When should I take the MCAT?

Posted by Joshua
August 1, 2008

Last month, a science counselor at my university asked me whether I felt that taking the MCAT after 1st year would be beneficial for some students. For those of you who don’t know, I decided to take the MCAT last summer after my 1st year of undergrad biology. I knew I wanted to do a NSERC summer research placement after 2nd year, but also felt that I did not have the discipline or work ethic to successfully study for the MCAT at the same time. And I also knew I wanted to apply to medicine starting in the fall of my 3rd year. So I gave the MCAT a shot that summer after 1st year, and fortunately ended up with a decently balanced 34 T.

So would I recommend taking the MCAT after 1st year?

The short answer is yes and no, and to be frank, the best time to take the MCAT varies from student to student. In my opinion, taking 1st year physics, chemistry and biology, as well as 2nd year organic chemistry, help tremendously in making studying for the MCAT easier. The MCAT has become a critical thinking test more so than ever, and so any other courses on top of that are just gravy, in my opinion. So assuming no other summer distractions (i.e. no research or other jobs), I honestly believe that taking the MCAT after 2nd year is probably optimal for most science undergrads (in fact, most Canadian premed students do this already anyways). Not only will you have experience with all the essential science knowledge already, but in terms of test-taking skills, you would obviously do better the older you are. Taking your MCAT after 3rd year is also an option, but I think doing so after 2nd year is slightly better since the science courses will be a bit fresher in your mind.

What if I want to do both summer research and the MCAT?

I realize many students (like myself) want to have completed the MCAT as well as one summer of work (e.g. research) after two years of undergraduate studies. If this is you, there are several routes you could take:

Route #1: You do both summer research and your MCAT after 2nd year. I think this is the most common scenario for students in this boat. The main pro of this are that you have the core science background completed. The big con is the lack of time. It is easy for students in this position to work 9am-5pm in the lab, then go to their 3 hour MCAT prep course, and then get home by 11pm without having studied at all! It is definitely possible to do this and do it well, but it takes a ton of discipline, sacrifice, work ethic, and time management skills. If you have these traits, by all means, go for it. If you’re like me, and can’t quite handle the excessive workload, then you might want to try Route #2 or #3.

Route #2: You do summer research after 1st year, and your MCAT after 2nd year. I actually think this is better than Route #1, since you will have ample time to prepare for the MCAT. The only con is that, in general, it is more difficult to find a professor willing to hire you in the lab, since there is a plethora of older, more experienced undergraduate students who make better candidates to work for them. In addition, some universities (like York) only offer NSERC summer research awards to students who have finished at least 2 years of undergrad, so if you value a summer research award, this route may not work for you.

Route #3: You take your MCAT after 1st year, and then pursue summer research after 2nd year. This is the route I took, and honestly speaking, I don’t feel most people should take this route unless you are confident in your test-taking skills. The pros are that you get the test over and done with early, have the whole summer to concentrate on the MCAT, and have a whole extra year to retake if you screw up. The major cons are that you will likely score lower than if you were to have taken it after 2nd or 3rd year, since your test-taking skills would be worse, and your science knowledge base is lower, particularly with the lack of Organic Chemistry. That being said, if you are confident in your work ethic and test-taking skills, I definitely think there is merit to this route. I am very sure that a few of my friends who are now balancing the MCAT and summer work would have benefited from this route.

So in short, when you should take your MCAT depends on a few main factors:

(1) Your test-taking abilities and your confidence in them
(2) Your time-management skills, work ethic, and discipline
(3) When you want to apply to medicine (e.g. 3rd year, 4th year, or beyond)
(4) Whether or not you want to have other commitments for the summer, that affect how much time you can spend preparing for the MCAT
(5) How many MCAT-suggested courses you’ve taken (e.g. physics, chemistry, etc.)

Anyways, I hope this helps you realize that there are many options, and that you shouldn’t base your decision on when to take the MCAT on popular opinion (e.g. after 2nd year). Everyone’s situation is different, and you need to find the method that is best for you and only you.

If you need advice on when to take it, feel free to leave a comment on your situation, and I’ll let you know what I think.

Related Posts:

MCAT, Medical School

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Comments

Hey Joshua, you mentioned something about how taking physics courses is good for MCAT. I wanted to ask if that is necessary, are there several physics related questions on the MCAT?

Comment by Maha on April 5, 2009 @ 7:41 pm

Taking Physics will be essential for the MCAT. If you are in high school right now, worry first about getting into a good program at a good university. You should ideally take the MCAT when you are serious about applying to medical school.

Comment by medaholic on April 21, 2009 @ 12:32 am

Hey Maha,

Yup, as Medaholic has mentioned, there is physics on the MCAT.

I would say if you’ve taken Gr. 12 high school physics, you might be okay learning the physics for the MCAT on your own.

But since 1st year university physics covers above and beyond what you need to know for the MCAT, it’s really good preparation, and helps your confidence a lot.

Comment by Joshua on April 25, 2009 @ 10:10 pm

I am planning on going to York University for biomedical sciences and I have not taken Grade 12 Physics, I only took it in grade 11. Can I still take first year physics in university without having grade 12 physics?
And thanks a lot guys, the information really helps

Comment by Maha on April 30, 2009 @ 10:20 pm

Hey Maha,

Assuming you are interested in the PHYS 1410 course at York, this is what it says for prerequisites:

Prerequisite: OAC Physics or 12U Physics or SC/PHYS 1510 4.00, OAC Algebra and OAC Calculus or 12U Advanced Functions & Introductory Calculus. This is a calculus-based course making use of elementary differential and integral calculus.

So it seems like you’d have to take PHYS 1510 (Introduction to Physics) first, but you can check with a York science counsellor to make sure.

Comment by Joshua on May 1, 2009 @ 3:06 pm

i see, so is the introductory physics enough or is it necessary that i take the PHYS 1410 as well? becasue i have heard that the first year university course is very much like the grade 12 university physics.

Comment by Maha on May 11, 2009 @ 5:16 pm

Hi Maha,

I would think 1st year university physics is definitely more difficult than Gr. 12 physics, though I’m not sure by how much.

I”m not sure if the introductory physics course is enough to be honest, since I don’t know the material. If you plan on taking the introductory physics course, I would also pick up a MCAT physics book and compare the material to see if it’s enough. If it’s not enough, then you can consider taking PHY 1410 after.

Comment by Joshua on May 11, 2009 @ 10:18 pm

Do you have to take physics before studying for the MCAT? I want to be able to study for the MCAT next summer after my sophomore year. I switched my major from nursing to biology at the end of this semester. I also would like to know if taking biology, chemistry, and physics in one semester will be too much of a course load. I am trying to squeeze in more courses since some of my classes from the nursing major will not substitute for biology courses.

Comment by jordanlne on May 26, 2009 @ 10:05 am

Hi Jordanine,

I would highly suggest taking physics in university before studying for the MCAT, especially if you haven’t worked with physics in a while. If you’re not sure, I would suggest picking up an MCAT prep book from Princeton Review, Kaplan, etc. and see how you feel about the material in there. If you feel comfortable with it, maybe you don’t need the course, but if it looks really hard or foreign, the course is probably worth taking if you can fit it in.

Considering that you probably have labs with those courses, taking biology, chemistry, and physics at the same time is tough. I think only you can really know whether it’s too much for you too handle or not – it’s really hard to say.

Comment by Joshua on May 26, 2009 @ 3:21 pm

Hi Joshua,

Did you take any of the prep courses through Princeton, Kaplan etc? Do you have any recommendations regarding that and any other advise you can give on how to prepare for the MCAT would be greatly appreciated.

Thanks.

Comment by Sandra on June 26, 2009 @ 10:50 pm

Hi Sandra,

Yah, I took the Princeton Review MCAT prep course. I think it’s good if you don’t have a strong science background or haven’t taken science in a while, but I don’t think it’s particularly useful if you’ve taken physics, chemistry, biology, and organic chemistry recently – I think you’re better off studying on your own if that’s the case.

I might write an article about some general MCAT advice in the future, but as it has been a while since I’ve taken it, I’m not sure what else I can say. I’ll think about it though.

Comment by Joshua on June 29, 2009 @ 11:39 am

Hi Joshua!

I’ve been reading through some of your blog articles, and I’ve gotta say, they’re really well written and really helpful! Thanks for sharing it with all of us!!

I need your advice – I want to take a course (I’m going into my second year of biology at Queen’s) that will give me a good prep for the writing portion (and verbal reasoning?) on the MCAT…just wondering if you’ve done any courses that involved writing and if they helped you for the MCAT? Thanks so much and keep up the great work!! Congrats on getting to med school!! :)

Comment by Julie on July 8, 2009 @ 10:42 am

Hey Josh!

I just became serious this summer and started my research for med schools about what their requirements are etc etc. So i only found out that summer research would be useful this summer. I guess the only choice i have now, is to do it during the summer of my second year. I wanted to know how you got your summer research job? I think you did it part-time, so is there a choice of choosing it part-time or full-time?

Comment by Khalil on July 10, 2009 @ 7:35 am

Hi Julie,

I actually don’t think a writing course will help you too much with the writing sample on the MCAT. The writing sample doesn’t require any special writing talent or literary skills, so while a writing course wouldn’t hurt, I wouldn’t take a writing course specifically for the MCAT because I don’t think it’ll help you that much.

The MCAT writing sample is best approached in a formulaic manner, with a systematic approach to the possible topics. It’s more about appropriate content and ideas, good structure, and good grammar, all of which you can learn from an MCAT prep book or course.

Comment by Joshua on July 10, 2009 @ 1:29 pm

Hi Khalil,

I would say that part-time is pretty rare, you’d have to find a professor willing to do that. I think in general you’re best off working full time, as there is a lot to learn, and a some types of research needs to be worked on over consecutive days.

The best way is to look up professors, find those whose work interests you, and contact them.

Comment by Joshua on July 10, 2009 @ 1:38 pm

Hey Joshua, thanks for the reply! I have another question – I think you mentioned somewhere that you used various MCAT prep books, so I was just wondering if you don’t mind, if you could tell me how much just the prep materials cost? I was looking at this other company and they’re charging over $1000 for the entire session! I was quite shocked, are they all this expensive???

Comment by Julie on July 21, 2009 @ 8:55 pm

Hey Julie,

I got my MCAT prep books with the Princeton Review course, so I’m not sure how much they would cost on their own, or whether you could even get the prep materials on your own without the course.

Yah, it’s quite expensive – I think most prep courses run for about 1.5 to 2 months, and cost about $1200-1500. Books alone shouldn’t cost that much though.

Comment by Joshua on July 22, 2009 @ 5:12 pm

Thanks for your reply Joshua. I actually borrowed a Kaplan MCAT prep book from the library (Queen’s), so I might not have to buy one after all! =)

Comment by Julie on July 22, 2009 @ 5:27 pm

Hey Julie,

Just wanted to caution that the books you get in the prep course tend to come as a package (e.g. one book for biological sciences, one for physical sciences, one for verbal/writing, etc.) where as the books sold in a store are often just a single book covering all topics – these single books are not as comprehensive than the books given to students in the course, so if you borrowed one of these books, I wanted to caution that it might not be good enough. You should try and get your hands on an entire set if possible.

Comment by Joshua on July 23, 2009 @ 2:33 pm

Hey Joshua,

Oh okay, thanks for the warning!! The one I borrowed is actually a comprehensive review that has all the MCAT sections…and by comprehensive I mean its about 5 inches thick, haha. So I think this one would be okay?

btw, do med schools prefer applicants who have a lot of employment experience under their belt? I know OttawaU requires applicants to submit a list of employment experience. I unfortunately have very little, and I was hoping to somehow land a research position for next summer, though that is also the summer I also plan on taking the MCAT. I’m thinking that might be too much, so do you think I should just focus on MCAT prep next summer and not work at all?

Thanks!

Comment by Julie on July 26, 2009 @ 9:30 pm

Hi Joshua,
I am starting my first year of uni this fall. However i want to do my major in business, since obtaining a higher gpa is vital for med school and in case i dont get in I can fall back on my business major. I plan on completing my pre requisites for med school from my university(although they might not be counted for credits.) I have started to preparee for my MCAT this summer and I am a bit confused about the ‘summer research’ you have mentioned in your blog. Is summer research mandatory for med school? Do I have to finish all the science pre requisites by first year in order to do my summer research in the summer after first year? thank you very very much for your time to read my post =)

Comment by allie on July 28, 2009 @ 3:31 pm

Hi Julie,

If it’s that thick, then it’s probably okay. You can start out with it, do some practice tests, and if you don’t think you know enough of the information, maybe get a different package.

I would say that most medical schools are pretty indifferent about employment experience. Besides research, I only had one summer of employment, and it was nothing out of the ordinary – and it wasn’t something I ever mentioned in essays or interviews. The experiences that have shaped you, particularly for medicine, are what matters, regardless if they were paid or not.

I would say GPA and MCAT are the most important, so if you don’t think you could handle doing a good job in your work while also doing a good job with the MCAT, then I would just focus on the MCAT.

Comment by Joshua on July 30, 2009 @ 9:37 pm

Hi Allie,

Nope, summer research (or research of any kind) is absolutely not a requirement for applying to medical school. Lots of students with no research background get into medical school.

If you’re interested in pursuing science research in the summer, it’s up to a professor to be willing to work with you. That being said, I would imagine a professor doing biology research, for example, might be a bit skeptical about taking you on if you don’t have much biology under your belt. Doesn’t hurt to ask though.

Comment by Joshua on July 30, 2009 @ 9:39 pm

Hi Josh. I have a lot of questions, so hopefully you can help me.

First of all, is a researching job required for Medical school admission? I hear a lot of people talking about this in regards to getting in to med school…?

I am entering Frist Year and have not taken grade 12 Physics and Chemistry, and therefore I am ineligible to take those repective courses in First Year. Are there any alternatives to learning this material? Are the MCAT Prep courses sufficient enough to cover everything without having a background in any of them?

Help is appreciated, thanks and good luck!

Comment by Brandon on August 2, 2009 @ 2:43 pm

Hi Brandon,

As you can see in the comment above yours, I mention that research experience is not required for medical school admissions, at least in Canada. However, there might be medical schools that like seeing research experience more than others, though I don’t have any knowledge on that.

I get the MCAT question a lot, and to be honest, I think it depends on the person. I’d assume that without Gr. 12 physics and chemistry the MCAT will be quite challenging, but I could be wrong. My suggestion is to always pick up a MCAT prep book, try going through the science material, and see if you understand it. If you are having a lot of trouble, it might be worth finding a way to take those courses or get some tutoring or something.

Comment by Joshua on August 2, 2009 @ 3:38 pm

Thank you tons, Josh.

So in a nutshell, the MCAT difficulty isn’t really past the High School level?
Do you think that the MCAT prep courses indeed legitimately preprare students for the test?

thanks!

Comment by Brandon on August 2, 2009 @ 8:50 pm

Hi Brandon,

The MCAT covers 1st year level physics, biology, and chemistry, so I wouldn’t say it’s not past the high school level, because it is. What I meant to say was that if you didn’t have trouble with Gr. 12 science, you shouldn’t have too much trouble with the MCAT science content because it’s just the next level in terms of content. It’s not like you’re skipping grades, is what I mean.

I would say the MCAT prep courses give you all the tools to do well on the MCAT, and it’s up to you to take advantage of them (i.e. study the books, do the practice tests).

Good luck!

Comment by Joshua on August 3, 2009 @ 12:35 am

Thanks so much Joshua, your comments have been really helpful!! :)

Comment by Julie on August 9, 2009 @ 8:26 pm

Hey Josh,
I just have a few questions about summer research opportunities in University. I know you touched on it while answering other questions but I still have a few doubts. I will be starting my first year of science this fall and was wondering how would one come across research opportunities? You mentioned we have to approach professors. Will there be a list that we choose from? If it is an interview process, any idea of what the prof is looking for in a candidate? Would you say that it is competitive? What research opportunity did you decide on?

Thanks a lot in advance!

Comment by Shiva on August 17, 2009 @ 5:17 pm

Hi Shiva,

You should keep an eye out for due dates for applications for student research scholarship/awards like the NSERC USRA (I would suggest doing a Google search about that for more information). But in general, whether you apply for a research award or not, you need to have a professor take you on first. So yes, you just need to connect with a professor in some way (no, there’s no list or anything, it’s basically up to you to go and ask). In general, professors are probably just looking for motivated students interested in their work. It really depends on the professor – all I can say is look up and find professors whose work interests you and send them an email.

I did a NSERC USRA with a professor whose lab focuses on using a certain protist as a model organism.

Comment by Joshua on August 17, 2009 @ 7:45 pm

Hi Joshua,
Im currently at York University but im doing a BA Program in Political Science but I am taking some general sciences courses. I am currently reading the MCAT Book & i get the material. My question is if i get a good score on the mcat do i still have a chance at medical school even if i didn’t do a BSC degree?

Comment by Devin on November 19, 2009 @ 5:31 pm

I am in college in my 4 semester and will be receiving my G.E.D and Associates degree.I would like to further my career in another state for pre-med to become a M.D what are the qualifications,resources that will help me and to achieve my goals. I notice that by taking the Mcat may be helpful and S.A.T. I am really working hard and would like some guidance. Please notify me what will be the basic steps that may help me. Thank You!

Comment by rashawn on November 19, 2009 @ 6:01 pm

Devin: Absolutely. Medical schools don’t care what degree you have or what program you’re in as long as you have the prerequisite courses.

Rashawn: I’m not really sure what you’re asking – it sounds like you’re asking for a general process for medical school admissions. I suggest you just do some web searches and you’ll get a lot of general information.

Comment by Joshua on November 25, 2009 @ 10:54 pm

I am currently a junior in high school and I was wondering do i need to take the MCAT now or during senior year. I am going to go into the medical field so im going into medical colleges. So Im just wondering when do I take the MCAT?

Comment by Krupa on November 29, 2009 @ 1:46 pm

Hi Krupa,

Most students take the MCAT during university/college.

Comment by Joshua on December 4, 2009 @ 4:11 pm

Hey Josh, I was just wondering when would be a good time to register for the MCAT if I plan to write it this August? As well, I read somewhere that I can purchase online practice tests from an MCAT prep company like Kaplan for a decent price like $35. Is this true/do you think that would be a good idea?

Thanks so much Josh, I am so glad I stumbled upon your blog before it was too late.

Comment by Laura on December 23, 2009 @ 9:38 pm

Hi Laura,

I’m not sure how much it costs to purchase online tests right now – I think it’s a good option if you want the tests but don’t want to do the prep course.

As for good times to register, I have no idea, but I remember having to register in spring for my August MCAT a few years ago. Definitely check the schedule on the AAMC website.

Good luck!

Comment by Joshua on December 24, 2009 @ 1:58 pm

hi, i was just wondering for grade 11 and 12 do u think i need to take pysics for MCAT ?

Comment by Sandy on March 5, 2010 @ 8:27 pm

I think it would help make it easier for sure. It’s not mandatory, but would definitely save a lot of time/trouble for when you do take the MCAT.

Comment by Joshua on March 6, 2010 @ 3:15 pm

I’m not sure if this has already been mentioned or asked, but do med schools look at all your MCAT scores? Do they look at the highest scores? I heard it’s better to take it once and do well than take it three times and do really well on the third try. Thanks! Glad to hear your back on this blog!

Comment by Susan on April 26, 2010 @ 10:35 pm

Hey Susan,

I can’t speak for American medical schools, but I believe Canadian medical schools only look at either your best or most recent MCAT score.

Comment by Joshua on April 28, 2010 @ 7:19 am

Hi Joshua,

I am in my last year of school and I realize that it might to be late for me to take biology and chemistry, so I wonder if I really need to have thos credits in order to take MCAT (I took physics and calculus in my undergrad)?
Thank you so much for your advice!

Comment by Julia on April 29, 2010 @ 10:13 pm

Hey Julia,

You don’t “need” to have taken those credits in order to take the MCAT, though taking them would certainly be good preparation for the MCAT.

I’d suggest checking out some MCAT prep books and see how much difficulty you have understanding the material for biology and chemistry.

Best of luck!

Comment by Joshua on April 30, 2010 @ 8:59 am

Hi!
I will be going to Ottawa next year for my first year and I was wondering if I can do my MCAT before my last year and then complete my 4 years of uni and get my degree and go to med school then. So you have to go to med school the same year you do your MCAT? Cause I want to finish my degree also.

Also Ottawa doesnt require the MCAT to be done, they look for community involement right? are they the only ones in Canada who look for just that?
Merci!

Comment by BeauHomme on June 13, 2010 @ 2:08 pm

Hey Joshua! I saw the following two articles under the mcat subsection:

How I got a T on the MCAT Writing Sample
Tips for the Computer-Based Test (CBT) Format

But they havent been linked. Have you deleted them? Just wondering because I would really like your advice on the writing sample.

Comment by Khalil on June 14, 2010 @ 6:49 pm

BeauHomme: You don’t have to do your MCAT the same year as when you apply to med school. You can take the MCAT anytime. However, I believe that the MCAT scores are only good for about 5 years or something like that (don’t quote me on this, you will have to check to make sure, but I remember reading something like this).

You’re right, Ottawa doesn’t require the MCAT. They look at grades and non-academic experiences. I believe they are the only medical school in Canada that doesn’t require the MCAT.

Khalil: Those articles that aren’t linked were articles I had planned to write but never got around to unfortunately!

Comment by Joshua on June 16, 2010 @ 6:31 pm

Joshua! Could you please give us some tips on the writing sample? Any help would be useful =]

Comment by Khalil on June 18, 2010 @ 7:09 am

Hi Khalil,

In the writing sample, you basically have to come up with an example in support of the statement, then an example against the statement, and then a rule to explain when the statement is true and when it is not.

My major tip is to come up with the rule, FIRST. It is much easier to come up with examples once you have a rule. In addition, if your two examples do not relate to each other, it can become impossible to find a rule that makes sense.

Oh, and write a lot =). I get the feeling that how much you write gets taken into account when they mark you.

Good luck!

Comment by Joshua on June 18, 2010 @ 2:01 pm

Great tip, Josh! Thank you so much!!!

Comment by Khalil on June 18, 2010 @ 7:02 pm

Hey man, I just started reading your posts today and I love it. I was wondering if you could give me some advice on studying for the mcat. I am trying to take it after my second year. I am a physics major and will be averaging about 19 credits per semester my first and second year. The reason I am taking so many credits is because I want to fit physiology or cell biology into my schedule for the mcat. Do you think I could fit in a Kaplan course? If so, how? Also, I would like to know how many credits you were taking at the time just to compare, to see if I can manage a score as high as yours with the number of credits I am taking. THANKSSSSSS!!!!!!!!!

Comment by Harrison on July 25, 2010 @ 7:10 pm

Hey Harrison

I can’t answer for you whether you can fit in a prep course. It depends on how whether you can balance everything, and only you can answer that. Also, I took my MCAT during the summer, so I wasn’t taking any courses at the time.

Comment by Joshua on July 25, 2010 @ 9:36 pm
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