October 31, 2019October 19, 2019 monicarose

MCAT Advice

Pre-Med

Since premedical students often start thinking about studying for the MCAT during fall semester, and because my last few monthly PhiDE posts have been focused on PhiDE specific events, I thought for November I’d offer some general advice about studying for the MCAT. 

The MCAT (Medical College Admissions Test) is a 6 hour exam that medical schools require applicants to take.  In general, medical schools will look at an applicant’s GPA from undergraduate courses in addition to their MCAT score to try to understand how well the applicant might be able to handle the rigorous curriculum in medical school.

I’ll start out by saying, my number one piece of advice regarding the MCAT, or Step 1 studying, is that your priority should be doing what works best for you, and it may not be the same as what others are doing.  While being part of a PhiDE family is extremely beneficial since you have access to so many others on the same path, you won’t be able to take just one person’s experience and apply it directly to your plan, and to your learning style.  I think the best thing to do is ask a handful of people, read or watch a handful of articles/videos about the topic (in this case studying for the MCAT), but don’t spend too much time collecting opinions because it can easily get overwhelming and counterproductive.  In the comments below I’ll post a few links to podcasts and videos that might be helpful too!  

I took the MCAT in 2016, and due to the unexpected loss of my mimi, I took it much later than I had initially planned.  I actually had to submit my medical school applications with my score pending, which made me extremely nervous, and if you can avoid doing so I’d recommend against taking it so late.  However, this was just another instance where life proved that it won’t wait until it’s convenient for major events to occur, and realistically on the premedical and medical school journey, there are very few convenient pauses in the first place. 

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First, set up a (realistic) schedule

Whether you’ll be studying on weekends during the semester, or dedicating a set number of weeks during summer, start out by putting it on a calendar so you can count how many days you have to work with.  I personally took about 7-8 weeks in a summer, had to work 30 hours per week, and the remainder of the time was dedicated to MCAT studying. 

The second step will be choosing your resources.  I’d advise limiting yourself to about 2-4 resources, and asking PhiDE friends if you can take a quick look at their books and resources, or using free trials, to help you decide.  Once you’ve committed to your resources, stick with them, try not to let others’ choices make you anxious that you’re missing out. If you have time to work with free trials and play around with online video resources before your actual study time starts, that would be great so you can confirm you’re picking what works best for you.  I primarily used a Princeton Review all in one book that included a few practice tests and Khan Academy (free videos and practice questions), and also some Kaplan practice tests. I did take the new MCAT in 2016, and I’m sure there are always new resources coming out, so definitely ask your PhiDE upperclassmen for more specific and up to date advice.

Once you’ve counted how many days/weeks you have, and you’ve chosen your resources, make a schedule that divides your resources into that amount of time, and stick to your schedule to the best of your abilities. (Example: add the number of pages in your resource book, and divide by number of days you have.)  I think it’s good to leave at least 5-7 days unscheduled at the end of your study time to allow for review and room to be flexible as you go along. If you find that you can’t get through the amount of material you had initially planned, it’s okay! Reevaluate your schedule as you go and be patient with yourself. 

A few random pieces of advice: 

I’d advise starting with the subjects you’re weakest at, to allow yourself time to look at them again towards the end of studying, and to get them out of the way early.  Biochemistry is very high yield on the MCAT, and also at the beginning of many medical school curricula, so make sure you do a thorough pass or two at that subject.

The CARS (Critical Analysis and Reasoning section) component of the MCAT is a difficult one to study for since the topics are random.  Advice I received for this section was to just do as many practice questions as possible to get used to the format, and to remember that the answer should be directly in the article stem. 

I personally found writing out important formulas, definitions, or other topics that I had trouble remembering onto “cheat sheets” helped me a lot.  Sometimes I’d start out with 5 pieces of paper for one subject, but by the end of studying was able to get it down to 1 with more practice. They provided something to quickly look through at the end of long days of studying.  Many MCAT books will actually come with formula sheets, so you can also consider adding directly to those as well. 

Include regular practice tests in your study schedule.  I’d suggest taking them at the same time as your real test will be, and try to simulate the testing environment by going to the library or somewhere else rather than home.  Use multiple sources for tests and then average your score to get an idea of where you might land. (There are lots of reddit posts about which practice tests are best. I personally avoided those types of sites because I found it more anxiety provoking than helpful, but everyone is different.) 

Take care of your mental and physical health!

Make sure you include study breaks in your schedule and take days off.  For me personally, walking my lab Holly every day kept me sane during this process.  Schedule time for walks, coffee with friends, gym, whatever helps you feel centered.

Here is my previous post about staying motivated for more advice.

The day before, and Test Day

The day before, I would suggest limiting your studying to 1-2 hours maximum.  I personally just read over my cheat sheets, but didn’t find it very helpful it was more out of habit than anything.  Wake up really early the day before and try to get some good physical activity in so you’re more likely to sleep well that night.  I worked a 4a-12p shift in the ER scribing, and then took my Holly for a long hike, and this did allow me to sleep fairly well the night before. 

The day of, don’t over-caffeinate, and only pack foods and snacks that you know sit well with you and provide you with good energy.  Take your break time to do some breathing exercises, physical exercises, or whatever else helps you feel refreshed.  

Once the test is over, try to put it out of your mind until your scores come back.  Maybe plan for a good nap after the test, and then spend time with loved ones who can always boost your spirits