What should I do if I have to pee during my MCAT??

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Dr. Snow

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I have a small bladder and if I drink coffee or just a little bit of water I pee at least once every hour if not more.

Would anyone notice/get mad if I pee in a bottle during my exam?? Or do I just have to hold it until a break comes?

This is a serious question haha.
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Dr. Snow said:
I have a small bladder and if I drink coffee or just a little bit of water I pee at least once every hour if not more.

Would anyone notice/get mad if I pee in a bottle during my exam?? Or do I just have to hold it until a break comes?

This is a serious question haha.
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Please don't pee in a bottle during the exam. The visual sights and noises would not be very conducive to a testing environment 🙄 You can either take extra breaks, or I've heard of some people wearing adult diapers during the test so if you wanna try something new...
 
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I got up and peed during a section on my exam. I had the same problem. Adult diapers are always an option tho.
 
I had this problem the first section of my MCAT. I had to raise my hand and have the proctor sign me out / in. Took about 7 minutes away, but I still ended up with a 127 on the C/P section.

Had a different plumbing issue during my CARS section as well but was able to hold off until my break. My suggestion is just be aware of what goes into your body the day before and morning of the exam.
 
Take a practice exam wearing a Texas catheter and see how it goes. That could be an option. Although, they do a little pat-down when they check you into the room, so that could be awkward.
 
I have a small bladder. On big test days, I minimize fluid intake and increase my salt load. This might also work for you. Give it a try a few days before your exam to see what happens.

My test day:

1. Guzzle coffee concentrate (fluid probably 8-12 ounces)
2. drink no water or fluids besides that coffee load
3. Huge salt bomb breakfast (6egg whites, 2 eggs, 2 cups veggies, bread slice, banana, apple, covered in 3x my normal salting)
4. ....
5. Profit!
 
1eyedjack said:
One of the most underrated portions of MCAT prep is finding the perfect balance of liquid and caffeine intake lol
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mistafab said:
On big test days, I minimize fluid intake and increase my salt load. This might also work for you. Give it a try a few days before your exam to see what happens.
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Also a good strategy during surgical rotations.
 
libertyyne said:
easy there. Probably want to matriculate first before telling people medicine isnt for them.
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Point taken.

I was just alluding to long OR and clinic days where docs barely get a chance to sit down let alone go to the bathroom. Though I guess adult diapers are a solution in those cases as well.
 
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extramilemed said:
Point taken.

I was just alluding to long OR and clinic days where docs barely get a chance to sit down let alone go to the bathroom. Though I guess adult diapers are a solution in those cases as well.
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Usually people are over caffeinated. If they are still having issues after lifestyle modifications ,they could get checked out by their doctor, and if they have a medical condition they can receive accommodations and caths/diapers. Im sure there are surgeons out there with bph, etc that still manage to make it.
 
mistafab said:
I have a small bladder. On big test days, I minimize fluid intake and increase my salt load. This might also work for you. Give it a try a few days before your exam to see what happens.

My test day:

1. Guzzle coffee concentrate (fluid probably 8-12 ounces)
2. drink no water or fluids besides that coffee load
3. Huge salt bomb breakfast (6egg whites, 2 eggs, 2 cups veggies, bread slice, banana, apple, covered in 3x my normal salting)
4. ....
5. Profit!
Click to expand...
Eat coffee beans straight for maximum dehydration. It's especially tasty if you get the chocolate covered ones
 
Adult diapers seem to be the best option. Try to finish as many Qs as u can before leaving the room though, just in case.
 
If this is a serious thread (I'm 50/50 on it right now,) I would apply for special accommodations through the AAMC with a doctor's note explaining you need it. I've never heard of anyone getting accommodations with the MCAT unless it was, without a doubt, very-much needed.
 
FutureSurgical said:
If this is a serious thread (I'm 50/50 on it right now,) I would apply for special accommodations through the AAMC with a doctor's note explaining you need it. I've never heard of anyone getting accommodations with the MCAT unless it was, without a doubt, very-much needed.
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My only question on that would be if adcoms would see the special acommodations on the mcat report and if that might affect how they view the score? I know people who got time extensions in high school on standardized tests for adhd and I heard that schools didn't like to see that
 
I didn't drink anything but coffee before I went in. I also drank my coffee early, about 6 AM, to get the fluid out of my system before going in.

I didn't have to take any breaks at all and could just power through my test, which was nice.
 
JustGoMan.gif
 
If not being able to hold it is a problem for you and you have a little while before your exam and it isn't too much of an imposition to go visit a doc, I certainly would. Bladder problems are very, very common, usually easy to treat and can really help with QOL so you aren't distracted from your exam/MCAT prep by needing the bathroom this moment. He or she can also give you more targeted lifestyle modification and bladder training advice than we can provide for you on SDN.

I would go ahead and make an appointment if you can and, in the meantime, try to gradually decrease your caffeine and alcohol intake to see if that helps. 🙂

Good luck!
 
theKingLT said:
My only question on that would be if adcoms would see the special acommodations on the mcat report and if that might affect how they view the score? I know people who got time extensions in high school on standardized tests for adhd and I heard that schools didn't like to see that
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I think it may be different, seeing that ADD/ADHD in adults has an associated stigma that comes from multiple reasons (drug abuse citing the main concern.) I personally do believe it exists and impacts many adults in different aspects of life. I'm getting it treated myself while I work in a research lab and study for the MCAT.

I do believe it will be different seeing as this is purely physiological (small bladder, perhaps accompanying hormonal imbalance?) as opposed to ADHD having a "lazy or unmotivated; people seeking a high and a 'magical pill' " stigma. I'm not sure about any of this; I haven't even applied to medical school yet. So take my n<1 opinion with a grain of salt.
 
I had to take a fat dump during my BB section. I was almost done but just ended the section, trusting my gut and went to unload the beast in the restroom!
 
You can take a break any time during the exam - the only issue is that the timer keeps going. Sometimes just knowing you can take a break is enough to help you get through. I minimized my liquid intake and used every break.


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I read somewhere a while ago that having the urge to pee increases performance. It was probably some nonsense article with no science at all. Nonetheless, I'm always more confident when I feel like I have to go while I'm taking tests.
 
FutureSurgical said:
I think it may be different, seeing that ADD/ADHD in adults has an associated stigma that comes from multiple reasons (drug abuse citing the main concern.) I personally do believe it exists and impacts many adults in different aspects of life. I'm getting it treated myself while I work in a research lab and study for the MCAT.

I do believe it will be different seeing as this is purely physiological (small bladder, perhaps accompanying hormonal imbalance?) as opposed to ADHD having a "lazy or unmotivated; people seeking a high and a 'magical pill' " stigma. I'm not sure about any of this; I haven't even applied to medical school yet. So take my n<1 opinion with a grain of salt.
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I agree adcoms would likely not care about the reason for it, but I doubt AAMC would report the reason for accommodation, just that it was accommodated. That would likely raise a red flag for adcoms but as long as OP gets a chance to address it, it shouldn't be a problem
 
I stayed really well hydrated the days before the test, so that on test day I could drink barely anything and be fine.
 
YeaJeets2 said:
I read somewhere a while ago that having the urge to pee increases performance. It was probably some nonsense article with no science at all. Nonetheless, I'm always more confident when I feel like I have to go while I'm taking tests.
Click to expand...

Not sure how true it is across the board, but I definitely perform better when I have to pee. It makes me think more quickly without second guessing myself or overthinking any questions so I can get out of there and drain my bladder.
 
Matthew9Thirtyfive said:
Not sure how true it is across the board, but I definitely perform better when I have to pee. It makes me think more quickly without second guessing myself or overthinking any questions so I can get out of there and drain my bladder.
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Definitely helps people stay awake - that’s important during a long test!
 
theKingLT said:
I agree adcoms would likely not care about the reason for it, but I doubt AAMC would report the reason for accommodation, just that it was accommodated. That would likely raise a red flag for adcoms but as long as OP gets a chance to address it, it shouldn't be a problem
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Just want to clarify that according to the AAMC website, your score is reported the same way regardless of whether or not you received an accommodation. They don’t note the accommodation in any way. So schools will not know if the OP got one, and there is nothing to explain.

No one should avoid getting a needed accommodation because they are worried schools will see it as a red flag.
 
Please don't pee in a bottle lol. I have the same issue as you where I need to pee like every hour. What helped me during the MCAT was drink NO CAFFEINE that morning, just get a good night's sleep for the 2-3 days leading up to the MCAT and tough it out. Eat a salty breakfast and pack salty lunch/snacks. Drink only water, and just enough water before and during the test that you don't have a dehydration headache. I didn't have to pee during any sections and managed to just go during breaks.

... Though, if you really have to pee, just do it during the section if you feel like it's getting too distracting. Losing 5 min off the timer is better than making dumb mistakes to finish faster.
 
CCresearcher said:
Just want to clarify that according to the AAMC website, your score is reported the same way regardless of whether or not you received an accommodation. They don’t note the accommodation in any way. So schools will not know if the OP got one, and there is nothing to explain.

No one should avoid getting a needed accommodation because they are worried schools will see it as a red flag.
Click to expand...

That's good to hear. Thanks for doing the research I was too lazy to do
 
YeaJeets2 said:
I read somewhere a while ago that having the urge to pee increases performance. It was probably some nonsense article with no science at all. Nonetheless, I'm always more confident when I feel like I have to go while I'm taking tests.
Click to expand...

I went to the bathroom every break, but the urge to pee came on HARD with about 30 min left in P/S. I was literally squirming in my seat by the time the section ended. Ended up with a 130 on that section, 3 points higher than any of my practice tests.
 
MasterOfTheSelfie said:
I went to the bathroom every break, but the urge to pee came on HARD with about 30 min left in P/S. I was literally squirming in my seat by the time the section ended. Ended up with a 130 on that section, 3 points higher than any of my practice tests.
Click to expand...

I believe that result is due to a technical condition called Pee-Brain.
 
theKingLT said:
My only question on that would be if adcoms would see the special acommodations on the mcat report and if that might affect how they view the score? I know people who got time extensions in high school on standardized tests for adhd and I heard that schools didn't like to see that
Click to expand...


the AAMC is not allowed to list special accommodations on test anymore. It was taken away because it was believed to lead to discrimination by admission committee.
 
Alricson said:
Lol I thought the diaper thing was just a myth, people really did this?
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+1, all of the diaper and catheter jokes are great but I’m gonna need some real life stories so they don’t get old 🙂 somebody has had to somewhere for something but is mcat really that bad for some people?
 
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