The Official 3/23/13 MCAT Thread

[Redpancreas]

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Figured I'd start this one out. I'll be registering for the MCAT first thing tomorrow. Who else is taking it on this date? How do you all plan on studying over the school year?

 

[hope2b62a]

Doing ok, plowing myself back into schoolwork.

Same here. Still trying to decide if I should restrain myself the day the scores are released before logging in...😀

 

[Entadus]

Me want scoar🙁🙁

 

[Captain Sisko]

Me want scoar🙁🙁

+1 👍

20 days.

10-17 till we hear back about the trial section. anyone else actually try to do well on it? i finished all the questions with about 20 min to spare, checked once and left with 15 min to go.

 

[Albein]

+1 👍

20 days.

10-17 till we hear back about the trial section. anyone else actually try to do well on it? i finished all the questions with about 20 min to spare, checked once and left with 15 min to go.

Your countdown is more or less in sync with mine :/

 

[NuttyEngDude]

Me want scoar🙁🙁

👍

+1 👍

20 days.

10-17 till we hear back about the trial section. anyone else actually try to do well on it? i finished all the questions with about 20 min to spare, checked once and left with 15 min to go.

I tried to, yes. I didnt think my trial section was that bad.

Your countdown is more or less in sync with mine :/

I would "tune out" a few days before the test, you want everything to be smooth sailing leading to your test day, no surprises, no jitters, no drama, or anything that can come close to it.

 

[Albein]

I would "tune out" a few days before the test, you want everything to be smooth sailing leading to your test day, no surprises, no jitters, no drama, or anything that can come close to it.

Yeah, as of now Im going to take AAMC 11 that Monday, review it Tuesday, index card/outline review Wednesday, rest and not look at mcat stuff Thursday and then finally take this Friday. Does that seem like a good idea?

 

[Captain Sisko]

Yeah, as of now Im going to take AAMC 11 that Monday, review it Tuesday, index card/outline review Wednesday, rest and not look at mcat stuff Thursday and then finally take this Friday. Does that seem like a good idea?

you forgot happy hour after your exam!

 

[Albein]

you forgot happy hour after your exam!

Haha, my April calendar actually has on the 26th, find a bar post exam. And then 27th-28th, bar hopping in NY.

I'm so glad to be done with BR exams; they were brutal. Broke a 30 once and had scores ranging from 22-30. It got better towards the end but the 3 practice AAMC tests I took were nowhere as miserable as that range. I actually think I'll enjoy the AAMC exams after those BR exams.

 

[dedicated2be]

Hey Everyone,

Good job on finishing the exam! Hoping it went well for each and every one of you 🙂

Didn't want to bombard you right when you were done and still dealing with post exam emotions, so thought I'd ask now. What do you feel gave you the best preparation, TPR, TBR, Kaplan online materials? Which do you feel helped you feel the most confident/comfortable on exam day? (I know that feeling confident is all relative)

If there was one thing you wish you did more of, what would it be?

Thanks in advance, hopefully your suggestions will help the rest of us chugging along for April/May and June dates. 🙂

 

[hope2b62a]

Hey Everyone,

Good job on finishing the exam! Hoping it went well for each and every one of you 🙂

Didn't want to bombard you right when you were done and still dealing with post exam emotions, so thought I'd ask now. What do you feel gave you the best preparation, TPR, TBR, Kaplan online materials? Which do you feel helped you feel the most confident/comfortable on exam day? (I know that feeling confident is all relative)

If there was one thing you wish you did more of, what would it be?

Thanks in advance, hopefully your suggestions will help the rest of us chugging along for April/May and June dates. 🙂

More passages. Painful but necessary. Reading and reviewing just were not enough for me when I tested myself later.

 

[carboxylase]

Hey guys.

Back from the beach. For various reasons (non MCAT related), the trip was about as relaxing as trying to dodge traffic on a road with an infinite number lanes. Just seemed like a drag that I was honestly just waiting to end.

Just under three weeks until the scores are released. The way this thread has been slowly dying down and is mostly filled with future test takers saddens me 🙁

I hope everyone is hanging in there. Waiting on scores sucks.

I'm not sure if I want to start reviewing again. I have big tests Wednesday or Thursday, then I have to schedule classes for the Fall semester, then I need to start preparing some of my premed committee stuff, so it wouldn't be until after this week.

On second thought, no, I won't. Even thinking about reading a verbal passage right now makes me feel blah...

 

[pabloyikes]

Is it 2 weeks or 3 weeks? I've seen it posted that results should be released Apr. 20 on some websites.

This waiting is killing me especially feeling I didn't do terribly well. I've registered for a June date just in case and will very happily suck up the nonrefundable portion if my score turns out to be good.

Biting my nails and waiting impatiently....

 

[Captain Sisko]

aamc website says April 23

 

[dellian101]

aamc website says April 23

how is everyone doing? i was going to restudy but MAN this test had me burned out for a week after the exam. now playing catch up with school and can't look at another mcat book without a stomach pain

 

[NuttyEngDude]

how is everyone doing? i was going to restudy but MAN this test had me burned out for a week after the exam. now playing catch up with school and can't look at another mcat book without a stomach pain

Yeah, it's tough to get back into it. I have to tip my hat to the retakers. I am going to wait it out.

 

[carboxylase]

Yeah, it's tough to get back into it. I have to tip my hat to the retakers. I am going to wait it out.

Same. The optimist in me that still holds on to hope that I did well is slightly overpowering the pessimist in me that I did poorly.

really hope that's sarcasm in your Miller light praise.

That was the only commercial I could remember at the time. No Miller Light has touched my lips in over a year.

 

[Captain Sisko]

had my first mcat bad dream. scores came out early and i got a 26, with a 7 in ps.

 

[carboxylase]

I was reading the 4/6 thread and saw mods said they were contacted by AAMC about specifics in the thread.

Anyone know if something actually happens at that point? Is it a "hey, remove this, and we won't pursue"? Or is it "remove this and give us the IP, since they agreed to not disclose anything"?

Just curious

EDIT: 4/4 thread, not 4/6

 

[hope2b62a]

I was reading the 4/6 thread and saw mods said they were contacted by AAMC about specifics in the thread.

Anyone know if something actually happens at that point? Is it a "hey, remove this, and we won't pursue"? Or is it "remove this and give us the IP, since they agreed to not disclose anything"?

Just curious

Oh man, that's just not good...😕

 

[carboxylase]

Oh man, that's just not good...😕

Yeah. Personally, they scared me off with the multiple warnings. I have to give them props for those not being empty threats and actually checking up on it, although it doesn't surprise me. A quick google search of "MCAT forum" will return SDN as the first link. That's how we all found this place, right?

 

[AlabamaPop]

Notice how a lot of screenames are orange with a "Account on Hold" on that forum too...scary!

To be honest, I think AAMC is conscious this could ruin a lot of lives if they post a violation on their MCAT records. The "specifics" were not intensely specific BUT they were borderline enough to bring bad attention.

I think that they would issue a "Final warning" depending how severe the violation which wasn't THAT severe.

If it happens again, then....😱

 

[gettheleadout]

Bottom line for this issue is you shouldn't expect any sort of leniency when you violate a legal agreement of non-disclosure you make with the AAMC. If they choose to be lenient, that's lucky for the offenders, but act at your own risk.

 

[Mornhavon]

.

 

[osprey099]

Anyone do the Orgo in Kaplan FLs or BS section tests? Care to share the difficulty of Kaplan Orgo vs MCAT orgo?

 

[Captain Sisko]

The waiting game continues...

chin up everyone- halfway there! 15 days since the mcat, 15 to go for scores!!

 

[Entadus]

chin up everyone- halfway there! 15 days since the mcat, 15 to go for scores!!

 

[PlasmodiumVivax]

Anyone do the Orgo in Kaplan FLs or BS section tests? Care to share the difficulty of Kaplan Orgo vs MCAT orgo?

I only did the section tests. To put it into an analogy, mcat ochem is algebra while kaplan's was calculus. I often scored in the 50%-70% on the ochem while I scored >90% on the MCAT's.

 

[NuttyEngDude]

Bottom line for this issue is you shouldn't expect any sort of leniency when you violate a legal agreement of non-disclosure you make with the AAMC. If they choose to be lenient, that's lucky for the offenders, but act at your own risk.

I wonder how they would have reacted if I wrote a practice passage for this thread that would have almost exactly matched one on test day.....i was THAT close

chin up everyone- halfway there! 15 days since the mcat, 15 to go for scores!!

this means it's time to do my taxes

Anyone do the Orgo in Kaplan FLs or BS section tests? Care to share the difficulty of Kaplan Orgo vs MCAT orgo?

I only did the section tests. To put it into an analogy, mcat ochem is algebra while kaplan's was calculus. I often scored in the 50%-70% on the ochem while I scored >90% on the MCAT's.

I think orgo from test prep companies are over the top compared to what most will see on test day. this is not because the materials are bad, but because it is becoming less important on the mcat as compared to the past. regarding kaplan orgo, they really just want you to understand and memorize probably 5-10 reactions and several concepts. i liked kaplan orgo because they were good at testing sn1/sn2 reactions in new, never before seen ways which was a huge weak spot for me.

 

[Captain Sisko]

I wonder how they would have reacted if I wrote a practice passage for this thread that would have almost exactly matched one on test day.....i was THAT close




this means it's time to do my taxes





I think orgo from test prep companies are over the top compared to what most will see on test day. this is not because the materials are bad, but because it is becoming less important on the mcat as compared to the past. regarding kaplan orgo, they really just want you to understand and memorize probably 5-10 reactions and several concepts. i liked kaplan orgo because they were good at testing sn1/sn2 reactions in new, never before seen ways which was a huge weak spot for me.

not only that but another person on here, cough cough mod cough, was joking about another item that indirectly came up. not sure if you noticed.

should have done your taxes earlier- i got my refund a while back. that life learning tax credit is a $2500 godsend

 

[NuttyEngDude]

not only that but another person on here, cough cough mod cough, was joking about another item that indirectly came up. not sure if you noticed.

I did not. This is why you score higher than me on the practice tests

should have done your taxes earlier- i got my refund a while back. that life learning tax credit is a $2500 godsend

This is the story of my life. I've always waited to the last minute to do my taxes. One year I tried to do them early and still had to wait because someone was late to mail my income info.

 

[carboxylase]

Two weeks.

 

[Entadus]

I ordered an official transcript today... and started my personal statement

Anybody else trying to submit their primary in early June?

 

[Captain Sisko]

I ordered an official transcript today... and started my personal statement

Anybody else trying to submit their primary in early June?

i am. I've a draft of the ps. gotta start working on my descriptors and prewriting secondaries soon. this summer is going to be far too busy to have time for all that.

 

[Entadus]

i am. I've a draft of the ps. gotta start working on my descriptors and prewriting secondaries soon. this summer is going to be far too busy to have time for all that.

Where are you thinking of applying, Sisk? Us 3/23'ers ought to meet each other at interviews

 

[Albein]

I ordered an official transcript today... and started my personal statement

Anybody else trying to submit their primary in early June?

Me too. I'm going to submit it as soon as possible. Should have my score by that date and this way ill be able to apply smartly (not sure if that's even a word which would support my god awful verbal scores). I intend on spending all of June 1st on the primary app with an abundance of alcohol surrounding me.

 

[AlabamaPop]

Did anyone get any information, regarding performance on the trial section or the gift card?

 

[tibetanowl]

Nope. Not yet.

 

[sworzeh]

I've just started writing my ps too. I'm not going to write descriptions yet though.

Just to verify, you don't need to have your LORs in for your primary to be considered complete, correct? I've been getting mixed results.

 

[Entadus]

I've just started writing my ps too. I'm not going to write descriptions yet though.

Just to verify, you don't need to have your LORs in for your primary to be considered complete, correct? I've been getting mixed results.

You only need LORs in for your secondaries to be considered. No bearing on the primary completion

 

[hope2b62a]

You only need LORs in for your secondaries to be considered. No bearing on the primary completion

...Didn't know that, thanks! Oh...my statement! The humanity!! 😀

 

[carboxylase]

I already wrote my personal statement 😀 because one of my professors requested it.

 

[Captain Sisko]

Where are you thinking of applying, Sisk? Us 3/23'ers ought to meet each other at interviews

haha i was wondering if that would happen.

idk where I'll apply, but it'll be a lot of schools. the range depends on the mcat too. anywhere from do and low tier md schools all the way up to pritzker and mayo if i do well. yourself? you already got a 35 in your back pocket and you'll probably get a 40 at least, so i assume you're going for a range of upper tiers and the uc's?

 

[Jr MD]

Hey cool guys just checking on my favorite thread people on sdn 😀

Getting ready to take the test in two weeks. I'm going all out! (shows chest in a superman like fashion) so if you believe in it pray for me ! hope you all get what you want!!

Sent from my T-Mobile myTouch Q using SDN Mobile

 

[Albein]

Hey cool guys just checking on my favorite thread people on sdn 😀

Getting ready to take the test in two weeks. I'm going all out! (shows chest in a superman like fashion) so if you believe in it pray for me ! hope you all get what you want!!

Sent from my T-Mobile myTouch Q using SDN Mobile

This was my favorite thread too. I wish I was able to stick with 3/23. I think I got more responses in this thread than my other one haha.

 

[Captain Sisko]

hard to believe it's been 19 days since the exam. 12 to go for scores, and between 2 and 9 til we get our trial section results! also, 20 til the application opens and 54 until we submit. anyone getting excited?

 

[sworzeh]

hard to believe it's been 19 days since the exam. 12 to go for scores, and between 2 and 9 til we get our trial section results! also, 20 til the application opens and 54 until we submit. anyone getting excited?

Excited and nervous

 

[Jr MD]

Need some advice from you guys... with my test in 16 days should I stick to just taking and reviewing AAMC practice tests or keep doing TBR passages on some subjects and just take AAMC 10 and 11 a week before the test???

Thanks yall
Sent from my T-Mobile myTouch Q using SDN Mobile

 

[Jr MD]

It's tempting to go back to content review but IMO take 1-2 more AAMCs (make sure you take 10/11 and 7/8/ or 9 at the very minimum). Do a bit of content review on what you get wrong but don't dissect your exams and focus on the small things. It doesn't seem like it but the MCAT is a good test at telling you how much you know. If you've studied put faith in the MCAT to display that because it will. Those who've said they've gotten lucky have probably earned that feeling through hard work at some point. For me personally during the exams (retaker) I've mostly recalled moments in the classroom and things I've reviewed a long time ago as opposed to the stuff I read a week or two before the exam. What I did (don't know my results yet) when I was in your position was chilled a bit. Took frequent study breaks to reread the HP series. I had reviewed pretty much everything and was scoring 28-30. The week before I scored a 30 on AAMC 8 which calmed my nerves. Then I did a light review of Orgo (easiest to cram) and then some physics and gen chem concepts I was fuzzy on. Did a couple verbal passages every once in a while. Felt good during test day (besides Physical Sciences). I'm praying for anything 30+. It might just be me but I feel that when I take a week break from things my score does a bit of a jump yet there's definitely no evidence I have to back this up. I just feel like you're better off taking practice exams. If there's something concrete you don't get like for example, geometric optics and you can narrow down what you don't get like I don't the various rules for mirrors and lenses that well then go for it but spend little time and just solidify it. DONT CRAM at all on the last three days. Be relaxed and think that it's just a test. Nervousness is inevitable but don't cram. It's a pre-med habit for classes but the MCAT is what you learnt over a long time. If you cram you'll mess up because you'll be concentrating on the stuff you just learnt and you won't be able to recall the various things the MCAT is going to ask (in my opinion). I always cram for biochem exams for school because they're detail oriented. The MCATs not. Here's the thing for the discretes. During my times taking it either they were easy and required a minutes work or a quick recollection or they were way into left field and I couldn't believe such a random fact was tested. Just take a couple practice exams. If they're making you feel really nervous maybe skip one and relax and get ready for the big test day!:luck


Oh and I hadn't completed TBR fully. I had electrochem to go but I basically didn't treat it like a normal block of work. I just skimmed, focused for an hour on stuff I didn't get. Took 3 passages and called it for a section. It may or may not have been on my exam but I don't feel like doing that hurt me. If you haven't done orgo just skim the orgo you haven't done. As for bio leave it alone, especially if you're a bio major. People say being one doesn't help but I think it kind of did for me. Try to do a couple experimental passages if you can find them. The MCAT is really big into doing things like:

(none of this showed up on exams nor does it mirror the exams)
Blah blah blah, this molecule has this complex effect. Blah blah blah, this one has this effect. This drug inhibits this, this thing does that.
Then they may have a experimental or something ask questions like if this was added or there was a deficiency in this what would happen. Also,
get used to reading for the bio section. I think it's critical that you're not used to just EK 1001 style bio (heavy discretes) because they passage questions that were pretty much discretes, i.e there's a passage about the nervous system and then they ask you what's the function of adrenaline...that's AAMC 3 style... I feel like as long as you
read the passages, get the necessary info in your head, have the composure to put the statements together, and come up with a solid conclusion you should be fine. I thought I did well on bio but who knows...

SuperDhopper thanks a lot for such a detailed response 🙂 really. I'll focus on practice tests. My score jumps everyone I take one! I wish all the best to you and hope you got like a 39! 😀😀

Sent from my Nexus 7 using SDN Mobile

 

[slz1900]

Well, there are experimentals so the scale isn't out of 52, and since everyone was complaining about how hard PS was, I doubt it will be scaled in a way where 90% correct = 12 since that is what the harshest practice tests with the easiest sections are scaled at, but hey, we'll never know.

 

[NuttyEngDude]

Had another dream i scored a 2 on the PS....