kapers Posted March 28, 2008 Report Share Posted March 28, 2008 Hi all: I know I've already brought up the "MCAT without pre-reqs question," but . . . All of you didn't have the university prereqs who self studied and did brilliantly on the MCAT, can you say that you did so through hard work, or are you guys just geniuses? I just don't want to base my decision to self study on reassurance from people who self-studied, but did well because they are just alot smarter than me! kapers Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
AndyDude Posted March 28, 2008 Report Share Posted March 28, 2008 It is more of a trouble to write MCAT without university pre-reqs (most of the science in MCAT is derived from first 2 years of a typical science degree) than studying on your own. Personally speaking I attended Kaplan and didn't find much help. I am more of self-learner...lol we all are but lectures don't seem to help much. I am not sure how you can ace MCAT without pre-reqs or some science background. It means that you'd have to have a lot of time preparing for the MCAT i.e. get the basics under your belt then master them. For the latter I really recommend getting MCAT prep books that provide sample passages from all science sections and mock tests. Good luck Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
RestlessMedicalPhysicist Posted March 29, 2008 Report Share Posted March 29, 2008 I may have said this elsewhere, but I self studied and did very well before taking any organic and 5 years after taking the other prereqs. Keep in mind my B.Sc was a double major in Physiology and Physics, so I had both the physical sciences and bio sciences background going in, although I hadn't done any bio courses in almost 2 yrs. If it's one prereq and you are a highly motivated person you can teach the material to yourself, although I sometimes studied with a partner who had an org background which helped a lot with understanding that material. If you have one area where your education is lacking, try and find someone you can go over the material with who may have weaknesses in areas you know well. This was how I improved on my weak spots, and it worked. Also, if you are already scoring high in the VR on practices, this is probably a good indication that once you've gone over the material in prep books or textbooks, you will probably start performing in the other sections. I wouldn't put off writing for a year if you feel you can teach yourself, especially if it messes up the entire timeline of your application, or if you don't anticipate having the same flexibility to study in future years. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
kapers Posted March 30, 2008 Author Report Share Posted March 30, 2008 Haha . . . it's not just one prereq I'm talking about. I'm talking about all of them, lol. Bio, chem, organic, and physics. It's not that I have absolutely zero science background. I know high school counts for nothing, but I do think that I got a strong basis in high school. Some of my highschool friends who entered bio and chem degrees are doing very well, no problems adjusting to uni, and I was right along side them in HS. Also, it's not that nursing contains no science; I am taking quite a few science courses, just not the introductory bio/chem/physics. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
register Posted March 30, 2008 Report Share Posted March 30, 2008 I took it without orgo, and that was challenging. Taking it without any of the prereqs is even more challenging. This is a question only you can answer, the best way to figure out if you feel like you can take it, is go, try a sample exam (from kaplan, tpr or whatever other source) Make a self-assessment. Do I know the majority of the stuff here? Will I be able to cover it the given timeframe? Then make a decision. It's a lot of work studying for the test, and without the prereqs it's even more work. I would suggest taking a course if you need a refresher in so many topics. Good luck with your decision, and if you do decide to go ahead, give it your best and don't let what other's think discourage you, cause often what seems impossible can be done with the right dedication and planning. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
skvangs Posted April 3, 2008 Report Share Posted April 3, 2008 I think this is genuinely possible but requires a great amount of initiative, hard work and drive. Especially w/out any pre reqs Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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