When should I start studying for January MCAT?

[leagall]

I finished content review for the MCAT this summer. I am planning to take the MCAT in January. When do you think I should start studying? Is it too early to study now (will I most likely forget information)?

Thanks!

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[kehlsh]

no matter what people say, it's never too early to start prepping for mcat.

I got a extremely low mcat score on july administration so I think i will retake at some point in january too as well

 

[TwoPaddles]

I finished content review for the MCAT this summer. I am planning to take the MCAT in January. When do you think I should start studying? Is it too early to study now (will I most likely forget information)?

Thanks!

Keep reviewing notes and I agree with the above poster...the earlier the better...

 

[shell8]

I agree as well...I just got my score back and I'm not too pleased so I will definitely be hitting the books asap for Jan 29th!

 

[vickpick]

now is just abt right

 

[Dharma]

Well, the test is about 143 days away. That's about just enough to work through all of SN2ed's 4-month schedule. I'm basically skimming through content for quick refresher, but it's all about passage work this time around. I would get my hands on as many practice passages as you possibly can.

Go nuts with it. Time yourself. Review. Observe. Correct. Refine. And you know what, try to enjoy it too. I'm tired of the
attitude that this test is a pain in the ass and its hell and its this and that wah wah wah. The MCAT is an opportunity for us to prove a few things- and probably one the best ways to self-advertise to adcoms out there. If I'm going hardcore for 140-something days, then I'm going to make the best of it.

Hard work with a smile. Eyes on the prize.

That's my plan at least. I'm thinking it will yield a mid 30's score. Crazy practice with the clock running.

So, yeah, start NOW!

 

[DougTPR]

This is the perfect time to get started. If you go the prep class route, you should check out their schedules right away and most of them for the January test date are starting very soon or have already started.

 

[BerkReviewTeach]

I'm going to end up going against the grain here, but I think in your specific case it is too early to be hardcore (mentally). The test is a quite a ways away. You did content review over the summer, so in essence you have already started. What you need to do for a Janaury exam, four and a half months away, is plenty of practice passages and lots and lots of full length exams.

The very best thing you could do at this juncture is to set a realistic schedule from your test date backwards. Figure out what FLs you plan to do and schedule those. You want to also schedule days to thoroughly go over the exam with a fine-toothed comb and correct your errors. Your last FL/review should be about a week before your exam. After your FLs are scheduled, fill in mini review exams (if you have them available). Keep filling in the remaining dates with packs of 5, 10, and 15 passages covering specific topics (using the AAMC list would be best).

What you'll find is that if you plan on 15 FLs and 15 FL review days plus a one-week cushion at the end, there are still 106 days of preparation. At ten passages a day on average, that's 1060 passages, which is really great. Build your schedule and official start date around the amount of passages you plan to do. Whatever day you decide is your start date, get it mentally set in your head.

But be realistic that you already have started and now it's a matter of getting a schedule and routine to follow. A benefit to taking a prep class is that they assign you a start date. But keep in mind that they set their dates according to enrollment trends and not ideal schedules (otherwise every schedule would be pretty similar), so you can use one as a model but don't be afraid to modify to fit your needs.

 

[Dharma]

I like what the guy above me here says. But I would still give this schedule a look. It's solid. And since you've done a lot of content review already, you can jump into passage work and problems. Give it a look.

http://forums.studentdoctor.net/showthread.php?t=623898

 

[LostInStudy]

I started right about this time last year and I was in a similar situation of having done just finished content review. I also had a mountain of practice questions I ended up doing (11,000+ by my count). If you're going to just go the normal route (meaning you don't have a ton of practice stockpiled) and your verbal is around where you want it then I agree with BerkReviewTeach, wait a few weeks. Actually I take that back, it's never too early for verbal.

Hope this helps,

-LIS

 

[cdnwpg]

I started right about this time last year and I was in a similar situation of having done just finished content review. I also had a mountain of practice questions I ended up doing (11,000+ by my count). If you're going to just go the normal route (meaning you don't have a ton of practice stockpiled) and your verbal is around where you want it then I agree with BerkReviewTeach, wait a few weeks. Actually I take that back, it's never too early for verbal.

Hope this helps,

-LIS

How many months of content review did you do LIS? Also, did you do any questions during this time? You must have done questions within the bodies of paragraphs right?

 

[LostInStudy]

I essentially did 2.5 months of content review with a lot of practice built in. It's all in the first post of my thread and I don't feel like posting all that again but in summary, PRACTICE DURING CONTENT REVIEW IS ESSENTIAL. There's no way of knowing your level of understanding of a subject without practice and practice solidifies all the material in your brain. After each chapter I did 1/3 of the EK 1001 questions, Phase I of TBR, and TPR Science Workbook questions. That's basically the gist of it but I have more details in my thread.

Hope this helps,

-LIS

 

[cdnwpg]

I essentially did 2.5 months of content review with a lot of practice built in. It's all in the first post of my thread and I don't feel like posting all that again but in summary, PRACTICE DURING CONTENT REVIEW IS ESSENTIAL. There's no way of knowing your level of understanding of a subject without practice and practice solidifies all the material in your brain. After each chapter I did 1/3 of the EK 1001 questions, Phase I of TBR, and TPR Science Workbook questions. That's basically the gist of it but I have more details in my thread.

Hope this helps,

-LIS

So for the 4.5-5 months after your content review (in which you also completed phase 1 BR, 1/3 EK and TPR Science workbook questions), you focused on the rest of the EK 1001 questions, the remaining phases of BR and practice exams?

 

[LostInStudy]

No, I spent about 3.5-4 months on the rest of that stuff. I also did the Kaplan topical and section tests. So in that time I did 2/3 EK, Phase II and III of BR, Kaplan Topicals and sectionals, and took and thoroughly reviewed 40 FLs.

Hope this helps,

-LIS

 

[cdnwpg]

No, I spent about 3.5-4 months on the rest of that stuff. I also did the Kaplan topical and section tests. So in that time I did 2/3 EK, Phase II and III of BR, Kaplan Topicals and sectionals, and took and thoroughly reviewed 40 FLs.

Hope this helps,

-LIS

Thanks for that clarification, LIS.

 

[roofarrow]

Does anyone know which schools can accept the January 2011 mcat scores for the 2011 application cycle?

 

[TheGloaming]

Does anyone know which schools can accept the January 2011 mcat scores for the 2011 application cycle?

Ummm I would assume all of them. I would see no reason why they wouldn't since you will have your score by the end of Feb. I just took the mcat for the first time in Sept. and plan on applying for the first time in 2011 (I know i took it early but I just finished all the prerequisite courses and had a whole summer of very little to do, so what better way to spend it than studying for the mcat)

 

[roofarrow]

I guess what I meant was if you are applying for 2011 fall start, can you write the mcat in january but submit your application now? And if so, for which schools?

 

[bookfreak89]

Does anyone know which schools can accept the January 2011 mcat scores for the 2011 application cycle?

If you mean which MD schools accept the January 2011 MCAT for matriculation or to start in Fall of 2011, then the answer is none of them. There are some DO schools that accept Jan 2011 MCAT though (well that's what I've heard).

If you mean which med schools accept the January 2011 MCAT for matriculation in 2012 (or begin applying in 2011), then the answer is all of them.

 

[AmyLT]

Now. If you're a normal human being devoid of a photographic memory, do every single practice question and passage you can get your hands on. the beauty of the MCAT is that it tends to surprise with that one concept you surfaced over two weeks prior but just can't remember.

 

[Firewalkwithme]

no matter what people say, it's never too early to start prepping for mcat.

I got a extremely low mcat score on july administration so I think i will retake at some point in january too as well

Did you really score a 3L on your mcat? That's almost unbelievable...what went wrong??

 

[bookfreak89]

Did you really score a 3L on your mcat? That's almost unbelievable...what went wrong??

I need a "Not sure if serious" pic.