I’m a high school senior, who is good at school but not so hot when it comes to standardized testing. But, since I have discovered my weakness, I was wondering if I should start studying for the MCAT ahead of time, so by the time I take the real thing I’ll be able to do well.
Thanks, I’m just really concerned that I will not be able to get into Med Scool after getting into a Pre-Med program as an undergraduate.
It’s pointless to start prepping until you have completed the pre-reqs courses for material included on the MCAT. The MCAT isn’t like the ACT or SAT; it’s a much more content based. Also intense prepping years before you actually take the exam will lead to burn-out.
If you want to do something now–work on improving your reading comprehension and reading speed. (Many people suggest taking a subscription to The Economist or The Atlantic Monthly for this purpose.)
Comment #1-- you need to find out why you don’t do well on standardized exams and fix it. A career in medicine is one high stakes national standardized exam after another. Seriously, the MCAT is just the beginning. You’ll be taking standardized exams all the way through medical school, through clinical training, through residency, through fellowship and then every few years thereafter for as long as you practice medicine.
Comment #2-- there is no such thing as a “pre-med program”. Pre-med is an intention; it’s not a major or a specific program (except at Penn State). Pre-meds can and do major in any field, including the arts, humanities, engineering & the physical sciences and social sciences as well as the more common bio or chemistry.
Since 75% of freshman pre-meds end up never even applying to med school, and of the minority who do persevere as pre-meds 60% are rejected to every single school they apply to, I strongly recommend all pre-meds have viable Plan B in case they don’t get accepted. The odds say you won’t. (Nothing personal. I tell this to every pre-med. It’s exactly what I told my own children. They both had a Plan B. You should to.)