MCAT TIMELINE
MCAT, or the Medical College Admission Test, is an exam taken by aspiring medical doctors, who already have an undergraduate degree from any faculty. The test is taken online; there are no heard copy version or offline. The subjects tested can be found on any website and the skills required will be discussed on the next blog.
The purpose of today’s article is to explain the timeline required for the optimum preparation for the MCAT. This article is also written from my experience with Thai students in mind. Having experience in teaching MCAT in Thailand for sometime now, aspiring medical doctors are still under the wrong impression that the MCAT can be studied, prepared for and done within 1 to 2 months.
It just cannot. Even for Biomedical students.
Anybody can do and conquer the MCAT. It is not the most difficult thing out there but it may seem overwhelming. We just need to be smart about preparing for it and give it our best shot!
For non-scientific majors, I would recommend at least 6 months. Too long? Too laborious? Don’t panic yet.
Let me explain why:
- Non-scientific majors, who have graduated from faculties such as engineering or BBA, have been too far away from the Biological foundations. It would take maximum at least 1 month to lay the biological, biochemical and organic chemistry foundation. (Think of all the complicated chemical structures….yes, you are seeing the picture now)
- Now that the foundation is done in 1 month. Aspiring medical doctors need to start the advance courses, where they have to deal with the real MCAT content followed by time need to familiarize yourself with infinite question banks. Hence, the content plus question bank will take at least 3 months.
- After the question banks, of course, students have to prepare themselves mentally for the 7 hour MCAT by doing at least 4 full-length exams available on the AAMC website. My recommendation would be to do 1 exam per week to have the time to evaluate the questions students got wrong, revise those topics, strengthen your weak points.***Whatever you get from your FL, subtract 10 and that is your real MCAT score. (I’m not saying this is completely right but this is what I have seen from my students).***
- Many aspiring medical doctors in Thailand also experience problems with their English skills, which is a requirement for CARS. Therefore, beginning of the MCAT journey, I recommend students to develop their English to a certain level to be able to critically think automatically.
- Students without the biological foundations would also need to familiarize themselves with laboratory techniques, graphs, statistics.
Points 4&5 together is 1 month.
Totaling to at least 6 months.
This article has not been written to scare or cause panic amongst medical doctors but to paint a real picture for the journey. The MCAT is a difficult exam but it does not mean that it can’t be beaten given the right preparation. I believe that everyone can do it and can ace it. It may be a crazy journey but the finish line: an MD degree, a life as a medical researcher, a life of giving back, a life of helping others to better their quality of life IS worth it.
I believe in you!
Good Luck!
