Which is worse: the two months before the MCAT or the two months after?

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Studying might be a killer, but Waiting for SCORES is NERVE WRECKING BEYOND BELIEF!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

When you take practice tests and stuff, you feel like you are getting something done. You don't mind it because you are getting some progress. But waiting to know if it paid off is just pure living hell.
 
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This summer was probably one of the worst in my life...studying for that damn test was excruciating. At least there have been a number of things to distract me while waiting for scores. These last few days are horrible but studying all the time was so much worse, in my opinon.
 
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I thought studying was much worse. I've been pretty much okay waiting for my scores up until the past week or so, whereas the entire two months before the MCAT (and a bit longer) was filled with too much studying and not enough sleep.
 
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Post MCAT 2 months I found to be the worst.

Why????? The uncertainty and the fact that I hate having to wait for test results.
 
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This will be a non issue when the new MCAT format comes out on computer, ie) tests offered 22 times a year and graded 30 days (ultimately 14) after.

I also thought the wait was alot worse. I tend to be very uptight about knowing exam scores as soon as possible, particularly for standardized tests like the MCAT and the upcoming USMLEs :scared:
 
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At least we knew exactly when the test would be. Lord knows when the damned scores will really be released.
 
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prazmatic said:
This will be a non issue when the new MCAT format comes out on computer, ie) tests offered 22 times a year and graded 30 days (ultimately 14) after
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Is anybody else wondering what exactly it is about the paper and pencil format that increases the grading time from 14 to 60 days?! Certainly the processing of a scantron cannot be that time intensive! The writing (or typing) samples will still have to be graded, correct? What gives?
 
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i thought the wait was much much worse, because at least with the lead up to the test you are DOING something. True, i have finals this week and all the other application crap, but my mind returns to the FRIGGIN SCORES THAT THEY REFUSE TO RELEASE TO US!!!

the wait is sooooooooo long
 
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this thread is a little ridiculous......i know this whole wait thing is a pain and is tough, but are you telling me that STUDYING for the MCAT was easier than just waiting for the score?????? I don't think anything can even compare in the least bit to studying for the mcat
 
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ironmanf14 said:
this thread is a little ridiculous......i know this whole wait thing is a pain and is tough, but are you telling me that STUDYING for the MCAT was easier than just waiting for the score?????? I don't think anything can even compare in the least bit to studying for the mcat
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At least in studying you have control of things going on. While waiting for the scores, you have absolutely no control over when they will be released. And when you are done studying, you have this extra free time that was filled with studying for the thing to think about when the scores will be released.
 
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I would say studying for the MCAT was enjoyable from the standpoint that I enjoy learning. Waiting 60 days for scores to come out on one of the single-most important "grades" that you will ever get, with regards to admissions to medical school, is pure torture.
 
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ironmanf14 said:
this thread is a little ridiculous......i know this whole wait thing is a pain and is tough, but are you telling me that STUDYING for the MCAT was easier than just waiting for the score?????? I don't think anything can even compare in the least bit to studying for the mcat
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i agree COMPLETELY...yes, we have control over mcat studying but i don't know about you guys but studying for the mcat also consumed my life...i was stressed out and didn't really have time to hang out w/ friends and just enjoy being in college...now that its over a giant burden has been lifted and i actually have free time (what a concept!) waiting for our scores is pretty nerve-racking but in my opinion a million times better than studying for the test...
 
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ironmanf14 said:
this thread is a little ridiculous......i know this whole wait thing is a pain and is tough, but are you telling me that STUDYING for the MCAT was easier than just waiting for the score?????? I don't think anything can even compare in the least bit to studying for the mcat
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Considering the fact that I studied for only four days (my work schedule could not support much more), and have had to wait for almost 60 to find out how it went...yeah, waiting has been MUCH WORSE!
 
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LifetimeDoc said:
I would say studying for the MCAT was enjoyable from the standpoint that I enjoy learning. Waiting 60 days for scores to come out on one of the single-most important "grades" that you will ever get, with regards to admissions to medical school, is pure torture.
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Actually, I felt the same way about studying. It also helped because I scheduled myself to be doing MCAT studying at night after my night labs and so it was a much more relaxing time than being in class all day. MCAT studying is also mostly reviewing stuff you already learned in class and so it wasn't as bad as learning something new.
 
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I think that studying for the MCATs was much worse. If you've taken a number of AAMC tests you generally have a pretty good idea of what you're gonna get plus or minus one or two points.
 
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danjo said:
Is anybody else wondering what exactly it is about the paper and pencil format that increases the grading time from 14 to 60 days?! Certainly the processing of a scantron cannot be that time intensive! The writing (or typing) samples will still have to be graded, correct? What gives?
Click to expand...

They use a different statistical method, which in my (very rudimentary) understanding makes more assumptions about question weight and difficulty and examinee performance but yields a standardized result without the meticulous analysis that is currently used. I think it's a similar method to those used for the GRE and DAT, which can give an examinee their scaled results immediately after they're finished.
 
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pej722 said:
I think that studying for the MCATs was much worse. If you've taken a number of AAMC tests you generally have a pretty good idea of what you're gonna get plus or minus one or two points.
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Unless you get a physical science section that contained lots more of the physics that you struggle with that wasn't on the practice tests. Then you stew in your own worried juices for 60 days stressing over what score you got. :scared:
 
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LifetimeDoc said:
Unless you get a physical science section that contained lots more of the physics that you struggle with that wasn't on the practice tests. Then you stew in your own worried juices for 60 days stressing over what score you got. :scared:
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I have never been able to predict the Verbal Reasoning. It will make me or break me...
 
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ironmanf14 said:
this thread is a little ridiculous......i know this whole wait thing is a pain and is tough, but are you telling me that STUDYING for the MCAT was easier than just waiting for the score?????? I don't think anything can even compare in the least bit to studying for the mcat
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I agree with ya. This thread is starting to make me worry that I'm not worrying enough about my scores...lol :laugh:
 
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and now I am seeing people posting comments about "enjoying" studying for the MCAT????.......I consider all of these people officially insane :laugh:
 
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Studying kept me busy, and focused. Post mcat (still waiting on scores) I'm in a bit of a malaise with no focus and just wait wait wait wait.
 
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Well, the time investment studying before the MCAT sucked but at least I didn't feel like I was going to :barf: every minute of the day from nerves.

So I voted that the two months after are worse - I expected this would be the case for me. Before a test if I'm nervous at least I can go study whatever topics are giving my problems. Now it's over, done, I can hardly remember it, yet it's going to give me an ulcer! :laugh:
 
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I think everyone has forgotten exactly how tortorous studying for the MCAT really was. If this thread was posted right after the test, I'm sure the responses would be a lot different.
 
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pej722 said:
I think everyone has forgotten exactly how tortorous studying for the MCAT really was. If this thread was posted right after the test, I'm sure the responses would be a lot different.
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Trust me - I haven't forgotten. I believe I even posted before the test that I knew the wait would be the worst part.
 
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Studying for the test is a pain, however, the wait is more excruciating because I really worry about my score as each day passes. The nightmares about my score coupled with checking this site out pretty much every day really freak me out. I just don't have any motivation to fill my amcas application out completely until I get my scores back.
 
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oxeye said:
Well, the time investment studying before the MCAT sucked but at least I didn't feel like I was going to :barf: every minute of the day from nerves.

So I voted that the two months after are worse - I expected this would be the case for me. Before a test if I'm nervous at least I can go study whatever topics are giving my problems. Now it's over, done, I can hardly remember it, yet it's going to give me an ulcer! :laugh:
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Oxeye, I agree with your 100%, but before I go on about it, I just wanna tell you how sweet your baby is. What a sweet little creature you have there! She seems like such a joy from the pics you post as your avatar 🙂
I also admire you for being a mom and studying for the MCAT/applying to schools. I know that is no easy task but she will be so proud of you one day!
And now to the score thing: YES I also feel like I'm gonna be sick a lot these days since it's down the end of our wait for score release. I certainly had tummy issues leading up to the MCAT but this is definitely worse. My nerves have gotten so bad they drove me to start studying again! I think I have two ulcers 🙁
Perhaps I can sue the AAMC for emotional distress??? 😀
 
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