Breaking Down the MCAT: A 3 Month MCAT Study Schedule

[SN2ed]

Written by SN2ed.

Downloadable MCAT Calendar iCAL and XML versions: http://www.studentdoctor.net/3-month-mcat-study-schedule/
(Click the events for more details)

Everyone please keep the questions to this strategy AND READ ALL OF THE FIRST FOUR POSTS.
Do NOT start this schedule late. You will burnout. There have already been numerous posts & threads on people starting late, trying to rush through the material, and burning out quickly.
Check the Update log in the last post for any changes.

I noticed that some people are claiming they wrote this guide to scam people out of money. Let me make this clear, I have not and will not be selling anything related to this guide. If you see a poster trying to sell books saying they wrote this schedule, do NOT buy from them. They are attempting to take your money away on false pretenses. Additionally, this guide has only been and should only be posted on SDN. I have not posted this guide anywhere else. Furthermore, SDN is the sole MCAT/medical forum I visit and the only forum where I use the screen name SN2ed. I never imagined this thread would be popular enough to warrant this kind of attention. The contents of this thread (and any other on SDN) cannot be replicated and re-hosted on any other forum, blog, or website without prior consent of both the author and SDN.
Make sure you read ALL of the opening posts, including the FAQ, before posting questions.

To begin with, check out these two threads:

Why Diagnostics are Worthless: http://forums.studentdoctor.net/showthread.php?t=557231

MCAT and a Heavy School Workload Don't Mix: Stop rushing to take the MCAT:http://forums.studentdoctor.net/showthread.php?t=602186

Can I accomplish this schedule with a part-time job or school?

Very unlikely. I highly recommend you devote 3 months to the MCAT. There may be a few that could follow this schedule and work part-time, but chances are it would not end well. You are FAR more likely to burn out if you try to study for the MCAT using this schedule and go to school or take a part/full-time job.

Furthermore, I've yet to see a valid reason for students (ie. not non-trads) to not take the MCAT in the summer.

Will following this guide guarantee me a +30?

Sadly, there are no guarantees on the MCAT. I certainly hope it helps you, but I can't say whether or not you'll hit your target score.

Should I take the MCAT before finishing my pre-reqs?

There's no point in doing so. You have to take them anyway. Hence, you might as well go into the test with your pre-reqs completed. Yes, this includes the English pre-req.

Any tips for retakers?

Check out the thread I made on the subject: http://forums.studentdoctor.net/showthread.php?t=754682

Remember to check out the third and fourth post FAQ.

Anything else before I start?

CONFIDENCE. Through all of the troubles and hardships you'll face, approach everything with confidence. You must constantly attack this test. The MCAT is merely a stepping stone on your journey.

Also, this is just a guide I made up. It is my opinion on what a study schedule should resemble. I'm sure there will be people that disagree with parts of this schedule or the whole thing. This schedule can easily be adjusted for 4 months instead of 3. I don't suggest starting heavy studying 5 months+ from your test date. Keep it to 3-4 months. If you start too soon, it will be a waste of time and resources.

Remember to use the search function on these forums. Tons of questions have already been asked and answered.
Lastly, please give credit to me, SN2ed, if you post this elsewhere. I put a ton of work into it.

Materials:

- Berkeley Review (BR) General Chemistry
- BR Organic Chemistry
- Examkrackers (EK) Biology for non-detailed approach OR The Princeton Review Hyperlearning (TPR) Biology/BR Biology for a detailed approach (In the schedule, I will use EK Bio because most prefer a non-detailed approach)
- BR Bio
- BR Physics
- EK 1001 series, excluding EK 1001 Bio (i.e. do NOT buy EK 1001 Bio)
- EK Verbal 101
- TPR Hyperlearning Verbal Workbook or Berkeley Review Verbal
- AAMC Full Length (FL) #3-5 and 7-11 (AAMC #6 is not available at the moment)

You're using EK Bio for content review and BR Bio for passages. If you need more detail during in your content review, refer to BR Bio.

You can pick up the BR books from their website: http://www.berkeley-review.com/TBR/home-study.html
Also, check out the For Sale section on here: http://forums.studentdoctor.net/forumdisplay.php?f=230 All of the above, except for the AAMC FLs show up from time to time. I've regularly seen a complete BR set go for under $100 on there. Whenever you buy used, MAKE SURE THE PASSAGES ARE UNMARKED.

To buy the AAMC FLs: http://www.e-mcat.com/

Bare Minimum Set-up:

$245 for AAMC FLs (http://www.e-mcat.com/)

$240 for BR Physics, O-chem, Gen Chem, Biology (http://www.berkeley-review.com/TBR/home-study.html)

$26 for EK Verbal 101 (http://www.amazon.com/Examkrackers-MCAT101-Passages-Verbal-Reasoning/dp/1893858553)

$30 EK Bio (Amazon product)


Prices vary on TPR Hyperlearning Verbal Workbook, search the For Sale forum on here for copies. They regularly show up. You should be able to get one for under $50.

Total = $541 + TPR Hyperlearning Verbal Workbook

Set-up with EK 1001:

$18 EK Physics 1001 (http://www.amazon.com/Examkrackers-1001-Questions-MCAT-Physics/dp/1893858189)

$20 EK O-Chem 1001 (http://www.amazon.com/Examkrackers-1001-Questions-Organic-Chemistry/dp/1893858197)

$19 EK Chem 1001 (http://www.amazon.com/Examkrackers-1001-Questions-MCAT-Chemistry/dp/1893858227)

Total = $598 + TPR Hyperlearning Verbal Workbook

Possible Book Replacements:

If you're having a hard time finding the TPR Hyperlearning Verbal Workbook, BR is an okay replacement. Well, there's not much of a choice left. Again, I HIGHLY recommend you hunt down the TPRH Verbal Workbook.

TPRH is a great choice for content review in all subjects, however, you still need the BR books and EK 101 Verbal for their practice passages. TPRH does not have enough practice passages, though the Workbooks are still great resources.

A Little Bit more about TPRH books:

If you're looking for the Science or Verbal Workbooks, your best bet is through the For Sale forum on here: http://forums.studentdoctor.net/forumdisplay.php?f=230

You can also find the full TPRH set in the For Sale. People usually sell the whole set together.

If you want the content books, they're available on Amazon.

Yes, these books are the same as the TPRH content review books. The only difference is that these books, unlike the class content review books, contain some practice passages. I believe it's 3-4 passages per chapter. It's not enough to just stick with these books and some FLs, but it's nice to have a few passages thrown in.

About the EK 1001 series:

It is a good idea to get the complete EK 1001 series. I thought they really helped me nail down my understanding of the various topics. Through using the physics especially, I found that I didn't understand some things as well as I would like. Furthermore, for whatever reason, they helped me visualize the problem in my head and made the equations intuitive to use. Too many people neglect their basic understanding which could be bolstered by EK 1001. They think they have a strong grasp, yet when those fundumentals are tested, one's weaknesses become more apparent. Plus, doing more timed practice problems is always a good thing.

The only negative for the non-bio and VR practice books is that they aren't in the right format (unless you think of them as tons of discretes). However, it is significantly easier to spot your content weaknesses with EK 1001 because they aren't passages. You don't have to worry about if you messed up due to a failure to synthesize multiple ideas or the passage was worded strangely. When you mess up on EK 1001, you know it's due to a content weakness. Lastly, this problem would be alleviated by the BR books and EK content books containing practice passages. There are also the practice tests that you will be taking.
I suggest you get the above materials 1-2 months in advance! It takes awhile to get your BR books! You don't want to be missing your materials when you're about to start this schedule. Also, older content review books are usually okay, just don't go too far back (past 5 years old).
Lastly, sign up for your MCAT as soon as possible. Seats fill up months in advance.

Timing:

- ALWAYS complete your practice problems under TIMED conditions
- For BR passages: 6-7 minutes per passage, work towards 6 minutes
- For the EK 30-minute exams….well 30 minutes
- EK 1001, except Bio series: 30 seconds to 1 minute per question
- EK Verbal 101/TPR Verbal: 6-7 minutes per passage, work towards 6 minutes
- AAMC FLs: Use their timing


Notes:

- Do NOT retake old practice material
- Thoroughly review ALL of your practice problems. Review your problems the day AFTER you take them. Don't even look at the answers until then. If there's a break day, review your problems on the day after your break.
- Remember to round like crazy for any math problem
- Always use process of elimination with your answer choices
- Before you begin this schedule, count the number of verbal practice passages (101 from EK + however many in the TPR Hyperlearning Verbal Workbook). Divide the number of passages by 70 (total days - the number of break days AND FL days). That number is the number of verbal passages you should be taking per day. I'm hoping that number breaks down to at least 3 passages per day. Ideally, you should take 4-5 verbal passages per assigned day. You do NOT take verbal passages on break days OR FL days.
- If you don't want to get the EK 1001 series, spread out the second 1/3 of BR practice passages over 2 days. Again, I recommend you get the EK 1001 books that are listed.
- If your practice test score is not within your target range after 2-3 tests, you should consider delaying. If you delay, go over your weaknesses again and complete an in-depth analysis of what went wrong.
- If you have enough money, you could adjust the schedule to fit in more practice tests. I didn't include that many to keep the cost down.
- If your test is in the morning and you're not a morning person, start getting used to waking up early when you start taking practice tests.
- Try to practice under as realistic as possible conditions when you take your practice tests. In other words: wake up early enough to be able to drive to your center; eat a meal you would eat before a test; follow the proper timing; and if you're really into it, you could even drive around for about the same time it would take you to get to your test center.

General Guidelines for Reviewing:

- Go over EVERY question. Both the ones you got right and the ones you got wrong.
- Reviewing should take 2-3 times longer than taking the timed practice problems.
- If your tests are fluctuating, it is due to the different topics on the various tests. In other words, you have some glaring weaknesses that when targeted, nail you, badly. You have to find out what those weaknesses are because they are evident by your scores. Do NOT dismiss any wrong answer as a "stupid mistake." You made that error for a reason. Go over your tests again.
- You might want to consider making a log for all of your post test results where you work through the questions below. Doing so, you'll be able to easily notice trends.

Some things to go over when reviewing:

1. Why did you get the question wrong? Why did you get the question right?
2. What question and passage types get you?
3. How is your mindset when facing a particular passage?
4. Are you stressed for time?
5. Where are your mistakes happening the most? Are they front loaded? Are they at the end? All over?
6. What was your thought process for both the questions you got right and the ones you got wrong?
7. For verbal, what was the author's mindset and main idea?
8. Did you eliminate all of the answer choices you could from first glance?
ex. You know an answer should be a positive number so you cross out all of the negative number answer choices.
9. What content areas are you weak in?
10. Why are the wrong answers wrong and the right answer right?
11. How can you improve so you don't make the same mistake again?

Hat Trick:

Get a hat and write every single MCAT PS and BS topic onto a piece of paper. Then, when you're ready to practice PS, put all the PS topics into the hat. Draw two or three pieces of paper and connect the topics together. In addition to connecting them, come up with what a passage might look like and what kind of questions you might get. If you can't do this, go back and review each of the three sections. Rinse and repeat.

The hat trick days are important because they aid you in synthesizing the various topics together. On the MCAT, you utilize this skill for every passage because MCAT passages combine topics. Furthermore, you may also discover content weaknesses that you will need to go over.

PS Topic List: https://www.aamc.org/students/download/85562/data/ps_topics.pdf
BS Topic List: https://www.aamc.org/students/download/85566/data/bstopics.pdf
Page to get topic lists if you don't want to directly download the pdf: https://www.aamc.org/students/applying/mcat/preparing

Here's a rough example using Distillation, Mendelian Genetics, and Lipids:

You are studying a Mendelian inherited recessive genetic defect of a lipid receptor. A defect in this receptor prevents the uptake lipids in the body and can cause several negative effects, such as, atherosclerosis due to fat build-up in arterial walls.

To test for the concentration of lipids in a patient's blood, you design a distillation experiment.

1. Given a couple where the male is Ll and the female is ll, what is the chance the child will have the defect?

2. What kind of solvent should you use to test the concentration of lipids?

3. What type patient would have the highest boiling point elevation?

4. If the trait exhibited incomplete dominance, which patient is likely to be Ll? Boiling point information here.

5. Which cell component requires lipids?

Verbal Help:

Check out Vihsadas's verbal guide and the other guides found in the MCAT Guide sticky
Vihsadas's Guide: http://forums.studentdoctor.net/showpost.php?p=6022602&postcount=96
MCAT Guide Sticky: http://forums.studentdoctor.net/showthread.php?t=602154

Arithmetic Tricks:

http://forums.studentdoctor.net/showthread.php?t=528674&highlight=Arithmetic Tips Tricks

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Members don't see this ad.

 

[ncguy2005]

You'll forget everything. Literally everything. I read through Gen Chem and Physics and OChem the summer before I started studying in April, and reading it in April I had NO recollection of anything. Don't waste your time. The yield is miniscule.

Yea, I agree. I only have slivers of what I learned from the July 2008 MCAT still in my head. I am planning on a retake in April and I know that Jan-Apr is going to be a fresh start, just like the first time a year ago...

 

[Excelsius]

You'll forget everything. Literally everything. I read through Gen Chem and Physics and OChem the summer before I started studying in April, and reading it in April I had NO recollection of anything. Don't waste your time. The yield is miniscule.

Damn! Almost makes one question the necessity of taking prereqs before the MCAT. I thought that at least going over the material once will help understand concepts that were not clear during the regular class and make it easier to review the MCAT during the intense review period. I guess I won't find out until I give it a shot. Some of my prereqs I have taken some years ago.

I can see your point about bio though. It is exclusively memorization and I don't think there is any point going over it twice.

 

[BennieBlanco]

Damn! Almost makes one question the necessity of taking prereqs before the MCAT. I thought that at least going over the material once will help understand concepts that were not clear during the regular class and make it easier to review the MCAT during the intense review period. I guess I won't find out until I give it a shot. Some of my prereqs I have taken some years ago.

I can see your point about bio though. It is exclusively memorization and I don't think there is any point going over it twice.

I don't know if it is 100% accurate to believe studying 6 months out you will forget most of the material. In fact, many people will say that their taking courses of physiology or cell biology really helped their MCAT. The implication is that their course work 1 or 2 semesters back influenced their scores or their familiarity with the concepts.

I am trying to figure out how to wrap the concepts into a nice package, for example to have really compact succinct review sheets for the whole biology section. I am trying to figure out how long it will take to review the entire review sheet (anywhere from 3-7 hours depending how in depth). You can't tell me that going over every concept 2-4 times a month for 6 months would not be superior to going over it once or twice in depth.

So I would say that it depends on the strategy of the review. No one could convince me that you are better off only having 3 months to prepare rather than 6 months, especially if some of us have a full schedule at school.

This belief contradicts the idea that repetition is the mother of skill. Also as you said, then it even would say that excellent performance in pre-reqs has little to no influence on MCAT performance.

I guess we will see come January, I don't' know for sure yet.

 

[SN2ed]

Studying more the 5 months in advance is worthless. You will forget the material you studied. Doing well on the MCAT involves concentrated studying, not something drawn out.

The reasons why pre-reqs are helpful are due to the depth and length of studying that occurs while taking a class. You are taught for a year for most of your pre-reqs where you deal with the same topic for quite a while. This form of long term studying, when you aim for subject mastery, ingrains the material into your head. Just think about how many weeks of studying you've completed on only electricity and magnetism in your physics class. Thus, when you see the topic again while studying for the MCAT, it should be the proverbal riding the bike again.

The easiest way to explain why light studying is worthless is through analogue. Let's consider a long book like the Lord of the Rings. Now image that you read only a little bit per day over the course of a year. At the end of the year, do you think you'll have a good memory of what happened in the beginning? Chances are you won't have a great idea beyond the most basic of the basics.

What do you think would happen if someone gave you a test on Lord of the Rings expecting you to know the beginning in as much depth as the last chapter you read? Of course you will do poorly. In order to prepare for that test, you will probably have to re-read the entire Lord of the Rings again in a short amount of time paying attention to the details that might be on the test.

For yet another way to look at this, search the internet for a video on tying one type of knot. Watch the video once. Tie the knot once. Wait a few months. Try to tie the knot again without cheating. Do you think you could do it? If you have to teach yourself all over again, do you think that light session you did earlier was worth it?

Similar to studying for the MCAT in advance, you may have an idea or a recollection about the various topics, such as, "oh I remember reading this," but not "based on the right hand rule and taking into account the magetic field..." Overall, what you'll recall won't be nearly enough to help and you will have to study hard just like everyone else. If you end up doing that, what's the point of studying in advance if you must place yourself back at the beginning?

Lastly, studying in advance becomes deleterious when you look at the big picture. Don't get me wrong, studying for and doing well on the MCAT is important for medical school. Yet, your ECs, a solid GPA, and getting to know the people at your school are just as important. Any time you devote to the MCAT will obviously be time you could have spent elsewhere. You could have gotten involved in a club where you help them throughout the week. You could have studied for your classes one more hour. You could have simply talked to your professors and gotten to know them (which will help with letters of rec). All of these would be more valuable experiences than light studying for the MCAT which will end up being essentially worthless.

 

[BennieBlanco]

Studying more the 5 months in advance is worthless. You will forget the material you studied. Doing well on the MCAT involves concentrated studying, not something drawn out.

The reasons why pre-reqs are helpful are due to the depth and length of studying that occurs while taking a class. You are taught for a year for most of your pre-reqs where you deal with the same topic for quite a while. This form of long term studying, when you aim for subject mastery, ingrains the material into your head. Just think about how many weeks of studying you've completed on only electricity and magnetism in your physics class. Thus, when you see the topic again while studying for the MCAT, it should be the proverbal riding the bike again.

The easiest way to explain why light studying is worthless is through analogue. Let's consider a long book like the Lord of the Rings. Now image that you read only a little bit per day over the course of a year. At the end of the year, do you think you'll have a good memory of what happened in the beginning? Chances are you won't have a great idea beyond the most basic of the basics.

What do you think would happen if someone gave you a test on Lord of the Rings expecting you to know the beginning in as much depth as the last chapter you read? Of course you will do poorly. In order to prepare for that test, you will probably have to re-read the entire Lord of the Rings again in a short amount of time paying attention to the details that might be on the test.

For yet another way to look at this, search the internet for a video on tying one type of knot. Watch the video once. Tie the knot once. Wait a few months. Try to tie the knot again without cheating. Do you think you could do it? If you have to teach yourself all over again, do you think that light session you did earlier was worth it?

Similar to studying for the MCAT in advance, you may have an idea or a recollection about the various topics, such as, "oh I remember reading this," but not "based on the right hand rule and taking into account the magetic field..." Overall, what you'll recall won't be nearly enough to help and you will have to study hard just like everyone else. If you end up doing that, what's the point of studying in advance if you must place yourself back at the beginning?

Lastly, studying in advance becomes deleterious when you look at the big picture. Don't get me wrong, studying for and doing well on the MCAT is important for medical school. Yet, your ECs, a solid GPA, and getting to know the people at your school are just as important. Any time you devote to the MCAT will obviously be time you could have spent elsewhere. You could have gotten involved in a club where you help them throughout the week. You could have studied for your classes one more hour. You could have simply talked to your professors and gotten to know them (which will help with letters of rec). All of these would be more valuable experiences than light studying for the MCAT which will end up being essentially worthless.

I don't pretend to disagree with your points. I would rather have an entire summer to prepare. Yet life happens. I finish my pre-reqs in the fall and am applying in July. So for me to take the MCAT I will only have 1 free month (either December or June, depending on when I take it). Others have situations where we aren't able to section off 3 months. Are we therefore destined to fail? Can the human will not overcome a scheduling conflict?

So in my situation (finished 2nd degree in May 2010), I can wait until 2011 to apply (starting in 2012) with a 2 year lay off OR take the MCAT with only 1 month of free time prep with only 1 year lay off. I am a non trad who already graduated from college 4 years ago.

Again, I don't pretend to prefer the situation I have, yet it is silly to believe that it is impossible to succeed under certain circumstances. In fact, I've gone over that medschoolapps website and seen people who have achieved 40s on the January MCAT. Most of these people are attending school and have to either start early or cram it into 6 weeks. There is no ideal sometimes.

 

[SN2ed]

First off, never pay attention to MDApps. That website is horribly skewed, even more than SDN.

Anyway, of course no one is destined to fail. However, this guide is not for people with a full time job or a heavy school workload. A different kind of guide is necessary in those cases.

 

[jasonbourne]

Attached is my MCAT syllabus for this coming summer, if anyone is interested in that as well. It's more specifically geared to certain topics at certain times, rather than a certain chapter of a certain book. Has scheduled break days and a few leeway days. At any rate, even if no one is interested, I'd appreciate it if you take a look SN2ed to see if you think it's workable, or if I should switch to your schedule

Thanks for posting this, I'm sure many will appreciate it!

Your schedule is the bomb!!!! I loved it

 

[Ahmed786]

Sn2d this schedule is amazing and I am going to follow the 4 month version next spring

My question is, I feel that taking only taking the 8 AAMC's is not enough to get a great score (at least for me anyways) I was thinking more about taking 20 or so (Gold Standard has 10 CBT's for $150) anyways, you say in your first post about scheduling these in but where exactly would you put them??? You have the last month devoted solely to testing where would the other additional tests be put? Thanks a lot for the help man I'm really loving this scheudule it will keep me focused something I couldnt do this year which caused me to postpone my MCAT

 

[loveoforganic]

Your schedule is the bomb!!!! I loved it

Lol, well thanks

 

[SN2ed]

Ahmed786: You'll basically want to follow the three month schedule, then add on the last month similar to the 4 month schedule. The only adjustment to this is that you can spread out the review problems over 2 months instead of one month.

 

[plaz]

Hi there. I'm planning on applying next cycle (summer 2010). If I went with this plan, I wouldn't be able to begin until the beginning of May 2010 (because that's when second semester would end), which means I wouldn't be able to take the MCAT until August 1st-ish 2010. Isn't that way too late? What would you recommend I do? Should I just take a class during spring semester instead so I could take it by June first?

I know I could submit my app without the MCAT, but they won't look at it until they have my scores! Isn't August too late in my case?

Thanks!

 

[plaz]

Also, what have people on this plan ended up getting? I'm aiming high for a 38+.

 

[plaz]

bump

 

[SN2ed]

Hi there. I'm planning on applying next cycle (summer 2010). If I went with this plan, I wouldn't be able to begin until the beginning of May 2010 (because that's when second semester would end), which means I wouldn't be able to take the MCAT until August 1st-ish 2010. Isn't that way too late? What would you recommend I do? Should I just take a class during spring semester instead so I could take it by June first?

I know I could submit my app without the MCAT, but they won't look at it until they have my scores! Isn't August too late in my case?

Thanks!

Don't concern yourself with applying yet. Secure a good MCAT score, THEN apply. Once you have a good MCAT, you can always build up your application for a year and apply really early the next.

About the whole 38+, no one can claim any strategy will net you a specific score. Also, since my guide is relatively new, not many people have used it.

 

[ncguy2005]

SN2ed, I'm planning a retake for April 2010. My problem is that I've used all of the AAMC FL's. I noticed that you said retaking inflates your score and can't be used as a good indicator of readiness for the test, but I really don't know what other options I have.

I am planning on using your schedule beginning in January. So do you think I should just re-use the AAMC FL's again (I used them last year April-July)? Or should I search for a comparable source (Or at least as comparable as I can get)?

 

[SN2ed]

No, don't retake them. Go with Berkeley Review's or Gold Standard's practice tests.

 

[Ichiro]

I am using all EK materials to preparing for the MCAT will it be just as good as Berkeley reviews?

 

[LostInStudy]

I am using all EK materials to preparing for the MCAT will it be just as good as Berkeley reviews?

Definitely NO. Content is much much better in Berkeley review. Content, however, doesn't matter as much on the MCAT as practice. EK materials have no good passage practice while Berkeley Review have a TON of quality passage practice. If you take all the passages and example questions out, Berkeley is a shorter read than EK. Also, this was mentioned earlier in the thread, so you may want to look at previous responses becuase SN2ed already responded to this.

Hope this helped,

-LIS

 

[ncguy2005]

No, don't retake them. Go with Berkeley Review's or Gold Standard's practice tests.

I think I'm going to choose Gold Standard... they're pretty close to AAMC format?

Sorry..I never even looked into Gold Standard last time...

P.S. I appreciate the time you've put into this.

 

[BennieBlanco]

Definitely NO. Content is much much better in Berkeley review. Content, however, doesn't matter as much on the MCAT as practice. EK materials have no good passage practice while Berkeley Review have a TON of quality passage practice. If you take all the passages and example questions out, Berkeley is a shorter read than EK. Also, this was mentioned earlier in the thread, so you may want to look at previous responses becuase SN2ed already responded to this.

Hope this helped,

-LIS

agreed

 

[LostInStudy]

ncguy, a suggestion would be to also look at what bozz posted. He didn't do as well he wanted the first time and restudied and retook AAMCs and increased significantly. I think it all just depends, but I would give it serious thought to retaking or at least looking into bozz's post in the 30+ thread.

-LIS

Edit: Found Bozz's post: http://forums.studentdoctor.net/showpost.php?p=6347665&postcount=233

 

[hopefullkid]

For a quick last month review, would you recommend going with EK or BR? I studied for bio with EK and rest of sciences with BR. I just took a practice exam, got a 32 and most of the science questions I missed were straight forward ones. 12 PS, 10VR, 10BS. So PS is good but BS needs work. Mostly biology questions I missed probably because I have not been reviewing enough bio for the last month. But I want to do the review quickly so I can get back to doing FLs. I think if I just focus more on the basic concepst, I can improve big time on sciences at least. Verbal just got to start practicing more.

So, for lets say a 1-1.5 week long hyper review for all sciences, should I go with BR or EK. I have access to both so getting them is not the issue.

 

[SN2ed]

I wouldn't review by reading the books again. Instead, focus on taking practice problems from the various topics. Doing so you'll get the review you need while taking more problems.

 

[hopefullkid]

You really think so? After going over all the questions, I am thinking I need to go over the stuff again because its really the concepts that I just could not remember. The test itself was really more straightforward than I thought it would be. I had no issues with timing or understanding questions except for area where I am weak in like the Kidney and hormones.

 

[SN2ed]

I'd still favor taking practice problems from your weak areas. That way you're focusing on both improving your knowledge and the application of your knowledge. I guess if it's only a couple topics that you simply do not understand, then you should review them. However, you shouldn't spend that much time on pure review when you're close to your test. You need to keep up with your pace. The last thing you want is to get out of practice and let go of your rhythm. Do not get overconfident. I remember someone telling me that since my verbal score was great, I should take a break from the practice passages. That was the worst advice I ever received while studying for the MCAT.

 

[loveoforganic]

SN2ed - I'm considering blowing off one of the FL's to have three days of passages from the offical mcat book. Yes/no? If yes, I've still got AAMC's 8, 9, and 10 left to take. I already bought AAMC 8, so between 9 and 10, which one would you drop? Also, would you recommend making the passages the last thing I do or an AAMC FL the last thing I do?

 

[SN2ed]

SN2ed - I'm considering blowing off one of the FL's to have three days of passages from the offical mcat book. Yes/no? If yes, I've still got AAMC's 8, 9, and 10 left to take. I already bought AAMC 8, so between 9 and 10, which one would you drop? Also, would you recommend making the passages the last thing I do or an AAMC FL the last thing I do?

That's a little bit of a tricky situation. There are several options that you could do. Going off of the posts from here, it looks like the Official MCAT book is close to the real deal. Hence, I think you should probably get pick it up. However, I'd still keep all the FL. Plus you can and should buy the Official book with a FL since it's a good deal. So keep the FLs. The change would be the practice problems.

When you're near the end, you shouldn't be doing too many practice problems since some of the books don't have 9 or 10 chapters. Fill in the gap with the OMB (Official MCAT Book).

About what the last thing you should do, you should take a break day as the last thing you do before the MCAT. Remember to do NOTHING MCAT related on break days.

 

[loveoforganic]

That's a little bit of a tricky situation. There are several options that you could do. Going off of the posts from here, it looks like the Official MCAT book is close to the real deal. Hence, I think you should probably get pick it up. However, I'd still keep all the FL. Plus you can and should buy the Official book with a FL since it's a good deal. So keep the FLs. The change would be the practice problems.

When you're near the end, you shouldn't be doing too many practice problems since some of the books don't have 9 or 10 chapters. Fill in the gap with the OMB (Official MCAT Book).

About what the last thing you should do, you should take a break day as the last thing you do before the MCAT. Remember to do NOTHING MCAT related on break days.

I meant for my last work day. Sounds like a plan. In addition, I'll just work a little longer each day to free up some more time for those passages. Thanks!

 

[SN2ed]

Ah the last work day. Yeah, just do practice passages and review them. Try to make it somewhat light.

 

[netminder]

I'm glad everyone thinks this is useful.

Also, I'm not quite done. I was going to add an explanation on "how to change this into a four month plan/the last month is too intense." I'll also throw in an explanation on why I rotate the various subjects since the subject was raised.

Thank you so much for all your work on this. You are an extraordinary person. If I ever run into you in the world of medicine, I will have to buy you a beer(s).

 

[netminder]

SN2ed/Others,

What are your opinions on the Nova MCAT Physics book? I took undergraduate physics quite a while ago and am having the most trouble with this subject. I heard this is a good one for people who need a good foundation review for Physics. I have this book, as well as BR books. If I had to pick one, would you suggest the BR?

Thanks.

 

[SN2ed]

SN2ed/Others,

What are your opinions on the Nova MCAT Physics book? I took undergraduate physics quite a while ago and am having the most trouble with this subject. I heard this is a good one for people who need a good foundation review for Physics. I have this book, as well as BR books. If I had to pick one, would you suggest the BR?

Thanks.

Nova is another great book. The only problem with it is it's practice problems. Nova has too many discretes compared to BR which is made up of passages. It is for that reason that I recommend BR over Nova. In terms of presentation of the content itself, they're both on par.

I hope I can take you up on that offer someday

 

[netminder]

Nova is another great book. The only problem with it is it's practice problems. Nova has too many discretes compared to BR which is made up of passages. It is for that reason that I recommend BR over Nova. In terms of presentation of the content itself, they're both on par.

I hope I can take you up on that offer someday

Many thanks, SN2ed. I will pay up on the beer.

 

[capn jazz]

SN2ed - I'm considering blowing off one of the FL's to have three days of passages from the offical mcat book. Yes/no? If yes, I've still got AAMC's 8, 9, and 10 left to take. I already bought AAMC 8, so between 9 and 10, which one would you drop? Also, would you recommend making the passages the last thing I do or an AAMC FL the last thing I do?

Hey, the AAMC book is doable in one day. It's pretty much the same length as a FL. I did all the passages in one day and then reviewed the answers. Don't bother reading any of the content, just the passages/answers.

 

[RedSoxSuck]

Hey Sn2ed. Great work. Really appreciate all the effort you have put into this. Currently i am taking kaplan CBTs because i have taken AAMC CBTs last year. So after finishing my test i am looking over the smart reports, pretty much break down which topic you missed questions on etc, and reviewing that chapter, using my own notes which i made while reading the chapter initially, real quick using BR for sciences and EK for bio and then doing Ek 1001 problems for 30 minutes. And then i am doing BR passages for a particular topic. I am giving myself around 7 minutes per passage for BR. Any suggestion/advice regarding this strategy?

 

[loveoforganic]

Hey, the AAMC book is doable in one day. It's pretty much the same length as a FL. I did all the passages in one day and then reviewed the answers. Don't bother reading any of the content, just the passages/answers.

Thanks, good to know. I'll treat it as a FL

 

[lostking243]

First off, never pay attention to MDApps. That website is horribly skewed, even more than SDN.

Anyway, of course no one is destined to fail. However, this guide is not for people with a full time job or a heavy school workload. A different kind of guide is necessary in those cases.

how is MDApps.com skewed?

also if 3 months dedicated to studying is not an option, what would you recommend for someone with a light semester load that ends mid May, with a June 17th MCAT?

 

[SN2ed]

I think what Law2Doc posted on MDApps is right on target:

MDapplicants.com is voluntary, self-selecting, contains submission inaccuracies/exaggerations and does not represent a fair cross section of pre-meds (at large or at any school), so any conclusions you are drawing from that data is suspect. Look at the MSAR or get data from Hopkins if you want accurate info.

About the second question, it sounds like you're still in school. Take the MCAT in the summer.

 

[RedSoxSuck]

Hey Sn2ed. Great work. Really appreciate all the effort you have put into this. Currently i am taking kaplan CBTs because i have taken AAMC CBTs last year. So after finishing my test i am looking over the smart reports, pretty much break down which topic you missed questions on etc, and reviewing that chapter, using my own notes which i made while reading the chapter initially, real quick using BR for sciences and EK for bio and then doing Ek 1001 problems for 30 minutes. And then i am doing BR passages for a particular topic. I am giving myself around 7 minutes per passage for BR. Any suggestion/advice regarding this strategy?

 

[SN2ed]

RedSoxSuck: Nothing in particular comes to mind. I'm guessing you're in the final phase of studying where you focus on practice tests and practice problems. Just make sure you review everything thoroughly.

 

[RedSoxSuck]

RedSoxSuck: Nothing in particular comes to mind. I'm guessing you're in the final phase of studying where you focus on practice tests and practice problems. Just make sure you review everything thoroughly.

Thanks!!!

 

[yvang22]

Thanks for the great schedule SN2ed! I still have a few more years till I take the MCAT, but I hope that I can utilize this plan.

 

[dadasolee]

SN2ed, Thank you so much for putting up this amazing study plan

So it seems like you're recommending TPR Science Workbook as well...

If I want to incorporate TPR Sci Wkbk into my study plan, would you recommend doing the 1/3 of TPR every day on top of 1/3 BR every day?

I do have about 5 months, so should I rather complete all the TBR's and then finish off the last month with TPR passages?

Also, I do think that TPR Review books are quite well-written (especially in Physics and Bio)... Sometimes I wonder if BR books go into too much detail... Would it be risky to substitute BR chapters with TPR chaters (with much less detail and to-the-point approach) for daily reading? Maybe only for Physics and Bio? Or should I have both books opened and try reading with a complementary approach?

Thanks again for your time. Best of luck on all your endeavors!

 

[SN2ed]

Follow the four month plan except on review days for the last two months, you should evenly spread out the 1/3 Chapter and TPR Science workbook problems.



Thanks for the compliments!

 

[PhillyDoc123]

Hey SN2ed,

I'm a little behind in the final phase of studying. Actually going through the last 1/3 is taking a long time! I think it's because I'm reviewing the content (such as the BR example problems), then going over the first and second 1/3 problems to review my past mistakes, and THEN doing the last 1/3 for the chapter. Do you you have any suggestions? At this rate I won't have time to finish all 10 chapters. I was thinking about forgetting reviewing the content and the 1st and 2nd 1/3 and solely working through the last 1/3. What do you think?

 

[DrFLAGATORS]

Hey SN2ed.

I have questions. I am about to embark on a four month MCAT studying binge - PLAN TO TAKE IT 1/29/10. Your four month schedule looks amazing and I want to follow it all the way; however, I already have Kaplan and EK material and I am trying not to waste it. I was wondering (1) are the BR books that superior? and (2) if I substituted the BR books with the EK books and got extra help, if needed, from KAPLAN content books, would it be just as affective?

This is what I have so far:

EK content books, audio osmosis, KAPLAN lesson book and content books, high yield problem solving guide, KAPLAN flash cards and NOVA's The MCAT Physics book. I am going to buy EK 1001 series and verbal 101. and I am ordering AAMC 3-10.

So...what do you think? I heard KAPLAN books are good but there are better ones like TBR. Will I be selling myself short if I don't get TBR? I don't want to do that. If you think I'll be okay with the material I have and will be getting (EK1001 & 101, AAMC 3-10), what should I do about the BR passages that you split up into 1/3's? Let me know your honest opinion about KAPLAN too! And..if you think I MUST have the BR books, let me know! Thanks! That schedule is awesome again!

 

[pastryman]

I noticed that the books have topics not on the MCAT list of topics on the AAMC site. How should people deal with those topics when they are necessary to answer the practice questions/passages?

 

[SN2ed]

PhillyDoc123: It doesn't sound like you're following my guide. You shouldn't be touching the first or second third nor should you be going over content again (except as part of post-practice reviewing when applicable). You should probably focus on practice tests and on the last 1/3. However, your progress in the schedule has been fragmented, so there really is no "best" option.

DrFLAGATORS: Yes, you will be selling yourself short without the BR books. I thought Kaplan did a poor job on their content review books. The BR books are also instrumental throughout the schedule and not solely for their content. In fact, I can't think of a good substitute for them due to their wealth of practice passages. Even the TPR Hyperlearning Science Workbook does not top BR's practice passages.

pastryman: I suggest you work through all of the topics even if they aren't listed on the AAMC list of topics.

 

[LetsGo352]

SN2ed,

I have a bit of a dilemma. I plan to take the test late Jan. 2010. I already bought the same books that you have on this thread before I looked at this thread and just started reviewing. So far, I got done with 2 chapters each of BR Gen Chem, Physics, and 2 chapters of EK Bio. I also did 1/3 of the passages. However, I did all this before looking at this thread. The way I am studying is not very good. I'm not really looking back and reviewing the chapters and doing more passages involving those passages. I just review the note cards I made for them once a week. Also, I took me about a month and a half to review this much as I was going very slow. Since I plan on taking it in Janurary, should I just start from scratch at the beginning of October (4 month plan) and follow your plan in this thread even though I read those first few chapters and passages and highlighted the chapters (the passages are unmarked though)? Or should I just continue what I've been doing?

 

[DrFLAGATORS]

SN2ed,

Thanks for the reply, I'll definitely buy the BR books. What do you propose is the best thing to do until I start the 4 month plan? I am going to start October 3rd for the January 30th MCAT. Would it be wise to read the KAPLAN and EK books (except EK bio)? Or start with VR over anything else? I have about a month and a half from now until I start the 4 month plan. Let me know you what you think!