think I'm going to reschedule for Jan

[premedkid1994]

unscored: 71%/64%/63%/71%

I started doing some of the c/p sb and I feel like I am no where ready. Did about 30 questions and got 58-60%

I just want to get around 505 so I can apply to DO school.
I haven't taken Biochem, Genetics, Physio. I will be taking Biochem and Genetics next quarter.

If you were in my position, what would you do? I just feel miserable after getting screwed on those sb questions

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[cyang55]

If you're not in a rush to apply this cycle (personally I think it's a bit late), then definitely reschedule. It's worst to have to take it twice than take it once, when you feel really prepared, and get your desired score. If you're going to apply next cycle anyways, then I'd definitely recommend rescheduling.

 

[premedkid1994]

If you're not in a rush to apply this cycle (personally I think it's a bit late), then definitely reschedule. It's worst to have to take it twice than take it once, when you feel really prepared, and get your desired score. If you're going to apply next cycle anyways, then I'd definitely recommend rescheduling.

yeah I'm applying next cycle anyways. That was the plan. Just wanted to get it over with, and self study biochem/genetics/physio but it didn't really work out for me. I just feel horrible right now, but I know I'm going to work hard for a higher score next time.

Thank you for the great advice. I really appreciate it

 

[CJhooper123]

unscored: 71%/64%/63%/71%

I started doing some of the c/p sb and I feel like I am no where ready. Did about 30 questions and got 58-60%

I just want to get around 505 so I can apply to DO school.
I haven't taken Biochem, Genetics, Physio. I will be taking Biochem and Genetics next quarter.

If you were in my position, what would you do? I just feel miserable after getting screwed on those sb questions

Kind of in a similar position as you. Took my unscored last week and got 70% total, 73%CP, 66%CARS, 68%BS, 75%PS. I also intend to apply mostly DO. Quite frankly, I am unsure where I will end up.... I really want 508+.

I don't think your too far off from 505 with that unscored. Also, I think you might have posted elsewhere that you have already gotten ~504 on a NS test, which is more difficult than the AAMC. Definitely recommend taking the AAMC FL scored before making any decisions (especially if AAMC will be releasing a new practice test this fall). If you have dedicated a lot of time already to studying, this might be a good time to take it. Then again, if you are not confident and feel that you aren't scoring where you want, it might not be a bad time to hold off. Also finish the SB.... I think I averaged ~63-67% for all of them. They are difficult questions. The SB questions seem more deriving from the material presented than content.

 

[theonlytycrane]

You can probably hit within your DO range (500-505), but you could also reschedule to be safe. The cons are that you have to keep studying, which is hard with classes, and MCAT is just a dark cloud in general.

 

[premedkid1994]

Thank you guys! I will take the scored after the section banks and see if I want to take the exam after that.

Thank you for your help

 

[Kpw101]

unscored: 71%/64%/63%/71%

I started doing some of the c/p sb and I feel like I am no where ready. Did about 30 questions and got 58-60%

I just want to get around 505 so I can apply to DO school.
I haven't taken Biochem, Genetics, Physio. I will be taking Biochem and Genetics next quarter.

If you were in my position, what would you do? I just feel miserable after getting screwed on those sb questions

SB C/P 69%

SB B/B 75%

SB P/S 67%

These are my SBs done untimed for comprehension just so you can do some comparison. I ended up scoring a 511 on the scored a week later.

If you're not in a rush and you don't feel confident I'd definitely reschedule. I'm thinking of doing the same haha. Biochem and genetics will definitely help you out. You just have to weigh the risk of forgetting some of the stuff you studied over the summer to the benefit of having another 3 months to study. Don't be afraid to take the AAMC Scored. I've heard it was confirmed that AAMC will be releasing a new one this fall.

 

[premedkid1994]

SB C/P 69%

SB B/B 75%

SB P/S 67%

These are my SBs done untimed for comprehension just so you can do some comparison. I ended up scoring a 511 on the scored a week later.

If you're not in a rush and you don't feel confident I'd definitely reschedule. I'm thinking of doing the same haha. Biochem and genetics will definitely help you out. You just have to weigh the risk of forgetting some of the stuff you studied over the summer to the benefit of having another 3 months to study. Don't be afraid to take the AAMC Scored. I've heard it was confirmed that AAMC will be releasing a new one this fall.

Thanks for that bro.
It's just depressing when I'm getting ~40% of the questions wrong

 

[Kpw101]

Thanks for that bro.
It's just depressing when I'm getting ~40% of the questions wrong

SB is known to be really hard. I took it one or two passages at a time very relaxed and I still got a lot wrong. I really think it's more useful as a learning tool than as a gauge for your score. Don't count yourself out. Do the SBs as best you can and go over them thoroughly. At your percentages I honestly think you have a good chance of breaking 505 on both the scored and the real thing. If not, you're definitely almost there and if you study hard till January you will be well above your goal.

 

[theonlytycrane]

The SBs are for learning what to expect, how to approach and interpret experiments, and how to mentally prepare for some hard stuff. It's like a big, helpful, slap in the face of what to be able to handle.

Don't worry about the % correct on them. If anyone did the SB and on the first time through said "oh this is pretty easy", then they wouldn't need to study for the MCAT and would be already ready to take the test.

I agree missing questions is not the best for confidence, but view every miss as one more useful thing learned.

 

[premedkid1994]

@Kpw101 and @theonlytycrane
You guys are the best. I feel a lot better. I just felt very down after a few passages. Thank you for the motivation to keep on grinding. Love y'all

 

[Chromatic543]

You can probably hit within your DO range (500-505), but you could also reschedule to be safe. The cons are that you have to keep studying, which is hard with classes, and MCAT is just a dark cloud in general.

How do you study while in school? Treat the MCAT like another class? Is it good to do content review or take mini practice tests?

 

[theonlytycrane]

How do you study while in school? Treat the MCAT like another class? Is it good to do content review or take mini practice tests?

I think I saw that you're planning to reschedule and study during school so I think it's best to focus on getting through content-review from now until classes start. I've seen you studying a lot so I assume you should be pretty close? The best thing to do is get through content and focus on practice problems and practice-tests.

With that said, anything you need to review should now be written in a notebook or in an anki-deck. This includes something like a biochem pathway (glycolysis, gluconeogensis, etc), physics formulas, psych terms, or biology factoids (which phase of the cell cycle does crossing over occur?). This format is useful because now you can sit down for a small chunk of time (30min - 1 hour) and crank out some focused review. Like going over physics formulas, reviewing a pathway, etc. You can also add to your notebook or deck as you study more. Think of this as like your external hard-drive of your brain. You should ideally know everything in here, and if you forget something you can quickly look it up here.

The focus of your studying should be practice-tests. But time is limited so breaking up practice-tests would probably be ideal. If you can dedicate 95 minutes to taking one section one day, then spending about 90 minutes for the next two days to review the section, and then do a review day using the deck mentioned above, you can repeat this and get some good studying done in chunks throughout the week. This leaves time for doing studying for your classes and integrating MCAT stuff in. You can do more on weekends or on days that you have more time.

 

[Chromatic543]

I think I saw that you're planning to reschedule and study during school so I think it's best to focus on getting through content-review from now until classes start. I've seen you studying a lot so I assume you should be pretty close? The best thing to do is get through content and focus on practice problems and practice-tests.

With that said, anything you need to review should now be written in a notebook or in an anki-deck. This includes something like a biochem pathway (glycolysis, gluconeogensis, etc), physics formulas, psych terms, or biology factoids (which phase of the cell cycle does crossing over occur?). This format is useful because now you can sit down for a small chunk of time (30min - 1 hour) and crank out some focused review. Like going over physics formulas, reviewing a pathway, etc. You can also add to your notebook or deck as you study more.

The focus of your studying should be practice-tests. But time is limited so breaking up practice-tests would probably be ideal. If you can dedicate 95 minutes to taking one section one day, then spending about 90 minutes for the next two days to review the section, and then do a review day using the deck mentioned above to review, you can repeat this and get some good studying done in chunks throughout the week. This leaves time for doing studying for your classes and integrating MCAT stuff in. You can do more on weekends or on days that you have more time.

Yeah I did, I just posted another thread about how to study. Thanks for answering though. You have been extremely helpful. Yes I have been studying 6-8 hours per day, so I think I'm in really good shape for content. My trouble lies in actually doing passages because I make careless errors and get stressed out by the time.

 

[MilaKunisDoe]

My performance on the aamc materials were similar to yours and I was also aiming for a 505+. I was thinking of pushing it back to January. But I told myself f*** it...took it and scored it on Aug 25th because I spent my whole spring break and summer studying, felt like I would burn out if I waited til January...but that's me. I would definitely take it now if I were you

 

[SirCourageWolf]

In the same boat but took SB (60's in all but C/P at 50) and an abysmal scored of 500. I agree that it's feels unpleasant to have to put in another 3ish months but the gains will be much better in the long run. Better to take it on your own terms than rush and know you weren't at your best.
Will there be a bit of knowledge decay? Perhaps. But you know what to do and you know you can do it wisely.

 

[premedkid1994]

In the same boat but took SB (60's in all but C/P at 50) and an abysmal scored of 500. I agree that it's feels unpleasant to have to put in another 3ish months but the gains will be much better in the long run. Better to take it on your own terms than rush and know you weren't at your best.
Will there be a bit of knowledge decay? Perhaps. But you know what to do and you know you can do it wisely.

Thank you for your insight as well.
Last night, I decided that I will reschedule for January.
I feel like taking physio, biochem, and genetics (my professor makes us read peer reviewed journals for genetics class) will all be very helpful. It's not like I am taking random classes. All these classes will help me prepare for the mcat. I don't think there will be any knowledge decay. My classes start in 3 weeks and I also get a month off before January mcat. I am going to still do mcat related stuff 3-4 hours daily and take 1 fl per week. Goal is to take 12-15 full lengths. And I am no longer aiming at around a 505. My goal is now 510+

Furthermore, I feel like the new practice exam that AAMC will release will correlate well to where the mcat is heading.

 

[SirCourageWolf]

Thank you for your insight as well.
Last night, I decided that I will reschedule for January.
I feel like taking physio, biochem, and genetics (my professor makes us read peer reviewed journals for genetics class) will all be very helpful. It's not like I am taking random classes. All these classes will help me prepare for the mcat. I don't think there will be any knowledge decay. My classes start in 3 weeks and I also get a month off before January mcat. I am going to still do mcat related stuff 3-4 hours daily and take 1 fl per week. Goal is to take 12-15 full lengths. And I am no longer aiming at around a 505. My goal is now 510+

Furthermore, I feel like the new practice exam that AAMC will release will correlate well to where the mcat is heading.

You're in a great place with those classes serving as content reinforcement. Aim high, bruh. The mindfulness and diligence will produce gains.

 

[premedkid1994]

You're in a great place with those classes serving as content reinforcement. Aim high, bruh. The mindfulness and diligence will produce gains.

Thank you bro.
Good luck to you and your studying these next couple of months. It will all pay off at the end.
We're all gonna make it brah

 

[Kpw101]

Thank you bro.
Good luck to you and your studying these next couple of months. It will all pay off at the end.
We're all gonna make it brah

Glad to hear you decided on what to do bro. Would still definitely take Scored # 1 to see where you're at. You never know, you might be capable of a 510+ on it and won't have to postpone at all. No harm in trying since another scored exam comes out soon anyway!

 

[Chromatic543]

Thank you bro.
Good luck to you and your studying these next couple of months. It will all pay off at the end.
We're all gonna make it brah

Good luck to you! You have been a good help to me, and I hope your studying goes well! I am going to be in the same boat as you!

 

[premedkid1994]

@Kpw101 I know I will probably score around a 505 on my scored exam, but I want to be perfectly confident going in. If I am not confident, I know anxiety will get to me. My psych scores have been around 127 as well (only did content review for psych for 1-2 weeks) and I know I can improve that to at least a 129 (psych minor). My bis scores have been consistently around 125-126 and I know I can improve that to ~128 because I'm basically taking all very important bis classes next quarter.
I am not going to be doing any content review for the next 3 months. Instead, I am going to do tons and tons and tons of practice problems.
1. Finish Princeton Review Hyperlearning Science Workbook
2. Finish all 30 minute EK exams
3. Focus on weaknesses in BR section tests
4. KA bis and psych passages
5. 10+ full length exams

I fully believe in myself and my ability to get a 510+ on this test and I am confident I will after all of these practice problems. Thank you for your great advice brother and good luck on the exam. I know your going to kill it!!!


@Chromatic543
Thank you, that means a lot. Just remember,
"it's not a sprint, it's a marathon"
and
"Just because you took longer, doesn't mean you failed"

Have a good attitude about your situation, and you will succeed.

 

[Kpw101]

@Kpw101 I know I will probably score around a 505 on my scored exam, but I want to be perfectly confident going in. If I am not confident, I know anxiety will get to me. My psych scores have been around 127 as well (only did content review for psych for 1-2 weeks) and I know I can improve that to at least a 129 (psych minor). My bis scores have been consistently around 125-126 and I know I can improve that to ~128 because I'm basically taking all very important bis classes next quarter.
I am not going to be doing any content review for the next 3 months. Instead, I am going to do tons and tons and tons of practice problems.
1. Finish Princeton Review Hyperlearning Science Workbook
2. Finish all 30 minute EK exams
3. Focus on weaknesses in BR section tests
4. KA bis and psych passages
5. 10+ full length exams

I fully believe in myself and my ability to get a 510+ on this test and I am confident I will after all of these practice problems. Thank you for your great advice brother and good luck on the exam. I know your going to kill it!!!


@Chromatic543
Thank you, that means a lot. Just remember,
"it's not a sprint, it's a marathon"
and
"Just because you took longer, doesn't mean you failed"

Have a good attitude about your situation, and you will succeed.

Sounds like a plan bro, and thank you for the vote of confidence. Since you're going to be stacked on practice problems I suggest looking into the Next Step S&P books if you run out of material! They were very difficult compared to AAMC material but they really helped me solidify the material. Best of luck to you bro and I hope you achieve that 510+.

 

[StretchDoe]

@Kpw101 I know I will probably score around a 505 on my scored exam, but I want to be perfectly confident going in. If I am not confident, I know anxiety will get to me. My psych scores have been around 127 as well (only did content review for psych for 1-2 weeks) and I know I can improve that to at least a 129 (psych minor). My bis scores have been consistently around 125-126 and I know I can improve that to ~128 because I'm basically taking all very important bis classes next quarter.
I am not going to be doing any content review for the next 3 months. Instead, I am going to do tons and tons and tons of practice problems.
1. Finish Princeton Review Hyperlearning Science Workbook
2. Finish all 30 minute EK exams
3. Focus on weaknesses in BR section tests
4. KA bis and psych passages
5. 10+ full length exams

I fully believe in myself and my ability to get a 510+ on this test and I am confident I will after all of these practice problems. Thank you for your great advice brother and good luck on the exam. I know your going to kill it!!!


@Chromatic543
Thank you, that means a lot. Just remember,
"it's not a sprint, it's a marathon"
and
"Just because you took longer, doesn't mean you failed"

Have a good attitude about your situation, and you will succeed.

You've done some of the TPR SW? How'd you feel it compared to the AAMC material like the SB? Same question in regards to the EK 30 min exams.

 

[premedkid1994]

You've done some of the TPR SW? How'd you feel it compared to the AAMC material like the SB? Same question in regards to the EK 30 min exams.

I did some of the EK 30 exams and they fit the feel of AAMC much better.
But practice is practice. Science workbook has a load of practice passages that will improve your content/critical thinking

 

[Chromatic543]

Where are the EK 30 minute exams?

 

[premedkid1994]

they are the exams that come at the end of the EK bookset.