Guest slypimpdip Posted July 13, 2004 Report Share Posted July 13, 2004 Hi everyone, I've been stuck on the idea on whether to take the MCAT after my 2nd year or leave it until the 3rd year. The thing is that I will not have completed Physics until 3rd year, and I know that some people say that you can go in without doing it, but I just think that it would be a mental block and put more stress on me that I may not be so well on the PS portion of the MCAT. Here's my advantages/disadvantages on taking the MCAT in 2nd year for me. Let me know what you think! Advantages 2nd year: The pre-req material is fresher in my head, I won't have forgotten too much of it. If I totally blow the MCAT, I can re-write after 3rd year also. Disadvantages 2nd year: I won't have physics going in. I could take it in summer school before the MCAT, but that would mean I would not be able to work, ( I am volunteering in a research lab this year, and there may be a research position open for my next summer, but I would not be able to take it, since I would not work for 4 full months (May-August.) I would also be taking some physiology in 3rd year, that may help prepare for some of the Biology for the MCAT as well. Ultimately, is working in research a vital addition to my application, or will volunteering in a lab suffice that requirement? Thanks for any input, your comments are greatly appreciated! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Salkh Posted July 13, 2004 Report Share Posted July 13, 2004 hi - I wrote the MCAT after 3rd year and found that I had forgotten tons of the prereq material (org. chem, gen. chem, etc.) The physics on the MCAT is no harder than high school physics, so if you took physics in high school, I would recommend taking the MCAT after your 2nd year (as long as you are willing to put in extra work for the physics section to refresh your memory). If you have had no exposure to physics at all, then it might be a good idea to wait until after 3rd year. Hope this helps. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest physiology Posted July 13, 2004 Report Share Posted July 13, 2004 Write the MCAT after 2nd year. You can do research and the MCAT simultaneously, but that'll require some hard work. It sucks in the short term, but it's worth it in the long run. Doing this will allow you to apply to medical schools during your third year. It'll give you valuable interview experience and prep you for writing those autobiographical essays and typing in those extracurricular activities. Both research and the MCAT are important - and investing time in one, could compromise the other. It's really your own choice. But again, you can do a bang-up job on both. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest RageoftheDragon Posted July 13, 2004 Report Share Posted July 13, 2004 As you said above, in writing it after 2nd year, you'll have the experience of having written it should you not do well enough on it. That's incredibly valuable. I would imagine a lot of people get shocked by the immensity of the exam itself, and their marks slip, a factor that would not be present in writing it a second time. Also, while the physics is very valuable, you can always study it on your own. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest 007 Posted July 13, 2004 Report Share Posted July 13, 2004 I agree with all that's been said above. I both worked in research and did the mcat in the summer after 2nd year and it was absolutely fine. I wouldn't have wanted more time to study and my friends who didn't work and just studied weren't nearly as focused or prepared in the end. 007 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest redhedmed Posted July 14, 2004 Report Share Posted July 14, 2004 I did it in April after first year. At a break on test day, one of my second-year friends there told me she wished she'd spent more time reviewing her first-year notes instead of her second-year stuff! :eek (We both did fine but I did better.) Don't wait too long...general ideas and the ability to reason your way through problems are far more impotant than 3rd-year nuances. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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