Timeline for Pre-reqs and Mcat

[Dooley12]

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Hello,

My plan is to take the MCAT in August or September of my junior year. I talked with my advisor, and he said I should summer school biochem so that all my pre-reqs will be done by the time I need to take the mcat. Would it be suicide to try and take organic chem and bio chem and physics all at the same time my second semester of sophomore year. If I do that, I will have all summer of sophomore year to prep for the MCAT. Or I was thinking of taking physics during the summer of freshman year so that I can take organic chem and biochem alone sophomore year. I want to finish biochem before the summer of sophomore year so that I can devote all of my time to mcat prep not learning mcat material a few months before I take the exam.

 

[Rachapkis]

For some people this course load would be doable, for others, it would not. Of course, you are the best judge of your abilities. I would say, however, that the goal is to get into the best medical school you can, not to apply as early as you can. Take the time necessary to develop an excellent application (which includes getting excellent grades and taking the MCAT only when you are ready).

 

[Dooley12]

I would like to apply to medical school without a gap year. Then would you recommend taking biochem the fall of my junior year and taking the mcat in January? My thought was prepping for the mcat while taking a full course load would be more foolhardy. I am starting my hospital volunteering in the spring of freshman year because of my age but during the school year they don’t ask for more than 3-4 hours a week.

 

[EdgeTrimmer]

Yes, that's what my son is planning to do. He will be a junior this fall and taking Biochem and Physics 2 and planning to study for MCAT in winter break and take it January.

 

[Dooley12]

Great! I hope that works for him.

 

[EdgeTrimmer]

I would like to apply to medical school without a gap year. Then would you recommend taking biochem the fall of my junior year and taking the mcat in January? My thought was prepping for the mcat while taking a full course load would be more foolhardy. I am starting my hospital volunteering in the spring of freshman year because of my age but during the school year they don’t ask for more than 3-4 hours a week.

Also, 3-4 hrs/week of volunteering should be sufficient. Seems like you will have similar profile as my son 🙂