Hey!!

I'm currently going into second year Chemistry/Chemical Biology in the Fall of 2011.
In the long run, i hope to apply to med school, be it in my third year, to the Mac Med program or in my 4th year into med programs in other schools.

I was toying with the idea of writing my MCATs this year, for 2 reasons:

1. I have come to the conclusion that i'll probably write the MCATs twice. This is considering many students do claim that the first "write" prepares them, to some extent, for the second time they write it. I definitely want to take advantage of the experience that an actual MCAT sitting may provide me with. May be, if i don't do too well in the first set of MCATs that i write, i'd look into taking prep courses before writing it a second time.

2. In order to apply for Mac's Med program in 3rd year, i'm guessing the MCAT scores i would end up submitting are the ones i'd have written in the summer after my second year, which is the summer of 2012. If this is to be the second set of MCATs that i'm writing, it seems only logical that i should write my first set this year.

I'm unsure as to whether i'm making a flawed argument, and haven't done much research about the application process to med school. Having said that, i'm willing to buckle down and self-study for my MCATs should i be taking them this year.

I'd be grateful if anyone can give me guidance regarding to whether now is too early, considering i just finished first year, and the importance and benefit of taking prep courses offered by Princeton, for ex.

Thanks!

Maria Maria Maria. You honestly can do whatever you put your mind to. I'm actually planning on doing next summer which will be early for me since I have another three to four years to go depending on where I do an internship before I finish my degree. Heck why not do it now. I only remember seeing that one school that I was interested that looked at all the MCATs you write. While I can't give great advice on this stuff, I just wanna say your argument sounds good and that you have the determination and dedication to do well.

It's probably worth remembering that MCAT scores do expire after 3-4 years, so writing it early might hurt you in the long run. Apart from that, there's nothing wrong with writing it now.

I'd recommend simulating a real test without actually writing it. Grab a couple practice tests, reserve 6 hours and write it. Find someone who can help you score it and you're good.

If you go in to physically write it that's ok too, but the drawback is the cost. I mean it's not a lot of money, but in my opinion if you're going to spend the $250 or whatever to write it, you should intend on doing well, not simply trying it as an expensive experience.

What I'm trying to say is, don't plan to write it twice, just do so if the need arises. You should put your full effort into writing the first time.

You should write the first time with the intention of meeting cut-offs. Having to devote two summers two writing the MCAT is a waste. If you're going to do that, you should book an early summer test and a late September test so that you don't totally waste your time.

If you've taken Chem and Physics you should be fine for the PS part. I think after taking second year courses like physiology and orgo (definitely not necessary because mac's orgo goes into too much detail), I found it a lot easier because there was less material to know. That's the main advantage of taking it in second year.

I had two friends write the MCAT after first year, but they are kind of exceptional. They both wanted to apply to Calgary and Alberta after 2nd year - and one of them got in. The other got in after 3rd year. MCAT scores expire so keep that in mind in the chance that you don't get in the first or second time and end up doing a masters or what not. Also the cut-offs may go up between the time that you apply and when you write the MCAT (always a risk). It would suck to get a score that meets cut offs and when you actually apply for schools it increases and you need to write again anyways.

Some food for thought.

Originally Posted by Tailsnake

It's probably worth remembering that MCAT scores do expire after 3-4 years,

5 years

If the earliest you're going to apply is the fall of 2012, there's really no need to write any earlier than next summer. Considering you just finished first year, you have tons of time before you need to start thinking about med school.