MCAT sh*t. Options

[vivelamour]

I have a few questions about the MCAT. I went to a Pre-Med meeting, and the pres. didn't explain the whole thing well enough. So, I thought I'd ask. :]

1) When should I take it? Most people tell me not to worry cuz I still have "a lot of time." I'm a freshman by year, but a sophomore by credit hours/units.

2) What subjects are covered?

3) What's considered a "good score?" I know it depends on what colleges you apply for. I know like..a 7 wouldn't be great. Haha.

4) If anyone's had ANY experience, how was it for you? How much did you have to study? And how hard was the test? etc.

Thanks :]

[bunnierabbit]

Soooo many of my friends went to med school, so hopefully I can shed some light on the process.

I have a few questions about the MCAT. I went to a Pre-Med meeting, and the pres. didn't explain the whole thing well enough. So, I thought I'd ask. :]

1) When should I take it? Most people tell me not to worry cuz I still have "a lot of time." I'm a freshman by year, but a sophomore by credit hours/units.

This depends on when you want to start. If you want to go straight after finishing up college, you want to take it the summer after junior year. (i.e. the summer before you graduate). If you want to concentrate on your studies during your senior year, you can take the test right after you graduate, and then spend a year off (or working or whatnot) and do apps then. Keep in mind that this would mean there is a year gap btwn graduation from undergrad and starting med school.

The MCAT is offered like.. April and August?

2) What subjects are covered?

Many. Verbal Reasoning, Biological Sciences, Physical Sciences, and Writing. Last time I checked the test is like 8 hours long.

3) What's considered a "good score?" I know it depends on what colleges you apply for. I know like..a 7 wouldn't be great. Haha.

My friends were all aiming for 35+. My ex got a 36 and he was happy with it. I believe the max score is... 45? It's 3 15s added together for the total. However, I had several friends get like 41 and 43, which was incredible.

4) If anyone's had ANY experience, how was it for you? How much did you have to study? And how hard was the test? etc.

The guy that got 43 took an MCAT class during summer and took the August test. Because it's such a high-stakes test, I think most ppl enroll in MCAT prep classes. Everyone I knew taking the MCAT was studying for it months beforehand, and then got really hardcore and turned into boring ppl starting about 2-3 months before the test.


Oh, and if you want to apply to med school, make sure you save up a lot of $$$ starting now. Test registration and prep classes cost money, as do the applications (round of primaries and then secondaries, I think my ex spent $1500+ on the applications alone). Then you have to have really nice interview clothes (the guys all bought really nice $800-$1000 formal suits, I'm not sure what my girl friends spent on their formals.) And of course there's all the plane fare flying around to said schools for interviews .

This post has been edited by bunnierabbit: Oct 16 2007, 08:04 PM

[charade]

^
lol yeah, my friends were MIA for the entire spring semester.

Wrong forum.
http://forums.studentdoctor.net/

MCAT test prep courses are useless. You're better off studying on your own by gathering the right materials. I used MCAT books + Destroyer, Achiever, and some of my textbooks to study for the DAT, and took a crap load of MCAT practice tests just to work on my timing for the DAT. I know the content's different but you can get @$$-raped on both exams if you don't work on timing even if you can easily analyze the material.

Physical Sciences: 77 Q's, chemistry, physics, analytical reasoning, and data interpretation

Verbal Reasoning: 60 Q's, 9 passages

Writing: 60 minutes -critical thinking, communication skills, yadi yadi yada...

and

Biological Sciences: 77 Q's Organic Chemistry, Analytical reasoning, data interpretation

[zmeflyby]

go to aamc.org for more info.


its not 8 hours, its around 4 1/2 hours
its not only offered on aug/april, its offer over 8 times a year i believe ( i could be wrong)
you should take it by the end of your sophmore year if you have taken most of your pre req science courses.
I would take phys 1 and 2 before taking the MCAT.
I would also take orgo 1, but orgo 2 you might not need.

also the numberof the questions posted by the above posters are BS.
it is computer based.

[SkylineC83]

I had a buddy that was supposedly "studying for the MCATs" while he was taking summer EE classes with me in summer school, but all I ever seen him do is talk to other guys who were "studying" as well with their books open and laughing. He ended up with a 27, but managed to get into med school somewhere on the east coast.