When did you (should one) start studying for MCATs?

[DrSal]

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Hey y'all.

With the Aug. mcat over, i just want to get some feedback on how early you guys started (in months, and how many hrs/day or /wk). Anything you wish you'd done differently?

Thanks! Best of luck to you!

 

[Koppertone]

I started roughly 2 months and a bit prior to the exam by going through a Kaplan book and highlighting as well as making flash cards. I don't know how I did, but regardless of the score I can say that I studied enough. The only thing I wish I did differently was sleep more before the exam, but I was just too excited the night before for that to ever happen. Overall I think the majority of my problems on the exam were the result of nervousness than anything else. Of course that will only make you more neverous when you go in, so maybe I shouldn't have told you that.😱

 

[DrSal]

Oh don't worry about it--i already get a funny little feeling in my stomach when i think about the exam 😀 (all the tiny little caterpillars in the process of building their cacoons so that they can come out and meet the world april 17th )

Which is why i'm trying to get advice now so that i can channel my anxiety energy into something more productive (also considering being put on anti-anxiety medication...does paxil work for stuff like this...)

But this is what i tell myself, i'm not going there (test center on test day) to get a limb amputated or anything (just trying to put things in perspective 😉 )

Cheers!

 

[DOtally great]

study ASAP.... i studied hard core the last 2 months and a little the month b4 that...i would start studying ASAP like i said b4 lol
the most important thing for the MCAT is SPEED.. read books and more books, read read read, built up ur speed !!!!!!!!! try your best, don't be too greedy, dont be 2 sad if you get a humbling score..keep going, studying...don't quit and good luck😀

I took the august mcat and boy was I humbled...i hope there is a huge curve for the form that I got....

 

[TTSD]

I studied for about 2 months.

The only thing I could've done differently is paid attention to my weakspots like Optics and Eletrolytics! Bastards 😕

 

[DAL]

My advice would be to take a diagnostic test or a science diagnostic test to determine where you stand and what your weaknesses are. You can take a diagnostic through Kaplan or Princeton Review or you can take a free practice exam through the AAMC.

Study time varies from person to person. If you have not had the intro science courses in a few years (like myself) then you'll need to review the sciences longer and therefore start studying a little sooner.

The key is not to get burnt out too early. You want to peak by the time you take the test. I'd say 2-3 months of hardcore studying would be something to aim for. But that's just from my experiences and other SDN'ers experience.

You want to review the sciences and make sure you have the basic knowledge down, and then go take practice tests. You want to have a good feel for the wording the MCAT uses and the way they word the questions.

As far as verbal is concerned, it takes a lot of practice. If you're considering taking the April MCAT then I imagine starting to read more now will help you out. Examkrackers puts out a great Verbal book with passages very similar to those on the MCAT. You'll definitely want to use this book a few months before the real test to better your verbal skills. Good luck!!!

 

[4 Ever]

yeah like DAL said, verbal studying should be started now... it takes time to build up on that while the others are easier to bump the scores with

 

[kevkoo]

I work 40 hrs/wk and am married, so my time is sort of limited. I started in March for the Aug exam, studying 5 of 7 nights and mostly on weekends. Nearer to the exam, I took time off from work and studied 8 hours per day. I took 2 full-length practice exams the two weeks leading up to the real thing. I also went through the ExamKrackers Verbal (around 11 full VR sections), which I highly recommend.

Take as much time as you feel you need and work hard. You can't take the MCAT lightly.

Good luck!! 🙂

 

[DrSal]

Thanks to all of you for your advice. I have a subscription to time, and planning to by one for the smithonian so that i'm reading ...etc. A friend of mine recommended doing actual verbal passages, but the EK website said not to "waste" the good mcat passages early on. They recommend working on LSAT passages at this early stage, just to get a feel for it.

I really hope the science review is easier than the verbal. I cringe at the thought of having to remember how calculate the pH's of different solutions ...😱

 

[MeowMix]

What is your target score?
What's your baseline (follow the suggestion above and do AAMC III or something free to figure this out)?
What's the difference between the two?
How long since you took the courses?

The answer depends on you!

 

[peterockduke]

Meowmix is right. Whether you like chicken or liver, meow mix delivers....

Take the aamc 3r and compare it to your goal score.

For me, studying 10-20 hours / week for 8 weeks was fine. Only the last 3 weeks before the exam did I turn it up... and the last 3 days I only covered topics I knew were pure memorization and would be on the exam (ie Sn1/E1 and nephrons).

From what I've seen certain topics are always covered:

nephrons ~5 questions / exam
immunology ~6 questions / exam
acetylcholine/parasymp/symp ~4 questions / exam
nuclear decay
v=fw
electrochem (2 ?'s on every practice... 6 on the real one... thank god they were all easy to ave.)
1 equilibrium question K = [ ] [ ]
stupid ez half life question
optics (the work of satan) ~ 2 questions
graph translations ~15 questions
E = mCp x dT
conservation of momentum
Sn1/Sn2 E1/E2
Octet Rule (e- affinty/ionization energy etc)
"Which is the strong acid/base?"
Solubility question
Always a Newton's 3rd law (big ball pushes on little ball, what is the force of the little ball... of course the same as the force of the big one)




thats from memory... i used to write down all the repeat questoins, i was a little disappointed that my exam version wasn't as predictable as i hoped... but it was still pretty predictable...


Get the MCAT Physics book by Garrett Biehle and do at least 60% of the problems if you want a 10+ in physics.

 

[pyau03]

Hi,

I plan to take the April MCAT next year and would like to know where I can get my hands on the TRP full length exams without doing the prep course. Any advice? Thanks!

 

[bullsI]

Originally posted by peterockduke

From what I've seen certain topics are always covered:

nephrons ~5 questions / exam
immunology ~6 questions / exam
acetylcholine/parasymp/symp ~4 questions / exam
nuclear decay
v=fw
electrochem (2 ?'s on every practice... 6 on the real one... thank god they were all easy to ave.)
1 equilibrium question K = [ ] [ ]
stupid ez half life question
optics (the work of satan) ~ 2 questions
graph translations ~15 questions
E = mCp x dT
conservation of momentum
Sn1/Sn2 E1/E2
Octet Rule (e- affinty/ionization energy etc)
"Which is the strong acid/base?"
Solubility question
Always a Newton's 3rd law (big ball pushes on little ball, what is the force of the little ball... of course the same as the force of the big one)

Great list-has anyone come across similar lists in other threads?[

 

[MeowMix]

It would be unwise for you to study based on such a list. Both the MCATs I've taken did not follow this list.

Bear in mind that Kaplan or TPR practice tests will have the same topics as AAMC practice tests, reinforcing the list, because guess what - they are written to mimic the AAMC tests!

If you want the comprehensive list of topics, look at the AAMC web site.

If you want a realistic subset of topics to study, with guidance for how often they show up on the MCAT, then that is what the commercial prep companies do for a living, and good review materials will identify the "MCAT favorites." Examkrackers' materials do the best job of adding, don't bother studying these particular topics.

 

[zinjanthropus]

the above list isn't comprehensive but that material WILL BE on the exam. It is only a subset of the 25 pages of topics that you can find on the AAMC web site, but I also think that all of those topics are high yield.

 

[unregistered]

From someone whose been through the process, I would recommend studying at least 2-3 months if you want to score well and assuming you you've had your basic science courses within the last year or 2. I only studied 6 weeks, and at the very end, I realized that I could have done much more (it was disappointing when you have blank practice test sitting around considering how much they cost). Do enough so that you work through the entire workbooks in the kaplan/princeton review or berkeley review series.

 

[PianoGirl04]

Well, I took the Kaplan course that started in October. I wouldn't have done this differently because 1 semester is too short for all the studying and practice tests I had to do. I treated it like a regular 3-credit course...and I didn't do much studying over winter break (I wouldn't recommend it...have fun during the break instead). There was a diagnostic 1/2-length MCAT during the first class and also a science diagnostic test. That helps you establish a baseline so you know how much studying to do. Even if you're not planning on studying until next semester, take a diagnostic soon, because you might change your mind when you get the results! For example, if you get a 20 on the diagnostic but your goal is a 40, you'd better start studying fast! And be sure to leave some room in your schedule for either studying on your own or taking a prep course. Don't take 20 credits or something like that next spring.

I think the only thing I would have changed is getting more sleep on the day before the test. I seriously did not sleep at all. Maybe a few hours drifting in and out, but I couldn't calm my body down enough to get some decent sleep. I have good sleep habits normally, so one day of sleep deprivation didn't hurt that much...so even if you can't sleep the day before the test, make sure you get some quality sleep the rest of that week.

 

[thackl]

Originally posted by PianoGirl04
I seriously did not sleep at all. Maybe a few hours drifting in and out, but I couldn't calm my body down enough to get some decent sleep. I have good sleep habits normally, so one day of sleep deprivation didn't hurt that much...so even if you can't sleep the day before the test, make sure you get some quality sleep the rest of that week.

I couldn't sleep either. All that prep and waiting, plus I was really starting to kick butt in the final weeks. I could say it was nervousness and worry, but it really felt more like excitement? Anyway, my son had woken up 2-3 times on wed. & thurs. nights and I was up til 2am on tues. after playing late b-ball. This was ultimately my downfall (not the night before). I scored lower than I had expected but I still barely clipped the 90th %ile and I have a seat in next years freshman class.

A lot of people don't sleep the night before. Don't get whigged out about it. Just make sure to get sleep the rest of the week.

 

[gary5]

😍 😍

My target was 30 or higher. I took a practice test in April and came in under 30, so I quit my job and studied full time for 2 months before the August MCAT.

I used:
My own notes from classes
Kaplan books and flash cards that I bought from EBay
AAMC practice tests
Kaplan QBank - It's aweful - stopped using it.

I studied hardcore - 12 hrs/day at first, then 8 hrs/day after a while. I'm a nontraditional, so I needed extra time to review old classes.

In the 2 weeks before the test, I took a complete practice test every few days. Then, when the actual test came, I was already used to it, including the pace and timing.

The MCAT is on paper, so I only took paper practice tests. I strongly recommend this. Also, Kaplan QBank really sucks. I found multiple problems where the "correct" answer was wrong. And it's online-only. I stopped using it.

I'm happy with my preparation, although I haven't received my score yet.

😛 😛 😛 😛

 

[Nutmeg]

Two days--one full day studying Bio and o-chem before the GRE subject area exam in Biochem (which was two weeks before the MCAT, so I did all that studying at once) and one full day going over gen chem and physics the day before the actual test. I personally feel that one of the most important things to do is not stress, and the best way to avoid stress is to pay close attention to the requisite classes while you're taking them. If you study for your classes knowing that they'll be important for the MCAT, then you can save time, money, and wear & tear on your cardiovascular system.

 

[OrthoFixation]

Non-trad and spent 2 months studying. Most of prereqs were in the late '80s though. Score revealed in < 2 wks.

 

[Hermeone]

I used 8 months to prepare because
1) I was out of school for a year-I didn't remember a thing
2) I am a foreigner. So translating from my language to English is tough in science courses!


Basically, I just borrowed BCPM textbooks and read them. Did all the questions after each chapter of the textbook.

 

[drlexygoat]

I spent nearly 6 months studying, with 3 of them during summer with only one class. The first 3 months were pretty low-key, 5-10 hours a week. As time progressed, I was spending 8 hours a day at the Kaplan Center.

Prepare to have MCATs RULE your LIFE!

 

[maygirl]

I started studying in early June for the August MCAT. i wasn't taking any classes, so basically, I had all the time in the world. I also took a week vacation to Spain at the midpoint (it really helped to take a break) where I didn't think about the test at all. Basically, I spent about 4 good hours a day until a week before the test, where I was studying around 8 hours a day. What really helped me was making flashcards while I was reading the material - that way, you don't have to look at the book again, and you can concentrate on the important things.

If I could do things differently, it would have been to spend less time worrying about the writing section (I didn't prepare for it, but I just worried about it the entire time) since it doesn't really count for anything and spend more time on verbal. Because there's so many concepts you have to memorize for the sciences, it sometimes overshadows the verbal.

 

[91Bravo]

The more frequently you study, the more effective the studying will be in my opinion. It'll aid in reinforcing your neural pathways. 😀 Personally, I already started studying last month in preparation for the April '04 MCAT.

I have a regimen designed for each week, stretching from now to April. I will be spending 5 hours a week reviewing topic material from chem, o-chem, bio, and phsyics. For instance, last week was devoted to chemical kinetics (gen chem), aromatics (o-chem), and reproduction (bio).

During my winter vacation, I will take a diagnostic MCAT to determine where my weaknesses lay so I can take remedial action. I'll also begin working on timed writing samples.

For the month prior to the MCAT, I will take a practice test every weekend to help develop the 'speed skills' that I'll need on test day.

I know it seems very anal. But it reminds me of the old joke, "How do you eat an elephant? ONE BITE AT A TIME!"

GOOD LUCK to all of my future medical colleagues!