchmeifyoucan]

Thanks for the input. I think what I'm going to do is go ahead as planned but if I'm not hitting my target score, I'll cancel and reschedule for a January exam. I hope that will not be the case. This biochem class is such a wildcard for me. I've had the professor before and his teaching style fits very well with my kind of studying. However, it was an intro bio course I was in and biochem is another beast entirely. :/

 

[ed*26]

For what it's worth, I highly recommend doing the January test. I was able to study lightly over the summer and throughout the semester than dedicate all of winter break + first couple weeks of school (so, about 6 weeks total) to full-time (8+ hrs/day) studying. It was the perfect amount for me.

Depending on when your summer class(es) end, you may be able to do something similar: for example, if they end last week of July you'd have all of August + some of September for just studying. What you don't want is to have a compressed biochem final then have to follow it up with the MCAT three weeks later. But, it really depends on you. Studying the MCAT seriously all summer could work out really well and you should do really well on the biochem part (bonus points if you do the MCAT biochem problems while in the class). Consider the possibilities of pushing back the MCAT or quitting your job if you start getting overwhelmed.

 

[matchmeifyoucan]

For what it's worth, I highly recommend doing the January test. I was able to study lightly over the summer and throughout the semester than dedicate all of winter break + first couple weeks of school (so, about 6 weeks total) to full-time (8+ hrs/day) studying. It was the perfect amount for me.

Depending on when your summer class(es) end, you may be able to do something similar: for example, if they end last week of July you'd have all of August + some of September for just studying. What you don't want is to have a compressed biochem final then have to follow it up with the MCAT three weeks later. But, it really depends on you. Studying the MCAT seriously all summer could work out really well and you should do really well on the biochem part (bonus points if you do the MCAT biochem problems while in the class). Consider the possibilities of pushing back the MCAT or quitting your job if you start getting overwhelmed.

My fall classes include orgo 2, orgo lab, and mammalian physiology. Orgo 2 and mammalian are among the more time-intensive courses in my school so I'm not exactly excited about the prospect of MCAT studying while taking these classes, but I will if I have to.

For the summer, the last day of work (unless my employer decides to add more hours - I tutor MCAT Verbal) and the last day of my biochem class is in the first week of June and July, respectively. My lab course ends in the middle of August, but I don't expect it to be too time consuming (I'm taking the lecture component of the lab right now and I'm familiar with the lab instructor).

So I think this summer has potential of going very well, as long as I remain disciplined. But it can also easily go terribly, too.

@ed*26 May I ask how you studied for the MCAT (as in the prep material you used) as well as the type/# of FLs you took? I saw your MCAT post and you did very well! Congrats!

 

[ed*26]

I took physics 2 and biochemistry the semester before, so I understand the hesitation! IMO those classes could help. There's a substantial amount of physiology material to cover. I supplemented my regular homework and studying with the MCAT coursework, which I believe helped me on both ends. Summer still seems your best option, but don't panic if you have to push it back.

The timeline you set up seems like it could work really well. If you saw my MCAT post then you should be able to see what studying I did in detail (and I already told you my schedule), but to recap, I used TPR self-guided study, which came with access to the AAMC's Ultimate prep package (highly recommended the AAMC materials). I took 7 TPR tests, 1 full length two weeks before, and the AAMC mini-test thing ~3 days before.

Good luck!

 

[matchmeifyoucan]

I took physics 2 and biochemistry the semester before, so I understand the hesitation! IMO those classes could help. There's a substantial amount of physiology material to cover. I supplemented my regular homework and studying with the MCAT coursework, which I believe helped me on both ends. Summer still seems your best option, but don't panic if you have to push it back.

The timeline you set up seems like it could work really well. If you saw my MCAT post then you should be able to see what studying I did in detail (and I already told you my schedule), but to recap, I used TPR self-guided study, which came with access to the AAMC's Ultimate prep package (highly recommended the AAMC materials). I took 7 TPR tests, 1 full length two weeks before, and the AAMC mini-test thing ~3 days before.

Good luck!

Oops, sorry! Must have missed it. Going back to check. (Clearly the anxiety is already settling in for me lol).

Thank you.

 

[625233]

That's was my plan going into summer last year. I took biochem and a stats course. I honestly couldn't manage both, and ended up postponing my MCAT. Biochem takes up a lot of time.


Sent from my iPhone using SDN mobile

 

[El-Rami]

Summer classes AND MCAT prep? Nope, nope, and triple nope!

 

[matchmeifyoucan]

That's was my plan going into summer last year. I took biochem and a stats course. I honestly couldn't manage both, and ended up postponing my MCAT. Biochem takes up a lot of time.


Sent from my iPhone using SDN mobile

Summer classes AND MCAT prep? Nope, nope, and triple nope!

I really hope it goes differently for me...my biochem class ends in the beginning of June so even if I stop or slow down MCAT studying significantly, I'll still have 3 more months of study time. My other summer class is a 1 credit lab, so I'm expecting it to not be too bad. I hope it won't be too bad. :/

 

[frosted_flake]

I am in the exact same boat as you (summer classes, working (FT), MCAT prep for a September test date)... feel free to PM me if you ever want to chat about the MCAT! I am using mcatjellys study plan. It looks doable at this point!

 

[El-Rami]

It looks doable at this point!

Wait till you start taking nonstop practice tests...

 

[Sardinia]

@matchmeifyoucan If you're not comfortable with reading western blot assays or interpreting a lot of applied Biochemistry topics, I suggest you get on those STAT. A summer biochemistry course is often rushed and will not do those topics justice in a regular course sitting seeing as how many of the concepts on the MCAT can be very applied. Check the MCAT thread on this site to see how other students saw it. I think consensus was that the experiential testing basis of the subject threw many students for a loop.

 

[matchmeifyoucan]

Wait till you start taking nonstop practice tests...

Why do you say that? I've always thought that taking practice tests was the best part about studying for any exam, including MCAT. Content review is the boring/laborious part.

@matchmeifyoucan If you're not comfortable with reading western blot assays or interpreting a lot of applied Biochemistry topics, I suggest you get on those STAT. A summer biochemistry course is often rushed and will not do those topics justice in a regular course sitting seeing as how many of the concepts on the MCAT can be very applied. Check the MCAT thread on this site to see how other students saw it. I think consensus was that the experiential testing basis of the subject threw many students for a loop.

Can you point me in the direction of this thread? There are several MCAT threads.

I used to read/make western blot assays when I was a research assistant in high school. And in college, we've gone over the procedure in biology lab several times. As for biochem topics, I already know some pathways by heart (e.g. the main pathway of catabolism, 2 side pathways of catabolism) because of my biology class (the same biology class my biochem professor taught). I don't know how relevant all this stuff I just wrote is to doing well in MCAT biochem. :/

 

[Sardinia]

@matchmeifyoucan
The general MCAT subforum.
The January MCAT Exam

 

[El-Rami]

Why do you say that? I've always thought that taking practice tests was the best part about studying for any exam, including MCAT. Content review is the boring/laborious part.

Content review is the easy part. If you pace yourself right, you should be reading over about 2 chapters a day in your review books while working passages (and stuff in the 1001 questions books that Examkrackers produces to help with retention). Anything more than that, and you are on the road to burnout.

However, with practice exams, you have to devote an entire 8-hour block to taking the exam on one day while reviewing every question explanation thoroughly the next. You can't do the exams piecemeal (i.e., breaking the exam up) or you won't learn how to cope with fatigue and stress. Reviewing exams can easily take another 8 hours.

Studying for the MCAT is a soul-sucking, laborious process. Many people underestimate just how much time it consumes to do it right.