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So we can talk about all things MCAT 2015.
Just registered too!
Just registered too!
Hey guys! I'm taking the exam on July 17, but I've been combing through this thread to see how everyone felt about it. I had a question for those who took it. I think I might have read somewhere that, during the exam, when you click on the "review" button, the question type (discrete vs passage based question) appears next to the question number. Is that true?
I prefer doing all the discrete questions first and then divide my remaining time to the passages. But I don't know if that'll be easy/time-beneficial to do on the real exam if you can only see one question at a time or if the question types aren't labeled on the review screen.
I don't remember it showing that. Hopefully others can confirm
All of you who studied with Kaplan know that they endorse a strategy where they want you to read the passage and then write a few word summary of every paragraph and the main idea of the passage on scratch paper. How effective is the strategy on the real MCAT as I heard the passages were longer?? Did you use it? Im writing in July and today I took my first FL WITHOUT doing that strategy and scored 125 (opposed to 123 on 2 previous tests where I did use their strategy. I found that when I DIDNT use their strategy but instead used the highlight feature for important sentences I wasn't worried about writing the few word summary on the starch paper and actually used all of my concentration to understand the passage well. The Kaplan instructor stressed this strategy and I am unsure if it is really effective or they just had to as part of their job. Any insights would be tremendously appreciated, thanks!
It doesn't show up. But the way it goes is: 2 passages, 3ish discretes, 3 passages, a few discretes, 3 passages, a few discretes, 2 passages, a few discretes.
Did anyone else have to rush in CARS? I'm a little disappointed in myself. 3 years ago I some how got a 6 on verbal..That was essentially why I retook this exam. This time around, I put a tremendous amount of effort into prepping for verbal. I'm still not amazing but I got 85% on AAMC test and 80-90% on the packs.
Yet, on this exam I had to rush with 15 minutes for the last two passages, and 4 minutes to answer the last 6 questions! Let's just say I had to completely guess on 2 or 3 of those and didn't get a great reading of the passage in, so who knows what.
Kinda have a feeling its gonna **** me again :/
This is what's killing me now, CARS. I prepped so much for this section... I felt that the passages were longer than usual and that threw me off... Im really nervous about it, idk if I should just sign for a retake now just in case...Did anyone else have to rush in CARS? I'm a little disappointed in myself. 3 years ago I some how got a 6 on verbal..That was essentially why I retook this exam. This time around, I put a tremendous amount of effort into prepping for verbal. I'm still not amazing but I got 85% on AAMC test and 80-90% on the packs.
Yet, on this exam I had to rush with 15 minutes for the last two passages, and 4 minutes to answer the last 6 questions! Let's just say I had to completely guess on 2 or 3 of those and didn't get a great reading of the passage in, so who knows what.
Kinda have a feeling its gonna **** me again :/
So does anyone know the exact day we get our percentiles? I thought that it was 3 weeks after but everyone on here is saying 2 weeks? Also does anyone else feel like every section went okay and maybe got a pretty good score but then think that maybe you just thought you knew the things well? I want to be excited but I don't want to be let down once the scores come back. I took the mcat last year but I don't remember if I felt confident after or not. Obviously didn't do well since I had to retake haha but I really did not put in even half the time I put in this time. I just hope we all did well. This process is really stressful. I am still waiting for my application to be reviewed and I wanted to know my score or percentiles before I decide what schools to add to my list. I have a 3.8 science GPA and 3.798 cum. Last year I got a 24 and had an interview at my top Osteopathic school but unfortunately was waitlisted. Taking the additional year to get a second degree and more research. Just really hope I scores in the 508 range at least.
during our thirty minute break there was a guy who actually prepared a whole sandwich. he had brought mayo, ketchup, lettuce, tomatoes, and like ham and nonchalantly proceeded to prepare a nice ass sandwhich. it was almost soothing watch him make it.
at that point i rolled back into the testing room with guns a'blazing and blacked the **** out..
2-3 weeks to go.
during our thirty minute break there was a guy who actually prepared a whole sandwich. he had brought mayo, ketchup, lettuce, tomatoes, and like ham and nonchalantly proceeded to prepare a nice ass sandwhich. it was almost soothing watch him make it.
at that point i rolled back into the testing room with guns a'blazing and blacked the **** out..
2-3 weeks to go.
What happens if you get back to your computer and it says you're out of time? THat happened to me once on one of the sections. It doesn't affect your score right?!I crushed the lunch game! Sandwich, banana, energy drink, protein bar, and of course, some dark chocolate for happiness sakes.
I got back to my computer with 20 seconds left before my break was over though!! A little stressful.
What happens if you get back to your computer and it says you're out of time? THat happened to me once on one of the sections. It doesn't affect your score right?!
What happens if you get back to your computer and it says you're out of time? THat happened to me once on one of the sections. It doesn't affect your score right?!
ALSO, did anyone else notice how all passages absolutely do NOT have to relate to human body or medicine at all? I had seriously 3 straight up physics passages that were shocking to see.
sooooo many calculations...
Agreed. I mostly knew the material that was there, but I was pretty surprised to see a few of the passages. I thought the whole point of this new exam was to apply these concepts in more biological contexts, so it was pretty surprising to see questions that felt like they were straight up from the question packs.
Wanted an opinion. In my personal statement, I begin talking about this crazy experience I had working at a vet clinic in Thailand, where I was assisting in surgery for an animal that woke up during surgery and me and the vet who barely spoke english had to work together. Do you guys think talking about a veterinary medical experience is weird in a medical personal statement? I use it to discuss my ability to triage and teamwork, and the rest of my essay is about working in human clinical medicine. So I think its fine.
Did you(or anyone who has taken the MCAT) happen to use Kaplan's practice tests? If so, how representative do you guys think they were they of the actual MCAT? Were they more or less difficult?It's more fun to read. Kaplan is straight to the point, but TPR is more fun to read. If that makes sense. They complement each other well.
Wanted an opinion. In my personal statement, I begin talking about this crazy experience I had working at a vet clinic in Thailand, where I was assisting in surgery for an animal that woke up during surgery and me and the vet who barely spoke english had to work together. Do you guys think talking about a veterinary medical experience is weird in a medical personal statement? I use it to discuss my ability to triage and teamwork, and the rest of my essay is about working in human clinical medicine. So I think its fine.
I think it definitely depends. Are you officially certified to practice and assist in vet surgery? Are you certified and allowed to participate in Thailand? Was it a huge impact to your life that made you want to be a doctor?
I think its a wonderful story, but I can definitely see some adcoms saying, why not vet? or raising some ethics flags, ya know?
thanks for your advice! One of the problems is that I have been having a hard time finding situations that had profound impacts. This one I think exemplifies one of the the qualifying features for why I should be a doctor. It is also a good lead into the next phase of my life as I enter masters program and have some experiences that do impact my decision.
At the volunteer clinic, yes I was allowed to assist in animal surgery. Only in a minor way, like putting in the catheter, or administering anesthesia in the catheter, preparing the animals (shaving, sterilizing), and helping hold instruments on tissues. I did get to clamp the ovarian artery. These were sterilization surgeries. So we were just taking out reproductive organs.
I have 6 years of veterinary medical training in rodent surgery through lab work. Not the same, but still skills the volunteer place was willing to take.
You think thats okay?
This is what's killing me now, CARS. I prepped so much for this section... I felt that the passages were longer than usual and that threw me off... Im really nervous about it, idk if I should just sign for a retake now just in case...
thanks for your advice! One of the problems is that I have been having a hard time finding situations that had profound impacts. This one I think exemplifies one of the the qualifying features for why I should be a doctor. It is also a good lead into the next phase of my life as I enter masters program and have some experiences that do impact my decision.
At the volunteer clinic, yes I was allowed to assist in animal surgery. Only in a minor way, like putting in the catheter, or administering anesthesia in the catheter, preparing the animals (shaving, sterilizing), and helping hold instruments on tissues. I did get to clamp the ovarian artery. These were sterilization surgeries. So we were just taking out reproductive organs.
I have 6 years of veterinary medical training in rodent surgery through lab work. Not the same, but still skills the volunteer place was willing to take.
You think thats okay?
thanks for your advice! One of the problems is that I have been having a hard time finding situations that had profound impacts. This one I think exemplifies one of the the qualifying features for why I should be a doctor. It is also a good lead into the next phase of my life as I enter masters program and have some experiences that do impact my decision.
At the volunteer clinic, yes I was allowed to assist in animal surgery. Only in a minor way, like putting in the catheter, or administering anesthesia in the catheter, preparing the animals (shaving, sterilizing), and helping hold instruments on tissues. I did get to clamp the ovarian artery. These were sterilization surgeries. So we were just taking out reproductive organs.
I have 6 years of veterinary medical training in rodent surgery through lab work. Not the same, but still skills the volunteer place was willing to take.
You think thats okay?
Is this true? I've heard CARs on TPR FLs are harder than the AAMC/real test CARs.
Mmm be careful. Being licensed to practice as a vet and being allowed to perform various procedures in a Thai veterinary clinic are not one and the same. As someone with a vet in the family (one of my parents), I can assure you this would be considered a no-no to someone in the veterinary field. Rodent surgery through lab work is not the same as true veterinary medical training, which takes the same amount of time as human medical training.
I'm not sure what to tell you here, but I would ask your premed adviser or even a medical school official before you proceed. There is a chance that this situation could be perceived similar to the "I went to a third world country and performed medical procedures!" trope that is a death wish in admissions (i.e. you are not licensed or trained, you should not be performing medical procedures). Vet clinics in Thailand likely have very different standards than vet clinics here, but adcoms want to see that you use good medical judgement regardless of what someone tells you is OK. In the case of human medical situations, this means saying "no" when you are asked to do something you are not qualified to do. Animals aren't humans, but I worry that your situation might be viewed with the same eye.
For example, many small animals die very easily (easier than humans) from anesthesia. You can also actually do serious damage putting in a catheter if you do it wrong. My mother would never allow me to do these things on her animal patients, and I've been with her to work countless times. I'm not saying you definitely should not include them, I'm just saying get a second (expert) opinion. Maybe try to ask one of the adcoms on the pre-allo forum. However, I would think discussing the super basic procedures -- shaving, sterilizing, holding instruments on tissues -- would be OK.
Mmm be careful. Being licensed to practice as a vet and being allowed to perform various procedures in a Thai veterinary clinic are not one and the same. As someone with a vet in the family (one of my parents), I can assure you this would be considered a no-no to someone in the veterinary field. Rodent surgery through lab work is not the same as true veterinary medical training, which takes the same amount of time as human medical training.
I'm not sure what to tell you here, but I would ask your premed adviser or even a medical school official before you proceed. There is a chance that this situation could be perceived similar to the "I went to a third world country and performed medical procedures!" trope that is a death wish in admissions (i.e. you are not licensed or trained, you should not be performing medical procedures). Vet clinics in Thailand likely have very different standards than vet clinics here, but adcoms want to see that you use good medical judgement regardless of what someone tells you is OK. In the case of human medical situations, this means saying "no" when you are asked to do something you are not qualified to do. Animals aren't humans, but I worry that your situation might be viewed with the same eye.
For example, many small animals die very easily (easier than humans) from anesthesia. You can also actually do serious damage putting in a catheter if you do it wrong. My mother would never allow me to do these things on her animal patients, and I've been with her to work countless times. I'm not saying you definitely should not include them, I'm just saying get a second (expert) opinion. Maybe try to ask one of the adcoms on the pre-allo forum. However, I would think discussing the super basic procedures -- shaving, sterilizing, holding instruments on tissues -- would be OK.