From Burnout to 521: How Lauren Overcame MCAT Test Day Anxiety and Crushed the MCAT

MCAT Mastery Podcast: Show Notes

On her first attempt on MCAT day, anxiety took over and Lauren choked on the first two sections...

Ending up with a disappointing score below her practice tests. So she was forced to take the MCAT again.

Throughout her prep, she was balancing anxiety, timing issues, and feeling like she was spinning her wheels despite studying for months:

• Freaking out about timing

• Losing focus during marathon study sessions

• Feeling her confidence dip with each practice test

• Worrying about falling behind

• Battling the urge to procrastinate 

But for her second attempt, she prepped differently...

In fact, she increased her score by 13 points in less than 60 days

From 508 → 521 (98th percentile).

How? She reveals it all on our latest podcast episode 🙂

 Listen Now

Embarking on the journey to medical school is nothing short of monumental, and the MCAT stands as one of the most challenging milestones on that path.

In this in-depth interview, Lauren Bonner, a recent Brown University graduate and top MCAT scorer, shares her candid journey through preparation, setbacks, and ultimate triumph.

Hosted by Vera from MedLife Mastery, this conversation dives deep into the real struggles behind the scenes and the effective strategies that propelled Lauren from a daunting initial experience to an impressive 521 on her retake.

Whether you're just starting your MCAT prep or facing hurdles along the way, Lauren's story offers practical advice and inspiration to help you optimize your study approach, manage test anxiety, and build confidence. Let’s unpack her experience and insights to empower your own MCAT journey.

 Getting to Know Lauren: A Unique Background and Medical Motivation

Currently, she is completing a year of service with AmeriCorps, working as a case manager at Boston Healthcare for the Homeless Program. This role has deepened her passion for medicine and advocacy, especially for marginalized populations.

Lauren’s journey to medicine was anything but linear. Inspired initially by the TV show Criminal Minds and an interest in joining the FBI, she gradually realized through her psychology studies and volunteer work that medicine offered a way to blend her fascination with human behavior, biology, ethics, law, and policy.

"Medicine presented itself as a way to combine the interest in psychology with other things I’m interested in like biology, biomedical ethics, law, policy, and sociology."

Her commitment now is steadfast, with goals to apply to medical school soon, focusing on psychiatry and biomedical ethics, and a heartfelt ambition to work with homeless and marginalized communities.

The MCAT Experience: Daunting Challenges and Initial Setbacks

Describing the MCAT in one word, Lauren chooses “daunting,” a sentiment many pre-meds will resonate with. The sheer volume of material, the length of the exam, and its critical role in the medical school application process can feel overwhelming.

Lauren’s initial diagnostic scores hovered around 506-508, which was promising but left her feeling uncertain. She dedicated the summer to studying while balancing a full-time research job and other responsibilities, which made her schedule busy and fragmented. Despite steady practice and averaging scores around 514 on practice exams, test day anxiety and timing issues caused her to underperform, scoring 511—lower than expected.

Rather than giving up, Lauren took this setback as a learning opportunity. She recognized the need to overhaul her study plan and address mental and timing challenges head-on for her retake.

Crafting a Realistic and Effective Study Schedule

One of Lauren’s key lessons was the importance of a study schedule tailored to her unique needs and responsibilities. Her first attempt involved an overly ambitious plan—aiming for 120 practice questions a day, two hours of Anki flashcards, and comprehensive review—which quickly led to burnout.

For her retake, Lauren completely flipped her approach. She scrapped her old schedule and, with the help of a MedLife Mastery tutor, built a more manageable plan focused on quality over quantity. This included:

• Two CARS passages every morning
• A full section of biology or chemistry/physics questions daily
• Reviewing missed content through Khan Academy videos or textbook chapters
• Using Anki flashcards selectively, usually in the morning

She emphasizes that it’s okay—and often necessary—to rework your schedule multiple times to find what works best for you, especially to avoid burnout and maintain productivity.

"It’s okay to have to rework your study schedule or your plan and start over because what’s really important is finding a schedule that works around your other responsibilities, is productive and meaningful, and doesn’t lead to burnout."

Lauren’s experience highlights the pitfalls of setting unrealistic daily goals, which can create a negative cycle of disappointment and decreased motivation. Instead, she advocates for smaller, focused study blocks that you can consistently achieve.

 Overcoming Mental Hurdles: Test Anxiety, Focus, and Procrastination

Beyond content mastery, Lauren identifies mental challenges as some of the toughest obstacles during MCAT prep. These included:

• Maintaining focus for the entire 8-hour exam
• Managing fatigue and jitteriness, especially from caffeine intake
• Timing pressures throughout the test sections
• Test anxiety and negative internal dialogue
• Procrastination during study sessions

To combat these, Lauren developed several practical strategies:

• Practicing deep breathing and small physical actions (like lightly tapping her face) during breaks to re-center focus
• Establishing consistent sleep hygiene and waking up early (around 5:30 AM) to simulate test day conditions
• Embracing procrastination instead of fighting it—allowing herself to lounge in the morning and study later when she felt more productive, even if that meant working at unconventional hours
• Doing timed practice tests and questions from the very beginning to build comfort with timing pressure
• Setting internal timing checkpoints during the exam to track progress and adjust pace
• Using “skip and return” strategies to manage difficult passages or questions efficiently
• Leaving each section behind by performing a physical action (e.g., ripping a paper towel) to clear mental baggage before the next section
• Using positive affirmations to boost confidence and stay motivated

"I did use so many affirmations throughout my studying, and that helped me."

Lauren’s mental preparation was as crucial as her academic prep, and these techniques helped her maintain endurance and composure on test day.

 Study Resources That Worked: What to Use and What to Skip

Lauren experimented with a variety of MCAT prep materials and shares her recommendations based on what closely mirrored the real exam and optimized her learning:

• Highly Recommended: UWorld for practice questions, AAMC for official questions and full-length tests, and Jack Weston for CARS passages
• Content Review: Khan Academy and YouTube videos for topics needing extra help
• Flashcards: Anki worked well for her, especially for memorizing psych/sociology vocabulary
• Less Effective: Blueprint (The GEAR) materials and prep class, which she used less in her retake prep

She advises tailoring resource use to your learning style—if you’re not a fan of flashcards, don’t force them. But if they work for you, like they did for her, they can be a powerful tool.

Section-by-Section Strategies for Success

Biology and Biochemistry / Chemistry and Physics

Lauren’s approach here was daily practice of a full section’s worth of questions, followed by targeted review of weak areas using videos or textbooks. She stresses the importance of embracing discomfort with topics that feel overwhelming, such as mirrors, lenses, and physics concepts.

Her mindset advice is key:

"The content on this exam feels infinite, and there’s just no way you’re going to know every single tiny detail. Focus on brushing up on the things that scare you."

Additionally, switching study formats—doing questions, watching videos, reading—helped maintain focus and deepen understanding.

Psychology and Sociology

Psych/soc was Lauren’s strongest section, where she scored a 132. Her secret? Consistent flashcard use, especially for vocabulary, which forms the backbone of this section. She found practicing questions less helpful than simply knowing the terminology inside and out.

CARS (Critical Analysis and Reasoning Skills)

CARS was the most challenging for Lauren. She felt at the mercy of the passages, with variable performance. Her strategy involved:

• Practicing 1-2 full passages daily
• Choosing difficult passages from history or philosophy to get used to challenging content
• Thoroughly reviewing explanations by redoing questions and working backward from answers to understand the reasoning
• Gradually reducing time per passage from 12 to 8 minutes to build speed and comfort under pressure
• Using a last-resort strategy recommended by her tutor: skipping an entire passage when timing was tight, then returning if time allowed

She highlights that skipping a passage can be a smart move, preserving accuracy on other passages and managing test time effectively.

"If you’re having issues with CARS and timing, just skip the passage and come back later if you can."

 Test Day Reflections: Managing Nerves and Endurance

Walking into her second MCAT attempt, Lauren was understandably nervous, haunted by memories of her first test day. She reminded herself that it would be over in about eight hours, helping her face the day with resolve.

Interestingly, she arrived early expecting to be the first test taker but found others already seated and testing, which heightened her anxiety.

The first half of the test (Chemistry/Physics and CARS) felt unusually smooth, prompting some self-doubt about whether she had oversimplified questions. However, this was likely the payoff of her improved preparation.

During breaks, Lauren took advantage of the full ten minutes—using the bathroom, snacking, and even doing thirty jumping jacks to stay energized. She noticed few others took such full breaks, but found them invaluable for maintaining stamina.

The second half of the test was more stressful. Bio/Biochem made her jittery from caffeine, but deep breathing helped her push through. Psych/Soc was typical, with a strong desire for the test to end, requiring conscious effort to slow down and check answers carefully.

Despite the challenges, Lauren came out of the testing room smiling, proud simply to have completed the test.

 Final Words of Wisdom: Kindness, Realism, and Resilience

Lauren offers heartfelt advice to anyone in the thick of MCAT prep, especially those struggling with burnout or frustration:

• Be kind to yourself. If you can’t complete all practice problems or Anki cards, do less rather than beating yourself up.
• Focus on quality study time over quantity. Small, productive sessions are more valuable than marathon days that leave you exhausted.
• Create a time-blocked schedule to hold yourself accountable and build momentum.
• Make time to decompress and remember that the MCAT is temporary—this phase will pass.

She reflects on her own regrets of setting unrealistic goals that led to discouragement early on and encourages students to protect themselves from that cycle by setting achievable daily targets.

"I wish I had started out my studying with a little bit more realistic goals because setting out to do so many questions a day just led me to be disappointed and discouraged."

Above all, Lauren’s journey underscores the importance of resilience, adaptation, and self-compassion throughout this demanding process.

 Celebrating Success: The Moment of Triumph and Future Aspirations

When Lauren received her 521 score, the moment was overwhelming. Initially, she mistakenly opened her previous year’s score, which triggered panic, but upon seeing the actual results, she was overcome with emotion—her arms went numb, she hyperventilated, and she needed a three-hour nap to recover.

This moment of triumph was the culmination of her hard work, mental battles, and refined strategies.

Looking ahead, Lauren plans to continue her service work and possibly pursue a master's degree in biomedical ethics. She envisions herself in medical school within five years, ideally in New England near family, with a strong interest in psychiatry, bioethics, and legal consultation. And on a lighter note, she dreams of fostering many dogs and building a lakeside home for them—a beautiful blend of personal passion and professional ambition.

 Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ) About MCAT Prep and Success

Q: How important is it to have a strict study schedule for the MCAT?

A: While having a schedule is important, flexibility and personalization are key. Lauren’s experience shows it’s okay to rework your plan multiple times to find what fits your lifestyle and prevents burnout. Quality and consistency trump rigid, unrealistic goals.

Q: Should I start with content review or practice questions?

A: Integrating practice questions from day one is beneficial. Lauren found that doing questions early helped her get familiar with MCAT logic and question style, even if she initially got many wrong. Waiting to do questions only after content review can delay acclimation to test conditions.

Q: How can I manage timing issues during the MCAT?

A: Practice timed sections from the beginning of your prep to build comfort. Use internal checkpoints during the test to track progress, and don’t hesitate to skip difficult questions or entire passages to maintain pace, returning if time permits.

Q: What strategies help with test anxiety?

A: Techniques like deep breathing, physical movement during breaks, positive affirmations, and mental resets between sections can reduce anxiety. Simulating test conditions during practice also helps desensitize nerves.

Q: What are the best resources to use for MCAT prep?

A: Lauren recommends UWorld, AAMC official materials, and Jack Weston for CARS. Khan Academy is excellent for content review, especially for difficult or unfamiliar topics. Use flashcards like Anki if that suits your learning style.

Q: How should I approach sections I find intimidating?

A: Face them head-on. Dedicate focused time to review difficult topics. Use multiple study formats like videos, questions, and reading to keep engagement high. Remember, it’s impossible to know everything, so prioritize what you can control.

Final Thoughts

Lauren Bonner’s MCAT journey is a testament to perseverance, adaptability, and self-awareness. From balancing a busy schedule and overcoming burnout to mastering timing and conquering anxiety, her story offers a roadmap for future test-takers aiming for top scores.

Her key messages encourage kindness toward oneself, strategic and consistent practice, and the courage to embrace discomfort as a growth tool. By learning from her experiences and applying these insights, you too can navigate the MCAT with confidence and resilience.

Remember, the MCAT is just one step on the path to becoming a doctor. With determination and the right approach, your success story is waiting to be written.