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MCAT Preparation

Introduction to Preparing for the MCAT Conventional Methods Unconventional Methods

Introduction to Preparing for the MCAT

Are you Pre-Med? Do you want to be a doctor? Are you taking all the biology and chemistry courses you can so you can get into medical school? If the answer is yes to those questions then you should be getting ready for the MCAT, the standardized test used by most medical schools in the United States.

Preparation for the MCAT takes a considerable amount of effort. I suggest that that you begin your preparation as a freshman in college. This may seem early, but almost everyone who takes the MCAT says that they wished they would have started preparing earlier. The test assesses more than a bunch of science facts. It is designed to assess a students critical thinking skills as well.

Below is a list of conventional and unconventional methods to assist you as you prepare for the MCAT.

Conventional Methods to Prepare for the MCAT

• Take as many science and math courses as you can. Here is a list of recommended courses.

• Get an MCAT study guide and use it.
• Take an MCAT preparation course like those offered by Kaplan or The Princeton Review.
• Talk to others who have taken the MCAT even if you have to seek them out.

Unconventional Methods to Prepare for the MCAT

• Keep a journal of all things science related that you encounter. Then look up more information about that point. Write at least 4 entries a week. Keep entries to ½ to 1 page each.
• Work at least one crossword puzzle or “brain-teasers” a day. A $3 book of them should last a while
• Any TV watching you do should be Discovery Channel, History Channel, The Learning Channel, and PBS on science related topics..
• Ask a professor one hard question a week. Don’t drop the discussion until you understand their answer.
• Practice essay writing at least once a month by writing an essay on a complex, and/or controversial issue like the age of the Shroud of Torah, or why we should sent a manned-mission to Mars, or why there is no miracle cure for all cancers. Allow exactly 30 minutes and stick to the time.