Has anyone written while working 2 jobs?

[Guest clinicalchief]

Just finished second year, and I'm wondering if taking the exam in August would be a bad idea since I'll be working 60+ hourse/week? Taking a prep course is also an option but that will take up 2 more nights a week...what do you think?

 

Thanks.

[Guest UWOMED2005]

I wrote my MCAT while working working 2 jobs, roughly 50-60 hours per week. No course - just studied what evenings I had and weekends. Ended up with 11/13/14/S. . . not too shabby, decent enough at least to make all the cutoffs.

[Guest therealcrackers]

I did it while doing research full-time and working as an usher for the Blue Jays evenings and weekends during the summer. I studied from old exams and a review book since my orgo was almost a decade old at that point. Managed 12/14/11/Q so it went OK...

[Guest Ollie]

Hi,

 

I just wrote in April. I'm a grad student right now, and I put in 50+ hours per week in the lab, and am doing some volunteering. I didn't take a course, just studied on my own. For me, a lot of the material was from courses I took 5-6 years ago! I felt that I did fine on test day, so it is definitely possible to fit in the time.

UWOMED2005: 11/13/14/S! Not to shabby? That's freakin' awesome!

[Guest UWOMED2005]

Thanks - but in the end, for most schools in Canada (it is different for the US) as long as you get above roughly 10s and P, you're making all the cutoffs and it doesn't matter anyways. And you can get less than that even and make some/most cutoffs, depending on score breakdown and school.

 

I didn't post my scores to brag. . . just wanted to make the point it is possible to work 2 jobs and do well on the MCAT. If you want some more info, I started at the end of May, used the Gold Standard, Barron's (the best value - $17 and almost all you need) and the AAMC material, as well as borrowing some textbooks in courses I had never taken.

 

Good Luck.

[Guest peachy]

I really think that you ought to take a look at your OWN test-taking skills and preparation, and decide whether to work at the same time or not based on that. Some people know the material pretty well and are good test-takers, and are going to meet the magic triple-10's even if they work two jobs. Other people aren't. I know incredibly smart people who struggled to get 8's on the MCAT's, and other people who did nothing and earned easy 11's.

 

Before making a decision, you should do a practice test (you can buy one from the AAMC, or do a free online one at the Kaplan or Princeton Review websites) and see what your baseline score is. You should also take an honest look at whether you are a good test-taker, and how anxious the MCATs are likely to make you.

 

SOME people can work two jobs, never open a book and ace the MCATs. SOME people can't. There is absolutely no way for anybody on the forums to know which one you are ... you need to figure it out!

 

I posted this because I think it can get a little depressing to read about all these people who worked full time and then get absolutely amazing MCAT marks. Not everybody is like that. MOST people are NOT like that. Lots of really smart people who are very successful in medical school find the MCATs HARD.

 

Keep in mind that the people who worked two jobs, were too tired to study properly, and then got 6's aren't posting here. I know LOTS of people like that. Don't read this thread and assume that most people can do barely any studying and then pull 12's...

[Guest Nightrider]

My story is a lot the same as the other people who have posted...did research full-time last summer, worked as a lifeguard and swimming instructor evenings/weekends, did some volunteer work, and still managed to study for the MCAT. Things turned out well...12/12/14 (I won't mention the writing sample...word of advice, DON'T FORGET ABOUT PREPARING FOR THE WRITING SAMPLE!!!!!!), but I was REALLY in need of a week of vacation after the MCAT. I didn't take a course, just studied using mostly textbooks and the AAMC materials. It's definitely do-able to work two jobs and prepare for the MCAT, but having been through the experience, I might caution against it, because I had NO TIME for myself. Live and learn. Good luck!

 

Nightrider

[Guest aneliz]

I wrote the MCAT after my third year...during the summer from :evil

 

Lets just say that my family was on the verge of imploding and my boss decided to go to Alaska for 8 weeks leaving me to manage a small retail business and its staff... I worked 60+ hours a week (I had a whopping 2 days off in the entire month of July that year) and mediated family battles when I was home. I only really managed to seriously study on the occasional evening and the Sat before...I managed a 13-15/13/13/S.

[Guest sally2001]

hi clinicalchief,

i think you might be in a pretty good position to write the mcat after 2nd year.. esp since you'll be really fresh on the concepts. i just wanted to add that if you take a course, you should be prepared to do a lot of studying on top of the class time. basically the class will give you a good overview of select topics and some typical passages. you also get access to a large volume of practice material but you must put in the time to avail benefit out of it.

to illustrate, i didn't take o.chem and my bio background isn't the strongest; i watched every one of the kaplan foundation video set which reviewed all the basic concepts. it was a really good refresher, but each subject had 3-4 tapes, each tape was at least 1.5hrs.. that all adds to a lot time. also, not all subjects are covered in the lectures so you have some online workshops to review those. anyway, that's just my perspective.

looking back, i think if i had a lot of focus, drive and discipline, i could have done without the course if the material was fresh. for me, most of my time was spent on reviewing and learning science concepts. i enjoyed the writing sample and could have done better to practice some hard VR passages for the timing issues. anyway, i should save my advice after i get my results :b

in the 4-5 weeks before the mcat, a lot of my time was spent studying and my thesis was put on hold; there was no way i'd feel ready if had been working for 50+ hrs per week, but that's just me.

best of luck!

[Guest bkim20]

Hey,

 

I worked in a lab and volunteered while studying for the MCAT. Luckily, my job was flexible enough for me to study on the spot.

 

My advice is, if you don't need the job, then focus on your MCAT. It's not a test you'd want to re-write if you do poorly. Since my jobs were in support of my application, they were necessary.

 

If you really need the money, as we all do, then take a few weeks off before test day. The sacrifice you make now will be well worth it in the end.

 

Good luck,

[Guest artef]

I guess I get to join this club with 2 jobs (90-100hrs), virtually no study, writing after two years of undergrad (B.A. no less), yet double digit mcat scores. But Peachy makes a very good point that the MCAT IS very difficult.

 

My 18hr days gave me very little time to think of the MCATs, let alone take a course. I had time for three practice exams bought online during the summer of my MCATs and that was it. On all these I was getting 7/7/7's. I was pretty sure I was going to flunk it, and have to write it the next summer while working one less job. But I went in, and somehow pulled about 4 points higher in each section than my practice tests and a S writing. I am VERY lucky. That is all.

 

I had to work the two jobs because of fiancial and commitment reasons; I really had no other choice. It made for a tough summer, especially because it followed a tough year. Just remember what you will be setting yourself up for, and if you think you want to handle it, BELIEVE that it is possible.

 

Good luck!

[Guest Chieka]

I wasn't working two jobs when I wrote the MCAT, but I will give you advice anyway, if you don't mind.

 

DO A LOT OF PRACTICE TESTS!!!! This is good advice especially if you are strapped for time. While a basic understanding of the sciences is needed for the MCATs, knowing HOW to write the test is very important. The MCAT is different from most undergraduate science exams. So, I think it's important to familiarize yourself with the method of testing it uses. Especially, for the sections that require no major background knowledge (read: verbal and the writing sample) practice is your best friend.

 

All the best!

 

C.

[Guest ubcgal]

My advice: MOCK EXAMS and LOTS OF THEM!! It's the quick and easy (and fun) way to study even if you're starting with a blank slate. I was living in huts in Africa with a bunch of great prep books of mock exams (chosen because they were the smallest and lightest in my backpack)...i was worried because i hadn't yet taken physics or biochem but i took all the fake exams and memorized the few pages of review material at the front of the books and the science portion of the MCAT was exactly the same type of questions! i have to admit i had no grasp on the physics at all but i knew how to answer the multiple choice questions and i got 15 on the physical science part! When I actually took physics the next year and learnt the theory behind all that nonsense I had memorized I was shocked at how little I understood when I wrote the exam....so I worship those little books...