Sunday, November 4, 2012

It's All Coming Back To Me Now

Finally, after some hemming and hawing, I have begun studying for the MCAT. "M"-Day for me is March 23, 2013. So I've got a bit of time. But given that I took Physics, General Biology, and General Chemistry two years ago (2010-2011), and Organic Chem one year ago (2011-2012), I feel the need to do some hard-core review. That, and the fact that the average MD/PhD matriculant's MCAT score is a 35 puts a bit of pressure on.

To put that score in perspective, the mean MCAT score for 2011, according to the American Association of Medical Colleges, was a 25.1. That's out of a best-possible 45. Not a single person got a 45 in 2011. The highest score was a 42. To get a 35, I would have to be in the 94th percentile. Yikes. (See the full score report from the AAMC here.)

My strategy is to use the Examkrackers review books series, both the subject matter review books and the "1,001" questions books. I have started Gen Chem, Orgo, and Gen Bio. Today I will venture into the world of Physics. I am making flashcards on Quizlet, which I can study anywhere using their iPhone app. With all of these resources, along with taking (and re-taking) the available AAMC practice tests, I believe I will be as prepared as I can be.

That said, I was a bit worried, when I first opened the review books, that I would have forgotten ... EVERYTHING. Not so. And thus, the song "It's All Coming Back To Me Now" has been cycling through my head. And of course, like most songs that play in my head over and over again, I had forgotten most of the lyrics. Solution: YouTube. So here, I present Glee performing this song, in celebration of the fact that my science knowledge is ... all coming back to me now.



2 comments:

  1. Hello, I just wanted to give my 2 cents worth of advice for studying for the MCAT. I very strongly suggest TBR (the Berkeley Review) for your Physical Sciences and Orgo review as I found it far more helpful that EK in those areas. I also found the 1001 questions pretty useless in every subject except Bio. IMHO, EK is only good for verbal and Bio.

    Congrats on getting registered!

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