This is part two of the MCAT resources and study schedule series.
Check out part 1 if you haven't already.
Next is the study schedule.
I recommend taking the MCAT during one of the summers during college.
Either between sophomore and junior year if you plan to go into medical school straight
after college like I did or between junior and senior year if you plan on taking a gap
year like many people do.
I know there's a lot of you who are not able to take it during the summer for various reasons.
In those, cases just know that without dedicated time you'll have to spread your study over
a few extra weeks.
Don't worry though, it's still definitely possible to get a killer score.
As you guys know, I love the power of habit and discipline, so sign up for the MCAT question
of the day emails.
There's a few sources that you can get these from including Kaplan, Exam Crackers, Next
Step and MCATquestion.com.
These help you two fold: first, you're getting regular practice and secondly, this helps
build your discipline with a clear purpose in mind.
Next is Anki; I did not know about Anki when I was in college but I wish I did.
As you guys know, I'm a huge proponent of using the spaced repetition software as it
is the most efficient way to memorize information.
As I've mentioned in other videos, it's crucial that you create your own flashcards.
Downloading other people's decks is only a fraction as helpful.
If you want to know why, check out my video on study strategies where I go over active
and passive learning.
Making your own cards is an absolute must.
Shoot to create anywhere from thirty to a hundred new cards every day and review anywhere
from 100 to 250 per day.
If you create too many cards, it can be overwhelming and you will fall behind.
Be careful when making cards though, you don't want to make cards which are not helpful.
I go over how to make on key cards in this video above and don't be afraid to edit or
delete cards if you find that they aren't as helpful when you review them.
I've had to do this a lot in the past.
With time, you will get better at making cards and deleting or editing cards will become
an infrequent occurrence.
Now, in terms of formally starting the content review, I would recommend you start two and
a half months out.
This gives you plenty of time to learn all the content, review it again and have time
to complete multiple practice tests.
I go more to the details of big picture scheduling in that first MCAT video that I mentioned
earlier.
A quick word on scheduling, when you do plan your days and weeks, be sure to include catch-up
days as you will surely fall behind.
You also need break days or break blocks which should be at least half a day of relaxation
and just time to unwind.
These breaks ensure that you don't burn out during the intense studying.
As described by the course schedule, I rotated between subjects on a daily basis.
Some like to go through one subject all at once and then jump to the next, but I prefer
the method of jumping around for a few reasons; first, it prevents you from getting bored,
burned out or sick of the material you're working on.
By jumping from something I enjoyed like physics or biology to something that I didn't enjoy
as much such as verbal, I felt like I had something to look forward to.
Additionally, this strategy avoids the problem of reviewing certain content too far away
from the test.
It's obviously not ideal to review all your chemistry a month out from the test.
Now, by doing bits of each at the same time, you're able to build your notes and your Anki
deck in parallel, allowing you to slowly build up the number of times you review the information
over the weeks.
Also in terms of study pace, I was generally doing about a couple chapters each day from
the Princeton Review textbooks while following their class schedule as closely as possible.
But I did fall behind by a few days.
I took my first practice test after two weeks of content review.
This was there for approximately two months out from test day.
I then did one practice test per week for a full month, so a total of four practice
tests.
These initial ones were useful to teach me the rough style of questions as well as you
know, give me a gauge on what relative strengths and weaknesses I had in terms of subject areas.
You should use the Princeton Review practice test for this part and not the AAMC.
When you do a practice test, set out the whole day for it.
After taking an exam, take a solid break and try to come back to it later that same day.
You should be reviewing not only the questions that you got wrong, but also the questions
that you marked and we're therefore unsure on.
There's generally no need to spend time reviewing questions you've got correct, that would just
be inefficient.
At about four weeks out, you should start using the AAMC practice tests and recreate
the test day conditions.
You may not be finished with the Princeton Review content but you should be getting close
to done.
Once you are finished, begin focusing on your weak areas and be sure to review your notes
on all areas.
Increase your practice test frequency to about two exams per week.
I was doing three tests per week but the old MCAT was half the length.
Also, be sure to recreate the test conditions as closely as possible.
Take the test at the same time as the real day if you can.
Wear earplugs, strictly follow the break times etc.
You need to build your ability to focus for prolonged periods.
The new MCAT is a long test and nothing to scoff at.
I recommend you do not take any practice tests within 2 days of your exam.
Therefore if your exam is on a Saturday, your last practice test and review should be on
a Wednesday.
Again you want to make sure you’re not burned out on exam day.
Being fresh and ready for the grueling 6 hours is more important than squeezing in another
practice test.
Remember, the MCAT is a test which tests your critical thinking abilities above all else.
Unlike board exams in medical school which test a lot of the knowledge you memorized,
the MCAT asks you to synthesize new information that you’ve read from passages.
Being fresh and ready is so paramount for these types of questions.
You will be tested on your ability to make educated guesses and reason through difficult
concepts.
Don’t get shaken up though, this is all part of the process.
I hope you found this video helpful with all the specifics as to what helped me with the
MCAT.
As always, thank you for watching.
If you did like the video, make sure you press that like button.
New videos every week, so hit subscribe if you haven't already and I will see you guys
in that next one!