taking mcat on September 4th with so little time to study

[immanuel11421]

---

Members do not see this ad.

Hi

I am currently taking my Organic Chemistry 2 for the Summer session 1 and then will take Physics 2 for Summer session 2. These are my last 2 pre-med prerequisite.

I purposedly take leave and absence from work for 3 months to finish my pre-med and to take my Mcat in September so that I can still have a chance to apply for admission of 2010.

But now I realize that I really have no room to breathe with my intensive Summer pre-med course and I really do not have a chance to practice/ study the Mcat stuff. I know that my summer class is part of the mcat but I really need to study other subject esp verbal since English is not my first language.

By the time that all my summer classes is done, I only have about 4 weeks left to study for mcat.

I am already 31 years old.
Should I take the mcat anyway this September even if I have so little time to focus on mcat practice?
I know September is very late for most school that does rolling basis but I figure I still have a slim chance of getting in if I at least give it a try.

***How bad is it if I end up not doing well in September mcat and have to retake mcat 2nd time next year? Will that hurt me badly for taking it 2nd time?
My undergraduate GPA was very low( 2.85) to begin with even though all my post-bac science GPA is 4.0. So I really need to shine in my mcat.

Anyone ever do well spending only 4 weeks to study mcat?

Should I even bother taking mcat in September since it's so late?
**Anyone know anybody ever gotten into medical school taking mcat in September?

The only school that I know which do not do rolling basis is Columbia but I believe I have to get above 36 for mcat to be considered. Anyone know anybody who gotten into Columbia medical school for lower mcat score?

 

[Omni]

It's all about time management. Since orgo and physics II are going to be on there, you pretty much have like a quarter of your sciences done. Can't you spend about 1 hour doing gen chem and bio daily?

Also, if you want to apply in the 2010 cycle, you can still take the MCAT upto May 2010 at the latest. By june 2010 you'll have your results and you can start applying by then.

 

[sportsfreak]

well 4 weeks is doable...i started studying for mcats around May 15 and I have my mcats this thursday, while i don't have my scores yet I have been scoring consistently in the 30s in practice so 1 month has been enough...physics II should be pretty fresh when u take mcats since u are studyign it this summer and that more heavily tested then physics I...i guess it also depends on how much of the subjects u already know
I can't say anything about the gpa since I have never taken post-bac classes and don't know how adcoms look at them
One thing I would make sure to check would be if september MCAT is not too late, I don't remember from where I heard this from but there are some schools who will take August MCAT as the last MCAT for the application year...I guess you could contact the schools you are intereseted in to find out
hope this helps

 

[immanuel11421]

Can someone tell me that if it's almost impossible to get into US med-school for 2010 if I take MCAT so late in September?

I have been looking at the material and am really stress about having so little time to prepare and there's no point to stress and torture myself to take it in September if it's too late. I am working and taking my Organic 2 now and already feel pretty burnt out and doing Physics 2 right after.
I would then take it in January and apply for 2011.
I hate to wait another year but don't want to risk having a bad record taking it in September if there's not more than 40% chance of even getting reviewed by schools which still have vacant spot in September.
By the way, I heard that St george in Granada has much later deadline for their Fa2010 admission. I could take MCAT in January and still can apply in time for their 2010admission. Is it worth going there to save one year delay?

 

[UVAbme2009]

Don't bother applying this year. MCAT in September is complete in October. There will be a handful of schools that have already handed out all interview invites, and many that have handed out a significant fraction. Unless you are an absolutely stellar applicant, you probably won't do well. Even if you are a stellar applicant, it will still be very hard for you.

 

[Longshanks]

Also, if you want to apply in the 2010 cycle, you can still take the MCAT upto May 2010 at the latest. By june 2010 you'll have your results and you can start applying by then.

School's don't accept MCATs after September '09 for the 2010 cycle, with the few school's that accept the January exam. The current cycle now in the 2010 cycle.

 

[acridknight]

My personal opinion is that you apply once and do so only in the year where you're organized and best prepared. I would wait until next year, but if your age is pressuring you to apply this year, than that's something you need to weigh against possibly not being successful this year... and having to reapply again in the future as a reapplicant (where you'll have the added pressure to argue for how you've improved).

btw, i presume that you don't yet have your personal statement, letters of rec, or amcas filled out? That will also delay you (these do take a lot of time), so you will be pushing it to apply this year.

By the way, I heard that St george in Granada has much later deadline for their Fa2010 admission. I could take MCAT in January and still can apply in time for their 2010admission. Is it worth going there to save one year delay?

St. George is a non-US allo. This is a whole different story... don't apply just b/c it accepts a later MCAT. Check out the foreign allo forums for the many disadvantages... non LCME grads, on average, have a tough time getting residencies other than primary care.

 

[wHosDatgurL430]

well 4 weeks is doable...i started studying for mcats around May 15 and I have my mcats this thursday, while i don't have my scores yet I have been scoring consistently in the 30s in practice so 1 month has been enough...physics II should be pretty fresh when u take mcats since u are studyign it this summer and that more heavily tested then physics I...i guess it also depends on how much of the subjects u already know
I can't say anything about the gpa since I have never taken post-bac classes and don't know how adcoms look at them
One thing I would make sure to check would be if september MCAT is not too late, I don't remember from where I heard this from but there are some schools who will take August MCAT as the last MCAT for the application year...I guess you could contact the schools you are intereseted in to find out
hope this helps

If you dont mind me askin, what study materials did u use??

 

[immanuel11421]

I am planning to use Examkracker & Kaplan. But I guess your question is not directing towards me.

 

[immanuel11421]

' but if your age is pressuring you to apply this year, than that's something you need to weigh against possibly not being successful this year... and having to reapply again in the future as a reapplicant (where you'll have the added pressure to argue for how you've improved).'

--That's my main concern. So, are u saying that if I take mcat in this September and not do well will have a very bad effect on my future application even if I retake the mcat next year and do really well?

'btw, i presume that you don't yet have your personal statement, letters of rec, or amcas filled out?
--I did have my personal statement saved up and also have most of letters of rec but haven't filled out anything on amcas yet.How long it takes them to process all that if I can fill out in a day?


'St. George is a non-US allo. This is a whole different story... don't apply just b/c it accepts a later MCAT. '
--What about DO school? Do u think they also have handed out all their interviews by Spetember?

 

[mokamadness]

well 4 weeks is doable....i guess it also depends on how much of the subjects u already know

I would agree with Sportsfreak that time isn't necessarily an issue, but the preparation might be. I studied for mine for two weeks and did pretty decently, however, I took the more difficult courses/teachers throughout undergrad so reviewing the material wasn't as intense. September is pretty late to be starting with the MCAT for this year's application cycle though...

 

[TobiasFunkeMDFACS]

Much older people go to med school and do just fine. If you apply this year and don't get it, you might not be motivated to reapply. It's better to wait a year. In the long run, you'll get what you want. good luck 🙂

The average applicant prepares for the MCAT for much longer than four weeks. Unless you know everything really well (which could be true), you should think twice before rushing in. You don't want a 22 on your record.

 

[Zoom-Zoom]

Don't take the September MCAT. The AAMC will be happy to accept your $250 donation but there's no reason they should be offering it this late in the season, it gives the impression that you can take it in Sept and still apply sucessfully. You will be so late in the cycle taking it in Spetember, it's not worth your money. You might be lucky enough to get interviews by Feb/March and placed on some waitlists, but expect to re-apply next year before you have any solid news from this cycle. It's a big, time-consuming, expensive gamble. Just my 2 cents.

 

[MossPoh]

I took my first MCAT without organic II and actually did well. The small fraction of organic II stuff on there is pretty easy to teach to yourself. September 4th is just so late to take the test. You get your score back in october. By the time you get secondaries and start the ball really rolling it is mid to late october. Some people already have acceptances at that point!