Why is there an August MCAT?

[Doctora Foxy]

I was just wondering about this. It seems to be the forbidden thing to do when applying (although of course it works out for many--or some). I think people taking it the summer after sophomore year are in the minority. So why have an August test and put the majority of the people who take it at a disadvantage? If they are truly trying to "standardize" things, why not just have an April test?

In fact, why not make the August MCAT invalid for the same application cycle? (i.e. Aug 2001 MCAT invalid for 2002 matriculation).

Wouldn't this solve problems?

I'm not saying I agree with this proposal to eliminate it or invalidate (is that a word?) it, but why does it even exist? To give people the option to procrastinate? To get a second try?

And yes it makes sense for people to take it and apply 2 years later, but that is not fun ...it will be in the back of their minds that they could have tried it the previous year--what a tease!

Sincerely,
Foxy-stays-up-too-late-will-check-responses-tomorrow <img border="0" title="" alt="[Eek!]" src="eek.gif" />

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[BlackPuma]

I think we should have a December/early January, and an April MCAT....

the august mcat is ******ed, and so is the MCAT exam....it measures absolutely nothing!!!

 

[dustinspeer]

•••quote:•••Originally posted by WatchaMaCallit:
•I think we should have a December/early January, and an April MCAT....

the august mcat is ******ed, and so is the MCAT exam....it measures absolutely nothing!!!•••••It's all to make you squirm... Some people I'm sure use it to patch up a messed up April MCAT. But what do I know...

 

[oldman]

i think the august mcat is optimal for those on the ball and are able to take the test after sophomore year. by that time i had completed my premed classes, but was too lazy to prepare.

and as it was already posted, it is a make-up test after finishing with a poor april mcat.

i think it would have been nice to have a december (around xmas time) mcat. that way you could take that test and have a june mcat as a backup. then neither test would hinder your chances.

 

[idiot]

By last April, I was yet to take Phys II or any Organic - I took them over the summer. Many people told me to take the April exam anyway - but I waited. By January, I interviewed at every school I applied to. The fall exam was a great option for me.

Also, it's not necessarily about procrastination -I started my prereqs fall of 00 and finished last summer - while simultaneously finishing up my Spanish degree.

 

[AntGod22]

I thhink it would be nice to have a take home mcat exam, then when u complete it you mail it in!
Well I can only dream!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! <img border="0" title="" alt="[Eek!]" src="eek.gif" />

 

[MUN2005]

Whay are those who take it in august disadvantaged?

 

[Neuronix]

I agree with you Foxy. As far as I'm concerned August MCAT people should be forbidden from applying the same year. The only reason they're not is probably because the AMCAS and the med schools want your application money.

However, I did the August MCAT cause I knew I wasn't appplying that year and I knew I could study all Summer and I got a very high score that way, so I really recommend it. I know too many people who took April MCAT with classes going on who did not do very well.

Strangely though, these same students did retakes and still ended up with poor scores (only a few point improvement if at all). So I wonder if taking the exam once discourages you from studying for it again (it got too old?) or if these people were dysfunctional to begin with.

Oh well. I love you August MCAT!

 

[Doctora Foxy]

hm, I was just thinking about my summer organic experience (it was good), and the August MCAT does sound appealing now that you mention it. I'm good at focusing on one thing. Well hopefuly it won't come down to a retake.....

Who votes for an April and May MCAT? (ok I guess no one would take it in April then)

 

[lady bug]

Hey Neuronix, would you mind telling me what score you got and how you studied for it(what materials you used) and how much time you put into it?

 

[lady bug]

Hey Neuronix, would you mind telling me what score you got and how you studied for it(what materials you used) and how much time you put into it?

 

[oldman]

•••quote:•••Originally posted by clinicalchief:
•Whay are those who take it in august disadvantaged?•••••if they are applying, the schools might not start to review their file until october when the results come in. by that time some schools have already sent out acceptances and thus there are less spots open.

 

[souljah1]

I think the august mcat is a good thing. I took the mcat in august before my junior year. You have a lot of time to study for it and the prereq courses are still pretty fresh in your head. In addition to that, if you f%$k up, you can take in the following april and/or august. I think they should administer it 4 times/yr. I don't see why it is only twice a year..

 

[jargon124]

Aug MCAT is a great thing, especially for us lazy peeps. There is nothing unfair about it.

 

[brandonite]

•••quote:•••Originally posted by clinicalchief:
•Whay are those who take it in august disadvantaged?•••••You're Canadian. It's not a problem for us... Everybody in Canada (basically) writes the August MCAT. Most people in the US take the April MCAT.

I've said this before, and I'll say it again... I wrote it in August, and I don't think it hurt me. Look at SMW. In August, you get all summer to study, so you don't have to worry about MCAT at the same time you're in the middle of classes. This year, the April MCAT is right in the middle of my exam period. I don't know how you can study for both the MCAT and finals and hope to do decently on both.

 

[latebloomer2]

•••quote:•••Originally posted by Doctora Foxy:
[QB]

In fact, why not make the August MCAT invalid for the same application cycle? (i.e. Aug 2001 MCAT invalid for 2002 matriculation).

Wouldn't this solve problems?

QB]••••Remember there are those of us in the working world that don't decide to go back to school until July. Taking the August MCAT and starting school the next year is a nice option.

 

[megkudos]

I would hate to have to take the August MCAT. I just love the summer weather so much, I wouldn't be able to stand studying and I probably wouldn't do well.

 

[ItsGavinC]

Why not offer it any day of the year, like the DAT?

 

[brandonite]

•••quote:•••Originally posted by ItsGavinC:
•Why not offer it any day of the year, like the DAT?•••••The GRE offers the General Test at any point in time, and you do the Subject Test at specific dates, of which there are many choices.

I agree. Why not offer it all the time?

I think even the LSAT has about five sittings...

 

[squeek]

I liked the August MCAT--MUCH better than trying to study for school at the same time. I planned to take a year off after college (which I highly recommend to anyone considering applying to med school), so I took the test after my junior year (following completion of bio, o.chem, biochem, molecular bio, and genetics). I had all summer to study, so I performed the best that I could, and I had an entire year to play afterward--a full year of art and writing classes. So it's nice to have the option of taking that horrendous test in either April or May.

Also, because I took a year off, I wasn't trying to schedule interviews during school...made my life much easier, for sure...

 

[squeek]

whoops...I should have said April or August. The brain goes once you enter medical school...

 

[Neuronix]

•••quote:•••Originally posted by puddin:
•Hey Neuronix, would you mind telling me what score you got and how you studied for it(what materials you used) and how much time you put into it?•••••Sure, I got a 37O. I took a TPR (The Princeton Review) course that was taught here a few times a week at University of Delaware from the first week of June until the exam in August. I had done a little bit of prep work before then, but not a whole lot.

Every night I did not have a TPR class or practice exam I studied for 3 hours, usually doing passages the entire time and reviewing stuff I didn't recall. Sometimes I would also do some of this even on class nights or practice exam days. I also worked a part-time job.

2 - 3 weeks before the MCAT I started getting up at 7AM (the time I had to get up on MCAT day) and started working timed verbal passages every weekday (and even some weekend) morning at 8AM. I also kept up my science review stuff. I did alot in those couple weeks, but tried not to burn myself out. The day before the actual exam I took the day off, stopped studying entirely and watched some funny movies. On test day I took a fiction book (Neuromancer, great book for those of you into sci-fi) to the test center for reading while waiting so that I could get my brain working and off the anxiety of the exam.

I totally recommend TPR, but your success I think is totally dependent on who's teaching it. My instructor was great, so my class was great. If you have any more questions feel free to PM me.

Good luck!