Taking a gap year... when to take MCAT?

[epc11]

I've cut down my options to the early May after my senior year (my semester ends in late April) or the end of the summer before my senior year. If I chose the first option, I would be studying for the MCAT on a light course load (<8 credits). If I chose the second option, I would be studying without having to worry about school, but I would be working (either a part time normal job or doing research: ~30 hrs/wk). With regards to classes taken... I would have all my prereqs complete by the end of junior year (closing out with O Chem 2), but I wouldn't be taking Biochem and maybe physiology until senior year. Any opinions?

And is doing option 2 (summer before senior year) for the reason of having another opportunity (after senior year) to take the MCAT if I don't like my score a valid reason?

Thank you.

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[Drrrrrr. Celty]

If your goal is to get accepted and have a gap year than you probably don't want to wait till after your senior year is done to take the mcat. You'll probably be in the best position if you spend the entire summer and then around August take it for the first time. And if you need to improve your score, then you've got plenty of time.

 

[epc11]

i guess that my main question is essentially: would taking the mcat without biochem and physiology be rushing it, when I know I would have another opportunity later on?

 

[epc11]

any other opinions?

 

[Tots]

I am senior right now and planning to take a gap year. I took the MCAT in the summer(only took MCAT classes and volunteered/worked on some long term projects) and it was the best decision ever. I had time to study for the MCAT without stressing myself. I had time to de-stress and take days off from studying without having to worry about class or work. Overall it worked very well and I highly recommend it. Taking it in the summer will also allow you to prepare your application materials your senior year knowing where you stand numbers wise. You can start working on your school list earlier and really be prepared to apply early. Finding out you have to retake it also won't set you back as much as if you waited.

 

[BHaus9]

i guess that my main question is essentially: would taking the mcat without biochem and physiology be rushing it, when I know I would have another opportunity later on?

No, I don't think those classes are necessary to succeed on the MCAT. Would it help? Possibly. But I also agree it would be prudent to allow yourself time for a retake.

 

[maybemed2013]

I suggest taken it the summer before you apply that way you can took off the whole summer and focus on the mcat.

 

[flodhi1]

i guess that my main question is essentially: would taking the mcat without biochem and physiology be rushing it, when I know I would have another opportunity later on?

Those classes will definitely help you on the BS section and not only that but sort of gear you towards critical thinking. Yes, it is true that they are not requirements but anyone that tells you that they will "possibly" help you is completely incorrect. Both those classes WILL DEFINITELY help you. You are not in a hurry to become a physician, this planet is not getting destroyed as we speak. Therefore, take your time and complete those core classes. Some medical schools have set Biochemistry as a pre-req. There is a reason why they have set it as a pre-req and I truly believe that it makes a difference when you take the MCAT. Even your first semester in medical school WILL BE Biochemistry. Take the advantage of your undergrad while you are still at home to complete these essential courses and then take the MCAT. You will thank me in the end. 2 passages out of my BS section on the MCAT were straight Biochemistry passages, 1 genetics and 1 Physiology the rest was Organic Chemistry. I can tell you this much that if I had not taken Biochemistry, Genetics and Physiology then the exam would have been a lot harder for me. Either way Good luck!

 

[BHaus9]

Those classes will definitely help you on the BS section and not only that but sort of gear you towards critical thinking. Yes, it is true that they are not requirements but anyone that tells you that they will "possibly" help you is completely incorrect. Both those classes WILL DEFINITELY help you. You are not in a hurry to become a physician, this planet is not getting destroyed as we speak. Therefore, take your time and complete those core classes. Some medical schools have set Biochemistry as a pre-req. There is a reason why they have set it as a pre-req and I truly believe that it makes a difference when you take the MCAT. Even your first semester in medical school WILL BE Biochemistry. Take the advantage of your undergrad while you are still at home to complete these essential courses and then take the MCAT. You will thank me in the end. 2 passages out of my BS section on the MCAT were straight Biochemistry passages, 1 genetics and 1 Physiology the rest was Organic Chemistry. I can tell you this much that if I had not taken Biochemistry, Genetics and Physiology then the exam would have been a lot harder for me. Either way Good luck!

You're right, it's desirable to have as thorough a grounding in the relevant concepts as possible, but it was my experience that any and all physio and biochem topics addressed on the MCAT were covered at some point in my two semesters of general bio. While upper-level courses may allow for more extensive review, they also present a lot of extraneous details, and the MCAT's treatment of these concepts was superficial enough that a review book from one of the prep companies (coupled with a little personal initiative) should be adequate. Otherwise, the picture would be pretty grim for those of us who did not major in the life sciences...

Once again, if the OP is intent on applying his or her senior year, it would be prudent to allow time for a possible retake, as I feel that familiarity with testing conditions and/or the style of the CBT is far and away more important than taking any particular undergraduate class.

 

[BenzylAcetate]

I would take it at the end of your senior year. If you take the late-April/early-May administration you should have your score right as the AMCAS opens up, so you'll still be able to get everything in early.

I took the MCAT in late may after my junior year and applied during my senior year. I had a similarly light course load (17 credits, 3 of which were online) and had no problems studying. In fact I didn't really devote much time to it until March, with the bulk of my time spent taking practice tests in May. The only problem you might run into is avoiding burnout as you take practice tests. For me the most valuable time was taking all of the computer based AAMC tests. However, they eat up a lot of time and I would not want to feel overly stressed from studying for finals and trying to take practice tests. Depending on how your finals schedule looks and the difficulty of the 8 credits you're taking, this could be very doable.

 

[kkuhn]

In my mind, there is no question. The summer before your senior year.

I took a gap year, and that is what I did. Keep in mind that you will be applying during the summer after you graduate. You'll be writing essays, filling out applications, all that jazz. Thinking back on my own experience, it would have been really hard to be studying for the MCAT at the same time as all that.

I don't think you need to take biochem or physiology classes to do well on the MCAT. As long as you have a good base of basic bio/chem/orgo, prep books/classes will teach you everything you really need to know.

I, at least, didn't have any physiology, anatomy, or anything like that before taking the MCAT, and I did pretty well.

 

[Drrrrrr. Celty]

I would take it at the end of your senior year. If you take the late-April/early-May administration you should have your score right as the AMCAS opens up, so you'll still be able to get everything in early.

I took the MCAT in late may after my junior year and applied during my senior year. I had a similarly light course load (17 credits, 3 of which were online) and had no problems studying. In fact I didn't really devote much time to it until March, with the bulk of my time spent taking practice tests in May. The only problem you might run into is avoiding burnout as you take practice tests. For me the most valuable time was taking all of the computer based AAMC tests. However, they eat up a lot of time and I would not want to feel overly stressed from studying for finals and trying to take practice tests. Depending on how your finals schedule looks and the difficulty of the 8 credits you're taking, this could be very doable.

But if you could dedicate an entire summer to mcat studying and enough time to retake, would you prefer that schedule? In all honesty mcat sucess is based purely on the amount of time you spend studying and you can get all the biochem and physiology from a prep book. Not to say that you should take it anyways, just that it isn't completely required.

 

[JESSFALLING]

If you wait until you graduate to take the MCAT you will end up applying later in the cycle. I think that you should attempt to knock out the MCAT early so that you'll be ready to apply in June. Personally, I would take it in Dec-April of my senior year if I was in your situation. You could use the summer before to get your study material organized (and maybe do a brief content review).

 

[BenzylAcetate]

But if you could dedicate an entire summer to mcat studying and enough time to retake, would you prefer that schedule? In all honesty mcat sucess is based purely on the amount of time you spend studying and you can get all the biochem and physiology from a prep book. Not to say that you should take it anyways, just that it isn't completely required.

I wouldn't really call it a full summer. Working 30+ hours a week would be a significantly larger time commitment than taking 8 credits of coursework (for me at least), so from that standpoint after senior year would be better.

I also don't like the idea of approaching standardized tests with the thought of retaking in the back of my mind. The next standardized test after the MCAT is Step 1, which if failed and retaken will significantly impact future career prospects. Why not adopt the mentality that you only have the one opportunity early on?