MedSchoolAhoy Posted March 29, 2009 Report Share Posted March 29, 2009 Okay this is the last time I ask a question like this, I swear, it's just that I'm panicked and confused and desperately need input. And thought I'd give you all the info. I have not taken a science or math course since grade 11 chemistry. I will be finishing an undergrad in sociology next year (currently at 3.8 gpa). I am 24 years old. I am registered to write the MCAT on September 4th. Should I relinquish this plan? I am not going to be working this summer and will be taking one light school course. I was going to dedicate my days to studying. Next year I'm taking bio and chem (intro), and while I could wait until next summer to write the MCAT 1. I'm tired of waiting, I want to get on with it 2. i feel it will help my GPA in those classes to have studied for the MCAT 3. I already registered. Any and all honest opinions and advice are greatly appreciated. I need to either assuage my panic or change my plans. ________ no2 vaporizer reviews Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
future_doc Posted March 29, 2009 Report Share Posted March 29, 2009 I assume your purpose is to try and save a year, i.e., by doing your MCAT, you will then be in a position to immediately apply to med schools. If this is the purpose, I guess it is no harm, no foul - as you can always rewrite MCAT. Otherwise, I would wait a year. My studies are in health sciences and I could have taken the MCAT last summer, but I waited to write MCAT this summer so as to have an even better foundation in sciences. I am also registered to take a Kaplan course. I too will be entering my last year of undergrad nexct year and I intend to apply to med schools in the fall so that hopefully, I will get into med school upon graduation. If not, I will go the Masters route and reapply. Only you will know what is best. Talk to friends who have taken MCAT who know you well. Don't be in a rush just b/c you want toput it behind you. Remember the motto 'be prepared'. Best of luck! And just remember, with increasing longevity, you will still have at least 4 decades of practice ahead of you. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
NewfieMike Posted March 29, 2009 Report Share Posted March 29, 2009 If you're finished school in April, and you're not writing the test until sept. 4th, and you're doing virtually nothing this summer... ..i'd say you'd be pretty incompetent if you can't learn all that intro material in 18 weeks. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
rmorelan Posted March 29, 2009 Report Share Posted March 29, 2009 Okay this is the last time I ask a question like this, I swear, it's just that I'm panicked and confused and desperately need input. And thought I'd give you all the info. I have not taken a science or math course since grade 11 chemistry. I will be finishing an undergrad in sociology next year (currently at 3.8 gpa). I am 24 years old. I am registered to write the MCAT on September 4th. Should I relinquish this plan? I am not going to be working this summer and will be taking one light school course. I was going to dedicate my days to studying. Next year I'm taking bio and chem (intro), and while I could wait until next summer to write the MCAT 1. I'm tired of waiting, I want to get on with it 2. i feel it will help my GPA in those classes to have studied for the MCAT 3. I already registered. Any and all honest opinions and advice are greatly appreciated. I need to either assuage my panic or change my plans. You have little to lose by writing in on Sept 4. It may even be in your best interest to write it earlier so if you don't do well you might be able to squeeze in another shot at it this year As you know without the mcat you cannot apply to a lot of schools. Ottawa is one of those but it is likely your gpa isn't quite high enough for that (it might be due to their wgpa, and I could be wrong about the gpa but i think it is about 3.85+. You are close though!). So you need the mcat. If you write in on Sept 4, which you have already paid to do, you can either do well or poorly If you do well, life is good. If you do poorly you are right back to your current situation, except you have more experience. You also have a very free summer, so you should use it! Also with your arts background there is a good chance you will get a good grade at least in the V.R. section. That qualifies you for MAC which is a good thing. As for do you have enough time to learn all the material - quite possibly so! There is a lot to go over but you do have 18 weeks. . Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Monopoly Posted March 30, 2009 Report Share Posted March 30, 2009 Okay this is the last time I ask a question like this, I swear, it's just that I'm panicked and confused and desperately need input. And thought I'd give you all the info. I have not taken a science or math course since grade 11 chemistry. I will be finishing an undergrad in sociology next year (currently at 3.8 gpa). I am 24 years old. I am registered to write the MCAT on September 4th. Should I relinquish this plan? I am not going to be working this summer and will be taking one light school course. I was going to dedicate my days to studying. Next year I'm taking bio and chem (intro), and while I could wait until next summer to write the MCAT 1. I'm tired of waiting, I want to get on with it 2. i feel it will help my GPA in those classes to have studied for the MCAT 3. I already registered. Any and all honest opinions and advice are greatly appreciated. I need to either assuage my panic or change my plans. I think you should cancel your MCAT for this year. You need to take a bunch of science pre-reqs anyway for med school and the MCAT will be much less stressful if you have those pre-reqs under your belt before you write. You say you haven't taken science/math courses since Grade 11? That means you need to learn chemistry up to and including second year organic chem, first year physics, and first year bio. I just don't see that happening in 18 weeks. I mean, it might be possible to learn it but it's a whole other thing to prepare for the MCAT on top of that. The MCAT isn't just about rote memorization. Also, it might help your GPA somewhat, but you should be trying to apply lessons from classes to the MCAT, not the other way around. And the courses go into much more detail than what is required for the MCAT so in a sense you will be studying for both while doing the courses. One last thing, you could try to take an MCAT prep course. That might allow you to learn and prepare for the test over the summer. But the problem still remains that you need to have had your pre-reqs done before the summer of the year you are entering med school (for most schools); so if you have to take a couple years to do pre-reqs, why not wait till you have some courses down before you write? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ldnk Posted March 30, 2009 Report Share Posted March 30, 2009 If you haven't taken a single science course since Grade 11 that is at least 5 years ago. For those posting about being an idiot if you can't learn the material, it really depends on the kinds of things the OP took in sociology. Different faculties have you learn differently, and being that far removed from science can mean that even the most basic concepts are foreign. There is a difference between learning the material to know it and learning it to know it + making the abstract jumps necessary for the MCAT. My suggestion is that you base the decision on your financial standing. If you can afford to pay for the MCAT twice, write it. Acknowledge that it is possible that you don't score your best before you take the intro science pre-reqs but that you will work hard. Regardless, prepare for the MCAT now simply to make the pre-req courses ridiculously easy for yourself in the Fall. Two things can happen: 1 - You score really well on the MCAT and you won't have to bother with writing it again 2 - You score poorly and write it again after taking the pre-req courses Either way, you are taking steps forward. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Shim Posted March 30, 2009 Report Share Posted March 30, 2009 Beeeen daaazed and confused, for so long it's not true. Mh, if you don't have the money, you should cancel it. I doubt you'd get a better result than next year. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MedSchoolAhoy Posted March 31, 2009 Author Report Share Posted March 31, 2009 Hey...thanks for your input. I'm by no means rich, actually kind of poor, but I can make it through the summer and feel like the MCAT is worth the money I'll put into it....even if I have to write it twice. rmorelan your reply inspired and calmed me and I'm going for it! I'm going to write it this summer and if I do terribly, oh well, at least I'll be better prepared for my courses and have a better idea of how to improve for my second writing. Also, I want to have something giving me structure this summer, and enjoy having a difficult goal to approach. Thanks again! I'll let you all know how I do! ________ Mazda Cosmo Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Octavius Posted April 1, 2009 Report Share Posted April 1, 2009 My concern will just be the use of materials that may need to be used again at a subsequent date. Example: If you were using AAMC/EK verbal tests, the first time you use those may affect/inflate the second usage. You might remember the answers or the main point of passages and that might carry over when you do the MCAT for real. Although I don't think will be a huge issue. Good luck if you decide to undertake the task. There is a lot of time. Start now or after your exams. It's certainly doable but you'll just need to work hard. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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