The 07/17/09 MCAT Club

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computerdorkdan

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For those of us taking the test on the 17th of July.

Registration opens today...sometime today.

I'm nervous. 2 years of post-bacc, volunteering, pipetting (sp?) and counting flies all comes down to this.

Good luck everyone.
 
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Well, might as well say hello since I'll know I'll be here quite often! How are we all studying for this?

So far I've purchases the complete EK package and done the chemistry book + all odd numbered 1001 EK questions. I'm about halfway through the orgo book now. I hope to finish my first wave of content review by the end of April and then I'll go through it again but that time doing the 16-mini-MCATs offered by EK as I go through the appropriate sections.

No course for me. I'm thinking I'll study 3 hours a day come May, then step it up to 7 or so for the last two weeks of life in July?
 
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I stole this from the 7/2/09 thread (http://forums.studentdoctor.net/showthread.php?t=607963). Thanks rprasan1985!

Alright, so you want to take the MCAT. You've found the urge to be a doctor, or you're doing it because you're pre-med, didn't realize what you were signing up for, and feel it's too late to back out now😛.

You've figured out where you stand, how far you need to go, and decided that the best date to take the MCAT is the 2nd of July 2009 because:

I) You want to fall into the 'early application' bucket, but still want to postpone it as far out as possible (else you'd have registered for June 18th 😉)
II) You want to study your ass off over summer break, but still want to be done in time for the July 4th weekend
III) This is your second/third/fourth... attempt, and you've promised yourself this will be the lastest time everest.

Which of the above is/are true?

A) I only
B) I and II only
C) II and III only
D) I, II and III
E) None of the above, you crazy nerd. Stop wasting your time framing mindless questions and start studying already.
 
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I'll be taking this date. How long do you think I can wait before signing up to take it in Chicago or NYC? Taking it on this date depends on my summer plans, which I won't know for a month. How long is it safe to wait before it fills up?
 
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capn jazz said:
I'll be taking this date. How long do you think I can wait before signing up to take it in Chicago or NYC? Taking it on this date depends on my summer plans, which I won't know for a month. How long is it safe to wait before it fills up?
Click to expand...

Well, it's the testing centers that fill up, not the test itself. I have no idea how quickly this happens, esp in chitown or new york.
 
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90 days left! Awesome!

(God, I hate studying for the MCAT.)

I guess I'll add my study plan:

Bio: EK book + EK 1001 + TPR Science Workbook
Chem: TBR + TPR Science Workbook
Physics: TBR + TPR Science Workbook
OChem: EK + TPR Science workbook
Verbal: EK + EK 101

During the last month of studying, I'll be taking AAMC 3-10 and finishing up whatever practice problems I have left between TPR Science Workbook/EK 1001 bio/TBR.
 
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Yep this is my day. Can't believe it's finally coming. I remember reading this forum three years ago and saying, "Wow, it will suck when I take the MCAT, atleast I have alot of time until then..." how wrong I was. Can't believe I'm only like three months out. AHHHH.

Using Exam Krackers and their Audio Osmosis.
 
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I applied for the fee assistance program and am waiting for my results before I can register.... hopefully seats will still be available!
 
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I'll be taking it 7/17, but in New Jersey. My best friend is taking it this date as well in Philly. I've been using ExamKrackers and the Kaplan and Barron's at review books, plus a few of the AAMC past MCATs.

Anyone else taking it in Jersey?
 
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Taking the test in Philly! Wanted to sign up for May 28, but that was out the window the moment I realized that there is nothing open in the tri-state area for that date, let alone the next month. Super procrastination powers, activate! Why I thought that I could get the date I want a month in advance befuddles me. Chalk this one up to complete inexperience. Note to self, be a TAD more neurotic. Good luck everyone!! :luck:
 
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Add me to the list for 7/17. I took on 3/28 and was blown away by how diff. it was from the practice exams. I plan on redoing content review using a diff. method this time (Kaplan premier program 1st time around). I will use EK this time, hopefully it will give me a diff. view on the material. I will be taking in Atlanta.
 
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Hey everyone, I am officially signed up for the 7/17 exam after officially voiding yesterday's (5/2) exam! 🙄
 
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I originally signed up for 5/28 then .... 6/18 and now .... 7/17. I plan to stick to this date. I will be taking the test in good ol' VA. I using Kaplan books and online resources.
 
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hey guys, so where does everyone stand in terms of studying? i know we still have 2 months, but it might help to know if we are on the right pace.
 
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thylonious said:
hey guys, so where does everyone stand in terms of studying? i know we still have 2 months, but it might help to know if we are on the right pace.
Click to expand...

Well, I read all the EK books in March. Did some of the problems...essentially got a feel for all the material. Spent April doing physiology hard-core since I'd never had it before. This last two months is going to be Berkeley Review Physics and Chem and some combination of EK and my physiology book for Bio. I'm not going to focus on Organic much - I taught it this past year as a supplemental course at school, so I'm pretty well versed in it. I'll start doing AAMC tests toward the end of the month. Maybe 2 a week.
 
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i'm lookin to increase my score from 30 to around 33-35 range, but have done minimal studying so far except for going over my note cards daily that i created when i took the mcat last year. i'm kinda weak on orgo so i'll start reviewing for that now.
 
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computerdorkdan said:
Registration opens today...sometime today.
Click to expand...

say what? Isn't registration just booking the test? I booked mine 2 months ago... but then again, I live in Canada.

I'm also writing the test in July 17th, 8am! It's gonna be a glorious day when I walk out those testing doors to a case of 24 ready to go in the back of my truck. There's gonna be some unacceptable amount of inebriation going down that night. If anybody wants to join it, give me a hollah.
 
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No way. I'm REALLY close to being done with physics, and then it's full lengths/practice Q deluge time.
 
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I'll probably never feel ready. That's just me. I'm on schedule. That's as good as it'll get.

3 verbal passages / day. Finishing BR physics tomorrow. Practice test. Then onto BR Chem. Practice test. Then quick BR Organic. Practice test. Some bio. Then practice tests to test day. And as much running as I can squeeze in.
 
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Where are the 7/17 ppl?? 1 month left and this post is DEAD! Is everyone done with their content review and moving on to practice?


That would be awesome if I was the only one in my testing center taking this exam. No distractions and I could be as loud as I want!!! 😀
 
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Conchords18 said:
Where are the 7/17 ppl?? 1 month left and this post is DEAD! Is everyone done with their content review and moving on to practice?

That would be awesome if I was the only one in my testing center taking this exam. No distractions and I could be as loud as I want!!! 😀
Click to expand...

I just finished my content review last week. Took it easy over the weekend and starting doing practice problems this week.

I'm taking my practice problems from a combination of paper tests and the EK 1001 series of books. I got to thinking today about trying to do all 1001 physics and bio problems from those books. It's be about 30/day at this point. I just might try it. Yes, I'm a masochist.

I've taken 2 AAMC exams, 3 & 4. I was in the 10's for BS and PS which made me happy since that was before I was done with content review. Verbal was 10 for one and 6 (CRAP!) for the other. I attribute the 6 to the fact I took the test in the lab with tons of distractions and almost no sleep the night before.

So, that's where I'm at. Practice, practice, practice.
 
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Conchords18 said:
Where are the 7/17 ppl?? 1 month left and this post is DEAD! Is everyone done with their content review and moving on to practice?


That would be awesome if I was the only one in my testing center taking this exam. No distractions and I could be as loud as I want!!! 😀
Click to expand...

I finished my re-review yesterday and will start taking tests prob. tom (need a day to rest). I did horrible on the 3/28 exam...so this is my 2nd time taking this exam. I am a nontrad with my PharmD and really, really do not want to have to reapply. GL to everyone.
 
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My plan right now is to take a few of the old AAMC paper practice tests to get used to the AAMC questions. Let me tell you those are draining. They take over 6 hours to finish (including breaks). It takes me 3-4 hours to go over each section after I'm done.

I don't really know if I am being too slow in grading. I don't get how people can take a practice test every day. On average, how long does it usually take you to review each CBT practice exam?
 
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I'm taking AAMC 3 tomorrow hopefully! I just have to get through a few more Gen Chem/Bio passages to re-review the stuff I studied a month ago.
 
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I'm going to finish content review by the end of this week, and then on to AAMC tests, full-length section tests, and just practice for the next four weeks! Verbal is my weakness, so I just started doing a section test every other day to work on my pacing and strategy.
 
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Anyone getting mid 30's on their AAMC practice tests? I see people post those kind of scores from time to time and it really freaks me out since my first 2 were not in the 30's...

Sigh.
 
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wow, we are all one month from the exam!

I am hoping to finish up all my content review in the next couple of days, then go through some quick content review for 3-4 days before I begin tackling Kaplan FL's and AAMC FL's.

So far, I have only taken on Kaplan FL's. Any advice if I should take a Kaplan FL first, or dive right into the AAMC FL's?

Thanks, and good luck with all your studying everyone!!
 
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I'm in, maybe. Took the nasty 5/28 test and subsequently signed up for 7/17. Still burned out though and can't bear to start re-studying until scores come out 6/30. Took all the AAMCs and am out of practice tests... any ideas?

And some advice: KNOW YOUR GENETICS. This killed me. Be thoroughly familiar with penetrance, incomplete dominance, hetero/homo/hemizygous, everything. My puny little punnett squares were inadequate for the questions I got. Also be aware that the calculations in PS are more frequent and harder. There were very few easy conceptual questions, seems like everything had a quantitative answer, and I ran short on time.
 
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echidna said:
I'm in, maybe. Took the nasty 5/28 test and subsequently signed up for 7/17. Still burned out though and can't bear to start re-studying until scores come out 6/30. Took all the AAMCs and am out of practice tests... any ideas?

And some advice: KNOW YOUR GENETICS. This killed me. Be thoroughly familiar with penetrance, incomplete dominance, hetero/homo/hemizygous, everything. My puny little punnett squares were inadequate for the questions I got. Also be aware that the calculations in PS are more frequent and harder. There were very few easy conceptual questions, seems like everything had a quantitative answer, and I ran short on time.
Click to expand...

Were the quantitative answers at least far enough apart you could ballpark the math?
 
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For those done with content review, did you simple read through EK or kaplan once? How did you all do content review and how long did it take?
 
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I've read through EK once and I think I'm already forgetting stuff. Is this how everyone feels or is it just me? Haha
 
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Sach said:
For those done with content review, did you simple read through EK or kaplan once? How did you all do content review and how long did it take?
Click to expand...

I read through all of EK back in Feb/Mar. Then I spent a month learning physiology for the first time. Then I worked through (not just read) the BR phy/orgo/chem books - that took about a month. Now I'm doing problems.

And yeah, I feel like I'm forgetting too much already.
 
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computerdorkdan said:
I read through all of EK back in Feb/Mar. Then I spent a month learning physiology for the first time. Then I worked through (not just read) the BR phy/orgo/chem books - that took about a month. Now I'm doing problems.

And yeah, I feel like I'm forgetting too much already.
Click to expand...

in what order did you do BR books? Did you do lecture 1 gen chem then lecture 1 phys next day etc etc. How did you follow them?
 
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computerdorkdan said:
Were the quantitative answers at least far enough apart you could ballpark the math?
Click to expand...

A lot of them I don't think were ballparkable- I often had trouble just figuring out how to do the calculations in the first place. If I had enough I think I would have been ok, but despite generally finishing with 20 minutes to spare I ran out of time because of the calcs.
 
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Conchords18 said:
Wow, that's great! What is your strategy to get a 12 in Verbal? Do you take notes on each paragraph?
Click to expand...

Honestly, my verbal strategy is just to focus on the passage and read it through, and then to immediately answer the questions. I don't write anything down or highlight anything. I've done a ton of practice passages from the EK Verbal 101 book AND the TPR Hyperlearning Verbal Workbook - improving verbal is all about practice. While I don't take notes, doing tons of passages means that when I'm reading a passage my brain is in the background going "Ok, so the author thinks this" or "So the author is hostile towards that" - basically characterizing what the author thinks as I read, but without pausing and doing so purposefully. When I read answer choices, doing tons of practice really helps you eliminate answers that just aren't MCAT-style. I try to do 3-4 practice passages a day and review the answers the next day.

As far as what books I used - the books that are recommended all over this board, especially by SN2ed:
Gen Chem: TBR
Physics: TBR
Bio: EK + EK 1001
OChem: Okay, I deviate here - I use EK cause I have the book, but when I looked at the breakdown of percent correct by subject, I got 85% of Chem right, 84% of physics right, 90% of bio right, and an awful 71% of Ochem right - so I will be beefing up on OChem in the next month. I wish I had used TBR for OChem but it's too late to do anything about that now.

I'll be reviewing my test tomorrow and taking another FL Friday...
 
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Sach said:
I've read through EK once and I think I'm already forgetting stuff. Is this how everyone feels or is it just me? Haha
Click to expand...

Yeah I still have another week and a half of content review and I'm already feeling as though some of the earlier stuff is slipping out haha I think it's a pretty normal feeling considering the huge amount of material
 
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I'm joining you all as well. Took it on 5/1/09. Not happy ( 9 V!, 12 P, 11 B). Praying to a higher power that I can squeeze out 3 more points!:xf:🙂 (I REALLY want into a good mstp program). Any other retakers?

FYI. First time around- Used EK Set, 101 verbal (did about 2/3 of the tests), audio osmosis and all but 2 of the AAMC exams.

As of two weeks ago I started running through the Princeton review course books (I just got a set of the books from a friend, not taking the course). I'm planning on doing a LOT of verbal work between now and the 17th. I'm sooo cramped for time though. Applications... research... BLAH. I can't wait to kick this things ass.
 
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