The Official 5/26/11 MCAT Club!

[thomasfx10]

Hey everyone, I just wanted to start the "Official" 5/26/11 MCAT Club. I saw an early post over a month ago, but it did not say official and has appeared to have died.

So here we go ....

It is just about three months out from the MCAT. How many hours are people putting in? Anyone taking the Kaplan course or SN2ed's 3 Month Study?

I started with the Kaplan class room course and have mixed feeling about it.

The Good: Free access to all the AAMC exams and Kaplan's full length. They have great website for quizes, exam stats ... it also helps me stay focused. They show some tips and hints but I have found that on this site too ...

The Bad: Cost ($1699). When in class, the teacher slams through everything so quick. Not really anytime for questions ... I think I study better on my own, at my pace.

This brings me to SN2ed's 3 month study guide. (Check out the sticky link for more info). I ordered the books from BR (Plan two weeks, they have an archaic ordering system - mail in forms) ... Anyway, that should be in Tuesday. I plan on doing both ... the Kaplan class, and the 3 month study ... I will let you all know how it goes ...

P.S. I do have a long way to go ... I got a 16 on the Kaplan Diagnostic. Which I heard is much harder than the real one, however that is still at least 15 points under what I want to be at ...

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[blazer123]

.......

 

[raltima07]

THANK GOD!!!! that is all I have to say!!! I have been studying for the last 4-5 months and until today the highest I have gotten was a 27 on aamc 7. Just finished aamc 9 and got (PS 12/BS 11/ VR 9) 32C. You have no idea how relieved and completely stunned I am. PS has been a hugh struggle for me along with VR. But the verbal is verbal and practice is all that helps there but for the sciences it takes a good in depth understanding. For the last 4 months I have felt completely helpless in physics and chemistry. Phew finally got a score that shows some progress!!!!! All that being said, I am tremendously scared it was a fluke since I marked 13 out of 52 in PS because I was unsure of the answer. I felt like I got killed in that section and still feel like i did not know as much as I should. I am going to hammer the books and take four more aamc until D-day. I cannot start going back down now so its hammer time lol! Anybody else feel like it might have just been good guessing as opposed to actual knowledge-based answers after a section?

Well, if it was a fluke, then maybe you can have said fluke on real exam



For my science sections, I finish PS with no time left (2 mins max), Verbal with 10 mins, and BS with 25 mins. I want to bring my sciences up a bit!!!!

 

[WhatMD88]

Well, if it was a fluke, then maybe you can have said fluke on real exam



For my science sections, I finish PS with no time left (2 mins max), Verbal with 10 mins, and BS with 25 mins. I want to bring my sciences up a bit!!!!

How about we exchange that 10 minutes from your verbal for my 10 minutes in PS.


One thing that I do onthe science passages is never take more than 2 min on a question. I make a best guess and move on; sometimes, a passage down the road helps clarify the concepts on the earlier passages/discrete. Also, get good at calculations in terms of rounding and keeping the math simple.

 

[raltima07]

How about we exchange that 10 minutes from your verbal for my 10 minutes in PS.


One thing that I do onthe science passages is never take more than 2 min on a question. I make a best guess and move on; sometimes, a passage down the road helps clarify the concepts on the earlier passages/discrete. Also, get good at calculations in terms of rounding and keeping the math simple.

It's a deal.

Just went over all the AAMC FL tests and saw the weak areas - going to hammer them with EK 1001, and then get that 45 on the 26th of may. (At least that's is the plan...)

 

[ridethecliche]

Yeah seriously. I wish I could take the 10-15 mins I have for BS left and put even 5 of that towards verbal. That would be boss.

Oh well. Since that can't happen, I guess I have to force myself to stick to the time. I never had this issue before last week. Just need to stop overthinking things on vr.

Remember that if you get stuck at all on a question, then narrow it down, guess between your remaining choices and move on. That 1 question is NOT worth losing time on an entire passage later.

1 question right and 5 wrong vs 1 wrong and 5 right. That's what it comes down to. The test makers know that we're super dedicated and anal. They know that we can't take ourselves away from a problem because it bothers us if we can't figure it out. That's why they'll have stuff like that in the early/middle part of the test because it forces you to get over that and move on.

 

[raltima07]

Yeah seriously. I wish I could take the 10-15 mins I have for BS left and put even 5 of that towards verbal. That would be boss.

Oh well. Since that can't happen, I guess I have to force myself to stick to the time. I never had this issue before last week. Just need to stop overthinking things on vr.

Remember that if you get stuck at all on a question, then narrow it down, guess between your remaining choices and move on. That 1 question is NOT worth losing time on an entire passage later.

1 question right and 5 wrong vs 1 wrong and 5 right. That's what it comes down to. The test makers know that we're super dedicated and anal. They know that we can't take ourselves away from a problem because it bothers us if we can't figure it out. That's why they'll have stuff like that in the early/middle part of the test because it forces you to get over that and move on.

Those BASTARDS! SCREW YOU AAMC!!!!

 

[blackandgold1]

THE ONLY THING IVE LEARNED SO FAR: 80% IS TEST TAKING SKILL 20% CONTENT.


Cool how I have the content part down, and suck at test taking skills.

 

[blackandgold1]

Those BASTARDS! SCREW YOU AAMC!!!!

This actually just made me laugh out loud hahahaa

 

[Amrazzz]

I propose having partners for the MCAT. I got the sciences on lock, who wants to do verbal for me?

 

[raltima07]

I propose having partners for the MCAT. I got the sciences on lock, who wants to do verbal for me?

Pick me! Pick me!

Unfortunately, unlike this kitteh I am not ready for the MCAT

 

[Amrazzz]

Pick me! Pick me!

Unfortunately, unlike this kitteh I am not ready for the MCAT

=) Deal!

 

[ridethecliche]

THE ONLY THING IVE LEARNED SO FAR: 80% IS TEST TAKING SKILL 20% CONTENT.


Cool how I have the content part down, and suck at test taking skills.

Lucky for you, you can practice test taking too.

Weird, huh?

 

[aburnet2]

I pick the kitten! He looks like someone that has their act together and can crank out some verbal.

 

[cylondoctor]

Dont know which deserves a bigger *sigh*, AAMC's tight curves or Kaplan's loose ones.

 

[aburnet2]

So far I am a big fan of the aamc fl's over TPR fl's. I haven't taken any kaplan though. I like the aamc better because after taking 8 out 9 TPR fl's aamc questions are sooooo much easier lol.

I noticed from my fls that I have a problem when dealing with solutions and went back to try and remedy it. I just did the questions at the end of the chapter in the TPR chem book and even though I was pretty dumbfounded by a few questions I still only missed 1 out of 6 on the passage. Thats not perfect but it definitely means I am getting pretty damn good at using POE and guessing lol. Yay for guessing!

 

[cylondoctor]

So far I am a big fan of the aamc fl's over TPR fl's. I haven't taken any kaplan though. I like the aamc better because after taking 8 out 9 TPR fl's aamc questions are sooooo much easier lol.

I noticed from my fls that I have a problem when dealing with solutions and went back to try and remedy it. I just did the questions at the end of the chapter in the TPR chem book and even though I was pretty dumbfounded by a few questions I still only missed 1 out of 6 on the passage. Thats not perfect but it definitely means I am getting pretty damn good at using POE and guessing lol. Yay for guessing!

I have heard TPR's exams are tough, but what are the scales like? Kaplan's scale is sporadic and a 46/52 in the sciences can be a 14 but on AAMC its only a 12. How are TPR's scales?

 

[Amrazzz]

I have heard TPR's exams are tough, but what are the scales like? Kaplan's scale is sporadic and a 46/52 in the sciences can be a 14 but on AAMC its only a 12. How are TPR's scales?

TPR sensibly scales with AAMC (I believe its AAMC10)


----PS ---VR ---BS
15 52-52 40-40 51-52*
14 50-51 39-39 50-50*
13 49-49 38-38 47-49*
12 46-48 37-37 46-46*
11 44-45 34-36 43-45*
10 41-43 31-33 39-42*
9 38-40 29-30 35-38*
8 33-37 27-28 32-34*
7 28-32 24-26 29-31*
6 23-27 21-23 26-28*
5 19-22 19-20 23-25*
4 15-18 15-18 20-22*
3 11-14 12-14 16-19*
2 8-10 9-11 14-15*
1 0-7 0-8 0-13

Based on AAMC 10

 

[aburnet2]

Is it just me or is the online practice passages from TPR absolutely brutal. I have done some in the past and did ok but I just did some more and got spanked, i am talking missed 5 out of 7 (one passage) and missed 6 out of 6 in freestanding lol. O I need dedicated studying.

 

[Amrazzz]

Is it just me or is the online practice passages from TPR absolutely brutal. I have done some in the past and did ok but I just did some more and got spanked, i am talking missed 5 out of 7 (one passage) and missed 6 out of 6 in freestanding lol. O I need dedicated studying.

Not only you, me as well. I got whooped on Diagnostic 1,4,8. I was sitting at a 11 on PS for the longest time, kept on doing the BS and PS sections (each multiple times) for a week straight and got my scores up to 13s. Those things are tough, but they are immense when you finally get the hang of it.

 

[raltima07]

I took two EK tests (in my self-diagnosed weak areas) and got a 6 on each. OUCH. I guess it was good I caught on. Now onto fixing those areas...by doing EK1001

 

[Genefreak]

So I'm signed up to take the MCAT on this date but I feel so unprepared and not ready!!! Anyone else feel with way or is is just me.

 

[xlcooplx]

So I'm signed up to take the MCAT on this date but I feel so unprepared and not ready!!! Anyone else feel with way or is is just me.

nah. i think to an extent, we all feel that way. with that said, just don't let it overwhelm you. study hard, stay confident, and own it.

 

[raltima07]

I'm not motivated....

 

[WhatMD88]

nah. i think to an extent, we all feel that way. with that said, just don't let it overwhelm you. study hard, stay confident, and own it.

Amen to that. I am getting to the point, where I just want to take this thing and get it over with. I even got to the point where I've inserted "blah-blahs" when reading those TBR passages.

 

[Amrazzz]

I'm glad I'm not the only one sick of studying.

 

[cylondoctor]

I'm glad I'm not the only one sick of studying.

Yes and I'm tempted to skip my last Kaplan FL to watch Liverpool-Tottenham this sunday.

 

[raltima07]

Gahh, burning through these passages is killing me slowly....

 

[MalibuPreMD]

I still have content review for last three chapters in EK, BR light and optics, lab techniques, amines (ochem), and electrochemistry + AAMC 5,7,9,10,11 and EK 101 9,10,11,12,13. No rest for the weary these last 2 weeks!

 

[Amrazzz]

Yes and I'm tempted to skip my last Kaplan FL to watch Liverpool-Tottenham this sunday.

Now you're tempting me. I planned on taking AAMC 8. Liverpool to clinch 5th, challenge for the title next year, get into med school, and life will be oh so sweet.

 

[xlcooplx]

I had every intention of studying today...I started and quit about 25 minutes into it. I, too, am tired of studying. I'm planning on making a day of it tomorrow if I can. I really need to refresh myself with some of the BS/PS topics that I'm having issues with. I still think the next week and a half should be fairly adequate time to gain a few extra points in these sections.

Does anybody have plans for the night after finishing the test? I think I'm going to go punish my liver afterwards and watch the Hangover II (premiers the 26th) with a few friends. It sounds like a good "welcome back" to having a social life.

 

[Amrazzz]

Does anybody have plans for the night after finishing the test? I think I'm going to go punish my liver afterwards and watch the Hangover II (premiers the 26th) with a few friends. It sounds like a good "welcome back" to having a social life.

I have a Physics exam the following day along with a poster presentation. FUN TIMES

 

[raltima07]

I had every intention of studying today...I started and quit about 25 minutes into it. I, too, am tired of studying. I'm planning on making a day of it tomorrow if I can. I really need to refresh myself with some of the BS/PS topics that I'm having issues with. I still think the next week and a half should be fairly adequate time to gain a few extra points in these sections.

Does anybody have plans for the night after finishing the test? I think I'm going to go punish my liver afterwards and watch the Hangover II (premiers the 26th) with a few friends. It sounds like a good "welcome back" to having a social life.

Sounds good....but thinking of liver makes me think of the physiological uses of liver...gahh! MCAT mode../

 

[Amrazzz]

Sounds good....but thinking of liver makes me think of the physiological uses of liver...gahh! MCAT mode../

You better have that alcohol dehydrogenase. just sayin'...

 

[Genefreak]

I have absolutely no aptitude for physics and unfortunately there's no way to change thatbefore the 26th ...................Im scrwed

 

[raltima07]

I have absolutely no aptitude for physics and unfortunately there's no way to change thatbefore the 26th ...................Im scrwed

I wonder if we are the representative of the general test taker - if so, then the curve should be good

 

[blackandgold1]

I wonder if we are the representative of the general test taker - if so, then the curve should be good

Haha I'm testing is date too and i suck at PS too

 

[doctorSOX]

I had every intention of studying today...I started and quit about 25 minutes into it. I, too, am tired of studying. I'm planning on making a day of it tomorrow if I can. I really need to refresh myself with some of the BS/PS topics that I'm having issues with. I still think the next week and a half should be fairly adequate time to gain a few extra points in these sections.

Does anybody have plans for the night after finishing the test? I think I'm going to go punish my liver afterwards and watch the Hangover II (premiers the 26th) with a few friends. It sounds like a good "welcome back" to having a social life.

Nice! Well, I have plans...I'm in the band for my school, so I have rehearsals for our performance at graduation. But, I'm taking the MCAT at home (6 hours from school). So the second I get out of the test, my friend is picking me up and driving me back up to school, so I'm ready for the 10 AM Friday morning performance. Sounds like a real rager, right?

 

[doctorSOX]

I plan on playing FIFA as FC Barcelona against the Chicago Fire on the easiest setting, then playing madden with Green Bay against Carolina on the easiest settings. Puts me into the winning attitude.

Wow I thought I was the only one! I'm going to play NHL '11, Bruins vs. Islanders, on Easy, and just let loose. Oh, and I'm turning off penalties and letting Zdeno Chara wreck people.

 

[ridethecliche]

My test is on the 20th and I moved it to the 20th from the 21st so I could go to my undergrad institution RIGHT after the exam is over and do what needs to be done when you go back for a first year reunion.

I hope to not remember most of it. If I wake up in an unfamiliar place, then all the better.

 

[IrishTwins]

EFF, I AM TIRED OF STUDYING. Gah.... 29 on aamc today (down from 33 on aamc 8, shiza.) Scores were:

aamc 9

PS: 10, VR: 11, BS: 8.

Did well on the biology portion, pretty much got every single organic chemistry question wrong.

I guess the bright side is ........

plan: practice tests, spot review, EK 1001's, orgo flashcards and physics formula review.

 

[WhatMD88]

Hey guys,

I'm hitting the wall for studying for this exam and becoming very lazy the last two days. I need to straighten up with less than 2 weeks to go.

Anyway, I had a side question. Is it important to know the different chemical tests (litmus, Jones, Bennedicts, etc...). I know one of the aamc discussed it and it appears a few times on the TBR orgo/bio sections. If so, where can I find a place where it lists them and what it tests for.

Thanks and GoodLuck studying.

 

[doctorSOX]

EFF, I AM TIRED OF STUDYING. Gah.... 29 on aamc today (down from 33 on aamc 8, shiza.) Scores were:

aamc 9

PS: 10, VR: 11, BS: 8.

Did well on the biology portion, pretty much got every single organic chemistry question wrong.

I guess the bright side is ........

plan: practice tests, spot review, EK 1001's, orgo flashcards and physics formula review.

Those scores are still solid though. And if you're doing that well on Bio, yet orgo is your weakness, you really have the potential to pull your score up significantly depending on the orgo content on the test. If you're seeing that much fluctuation between your scores, you probably got a batch of orgo content that, by chance, was most of your orgo weaknesses. I wouldn't get too frustrated over it.

I don't know how much time/energy you have left in the tank with the test approaching, but I would recommend having a look at the Princeton Review's comprehensive review book. Obviously don't buy it at this point since it is expensive, and you definitely can't read it all in a week and a half, but if you can get to a Borders or Barnes and Noble, I think it's worth taking a look at the Orgo sections, and the Orgo passages at the end of each section. I took the Kaplan course, read all of their material, and did their required HW, and still found the Orgo chapters in the Princeton Review book to be more useful and more targeted in helping me prepare orgo.

Hope that helps!

 

[doctorSOX]

Hey guys,

I'm hitting the wall for studying for this exam and becoming very lazy the last two days. I need to straighten up with less than 2 weeks to go.

Anyway, I had a side question. Is it important to know the different chemical tests (litmus, Jones, Bennedicts, etc...). I know one of the aamc discussed it and it appears a few times on the TBR orgo/bio sections. If so, where can I find a place where it lists them and what it tests for.

Thanks and GoodLuck studying.

I'm no expert, but from my experience in the AAMC's, and Kaplan's tests, you should know the basic tests, like the ones you have mentioned, but not too many others. Litmus is something you've probably seen a few times since high school, as you use it to test for pH/acidity/basicity in biology and chemistry labs. It's more or less qualitative, but can give you an approximation of pH numbers. Jones, if we're talking about the same thing, is a reagent, rather than a test, used for oxidation of alcohols to carbonyl compounds. Specifically, it is a strong oxidizing agent, so it can turn a primary alcohol into a carboxylic acid, whereas Collins Reagent can only turn a primary alcohol into an aldehyde. Bennedict's is used to test for reducing sugars.

I think if you know that much, that should be more than enough. If they want to go into more detail about particular tests, I would think that it would be something passage-based, where it would be more important to know the underlying concepts as opposed to the specifics of the test.

 

[ridethecliche]

EFF, I AM TIRED OF STUDYING. Gah.... 29 on aamc today (down from 33 on aamc 8, shiza.) Scores were:

aamc 9

PS: 10, VR: 11, BS: 8.

Did well on the biology portion, pretty much got every single organic chemistry question wrong.

I guess the bright side is ........

plan: practice tests, spot review, EK 1001's, orgo flashcards and physics formula review.

Brush up on your orgo. You've still got time. You'll get it together!

 

[blackandgold1]

Officially so sick of studying. it's killing me to open my books but gonna try to power thru this week and take next week a littleee easier. Ughhh.


But I'm going to Miami for the long wknd right after my test....I plan on blacking out for four days straight.

 

[IrishTwins]

I don't know how much time/energy you have left in the tank with the test approaching, but I would recommend having a look at the Princeton Review's comprehensive review book. Obviously don't buy it at this point since it is expensive, and you definitely can't read it all in a week and a half, but if you can get to a Borders or Barnes and Noble, I think it's worth taking a look at the Orgo sections, and the Orgo passages at the end of each section. I took the Kaplan course, read all of their material, and did their required HW, and still found the Orgo chapters in the Princeton Review book to be more useful and more targeted in helping me prepare orgo.

Hope that helps!

Thanks for the advice doctorSOX! I will definitely look into TPR. I was considering also using Kaplan's high yield problem solving book - do you have any thoughts about its quality (at this point in the game)?

@Ridethecliche - thanks for the encouragement, too!!

Full steam ahead on orgo review today. Ugh. Hope everyone else's progress is going well! Can't believe the time is drawing so near!

 

[cylondoctor]

Amrazzz, you're not missing much, I already stopped watching the game after that penalty. Hopefully i turn that anger into a good score on kaplan fl 5

 

[ModusProbandi]

Is it just me or is the online practice passages from TPR absolutely brutal. I have done some in the past and did ok but I just did some more and got spanked, i am talking missed 5 out of 7 (one passage) and missed 6 out of 6 in freestanding lol. O I need dedicated studying.

Dude, the TPR online practice passages are incredibly hard. I usually missed one per passage for PS, which is the only series of practice passages that I did. But my scores ranged from 13-15 (twice) on the practice AAMCs. So overall, they make sure you worry so you study harder lol.

 

[aburnet2]

If you guys are burning out it is better to take a whole day off from the mcat (even WITHOUT constantly thinking about it), instead of fiddle farting around while studying for the next two weeks. I tried to do that three weeks ago and ended up just piddleing around and didnt get very much actual beneficial studying done. I ended up wasting about a whole week. But I took a whole day off and it gave me back some motivation. Just a thought. I am going to hit acids and bases (for the third or fourth time), about three end of chapter Q's in TPR bio and then Ill take aamc 5 tomorrow. Crunch time people, WE CAN DO THIS!!!!!!!!!

 

[Amrazzz]

If you guys are burning out it is better to take a whole day off from the mcat (even WITHOUT constantly thinking about it), instead of fiddle farting around while studying for the next two weeks. I tried to do that three weeks ago and ended up just piddleing around and didnt get very much actual beneficial studying done. I ended up wasting about a whole week. But I took a whole day off and it gave me back some motivation. Just a thought. I am going to hit acids and bases (for the third or fourth time), about three end of chapter Q's in TPR bio and then Ill take aamc 5 tomorrow. Crunch time people, WE CAN DO THIS!!!!!!!!!

Personally, it's not a matter of burnout, it's just apathy. BTW AAMC5 should give you a nice moral boost =).