Which MCAT course

[iamapharmacist]

I am a full time pharmacist, work 4 days a week, wanting to take the MCAT. Any suggestion on which course to take? I heard Princeton Review is a good one.

Also, is it even feasible to do well only studying about 20-25 hours a week?

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[deleted1085158]

If you have a lot of time to study, I suggest self-studying and not using a course.

Just buy the books, a Qbank, and the AAMC stuff. There is nothing a course will do for you that you can't do for yourself with some planning.

 

[JimKimSlim]

Kaplan supplemented with KA videos. Or just do KA only, if money is an issue.

 

[Blueprint Med School]

I think you should only take a course if you need a sort of introduction to studying for the MCAT. If you feel disciplined enough to create your own study plan, then I wouldn't recommend a course. 20-25 hours a week is enough as long as you're consistent and keep it up over an extended amount of time.

Kevin W, MCAT Tutor
Med School Tutors

 

[iamapharmacist]

I think you should only take a course if you need a sort of introduction to studying for the MCAT. If you feel disciplined enough to create your own study plan, then I wouldn't recommend a course. 20-25 hours a week is enough as long as you're consistent and keep it up over an extended amount of time.

Kevin W, MCAT Tutor
Med School Tutors

I am thinking I should probably go with Princeton Review's self paced course. I thought about studying on my own but with a full time job, I would think it's more efficient to use a course that's already set and proven to have worked. Any thoughts on their course?

Btw, I am off one day a week and work half a day every other saturday, which gives me either 3 full days or 2.5 days a week to study. If I were to put in at least 5-6 hours a day on studying, what would be the projected timeline? would 6 months be enough to prepare?

 

[AB92]

Hi! I’m in a similar situation to you, I work full time, Mon-Fri, with also a lot of other adult responsibilities (I’m a non-trad) and I am currently in the Princeton Review Ultimate course (the scheduled version). I haven’t taken the MCAT yet, but I am almost done with the course. I would 100% take the course again because I knew that self-studying wouldn’t be successful for me. I’m so busy, I needed the accountability of the structure that the class provides. The teachers are also extremely knowledgeable and encouraging. Feel free to PM me if you have any questions! I’d be more than happy to share more specifics about my experience.

 

[PlsLetMeIn21]

The only course worth the money, IMHO, is TBR. I reluctantly signed up for a class to do my retake and it was amazing. Best choice I could have made. The author of the chemistry and physics books (their best books in pretty much everyone's opinion) is your actual teacher for those sections. Their tips are so good on how to handle tough questions that you'll find yourself less stressed on test day, and that was huge for me. I sometimes let anxiety get the better of me, and I really appreciated how calm I stayed during my exam. See if they'll let you sit for a sample class.

 

[deleted1085158]

The only course worth the money, IMHO, is TBR. I reluctantly signed up for a class to do my retake and it was amazing. Best choice I could have made. The author of the chemistry and physics books (their best books in pretty much everyone's opinion) is your actual teacher for those sections. Their tips are so good on how to handle tough questions that you'll find yourself less stressed on test day, and that was huge for me. I sometimes let anxiety get the better of me, and I really appreciated how calm I stayed during my exam. See if they'll let you sit for a sample class.

I think that is a very subjective assessment. Lots of people do just as well with Kaplan or TPR.

 

[maikelm]

Similar to you, I'm working full time and I'm studying for the MCAT. This will be the third time I do the MCAT.

When I took it the first two times, I used Kaplan courses, and they were absolutely horrible. I would not recommend the Kaplan courses at all, because they are not practical and do not provide actual tips/tricks. Especially their methodology to CARS - don't listen to their way of summarizing the passages and whatnot. You do not have time for that. Their books are okay, but it feels like it was too much details.

I am currently studying on my own using The Berkeley Review content, and it's been great. I've been studying for about 4-ish months and I'm about 40% done with content. I'm looking for taking the MCAT in the fall 2021, because of my busy schedule and required time to study.

I think a huge portion of this decision will come down to your learning style. Do you need the class structure? Are you able to attend the classes? Some of those courses are pretty compressed - I'm not sure what your undergrad background is, but that will be something to consider. I have a Biology degree, but I forgot many things over the years. How long do you think you need to master the application of the material for MCAT?

Hope this helps!
Maikel

 

[jhmmd]

Similar to you, I'm working full time and I'm studying for the MCAT. This will be the third time I do the MCAT.

When I took it the first two times, I used Kaplan courses, and they were absolutely horrible. I would not recommend the Kaplan courses at all, because they are not practical and do not provide actual tips/tricks. Especially their methodology to CARS - don't listen to their way of summarizing the passages and whatnot. You do not have time for that. Their books are okay, but it feels like it was too much details.

I am currently studying on my own using The Berkeley Review content, and it's been great. I've been studying for about 4-ish months and I'm about 40% done with content. I'm looking for taking the MCAT in the fall 2021, because of my busy schedule and required time to study.

I think a huge portion of this decision will come down to your learning style. Do you need the class structure? Are you able to attend the classes? Some of those courses are pretty compressed - I'm not sure what your undergrad background is, but that will be something to consider. I have a Biology degree, but I forgot many things over the years. How long do you think you need to master the application of the material for MCAT?

Hope this helps!
Maikel

TBR is good if you really need detailed explanations of "how" and "why" things work. I found the Princeton Review to be good for important details. Kaplan was high yield overall.

Most people do not recommend studying for more than four months, due to the fact that it may be overkill. If you truly mastered the courses in undergrad (like you're supposed to), then content review should be just that--review. It's kind of like studying for finals--you can't cram it all in the night before the exam.

Just my take on things. Good luck

 

[maikelm]

TBR is good if you really need detailed explanations of "how" and "why" things work. I found the Princeton Review to be good for important details. Kaplan was high yield overall.

Most people do not recommend studying for more than four months, due to the fact that it may be overkill. If you truly mastered the courses in undergrad (like you're supposed to), then content review should be just that--review. It's kind of like studying for finals--you can't cram it all in the night before the exam.

Just my take on things. Good luck

Thanks!
I think I did pretty good in undergrad, but I've been out of it for about 5-ish years now. So, that's why I may be rusty. I know most people study for a few months and then take the exam. Unfortunately, I know I need a bit more time, so I'm extending it a bit more. And this would be my third time too.

Maikel

 

[FluffyCat1212]

If you want to do a full course, putting my recommendation here for NS/Blueprint. It is one of the most affordable full courses out there. There was a wealth of resources (I couldn't even get through all of them), 10 solid FLs, and they seem to be pretty good with not overwhelming you with details. My only qualm was that, despite taking 2 diagnostics with the program, the final "recommended" schedule didn't seem at all tailored to my needs. However, this is a small qualm and I think they may have changed it...

As for studying while working full-time, it's iffy. I was taking classes too (plus all of the other fun stuff that comes with being a young adult...like being MoH in my bff's wedding), so I don't think I made 20-25hrs/wk, but it seemed to work out well enough. It just comes down to your schedule and your diligence!