manchika Posted February 25, 2012 Report Share Posted February 25, 2012 Hi, I am in mid 30's and came to terms that I need to pursue my childhood dream of becoming a doctor. That is what I always wanted and did try it out when I was a student back in the country I was born. Due to several political situations of the country could not get in.... Long story short, went out totally in a different path but never found peace with what I have been doing. Anyways, Finally decided that I wont be at peace until I achieve this and I still have some time to give it a shot. I am working, 2 kids-older one in elementary school... So, gave myself a year to prepare for MCAT while I get my degrees evaluated. I started preparing this january (2012) for MCAT and planning to give take the exam in March 2013 to apply for universities in 2013 Sept aiming admission in 2014 (sounds ambitious) So here's finally my questions from folks who have been in the same boat as I am - Did I give myself enough time or too much time? - What should I watch out for? - Is there any MCAT prep courses that start in Dec of the year? - Should I start the prep course now or should I first prepare a base for myself and learn the fundamentals first - Should I write MCAT immediately after the prep course? - I know I want to do this but the journey is what is a little intimidating... I will get a lot of motivation as I hear from you all.. Thanks Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
manchika Posted February 25, 2012 Author Report Share Posted February 25, 2012 Thanks for your quick response... I am in Calgary and probably the only university I will apply is U of C. I have a science degree but its been 15 yrs since I last attended any science subject (physics, chemistry, OC, Bio). However when I started studying , it seemed like i was getting it back fast. My family is settled... and wont be moving around... So it would be only U of C Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
manchika Posted February 25, 2012 Author Report Share Posted February 25, 2012 Yes, Lucky me that way... I did go over their websites, application processes etc, yes you are right VR is quite important here... But Should I ignore the rest? Cannot right? Once my out of country grades are evaluated by world education services (i already been there, they recognize them). I am having an appointment with U of C to go over my degree and give me a suggestion about my education... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest BluePin Posted February 25, 2012 Report Share Posted February 25, 2012 I agree with ParaD, although perhaps to a lesser extent. My understanding of UofC's process is that the other sections of the MCAT will be evaluated, especially for someone who has been away from science training for a longer period. It would fall under the subjective academic evaluation category, which isn't worth that much in the overall process, but still counts. You should be able to find some information either on their admissions blog, or on the downloadable podcast of an info session they held in the fall. Overall, I would say that it isn't a good idea to "bomb" any part of a standardized test. I agree that you shouldn't wait a year to apply. The amount of time that you have budgeted to studying is too long. I wrote it last april with 13-15 year old basic science courses with some recent upgrading. I studied for 3 weeks full time and got a balanced 35O. Taking too long to prepare won't be any more useful than taking too little time. 2-3 months of diligent work for someone with a non-recent background should be a good estimate. Personally, I found the examkrackers books useful. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dr.Henderson Posted February 25, 2012 Report Share Posted February 25, 2012 I'd be hesitant to bomb a standardized test too although Para is technically correct. For what its worth, SN2ed's 3 month study plan has been proven time and time again and definitely works well for us non-trads who have been out of the relevant courses for some time. I was 4-5 years out of those classes, followed this plan (as close as I could) over a summer while working on my M.Sc. thesis and scored a balanced 32R (11 in VR). The link: http://forums.studentdoctor.net/showthread.php?t=623898 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
hanet Posted February 27, 2012 Report Share Posted February 27, 2012 What is your degree in? I just want to add that part of U of C's subjective assessment is seeing how your MCAT story stacks up against the story your grades tell. A low score on the MCAT in an area you should be familiar with according to your degree is not a good sign. I also agree you've given yourself too much time. Mind you, I don't have kids, so I don't think anyone can tell you how long you need because we don't know how many hours a day you have to study! If possible, I would try to take a break from the fam (get a sitter, rely on your partner/family) for maybe a week or so before the MCAT for some quality study-focused time. If you feel guilty about that -- hey, you are doing this for them, too! I'm sure you can write in time to apply for October. Good luck! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
manchika Posted February 27, 2012 Author Report Share Posted February 27, 2012 My degree is in Bachelor of Science and I have an MBA as well Thanks for all your responses... I will read through the link and see how I can accelerate my study plan and shoot to apply this year...Who knows I might be lucky :-) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
kylamonkey Posted February 27, 2012 Report Share Posted February 27, 2012 I agree with the others, but don't bomb sections of the MCAT- also, the idea of going direct to UofC to talk to them about your situation is fantastic (and lucky)! As a non-trad with zero background in organic chem and biology, and out of school for years, I went into the MCAT the first time for "fun", and I winged it. I got a 27S, 10 in VR. Next year, I studied for a month solid and pulled off 33R. Non-trads seem to be hit-or-miss with the MCAT, some seem to do really well, others really struggle. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
manchika Posted February 29, 2012 Author Report Share Posted February 29, 2012 I'd be hesitant to bomb a standardized test too although Para is technically correct. For what its worth, SN2ed's 3 month study plan has been proven time and time again and definitely works well for us non-trads who have been out of the relevant courses for some time. I was 4-5 years out of those classes, followed this plan (as close as I could) over a summer while working on my M.Sc. thesis and scored a balanced 32R (11 in VR). The link: http://forums.studentdoctor.net/showthread.php?t=623898 Thanks for the link... I feel a little nervous and overwhelmed looking at the 3-4 month plan. Did anyone try this schedule while working full-time? How long do I need to spend a day on this schedule... Any inputs help me a lot in deciding when to take the exam... All your suggestions are valuable and I am seriously considering to take the exam this year so I can apply this year too for 2013 admission... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
kylamonkey Posted February 29, 2012 Report Share Posted February 29, 2012 Manchika- I think all of us will recommend strongly that you not work full-time while studying for the MCAT. My plan this summer is to work maybe 12hrs per week and use at least a month to study. This is the bare minimum, really. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
manchika Posted February 29, 2012 Author Report Share Posted February 29, 2012 If I plan to take the exam in August of this year, I can take time off in July(for a month). But at the same time, I won't be able to take time off earlier as I have a huge commitment with work... The best(maybe) I can do is 4 day work week or cut work at 40hrs/week. Right now I do over 50hrs/week Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
kylamonkey Posted March 1, 2012 Report Share Posted March 1, 2012 Well, it's really up to you. Do it when you can take time off. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
larva Posted March 2, 2012 Report Share Posted March 2, 2012 I worked full time while studying for the MCAT. It wasn't much fun, especially trying to focus after a particularly long day at work, but it was totally do-able! If you pick away at some long-forgotten concepts over the winter/spring, and take some time for focused study closer to the test I'm sure you'll be able to ace it! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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