[real talk] Studying for the MCAT during a gap year
Warning: There is no bullshit within this text. Please get the hell out if you can’t handle the brutal truth.
If any of you have clicked on the About Me link on the desktop version of tumblr, you know that I’m one of many gap year pre-medical students. Some of you may have caught on here and on Instagram that my boyfriend and I studied for the MCAT together. We each had different strengths and weaknesses and though we developed a study schedule together, we employed slightly different strategies to review the content.
As it were, Jake and I were the perfect examples of two major types of gap year students. Most of you reading this will fall into one of these categories with slight variations. Jake represents the Post-Baccalaureate Program Gap Year Student and I represent the Full-time Employee Gap Year Student. It was interesting to observe the differences between our study habits for the MCAT due to our life situations at the time. Jake worked on an as-needed basis in the lab but opted to take six weeks off from mid-April to the end of May. Because we knew when he would start working full-time again, we scheduled our exam for June 1, the last Friday of his extended vacation. We could have taken it the following day, but my college roommate was getting married and it was not a wedding I wanted to miss.
Under the cut, I will highlight the advantages and disadvantages to each gap year student-type as well as our generalized study schedule and the resources we found most helpful.
First, the Post-Baccalaureate Student.
Advantages
You have a set daytime schedule, leaving plenty of evening time to devote to your own pursuits (i.e. studying for the MCAT).
If you time it right, you may find it easier in between program exams, projects, presentations, and finals because it is mostly content review rather than learning new material
You’re already studying for something related to the MCAT so it’s second nature to review things.
Disadvantages
Depending on the demands of your program, you might actually find it harder to study for another exam in between the ones you have to take plus any other graduation requirements.
You’re probably broke and sobbing over having to shell out $330 to take the damn thing in the first place.
And now, the Full-time Employee.
Advantages
You have a set work schedule provided weeks in advance, making it easier to block out time to study.
Depending on the job you have, you might be able do study during downtimes.
You have money to pay for the test and any study materials you want.
Disadvantages
You might not actually have time to study during work, especially if you work odd hours and can’t take advantage of any free online prep seminars.
Let’s be real, you might be broke paying back all your student loans anyways.
Our Study Schedule and Materials
We blocked out three months to study for the exam and shared all of our study materials between us. In the few hours between when Jake finished up his internship or classes for the day and when I had to leave for work that evening, we sat in the library or my apartment and religiously read Examcrackers and did practice questions.
There were more than a few moments when we got into heated debates over how a specific scientific concept worked or what the answer to a question should be, but the great thing about our relationship is being able to move past those petty disagreements and not hold grudges (though it did take me an hour to stop being petty over being grossly misunderstood or partially correct).
At first, we collaborated over making Anki flashcards on each Examcrackers book but that proved to be way too time consuming. I already had handwritten notes over half of the material from last year’s attempt and I spent the next month and a half continuing to write notes as I read. That too proved to be way more time consuming and the effort was probably not worth it in the end but it did make a portable reference for me to carry around in my backpack.
When we were a month out, the panic set in and we started scrambling for practice tests. Realistically, we should have started out by taking a practice exam and feeling foolish at our low scores and then rejoicing at how high those scores rose over three months. But you live and learn.
Around this same time, Jake found a set of Anki flashcards someone else had kindly put out on reddit from the Kaplan books. I bought the mobile app, added Jake to my family so he could download it on his iPad, and we added the decks in. Some decks are much larger than others and took more time to go through. Honestly, the repetition helped me retain so much more material and I wished that I had started with these decks instead of wasting time trying to make my own. The guy who made the decks also wrote a more detailed study guide and suggested study schedule.
We took the free Princeton Full-length practice exam and one of the shortened free Kaplan exams. I bought the Barron’s study book and took both of the computerized tests. Jake also purchased two of the official AAMC practice tests. Of all the tests we took, the AAMC practice tests were the closest to what we actually scored, and the Barron’s was a close second for me.
In the end, fellow gap years, it didn’t matter which type of student we were. What mattered the most was how much time we were able to devote to studying. Both of us sacrificed a lot to buckle down and take this test but in the end, Jake put more time into studying than I did, and it paid off. He scored a 511, higher than any practice test he took, while studying for eleven finals, one board exam, and traveling to the Caribbean for vacation. On the other hand, I scored a 503 working four nights a week during the worst respiratory season I have ever seen, spending Friday sleeping very little, and staying up way too long between Monday and Tuesday. Time was not something I had a lot of in large blocks to take a four--or seven--hour practice exam, but I made the best of it by taking untimed tests and going through flashcards on my phone.
Do you take the MCAT? That’s entirely up to you. Time management is crucial so unless you’ve got the dedication to make it work, then don’t spend your money on practice tests, study materials, or registering for the exam at all.
I’m really glad I didn’t cancel my advising appointment with MSU because I learned some pretty valuable things and my advisor was so honest and upfront, it was refreshing.
In short, here are the things gap year people should consider when applying or reapplying.
MCAT
This will always be the biggest hurdle. 500 is the new 27.
Take. practice. exams. As science majors, we are taught to break everything down and look at everything analytically. You can’t do that with the new MCAT at all or in medicine. A history major would probably do better on the test than a science major because they are so use to looking at the broad, big picture and finding the only details that matter. The people who scored well typically did 10-15 practice exams.
Applying out of state? You have to score 505-507 to be considered at all.
GPA
Undergraduate, graduate, and post-baccalaureate GPA are always considered separately.
Always aim for 3.5 across the board
This is the least flexible component to change so if you have to take more coursework, take a cycle off to rebuild your application.
Letters of Recommendation
They don’t matter until the other two previously mentioned components are in line.
Depends on the school how strict they will be regarding who writes letters. OSU was iron fast in 2 science professors, 1 non-science professor, 1 DO, but MSU was like “ehhhhh.... whatever.”
Letters need to be dated and on letterhead. Yes, that matters.
Extracurricular Activities
You have to have some kind of clinical experience, whether it is shadowing, volunteering, or working in the healthcare field.
I hope you find this list somewhat helpful! Best of luck!!!
Wow, I haven't been on tumblr in a very long time. Fourth year really ate up all of my energy and I have neglected a lot of things in my life that make me a little bit more sane.
I started my pathology residency about a month ago and it so far is going well! Since pathology is a reading-driven specialty, I find my brain wandering off. The last time this happened to me, I was struggling to study for the MCAT, which brought me back to tumblr.
So hi. My name is Liz. I am a PGY-1 resident in pathology. I love to mentor other students so please feel free to ask me anything! I post a lot on my medstagram account @lizzy.study but my longer posts are always reserved for tumblr.
Right now, I really need to read this surgpath book.
I’m notorious for compartmentalization and for reviving myself several times a year. I don’t think it’s a bad thing per say--I take it as a sign of growth. The things I wanted a year ago, hell, three months ago are not the same things I want for myself today.
Since we’ve been stuck in quarantine, I’ve been scrolling through my studygram feed and thinking about the influencer. I won’t lie, I follow a ton of so-called influencer accounts because I’m genuinely curious about the way they tackle med school and their organization/study skills. There is nothing wrong with starting an influencer account and playing the game of stats, tags, and post timing. There is nothing wrong with connecting with other people and being a resource and inspiration to them. There is nothing wrong with wanting to give back to a community that freely gives to you without asking anything in return.
I will also be completely honest in saying that not once have I ever intended for my own studygram to be viewed as an influencer account. I made my studygram primarily as a way to extend my studyblr and keep myself accountable for my studies. When I was studying for boards, I posted about boards. When I was preparing for the MCAT, I posted about how difficult it was. When I was in application hell and interviewing season, I posted about those too.
Now that I’m in medical school and my studygram has made its way through my classmates and student clubs/organizations, the inevitable has happened. More med students and pre-med hopefuls are finding my instagram posts and following my account. I just had a lovely DM conversation with a fellow OMS-1 and we were getting to know each other. Yes, I will admit that a part of the increase in traffic comes from the tags I’m using for my posts, but the other key factor is who is following me and how Instagram uses that network to recommend my account to others.
Do I like the aesthetics of my studygram? Not particularly. My own photography has a certain style that does not match the lack of aesthetic seen in my studygram. Will I change my studygram feed to match what I want? Possibly but that requires a lot of planning and effort and I don’t really want to direct energy to it. I’m a creative person and my creative energies are funneled towards other endeavors outside of creating a unified instagram feed.
It is tempting to archive everything and start fresh. It wouldn’t be new for me. However, I feel like I would lose an integral part of who I am as a student doctor and the journey I went on to get to where I am today.
Maybe that’s my aesthetic as a studygram: raw and honest, with just a little bit of a filter to make my photographer’s eye happy.
Oh lord help me. I, the worst medical student ever, has to study at home with that terror of a cat and a really cool cosplay project still sitting out in the living room from spring break.
Might stream live on instagram. Maybe. That sounds really conceited though...
