Why can't I start studying 8-9 months out?

[txlonghorn2314]

After reading several threads, it has commonly been encouraged to wait until 3 to maybe 4 months before test date to start training for the MCAT. It has also been commonly warned that you shouldn't study too far in advance because of reasons like "That's a recipe for burnout" or "You'll just forget all the information and have to relearn it".

My MCAT is in 8 months, and I am already finished with my prereqs. The next 4 months I was going to spend just doing in depth content review of each section (via Chad's videos, textbooks, EK 1001 series, and NOVA Physics) and daily reading of the Economist and other such texts. The final 4 months I would dedicate to nothing but passages and FL's (TBR for phys, gchem, and orgo, TPRH for bio and verbal, all 7 TBR FL's, and all AAMC FL's).

My argument against the "burnout theory": This test is hard, very hard. Not only is it hard but we have the pressure on our shoulders that reminds us that we need to score competitively compared to everyone in the country in order to have a shot at medical school. It is one exam that can, in itself, determine the entire direction of your life one way or another. I'm getting married in 11 months and have way too much on the line. Although tiring, I know that burnout is not an option when I'm constantly reminding myself that my life really does depend on this.

My argument against the "forget everything theory": That's just complete bs. Someone on here (whom I can't remember their name or the thread) made a statement that I like and agree with 100%. It goes something like, "It's like throwing mud at the wall, the majority of it falls off but a little of it stays on after each time you throw it."

After hearing the insanely terrifying horror stories of this years' beast, I am fully convinced that no matter how much you study, you can always do more. I feel a 31 after 3-4 months spent studying could easily be a 35+ after 6 or 8 months.

So that's my two cents as I approach my training for this monster. Other than the two reason's I have heard time and time again, is there another reason why someone would oppose to this? I obviously still have an open mind to suggestion. And to those who have taken it this year, would you alter my plan in any way to better prepare for the newer, more difficult MCAT ya'll have been faced with?

Thanks, and CONGRATS to those who did well, KEEP YOUR HEADS UP to those who were disappointed, and GOOD LUCK to those who are yet to take it. 😀

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[survivordo]

It seems like you have the motivation to avoid burnout... just be cognizant of it and if you feel yourself getting burned out take a week off. You might even consider scheduling in an off week here and there. I agree with your "mud at the wall theory", that's what being a lifetime learner is all about...

Survivor DO

 

[felixfelicis]

It's just not a good idea to study for this test that long.

1. You will start to plateau in far less time than 8 months. Everybody has a different ceiling. I believe the MCAT can be gamed by experience but the extent is not that significant. A dumb guy won't score 40+ even if he studies for 10 years. Diminishing returns.
2. There aren't enough AAMC tests to last that long. You'll be taking other tests by companies and constantly confuse yourself as to what the MCAT really is like, which is even unlike AAMC practice tests.
3. Opportunity cost is very high -- you could be doing far more useful and productive activities.
4. The highest predictor of MCAT score is SAT score and your investment in prereqs in school, so you've already kind of been studying for the MCAT. Doing well on the MCAT is more a reflection of how seriously you took academics over the long haul and your critical thinking ability than how masochistic you decided to be for a year.
5. Mentally, you will convince yourself that because you put in 8 months of work, you are entitled to a great score. In reality, your score is based on your performance on test day. You will set yourself up for huge nerves that day because so much invested effort will be on the line.
6. You just look really stupid by studying that long for a test. You're going to be taking more important and difficult tests and you need to learn how to prepare for them efficiently. If I were an adcom and found out that someone studied for the MCAT for a year, it would be a red flag to me.
7. It will be very expensive, amounting to several hundreds of dollars.
8. You'll burn out and forget everything and freak out.

If you do well in school and have a decent brain, you should be fine after taking a few AAMC tests following a good track record in well-taught classes. If you struggle very seriously (e.g. plateauing near median MCAT score after a few months), you should consider alternative careers. I am amazed by how scared premeds are, especially those on SDN, and how complicated people think this test is. Even more amazing is how people will pay thousands of dollars to take classes. It's so sad.

Take a chill pill, do well in school, bang it out for a month during summer, and hope for the best.

 

[Ambitionista]

As someone who just recently took the MCAT, I would have rather used the OP's approach. Although it is definitely not necessary to study for that long, it sounds more manageable especially if you plan on studying on top of a busy schedule. (I studied for about 2 months on top of working and classes this summer and totally regret it.) Also, from the famous 30+ studying habits thread it seemed like quite a few people who did well took just as long to study so you're not alone in starting that early. Lastly, if you should plateau early at a score you like you can always take the exam early.

With that being said, the MCAT (or at least the version I took) more so emphasized applying basic concepts to novel situations. When studying I tried to learn every single little detail from the AAMC Content Outlines. Walking out of the test I felt like I could have taken it a month prior without most of that content review and still obtained the same score. As long as you put in the time to review the basics from your prereq courses and do some practice in workbooks and FLs so you know how to recognize when to apply those basics you'll hit your plateau. For most people, 2-4 months is all it takes.

 

[testt]

Personally, I think what people mean when they said "Don't study more than 4 months ahead" is that you shouldn't be doing problems and passages since you will run out of material really fast. It's much better to do all of those passages and practice tests within 2 months to get you into a specific mindset as opposed to having it so spread out since you will forget important details.

That being said, I see no problem with just READING over the material your first four months and ignoring ALL in text practice problems. If I could redo my MCAT studying I would've reread each subject multiple times "recreationally" and take notes before I actually started doing hardcore MCAT prep. That way you already have content down and you just need to practice problems and passages.

Of course paying attention in your proper classes, writing good notes, and getting good grades in them is probably a better and more efficient alternative.

Just my 2 cents.

 

[Platonic]

After reading several threads, it has commonly been encouraged to wait until 3 to maybe 4 months before test date to start training for the MCAT. It has also been commonly warned that you shouldn't study too far in advance because of reasons like "That's a recipe for burnout" or "You'll just forget all the information and have to relearn it".

My MCAT is in 8 months, and I am already finished with my prereqs. The next 4 months I was going to spend just doing in depth content review of each section (via Chad's videos, textbooks, EK 1001 series, and NOVA Physics) and daily reading of the Economist and other such texts. The final 4 months I would dedicate to nothing but passages and FL's (TBR for phys, gchem, and orgo, TPRH for bio and verbal, all 7 TBR FL's, and all AAMC FL's).

My argument against the "burnout theory": This test is hard, very hard. Not only is it hard but we have the pressure on our shoulders that reminds us that we need to score competitively compared to everyone in the country in order to have a shot at medical school. It is one exam that can, in itself, determine the entire direction of your life one way or another. I'm getting married in 11 months and have way too much on the line. Although tiring, I know that burnout is not an option when I'm constantly reminding myself that my life really does depend on this.

My argument against the "forget everything theory": That's just complete bs. Someone on here (whom I can't remember their name or the thread) made a statement that I like and agree with 100%. It goes something like, "It's like throwing mud at the wall, the majority of it falls off but a little of it stays on after each time you throw it."

After hearing the insanely terrifying horror stories of this years' beast, I am fully convinced that no matter how much you study, you can always do more. I feel a 31 after 3-4 months spent studying could easily be a 35+ after 6 or 8 months.

So that's my two cents as I approach my training for this monster. Other than the two reason's I have heard time and time again, is there another reason why someone would oppose to this? I obviously still have an open mind to suggestion. And to those who have taken it this year, would you alter my plan in any way to better prepare for the newer, more difficult MCAT ya'll have been faced with?

Thanks, and CONGRATS to those who did well, KEEP YOUR HEADS UP to those who were disappointed, and GOOD LUCK to those who are yet to take it. 😀

Motivation isn't enough to prevent burnout. Studying 8-9 months straight will burn most people (vast majority) out.

I would recommend doing a 3 month content review, taking great notes, making plenty of flash cards, etc. Then take a 1 month break from studying. After that, do another month going back over the content. You should know the material cold at that point. Then you'll have a couple months for passages.

 

[tdod]

Overall, I agree w/ felix.


However, if you have extra time, then I think its fine to play around with some material, just don't go through passages or tests you will use when you get to the 3 month period. The best thing you can do would be to learn topics more in-depth, as depth will make the more basic concepts stick around in your head longer.

 

[inycepoo]

What you are going to forget is not the content (e.g., equations, concepts) over 8 months. It's the bull**** strategies you need to score high on this exam that'll go with the time and become really rusty after months. Don't underestimate how much these maneuvers are necessary for a great score.

Also, this test doesn't make it break your app as much as you're making it out to be. It's a very important part, but get 40+ and not have the other parts of your app be just as strong, and it ain't all that it could be.

 

[txlonghorn2314]

It's just not a good idea to study for this test that long.

1. You will start to plateau in far less time than 8 months. Everybody has a different ceiling. I believe the MCAT can be gamed by experience but the extent is not that significant. A dumb guy won't score 40+ even if he studies for 10 years. Diminishing returns.
2. There aren't enough AAMC tests to last that long. You'll be taking other tests by companies and constantly confuse yourself as to what the MCAT really is like, which is even unlike AAMC practice tests.
3. Opportunity cost is very high -- you could be doing far more useful and productive activities.
4. The highest predictor of MCAT score is SAT score and your investment in prereqs in school, so you've already kind of been studying for the MCAT. Doing well on the MCAT is more a reflection of how seriously you took academics over the long haul and your critical thinking ability than how masochistic you decided to be for a year.
5. Mentally, you will convince yourself that because you put in 8 months of work, you are entitled to a great score. In reality, your score is based on your performance on test day. You will set yourself up for huge nerves that day because so much invested effort will be on the line.
6. You just look really stupid by studying that long for a test. You're going to be taking more important and difficult tests and you need to learn how to prepare for them efficiently. If I were an adcom and found out that someone studied for the MCAT for a year, it would be a red flag to me.
7. It will be very expensive, amounting to several hundreds of dollars.
8. You'll burn out and forget everything and freak out.

If you do well in school and have a decent brain, you should be fine after taking a few AAMC tests following a good track record in well-taught classes. If you struggle very seriously (e.g. plateauing near median MCAT score after a few months), you should consider alternative careers. I am amazed by how scared premeds are, especially those on SDN, and how complicated people think this test is. Even more amazing is how people will pay thousands of dollars to take classes. It's so sad.

Take a chill pill, do well in school, bang it out for a month during summer, and hope for the best.

I agree, in part, with your statement about how a person with a very low IQ will never make a 40. However, I strongly disagree with multiple things you have said. 1. The highest predictor of your MCAT score is your SAT score?? Absolutely not. I know many many people who scored very low to average on their SAT and crushed the MCAT. I personally took the SAT 8 years ago. I was 16, I didn't care AT ALL about school (all I cared about was my band and becoming a famous musician) and I basically took the SAT because my parents made me. I didn't study or prepare for one second for the test, and actually got drunk the night before, taking the exam still slightly intoxicated/hungover. I made a 1020 (520V, 500M), which although put me right around the national mean (it luckily got me into TCU) , I would hardly agree that nearly a decade later I am now destined to a nothing higher than a 24 or 25.

2. I would not look "really stupid studying 8 months for an exam". It's a very important test, and if I saw someone study for that long I would not think they were stupid, I would think they were motivated. Also I do NOT think it would raise a red flag to adcoms for two reasons. One, I truly believe the majority of them would see that as someone who is wanting to get the competitive edge over the rest that are preparing for 2-4 months. Also, there is no way that they would ever even know that I prepared for 8 months. These next 4 months im still in school taking 14 hours of easy bs classes that I saved for last.

Motivation isn't enough to prevent burnout. Studying 8-9 months straight will burn most people (vast majority) out.

I would recommend doing a 3 month content review, taking great notes, making plenty of flash cards, etc. Then take a 1 month break from studying. After that, do another month going back over the content. You should know the material cold at that point. Then you'll have a couple months for passages.

It seems like you have the motivation to avoid burnout... just be cognizant of it and if you feel yourself getting burned out take a week off. You might even consider scheduling in an off week here and there. I agree with your "mud at the wall theory", that's what being a lifetime learner is all about...

Survivor DO

^Both of these bring up GREAT points, and I thank you for that.


I did not specify, but to explain more in depth my plan (now slightly revised thanks to helpful input) :

I plan to prepare for VR for the next 5 months by simply reading Economist, USA Today, etc. every single day for just 30 min a day. The last 3 months will be spent using SN2'ds plan for verbal reasoning prep.


I plan to prepare for the BS and PS for the first 4 months by going down the AAMC content outline and, one by one, learning/mastering every concept (since the newer MCAT apparently has many topics that the MCAT prep predicts as "low yield" or doesn't mention at all). I will then take Christmas break OFF completely (2-3 weeks of nothing science related, but still reading magazines a few min a day). The next 3 weeks I will do all EK 1001's and 4 VR passages a week. At the end of that month I'll take AAMC 3 to identify where I'm at and what my weaknesses are. I'll take a one week break, and then the next month I will do nothing but passages Monday-Friday and take one TBR FL each Saturday (under real life test conditions obviously). The final two months I will continue to just do passages Mon-Fri and take an AAMC FL every Saturday.

I appreciate the responses, and any other suggestions would obviously be welcomed. I know that I am not the only person on SDN that is in this position, and I'm sure the other Spring '14 exam takers would love to read any further advice by those who have already taken the test.

 

[Columbia09]

It's just not a good idea to study for this test that long.

1. You will start to plateau in far less time than 8 months. Everybody has a different ceiling. I believe the MCAT can be gamed by experience but the extent is not that significant. A dumb guy won't score 40+ even if he studies for 10 years. Diminishing returns.
2. There aren't enough AAMC tests to last that long. You'll be taking other tests by companies and constantly confuse yourself as to what the MCAT really is like, which is even unlike AAMC practice tests.
3. Opportunity cost is very high -- you could be doing far more useful and productive activities.
4. The highest predictor of MCAT score is SAT score and your investment in prereqs in school, so you've already kind of been studying for the MCAT. Doing well on the MCAT is more a reflection of how seriously you took academics over the long haul and your critical thinking ability than how masochistic you decided to be for a year.
5. Mentally, you will convince yourself that because you put in 8 months of work, you are entitled to a great score. In reality, your score is based on your performance on test day. You will set yourself up for huge nerves that day because so much invested effort will be on the line.
6. You just look really stupid by studying that long for a test. You're going to be taking more important and difficult tests and you need to learn how to prepare for them efficiently. If I were an adcom and found out that someone studied for the MCAT for a year, it would be a red flag to me.
7. It will be very expensive, amounting to several hundreds of dollars.
8. You'll burn out and forget everything and freak out.

If you do well in school and have a decent brain, you should be fine after taking a few AAMC tests following a good track record in well-taught classes. If you struggle very seriously (e.g. plateauing near median MCAT score after a few months), you should consider alternative careers. I am amazed by how scared premeds are, especially those on SDN, and how complicated people think this test is. Even more amazing is how people will pay thousands of dollars to take classes. It's so sad.

Take a chill pill, do well in school, bang it out for a month during summer, and hope for the best.

THIS IS TOTALLY AND COMPLETELY WRONG !!!! It's this kind of thinking that made me leave the college confidential pre med forms. One of the above posters says it completely right so I won't go into anymore detail.

OP, I'm assuming you're taking the creature in May just like myself. Although I agree that it is a difficult test, it isn't impossible. I sort of kind of started studying this summer but I'm just doing basic math a doing some brief videos of physics on youtube. I won't start REALLY studying until winter break. HOwever throughout the semester on occasion I will review a chem formula or physics formula or to prepare for verbal, read one of my history books. Like one of the above posters said, someone who is dumb can't score a 40+ even if he studied for 10 years. Quality not quantity is key.

 

[felixfelicis]

Yeah, I think I may have been a bit careless with my bullet points. I still stand by what I said regarding SAT score and prereq investment being the strongest predictor for MCAT score from a statistical standpoint, but I should have emphasized that there are obviously exceptions. By "obvious," I mean...

If you carelessly take the SAT, then it won't reflect your abilities. If you then carefully take the MCAT, the SAT won't be a great predictor because the amount of effort you gave differed significantly.

In general, the best predictor of future behavior is previous behavior. It is extremely uncommon that someone with a 2400 on the SATs will struggle to score above a 36 if s/he tries hard for both tests. Likewise, I would bet a lot of money against someone who struggled to break 2000 on the SAT scoring >36 on the MCAT.

I feel like these are not outrageous statements, though at first glance they may seem depressing and fatalistic. But if you think about it, this is the whole point of taking the MCAT. The AAMC believes that MCAT scores are a good way to predict your performance as a medical student. It is probably true that some people who struggle to get >20 on the MCAT can be competent medical students, but the data suggests to bet against low scorers. The MCAT is there to weed bad students out efficiently at the expense of rejecting a few rarities who could potentially succeed.

 

[Columbia09]

Yeah, I think I may have been a bit careless with my bullet points. I still stand by what I said regarding SAT score and prereq investment being the strongest predictor for MCAT score from a statistical standpoint, but I should have emphasized that there are obviously exceptions. By "obvious," I mean...

If you carelessly take the SAT, then it won't reflect your abilities. If you then carefully take the MCAT, the SAT won't be a great predictor because the amount of effort you gave differed significantly.

In general, the best predictor of future behavior is previous behavior. It is extremely uncommon that someone with a 2400 on the SATs will struggle to score above a 36 if s/he tries hard for both tests. Likewise, I would bet a lot of money against someone who struggled to break 2000 on the SAT scoring >36 on the MCAT. I feel like these are not outrageous statements, though at first glance they may seem depressing and fatalistic.

You also have to take into account that there are different subjects on both tests. There is no pure math section (thank God) on the MCAT. Plus science comes natural to some people like myself while pure math and vocabulary doesn't.

 

[felixfelicis]

^I agree. I mean, obviously there's a reason that we don't just infer job competence from SAT scores... even though we kind of do indirectly (better college placement correlates with better shot at future selective admissions)

 

[orderofthescar]

With sn2ed being very popular (and it is a very, very good study schedule), people tend to forget that different things work for different people.

With that said, I would be cautious about planning a 8-9 month study schedule. felix had some good points, so adding my 2 cents on to that for you to consider:

1) I would argue it's easier to fall behind and "put things off" if you're under the impression that you have several months of studying to go. It might not be your intention, but hey, life happens.
2) Diminishing returns are very real. Once you near your max, 3-4 months of extra studying won't boost you that much farther. My personal experience: I spent 3 months on sn2ed for my first take and 2.5 months studying for my retake. Really the only differences I saw in those 2.5 months were a) I was hitting the same score on FLs more consistently, instead of my broader 33-38 range and b) I improved maybe 1-2 points by the end. We'll see how my 2nd score comes out in a month
3) If you have other opportunities that would boost your app, I would consider those and shorten an 8-9 plan to 4 months, maybe 5-6 max if you really want an extended study schedule. Ultimately imo an extra 1-2 points is insignificant if you have a meaningful activity to discuss extensively on your app.

 

[Gauss44]

After reading several threads, it has commonly been encouraged to wait until 3 to maybe 4 months before test date to start training for the MCAT. It has also been commonly warned that you shouldn't study too far in advance because of reasons like "That's a recipe for burnout" or "You'll just forget all the information and have to relearn it".

My MCAT is in 8 months, and I am already finished with my prereqs. The next 4 months I was going to spend just doing in depth content review of each section (via Chad's videos, textbooks, EK 1001 series, and NOVA Physics) and daily reading of the Economist and other such texts. The final 4 months I would dedicate to nothing but passages and FL's (TBR for phys, gchem, and orgo, TPRH for bio and verbal, all 7 TBR FL's, and all AAMC FL's).

My argument against the "burnout theory": This test is hard, very hard. Not only is it hard but we have the pressure on our shoulders that reminds us that we need to score competitively compared to everyone in the country in order to have a shot at medical school. It is one exam that can, in itself, determine the entire direction of your life one way or another. I'm getting married in 11 months and have way too much on the line. Although tiring, I know that burnout is not an option when I'm constantly reminding myself that my life really does depend on this.

My argument against the "forget everything theory": That's just complete bs. Someone on here (whom I can't remember their name or the thread) made a statement that I like and agree with 100%. It goes something like, "It's like throwing mud at the wall, the majority of it falls off but a little of it stays on after each time you throw it."

After hearing the insanely terrifying horror stories of this years' beast, I am fully convinced that no matter how much you study, you can always do more. I feel a 31 after 3-4 months spent studying could easily be a 35+ after 6 or 8 months.

So that's my two cents as I approach my training for this monster. Other than the two reason's I have heard time and time again, is there another reason why someone would oppose to this? I obviously still have an open mind to suggestion. And to those who have taken it this year, would you alter my plan in any way to better prepare for the newer, more difficult MCAT ya'll have been faced with?

Thanks, and CONGRATS to those who did well, KEEP YOUR HEADS UP to those who were disappointed, and GOOD LUCK to those who are yet to take it. 😀

This is why it's important to know oneself.

Not everything applies equally to everyone....

 

[Columbia09]

With sn2ed being very popular (and it is a very, very good study schedule), people tend to forget that different things work for different people.

With that said, I would be cautious about planning a 8-9 month study schedule. felix had some good points, so adding my 2 cents on to that for you to consider:

1) I would argue it's easier to fall behind and "put things off" if you're under the impression that you have several months of studying to go. It might not be your intention, but hey, life happens.
2) Diminishing returns are very real. Once you near your max, 3-4 months of extra studying won't boost you that much farther. My personal experience: I spent 3 months on sn2ed for my first take and 2.5 months studying for my retake. Really the only differences I saw in those 2.5 months were a) I was hitting the same score on FLs more consistently, instead of my broader 33-38 range and b) I improved maybe 1-2 points by the end. We'll see how my 2nd score comes out in a month
3) If you have other opportunities that would boost your app, I would consider those and shorten an 8-9 plan to 4 months, maybe 5-6 max if you really want an extended study schedule. Ultimately imo an extra 1-2 points is insignificant if you have a meaningful activity to discuss extensively on your app.

What did you get on your first take with his schedule btw?

 

[orderofthescar]

What did you get on your first take with his schedule btw?

32, burned out halfway and didn't do anything for some time (a lot of "review last 1/3" didn't happen). I blame that on me xD sn2ed's a great starting point for making a schedule. Have been called crazy for retaking (I agree) but I am also a CA resident and....competition + schools are a little crazy in Cali .__. so

 

[Columbia09]

32, burned out halfway and didn't do anything for some time (a lot of "review last 1/3" didn't happen). I blame that on me xD sn2ed's a great starting point for making a schedule. Have been called crazy for retaking (I agree) but I am also a CA resident and....competition + schools are a little crazy in Cali .__. so

Can i have that score ? lol

 

[mspeedwagon]

It's important to know thyself. I'm a big advocate of the 8 to 9 month study plan after my 3-4 month plan almost killed me. There is something to be said for seeing the material for a second time and, with a longer window, you can do that. I also work full time and didn't remember any biology whatsoever (had to teach myself bio + o-chem). I'd never have been able to get beyond 24 in 3-4 months, but have done a lot better with a longer time window. In a worst case scenario you'll feel ready for the test early on and you can move your test up.

My biggest regret about my first go studying for the MCAT was not giving myself at least 6 months to study. I'd have gotten into the low 30s and that was all I needed.

 

[Spinach Dip]

I think that starting 8-9 months ahead of time can either be enormously valuable, or enormously detrimental, depending on how well you are able to keep up with your schedule.

This far out, I would suggest taking some classes to help solidify some of the most important concepts. I found Cell Bio and Physiology incredibly helpful for mastering the BS section.

GL!👍

 

[Columbia09]

You also have to consider what to do in the first 4 months. There are only what 7 AAMC practice exams and if you use them up months before the MCAT I doubt they will be of any benefit. Plus another thing to consider is what score you want. If all you want is a 25 or a little above the average score then most people will be fine with only studying for 3 months. Now if you want a 30 + and you have severe content deficiency, then 8 months might be worth it. I still don't understand what you guys could be doing for the first 4 months though. I have to say I do know someone you studied straight for a year and only got a 24 on his MCAT. Got into and currently attends LECOM though

 

[SN2ed]

Something else to consider is that your time could easily be better spent working on your ECs. Do not forget about the importance of having some solid ECs. It's great to see someone with ECs where they've committed themselves long term. Plus, you'll often talk about these long-term ECs during interviews and can get some strong LORs in certain cases. Overall, numbers can get you past the first step in the application process, but it's the other factors to your app and your interview that make you a good candidate.

 

[futuredoc331]

I have a similar plan OP. I will be taking the MCAT sometime after the Spring 14' semester. I am a non-trad student and will be taking all of my prereqs these next two semesters. It is a little difficult to study right now since I have not completely learned all of the material, but I have taken intro courses for chem, bio, and physics already so it isn't too bad.

My game plan is to go through and read the material several times over for the next few months. Then I will really dig in and fully learn the material while I'm taking it. Near the end of the spring semester I will start a scheduled study plan like some of the ones found here.

There are some flaws in this idea. I think most people would have a tough time balancing coursework with the extra studying. School comes very easy to me though....when I actually apply myself. I learn very quickly and usually find the speed of most college courses to be too slow and boring. I also do very well on standardized tests. From high school to college and even several military tests (ASVAB and AFOQT) I have always scored above the 90th percentile.

Maybe I am a bit overconfident, but we will see. Anyway, the point of this post is to just let you know you're not the only one with a plan that differs from what most preach on here. Best of luck to you.

 

[Escape_Goat]

My MCAT is in 8 months, and I am already finished with my prereqs. The next 4 months I was going to spend just doing in depth content review of each section (via Chad's videos, textbooks, EK 1001 series, and NOVA Physics) and daily reading of the Economist and other such texts. The final 4 months I would dedicate to nothing but passages and FL's (TBR for phys, gchem, and orgo, TPRH for bio and verbal, all 7 TBR FL's, and all AAMC FL's).

My argument against the "burnout theory": This test is hard, very hard. Not only is it hard but we have the pressure on our shoulders that reminds us that we need to score competitively compared to everyone in the country in order to have a shot at medical school. It is one exam that can, in itself, determine the entire direction of your life one way or another. I'm getting married in 11 months and have way too much on the line. Although tiring, I know that burnout is not an option when I'm constantly reminding myself that my life really does depend on this.

The problem with doing all content review upfront and then all practice exams later is that the practice exams will reveal what topics in which you still need to improve. If you don't allocate time for content review post practice exam, you're shooting yourself in the foot.

If you insist on spreading out your studying that long, do a practice exam each week or so, saving all of the AAMC FLs for the end. Spread the AAMC tests out over a couple weeks, so you're doing one every other day while simulating test conditions. Not only the they the best predictors of your actual score, but by time you finish all the AAMC FLs, the real thing will feel just like another practice exam and help alleviate a lot of test anxiety.

If you ask me though, there simply isn't enough content on the mcat to justify an 8 month study regimen. It's a difficult test, but mostly due to the way it's administered. It's like running for 4 hours nonstop. The content itself isn't difficult, just broad in scope.

Usually, the really long study plans involve studying EVERYTHING that could be possibly covered, down to the minute detail. That's just silly, and a tremendous waste of time.

Take organic chemistry, for example. Some people insist on studying every single mechanism from Org 1 and 2. But, there's zero point in doing so. Outside of a few named reactions, like Hofmann and Grignard (which you may want to know just help save time), the majority of time is better spent learning and understanding the trends and generalized mechanisms (SN and E) and what conditions favor each. Why would an elimination occur in a given reaction versus substitution? When would Zaitsev's rule be ignored? Understanding things like that will help you much more than memorizing the dozens and dozens of specific mechanisms.

Another silly thing about studying everything is that you'll waste time covering material you've already mastered. Do you really need to dedicate a portion of time specifically to glycolysis or the cell cycle? Hopefully not.

 

[NinjaMed]

After reading several threads, it has commonly been encouraged to wait until 3 to maybe 4 months before test date to start training for the MCAT. It has also been commonly warned that you shouldn't study too far in advance because of reasons like "That's a recipe for burnout" or "You'll just forget all the information and have to relearn it".

My MCAT is in 8 months, and I am already finished with my prereqs. The next 4 months I was going to spend just doing in depth content review of each section (via Chad's videos, textbooks, EK 1001 series, and NOVA Physics) and daily reading of the Economist and other such texts. The final 4 months I would dedicate to nothing but passages and FL's (TBR for phys, gchem, and orgo, TPRH for bio and verbal, all 7 TBR FL's, and all AAMC FL's).

My argument against the "burnout theory": This test is hard, very hard. Not only is it hard but we have the pressure on our shoulders that reminds us that we need to score competitively compared to everyone in the country in order to have a shot at medical school. It is one exam that can, in itself, determine the entire direction of your life one way or another. I'm getting married in 11 months and have way too much on the line. Although tiring, I know that burnout is not an option when I'm constantly reminding myself that my life really does depend on this.

My argument against the "forget everything theory": That's just complete bs. Someone on here (whom I can't remember their name or the thread) made a statement that I like and agree with 100%. It goes something like, "It's like throwing mud at the wall, the majority of it falls off but a little of it stays on after each time you throw it."

After hearing the insanely terrifying horror stories of this years' beast, I am fully convinced that no matter how much you study, you can always do more. I feel a 31 after 3-4 months spent studying could easily be a 35+ after 6 or 8 months.

So that's my two cents as I approach my training for this monster. Other than the two reason's I have heard time and time again, is there another reason why someone would oppose to this? I obviously still have an open mind to suggestion. And to those who have taken it this year, would you alter my plan in any way to better prepare for the newer, more difficult MCAT ya'll have been faced with?

Thanks, and CONGRATS to those who did well, KEEP YOUR HEADS UP to those who were disappointed, and GOOD LUCK to those who are yet to take it. 😀

Whatever happens OP, I sincerely and wholeheartedly wish you the best. It takes courage to set out to do what you are doing. Forget the naysayers and become a light in the darkest night. Shine bright to those whom you love. Fill your eyes and heart with fire that will never grow dim. For every setback, punch harder and more fiercely. For every fall and stumble, grip the ground more firmly and become unshakable. If the next breath shall be your last, at least you gave it your all and died standing; fighting. Never give up!

 

[1TB4RKSB4CK]

I'm planning to do a 5 month study plan, based on sn2ed's guide but I put in a bit more CBT testing and practice from TPRH science workbook
I'm looking at Aug 26th to around mid Jan, with my test date at Jan 26th
I'm really rusty on a lot of the pre-reqs, out of Bio and Gen Chem for almost 2 1/2 years and I have yet to take physics 2 so I feel I need the extra time to prep.
We'll see how it goes.
We are all gonna make it brahs.
If you have the motivation!