How I Scored A 522 On The MCAT (99th Percentile)
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- เผยแพร่เมื่อ 4 มิ.ย. 2024
- This is my account of how I studied and prepared for the MCAT. Feel free to ask any questions in the comments, I had to cut a lot from this video to keep it from being too long, so there is a lot more that I could say. (link to full-length version: • How I Studied for the ... )
The resources that I mentioned using are:
The MCAT Podcast (MedEd Media Network)
Kaplan Prep Books
AAMC Online Resources
Sorry if the quality and editing was not great, this is my first video.
Link to an article I wrote about the MCAT: prepformedschool.com/how-to-g...
Contact me: alexaschannel360@gmail.com
If you would like MCAT tutoring from me, book a time at the following link!
calendly.com/alexaschannel360
This is great! Thank you!! And congrats!!
i appreciate this!! congrats on your score!
Thank you for sharing this and congratulations on your wonderful score!
Thank you so much and congratulations on a beautiful score! Well done!
this girl is on point. real. great help.
Congratulations! You’ll make a great doctor 💜💕
Your video was great! Thank you for taking the time out and giving us the advice. Looking forward to seeing more content from you.
I feel more confident and informed after watching your video. Thank you so much for sharing your tips! All the best!
Hi, thanks for making this video, it really helps.
great job!! thanks for sharing your experience!
Thank you, you seem honest. I usually shy away of these videos because people are trying to sell push something or just plan being presumptuous. I had not heard of the MCAT podcast, I’ll search that.
Congrats on the great score! I go to CSU and will be taking the MCAT next year
Congratulations !
Thank you Alexa. This is a great first video. Looking forward to seeing more studying content from you. I think it would be helpful also to make a video of the different types of extracurricular activities you have done that help getting into med school.
Congrats ❤️🥳
WOW THIS IS AWESOME, CONGRATS!
You seem like such a kind person! You are awesome!
Thank you so much! :)
Thanks so much for this video! Congrats! I wanted to ask if you may expand more on your CARS outline method?
i just saw this video and i really do appreciate you for making the video. i am little nervous with the process but you have very good points. congratulations on your score and good luck in med school!!
Thank you! It definitely is a difficult process but I’m sure you’ll be great, good luck!
Congrats on your score!!!
Congratulations!!
Congrats on your success :).
Very helpful video!
Great content! The audio is quite low. Anyway, great job, young lady!
Thank you for making this video!! Hopefully I can also make it happen :)
You’ve got this!
Planning to take MCATs next August I’ll be happy with a 515 tbh !!
So so helpful!
Thank you I needed this, congratulations 🎊 I’m next 🤞🏾
Thank you so much!
Thank you for your video!!!
Thank you!
Thanks so much!
Thanks and congratulation.
Congrats on the score!
Thank you for posting this!!! Very helpful :) and CONGRATS! I have the Kaplan books too, the same set as you actually. Glad to know you recommend it!! Do you think the Kaplan + the MCAT guide by AAMC are enough for practice problems? Also DEFINITELY post your quizlet if you can! :D
I would recommend some of the other AAMC materials too. You probably don’t need all of them, but you’ll definitely want the practice exams. I also used the QPacks
Thanks for sharing
Thanks!
Amazing :)
congrats on your score Alexa! For PsychSociology, did you mainly rely on the Kaplan book, or did you use other sources? I heard that the Khan Academy 100/300 page notes were good (some even said better than Kaplan) for the psych/soc section. Did you use those at all, or is the Kaplan behavioral science book sufficient?
I just used Kaplan, so it was sufficient. But I have also heard that Khan Academy is really good. It’s free so if you feel like you need a little more I’m sure it’d be worth checking out
The best part about this is that you can pick a lower cost school out of the probable 10 interviews. None of my business at all--but is your GPA over 3.4. If so you should have 10 interviews minimum/12 applications-the ivy league schools might still be picky about undergrad school . With medicine vs law though, it doesn't matter where the medical school ranks unless you want to pursue more competitive residencies. If going for primary care-should be your answer in interviews if possible-it would not matter. JManson MD
My test is august 13th and I am quite nervous. Thank you for sharing your personal experience!
Good luck!
Kinley Wilson you go girl!! Keep us updated bc I know you’ll do well!
Thank you for this video! What did your schedule look like in terms of breaking it up between content and practice questions? And how did you decide which practice questions to do on which day?
I mainly tackled content first, and just did whatever practice problems were in my books plus some practice exams. I think focuses on practice questions only once I was done with content review. I tried to do an even balance of questions from the different sections, but from your practice exams you should know which sections are harder/easier for you, so you could dedicate extra time wherever you feel it is needed.
Alexa Smith thank you so much/!
ありがとうございました
could you please provide the amazon link to the kaplan prep books? thanks!
Thank you for the video! Any chance you can include the link to your quizlet?
I just realized I used Anki, not Quizlet. I’m not sure that I can share those Flashcards decks
Alexa Smith yes you can! But not sure how but a friend of mine has shared them before
Congrats on the great score! Did you take biochem before taking the exam?
I did! But my class actually didn’t cover metabolism so I had to learn that myself. It definitely helped with enzyme kinetics and other concepts
Hi, how long did you take to actually study for the exam? When did you start really getting into studying. I am testing July as well, and I am in the process of going through the books as well as writing notes in the books as I am going through.
I started studying in early May, but I didn’t really get into it until late May. After that I probably studied for around 30-40 hours per week until my test date.
Congrats on your score! Can you share the link to the quizlet deck you used to study?
I actually misspoke, and the flashcards are in AnkiApp. As far as I can figure out, there is no way to share that, unfortunately.
I am trying to get an MCAT date rn would you recommend just signing up for an open date out of state or just wait a little whole for a notification
Hmm, I didn’t have any problem getting my preferred location, but I didn’t test during the peak time either. I think if you could avoid traveling too far that would be best since test day is stressful enough without having to fly/drive somewhere new and stay in a hotel. If you know there are testing centers near you, they should be opening dates up at some point (in theory).
ThNks! Yeah all the dates 1000miles around me are all filled only wait list available
Question: how did you go through the AAMC material packs? did you do content review before, or halfway before accessing the material.
I didn’t do any of the AAMC packs until after my content review. I think it could be worthwhile to start doing some earlier though
Hoping to study hard and score well on my MCAT to make up for my average GPA.
Define average
3.3-3.6
@@bodypillow3800 That’s below average for matriculants. Keep studying for the MCAT until you are confident that a 518+ is in your future.
Do you have your quizlet with formulas? Congrats!
Can you link your quizlet???
Hi! Someone offered me a deal on their MCAT books (Kaplan) but they are 1-2 years old. Does that matter, or would you recommend to buy the ones that are out for this year? Thank you! And congratulations on your score by the way!
I don’t think it should matter too much. The exam hasn’t changed in the last two years. There are probably only subtle differences. I’d take the deal!
@@alexasmith8079 Ahh okay, thank you so much!
how did you decide amongst the courses? Kaplan, Princeton REview, Next Step (Now Blueprint)? Thanks. I already have the AAMC official materials, but what's the best prep course for both content and text tips/strategies?
I didn’t do a review course, just self studied from the books. I used Kaplan, but I feel like any of those big names would be good. When it comes to the courses it does seem like Blueprint has a lot of really cool resources included in theirs
@@alexasmith8079 ok thanks!
Are you selling your materials? I would love to get my hands on your books and flash cards. And I’m really struggling between which physics I should take? University (calculus) or college (algebra) physics
Algebra physics is plenty for the MCAT, if that helps with your decision. I’m not selling my books, but I’d be willing to sell my Flashcards. Are you talking about the set of Kaplan Flashcards I have or the online sets that I made ? Feel free to email me at alexaschannel360@gmail.com and we can work something out.
You will make a fantastic physician.
Thank you!
do u know if the official guide is online somewhere its sold out rn and. I rlly need it!
I bought it used
Hey, awesome grade. Anki is pretty confusing for me to use. I don't know what the optimal settings I should implement for it 😓
Sorry that I can’t help you too much with this, I basically only used Anki for the MCAT. I know lots of TH-camrs who are medical students use Anki and post videos explaining how they use it, so maybe check those out
Could you link the Quizlet you had? That would be CLUTCH
I realized it was actually on the Anki mobile app, not Quizlet. If anyone knows how I can share those I’ll try to do it. So many people have asked for this that I might remake the cards as a shareable Quizlet sometime soon
Alexa Smith Hey! Ive used Anki before and if I remember correctly, you have to log in to the desktop version and then there should be a way to share to general public. There should be a link on their website that shows you how to export your deck if you want to :)
Alexa Smith Please link ur godly anki
Pleeeeease give the link please
Can you pleaseeee send the link! :)
What classes did you take before taking the MCAT? Was it only the pre-req? I’m wondering because I want to know if it’s possible to do it without taking biochemistry.
I had taken all of the prereqs, including Biochem. However, my biochem class didn’t go that deep into metabolism, so I had to learn that from the Kaplan books, which wasn’t too bad. There is a bit of enzyme kinetics on the MCAT, which is a biochem topic, but you could also learn that on your own. I think it’s definitely possible, just know that they’ll be more material new to you that you have to learn, rather than old material you are just reviewing.
Nana, I took the MCAT without having taken Biochemistry. I scored well so it was not a make or break, but I do think it could be useful in solidifying some of the fundamental concepts.
Julia Carter okay thank you!
It depends which Medical school students want to go!
I’m just starting! I got a 502 on the next step diagnostic, so I am pleased with my starting point.
That’s awesome! Good luck with studying!
Thank you!
would you recommend case western reserve for biology and biochemistry majors? What do u think of the clinical experiences there?
I would! I was a biology major and really enjoyed it. Lots of research options and the professors for upper level classes are really good. There are three hospitals basically bordering campus so there are a lot of chances to find clinical experiences. Volunteering at the hospitals is pretty easy to set up. Shadowing is always trickier but you at least have a lot of different doctors within walking distance that you can contact.
@@alexasmith8079 thank you!, and good luck with your Medical school
Hi there. do you have the link for the podcast? Thanks !
medicalschoolhq.net/mcat-podcast/
I am currently studying for my MCAT to take in June 27th in my summer of my junior/senior years. I see a lot of people taking gap years but is it totally possible to go ahead and apply for the 2021 cycle? My application is basically finished aside from my MCAT scores. I was just wondering why I seem to not see anyone going from college straight to Med school 😅😅
It’s definitely possible! I don’t know all the details of when MCAT scores are due by, but I know other people applying this cycle
Congratulations you got really good score I wish I will get it I’m first years college Can any tell me do you think is good to practice now ?
It doesn’t hurt to do some practice, but since you’re still a few years out it probably won’t help a ton. You could sign up for the MCAT Question of the Day and just start with those questions. I think it’s best to really focus on learning all the content from your PreMed prereq classes since a lot of that is on the MCAT.
Hi I am a nursing student going into junior year. I was wondering if it would be possible to study for MCAT without taking courses such as biochem, physic genetic chems beforehand...my finance cannot support me taking extra courses😔
why do u need to take the MCAT as a nursing student?
@@boivek I know a good amount of nursing majors who have a plan to take the MCAT and then go into medical school. idk if this is her reason but that's what I"m familiar with
Anything is possible! If you’re good at self studying and feel comfortable learning the material from prep books, it’s definitely doable. Just make sure you have the extra time set aside to thoroughly learn everything since it will be a lot of new content
One thought I had is that if you are planning on attending medical school (in the US at least, idk about other countries), many of the classes you mentioned are prereqs for the MCAT
Awesome
Congratulations 🎉How did you work on time management when it came to how much time you spent on each question?
I think doing lots of practice exams helps you learn how to pace yourself. Figure out which sections you might run out of time on, and then practice passages from that while timing yourself. Knowing how many questions are in each section, you can set some rough guidelines for yourself of how long you should be spending on each passage, so while you are testing you can see if you need to pick up the pace or not. I did this a lot with CARS because I found that section hard to finish on time. Also, don’t spend too long on a question you don’t know. If you don’t know, flag it, put in a guess, and move on. It’s not worth losing time when you might not get it right anyways, and your time would be better spent on questions you do know. You can always go back to the flagged questions if you have time
Alexa Smith thank you !
Hi Alexa, would you mind sharing the quizlet you mentioned?
AceIsHere I wanna know too
Omg Alexa you’re famous!! This is what happens when I watch too many premed videos lol...also my username isn’t my name but I’m guessing you know who I am 😂
Haha, I can’t believe you found this! You already know all this anyways from killing the MCAT yourself!
Alexa Smith lol it showed up in my recommendations while watching premed vids 😂 Yes thanks to you ;)
Thx Alexa you're so awesome. It's my dream to be a doc I get ready for my country ENTRANCE EXAMINATION. But I like to study in Europe.
I live in Iran pay for mcat exam and book is so expensive for me. It's a bout one year salary. Could you help me for preparing pdf of references?
Why nobody answer to me?
Use khan academy notes for now and next step prep has free practice test I think you can also find other free resources. But you definitely need the AAMC tests because they are very close to the real exams. Just know that the mcat is expensive, but you can reduce the cost if you take advantage of the free resources.
@@aishaa1210 thanks Aisha. You do the best.
One question if you don't mind, how did you score on the AAMC fl's? I've been averaging 513-514 and my test is in a week or so and I really want 520+.
I don’t remember exactly but I think they were all in the 511-515 range. 515 was definitely my highest AAMC score, but I scored a couple points lower on the full length I took closest to my actual MCAT date
Thanks for your input that gives me a little bit of hope! Do you mind me asking you what kind of fl was that one you took last before the real MCAT?
They were all the AAMC FLs! Except for one Blueprint one which I took first. The very last one I took was the AAMC sample test since it isn’t scored, so I don’t know how I did on that one compared to my actual score
I literally just graduated high school but it's never too early to prepare ;)
Same!!
Honestly I am a senior in college, and my advice to you would be to just enjoy your freshman year. Focus on your courses/ maintaining your GPA. Because once you are a soph. and junior, you will begin taking the courses needed on the MCAT and review the material then. Otherwise you are just wasting time trying to study material you most likely haven't learned in detail yet.
If I could go back in time, I wish I studied my freshman year of college for the MCAT. You got a lot of time, so I’d watch the Khan Academy videos and read the books with good notes over summer or when you can.
@@carter5007 I completely disagree. There are so many resources out there that go over everything, including the details. An example would be the premed95 deck. Even if it didn't go over the details (which it does, but I digress...), it would still be good to go over everything because it gives you a good overview for when you "actually" start learning it. Idk, anyone who says "just have fun, enjoy your time", doesn't understand the pareto curve of industriousness.
@@ztk7789 I’m freshmen now at college majoring biochemistry ,it is good suggestions to start early studying for the mcat and maintenance of GPA thanks a lot 🙌
wow
Gut gemacht! Bist du mittlerweile in der Medizinschule?
Noch nicht!
@@alexasmith8079 Hoffe, du wurdest schon akzeptiert mit dem MCAT Ergebnis!
please post the longer version. lol
thx
I’ll try!
I just wanna to ask If i can get those books that you have bought for mcat on an online website ?
I think I got all the books on Amazon
But amazon is not available in pakistan
What’s the podcast I can’t really hear you
medicalschoolhq.net/mcat-podcast/
Greatt! if you need interview tips (im an interviewer for medical school at the university of manitoba) let me know!
Not a med student but I would like to know for the future. Are there any good guides online that could help teach me?
@@mashimellow9853 teach what? like studying for the MCAT or, for the interview?
hey I would love some interview tips. I freeze on a lot of interviews and need help with prepping for med school interviews
kevin lamaro for an interview.
@@cheesegarlic5417 Well, for tips just stay calm, i know it cliche and a no duh til but its really important that you stay calm.. Just think that the reason you got an interview is that your good enough to become a doctor. If you dont make it pass the interview try again. Another tip is, we look at how well you dress, I usually like to look at what your wearing, since it kind of tells me a little bit about you! Another tip is NEVER say uhh.... its the worst thing to say, when i here peoplr say uhh 3 times in a sentence i mark it down. The most important tip, is to talk to the interviewer like your his friend, shake his hand, ask him/her how his/her day is going. Be confident.
Ayyy Ohio gang!!
guys, if y'all know where I can find the MCAT diagnostic test, then just send me the link please
blueprintprep.com/mcat/free-resources/free-mcat-practice-bundle?lead_srcid=4947
This is what I used! You have to make an account but then you get a free diagnostic and a free full length
Have you applied to med school yet?
Not yet! I’m planning on taking two gap years so I won’t be applying for a while
Did you alternate for the Kaplan books or did you just finish one after another? How long did it take you to finish all the books? How much did you study a day? Thanks I’m on the same boat as you were so I’m really curious 😊
I alternated the books. I usually did two subjects a day (one chapter each), and it took me about nine weeks in total to get through the books. I studied about 4-6 hours a day during the week, and maybe 6-8 hours a day on the weekends (with a few days off in there). Hope this helps!
Alexa Smith yes super helpful thank you’
When is the best time to take the MCAT?
Depends when you want to go to med school! (If you are referring to when in your undergraduate career). If you want to go straight to med school after undergrad, then take it in the spring or early summer of junior year (which means you need to be studying some during the semester). If you are taking a gap year, then you have a lot more flexibility, and I’d recommend to find a time when you can devote many hours a week to prepping (a summer, etc).
I wanna take admission in medical school next year (2021) in abroad, I'm from Pakistan. What should I do ? Would you guide me ?
Hi. I’m not sure what the process looks like for international students, or what steps are different. In general, to apply to US medical schools, you need to: take the MCAT, write a personal statement, get letters of recommendation, and fill out the initial application by June 1 of the year before you go to medical school. So if you wanted to start medical school in fall 2021, you would have needed to submit your application in June 2020. Technically you can still submit your application, but your chances will beach power of getting accepted.
Hey are you selling your MCAT book?
I am not, sorry
And plz tell us how to study for physics and chemistry too
Muqtada Muhammed This^
What this
Muqtada Muhammed I was saying I agreed with what you said
$300 for practice test questions from the AAMC...i guess i got to do that too
Can u share your flash cards?
Yes! If you could link your flash cards that’ll be great!!
Chilllddddddddd my speakers done blew up her mic was so low LOL
You look 16
Please send me
A
Hi,
Iam a mom 😉
My daughter's Mcat score is not as high as ur's but she want to get a gap year and start a master program to have more chance to get to medical school. But why u want to take 2 gap years.
What is this gap year that u young people are talking about. I dont understand! I dont understand my daughter either. Apply, get into any medical school.
Again the talk of a mom!
Good luck, I wish u the best with any decision u make in ur life and career!
Hello! For me the gap year is a lot more about having a break from school for a little bit, as well as improving my application. With medical school and residency, now is the only time where we can really get a break for many years. I know it is not an option for everyone, but I think it is a good opportunity to work and live life a bit before taking on the time commitment that is medical school. I hope your daughter is successful in getting into medical school after her master’s program!
@@alexasmith8079 thxu
Roya, I took two gap years to get my master's degree before starting medical school, and it was the best decision I ever made! Good luck to your daughter :)