When To Take The MCAT

[2StethoscopeZ]

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From what I've heard, most people normally take it during spring of their junior year. I am a freshmen and got off to a "late" start. My first semester I didn't take gen chem or biology for dumb reasons. It is now second semester and I'm taking Gen Chem 1 so my track to the mcat looks like this.

Spring - Freshmen: Gen Chem 1
Summer - Freshmen: ?

Fall - Sophmore: Gen Chem 2 / Biology 1
Spring - Sophmore: Biology 2 / Orgo 1
Summer - Sophmore: ?

Fall - Junior: Orgo 2/Physics 1
Spring - Junior: Physics 2

I could take one of these classes during the summer, but I honesty don't think I'll be able to handle any of these classes in a 1 month - 2 month session and be able to retain the information for the MCAT. So...what should I do?

 

[eleveneleven]

From what I've heard, most people normally take it during spring of their junior year. I am a freshmen and got off to a "late" start. My first semester I didn't take gen chem or biology for dumb reasons. It is now second semester and I'm taking Gen Chem 1 so my track to the mcat looks like this.

Spring - Freshmen: Gen Chem 1
Summer - Freshmen: ?

Fall - Sophmore: Gen Chem 2 / Biology 1
Spring - Sophmore: Biology 2 / Orgo 1
Summer - Sophmore: ?

Fall - Junior: Orgo 2/Physics 1
Spring - Junior: Physics 2

I could take one of these classes during the summer, but I honesty don't think I'll be able to handle any of these classes in a 1 month - 2 month session and be able to retain the information for the MCAT. So...what should I do?

Depends on when you're planning on applying. If you want to go straight from undergrad to med school, you'll have to take it somewhere in the summer after junior year and open your application without an MCAT, which is far from ideal since knowing your MCAT score for a large part determines where you will be applying. Other option is to take a gap year after senior year (not a bad idea at all) and just take the MCAT at the end of the summer after your junior year. This will give you the summer to focus primarily on MCAT studying (and not also applying) and will likely result in a better score.