MCAT Timeline

[an_apple_a_day]

hi guys! i need some advice on when to take my mcat. for some background, i'm a junior neuroscience major and the only pre-req i have left is physics 2. i am planning on take a gap year and applying in 2020 after graduation.

i am going abroad this semester and will be back in mid-may. so i have two options essentially:

1. take physics 2 over the summer and study for the MCAT for a late august/early september test date.
pros:
-concentrated study time during summer
-done before senior year and senior thesis craziness begins
-done before i turn 21 (lol)
cons:
-very condensed physics
-not working for a summer, isn't ideal but with this schedule i could get (an ideally clinical) job during the semester

2. take physics 2 over the summer and work full time in my lab. study for the MCAT during the fall semester for a late january test date.
pros:
-concentrated study time during my winter break (goes until february so i could take latest january test date)
-getting physics 2 done without worrying about the proximity of testing day
-lab time for thesis prep which may or may not take the stress off future work during semesters
cons:
-not sure how great i will be at studying during the semester, involved in a lot of ECs that i would like to continue
-also, the whole thesis thing
-i'm worried a january test date won't give me enough concentrated time where i'm dedicated to just studying- i feel like i'll have a lot of distractions

anyways, i'm not really sure what to do. i'd really love to have my mcat done before senior year but i do not want to rush it. however, i'm not sure if pushing it to january is the right answer either. i have contemplated self-studying physics 2 but i'm unsure if that's the best idea. physics 2 isn't taught the best at my university, physics 1 i essentially taught myself because our tests and class lectures were literal regurgitations of the textbook. so that's also an option but i'm not considering too seriously. i am the type of student who generally teaches herself most of the material so i'm sure i'd be okay but i worry about the risk. anyway, some advice would be generally appreciated because i am very stressed about this right now

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[PlsLetMeIn21]

I did the exam in September and it was the best choice FOR ME. Everyone is different, but I benefited from three months of concentrated MCAT studying. It took me six weeks to get through all of the different homework phases, which amounted to at least 1000 passages. The second half was dedicated to AAMC materials, FLs, and power reviews. It'd be best to not have too much else going on. Physics is easier when you're studying for the MCAT. My physics professor was really bad, so I counted on my MCAT books to learn physics as I was taking the class. My MCAT review books for physics, especially book 2, was better than my professor, TA, lecture notes, and physics textbook combined.

 

[an_apple_a_day]

I did the exam in September and it was the best choice FOR ME. Everyone is different, but I benefited from three months of concentrated MCAT studying. It took me six weeks to get through all of the different homework phases, which amounted to at least 1000 passages. The second half was dedicated to AAMC materials, FLs, and power reviews. It'd be best to not have too much else going on. Physics is easier when you're studying for the MCAT. My physics professor was really bad, so I counted on my MCAT books to learn physics as I was taking the class. My MCAT review books for physics, especially book 2, was better than my professor, TA, lecture notes, and physics textbook combined.

thanks for the info!!! did you take physics 2 over the summer as well or the semester before? do you think self studying for physics 2 is unwise? i have access to my professors syllabus, lecture materials, exams, quizzes, and textbook so i could use that rather than paying for a formal class (for physics 1 i mostly taught myself with these materials)

 

[freeandtime_23]

for what it's worth, i ended up taking my mcat a year out from when i took physics 2....honestly i forgot most of it, and relied on Chad's Videos/Khan Academy/Kaplan Physics to review everything. I think you'll be fine studying it over the summer, but if you have time abroad, maybe get through the Khan Academy videos for Physics. That way, when you study full time for 3 months during the summer, you will, in essence, be reviewing! I hope this helps- you are fully capable of doing well on the MCAT as long as you plan properly!