freaking out

[MedSchoolAhoy]

Okay. So.

 

Maybe you guys remember me. I'm the one who was like "I've never done a science course before but I think I can write the MCAT!".

 

I got all excited. I ordered my books off the internet (ExamKrackers). I registered to write (Sept. 4th). I quit my job and decided to dedicate my whole summer to studying.

 

Which started today.

 

I'm freaking out. What was I thinking? Why didn't you stop me (some of you tried. Most of you were encouraging though, which is nice too I guess). I'm reading the very first biology lecture and there are just so many references to things that I'm completely unfamiliar with.

 

I gave up and slept for three hours.

 

So what do I do?

 

a. Continue studying, write it and know if I need to write it again that's okay. Also, the studying will help me for the intro bio and chem courses I plan to take next year. Know that I will probably do well on verbal and can at least apply to Mac. Live in poverty.

 

b. Quit studying. Enroll in college (cegep) bio and chem summer courses in preparation for uni ones next year. Get a job. Afford dance classes. Continue volunteering. Have fun.

 

c. Give up on medicine. Will I ever be able to remember all this stuff? Let myself be daunted. Become a social worker. Live a life of regret and nagging bitterness.

 

What do you think?

 

Love,

Hopeful, naive, disillusioned

________

sc2 replays

[w8kg6]

medschoolahoy, this is the third of your posts like this that immediately come to mind. And you apparently didn't like our advice the first time around (why didn't we talk you out of it? What's wrong with you?).

 

What you should do is get off the internet, definitely stop posting these kinds of posts, and figure it out for yourself. You've already asked us for our advice on this topic, and it seems you didn't like what we had to offer. Why are you back?

[Retsage]

1) Get off the computer

2) Go and study

3) GO AND ****ING STUDY

 

This isn't rocket science. This is very straight-forward, legitimately easy first-year science. Biology is tedious but not difficult. If you don't know a term, look it up on Wikipedia instead of taking a nap. How did you ever get through Ulysses or Blood Meridian?

[future_doc]

Reread what Monopoly wrote to you on March 29th - he said it all.

[The Law]

1) Get off the computer

2) Go and study

3) GO AND ****ING STUDY

 

This isn't rocket science. This is very straight-forward, legitimately easy first-year science. Biology is tedious but not difficult. If you don't know a term, look it up on Wikipedia instead of taking a nap. How did you ever get through Ulysses or Blood Meridian?

 

HAHA, to the point. It's not going to be easy (I am assuming you have no real biology background), but you are going to have to work your ass off and try to learn it (I did the same with physics!). So get cracking... wikipedia is useful. Sit down, slowly, and start learning the material. Nobody said it was going to be a piece of cake.

[123coco]

don't give up...for someone who has never taken any sciences, examcrackers is not a thorough source. Therefore go to a college library and borrow real first year biology, chemistry, and physics textbooks. Go section by section according to the examcracker table of content, and when you are more comfortable start doing the practice questions. If after all of this you are still overwhelmed, well just review the material so you can better understand it when you take the courses in cegep....do not give up this easily....even if you get into to MAC, chances are the basic science section will still overwhelm you so just do your best and get through it.

 

If you decide not to write the MCAT in september, volunteer, keep on reviewing and prep yourself for cegep.

 

Blessed

________

Volcano vaporizer

[Halcyon]

You need to ask yourself: how much you want it and how hard you are willing to work towards applying to medicine.

 

Good luck!

[astudentis]

dont give up, you have plenty of time, try writing mcat this summer, if it doesnt work out, try again next summer too!

 

btw, I'd recommend the princeton review texts books, they are quite thorough with science material, you only need to know that material, and thats it... I didnt bother reading first year texts (though I was going over the PR texts in my 2nd year summer...)

[NewfieMike]

you seem like a very compulsive person.

 

It's introduction to all sciences. If you freak out after hitting page 1 of biology, then I don't think med is for you

[rmorelan]

don't give up...for someone who has never taken any sciences, examcrackers is not a thorough source. Therefore go to a college library and borrow real first year biology, chemistry, and physics textbooks. Go section by section according to the examcracker table of content, and when you are more comfortable start doing the practice questions. If after all of this you are still overwhelmed, well just review the material so you can better understand it when you take the courses in cegep....do not give up this easily....even if you get into to MAC, chances are the basic science section will still overwhelm you so just do your best and get through it.

 

If you decide not to write the MCAT in september, volunteer, keep on reviewing and prep yourself for cegep.

 

Blessed

 

I second this - you need additional reference materials to fall back on. The prep books are too condensed to learn it from the start.

 

Relax! you have months, and months. You are going to have to learn this material eventually anyway.

 

best of luck!

[Jochi1543]

don't give up...for someone who has never taken any sciences, examcrackers is not a thorough source. Therefore go to a college library and borrow real first year biology, chemistry, and physics textbooks. Go section by section according to the examcracker table of content, and when you are more comfortable start doing the practice questions. If after all of this you are still overwhelmed, well just review the material so you can better understand it when you take the courses in cegep....do not give up this easily....even if you get into to MAC, chances are the basic science section will still overwhelm you so just do your best and get through it.

 

If you decide not to write the MCAT in september, volunteer, keep on reviewing and prep yourself for cegep.

 

Blessed

 

I agree, altho I'd suggest Kaplan over course textbooks. They still offer all the information, but in a much more condensed format. If you read the actual textbooks, that'd be the equivalent of taking 8 courses (bio, chem, orgo, and physics) in 4 months. Kaplan will get to the point and still teach you all you need to know. EK is more for someone with a good background.

[deeman101]

OP I have good news for you. You aren't doing an exam like you would in university. Its mostly a critical thinking test. I studied the science material, but not really hardcore in-depth studying. I just got familiar with the stuff, thats it. Yet I scored 12BS and 11PS, which is pretty decent. Granted my undergrad program specifically says in the description "meant to prepare students for the MCAT" (approx. quotation) but I still don't think you need to study it that hard. If there was any specific science material you need to know it would be in the passage. I think learning good MC skills is more important.

[apache]

when i wrote the mcat, i had "minimal" sciences i would say and that still included first year bio, chem, a couple biochem and a physics class and it was still a pain in the ass to get good science scores, i couldn't imagine writing it completely green of anything... not knowing stuff like genetics or molecular bio was bad enough... i couldnt imagine learning organic n everything from scratch... sorry to make it sound so grim but i think you'll have a lot of trouble, and thats if you're already very good at vr and writing (which i fortunately was from being in arts for a while)

 

i would take some intro bio and chem courses (you can get by w/o physics i think), study casually and do your best, but really.... aim to ace it next year

 

good luck nonetheless though!

 

Okay. So.

 

Maybe you guys remember me. I'm the one who was like "I've never done a science course before but I think I can write the MCAT!".

 

I got all excited. I ordered my books off the internet (ExamKrackers). I registered to write (Sept. 4th). I quit my job and decided to dedicate my whole summer to studying.

 

Which started today.

 

I'm freaking out. What was I thinking? Why didn't you stop me (some of you tried. Most of you were encouraging though, which is nice too I guess). I'm reading the very first biology lecture and there are just so many references to things that I'm completely unfamiliar with.

 

I gave up and slept for three hours.

 

So what do I do?

 

a. Continue studying, write it and know if I need to write it again that's okay. Also, the studying will help me for the intro bio and chem courses I plan to take next year. Know that I will probably do well on verbal and can at least apply to Mac. Live in poverty.

 

b. Quit studying. Enroll in college (cegep) bio and chem summer courses in preparation for uni ones next year. Get a job. Afford dance classes. Continue volunteering. Have fun.

 

c. Give up on medicine. Will I ever be able to remember all this stuff? Let myself be daunted. Become a social worker. Live a life of regret and nagging bitterness.

 

What do you think?

 

Love,

Hopeful, naive, disillusioned

[apache]

and examcrackers will take all the extra stuff kaplan puts in that you don't have to know

 

I agree, altho I'd suggest Kaplan over course textbooks. They still offer all the information, but in a much more condensed format. If you read the actual textbooks, that'd be the equivalent of taking 8 courses (bio, chem, orgo, and physics) in 4 months. Kaplan will get to the point and still teach you all you need to know. EK is more for someone with a good background.

[apache]

i think going to mac w/o a good understanding of at least some general science would be killer, at least take some in your application year so if u do get in ur not hung out to dry

[Octavius]

EK isn't the resource you'd want to use lol. Use The Berkeley Review/The Princeton Review/Kaplan. I think they should be enough. Going through coursebooks would take too long. You're better off learning biology through wikipedia using the AAMC topics list as a guide lol. This really isn't hard stuff once you learn the terminology and how they interact. Lucky that the MCAT isn't a memorization test as someone else mentioned. Four months is quite a bit of time.

[apache]

yeah that may be true if u have no background in the sciences, i think examcrackers sell was that its quick n concise so ud prob have to have a bit of background prior, at least thats why i recommended it

 

EK isn't the resource you'd want to use lol. Use The Berkeley Review/The Princeton Review/Kaplan. I think they should be enough. Going through coursebooks would take too long. You're better off learning biology through wikipedia using the AAMC topics list as a guide lol. This really isn't hard stuff once you learn the terminology and how they interact. Lucky that the MCAT isn't a memorization test as someone else mentioned. Four months is quite a bit of time.

[Octavius]

Yeah EK is great if you know your **** because it won't cover **** you don't need to know. But without a background, it'd be hard to understand the mechanisms and the details of processes or concepts. Examkrackers is like the Cliff Notes of MCAT prep. I think they literally took the AAMC list, and just wrote about the topics in the order they appear in the list lol. I'm assuming the OP has absolutely no backgroudn. Anyway, the TPR/Kaplan can be had at the same price on secondary market. You can even use both sources. I like TBR the best, but they're a ***** to get up here.

[Pantaloons]

Didn't Elaine say she used and liked Examkrackers for physics, even though she had minimal background.

 

Anyways, my background isn't the same as yours, so I'm not sure what advice to give other than study your face off (obvious).

Also know that others in your situation have succeeded, and you could too.

Perhaps there is a tutor from your area you can use?

Don't forget you can always post MCAT questions on this forum as well.

 

I myself used TPR, and they seemed quite thorough. Kaplan has a bad reputation for VR. I looked at some Kaplan VR and it was quite bad.

 

Anyways, best of luck; Hope you do well.

[silvermen85]

I'm confused. Doesn't most med schools require you to finish some basic science courses as pre-requisites anyways? Why can't you take those courses during the summer and study for your test while at it?

[Retsage]

^

No. Most Ontario schools have no prereqs.

[webshy]

Didn't Elaine say she used and liked Examkrackers for physics, even though she had minimal background.

 

Yes, I used solely the EK books, and I had NO physics background. (I don't consider one year of high school physics taken 15 years earlier background.) I had taken first year chemistry, but that was 13 years earlier. I also had no organic chemistry, biochemistry or cell biology. (I have a Bachelor of Health Adminstration, rather than a science degree.)

 

I found the EK books to be fantastic. I didn't supplement with other textbooks or other materials. I just worked through each of the books making sure I understood what I was reading as I went. I did all the practice tests, including the 16 Mini MCATs (separate book). I went over any questions I got wrong to find out why I had gotten them wrong.

 

EK worked for me. I got a PS score of 12, and a BS score of 10.

 

Best wishes to you!

Elaine

[GatewayMD]

My child, as has been said you are writing a critical thinking exam not a science exam. That being said, prep will build confidence and have you feeling good come test day.

 

Now read this inspiration then get to work.

 

If you want a thing bad enough

To go out and fight for it,

Work day and night for it,

Give up your time and your peace and your sleep for it

If only desire of it

Makes you quite mad enough

Never to tire of it,

Makes you hold all other things tawdry and cheap for it

If life seems all empty and useless without it

And all that you scheme and you dream is about it,

If gladly you'll sweat for it,

Fret for it,

Plan for it,

Lose all your terror of God or man for it,

If you'll simply go after that thing that you want,

With all your capacity,

Strength and sagacity,

Faith, hope and confidence, stern pertinacity,

If neither cold poverty, famished and gaunt,

Nor sickness nor pain

Of body or brain

Can turn you away from the thing that you want,

If dogged and grim you besiege and beset it,

You'll get it!

--Berton Braley

[123coco]

 

 

If you want a thing bad enough

To go out and fight for it,

Work day and night for it,

Give up your time and your peace and your sleep for it

If only desire of it

Makes you quite mad enough

Never to tire of it,

Makes you hold all other things tawdry and cheap for it

If life seems all empty and useless without it

And all that you scheme and you dream is about it,

If gladly you'll sweat for it,

Fret for it,

Plan for it,

Lose all your terror of God or man for it,

If you'll simply go after that thing that you want,

With all your capacity,

Strength and sagacity,

Faith, hope and confidence, stern pertinacity,

If neither cold poverty, famished and gaunt,

Nor sickness nor pain

Of body or brain

Can turn you away from the thing that you want,

If dogged and grim you besiege and beset it,

You'll get it!

--Berton Braley

 

good stuff

________

PORTABLE VAPORIZER REVIEWS

[supafield]

No orgo, no physics, no chem...... outside of high school that is...

 

Orgo was jibberish to me at the beginning, but I went at it hard.... and it eventually made a little sense.

 

and Physical science was my strongest section when I got my score back....

 

I found the Princeton classroom course was pretty good... I got to hear material I didn't know explained by someone else even if it was someone my age.... I also found princeton really added a lot of extra pages to baby you through the material. It made for a lot of extra reading but was good in my situation.

 

Keep at it.... hopefully it'll start to make sense.