EPTStudy hard~
My MCAT Journey Part 1 - Page 4
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FragKrag
United States11549 Posts
Study hard~ | ||
LosingID8
CA10825 Posts
On July 06 2010 12:28 Faronel wrote: Get micronesia to tutor you to get that physics score up! You seem like an underachiever with your GPA. From what I know GPA is mostly a measure of effort. And for you to be scoring that high on the MCAT means you didn't try hard enough. Oh well; lord knows i'll never change  haha yeah i wish i had a physics tutor. i just can't stand the subject in general. am i an underachiever? perhaps, perhaps not. i like to think of myself as someone who is reasonably intelligent, although from the people i've met at my university i've realized i'm far from actually being "smart", whatever that word means. yes GPA is a measure of effort, but it's also a measure of how well you stack up against the competition. my school's bio and chem departments have rigid curves where the top 15% (out of 600 or so students) will receives A/A-, 25% Bs, 40% Cs, 15% Ds and 5% Fs. I am usually slightly above average but not enough to get into the A range at my university. i will be the first to admit that i definitely could have tried harder, especially during my 1st and 3rd years. i had a lot of different circumstances that made it tough for me but i guess it's up for the adcom to decide whether or not my reasons are legit. + Show Spoiler + i had a lot of crap to go through in college. for example my 1st year i was in a LDRwith my gf and every night we'd talk on the phone for 2-3 hours which would make me exhausted every day since i'd be going to bed super late. i don't really regret this though because we're still together now. my finals/midterm schedules would always be terrible, oftentimes doubling up on the same day or having 3 back to back, etc. i always worked during college, working up to 3 jobs simultaneously at one point. my family's financial situation wasn't (and still isn't) really that great so i promised myself that i'd never ask them for money. i paid for all my textbooks, airfare, dorm/apartment essentials, etc. if any readers care, here's a link to a previous blog i wrote about myself if you want more background information. there was also a few other strange issues that went on with my family... like one of my uncles stole money from my grandparents and now we're basically estranged. that whole debacle happened during fall semester of my senior year of college. another would be finding out during junior year that my grandmother was diagnosed with cancer and she was going through really painful chemo treatments i would always get super frustrated because i'd study with a group of friends and we'd approximately the same amount of stuff but they'd always end up with like 5 or 10 points higher than me on each midterm, which, at the end of the semester, would end up being the difference between a B and an A- or something like that. those friends were all accepted to allopathic schools lol. anyway i try to keep a positive outlook on life though, i really believe that if i am able to apply myself and really bunker down and study hard i can pull off a score necessary for me to do become a doctor. oh, and to clarify i have no intention of applying for MD. i know i don't stand a chance. back to studying for now... | ||
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radar14
United States1437 Posts
On July 06 2010 12:06 Judicator wrote: People do grad school which can take up to 6 years if not longer before med school, at least nursing doesn't hinge on your experiments. Asshole nurses aren't asshole doctors, I picked this up pretty quickly shadowing some of the people around my regional hospital. They might act like pricks (ever so subtly) towards the patients and fellow residents but definitely not to their nurses, it's the quickest way to hinder your career. Also, people want to be doctors, there's this social standing that goes with it. You don't get the same response from people if you say you're a physicians assistant than if you said you are a doctor. Funnily enough, there isn't this negative stigma attached to it either like there would be if you were a lawyer or a businessman. What? I feel like you somehow misinterpreted everything I wrote, or you just decided to write a bunch of tangents because you have some experience and just wanted to have an opinion. EDIT: it's late and I'm cranky, but I will try to address those points. Yes, people to indeed get a PhD before med school. I doubt many of them would say it is the plan they originally had, i.e. most of them did not start graduate school with the intent of going to medical school as this is a colossal waste of time and they would have just applied MD/PhD. What we were discussing is whether it is a good idea to decide to get a nursing degree with the intent of applying to medical school. Not really the same thing, right? In regards to "asshats." The original point of contention was whether nurses who become doctors will be less arrogant/stuck-up in general, not whether they will treat nurses better. You're certainly entitled to your opinion. I'm guessing you were referring to the small line about what would make a better student. That was in response to a post saying that nursing would better prepare you for medical school. I was simply saying that there are many other things that could also prepare you for medical school, and that this shouldn't be considered an advantage specific to nursing. | ||
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Biochemist
United States1008 Posts
 Taking mine on Friday. I got a 26 (8/10/8) and then a 32 (10/9/13) on the two princeton review FLs took the aamc#4 this morning and got a 34 (12/11/11) Going to take three more monday/tuesday/wednesday and maybe a fourth on thursday depending on how burned out I am. Thursday evening I'll just go over all the physics formula flash cards again to make sure they're all cemented in there. Do people score lower on the more recent aamc tests and on the real thing than on these others? I need to get at least a 32, and I won't have even touched OChem or GChem since I'm basically studying for it in two weeks and haven't had the time. Should I do aamc 8/9/10 as my last three? | ||
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radar14
United States1437 Posts
It sounds like you have been doing pretty well on the practice tests. No need to rock the boat and shake your confidence if you happen to not do well on a practice test considering the real exam is so close. I would definitely not do anything too intensive the day before, probably just a few Verbal passages and review the short-term memory type stuff. Nothing after dinner obviously. Try to get a good night's sleep. Eat a good breakfast, e.g. oatmeal. Bring multiple layers of clothing so you can adjust to temperature extremes at the test site. Pack a light lunch that'll keep you going. Ignore/avoid all the neurotic crazies studying in between blocks. | ||
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premedsc
10 Posts
I'm kinda freaking out... but you shouldn't You still have PLENTY of time. Physics in AAMC is not that big of a deal once you get all the contents down. What I mean is that you have to memorize all formulas know when to use them. As well as being able to attack conceptual problems with proper reasoning. Fortunately, MCAT physics is not difficult, it's just a lot. With time I'm sure you can hit at least 12s in PS and BS. However, I don't recommend studying physics solely with EK. I consider it very dense and there are some unnecessary details in there that might throw you off as well as some details that are left out. I'm currently using TPR-Hyperlearning but people say Berkeley's is the best, so you should check different sources if you think EK is not thorough enough. Another note on BS. Make sure you memorize everything in EK book. Like read through them for like 4 times at least. Also, you should take notes so that you can memorize things much faster. EK book helped me raise my practice score from 10 to 14. It's the best BIO source. Accompanying this with EK 1001 will help you cement the basics down cold. It's possible to go through book and the 1001 in a week, and it will get you at least 12 in BS. Finally, 26 on first diagnostic is AMAZING. I scored like 18. 1 month into studying I got 26s. Now I'm getting low 30s, trying to finish up review so that I can get at least 35 on the real deal. Compared to me, you still have a bunch of time. Try to take notes and memorize everything. It will help you a tons. | ||
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Biochemist
United States1008 Posts
On July 12 2010 12:06 radar14 wrote: My personal philosophy with standardized tests is to not overwhelm yourself on the last week with practice exams since they are really just for evaluating your progress. I think you would be better served by reviewing materials and doing questions in your weaker areas. I would do two tests max. You do not want to be burned out by the time you actually take the test. You want to be well rested, relaxed, confident. It sounds like you have been doing pretty well on the practice tests. No need to rock the boat and shake your confidence if you happen to not do well on a practice test considering the real exam is so close. I would definitely not do anything too intensive the day before, probably just a few Verbal passages and review the short-term memory type stuff. Nothing after dinner obviously. Try to get a good night's sleep. Eat a good breakfast, e.g. oatmeal. Bring multiple layers of clothing so you can adjust to temperature extremes at the test site. Pack a light lunch that'll keep you going. Ignore/avoid all the neurotic crazies studying in between blocks. I kinda disagree with this. The MCAT has a limited amount of information on it, and a lot of it pops up on almost every test. As I take the tests I've been making lists of the things I didn't remember how to do, and then making sure I understood why I missed the question afterwards. I've gotten my speed up to where I can finish the science sections with 20-30 minutes left, and I think it's helping me with Verbal, too. That said, I might skip the FL on Tuesday and go through the OChem book and practice my writing sample strategies a bit. | ||
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bh.
United States342 Posts
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chaoser
United States5541 Posts
If you want some help with information and stuff, studentdoctor.net is great for that. Not so much on advice cause they pretty much shoot down anyone with a GPA below 3.8 cause they're a bunch of overachieving pompous douches but they have TONS of info on everything medical school related. Cheers | ||
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sutureself
United States192 Posts
Things have changed a lot in 8 years, I guess. Sometimes it's good to be an old fart. | ||
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Biochemist
United States1008 Posts
On July 14 2010 13:39 sutureself wrote: Jesus. I don't know how exactly that GPA factors into the equation, but does a 38 vs a 34 really matter THAT much, it warrants retaking the test? To my mind, that's like a 1540 vs a 1600 on the SAT (assuming old 1600 scoring system)... who really cares? Things have changed a lot in 8 years, I guess. Sometimes it's good to be an old fart. Depends on the school you want to go to. Medicine has certainly gotten more competitive; a 34 is the median if not below for matriculants at many top schools. | ||
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GrayArea
United States872 Posts
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javy_
United States1677 Posts
On July 05 2010 17:33 eshlow wrote: Typically you'll be graduating college at 22... depending on MD/PhD program you'll be doing 4 years for PhD adn 4 years for med school = 30. Then you have your residency as an MD which, depending on your field is anywhere from 2-8+ years. Neurosurgery is like 10+ not really including fellowships, orthopedic surgery is at least 6 IIRC plus fellowships.... On average at residency you're probably looking at least at 3-4 years. Then as a MD/PhD you're most likely going to be doing research.... and not making any money at all so you're pretty much a highly educated poor person. GL starting a family or doing anything you want to then. Can someone expound on this? I've been leaning more towards an MD/PhD because I really enjoy doing research. What irks me the most is that I'll be in school for so long yet I don't even know if I'll be able to even pay back the loans :/ | ||
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premedsc
10 Posts
On July 15 2010 07:47 javy925 wrote: Can someone expound on this? I've been leaning more towards an MD/PhD because I really enjoy doing research. What irks me the most is that I'll be in school for so long yet I don't even know if I'll be able to even pay back the loans :/ I believe MD/PhD's get their grant so tuition is practically free. | ||
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javy_
United States1677 Posts
On July 15 2010 07:56 premedsc wrote: I believe MD/PhD's get their grant so tuition is practically free. ah, that's right :D. Where's the best place to get more information about going that path (MD/PhD)? edit: this seems like a good resource: http://www.aamc.org/students/considering/research/mdphd/ | ||
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Biochemist
United States1008 Posts
On July 15 2010 07:16 GrayArea wrote: What did you guys score on AAMC 8? I just took that and got a 28. I got a 36 on both 8 and 10 (13/11/12 and 14/10/12). 10 is supposed to have really brutal VR. | ||
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GrayArea
United States872 Posts
On July 15 2010 09:35 Biochemist wrote: I got a 36 on both 8 and 10 (13/11/12 and 14/10/12). 10 is supposed to have really brutal VR. Are you rigged? How are you missing so few. Also, I seem to lose my stamina by the time bio comes around. Any tips? Also, I am consistently scoring 9 on the verbal. I'm not really improving. Gah. | ||
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blarrgh
United States24 Posts
I'm in 3rd year medical school right now and TL has kept me through those short, angst-filled nights between calls. Bad news: you'll be taking exams for the rest of your life, each one feeling more important and stressful than the previous. Good news: once your done with the MCATs, flush every aspect of it asap. Almost all that knowledge is useless for medical school and beyond. Party your brains out... while you still have the time | ||
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Divinek
Canada4045 Posts
On July 14 2010 13:39 sutureself wrote: Jesus. I don't know how exactly that GPA factors into the equation, but does a 38 vs a 34 really matter THAT much, it warrants retaking the test? To my mind, that's like a 1540 vs a 1600 on the SAT (assuming old 1600 scoring system)... who really cares? Things have changed a lot in 8 years, I guess. Sometimes it's good to be an old fart. depends how many people get less than 38 | ||
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Biochemist
United States1008 Posts
On July 15 2010 09:43 GrayArea wrote: Are you rigged? How are you missing so few. Also, I seem to lose my stamina by the time bio comes around. Any tips? Also, I am consistently scoring 9 on the verbal. I'm not really improving. Gah. I'm not sure what to say about verbal. Counting all my practice tests (first two were TPR, rest were official), my VR did something like 10-9-11-10-11 so no real change. I haven't studied it at all, since I've been focusing on the sciences. I've been using process of elimination to great effect. I mark every question where I'm either unsure of the answer or am curious to see how they explain the answer, and my %correct of marked questions is between 60 and 75% most of the time.... so that's really where I pull ahead of the 30 crowd. Process of elimination saves you a lot of time. If you go through a question and you can't decide on an answer, read it again and then cross out all the WRONG ones. that usually gets me back to one or two, and if there's two it's a lot easier to compare them because I'm no longer distracted by the other ones. Sometimes the MCAT likes to put really hard answers on there that they don't expect you to know, but they DO expect you to understand that the other three potential answers are wrong. A lot of people panic and guess on those when they shouldn't have to. Given my attention span, I'm surprised that I haven't really had problems with running out of stamina on BS. Having a good system for the writing sample helps, because then the writing sample turns into an hour-long break instead of a stressful event. Don't worry about writing 6s, just get a solid three-paragraph-system down that'll usually get you a decent 4 or 5 essay. Medical schools don't care about the writing sample unless you get a K or something, so don't stress yourself out over it. | ||
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