The Official 8/14/2009 MCAT Thread

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thebillsfan said:
if by strange, you mean AWESOME, FPM!
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Yeah, I might actually turn on the TV once in a awhile now! :laugh: Seriously, this test has ruled my life for so long I would go for days without turning on the TV. Though I don't know, is that a bad thing? 😀 In addition to TV, I am looking forward to doing some leisure reading.
 
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thebillsfan said:
8. passages weren't easy, so that's why id be surprised if you thought youd didnt miss ANY. plus they were so boring which made it hard to focus, unfortunately (that's entirely my fault that i cant focus on boring passages)
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I just try to pretend I'm actually interested in what I'm reading, usually always works unless the passage is really bad ha
 
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Wow, the days have been creeping by and I've been busier this past week that I have in a helluva long time. I just wish my score would come up -- well, hell, not even my score. Just a "retake you loser" message would suffice. I hate having to think of retaking but not knowing for 100% sure. I keep thinking maybe the curve was ridiculous (it wasn't) and by the forces of nature I did extraordinarily well on verbal to make up for he science or something. Clearly I need to drink more.
 
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vandyam said:
Wow, the days have been creeping by and I've been busier this past week that I have in a helluva long time. I just wish my score would come up -- well, hell, not even my score. Just a "retake you loser" message would suffice. I hate having to think of retaking but not knowing for 100% sure. I keep thinking maybe the curve was ridiculous (it wasn't) and by the forces of nature I did extraordinarily well on verbal to make up for he science or something. Clearly I need to drink more.
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sounds eerily familiar...I go between thinking "I think I did good" to "probably got a 24" in the span of an hour. I've at least stopped thinking about all the Q's that may be right or may be wrong, but yes, a simple "retake you loser" would suffice for me as well...fml haha
 
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Well, here I am a week after the mcat, and here is how I feel about it

PS- seemed pretty random, which makes it seem hard. I might have been able to plow through it with an 11 or 12, but the randomness caught me off gaurd. No electro chem, hardly any work, no projectile motion. this seemed like the hardest section, praying for at least a 10.

VR- Not all that bad, my technique definatley improved alot, and of course there were weird akward questions that were absolutley ridiculous, but hey.....even a monkey has a 1/4 chance in guessing. I predict a 10-11.

Writing sample- Easy, Killed it.

BS- I really think I crushed this section, I mean my orgo is tip top, and my bio is f-ing money. I know for sure I got two wrong, but not much more. One was a stupid convergent/divergent evolution, who gives a f*uck!!! I predict 12-13.....

How ever many points I score, I will match in beers......could be a win win. To the rest of you who took the aug 14 mcat, goodluck to ya.....verbals a bi*ch :laugh::meanie:

Why did I want to become a doctor again? Oh yea, hot young as* and fast cars........cant wait 😎
 
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bmlax13 said:
sounds eerily familiar...I go between thinking "I think I did good" to "probably got a 24" in the span of an hour. I've at least stopped thinking about all the Q's that may be right or may be wrong, but yes, a simple "retake you loser" would suffice for me as well...fml haha
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haha thats just like me.

I think they should give us a raw score instantaneously when we click "submit and score" on our MCAT. Then after grading our essays and t-scoring our exams they should give us our real score. That would at least make this wait seem not as horrifying and ulcer-inducing.
 
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PRATFO said:
haha thats just like me.

I think they should give us a raw score instantaneously when we click "submit and score" on our MCAT. Then after grading our essays and t-scoring our exams they should give us our real score. That would at least make this wait seem not as horrifying and ulcer-inducing.
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totally agree....y do I have to wait for my numerical score when it can be scored instantaneously!! Then give me the writing grade whenever they grade it. I think this would be the best way of doing it.

Oh and yea that convergent/divergent question was def eassyyyyyyyy. Did anyone do the EK 1001 series as well because in the PS section I saw like 3 problems that were word for word almost. Saw a couple in the BS as well
 
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PRATFO said:
haha thats just like me.

I think they should give us a raw score instantaneously when we click "submit and score" on our MCAT. Then after grading our essays and t-scoring our exams they should give us our real score. That would at least make this wait seem not as horrifying and ulcer-inducing.
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I was talking to the guy that administered my MCAT, and he said that a lot of people have panic attacks after taking their tests (not necessarily the MCAT). He said he has to take people's keys because they are so distraught that they can barely function. Can you imagine the insanity that would go on at Prometric if we knew instantly?

But to hell with all that, I wish they did just give us a raw score. Jerks.
 
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i thinkkkk i had the same one as you, and i had a passage on newtowian stuff about people at a fair going on different rides.... i dunno if its the same for you but that might be the last passage your looking for
 
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sorry i forgot to quote what i was talkin about....

ykmedicine said:
Finally done. As a retaker from April 18, I can definitely say that studying this entire summer was well worth it.

PS- not as bad as I thought. Definitely doable. This was always my worst section and besides 3 questions that caught me completely off guard, I would say it was fair. The topics were all pretty straight forward. A couple of questions could be solved with unit analysis.

I always liked when others posted passage topics so I thought i would do it here: in no specific order
1. Standard heats of NaCl formation
2. Bohr-Habar experiment
3. Meteor
4. sound frequency
5. phases (triple points)
6. radioactivity
7. ??

Verbal- actually semi interesting passages. The last one killed me though. Just so confusing for some reason. With this one, you never know how it goes.
1. Liberalism
2. Literature
3. Russian something
4. Einstein and physics
5. Critic of plays
6. ?
7.?

BS- I thought this section was completely fair. I was scared of the genetics but most of it was straightforward. Several experimental questions that I hated but mostly ok. Organic chemistry was decent except for one question that i think i will kill the writers for including about electron distribution in a benzene!! :scared:

1. Running and endorphins
2. Angiotension (yeaayy for endocrinology!!)
3. Huntington Disease
4. Ribozymes
5. Diastereomers/ labeling in solvents
6. Organic synthesis
7. ?

Overall, I'd say it was fair. But I do think that the curve will be a killer on this one. I'm just hoping for a 30 or above. Please please please. To everyone who took it, congrats, we are almost done besides a month of waiting. To those about to take it, study hard and it will pay off.
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i thinkkkk i had the same test as you, and i in the PS section i had a passage on newtowian stuff about people at a fair going on different rides... i dunno if its the same for you but that might be the last passage your looking for! i dont fully remember a passage on sound frequency or radioactivity but i could have just forgotten i dont really remember much about the test, but my BS was same as your as well i think, and i think same with VR although i cant fill in any of the blanks for those two!
 
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for everyone freaking out right now I know its hard not to, but everything will be fine! I took one on June 18th and i didnt finish physical or verbal and i thought bio went ok. I ended up getting 10/9/13. I retook it on Aug 14 at 2 and this test was so much dif than the june 18th. The june one was very complex and detailed and this one was much more general and I was able to at least take a good guess at every question.

PS- Overall the questions seemed very un-mcat like if that makes sense. They were kind of confusing but very conceptual and there was nothing too overwhelming. I found myself taking more educated guesses than i would have liked. Overall I am guessing 2-3 points better than June.

VR- So much easier! There were no complicated literature or art passages and I actually felt like I didnt guess on any of them. On June 18th I had 8 minutes left for the last two passages and this time I had 30 minutes. I am honestly expecting 3-5 points of improvement.

BS- I thought was more difficult this time around. The first orgo was pretty confusing and I prob spent like 15 min on it. Second orgo looked hard but was pretty easy. I am hoping i got another 13 but I wouldnt be surprised if I did a point or two worse.
I have a friend that works for the company that corrects these tests. They are pre-curved (based on who students scored on these tests in previous years) before the test begins and if scores are lower than average it will be curved again. The breakdown usually means one point more than the EK/ AAMC point breakdowns. i.e 2 wrong can still be a 15
Also there are usually one to two experimental passages on each MCAT. These will not count towards your test and will be used to establish a curve for future tests. So hope they were passages you did poorly on!

One last word of wisdom. I have been receiving recruiting letters already and I didnt have that great of a score. I also have a friend that got a 24 last year and still ended up getting a full ride to a top ten med school so dont freak out too much. If you are well rounded, have a lot of research and health care experience and above a 3.5 you will get in somewhere!
good luck it will all be worth it! (and dont expect the scores to be released on the day it says, mine were a day late)
 
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tmoore1123 said:
for everyone freaking out right now I know its hard not to, but everything will be fine! I took one on June 18th and i didnt finish physical or verbal and i thought bio went ok. I ended up getting 10/9/13. I retook it on Aug 14 at 2 and this test was so much dif than the june 18th. The june one was very complex and detailed and this one was much more general and I was able to at least take a good guess at every question.

PS- Overall the questions seemed very un-mcat like if that makes sense. They were kind of confusing but very conceptual and there was nothing too overwhelming. I found myself taking more educated guesses than i would have liked. Overall I am guessing 2-3 points better than June.

VR- So much easier! There were no complicated literature or art passages and I actually felt like I didnt guess on any of them. On June 18th I had 8 minutes left for the last two passages and this time I had 30 minutes. I am honestly expecting 3-5 points of improvement.

BS- I thought was more difficult this time around. The first orgo was pretty confusing and I prob spent like 15 min on it. Second orgo looked hard but was pretty easy. I am hoping i got another 13 but I wouldnt be surprised if I did a point or two worse.
I have a friend that works for the company that corrects these tests. They are pre-curved (based on who students scored on these tests in previous years) before the test begins and if scores are lower than average it will be curved again. The breakdown usually means one point more than the EK/ AAMC point breakdowns. i.e 2 wrong can still be a 15
Also there are usually one to two experimental passages on each MCAT. These will not count towards your test and will be used to establish a curve for future tests. So hope they were passages you did poorly on!

One last word of wisdom. I have been receiving recruiting letters already and I didnt have that great of a score. I also have a friend that got a 24 last year and still ended up getting a full ride to a top ten med school so dont freak out too much. If you are well rounded, have a lot of research and health care experience and above a 3.5 you will get in somewhere!
good luck it will all be worth it! (and dont expect the scores to be released on the day it says, mine were a day late)
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Seriously troll, get a life
 
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hah ok? i guess im a troll when you are on these forums at 8 am
lol med schools look at a lot more than just your mcat. my friend who got a 41 is going to a less prestigious school than the one who got a 24. you would be amazed at how little admission boards care about the mcat if you have published papers and health experience
 
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tmoore1123 said:
for everyone freaking out right now I know its hard not to, but everything will be fine! I took one on June 18th and i didnt finish physical or verbal and i thought bio went ok. I ended up getting 10/9/13. I retook it on Aug 14 at 2 and this test was so much dif than the june 18th. The june one was very complex and detailed and this one was much more general and I was able to at least take a good guess at every question.

PS- Overall the questions seemed very un-mcat like if that makes sense. They were kind of confusing but very conceptual and there was nothing too overwhelming. I found myself taking more educated guesses than i would have liked. Overall I am guessing 2-3 points better than June.

VR- So much easier! There were no complicated literature or art passages and I actually felt like I didnt guess on any of them. On June 18th I had 8 minutes left for the last two passages and this time I had 30 minutes. I am honestly expecting 3-5 points of improvement.

BS- I thought was more difficult this time around. The first orgo was pretty confusing and I prob spent like 15 min on it. Second orgo looked hard but was pretty easy. I am hoping i got another 13 but I wouldnt be surprised if I did a point or two worse.
I have a friend that works for the company that corrects these tests. They are pre-curved (based on who students scored on these tests in previous years) before the test begins and if scores are lower than average it will be curved again. The breakdown usually means one point more than the EK/ AAMC point breakdowns. i.e 2 wrong can still be a 15
Also there are usually one to two experimental passages on each MCAT. These will not count towards your test and will be used to establish a curve for future tests. So hope they were passages you did poorly on!

One last word of wisdom. I have been receiving recruiting letters already and I didnt have that great of a score. I also have a friend that got a 24 last year and still ended up getting a full ride to a top ten med school so dont freak out too much. If you are well rounded, have a lot of research and health care experience and above a 3.5 you will get in somewhere!
good luck it will all be worth it! (and dont expect the scores to be released on the day it says, mine were a day late)
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so if the passage was experimental, I don't understand how that won't count. There are still 52 questions, do you automatically get the experimental passage questions right? Or how does it work?
 
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bmlax13 said:
so if the passage was experimental, I don't understand how that won't count. There are still 52 questions, do you automatically get the experimental passage questions right? Or how does it work?
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Your score will not be calculated out of 52 but instead based on the pre curve for every passage. but there are no guarantees that some were experimental but they are usually the ones that are seem the weirdest bc they are testing them for future use
 
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so if i get all the experimental question wrong and everything else right, my score will still be 15?


tmoore1123 said:
Your score will not be calculated out of 52 but instead based on the pre curve for every passage. but there are no guarantees that some were experimental but they are usually the ones that are seem the weirdest bc they are testing them for future use
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LOL ok guys seriously just ignore the troll please, he has no idea what the f*** hes talking about, the more you ask him the more fun he probably has haha.. come on with that experimental bs
 
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LoveMyRam said:
LOL ok guys seriously just ignore the troll please, he has no idea what the f*** hes talking about, the more you ask him the more fun he probably has haha.. come on with that experimental bs
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um.. are you suggesting there is no experimental passage?
 
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Took the 2pm..first mcat experience, most likely will retake..

Predicted scores:
Phys- 8 - Bohr haber? ionno...and ran out of time

Verbal- 9 -Not too bad, usual verbal stuff.

Bio- 11 - I felt like all the research papers I read in upper div courses finally paid off. Ochem was kinda rough..

Considered voiding it...but didn't.. hope i made the right decision:xf::xf::xf:
Used Examkrackers for about 10 hours per week for 2 months

AAMC Practice test avg= 30

Days are going by so slow..
 
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Ha I could really care less if you think I am a "troll". I am just trying to help out cause I have been there before and just got done at an internship at a medical school where we talked about all of this stuff. I am not making it up for my own pleasure but think what you want. The experimental passage is not some urban legend it is how the test is curved dumba**. They administer the test with experimental passages and based on how students do that day they curve said passages for future administrations. So before we take the test there is a curve established which would be impossible if there was no such thing as experimental passages.
And for proof one student who took the test on the same day as me for sure got two questions wrong in one passage and still got a 15 in PS.
Dont believe me if you dont want to, but I highly doubt the med school i was working with made that up
 
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i took the 8 am test, and the first 2 sections were fairly average as compared to the aamc, but the bio was anal rape...extremely different from the aamc practice tests. It was 90% passage based and they threw in some ridiculous organic 3D stuff. It was an intimidating section thats for sure. I hope i did alrighttt :x
 
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Did I get above 30?

Shakes magic 8 ball app on iPhone
"As I see it, yes"

:luck::xf::luck::xf::luck:
Good luck to all...yes, retroactive luck exists.
 
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tmoore1123 said:
for everyone freaking out right now I know its hard not to, but everything will be fine! I took one on June 18th and i didnt finish physical or verbal and i thought bio went ok. I ended up getting 10/9/13. I retook it on Aug 14 at 2 and this test was so much dif than the june 18th. The june one was very complex and detailed and this one was much more general and I was able to at least take a good guess at every question.
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I took the test on 3/28 for the first time. I think 3/28 and 8/14 were very different tests, as well. I don't really understand that because isn't part of standardization making every version is similar in difficulty? 8/14 was not easy, but I feel it was definitely easier than 3/28 and really in style, as well.

By the way, I don't think you are a troll. 🙂 Anything is possible. Hoping for a lightning bolt of pure luck this admission cycle myself. :luck:
 
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school starts for me tomorrow hopefully, it will keep my mind off of the scores
 
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Ran into a friend last night, he asked how the MCAT went and I told him I got some weird bohr haber stuff and he told me he had the same ridiculous passage last year when he took it, what are the chances... so i guess that passage is probably not experimental....bleh

He also said he had the pendulum problem, although I didn't come across it.
 
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Considering the tension in the 7/30 and 7/31 threads right now (since it's 5:13 and no scores are up...yet), I think when 9/15 rolls around, I'll just check at like...10 PM. Save myself the stress. 😛
 
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marble30 said:
Considering the tension in the 7/30 and 7/31 threads right now (since it's 5:13 and no scores are up...yet), I think when 9/15 rolls around, I'll just check at like...10 PM. Save myself the stress. 😛
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totally agree with you....for some reason I dont want to be the first to discover the scores are up I want to see others scores before I see mine lol, even though I believe I did well
 
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My first test results weren't released until like 8 PM, I probably checked like 200 times... pretty stressful. Just make sure you have your applications done because I submitted mine two weeks ago and I am still not verified... oh and I am guessing the curve will be pretty insignificant. The test I took in June was so much harder that I dont foresee this on being very good. Maybe a point in physical and biological, def not much in verbal it was one of the easier ones that I have ever taken
 
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tmoore1123 said:
... oh and I am guessing the curve will be pretty insignificant. The test I took in June was so much harder that I dont foresee this on being very good. Maybe a point in physical and biological, def not much in verbal it was one of the easier ones that I have ever taken
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I just hope that you were one of few that felt it was easy...(2pm test)

And for future Official MCAT Threads... they should each be separated into multiple threads based on the TIME taken(8am, 12pm, 2pm).. :idea:seems logical enough:idea:
 
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