Studying MCAT on my own?

[annospree]

Hello,
I'm trying to study for the MCAT on my own after attempting a Kaplan course several years ago but not finishing it (the timing just wasn't right). Anyway, I think I can do it on my own, but finding some sort of organizational system to tackle all the info I need to study is daunting. Has anyone done this? If so, how did you approach studying for the MCAT on your own?

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[packofneurons]

I haven't even started studying for my MCAT because I won't take it until Spring '10, but I've been reading up on it quite a bit.

There are a few great suggestions and tips found in this post http://forums.studentdoctor.net/showthread.php?t=503250

Various methods I've started (To get a stronger MCAT score):
*I bought a pocket dictionary so I can look up words I do not understand fully or at all.
*I've started reading the Wall Street Journal and LA Times as often as I can. This will help increase the writing bit of the MCAT because both newspapers are diverse; one liberal, the other conservative. It's given me a lot of insight!
*I've gone though my Chemistry and Biology books with high lighters! (I haven't taken Organic Chem yet, but not looking forward to it )
*I work at a bookstore, so on my breaks I read the Kaplans MCAT book. (It's $120, so there's no way I'm buying it yet!) It'll give you a good idea of what you need to reteach yourself!

Good luck studying I think you can do it on your own. From a few things I've read or heard from other friends, the courses aren't worth the $2k or so you're going to spend for it.

 

[Johnny_D]

I studied for the MCAT on my own after taking a Kaplan course and being less than satisfied with it. I used the ExamKrackers series of books. I set my own timetable for what I wanted to do and did it. I also used audio osmosis in conjunction with the books to both see and hear the information.

You can definitely do it. You have to pace yourself and condition your mind and body prepared to take a day-long test.

Good luck.

 

[thoffen]

Many people have done it on their own. Personally the only resource I used was Examkrackers. However, different people study in different ways, so I can't tell you if you can do it, just that it can be done.

 

[mommy2three]

I am also planning on doing this, but like you I need a time table otherwise it just is not going to happen. I finished the Kaplan course and it really did not help me much as I needed much more time in some areas than others and could not take that time.
So what I did was this:
1. I purchased a set of Berkley Review Books (off of craig's list), a set of Examkrackers books, a set of Examkrackers 1001 question series for the areas I knew I was weaker in and I also have my Kaplan books.
2. I went to the Examkrackers website where they offer their at-home 10 wk study plan ( I knew I had longer than 10 wks so I tripled it so I could use all three sources).
3. I went through each section of Examkrackers and noted which sections it corresponded to in the Kaplan and Berkley books.
4. I laid out a plan for each 1 turned 3 wk timeline of what I would do on what day from which book.

Now I am to the stage where I can so the following:
5. Follow my timeline, making adjustments as needed in material content.

 

[Tygacil]

I'll tell you what I did that was helpful, I bought the Kaplan book off amazon.com (WAY cheaper, ~$60 vs the above cited 120 in stores). I spent summer working on the book, reading it, but more importantly working out the problems, making sure I was comfortable with the physics problems, and I got a decent score, especially considering it had been 4 years since I took any classes that relate to the MCAT heh.

 

[thoffen]

You can get an older editions from half.com for cheap as well. Good material nonetheless.

 

[pete0643]

Oh, the fun of the MCAT. I have been studying for what seems like forever. I took most of the prereqs for med school years ago, so my science, other than biology is really rusty. I keep making a date to take the MCAT and then realize that there is no way I will be ready. I'm hoping to take it next April, 2008. I tried Kaplan's online program but that did not work so well for me, either.

What seems to really be working for me now is going by the MCAT's subject list. You can print those off the website. I am going through the outline, making notes as I go. I use the EK and Kaplan books to review each area. There are so many review books that the information becomes overwhelming. Following the subject list really helps me focus on what I need to know. Ek and Kaplan have some good overlap and their explanations are pretty straight forward.

That is what seems to be working for me. Hope that helps a little.
Pete

 

[scottyT]

The biggest challenge when studying on your own is having the discipline to carve out the necessary time. Can you commit to several hours every night and at least one full day per weekend? Kill your TV if you have to. Disconnect your internet when you study. Implement a SDN moratorium until after you take the MCAT. This place is a huge time-sink. I studied literally every single night and weekend day for 2.5 months with only 1 weekend off to go skiing (but I brought books with me and studied in my hotel).

As far as how I studied, I purchased a 2005 edition of the Kaplan materials for like $7.00 after shipping from Amazon marketplace and read through the whole thing (ignoring the alkenes and alkynes chapters, which are no longer tested). I made an annotated outline of about 6 double-sided pages while reading. This took me about a month. I got my hands on as many practice materials as I could and did loads of problems and at least a few VR passages if not a whole VR test (from a used EK 101 passages book) each night during the process.

I listened to a used copy of Audio Osmosis in my car on the way to work and home. I put it on my MP3 player and listened to it at other times too. Each time I finished a chapter on my outline I would listen to the corresponding AO segment and make notes of anything I didn't fully understand. I reviewed everything I wasn't comfortable with by turning to more detailed textbooks. Previous editions of college textbooks are dirt cheap, often only $2 or $3 (a great way to save money in college, FYI, because they change so little between editions).

Plan to finish your content review a month before you take the MCAT so you can work on problem areas and take practice tests. I purchased some of the AAMC tests online and some used paper copies. The paper copies (although out of date), provide you with 50% more questions so you can easily pare them down to be the right length for a practice test and have additional material for generalized practice. Get a copy of the current topics outline from AAMC and you will know which questions to ignore. It is very important to realize that the MCAT is a test of thinking, not of knowing. You need to get as much practice as possible taking tests to get a feel for the reasoning required by the real deal. Don't get hung up on content review at the expense of practice.

How you take practice tests is important. Use timed conditions and meticulously review every problem including the correct ones after you finish. You can also re-take the test before you review the questions and look up all the answers. Just make sure that you are learning why you missed the ones you did so you can fix the problem.

The bottom line is that you can definitely study on your own, it just takes discipline.

 

[soonereng]

I used the ExamKrackers series of books. I set my own timetable for what I wanted to do and did it. I also used audio osmosis in conjunction with the books to both see and hear the information.

You can definitely do it. You have to pace yourself and condition your mind and body prepared to take a day-long test.

This is what I did. Worked for me even w/out the coursework for bio or ochem, so it's definitely doable.

Goodluck.

34M - 12VR 13PS 9BS

Not bad considering I haven't been in college for 5 years and I have had no bio courses or organic chemistry yet.

1: BJ I think.

2: No full practice test scores. I just practiced on BS and scored 8-11 range.

3: I studied for one month prior to the August test using ExamKrackers books for Org and Bio while I worked my day job as an engineer (decided in July to go to medschool).

4: Relieved. Now I can focus on getting the bio prereqs done and hopefully my score was good enough to get an interview this year. Kind of bummed about the writing, but I hadn't written an essay in 7 years, so I guess the M is probably about right.

 

[sindadel]

I studied on my own with exam krackers material. You'll be doing a lot of self-directed studing in medical school when you get in, so why not start now?