MCAT PREPARATION RESOURCES

Exam Prep Courses

The University of Memphis Division of Professional and Continuing Education is offering various exam prep courses including MCAT Verbal Reasoning, GRE, and Test-Taking Strategies for Adults. The website, location, and contact information are listed below:
http://umce.memphis.edu

Professional & Continuing Education
101 Brister Hall
Memphis, Tennessee
38152-3440
901.678.6000 (phone)
901.678.2430 (FAX)
umce@memphis.edu

MCAT Workshop

Advice from U of M Pre-Med Students who earned high scores on this exam

General Information:  www.aamc.org

Test Dates: www.aamc.org/amcas  or go to:  http://cas.memphis.edu/pre_health.html

Advice for students planning to apply to medical school during their Senior year:

A little bit about the MCAT:

The MCAT is composed of the following sections:

1. Verbal Reasoning (VR), which consists entirely of reading comprehension of roughly page-length passages
2. Physical Sciences (PS), which covers General Chemistry I and II and Physics I and II
3. Writing Sample (WS), where you are required to argue points for and against, then evaluate a controversial or ambiguous statement
4. Biological Sciences (BS), which covers Biology I and II and Organic Chemistry I and II, and is reportedly becoming more genetics intensive.

If any section has the greatest importance, it is the verbal reasoning section, which is also the most difficult for which to prepare.  The Writing Sample is usually given the least weight.  The highest scores possible are usually 15 on each section (although VR is sometimes capped at 13) with a composite of 43-45.  A combined score of 30 is the national average for matriculating medical students; UT’s average is a little less (28).   Top 20 schools average about 33, and Washington U. in St. Louis has the highest reported average MCAT score of 37.  Your goal should be to score a 10 on each section.  A good MCAT score is not only high, but also balanced; i.e. 5 VR, 10 PS, 15BS is not a great score, although it is a 30.

Here’s our MCAT study strategy:

Statistically, MCAT performance is a better indicator of success in the preclinicial years of medical school than are grades.  All in all, your future as a physician doesn’t depend upon your performance on the one day of your MCAT exam as much as it depends upon your discipline in preparing for that exam in the year or two prior to it.

(over)

• Start studying early!
• Treat your basic science classes as if they were an MCAT prep course.  In other words, don’t plan to earn your “A” and then forget the material … make note cards and keep them on file.  Every few months (Christmas break, spring break, etc.), pullout your cards or notes and review them.  Here’s a quote from one of our pre-med students who earned high MCAT scores and was awarded a full-ride scholarship to the UT Medical School:  It is easier to keep this information in your mind than it is to relearn it in the weeks prior to the MCAT.  I  just had an interview at UT and the interviewer seemed to be impressed by this study plan, treating classes as MCAT prep, since the medical school classes are essentially prep for the USMLE (medical licensing exam) Step 1.
• One year to six months before a test date, the AAMC publishes a list of possible topics that could occur on the MCAT (http://www.aamc.org/students/mcat/studentmanual/start.htm).  Although there are always a few questions that are off-the-wall, complete knowledge of the published topics is probably sufficient to get a score in the upper 30’s, so concentrate on these subjects.  Before you begin reviewing, take a look at some sample questions so that you can get a feel for each section and which areas will require the most review.  Once you feel reasonably comfortable with these subject areas, you should take a diagnostic MCAT, such as offered on www.e-mcat.com, so that you can determine the areas on which you need to concentrate.  Go back to your course texts and review problems from your textbooks until you are really confident in the subject area.  At least weekly, you need to review a problem or two from every topic area.
• The most important thing, after knowing the material, is to practice taking tests.  Timing is very important, so you should take several individual sections of tests to make sure you’re working at a decent pace.  You will need to be able to do most of the math on the PS section quickly in your head (calculators will not be allowed when you take the MCAT), so try to do your Chemistry and Physics homework problems without a calculator, then check yourself.  Never use a calculator when you study for the MCAT.
• Because the MCAT is an all-day exam, endurance is extremely important.  You should set aside a few Saturdays on which you can take a full test.  Allow yourself breaks just as they are scheduled for the actual test.
• From a student who earned high MCAT scores, “I took the MCAT in April and began reviewing in January, studying between 4 and 8 hours a day; I didn’t even cover as much material as I would have liked.”

Practice material available from the AAMC

Web-Based MCAT Practice Tests

MCAT Practice Test 3R – Special MCAT Practice Online Offer    (Free)

MCAT Practice Online-Full Membership                ($80.00)

MCAT Practice Test 6R with Solutions (Web)       ($40.00)

MCAT Practice Test 6R with Solutions (Paper)     ($40.00)

MCAT Practice Test 5R with Solutions (Web)       ($40.00)

MCAT Practice Test 5R with Solutions (Paper)     ($40.00)

MCAT Practice Test 4R with Solutions (Web)       ($40.00)

Kaplan:  1-800-KAP-TEST   www.kaplan.com

PrincetonReview:  1-888-500-PREP    www.princetonreview.com

NOTE:  The MCAT will be fully computerized by January 2007.  Students who have taken the computerized version recommend strongly that you take your practice tests online at www.e-mcat.com and at www.mcat-prep.com