Mcat question (again..sorry guys!)

[Alexaa.]

So basically, i'm always changing my mind about the best time to take the mcat and i would like to know if the "plan" i have in mind right now could work or if it's just stupid.

 

As i mentionned in my other mcat thread, after this year, i will have taken chem 1-2, bio 1-2, physio 1, (and microbio). My idea is that i would take physic 1 during the summer and study the mcat materials for physic 1 after i'm done with the course, practice VR, study chem/bio and teach myself physic 2 (did physic in grade 12 too) . i would not take the mcat this summer though. during next fall, i would take orgo 1 + try to look over my mcat notes a few times/do some flashcards. then, i will have a 2 months christmas vacation (studying abroad schedule) so i would basically spend all mid-december to late january on revising the mcat + do all the practice tests and take the old mcat january 2015.

 

The new mcat start only spring 2015 right ?

Would trying to study the mcat a few months before be totally useless? I don't want to spend time on it and then forget it all during the fall but at the same time, i really don't have the confidence to teach myself all physic + orgo during the summer while trying to work at least part-time.

 

Anyway, any advice/opinion would be welcome! (and as i said, i really feel i'm posting too much in the mcat section so sorry again!)

[Hockeynut]

In my opinion prior knowledge isn't overly necessary. I studied for 5 weeks ( while doing some volunteering) for the MCAT and scored a 42 (14, 13, 15) and I found that really a very basic (high school would do) understanding of physics is required, gen chem is an asset but still you could do it with high school chemistry, and well org isn't hard on the MCAT (the study material made it out to be much worse than it was). As for Bio a basic understanding and your golden. Many of the questions refer to passages where you get the information needed to answer the questions.

I personally found I relied more on high school physics than anything I learned in first year University. As for the Bio section it's more about the passages than anything else (there are a couple of passages based on experimental design so I would brush up on controls and what not). I personally focused much more on VR than the science sections for that reason.

 

All this being said I wrote it this past summer (summer after my 3rd year in University) and after having taken Gen chem and physics in my first year and Org1/2 in my second year.

 

If you comfortable learning on your own I would recommend this route although in your situation it sounds like you may be better off to wait for the 2015 MCAT as no one really knows how they'll use the current iteration come the time you'll be applying.

 

If you want to know anything else feel free to ask here or pm me.