Let's make sure you never have to take the MCAT again โ
In this video and article, Melanie shares her MCAT journey and how she ended up in an MD-PhD program!
Passing it on to Melanie from here:
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The first time I took the MCAT, I was a student pursuing a neuroscience degree while working in a research lab. I decided I would also study for six months and take the MCAT at the end of my working period.
In order to make time for the MCAT, I decided to wake up early and allocate two hours of the morning to self-study from prep books before working a typical nine-to-five job. I'd go home, give myself time to rest, and then study for another two hours before going to bed.
Ultimately, I was disappointed that after these six months, I was only able to score a 506 on my MCAT. The score of 506 really frustrated me. I was able to do well in my courses, and I didn't understand why my studying didn't reflect in the score I got on the MCAT.
My dream had always been to pursue an MD PhD, and I realized that I could not apply with the score of 506, so I decided to take a gap year in order to focus on the MCAT and improve my application. I continued to work in the research lab and worked on my medical school application.
After learning better studying strategies, I was able to take the MCAT again and score a 516, 10 points higher than my previous attempt!
I hope the five tips I'm about to share with you will prevent you from making the same mistakes I did so that you can go on and pursue your medical school aspirations!
You're building a house, not pitching a tent.
A solid foundation takes time to construct, much like proper MCAT prep. Most people are retaking because they didn't pace themselves.
The schedule I described to you of waking up at five to study, then work a full-time job, and then come home and study again is just not feasible. Studying for the MCAT is a marathon, not a sprint. Although we as premed students are capable of taking on multiple tasks at once, really dedicating appropriate time to study smart and well is key for this exam.
Give yourself more time to study, whether that means taking a nine-month period instead of six and breaking up your studying so that it takes up fewer hours of the day, but you do it for longer. You can also cut back on your work hours to make MCAT studying your priority.
Make a consistent schedule that you can stick to.
Itโs a cruise ship, not a speedboat.
You can course-correct along the way, rather than racing in a straight line.
Build flexible time periods into your studying schedule. First-time testers don't realize that often, work runs late, or it takes you longer to study a concept than you anticipated. Therefore, build that into your schedule.
Dedicate some of your study days to catch-up days where if you can't get to something, use those catch-up days to look into extra resources or take the extra time to solidify areas that you may need to improve in.
Itโs polishing a diamond, not pretending itโs flawless.
You have to work on the rough edges to shine.
Meaning, be honest with yourself about what your areas of weakness are.
As pre-med students, we're often pressured into doing things right all the time and showing that we have no weaknesses. However, when you study for the MCAT, you really want to be honest with yourself about what you need to improve on. Therefore, make an Excel file where you write down all the questions that you got wrong and identify why you got them wrong.
That may mean going to different resources and identifying what those key concepts are that you missed, and then taking the time to make flashcards where you reinforce the concepts that you miss. You can also find other resources besides flashcards and Excel files that really cater to your learning style and help you learn your material smarter, not harder.
Itโs a personalized playlist, not a generic radio station.
Find resources that cater to your learning style. You need resources that match your rhythm and pace, not someone elseโs.
For me, that meant enrolling myself in a prep course where I had a professor teach me certain high-yield topics. I also did extra practice problems outside of class to practice seeing the way the AAMC likes to ask questions and apply the knowledge I was learning in class.
I also utilized tutors to help me solidify concepts that I was not comfortable with. In addition, I took advantage of the free resources from MedLife Mastery.
Side Note: You can receive more strategies from me and others who have been through the journey and are now ready to give back. Feel free to browse through our tutoring page to work with our tutors to best personalize your learning needs. We are all here to see your medical school dreams become a reality!
Itโs watering the plant, not just shining the light.
To grow, you need balance between hard work and nourishment. Make self-care a priority during your studying.
What I found while I was taking the MCAT the first time was I was burning myself out. I wasn't giving myself enough time to do other things that I was enjoying, whether that be going to the gym, taking the time to read something for fun, or seeing friends. Reconnecting with people that really encouraged me and motivated me was key during a time where I found studying to be very monotonous.
Although it may be challenging to do all these things every day, I found ways to incorporate them into my schedule. In order for my mind to be working and studying hard, my body also has to be in shape. I made sure to schedule in one hour every day to go to the gym and take the time to completely decompress and not think about studying. I also tried to take one or two nights off a week to see friends and do things I really like to do for fun.
Ultimately, when I studied in these ways, I was able to score a 516 and was able to get into my dream MD-PhD program!
I hope the five tips I shared with you will help you also in your medical school journey. I know it's tough, but remember, you can do this.
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