The Official November 7, 2014 MCAT Thread

[M.D.orbust]

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Hey all! I am signed up for this date. 8:00 a.m. Yikes!!! I am aiming hard to make 40+ my reality so hence me making this thread so early. A former lab- mate and current medical student had a ton of MCAT prep stuff she gave to me. So I have the Examcrackers set, Hyperlearning set, regular Princeton Review, audio osmosis, and practice MCAT tests from a variety of sources I also do the MCAT questions a day through email and on my phone (to help with super quick recall). I am officially studying legitimately now. Currently starting with Examcrackers. I'd love to hear from you all doing the same. Let's do this!!!

 

[Janus_Kinase]

@Carbon090 If you have the time, I would put it off just because I would like to see where "I need to improve" before taking an FL . But in the end if you are using the SA as practice then I guess it does not really matter if you do it before or after an FL.

Dam well put man @texan2414


Just finished the last EK test #14 - got a 10. This one passage about knots pwned me lol. My overall average across all 14 EK tests is 8.5 with a high of 11 and a low of 6 (twice). I need to work on is timing, I usually had to go a little over the 60 mins in order to finish all 7 passages.

 

[heathythegreat]

@Carbon090 If you have the time, I would put it off just because I would like to see where "I need to improve" before taking an FL . But in the end if you are using the SA as practice then I guess it does not really matter if you do it before or after an FL.

Dam well put man @texan2414


Just finished the last EK test #14 - got a 10. This one passage about knots pwned me lol. My overall average across all 14 EK tests is 8.5 with a high of 11 and a low of 6 (twice). I need to work on is timing, I usually had to go a little over the 60 mins in order to finish all 7 passages.

I'm starting on EK verbal tomorrow but my average for TPRH has been around 70 so I'm hoping EK verbal really helps me master verbal like everyone else has said it does!

 

[Janus_Kinase]

I'm starting on EK verbal tomorrow but my average for TPRH has been around 70 so I'm hoping EK verbal really helps me master verbal like everyone else has said it does!

Yeah I totally think EK is good for practice! I definitely saw my VR go up after doing all the tests mainly because it helped develop my own method to tackle passages.

 

[Carbon090]

So I just finished the General Chemistry AAMC Self-Assessment and managed 89 % Correct :] Did this timed as well. Pretty happy about that and curious on the ones I guessed and got wrong. Will update you guys on how I do on the other self assessments.

 

[Janus_Kinase]

So I just finished the General Chemistry AAMC Self-Assessment and managed 89 % Correct :] Did this timed as well. Pretty happy about that and curious on the ones I guessed and got wrong. Will update you guys on how I do on the other self assessments.

Nice man that's awesome How did you time it?

 

[optimistic3]

Nov 7 is just around the corner! Anyone else feeling extremely unprepared? I'd feel much more comfortable taking the January exam but then at that point, there is no buffer because I really do not want to take the 2015 exam. If I weren't taking classes this semester, I'd be able to devote more time to it. I wish I had studied harder this summer like I had planned to!

 

[ciestar]

Officially rescheduled for this date….
I need major help with the stupid right hand rule for a wire current, any advice?

 

[lazyindy]

Officially rescheduled for this date….
I need major help with the stupid right hand rule for a wire current, any advice?

any specific problem you'd like us to go over?

 

[ciestar]

any specific problem you'd like us to go over?

I suppose we can start here.
I just can't figure out what to do with my fingers…..

 

[wuhsabee]

I suppose we can start here.
I just can't figure out what to do with my fingers…..

 

[ciestar]

Hilarious.

 

[lazyindy]

I suppose we can start here.
I just can't figure out what to do with my fingers…..

take your right hand and point your thumb in the direction of the current in the wire (up). Your fingers will naturally curl in the direction of the magnetic field (a counterclockwise loop). So at the left of the page corresponds to the left side of your thumb where the fingers point out and the right side corresponds to the right side of your thumb where the fingers go in. Hence the direction of the magnetic field at point P is out of the page and at Q is into the page.

hope that helps

 

[Janus_Kinase]

@lazyindy Pretty much nailed it.

I will offer a different perspective @ciestar Pretend you are hitchhiking with your right hand. Got it? The thumb points towards the direction of current whether it is up or down. In this case, current is flowing up. Now put your hitchhiking hand in front of you with the thumb up. Notice how your fingers naturally curve towards you. That is the direction of the magnetic field on the left side (A side). If you continue the path of your naturally curved fingers, eventually they will turn 180° and curve away from you. That is the direction of the magnetic field on the right side ( B side).

The magnitude will decrease as distance increases (as shown in the equation) But generally this could be figured out with intuition.

 

[getfat]

Just Finished AAMC #6R (Timed) and I got a 29 (9PHYS/9VERB/11BIO)
I was wondering, I heard through another forum that within 1 month of the test-date you should start setting your sleep schedule according to how you wanna wake up for test day. My problem is I work a lot of kinda half-nights as a scribe. Its not technically overnight because I get out at 2AM. Ive tried to tried several times to set myself to wake up by at least 7 but im having trouble with the whole 4-5 hours of sleep when im so accustomed to at least 8 hours.

 

[Janus_Kinase]

Just Finished AAMC #6R (Timed) and I got a 29 (9PHYS/9VERB/11BIO)
I was wondering, I heard through another forum that within 1 month of the test-date you should start setting your sleep schedule according to how you wanna wake up for test day. My problem is I work a lot of kinda half-nights as a scribe. Its not technically overnight because I get out at 2AM. Ive tried to tried several times to set myself to wake up by at least 7 but im having trouble with the whole 4-5 hours of sleep when im so accustomed to at least 8 hours.

Yeah I would definitely recommend that. Maybe try to switch shifts in order to get the nights before you take a FL off? Don't know how strict they are.

 

[ciestar]

@lazyindy Pretty much nailed it.

I will offer a different perspective @ciestar Pretend you are hitchhiking with your right hand. Got it? The thumb points towards the direction of current whether it is up or down. In this case, current is flowing up. Now put your hitchhiking hand in front of you with the thumb up. Notice how your fingers naturally curve towards you. That is the direction of the magnetic field on the left side (A side). If you continue the path of your naturally curved fingers, eventually they will turn 180° and curve away from you. That is the direction of the magnetic field on the right side ( B side).

The magnitude will decrease as distance increases (as shown in the equation) But generally this could be figured out with intuition.

I was very much overthinking all of it. Chad's video actually gave me the video representation I needed. Thanks for your help!!

I'm very much trying to see the light at the end of the tunnel. I'm getting there. I've only taken AAMC 3 though, 8/9/8. (And it very much exploited what I hadn't finished yet.) I'm almost there with content though. Physics just takes me so long to complete but I'm basically done with every other subject. That and I have a chad subscription to hopefully get me the rest of the way there.

 

[texan2414]

Burnout is HITTING MEEEE!!!!!!!!

I've been hammering away end of chapter passages in TBR GChem and Physics books and halfway done with both passages in both physics books. Trying really hard to finish all of them today. But I also have about half of the passages left in gen chem book too. Every time I open berkeley books to do practice questions, I feel like a lone molecule going through a particle accelerator and being bombarded.....
Only have 2 VR exams left from TPRH, have finished all of the passages preceeding that. Scores on VR exam 1 was 26/40 and exam 2 was 30/40.
Have also started TPR SWB biology passages.

I'm eating, drinking, breathing MCAT. Its NOT fun 🙁

Over and out.

 

[undergrad1020]

Do you guys think there will still be January dates left open somewhere after we take the Nov. 07 test or that they will all be full by then and this is the one shot?

 

[Carbon090]

How's everyone's prep going? Just got done with a weekend of work. Finished all of the SA's and now reviewing them. Made some very silly mistakes on some of the questions. Definitely need to review Reproduction and the hormones involved in it.

Taking AAMC #5 on Thursday, so tomorrow is going to be filled with SA review and verbal practice.

@undergrad1020 I'm pretty sure they will be filled. You might get lucky and get an opening though (seems to occur based on what I've read on these forums). I'm definitely viewing this exam as a one time shot. This way, no matter what it forces me to do whatever I can to get the best score possible.

 

[optimistic3]

Do you guys think there will still be January dates left open somewhere after we take the Nov. 07 test or that they will all be full by then and this is the one shot?

I think there may be very few and if so, you'd probably have to fly to one. I'm really torn right now about whether or not I should postpone. Not that there are any seats left open in my state on any date, but just the idea of it. However, I'm afraid to only have one go at it.

 

[Janus_Kinase]

Finished my fourth and last TPRH test today -10, 10, 11, 7. The last test was a tad bit harder and I know I made careless mistakes but I am scared something like that will happen on the actual day 🙁 I will be really happy with a 10!!

Gonna do the physics SA tomorrow. For now, its time for a break and watch The Voice

 

[lazyindy]

this is weird. my best subject in Berkeley Review is biology. In the others I'm scoring in the low-mid 80s but in bio im averaging 95% correct on the passages. Seems like having tough bio/biochem professors at my school is really paying off. Just hope this continues to test day 🙂

And don't forget to take days off guys!! it helps you more than you think

 

[lazyindy]

Burnout is HITTING MEEEE!!!!!!!!

I've been hammering away end of chapter passages in TBR GChem and Physics books and halfway done with both passages in both physics books. Trying really hard to finish all of them today. But I also have about half of the passages left in gen chem book too. Every time I open berkeley books to do practice questions, I feel like a lone molecule going through a particle accelerator and being bombarded.....
Only have 2 VR exams left from TPRH, have finished all of the passages preceeding that. Scores on VR exam 1 was 26/40 and exam 2 was 30/40.
Have also started TPR SWB biology passages.

I'm eating, drinking, breathing MCAT. Its NOT fun 🙁

Over and out.

haha when you really feel the stress and intensity its a bittersweet feeling according to me. I feel accomplished and proud of myself for working really hard but at the same time I know this is the brain's way of telling me that its time for a BREAK!

so take a day off dude, relax, chill with friends, go for a run/swim, do drugs (jk 😛)

 

[Carbon090]

Woke up this morning, getting ready to hit the gym before a long day of MCAT prep. Proceeded to check email and got the reminder from AAMC about rescheduling the MCAT.

Last stretch fellas.

 

[lazyindy]

Woke up this morning, getting ready to hit the gym before a long day of MCAT prep. Proceeded to check email and got the reminder from AAMC about rescheduling the MCAT.

Last stretch fellas.

yea getting really anxious but also pumped at the same time to slay this beast. btw if thats you in your avatar then I must say that I'm mirin your aesthetics!

 

[Major]

yea getting really anxious but also pumped at the same time to slay this beast. btw if thats you in your avatar then I must say that I'm mirin your aesthetics!

Got that same email this morning.

The struggle is real!

 

[Carbon090]

yea getting really anxious but also pumped at the same time to slay this beast. btw if thats you in your avatar then I must say that I'm mirin your aesthetics!

Same! And yes it is :] I competed in a bodybuilding show in May. Was incredible. Do any of you guys think putting bodybuilding as an EC is a good idea when applying to med school? I'm planning to do 2-3 more shows next year.

 

[nystin]

Same! And yes it is :] I competed in a bodybuilding show in May. Was incredible. Do any of you guys think putting bodybuilding as an EC is a good idea when applying to med school? I'm planning to do 2-3 more shows next year.

Hell yeah! Its an accomplishment...a hobby! Shows you have other interests besides medicine...plus you can tie your hobby to medicine somehow! I am a runner/biker so I am definitely talking about my passion for that!

 

[Janus_Kinase]

Has anyone else done the phsyics SA and found it sorta difficult? 😕

Overall 68% which I guess is okay when the average is 54. It is funny how I thought I was decent at kinematics but scored horribly. Did pretty well in electrostatics/magnetism. I was feeling sort of confident in physics but not anymore. Time to hit the books/practice problem/watch more videos....yay.

 

[heathythegreat]

Before I picked this test date (thought I was gonna do sept 18) I planned a little trip for next week oct 8-14... don't get me wrong I definitely WILL be studying, but I was wondering if anyone had any good apps for me to use on my phone while I'm out and about- this could be practice questions, flash cards, etc! Thanks!

 

[Carbon090]

Has anyone else done the phsyics SA and found it sorta difficult? 😕

Overall 68% which I guess is okay when the average is 54. It is funny how I thought I was decent at kinematics but scored horribly. Did pretty well in electrostatics/magnetism. I was feeling sort of confident in physics but not anymore. Time to hit the books/practice problem/watch more videos....yay.

I didn't do much better. I got a 69%. Was devastated and really disappointed on the score. Brb going through the whole entire TBR physics and still not do great. I reviewed over it though and found that the majority that I got wrong was due to really poor reasoning and absolute silly mistakes. No amount of content review could have helped me get any better (besides maybe 3-5 questions). I'm assuming this is why people say to do passages after passages. You need to be more aware and sharp when taking these things. Some questions though (such as the puncture in the tank and determining the speed) yeah definitely didn't know how to do that (sad thing is I remember doing similar problem in the TPRHL SW).

Overall my self assessment scores were:
General Chemistry: 89%
Physics: 69%
Biology: 72% (wat... again, made some seriously poor errors, one passage I completely bombed and cringe going over it)
Organic Chemistry: 81 percent (still need to review this, went through this quickly and finished in about an hour and a half)

Still have yet to do verbal, saving that as the weeks get closer to the exam. Going to spend the majority of today doing verbal practice and reviewing the self assessments. We still got 5 weeks, we can do this.

 

[bambam92]

I didn't do much better. I got a 69%. Was devastated and really disappointed on the score. Brb going through the whole entire TBR physics and still not do great. I reviewed over it though and found that the majority that I got wrong was due to really poor reasoning and absolute silly mistakes. No amount of content review could have helped me get any better (besides maybe 3-5 questions). I'm assuming this is why people say to do passages after passages. You need to be more aware and sharp when taking these things. Some questions though (such as the puncture in the tank and determining the speed) yeah definitely didn't know how to do that (sad thing is I remember doing similar problem in the TPRHL SW).

Overall my self assessment scores were:
General Chemistry: 89%
Physics: 69%
Biology: 72% (wat... again, made some seriously poor errors, one passage I completely bombed and cringe going over it)
Organic Chemistry: 81 percent (still need to review this, went through this quickly and finished in about an hour and a half)

Still have yet to do verbal, saving that as the weeks get closer to the exam. Going to spend the majority of today doing verbal practice and reviewing the self assessments. We still got 5 weeks, we can do this.

amazing gen chem score man. mirin. I also found physics SA quite difficult…I got 70%…wut?! Lol. I got 76% on gen chem (rlly stupid mistakes) , and 75% on bio. Verbal is coming along--doing 2 passages a day here but verbal is my best section, expect 12+ here. I feel if you hit around 75% on the chem/physics SA you can get 10-11 on PS come full lengths. Multiple people have told me this. The problem is with good old sdn is all the people with 90+% scores on SA report it to the world, and those with scores like us (which are solid but not amazing) maybe don't report as much.

edit: I found an opening for this date MUCH closer to where I live. So I moved my date from 10/25 to this date. So I am on the 11/7 bandwagon. Hope we all crush this thing. Just for info I have finished the SA's listed above. Still haven't done orgo. And I have done GS#1 , in which I got a 30 (10,10,10), and GS #2 which I got a 29 (10,10,9). Will take AAMC #4 this sunday. And GS#3 tomorrow.

 

[texan2414]

amazing gen chem score man. mirin. I also found physics SA quite difficult…I got 70%…wut?! Lol. I got 76% on gen chem (rlly stupid mistakes) , and 75% on bio. Verbal is coming along--doing 2 passages a day here but verbal is my best section, expect 12+ here. I feel if you hit around 75% on the chem/physics SA you can get 10-11 on PS come full lengths. Multiple people have told me this. The problem is with good old sdn is all the people with 90+% scores on SA report it to the world, and those with scores like us (which are solid but not amazing) maybe don't report as much.

edit: I found an opening for this date MUCH closer to where I live. So I moved my date from 10/25 to this date. So I am on the 11/7 bandwagon. Hope we all crush this thing. Just for info I have finished the SA's listed above. Still haven't done orgo. And I have done GS#1 , in which I got a 30 (10,10,10), and GS #2 which I got a 29 (10,10,9). Will take AAMC #4 this sunday. And GS#3 tomorrow.

Those are great GS scores, considering they are rounded DOWN.

 

[Carbon090]

@bambam92 awesome scores man! Sounds like you're doing well. Welcome to the Nov. 7th crew

Also, have any of you noticed (or experienced) the fact that it seems the AAMC verbal is actually easier than TPR or EK? I'm not sure what it is, but I score so much better on verbal passages of AAMC as opposed to other sources. Just took the first two passages of self-assassment verbal and got all of them right (plus a 10 on AAMC 3 verbal and 9 on AAMC 4 verbal).

Not sure if it's due to an increase focus on AAMC because I KNOW that it represents the real thing or if I'm just getting lucky. Been practicing verbal every day now for the last 2 weeks or so.

Or got a bad case of over studying 😕

 

[lazyindy]

damn all you guys are already up to self assessments and I'm still here trying to finish up content review

 

[Janus_Kinase]

damn all you guys are already up to self assessments and I'm still here trying to finish up content review

Don't worry. Each their own pace 🙂 It seems that most people here have completed some sort of FL. I am barely going to be taking my first FL next week!! So in that sense I am way behind too lol. We all are arriving at our destination at the same time, just taking different routes.

 

[MelloTangelo]

It's the same here! I just finished content review yesterday, so now I'm just finishing up with my review days, and it's time for FLs. I'm definitely starting to feel the pressure now.

 

[bambam92]

@bambam92 awesome scores man! Sounds like you're doing well. Welcome to the Nov. 7th crew

Also, have any of you noticed (or experienced) the fact that it seems the AAMC verbal is actually easier than TPR or EK? I'm not sure what it is, but I score so much better on verbal passages of AAMC as opposed to other sources. Just took the first two passages of self-assassment verbal and got all of them right (plus a 10 on AAMC 3 verbal and 9 on AAMC 4 verbal).

Not sure if it's due to an increase focus on AAMC because I KNOW that it represents the real thing or if I'm just getting lucky. Been practicing verbal every day now for the last 2 weeks or so.

Or got a bad case of over studying 😕

I feel AAMC verbal is easier than TPRH or EK as well. Or maybe not easier--but better designed. Just as a reference on AAMC #3 months ago as a diagnostic I got a 12 on verbal. For the SA I have so far done the first 40 questions and am 38/40 thus far. But yet on some of the TPRH verbal passages I would get like 2 or even 3 wrong. So for verbal I feel the only thing truly representative is AAMC material.

 

[anon5759]

Anybody else taking BR full lengths? I've taken 3 and been consistently getting 11-12 on PS and BS

 

[lazyindy]

Anybody else taking BR full lengths? I've taken 3 and been consistently getting 11-12 on PS and BS

I wanted to but I'm going to run out of ample time once I finish all the chapters from the BR books. Would you say they're closely representative of the AAMC exams?

 

[Janus_Kinase]

Just finished Gen Chem SA - 75%. Strengths are electrochemistry, periodic table/structure, and weakness are kinetics and thermo (which I was actually pretty confident in both) The SA did increase in difficulty near the end and I did miss more questions in the second half than first. I wonder how much does fatigue (if any) factor in? I know near the end I was just like dgaf on some. I completed in two sections. What do you think @Carbon090

Luckily many of the questions I got wrong were the ones I was 50/50 in. Gotta buckle those topics down.

 

[Carbon090]

Just finished Gen Chem SA - 75%. Strengths are electrochemistry, periodic table/structure, and weakness are kinetics and thermo (which I was actually pretty confident in both) The SA did increase in difficulty near the end and I did miss more questions in the second half than first. I wonder how much does fatigue (if any) factor in? I know near the end I was just like dgaf on some. I completed in two sections. What do you think @Carbon090

Luckily many of the questions I got wrong were the ones I was 50/50 in. Gotta buckle those topics down.

I think fatigue definitely contributes. I noticed that I also got the majority wrong at the end (looking at you physics and bio). I was tired and by the end was anxious to see my score so I began to rush through it (silly to do that, but fuark). I know there was one particular kinetics question in the SA that even AFTER reading why I got it wrong, I still didn't quite understand it. Gonna review kinetics for sure today. That along the reproductive system and work on the verbal SA.

I'm going to take AAMC #5 tomorrow. REALLY hoping that I've improved. 😡

 

[childofmercy]

Nov 7 is just around the corner! Anyone else feeling extremely unprepared? I'd feel much more comfortable taking the January exam but then at that point, there is no buffer because I really do not want to take the 2015 exam. If I weren't taking classes this semester, I'd be able to devote more time to it. I wish I had studying harder this summer like I had planned to!

Same. boat.

 

[Janus_Kinase]

Completed Organic self assesment 71%. Dont you guys hate the questions where you reason the correct answer but mistakenly select the wrong answer? that happen today with orgo more than a couple times lol.

Overall been hitting around 70s for my SAs. Finding my weakness which is good. We are reaching the 1-month check point. Time to put in the extra work everyone!!

 

[bambam92]

whats up guys? Just as an update I took Gold Standard #3 today, and got a 12PS, 10VR, and 10BS for a 32 composite. Really happy with the 12 on PS--since on the first two GS's I got 10's. If anyone is taking GS's there was a definitely a ramp up in # of calc based ?'s for #3 on PS. Slaying that PS felt really good--I went 45/52 for raw conversion so was pumped it wasn't scale inflation. Started doing a victory lap around the school library, getting weird looks and ishhh. Haha Hows everyones progress going??

 

[Janus_Kinase]

Completed Bio self assessment 82% Going in I was actually kind of worried cause I have not done any TBR Bio passages. Just been reading EK bio and completed some of their 3o min exams. This was the longest of all the SAs and by the end I really just wanted to finish. Genetics and Evolution were by far the most confusing topics in this test.

Total SAs: Physics 68%, Gen chem 75%, Orgo 71%, and Bio 82%

I will be dedicating each of the topics one day of review, starting tomorrow. Will work on those weakness as much as I can. Then I will be taking my first FL on Friday 😵😵


Ahh it is all getting real so quick. Hope everyone is doing an awesome job in their studies!

 

[baxt1412]

not feeling very good. i feel like i understand my physics concepts then i take tests and the passages are way more complex than what i can seemingly handle.

I know it's not particularly popular around here, but I'm using kaplan's courses and tests - anybody else experiencing similar things with kaplan?

 

[nystin]

not feeling very good. i feel like i understand my physics concepts then i take tests and the passages are way more complex than what i can seemingly handle.

I know it's not particularly popular around here, but I'm using kaplan's courses and tests - anybody else experiencing similar things with kaplan?

Keep using Kaplan, I use it but you may need additional practice. I use my old college text book and EX physics..and BR. So definitely try and get another source for practice.

 

[baxt1412]

Keep using Kaplan, I use it but you may need additional practice. I use my old college text book and EX physics..and BR. So definitely try and get another source for practice.

Exam Krackers or am I missing something called EX? (not trying to be rude.. just wondering)

 

[nystin]

Exam Krackers or am I missing something called EX? (not trying to be rude.. just wondering)

Sorry. I meant EK. Ahaha. Lol