1) Your individual scores and composite score:
Total: 512
C/P: 127
CARS: 128
B/B: 130
P/S: 127
Exam date:
5/18/2019
2) How I studied
So, I work full time at a mentally demanding job doing research. I work anywhere from 40-70 hours/week. I would work out at 4 am during the week and study as soon as I got home, Mon - Thurs. Friday I took off to spend time with my GF (who is also studying the MCAT) to not talk about/look at MCAT stuff. It was a much-needed break from studying. Then, I would spend 7+ hours/day every weekend practicing, studying, and (re)reading chapters/watching KA videos on weaker subjects. I began studying in December off and on; then I got very focused beginning of January.
Chem/Phys: This was my weakest subject by far. When I took a half-length Kaplan diagnostic, I made a 492 composite with a 121 on C/P. I focused on REALLY concentrating on learning the material by reading through Kaplan books. Once I finished those, I would practice every day. I started with AAMC materials then moved to UWorld. I didn't use up all of my QPacks from AAMC but I used up UWorld for everything but Physics. If my day was set for Gen Chem, OChem, etc. I would double my practice and watch all KA videos on the subject if I didn't 100% understand it. My C/P score jumped from a 121 to a 130 on AAMC FL practice exams. A little bummed I couldn't reproduce that come test day; however, I'm happy with my score nonetheless.
CARS: This one was tough for me. I started practicing with Jack Weston free daily passages after trying out Kaplan's method for tackling CARS passages. Every day, I would do 3+ passages, first thing, until I was comfortable with reading to understand CARS. After a while, the *note taking* part of the Kaplan method became second nature to me. I would be able to sum up what each paragraph had talked about in my head, rather than on paper (which saved me time to answer questions.) This was up and down for me because, some days, I'd get 90% correct on AAMC QPack 1 and/or 2. Other days, I would sit at ~55% correct. Eventually, I would complete AAMC CARS QP2 twice and QP1 once. I also trucked through UWorld CARS questions quickly. One thing I also did was read a book for fun each day for 30 minutes to an hour. This got my brain into reading mode before I practiced CARS.
The best advice I was ever given for this section was:
you already know how to read. Just pay attention to everything said and 2/3 of the battle is already done (Comprehension and RWT questions.) Now, practice RBT questions and you're golden. This advice carried me to test day. My FL practice scores ranged from 122-129 with no clear trend. So a 128 on the real deal is phenomenal for me. If you're to take away anything from this, it is:
PRACTICE THIS EVERY DAY. I didn't read for fun or anything as a kid; also, my ADHD gave me horrible habits - from skimming around when I would get bored to being easily distracted in general. In college, I read only enough to get A's on my papers. I was scoring 1/6 to 2/7 per passage. Hounding on CARS each day while learning why and how I missed each question brought me from 2/7 to 6/7 per passage. A 128 on my exam was 90th %ile. So if I could get that, so can you.
Bio/Biochem: To be honest, this section was always easy for me. I got a B.S. in Biology with making a 3.7+ GPA taking nothing but bio/chem classes my junior and senior year. On top of that, I did research as a tech for 2.5 years in undergrad and have been at my research job for almost an additional 2. I read scientific journals almost each week and attend plenty of research lectures/talks a few times per month. I feel like my education always trained me for this section. There were definitely some content gaps for me; but for the most part, I didn't study this one too much. My lowest score on FL practice tests was a 127, and my highest was a 131. If I could go back, however, I would definitely study more of lab techniques and more micro (genetics, prokaryotic biology, etc.) That stuff is a big part of the MCAT. I also wish I utilized more of my materials here too. It wasn't because I thought I was "too good" for that. However, I prioritized my weak areas (C/P and CARS) and just left B/B for any time left before bed (unless I had B/B assigned to practice/study that day.)
Psych/Soc: This section was hard for me, despite being 2 classes away from having a major in psychology. What I
should have done was went through premed95's deck and memorize the terms. Kaplan was not a big help. It taught it conceptually (which would have been fine if P/S wasn't just a term test.) I would have probably gotten a 130-132 on this section if I just spent the time to read and memorize the terms. What I
actually did was read the Kaplan book and watched KA videos over and over. With a ton of practice from AAMC and QWorld. My friend went through premed95's deck and made a 132 on P/S. She memorized the deck, quizzed herself twice on all the terms, and then went into the test. That was it (other than reading through the EK book a little.)
3) What materials you used for each section (Kaplan, TPR, Examkrackers, AAMC, TBR, etc)
Content review:
- Kaplan complete 7-book series 1st edition. This was written and published in 2014 before the first 2015 MCAT was released.
- Khan Academy videos
- Several of the free study guides found on the MCAT subreddit (which was VERY helpful)
Practice:
- Online AAMC practice materials (the entire online bundle)
- Jack Westin (the free daily CARS passages, as well as 2 FL CARS practice exams)
- UWorld. May I say that UWorld is probably the MOST HELPFUL 3rd party practice material (wish you could mix/match topics to create pseudo-FL exams.) Because I work full time, I could spare the $200 for 3 month access. The explanations are 100x better than AAMC, while having the same format as the real MCAT. The explanations from UWorld can be anywhere from 3-6 paragraphs long and tell you why every other answer is incorrect. Seriously, it looks like they get their figures and explanations from a text book. You can even make flashcards and track your progress. If you can find an extra $200, buy this if you're serious about getting a great score through practice.
4) Which practice tests did you use? (Optional: include scores)
6 total: AAMC Sample Test and FL1-3. ALso used NextStep FL1 and 2.
Sample test: 504
AAMC 1: 501
AAMC 2: 507 (gained confidence in myself here)
NS1: 506
NS2: 508
AAMC 3: 509
5) What was your undergraduate major?
Biology with a minor in psychology and biochemistry at a state school.
6) Any other tips you may have for those of us who still have this test lurking over us?
This is for everyone: have confidence in yourself. My friends were studying at the same time as I was and we took FL exams on the same Saturday each week. They were coming out the gate with 513, 515, etc. While I got a 504 on the sample test. Then I got a 501. I wanted to quit because I couldn't stop comparing myself to other people. I already had a 498 (126/121/126/124), which only made my confidence worse. Then, my girlfriend told me "just pretend you're going to score like your friends will. Have confidence in yourself that you can get where you want." My score jumped up 6 points when I only reviewed a few chapters and did (maybe) 40 total practice questions that week.
Confidence is KEY. When I truly believed in my abilities, I wasn't getting below a 125 on any subsection.
Also, you cannot look at everything as "high vs. low yield." Pretend everything is fair game. There were at least 3 questions per passage (other than CARS) that had stuff people would consider "low yield." I
hated physics and everything about it. But I put myself in the hell hole by forcing myself to study and understand it. I worked my butt off to make sure I could answer SB C/P quality questions.
For my people who have to work PT/FT while studying: you are going to have to work harder and longer than the premeds who studying 8+ hours/day during the summer while volunteering 6-12 hours a week. I hate that I messed up in college with my MCAT, but that was my reality. I went to my wits end to prep for this MCAT. And that's okay. I spent 6.5 months studying, practicing, and crying. It really tested who I was and if I really wanted to go into medicine. If I had to do it again, I'd have taken even longer to study. Realize that people who had nothing to do BUT study could get it done in 2 months.
That is not our reality. We will most likely need 4-7 months of dedication to study, practice, and go back to work on weaknesses. But if you have a great support group, hobbies outside of school/medicine/work, and a healthy outlet for the stress, then anything is possible.
7) How long did you study for the MCAT?
5 and a half months while working full time