The Official June 21, 2014 MCAT thread

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I don't care if you are scoring 40s on your practice tests, if you claim 35 is a low score and you wouldn't legitimately be ok with a 35, then you should get off of this forum. I got a 23 on my first test guys. I threw my phone at the wall. Just sayin. Good job dudewheresmymd, amazing work 😀
 
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Dr Muz said:
What snacks are y'all taking?
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This reminds me, I was going to ask what you guys planned to eat for breakfast the morning of.

I'll probably just bring a granola bar or popcorn, water, and whatever fruit I have lying around. I tend to be a light snacker.

For breakfast, I think I'm going with egg white omelet and some oatmeal.
 
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lol same here sloppypapi. I am actually going to go to Cracker barrel (Im in the south) but the snack is going to be good ol fashioned PBJ.
 
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I usually eat egg whites in the morning so I'm probably going to do that. Thinking of bringing apples and granola bars
 
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When are you guys going to stop taking FLs and doing hardcore studying? I'm considering taking my last FL on Thursday but I also want enough time for mental refreshing...
 
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Also taking 11 tomorrow. I'll correct it on Thursday and maybe brush up on pure memorization with flashcards (like various rules and formulas. No major concepts). Friday, I plan to chill out and have lunch with some friends. I heard a tip about depriving yourself of some sleep on Thursday night so it's easier to fall asleep on Friday without nerves keeping you up, so I might give it a bit of a try.
 
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anyone else taking kaplan tests? they are so inflated. took kaplan 5 today, 41 (13, 13, 15) but missed quite a few. typical kaplan style
 
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Saxappeal1 said:
I don't care if you are scoring 40s on your practice tests, if you claim 35 is a low score and you wouldn't legitimately be ok with a 35, then you should get off of this forum. I got a 23 on my first test guys. I threw my phone at the wall. Just sayin. Good job dudewheresmymd, amazing work 😀
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no, no i am very happy! i never claimed it was a low score.. i think medcandidate mistook me for someone else lol... aspiring doc or xxsynapse maybe/catchmoresun?

thank you 🙂 i think i got lucky on PS/verbal tho, i really guessed on some of them and felt short on time on verbal had to read and answer questions for last passage in 6 mins (aamc 10 I finished with a breeze). I feel confident about bio tho. maybe that's what saturday will feel like.

I did the ebola passage first after hearing about it for a year on these forums...i was so excited to finally see it lol. after finishing discretes, i was like f it, i'm doing ebola right now.
 
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sloppypapi said:
This reminds me, I was going to ask what you guys planned to eat for breakfast the morning of.

I'll probably just bring a granola bar or popcorn, water, and whatever fruit I have lying around. I tend to be a light snacker.

For breakfast, I think I'm going with egg white omelet and some oatmeal.
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my mom said not to eat eggs before a big exam...not sure why lol

catchmoresun said:
anyone else taking kaplan tests? they are so inflated. took kaplan 5 today, 41 (13, 13, 15) but missed quite a few. typical kaplan style
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you should be fine since you killin the aamcs also
 
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catchmoresun said:
what are you guys doing after the mcat for the rest of the summer??
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I actually have jury duty the Monday after the exam. -_- Will probably spend Saturday and all of Sunday binge watching the new season of OITNB.

As far as productivity goes, I've been shadowing a doctor and volunteering at a local retirement home before I cut myself off from the real world to study. I have a job offer at Starbucks, which I think will be great for those service, people, and team-work skills we need as doctors, but there's also an opening for clinical lab asst. at a nearby lab that I'm eligible for. I do love lab work and I think it looks good on the application, but hey, working at Starbucks is a good way of interacting with a variety of people, working in a fast-paced environment, and there's more mobility toward leadership positions (like supervisor and manager), which also could look good on the application. I'll figure that out once I get there.
 
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Ive learned to give up on looking at other peoples test date scores.. All ur reallly gunna have is people either super pissed or super excited about their score..
 
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yr not the only canadian! i'm writing in halifax, ns.

looking at other people's practice scores just makes me anxious, but i keep reminding myself that i'm doing pretty well for having never taken ochem or physics and teaching myself from scratch, ha. #neveragain
 
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How's everyone feeling four days before the test?

Truthfully, I feel like I know all of my concepts pretty well...there are only a few topics I'm a little shaky on, but nothing major. I know if I eliminated stupid errors (not even rushed, just not reading fully) I could score 32-33. My practices are averaging 29-30 with AAMC 11 left.

I'm feeling positive and think if I can rise to the occasion I could pull a 31 on test day... hows everyone else feel?!
 
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yanks26dmb said:
How's everyone feeling four days before the test?

Truthfully, I feel like I know all of my concepts pretty well...there are only a few topics I'm a little shaky on, but nothing major. I know if I eliminated stupid errors (not even rushed, just not reading fully) I could score 32-33. My practices are averaging 29-30 with AAMC 11 left.

I'm feeling positive and think if I can rise to the occasion I could pull a 31 on test day... hows everyone else feel?!
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Feeling the same. I'm less worried about "content" and more worried about my actual test taking skills. I have a tendency to skip words or re-read 2-3 times before I can actually understand what's going on, which eats up time and leaves me rushing. With 2 days of study time left, I don't know how much I'll be able to improve purely on technique, but I can only hope being in the actual situation will force me to concentrate and spend my time wisely.
 
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XxSynapsexX said:
Just took AAMC 11 38 (14-10-14) SO STOKED!!!! lol
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thats exactly the breakdown I got on my AAMC # 11 last year! I'm gonna take it again for the second time tomorrow so we'll see how I do but congrats!!

I took GS #4 PS and BS today with AAMC#7 verbal to simulate a test and got 34 (12,11,11)

How does everyone feel about the "none of the above"/"need more information to answer this question" choices? I did a BR passage this year where the book said specifically to never pick this option if you see it but its been the correct answer for some on the GS tests multiple times :/

Do people rule it out immediately after seeing it?
 
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I'm really nervous for the test, but wanting for it to be done at the same time. I'm worried about my physics/gen chem content because that's where I've been scoring the lowest plus all the horror stories from the recent tests. I'm just hoping my nerves don't wreck me on Saturday. The highest I've gotten is a 30, but I see no reason I shouldn't get a 28-30. If I can keep calm and do what I know how to do, I'll be okay.

Overall, still super nervous. I'm taking AAMC 11 on Thursday morning with the entire routine the same for test day. Hopefully that will give me a good feel and the score will raise my confidence.

I've heard a lot about people drinking energy drinks etc before the test or during breaks. What opinions does the thread have on that?
 
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KnightofBaldMt said:
I'm really nervous for the test, but wanting for it to be done at the same time. I'm worried about my physics/gen chem content because that's where I've been scoring the lowest plus all the horror stories from the recent tests. I'm just hoping my nerves don't wreck me on Saturday. The highest I've gotten is a 30, but I see no reason I shouldn't get a 28-30. If I can keep calm and do what I know how to do, I'll be okay.

Overall, still super nervous. I'm taking AAMC 11 on Thursday morning with the entire routine the same for test day. Hopefully that will give me a good feel and the score will raise my confidence.

I've heard a lot about people drinking energy drinks etc before the test or during breaks. What opinions does the thread have on that?
Click to expand...

I tried my test with a Red Bull today and though I was definitely a little more focused. But try it on a practice test before drinking anything the day of!
 
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SB14 said:
I tried my test with a Red Bull today and though I was definitely a little more focused. But try it on a practice test before drinking anything the day of!
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Yes! I can't decide if it's worth the risk of skewing my final FL practice though...
 
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KnightofBaldMt said:
Yes! I can't decide if it's worth the risk of skewing my final FL practice though...
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SB14 said:
I tried my test with a Red Bull today and though I was definitely a little more focused. But try it on a practice test before drinking anything the day of!
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highly recommend energy drink. (the hard part is finding the right one for your body....) I drank one during AAMC 10/11 breaks, highly boosts focus if it works for you. I felt like taking another MCAT right after finishing AAMC 10 whereas without energy drinks I felt so tired after AAMC 3-9 and didn't want to do anything after them.

nota bene, my friend drank one and didn't do well so YMMV. make sure you practice on at least one exam before doing it, b/c some people crash.
 
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SB14 said:
thats exactly the breakdown I got on my AAMC # 11 last year! I'm gonna take it again for the second time tomorrow so we'll see how I do but congrats!!

I took GS #4 PS and BS today with AAMC#7 verbal to simulate a test and got 34 (12,11,11)

How does everyone feel about the "none of the above"/"need more information to answer this question" choices? I did a BR passage this year where the book said specifically to never pick this option if you see it but its been the correct answer for some on the GS tests multiple times :/

Do people rule it out immediately after seeing it?
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Thanks!! Mind if I ask what you got on the MCAT last year? I dont really expect to get this on the real deal though but its definetely a major confidence boost
 
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XxSynapsexX said:
Thanks!! Mind if I ask what you got on the MCAT last year? I dont really expect to get this on the real deal though but its definetely a major confidence boost
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I was averaging around 34-35 with on my practice AAMC with a 38 being my highest on #11 but got a 31 (12,9,10) on the real thing. I remember freaking myself out cause I missed an easy question on physics and I think that messed me up for verbal and then verbal not going well maybe have thrown me off my game for bio...at least that how I justify it for myself haha.

Not that a 31 is a bad score but I was expecting higher so I'm retaking. Anyways, moral is don't freak yourself out cause almost everyone else I know has gotten scores close to their averages!
 
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SB14 said:
I was averaging around 34-35 with on my practice AAMC with a 38 being my highest on #11 but got a 31 (12,9,10) on the real thing. I remember freaking myself out cause I missed an easy question on physics and I think that messed me up for verbal and then verbal not going well maybe have thrown me off my game for bio...at least that how I justify it for myself haha.

Not that a 31 is a bad score but I was expecting higher so I'm retaking. Anyways, moral is don't freak yourself out cause almost everyone else I know has gotten scores close to their averages!
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that's my biggest fear! i need to make sure I don't let a tough passage or question shake me
 
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I just don't want to run into a passage that makes no sense to me, because even if the questions are straightforward, I know my panicking ruins any chance of sorting through it logically. I've been doing my last bit of TBRs, and ran into a few toughies that honestly weren't that complicated, had I just taken a minute to use some common sense and not let the superfluous info blind me. I figure that might be the case for a lot of the "hard" questions on the MCAT: dense passages with convoluted questions that are actually quite simple if you break it down.
 
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SB14 said:
I was averaging around 34-35 with on my practice AAMC with a 38 being my highest on #11 but got a 31 (12,9,10) on the real thing. I remember freaking myself out cause I missed an easy question on physics and I think that messed me up for verbal and then verbal not going well maybe have thrown me off my game for bio...at least that how I justify it for myself haha.

Not that a 31 is a bad score but I was expecting higher so I'm retaking. Anyways, moral is don't freak yourself out cause almost everyone else I know has gotten scores close to their averages!
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Oh my thats scaring me.. im trying to reassure myself that scoring 35s with that 38 ensures I get atleast 34+ but damm Ill try not to panic and same goes for you!
 
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sloppypapi said:
I just don't want to run into a passage that makes no sense to me, because even if the questions are straightforward, I know my panicking ruins any chance of sorting through it logically. I've been doing my last bit of TBRs, and ran into a few toughies that honestly weren't that complicated, had I just taken a minute to use some common sense and not let the superfluous info blind me. I figure that might be the case for a lot of the "hard" questions on the MCAT: dense passages with convoluted questions that are actually quite simple if you break it down.
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Im sure there will be some of that but there will always be some easy questions in those hard passages youll be able to answer. For me usually skipping that hard passage and coming back gives me that " oh ya thats what it means" moment and the passage becomes easier
 
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KnightofBaldMt said:
I'm really nervous for the test, but wanting for it to be done at the same time. I'm worried about my physics/gen chem content because that's where I've been scoring the lowest plus all the horror stories from the recent tests. I'm just hoping my nerves don't wreck me on Saturday. The highest I've gotten is a 30, but I see no reason I shouldn't get a 28-30. If I can keep calm and do what I know how to do, I'll be okay.

Overall, still super nervous. I'm taking AAMC 11 on Thursday morning with the entire routine the same for test day. Hopefully that will give me a good feel and the score will raise my confidence.

I've heard a lot about people drinking energy drinks etc before the test or during breaks. What opinions does the thread have on that?
Click to expand...

Gotta do what works for you.

Personally before every practice test I take 2 advil, half a Klonopin (anti-anxiety) and half a 10mg Adderall. I get into this weird zen state of calm, but intense focus...seems to keep me leveled because I've suffered from serious exam anxiety in the past that has been debilitating.
 
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yanks26dmb said:
Gotta do what works for you.

Personally before every practice test I take 2 advil, half a Klonopin (anti-anxiety) and half a 10mg Adderall. I get into this weird zen state of calm, but intense focus...seems to keep me leveled because I've suffered from serious exam anxiety in the past that has been debilitating.
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I might be reiterating something already said, the only thing about energy drinks/stuff you need to watch out for is how they move your uhh..system.

Personally, I've been waking up at 5 everyday slamming my combo of 5hour+ADD meds (diagnosed of course) and then eat breakfast.

I prefer the 5 hour over coffee mainly because it seems to observe less bathroom urges (ADH INBHITORz!!)

By 7, everything seems gtg. Warm up with practicing my equation sheet, then read and answer a few verbal passages from my 101 book (not keeping score).

By 8 I pick a random lecture exam from my EK book and go at it, score, ten minute break, repeat with a different section.

For snacks I'm leaning towards taking a revive vitamin water, meal replacement bar, candy bar, possibly a 5hour, and of course some smaller tag-ons for the home stretch. I'm considering taking some l-theanine with me since I've had success combining it with caffeine in the past.

"On a steady diet of; soda pop and ritalin"
 
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Glaustice said:
I might be reiterating something already said, the only thing about energy drinks/stuff you need to watch out for is how they move your uhh..system.

Personally, I've been waking up at 5 everyday slamming my combo of 5hour+ADD meds (diagnosed of course) and then eat breakfast.

I prefer the 5 hour over coffee mainly because it seems to observe less bathroom urges (ADH INBHITORz!!)

By 7, everything seems gtg. Warm up with practicing my equation sheet, then read and answer a few verbal passages from my 101 book (not keeping score).

By 8 I pick a random lecture exam from my EK book and go at it, score, ten minute break, repeat with a different section.

For snacks I'm leaning towards taking a revive vitamin water, meal replacement bar, candy bar, possibly a 5hour, and of course some smaller tag-ons for the home stretch. I'm considering taking some l-theanine with me since I've had success combining it with caffeine in the past.

"On a steady diet of; soda pop and ritalin"
Click to expand...

I haven't tried this for test taking purposes, but for triathlon's I've used the energy goo that comes in those little packets. Just an instant burst of energy...wish I had thought to try this sooner, but seems like it might be a good way to get your brain some quick fuel at the midway point..
 
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AAMC 11 done raped me. 26 9/8/9. Verbal didn't seem bad though.... but I knew PS was bad, it was basically "PS featuring Saxappeal's worst areas of physics" ugh and BS was one of the hardest Ive ever taken yeesh
 
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Saxappeal1 said:
AAMC 11 done raped me. 26 9/8/9. Verbal didn't seem bad though.... but I knew PS was bad, it was basically "PS featuring Saxappeal's worst areas of physics" ugh and BS was one of the hardest Ive ever taken yeesh
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keep your chin up man. doesn't mean real exam will have same topics/ be similar on saturday 🙂
 
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I dont know if its too late but i really think everyone should do AAMC self assessments and review. Ive been scoring 34-35s and after doing them and clearing up weaknesses I felt a lot more confident having worked on weak areas and got a 38 on supposedly the hardest AAMC!! lol.
 
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XxSynapsexX said:
I dont know if its too late but i really think everyone should do AAMC self assessments and review. Ive been scoring 34-35s and after doing them and clearing up weaknesses I felt a lot more confident having worked on weak areas and got a 38 on supposedly the hardest AAMC!! lol.
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What exactly do you mean by "AAMC self assessment and review"

This week I havent been "re-taking" each test but reading each passage and going through each and every question carefully (right and wrong answers)...is this what you mean?

If so I definitely agree thats a good idea...and keep your head up saxappeal, that PS was definitely difficult (at least for me) so I know where your coming from, assess your weaknesses 3 days left!
 
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