<p>Yeah, I know there are already threads on this, but I wanna ask anyway. By the end of the next school year, I should be done with all of the necessary classes for the MCATs and maybe 1 class that would be good (physiology, genetics, any suggestions?) However, I was planning on doing a decently time-consuming internship away from home next year, and don't think I will be able to study for the MCATs very much. Should I take the MCAT that summer, or wait a whole year longer, and take some more classes and a prep course? By the way, how long should I plan to study for the MCAT before I take on the internship and have lots of time to study each day? Would 2 or 3 weeks be ok?</p>
<p>Do NOT even attempt to study for the MCAT with a 40 hour/week internship. Friends of mine, including the boyfriend, did that last summer and were absolutely miserable. Take a Kaplan course fall semester (along with a lighter schedule) and shoot for the January '09 sitting. That's my advice.</p>
<p>As for the upper-level biology classes - remember, intro biology should be sufficient "prep" for the MCAT (only a small percentage of it is actually CONTENT-based). With that said, I took biochem before the exam and found that to be extremely helpful. As time goes by, however, you'll be forgetting gen chem/orgo/&physics, all of which are easily reviewable, but why not take the test while the concepts are fresh? Remember that biology is only part of the MCAT. Good luck!</p>
<p>I studied and took the MCAT with a full-time internship in a lab. It's very time-consuming and I would seriously advise against it unless you don't want to take a gap year.</p>
<p>Really? I tried that (lab job, 40 hrs/wk) and it worked out fine for me. In any case, you can always take the course and see how the practice tests are going before you decide whether or not to take the test.</p>
<p>D is doing just that this summer. She'll let her AMCAS practice tests and her gut be her guide. Hitting numbers she likes , feels confident :take it. ;)</p>
<p>Summer 08: full-time summer program until mid-August
mid-Aug till mid-Sept: study MCATs, take MCAT in mid-Sept (my school is on the quarter-system, so this won't interfere with school)</p>
<p>or...</p>
<p>Summer 08: full-time summer program
Fall 08: take classes as normal, study along for the MCAT
Jan 09: take MCAT
June 09: apply for med school</p>
<p>Pros for option 1:
-get it over with
-lots of studying opportunity (one whole month free of distractions)
-more opportunities to retake, if I have to
Cons:
-pressure to study for the last month of summer</p>
<p>Pros for option 2:
-I will have finished molecular bio, which I have heard is very useful and helpful (is this true?), even though all I need is gen.bio
-more overall time to study (5 months spread out vs. one month cramming)
Cons:
-have a rough fall schedule, so don't know how much studying will be done
-lots of distractions, the feeling of getting burned out by school...</p>
<p>I definitely will not be getting any studying during my program, but I will be taking a GRE class (required by program), so maybe that will carry over for MCAT prep.</p>
<p>btw, for an md/phd degree, what are average stats to be considered at a mid-tier school? 3.8/35 + two years research experience? just wondering.</p>
<p>sorry for hijacking!</p>
<p>PS: CITS, does this mean we shouldn't hit on you?</p>
<p>Oh, bluedevilmike - you're a clever one, Mr. 15 VR (my my my you do read into things). Would you say that the TONE of my writing suggests that I would be against you hitting on me? ...or would my impeccable style and flow (both in more ways than one) suggest an overly flirtatious, sassy, yet charming disposition - in which case I would be more than open to you and the other pre-med/M0/M1/M2/M7 boys hitting on me? That's MY question - What do I, the writer, want? What are my intentions? GO!</p>
<p>Well...</p>
<p>
[quote]
would my impeccable style and flow (both in more ways than one) suggest an overly flirtatious, sassy, yet charming disposition - in which case I would be more than open
[/quote]
See, notice here how CITS puts all the positive words into the suggestive half of the sentence. If I think she's a good writer ("impeccable style and flow") then she's "more than open."</p>
<p>Too, it's easy to pick up on the fun phrases -- the nickname ("Mr. 15 VR" -- which is not quite true, by the way), the repetition ("my my my"), etc. And then, too, see how much greater detail she places on the receptive answer: "against" vs. "flirtatious, sassy, yet charming." And, too, notice how if I decide that she's not flirtatious, she forces me into also describing her as not charming -- something I'm sure she would never, ever want me to do.</p>
<p>See? MCAT VR is useful for lots of things in life. If I can't sell an MCAT book, maybe I can sell a how-to-pick-up-med-students book.</p>
<p>Although, now that I've browsed through her previous posts, she has yet to call me [url=<a href="http://talk.collegeconfidential.com/pre-med-topics/516411-volunteering-talking-doctors-patients-post1060468825.html#post1060468825%5D%22sweetie.%22%5B/url">http://talk.collegeconfidential.com/pre-med-topics/516411-volunteering-talking-doctors-patients-post1060468825.html#post1060468825]"sweetie."[/url</a>] So maybe she's not quite as receptive as I thought...</p>
<p>This is intended to be humorous. I am NOT making fun of CITS, a clearly valuable addition to the board. Just bored and the conversation struck me as capable of producing humor, however bad. I apologize in advance. </p>
<p>
I'm not bdm, but I'll give it a go. I'm betting -hmmmm.......about 43 , male, F.T.W. prison tat across your forehead, serving a life sentence at the Beto Unit in Palestine , Texas, and open to the possibilities. </p>
<p>How'd I do?</p>