Why study for the MCAT (encouraging words while studying for MCAT)?

[ven2083]

During my down-time while studying for the MCAT, I began thinking why do we study so long & hard for this test?? At times it can be discouraging, because one can't possibly get all questions correct....so I ask the SDN community...why do we study for the MCAT??

(Again, this is just for encouragement. To gain some clarity while studying all these topics. I encourage answers from past and present test-takers to reflect their point of view)

Thank you and Good luck

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[TX500]

Because if you're a physician and a patient is dying in front of you... if you don't know the Wolff-Kishner reduction, you're screwed.

 

[eleveneleven]

During my MCAT prep, I felt more mentally sharp than I ever had in my life. Sure I was brooding over the thing day in and day out but I felt like I was seeing connections in the world and thinking in a way that I had never touched before. Keeping your mind actively engaged like that does nothing but good.

Additionally, I found it rewarding to really solidify my understanding of the basic tenets of the major scientific disciplines. With this, I felt I could look at anything in the world around me and find some fundamental scientific principles within it and offer some explanation of how it all works. For the first time in my life I felt like I really had the tools at my disposal to see the world like a scientist.

It's a tough struggle, but I think it really offers us much more than a score at the end.

Enjoy your studying!

 

[MedGrl@2022]

During my MCAT prep, I felt more mentally sharp than I ever had in my life. Sure I was brooding over the thing day in and day out but I felt like I was seeing connections in the world and thinking in a way that I had never touched before. Keeping your mind actively engaged like that does nothing but good.

Additionally, I found it rewarding to really solidify my understanding of the basic tenets of the major scientific disciplines. With this, I felt I could look at anything in the world around me and find some fundamental scientific principles within it and offer some explanation of how it all works. For the first time in my life I felt like I really had the tools at my disposal to see the world like a scientist.

It's a tough struggle, but I think it really offers us much more than a score at the end.

Enjoy your studying!

well said... I feel the same way to some extent

 

[ZPakEffect]

You study for the MCAT because it's like a short trailer for the epic feature film that is studying for the USMLE Step 1.

 

[UC pre med]

The best way that I had it explained to me was: "It's a rite of passage".

Everyone has to take the MCAT, anyone who wants a good score has to go through the grueling process of taking practice exams and then tearing your hair out wondering where you're missing your points. Then the month long wait until you finally see your scores set in stone. It's something that has to be done, for everyone. And until you've finished it, you don't deserve your rank among future physicians.

 

[Entadus]

Because we're pre-meds... We LIKE to study

Don't tell me someone can earnestly want to be a doctor and not enjoy studying

 

[osprey099]

The MCAT is a life experience. It teaches you that life is not fair and you get can thrown curveballs your way.

I prepped a TON last summer for my September MCAT and I thought I had it in the bag for a 33+ for sure but ended up getting a 30. My practice scores were all in the 33-35 range and for the most part, I felt great during the test. I thought I would get at least a 14 on the PS section b/c I was able to do 50/52 of the questions with complete certainty but I got a 12. I thought I nailed verbal b/c for once, I ended with more than 5 minutes left and thought the passages were fairly easy to understand. I thought I got a 11+ on this section but I ended up getting a 8.

When I got my score back, I was devastated and felt like I had wasted an entire summer and invested 500+ hours for nothing. I could have used this time to do research, volunteering, or other things that could strengthen my application. It took me a while to get past it and to decide whether I want to take this test again. However, I realized that the MCAT, like in life, is sometimes not fair. Random things can happen on 1 day that can spoil over 100 days worth of preparation. These things happen in life all the time. Whether you get back up and face the adversity is a true test of a person's motivation and willpower.

 

[MedPR]

I began thinking why do we study so long & hard for this test??

Because you have to.

...so I ask the SDN community...why do we study for the MCAT??

Because you have to.

 

[Roxas]

Because if you're a physician and a patient is dying in front of you... if you don't know the Wolff-Kishner reduction, you're screwed.