please help....advice...1 MONTH left

[ankit]

Hello,

Here is my unique situation. Please give me any advice you have. I am taking the test for a fourth time in 1 month.

I am in an 8 year combined medical program which requires at least a "9" on each section or a total score of a "30" with no section less than a 7. In order to get promoted to med school from undergrad you have to fulfill these mcat requrirements as well as GPA stuff.

I have been trying so many times that now I am just frustrated with life.

Aug 05: PS-6, VR-7, BS-7 Total: 20O
Aug 06: PS-8, VR-8, BS-8 Total: 24M
Jan 07: PS-7, VR-8, BS-10 Total: 25Q

I have tried a lot of diff approaches. I took the Kaplan course twice. In 05 I took the classroom course and scored lower than my Kap Diagnostic and got a full refund. Then in 06 I took the Kaplan Private tutoring and still couldn't get what I needed. Now for Jan 07, I re-read all the Kaplan Books and did all their tests, read all the science Princeton Review mcat course Books, listend to ek AO in the car on my drive to work, and did all the AAMC prax tests and scored in the low 30's and high 20's. I also did the whole EK 101 passages verbal book.

And you know what the best part about 07 is, I didn't have to go to school since I graduated in three years. All I had to do was study for MCAt and work part-time. There are so many people out there that are saying that it was so easy to complete the 27 score requirement.

I am such a sorry, sad, idiot who can't even get a 27 which is at the 50% percentile even after all the money I've spent on this stupid MCAT exam. I've paid $630 just in testing fees, $2000 in the private tutoring, $500 in all the EK stuff.

All I had to do was get a 9 in each section and I would be in. I am such a dumbass who should just jump off a bridge.

The reason I am writing all this is because now I have actually read through the examkrackers review notes and watched GS's ORGO 4 hr. DVD. I now have all 10 GS exams left. I only have a month left. I retook a couple of the AAMC's and am still scoring at around the same as I did in December (maybe 1-2 pts. higher).

I need to really make the best use of this last month and last chance to get the score I need. Is there any way to help with understanding the critical thinking aspect of the exam? I feel pretty good about all the content, but the MCAT is so tricky that I don't know where to start when I get to crazy, new situations with weird topics and questions. They start asking about stuff that is not based on direct content. Its all thinking and many times educated guessing.

Please help...Only a month left...Thanks for reading this...I just had to vent out my feelings somewhere,

Ankit

[ankit]

Here are my prax scores for my prep for the JAN 07 exam:
PS VR BS Total
AAMC 3 9 8 10 27
AAMC 4 9 8 9 26
AAMC 5 9 8 10 27
AAMC 6 9 10 10 29
AAMC 7 9 8 11 28
AAMC 8 8 10 9 27
AAMC 9 11 7 10 28
AAMC 10 8 6 9 23
Real 7 8 10 25

Score
EK VR-1 6
EK VR-2 6
EK VR-3 8
EK VR-4 9
EK VR-5 8
EK VR-6 9
EK VR-7 7
EK VR-8 9
EK VR-9 8
EK VR-10 7
EK VR-11 7

Here are my prax scores so far for MAY exam:


Date PS VR BS Total
AAMC 3 4/8/2007 9 10 10 29

AAMC 5 3/24/2007 11 10 11 31

Date Score
EK VR-1 3/9/2007 35-7
EK VR-2 3/14/2007 41-9
EK VR-3 4/4/2007 47-10
EK VR-4 4/13/2007 41-9
EK VR-5 4/14/2007 45-10


Date Score
KapVR-6 3/23/2007 33-7
KapVR-7 4/1/2007 35-7
KapVR-8 4/7/2007 39-7

As you can see, teh EK Verbal exams have gone up since last time, but I am taking them for a second time. The Kap tests are new, but the curve definately seems to be harder. I am planning on taking the rest of the AAMC exams again and maybe the GS exams. I might re-read through all the EK material again. Any other suggestions.

[Matthew]

Dr. Ferdinand will probably comment on this soon. I am peanuts compared to his advice. So take his more seriously. He has a lot of experience, ok?

I found something for you:
http://forums.studentdoctor.net/showthread.php?t=378906

Look at what user "lifeistough" posted. Reading it helped me stay focused.

[ankit]

I just finished AAMC 4 today:

PS-10 (raw 39/52)
VR-9 (raw 28/40)
BS-10 (raw 30/52)

Total: 29

I just can't believe that after all the practice and months of studying, I am not seeing any improvements. Plus, this is a test that I have already taken before. I should be hitting at leas in the high 30s.

I missed 2-3 questions in the PS section to dumb mistakes, but the rest of the incorrect answers were ones which you had to take the passage information and use critical thinking to get the right answer. Even after taking the mcat 3 times and practicing, I still can't seem to get that skill.

[ankit]

Thanks Matthew. I appreciate your comments and your help. That post was inspiring.

I will definately look foward to Dr. Ferdinand's comments. He has done an exceptional job with mastering the MCAT and providing impressive online preparation methods.

Hopefully, he will have some good advice to put me on right track for this last month.

[Guest]

[Matthew]

I got this off of user lifeistough. It also helped me, too.

Source: http://forums.studentdoctor.net/showthread.php?p=4987453

"A man named Jim one day decided he wanted to help save lives. Jim knew that in order to get into medical school he would have to take the MCAT. Purchased his study books, i.e. Columbia Review and sat in a quiet place to study. He was reminded that the PS section is first up, so Jim decided to start with Physics. Jim found Physics to be very *** and worried how he was going to learn these key physics concepts. Time went by, day by day, and Jim grew more anxious, he was afraid that he could never learn this.

One day in the morning before studying, Jim was eating his breakfast, bacon and eggs, waffles with butter and maple syrup, when he realized he should be approaching physics studying a different way. I mean he knew physics was just hard and he didn't get it, so he sat down at his desk after finishing a cup of coffee and opened to page one of weak concept. He thought "Spring constant and Hooke's law, saying to himself 'hmm... you know Jim, I don't have a clue about Hooke and spring constant, let's go on an adventure to search out and solve this case." Jim began to vocalize his studies, telling himself "that's neat Jim, the force on a spring is actually equal to the displacement (that's pretty important, not the length of the spring but how much the difference in positions are) hah!, on test day they sure aren't going to fool me! Jim continued on and at night he thought, Lord will, tomorrow I get to embark on learning the key concept of what simple harmonic is all about. These physicist are all excited about it, but i'll have to see for myself."

[Guest]

[Matthew]

This is for everyone on this forum. You may be familiar with the MCAT Interpretive Manual 2005 published pdf from AAMC. In it, it details in outline format all that is required on the MCAT.

After spending lots of money on prep books, i.e. EK. I ordered Columbia Review Intensive Preparation for the MCAT (1996). I bought it on half.com for 14 or so dollars. It is written with the same outline AAMC published.

You are basically reading the interpretive manual but after the names and concepts responsible and in order too! details on definitions and diagrams all systematically laid out. I found a question on imprinting that was on my AAMC 3R. I don't know what to make of it. Everywhere you go all you need to take with you is this book + laptop (or computer) to take the GS CBTs and AAMC CBTs.

I just wanted to give y'all my review. How did I hear about it? Well, First Aid is world-renown for USMLE prep books. The authors wrote a book in '99 I think, and in the back they have reviews of MCAT books that students rated. On the A list, they have this book as well the same book just with 3 more exams. It is mostly passage based with the correct ratio of non-passage.

Just my one cent. I like it because it follows the outline of the AAMC manual and I don't have to worry about something not being there. EK questions especially 1001 Bio were questions which did not require reading the passage, I can't remember the last time I had to analyze data on drugs to see which one was better. There was enough clues, that you could answer.

This may be a little weird, but even the font and layout is similar. I wanted to share this with you. I sold all my EK books, with a loss, of course.

I am also glad that there has been a thread on each section of the MCAT on the GS forum where we can share concepts which we have learned.

Dr. Ferdinand mentioned writing out the things we learned on a piece of paper and reviewing it before taking a test. Imagine now at night, whether it be 11 at night or 5 in the morning, being able to visit this GS forum and read the learned concept someone has so diligently put together. We study to explain... what a neat concept. We all benefit from it and we all learn from each other.

Just in case: ISBN: 0-683-01027-1 for the book mentioned

[mcat_premed3832]

If you look at your scores objectively, the only conclusion is that you can do it. You must accept that. You have recently achieved your desired scores on AAMC tests so you can do it. Now you just have to prove it on exam day.

For now, you must consolidate what you have learned. If you stacked up all your materials in one pile, it probably reaches your thigh! But the MCAT requires far less than that. And as you have correctly noted, much involves critical thinking. But we're not looking in the rear view, let's see what's next . . .

Before you start doing more practice materials, you must take the time to consolidate what you know. Start by reviewing all AAMC tests that you have done. Pay special attention to questions that you got wrong and even those you got right but were guessing. Take very brief notes on the concept learned. Note the kinds of equations that you needed to know (you can also take a look at the Equation List that we put online as a base) so that you don't fill up your mind with unnecessary details. (You are a couple of weeks before the real thing. I do not recommend that you do the preceding with the other exams that you have used for practice except for EK VR).

Anytime you want to do a new practice test and when you are ready for the real thing, always review your consolidated notes first.

There is a basic and critical concept in medicine called "pattern recognition." It is not true that there is an infinite number of possible concepts tested by the MCAT (though you may have felt this way because of the wide breadth of your learning and practice materials). The concepts are quite limited and so are the patterns. It's OK if you have no clue on a couple of questions, that's not important. However, you should be on the right track for almost all questions, and it is very important that you remain focused to the point that you assure yourself that if you know the answer, you get it right. Before you go on, don't tell yourself: "Great, I got that one"; say the opposite: "I wonder what silly mistake I just made." That way, you will seek, find it and then move on.

Remember, you can do it. You've proven it to yourself, now make it official!