by
BloodySurgeon
SDN Volunteer
Moderator
The Medical College Admission
Test (MCAT) is an anxiety-inducing process for pre-medical students
and for many it is hard to know where to
begin.
Well for those of you who are
lost and don’t know where to turn, this is a great place to
start.
What
is the very first thing I should
do?
I would highly
recommend bookmarking the
SDN MCAT
Discussionspage and then
reading the
AAMC MCAT
Essentials.
What is on the
MCAT?
The MCAT is
presented as follows:10 minutes of Tutorial
(optional)
5 minutes of Non-Disclosure
Agreement
70 minutes of Physical Sciences (52
Questions)- 50% Physics and 50% General
Chemistry
10 minute break
(optional)
60 minutes of Verbal Reasoning (40
Questions)
10 minute break
(optional)
60 minutes of Writing Samples (2 Prompts,
individually timed-30mins
each)
10 minute break
(optional)
70 minutes of Biological Sciences (52
Questions) - 75% Biology and 25% Organic
Chemistry
5 minutes Void
Question
10
minutes of Survey
Total Content Time = 4 hours, 20
minutes
Total “Seat” Time =
5 hours, 20
minutes
What topics are on the
MCAT?
Biological Sciences
and Physical Sciences
Topics&
Writing
Sample
Items
Where can I sign up for the
MCAT?
All
MCAT registration issues can be resolved by going
here:
http://www.aamc.org/students/mcat/registration.htm
What are the dates and deadlines for the 2009
MCAT?
Registration for the 2009 MCAT will begin in October 2008. The
schedule for the MCAT examinations can be found
here:
http://www.aamc.org/students/mcat/deadlineandscorerelease.htm
Is one date preferable over
another?
No,
each test has a pre-determined curved according to its difficulty
and there is no advantage between any two
dates.
What are the Testing Center Regulations and
Procedures?
http://www.aamc.org/students/mcat/about/regulations.htm
How are the MCAT
scored?
Physical Science: 1-15
Verbal Reasoning: 1-15
Biological Sciences: 1-15
Writing Sample: J-T
————————
Highest Composite score = 45T
How is the Writing Sample
Scored?
Click here to see
how the Writing Sample is
Scored
Is There a Curve on the
MCAT?
Each test is curved slightly different depending on difficulty,
to find more information on this, go
here:
http://forums.studentdoctor.net/showthread.php?t=505032
Can I Write On My Scratch Paper Before the Test
Starts?
Yes. This question has been asked
here:
http://forums.studentdoctor.net/showthread.php?t=527021
I Just Finished My MCAT, Where Can I Find My
Results?
Results should come in within 30 days and all scores will be
released electronically here:
https://services.aamc.org/mcatthx/
How are the scores reported from the AAMC
displayed on THx?
Here is a good illustration of what it would look
like:
http://forums.studentdoctor.net/showpost.php?p=7083947&postcount=6
Which MCAT Prep Company is the
best?
Well everyone has their own style of studying. I can’t answer
which is better for you, but I will tell you what is out there and
what you should expect from it. Other books as well as these can be
found on the
SDN
Bookstore. An SDN user
attempted to answer this question before with his own
opinion
herebut keep
in mind this is all subjective. Also check out this link to
see how others have rated each
company:
MCAT Preparation
Method Ratings and Opinions
Kaplan
Kaplan adapted pretty well for the new MCAT CBT (computer-based
test) and has made virtual everything online. The syllabus contains
25 Quizzes, 20 Subject Tests, 41 Topical Tests, 27 Section Tests,
11 Kaplan FLT (Full-length Tests) and access to the 8 AAMC tests.
This is all online and also includes a Kaplan Q-bank that allows
you to create a quiz by picking topics you want questions on. The
review books are fairly detailed and the classes go over the more
important topics of the MCAT. The lesson book does go over very
important topics, however, the instructors go over the main
concepts and refrain from going too much into detail. Most of their
strength relies on the volume of their practices. Their FLT scores
are quite inflated and give a false sense of hope, but they are
still quite good practices. Many on SDN compare Kaplan and AAMC to
the difficulty of the real test and you can read more about that
here:
http://forums.studentdoctor.net/showthread.php?t=524676&highlight=Kaplan+to+real+test
Princeton
Review
Many have taken note on the extensive detail The Princeton
Review books and classes have. That being a pro or a con is quite
debatable, however, knowing too much information is never an issue
with the MCAT. The Princeton Review also has 9 Online Diagnostics
and a great feature that has been implemented is an online writing
grade. This means that you can submit your writing online to be
evaluated by Princeton Review experts (normally takes 24-48 hours).
The Princeton Review also has a Science Workshop book which
contains 800 pages (including solutions) of passage based and
stand-alone questions. These passages are actually quite good and
many people have found the Princeton Review bio and G-chem to be
great, however they lack the same support for their verbal
passages. Their Online Diagnostic scores are quite deflated, but
their practices are well worth it.
Berkeley
Review
There are ten class books: two for biology, two for general
chemistry, two for organic chemistry, two for physics, one for
verbal reasoning, and one for the writing sample. Each of the
science books is divided into sectional lecture topics. Each
section begins with information important to the MCAT and ends with
MCAT-style passages and questions and detailed solutions. The
verbal reasoning book contains ten practice sets of ten passages
each, and the writing sample book has twenty essay topic
statements, suggestions for good essay composition, and numerous
samples of good writing. Taken together, these books contain about
2,600 pages of material, including more than 550 MCAT-style
passages. The books can be bought separately and can be used as
supplementary practice or as a complete prep (includes classes as
well) package. The Berkeley Review has excellent G-chem and Physics
practice, but I have not found the same support on their biology.
There are also three full-length practice tests if you would like
to purchase and after taking the first one, they give the same vibe
as the other simulated tests. This thread thought very highly of
Berkeley Review, however, remember that it is only an opinion and
everyone is DIFFERENT, you must find what is best for
you:
http://forums.studentdoctor.net/showthread.php?t=466138
ExamKrackers
For
those of you who prefer the self-study
approach,
ExamKrackersis an excellent
self-study prep. They have been noted as one of the best verbal
practice book from those of us on SDN; however they do not receive
the same recognition on their other books. They include the EK Bio,
Physics, G-Chem, and O-Chem review books and the, 101 VR, 1001 bio,
g-chem, and physics book. The bio review book is amazing in the
fact they hit on the key MCAT topics and basics with easy to read
visual illustrations and mnemonics, however they lack the thorough
detail that is needed to score well on the MCAT. Overall, the EK
bio review is a great supplemental book for those who just started
and have a hard time understanding those thick textbooks however it
will need to be reinforced later down the line with more detailed
resources. I did not have the experience to use the EK 1001 science
practice problems and will leave that for others to comment on.
They do have simulated practice tests, 1g (1h if you bought the
complete package), 2f, and 3g. They are good practices but are more
like the old paper-based test than the new CBT and have been known
to have a few print errors. To find more information about
ExamKrackers, it has been discussed more over
here:
http://forums.studentdoctor.net/showthread.php?t=280566&highlight=EK+1001
Gold
Standard
I
did not have the privilege in using Gold Standard MCAT, however,
from most previous poster it seems like a last option when most of
your resources have been exhausted. There are 10 GS CBT, all of
which are curved very unfavorably. They do present unique
approaches to solving problems in the sciences, however, others
have noted that their verbal passages are short and not like the
real test. Yet, the tests are cheap and good to use if you are low
in cash and remaining tests. They also have a complete study
package that includes review books, DVDs, and more however I am
unfamiliar with them and you can find more information
here:
http://forums.studentdoctor.net/forumdisplay.php?f=409
Audio
Osmosis
Using the philosophy of listening is sometimes better than
reading yourself, Jordan and Jon use humor and charm to sink in the
MCAT concept in a 12 set CD called
Audio Osmosis. You can
listen to it in your car, at home, or even in your sleep. I am a
little skeptically of this approach, since I prefer reading however
others have testified that this approach does work and it was
helpful. This, however, would be more of a supplemental tool since
visualizing diagrams and practicing problems would be key in doing
well on the MCAT but I could be wrong. I did not actually use Audio
Osmosis but others have commented on its success
here:
http://forums.studentdoctor.net/showthread.php?t=490819
Nova
Press
Actually, I don’t know much except that it does exist and it
can be purchased here:
The
MCAT Physics Book. If you
are interested in finding more detail I advise you to do a Google
search or ask around on SDN.
———————————————————————————————————————-
Also a good thing to note is that most companies allow you to
take a free practice test. Try one from each company and see which
you prefer best. It sometimes pays to be a little
choosy.
———————————————————————————————————————-
I just did very poorly on my first diagnostic,
is it possible to do well on the real
test?
Of
course it is! No matter what your score is now, it can always get
better. Unless you have a 45T, but I never heard of anyone actually
scoring that. Also remember, most companies (if not all) deflate
their first diagnostic and you may actually be potentially higher.
Remember there is only one score that truly matters though and that
is your MCAT results. All others are just to give you a ball park
of where you are. So don’t be so fixated on your numbers and
concentrate more on learning from your
mistakes.
Here is a great thread that explains why
diagnostic tests are
worthless:
http://forums.studentdoctor.net/showthread.php?t=557231
I just did sub-par on my MCAT, is it possible
to get into medical
school?
Of
course it is! Check out MDapplicantsor this thread
out:
http://forums.studentdoctor.net/showthread.php?t=351659
Are you having trouble on the MCAT? Here is a
list of strategies and guides that others have applied to become
successful.
Official Please Help Forum
-
http://forums.studentdoctor.net/showthread.php?t=535393
BloodySurgeon Verbal Guide
-
http://forums.studentdoctor.net/showthread.php?t=509702
QofQuimica & Shrike
-
http://forums.studentdoctor.net/showthread.php?t=516521
30+ MCAT Study Habits
-
http://forums.studentdoctor.net/showthread.php?t=503250
Tips for MCAT Studiers
-
http://forums.studentdoctor.net/showthread.php?p=3719232
A Very Good Verbal Guide
-
http://forums.studentdoctor.net/showthread.php?t=206944
mterp45
-
http://forums.studentdoctor.net/showthread.php?t=526316
Vihsadas Verbal Guide
-
http://forums.studentdoctor.net/showpost.php?p=6022602&postcount=96
Bozz -
http://forums.studentdoctor.net/showthread.php?t=499207
gecko45 -
http://forums.studentdoctor.net/showthread.php?t=499808
Rabbit36
-
http://forums.studentdoctor.net/showthread.php?t=578461
Are there any additional websites that
can help me on the
MCAT?
SDN Suggested
Links -
http://forums.studentdoctor.net/showthread.php?t=279209
MCAT mnemonics and memory aids!
-
http://forums.studentdoctor.net/showthread.php?t=42149
Prep101 -
http://www.prep101.com/mcat/study_aids.html
StudyTips -
http://www.studytips.org/mcat_test.htm
HyperPhysics
-
http://hyperphysics.phy-astr.gsu.edu/Hbase/hph.html#hph
Organic Chemistry
-
http://riodb01.ibase.aist.go.jp/sdbs/cgi-bin/cre_index.cgi?lang=eng
MIT Classes
- http://ocw.mit.edu/OcwWeb/Biology/index.htm
Medical School Material
-
http://www.medicalstudent.com/ and
http://forums.studentdoctor.net/showthread.php?t=298847
The SDN Bookstore
-
http://www.studentdoctor.net/bookstore/shop.php?c=mcat&x=MCAT
The MCAT is stressing me out and I don’t
know what I am going to do about medical school
applications!
First of all, relax! The MCAT is a stressful period for all of
us. It is a right of passage for all medical students and it
foreshadows the rigors of a potential future. Take comfort in the
fact that the MCAT is only a piece of the application and medical
school willlook at
other facts. To help with this stressful period, I have
gathered links that I hope you will find
resourceful.
The
Official SDN Medical School Admissions
Guide
The Not So Short
Introduction To Getting Into Medical
School
MCAT Scores and GPAs for Applicants
and Matriculants to U.S. Medical
Schools
The Official
Personal Statement Guide and PS Readers
List
The Official Guide
to Special Masters
Programsand List of
Post-Baccalaureate
Programs
Great tips for
entering your “Work/Activities”
AAMC Grade Conversion Guide
Offical 2008
Secondary Essay Prompts
Why Applying Early
is
Important