SummerInternships and the MCAT

[lost]

I'm planning on taking the MCAT'S this summer. I was told by a lot of seniors to only concentrate on the MCAT's and not do anything else...except maybe take a course or so.
I don't know if this will look bad. Should I try and fit both, an internship and the MCAT's during the summer...i'm just worried this might have an effect on my studying and I really need a good score to compensate for my lackluster GPA(low 3).
Is there anything else i can do over the summer....suggestions?
Thanks

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[Doctora Foxy]

maybe you could volunteer ina hospital/clinic for a few hours a week (like 5?). This would give you an extra experience and plenty of time to study....however,I don't reccomend taking the mcats in august unless you have to..you want to maximize your chances of getting accepted by applying early, esp if you dont have a great gpa...i learned this the hard way

 

[lost]

But isn't it better to take it this summer, since everything is still fresh in my mind(not that I have learned much).
How will taking it this summer hurt my chances unless I do very bad?

 

[Doctora Foxy]

I think it would be better to take it this april. The only way it could hurt your chances is because the scores don't come back till mid october, and people start applyoing in july....other students will have been reviewed before you. I applied late and i have only had 2 interviews because of it (i think that's part of the reason, at least )
But if you have everything else ready to go by october and all you're waiting for are your scores, it should be ok

 

[SMW]

I think that with your GPA, you're giving yourself too many negatives (low GPA and late arriving MCAT scores). I think, all things being equal, taking the August MCAT isn't too much of a disadvantage, but if you're also trying to overcome a low GPA, then it could spell major trouble. Of course, you want to do as well as possible on the MCAT, and if you can't do that in April, then you have to take the August MCAT. I would concentrate on the MCAT and not do the internship, if the internship means working full time. You need to be studying full time for the MCAT. You'll need some awesome MCAT scores to make up for the GPA. And you won't know what your scores are until you're well into the application process (read: have spent LOTS of money, and EVEN MORE time). If I were you I'd take the August MCAT (and NOT do the internship, unless it's pretty low hours/laidback), take another year off, and apply next application cycle.

 

[rajneel1]

i know people that only did the MCAT 40 hours a week and that didn't seem to hurt them when it came to admissions. personally, that would drive me crazy. but the MCAT is hard and you have to really dedicate the time. first summer i tried to take it i couldn't cause i was working full time and trying to plan a trip to africa. the second summer, i was doing research like 20-30 hours a week and was able to take the MCAT. basically, i took kaplan twice.
i suggest doing soemthing lightweight like a few hours of volunteer work a week. just to keep you sane!
also, i would recommend taking the MCAT in august, if you do bad then retake in april, and apply in june. for example: take aug 2000 MCAT and/or retake april 2001 and apply june 2001 for entering 2002 class. doing the august MCAT while you are applying is very stressful cause you don't know your scores but can't afford to wait for them. a friend of mine got messed up because of this during this application year. good luck.

 

[leorl]

I tried that the summer of my sophomore year. I tried doing a summer internship and studying for the MCAT to take it in August. It did not work!!! I studied, but not nearly enough. Come August, I looked at a practice exam and was like @#$! and knew I'd do poorly, so I pulled out. It depends what you can handle. Not only do you need time, but you're really not motivated to study when you've just come from a long day at work, it's warm, and all your friends are off having fun.

 

[dukeblue01]

I did an intership in the hospital (cancer center) for 30-40 hours a week and took the MCAT during 2000 summer. I did well. I really don't think that you can study non-stop all day for the MCAT. Better to do something productive for most of the day and then study MCAT for 4 hours at night. Class counts, so on those nights, go to class and only study two hours. Enjoy your weekends and try to fit 8 hours of studying in somewhere. I think that your internship and MCAT can be done without question. I find I work better with a full day of work and a need to schedule and organize. Just my thoughts!

 

[alice]

it depends how you study - i wouldn't take any fulltime internships, or if i did, i'd do it well before i started studying. i took the mcat the summer before i applied, and so the late arrival didn't apply. i was in africa for the first month of the summer and then came home to hit the books for six weeks. worked for me.

if you're worried about your gpa, maybe you should think about applying after you graduate - another year of good grades, plus more opportunity to do something interesting that will perk up your application. then, it also gets rid of your summer/spring mcat dilemma.

 

[lost]

I just wanted to mention that I'm a sophomore...so I will not be applying till next year.
Thanks for all the input!

 

[DarkChild]

i honestly didnt think it was a big deal to work and study for the MCAT.
I was doing research in a lab for maybe 30-40 hours a week. studied for the MCATs in my spare time. I did fine (35R). but for me what really did it was that in the last week before the exam I studied straight. 5 hours of sleep. didnt talk to anyone...
I think it all depends on how well you can buckle down and handle stress.
Taking it as a sophomore isnt a bad idea - I did that too. it really took the pressure off, cuz I knew that even if I fu**ed up big time, I could still take it again (and even again) before application time. I might add though that upper level bio/chem classes might help quite a bit. I know i definately did for me. So if you've got some upper level classes under your belt - go for it, nothing to lose. otherwise, hold off until you cover more ground.