Sad to see people still irrelevantly flaming GTLO for having a different opinion.
I really appreciate your support, mcloaf, as well as all the 3/23'ers (Albein and others) and everyone else who has been here long enough to gain a legitimate impression of my participation in the forums.
i dont think they were flaming him for having a different opinion, but rather the fact that he was giving advice/opinion on something that he had no experience over (the MCAT).
I have given no advice regarding this matter (to avoid confusion, the matter being of the MCAT "changing" and the AAMC materials being useless). If you believe otherwise please quote me. Opinion? Well, I summarized the current state of disagreement between test takers, and used such as refutation of the unilateral claim put forth by one side, further citing logical and evidence-based failures on the part of their sweeping claim.
Further, I have already addressed the issue with the attitude that personal experience with something is requisite for someone to speak on the matter. Does a cardiologist need to experience a heart attack to describe to patients the common symptoms and inform them of how it might feel?
You may feel that analogy is weak, and it may be, but that's really irrelevant to the principle I'm trying to put forward.
GTLO's comments seem very arrogant. What is his authority to judge people who took this MCAT exam? He claims it's by reading other comments, which is pretty weak since we all have.
Describe to me in detail how I'm judging these people. By reading users' comments, I am simply compiling a perspective on test takers' impressions of the test, and when I present this to those on the side of "the test is definitely different no question about it" it is apparent that their claim doesn't hold water. This has put many a user into a fit. See my previous post for a more clear explanation of the current events so far.
I agree. Im not trying to disrespect anyone, but people should only give advice or offer their opinions on matters that they have been through.
Its like a botanist telling you what medicine to take for your diabetes...
Well, I disagree with this outlook. Should someone informed on the effects and addictiveness of heroin be prevented from spreading information about it because they haven't struggled with it themselves? I see you like analogies as well.
I think you guys are putting a lot of words in GTLO's mouth, especially since much of what he was saying was related to another now locked thread. He's been reasonable and respectful throughout and for it he's gotten a bunch of people saying he's arrogant and will be a crappy physician.
Refreshing to have someone with a clear head here.
Studying to get higher scores on the MCAT is a process with diminishing returns. It's nearly impossible for one to feel completely prepared with overarching mastery of all subjects. For GTLO to tell people that they probably prepared poorly if they found this particular MCAT (that he never took) different, is very arrogant. I think his comments on this thread show a different side since he's postponed his own test to several months down the line (likely due to bad prep).
Let's take a look at what I actually said, shall we?
Unsurprisingly, it only ever appears that the SDNer's most unsatisfied with their perceived prep are the harshest in judging the usefulness of materials without any sort of actual data to back up sweeping claims.
Do note my wording. Did I make a direct statement to anyone accusing them of "preparing poorly?" No. I made a very specific statement about
my perception of the type of users that have been most vocal in asserting the alleged unreliability of the AAMC materials. In particular I specified those users that (again, I perceive) are most unsatisfied with the quality of their prep in terms of what they expected and faced on the exam. In addition, I considered the impressions I've gotten of various users based on their contributions to the forums, claimed performance on prep materials, and various other statements.
Again, I cannot reemphasize enough that whether I have taken the exam at all, or this administration in particular, is wholly irrelevant to my ability to read the comments of those who
did take it, recognize that there is disagreement, and conclude that it is reasonable to argue (as I am) that were the exam so distinctly changed as to warrant a blanket statement about the AAMC FL's, there would not be disagreement among takers.
The remainder of your post is actually quite humorous. True, I did postpone my test several months down the line, and you are entitled to an opinion about how that decision may have changed my perspective. But to conclude as you did, with a completely unfounded assumption in assessment of
my study habits, is as arrogant and judgmental as you perceive me to be.
As proof, I'm willing to wager you have literally nothing to present as support for the assumption that I postponed due to "bad prep." It is understandable that the offense you have taken to my participation in this discussion has clouded your judgment and caused you to jump to an illogical, unfounded conclusion, but that doesn't excuse it. I'm sorry to call you out like that, but it's quite obvious. Just to further demonstrate how ludicrous the claim is:
1) The only FL I've ever taken was over a year prior to my beginning prep.
2) I followed the well-respected and endorsed SN2ed study schedule to the letter.
3) My percentage scores on TBR passages were considered good or excellent by the standards set forth in the TBR scores discussion thread.
4) I outright stated in the 3/23 thread the actual reason for my postponement, which was a refusal to half-ass my prep, and a realization that such was inevitable with my available time slipping away more and more due to school work. If you wish to argue that I was lying, I wish you luck in coming up with support for that accusation.
Now, in consideration of the above, I find it laughable that you actually pretend to call me arrogant and judgmental when you passed a personal, totally unfounded judgment on me
in the same sentence. Without taking any FL's in prep, and with satisfactory scores on passages and measured adherence to a study schedule which I had (and had every reason to have) confidence in, there is simply no way I could even conclude my prep was bad. Yet you presume to place that as my reason for postponement above what I actually told my peers in the 3/23 thread. Ridiculous.
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