Working full time while studying for MCAT? Advice....

[futureMD4294]

So i have recently gotten accepted to two job positions: one is a Medical Scribe/ Ophthalmic Lab Tech position (35-40 hours a week) and the other is just a Medical Scribe position (24-32 hours a week).
I am also planning on taking the MCAT late January (Sooo 5.5 months to study for this). I LOVE the 35-40 hour job, but it is not as flexible as the the 24-32 hours a week position.

1. Should I pick the position that I like the most or pick the one with less hours and more flexibility.

2. Any advice on working full time and studying for the MCAT?

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[Lannister]

I say pick the one you like more. Plenty of people study for the MCAT while they are full-time students, so a full-time job should be no different.

 

[pugsessed]

I studied for the MCAT while working full time (actually a bit more than 40 hours a week). You can definitely do it, but you have to be very good at managing your own time. I always studied three hours before I went to work every day (which sucked waking up super early) but I found that was the most effective way for me.

 

[futureMD4294]

I studied for the MCAT while working full time (actually a bit more than 40 hours a week). You can definitely do it, but you have to be very good at managing your own time. I always studied three hours before I went to work every day (which sucked waking up super early) but I found that was the most effective way for me.

Gotcha, did you study after you got back from work too? How many months did you study for?

 

[Manzielf]

I did 4 months of studying after work (40h+ a week) to prepare for the MCAT. If you have a solid foundation in the sciences, then maybe you can get away with less time and just doing more practice problems.

I was studying in the evenings doing content review and problems/ exams closer to my test date.

Personally, I took a week off half way through due to burnout but managed to do well in the test with that amount of time.


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[futureMD4294]

I did 4 months of studying after work (40h+ a week) to prepare for the MCAT. If you have a solid foundation in the sciences, then maybe you can get away with less time and just doing more practice problems.

I was studying in the evenings doing content review and problems/ exams closer to my test date.

Personally, I took a week off half way through due to burnout but managed to do well in the test with that amount of time.


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NICE! how many hours were you working?

 

[Manzielf]

Working 40h+ hours

Studying ~4h a day after work.


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[pugsessed]

Gotcha, did you study after you got back from work too? How many months did you study for?

I studied some after work but not to a great extent. My time was extremely limited due to my job, moving in my first home the I bought, planning a wedding and beginnning preparations for a manuscript at work. I studied a solid 8 weeks but the sciences are my life. I did decently, wishing I got higher as does everyone, but I was limited in my time. Plus I've got a ton of other things to make up for my slight disadvantage of my mcat.

 

[bootsandspooky]

I recommend taking the position that you like the most. Having meaningful experiences is really helpful when trying to find stuff to write in AMCAS and secondaries as well as, you know, having a fulfilling life.

I studied while working full-time and it was a long process. I found a "study guide" somewhere here on SDN from a person who had worked full time and got a 526 (I didn't get quite that score but I had a really bad day and got 99th percentile so). I modified it for my schedule and didn't use Anki flashcards because I hate flashcards with a flaming passion. I went through the TPR books (started late May after graduating), 2 chapters a week, reading and writing notes by hand because that is how I learn material best. I would work on one chapter on weekdays after work (as in 1 chapter for the entirety of Monday-Friday), probably a max of 2 hours a day (I struggle), and 1 whole chapter on Saturday. I started with the material I was least familiar with, which was P/S and Bio, then worked my way to the most familiar (I went through the physics book much more quickly). Idk if it would help to do it in the opposite order. Finished content around September/October? Then worked my way through my 3 TPR tests, 4 NS, 4EK, and then all of the AAMC materials until the week before my test (January 28). In this phase I took a full length every Saturday and tried to review during the week. I also used the 100 page Khan Academy document to lightning-speed-review P/S in the last month, and additionally made a list of my weak topics and hit them hard in the last week.

Obviously this advice is super specific to myself but I think you could easily do a bit more review per week and maybe drop a couple of FLs to hit your goals. It is hard but this test is extremely important and worth the dedication.

 

[futureMD4294]

I recommend taking the position that you like the most. Having meaningful experiences is really helpful when trying to find stuff to write in AMCAS and secondaries as well as, you know, having a fulfilling life.

I studied while working full-time and it was a long process. I found a "study guide" somewhere here on SDN from a person who had worked full time and got a 526 (I didn't get quite that score but I had a really bad day and got 99th percentile so). I modified it for my schedule and didn't use Anki flashcards because I hate flashcards with a flaming passion. I went through the TPR books (started late May after graduating), 2 chapters a week, reading and writing notes by hand because that is how I learn material best. I would work on one chapter on weekdays after work (as in 1 chapter for the entirety of Monday-Friday), probably a max of 2 hours a day (I struggle), and 1 whole chapter on Saturday. I started with the material I was least familiar with, which was P/S and Bio, then worked my way to the most familiar (I went through the physics book much more quickly). Idk if it would help to do it in the opposite order. Finished content around September/October? Then worked my way through my 3 TPR tests, 4 NS, 4EK, and then all of the AAMC materials until the week before my test (January 28). In this phase I took a full length every Saturday and tried to review during the week. I also used the 100 page Khan Academy document to lightning-speed-review P/S in the last month, and additionally made a list of my weak topics and hit them hard in the last week.

Obviously this advice is super specific to myself but I think you could easily do a bit more review per week and maybe drop a couple of FLs to hit your goals. It is hard but this test is extremely important and worth the dedication.

Wow man you did awesome!! Congrats you worked hard now it's my turn. Thank you for the recommendation!!!!!!!


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[bootsandspooky]

Wow man you did awesome!! Congrats you worked hard now it's my turn. Thank you for the recommendation!!!!!!!


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No problem buddy - I searched and found the guide I used: How I prepped for a 526
Good luck!

 

[futureMD4294]

No problem buddy - I searched and found the guide I used: How I prepped for a 526
Good luck!

Dope. Thanks I'll check it now


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[Immunorunner]

So i have recently gotten accepted to two job positions: one is a Medical Scribe/ Ophthalmic Lab Tech position (35-40 hours a week) and the other is just a Medical Scribe position (24-32 hours a week).
I am also planning on taking the MCAT late January (Sooo 5.5 months to study for this). I LOVE the 35-40 hour job, but it is not as flexible as the the 24-32 hours a week position.

1. Should I pick the position that I like the most or pick the one with less hours and more flexibility.

2. Any advice on working full time and studying for the MCAT?

It is very doable. I worked ~50 hours a week (and commute 2hrs each direction), while doing all of the other pre-med stuff. I also have a toddler at home so time was very tight (and had to relearn a lot of the material since I graduated in '08). Carve out any time you can, you will have to be brutal w/ your time management.

Best of luck.

 

[DameJulie]

It's doable. I'm doing that right now (although not completely full-time job; it has flexibility). Just make sure you're committed to it. 6 months is enough time for someone with a full-time job.