{"id":22593,"date":"2019-09-03T00:52:07","date_gmt":"2019-09-03T05:52:07","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/www.kaptest.com\/blog\/prep\/?p=22593"},"modified":"2023-08-16T17:08:59","modified_gmt":"2023-08-16T17:08:59","slug":"how-to-study-as-a-non-traditional-mcat-student","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/wpapp.kaptest.com\/study\/mcat\/how-to-study-as-a-non-traditional-mcat-student\/","title":{"rendered":"How to Study as a Non-Traditional MCAT Student"},"content":{"rendered":"

Studying for the MCAT<\/a> as a non-traditional student is challenging. The good news? The average medical school matriculant is 25 and rising every year, putting non-traditional applicants in good company. Still, studying for the MCAT when you\u2019re a few years removed from undergrad \u2014 or if you were not a science major \u2014 is going to be a challenge. Here are a few things you\u2019ll want to keep in mind as you approach your MCAT prep and your application to medical school.<\/span><\/p>\n

1. Determine your starting point<\/h4>
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\nNon-traditional applicants to medical school are a diverse group, and depending on whether you\u2019re just a year or two out of undergrad with a strong science background or whether your college years are well behind you, you\u2019ll want to do conduct an honest appraisal of your strengths and weaknesses<\/a> before you start your prep or pick a test date. <\/span>
\nIf you…<\/i><\/b>
\nHave an undergraduate degree in science or have completed all the usual pre-requisite courses for most medical schools\u2014at least one year with labs of biology, chemistry, organic chemistry, and physics\u2014within the last 1-2 years<\/span>
\nIf this is you, your science knowledge is still relatively fresh, but you\u2019ll still want to devote a significant amount of time to content review, especially subjects you were less strong in, or subjects you never took. We\u2019re looking at you, biochemistry, psychology and sociology courses.<\/span>
\nIf you…<\/i><\/b>
\nHave an undergraduate degree in science or have completed all the usual pre-requisite courses for most medical schools\u2014at least one year with labs of biology, chemistry, organic chemistry, and physics\u2014but are three or more years removed from undergrad<\/span>
\nYou\u2019ll be surprised by how quickly your basic chem and bio knowledge fades once you\u2019re out of practice. The farther you are from your undergraduate career, the more time you\u2019ll need to spend reviewing foundational concepts<\/a> to make sure you\u2019re ready to \u201cplay\u201d with what you know on the new scenarios the MCAT is going to present. <\/span>
\nIf you…<\/i><\/b>
\nDid not take the pre-requisite science courses in undergrad or your undergraduate science grades were less than stellar<\/span>
\nIn this case, you will benefit greatly from taking (or retaking) core science courses or pursuing a post-bacc program designed specifically to bolster your academic credentials or getting you up to speed on your pre-requisite sciences. These programs will help you focus on the science you\u2019ll need to succeed on the MCAT and in medical school later on.<\/span>
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2. Get to know the MCAT<\/h4>
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\nOnce you have a good idea of how much pre-work you\u2019ll need to do, you\u2019ll want to become familiar with the MCAT itself. You\u2019ll put a lot of time into prepping for the MCAT\u2014 <\/span>students report spending 240 hours on average studying for the exam<\/b> \u2014 but the good news is that you don\u2019t have to relearn all the biology you ever learned or everything you covered in physics. Take a look at the test blueprint, that\u2019s the AAMC breakdown of every topic, sub-topic, and sub-sub-topic that could be tested on the MCAT to get a better sense of which science topics you\u2019ll want to brush up on and which you can safely skip.<\/span>
\nBetter yet, take an MCAT practice test or a diagnostic exam<\/a>. Your Kaplan prep course<\/a> comes with a diagnostic exam but whether or not you take a prep course, you\u2019ll want to see how the MCAT tests the core sciences, behavioral sciences, and critical reading skills. It\u2019s important that you understand that the MCAT assumes every test taker will have a basic science knowledge. The challenge will come from being asked to use that science in new contexts, use reasoning skills, and of course, keep to strict time constraints.<\/span>
\nThe other advantage of an MCAT practice test is that you\u2019ll see how you might score if you took the test that day<\/a>. It\u2019s a good reality check into how much work you\u2019ll need to put in. That\u2019s actually a good thing. Your practice test score is just a snapshot of where you are right now. It does not tell you where you can be or will be when you\u2019re done studying. <\/span>
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3. There\u2019s never enough time<\/h4>
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\n\u201cI just have so much time on my hands, I don\u2019t know what to do with all of it\u201d — said no MCAT student, ever. The truth is that studying for the MCAT<\/a> in a way that will get you to test day feeling prepared and confident takes a lot of time\u2014much more time than you think. The more obligations you have in your current life, the more strategic you\u2019ll have to be when it comes to using your MCAT prep time efficiently. Pro tip: many an MCAT student begins with the utmost optimism with plans of studying eight hours a day, seven days a week, all the way to test day. <\/span>This is just not realistic and is a recipe for burnout.<\/b> But even more modest study plans can be derailed. Maybe it will take you much longer than you anticipated to get up to speed on biochemistry, or maybe you\u2019ll come down with a case of strep throat that sidelines your prep for a few days. <\/span>Your ideal prep window is 3-6 months<\/b><\/a>, depending on your workload outside of MCAT prep. If you are working full-time or attending classes (or both), you\u2019ll want to study over closer to six months. This allows you to maintain momentum and also gives you flexibility in case some elements of your prep take longer. <\/span>
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4. The medical school application timeline is the same for everyone<\/h4>
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\nIt\u2019s helpful to think about the year you\u2019d like to begin medical school and work backward from there to decide when to apply, when to take the MCAT, and when to start prepping for the exam. In almost all cases, you\u2019re looking at beginning the process \u2014 studying for the MCAT \u2014 between two years and 18 months before you matriculate.
\nThe application window for new fall matriculants starts in June the year before<\/i>.<\/b> For example, if you wanted to start medical school in the fall of 2020, you would apply to medical schools starting in June of 2019 when AMCAS or AACOMAS officially opens for submissions. It\u2019s important to note that no application is considered complete without an MCAT score.<\/span>
\nNow, let\u2019s peek ahead. Once the application window begins in June, you can start submitting applications and responding to secondary application requests. Schools will start to send out interview invitations over the late summer and fall, and start admitting, waitlisting, or declining to admit students at the same time. A few more things:<\/span><\/p>\n