The Mcat exam is quite hard.....

[Mount Sinai]

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I am just a freshman. i have been surveying "bread-and-butter" mcat materials. in other words, these materials are not from the test prep giants we have come to love. in looking at some practice tests, i have realized several things:

1. The mcat is very general with few recall questions
2. If you don't know something, use outside info.
3. Graphs are confusing.

I was particularly looking at the bio section and skimming and sipping Starbucks when i saw the question about which enzyme activated trypsinogen to trypsin. i looked at the question and crossed 2 out....😛
The two left were foreign. from what I remember from EK was entrokinase...something from the brush border....but i was given eneteropepsidase.......but i was not aware they were the same thing.

This has made me realize that experience and backgorund are very important in preparing for the mcat.

Yes....i better start preparing now...

 

[411309]

seems kind of like overkill to prepare for the mcat your freshman year of college. enjoy your freshman year then worry about the mcat later on. As a freshman you probably haven't even had all the pre reqs yet..I took the MCAT with only having a few pre req classes and no studying...It was not a fun experience..But if you take all the pre reqs, work hard in all of them and LEARN the material then you won't have to do too much mcat studying because you'll have a limited number of weak areas.

 

[liveoak]

mcat has plenty of recall questions (wish i could get into specifics here, but i would prolly go to jail). it's a hard test because it tests so much.

and yes, you are studying way to early. relax.

 

[411309]

When I was a freshman I thought "atom" was a guy's name, and now people are already studying for the mcat their freshman year of college..Times are changing.

 

[BurntFlower]

As a freshman, you should worry about getting As, start doing some good ECs, and get some clinical experience. Worry about the MCAT when you're a junior.

 

[Mount Sinai]

I understand. The thing that sucks is that i have a very strong biology background and an average chem background. I go to a community college and am planning to transfer, but i need to prep myself hard for university of wherever I decide to go.....

Making a very high score on the mcat and going oos is very important to me. thanks for all your insights..

 

[Mount Sinai]

As a freshman, you should worry about getting As, start doing some good ECs, and get some clinical experience. Worry about the MCAT when you're a junior.

ECs will come in the second semester as I hopefully quit my ****ty retail job at Walgreens and get certification as a CNA. I feel that I have a lot to deal with as well....so...🙄

 

[BurntFlower]

ECs will come in the second semester as I hopefully quit my ****ty retail job at Walgreens and get certification as a CNA. I feel that I have a lot to deal with as well....so...🙄

You still have plenty of time for ECs. And I believe your job experience will be beneficial to your application as well.

 

[Chrome19]

I am just a freshman. i have been surveying "bread-and-butter" mcat materials. in other words, these materials are not from the test prep giants we have come to love. in looking at some practice tests, i have realized several things:

1. The mcat is very general with few recall questions
2. If you don't know something, use outside info.
3. Graphs are confusing.

I was particularly looking at the bio section and skimming and sipping Starbucks when i saw the question about which enzyme activated trypsinogen to trypsin. i looked at the question and crossed 2 out....😛
The two left were foreign. from what I remember from EK was entrokinase...something from the brush border....but i was given eneteropepsidase.......but i was not aware they were the same thing.

This has made me realize that experience and backgorund are very important in preparing for the mcat.

Yes....i better start preparing now...

The general idea is that cleavage of pre-enzyme can activate it, especially zymogens. Kinases will phosphorylate while peptidases will cleave. So enteropeptidase makes more sense.

 

[shaggybill]

This has made me realize that experience and backgorund are very important in preparing for the mcat.

And take it from those of us who have experience in taking the MCAT. Prepping for the MCAT now is a waste of time. Focus on getting good grades in your pre-reqs. THAT is how you can be preparing for this exam. Otherwise you're just going to get overwhelmed and discouraged.

 

[KindofBlue]

More than likely if it's material that you've never seen before, it's explained in the passage. It may be just a single sentence or even just a few words hidden in the passage, but it will be there. Not sure what kind of material it was that you were looking, but at least with AAMC FLs, or the MCAT, I never had a problem solving questions that "seemed" to have outside material, because there weren't really any.
So my rule is, if you don't know something (unless it is something that you know you are supposed to), re-read the passage.

 

[Cinclus]

Finish your med school prereqs before looking at any MCAT stuff. You will stress yourself out unnecessarily.

 

[flodhi1]

As a freshman, you should worry about getting As, start doing some good ECs, and get some clinical experience. Worry about the MCAT when you're a junior.

+1

To add to it you're just wasting your time and energy on the MCAT right now. We have all been in your shoes so trust me listen to these guys.

 

[APrioriAporia]

And take it from those of us who have experience in taking the MCAT. Prepping for the MCAT now is a waste of time. Focus on getting good grades in your pre-reqs. THAT is how you can be preparing for this exam. Otherwise you're just going to get overwhelmed and discouraged.

This.

Learning the material in your prereq classes and developing critical thinking skills can go a long way.

 

[Mount Sinai]

Thanks guys. I really appreciate it.

 

[WSOXFAN]

I think I would've gone nuts if I knew about studentdoctor during my freshman year of college (or really anytime before my senior year of college). Do well in school, but also ENJOY YOURSELF! Keep yourself balanced as a person. Do not do everything in your life because you think it would look good on a med school application.

 

[Temperature101]

I had a cardiologist who told me that the MCAT is more intense and difficult than the USMLE...Don't know how true that is.

 

[CodeRedDew]

I had a cardiologist who told me that the MCAT is more intense and difficult than the USMLE...Don't know how true that is.

I was told this also...not from a cardiologist, but a thoracic surgeon.