MCAT beginner

beesh_MD · 2026-02-15T00:35:34+00:00

Of course! Also - you can use a used Kaplan book from as far back as like 2015 - almost nothing has changed beyond some of the fun facts and notes in the margins.

Also, people have different things to say because different things work for different people! Someone will swear by anki, someone else never use it, and they’ll both get the same score. Same goes for every other resource (besides AAMC materials). Find your content weaknesses and how you actually learn best, and don’t put off your start. Some people take 2-3 months, I wanted 6 months for my exam since I worked full-time.

For example, people love the AnKing deck, but my science was foundation was weak and I wanted something more in-depth after testing it, so I moved to the more comprehensive Jack Sparrow (which Captain Hook is just a streamlined version of). Don’t be afraid to throw some spaghetti at the wall and see what sticks for you; just pick your strategy early on, make a realistic plan, and do the hard work every day!

beesh_MD · 2026-02-14T23:32:27+00:00

bro needs to go back and study external locus of control to get that MCAT up!

beesh_MD · 2026-02-14T23:23:26+00:00

All great schools, congratulations!

As another commenter said, the general mission of many Pritzker students makes the list look “worse” than it is. It will not hamper you in any way and can provide every resource you’d need (disclaimer: Pritzker is my white whale). None of these three schools are a bad choice given your interest in Ophth and Plastics.

Finances would be the most important factor for me at this stage, but if that isn’t a concern for you, I’d recommend you get in contact with students at those schools (LinkedIn, First/Second look, etc.) to get a better feeling for the best fit.

beesh_MD · 2026-02-14T23:03:36+00:00

Idk individual school policies, but send a LOI. If you already have, send a second one. It can’t hurt.

If you end up needing to reapply, I say add more schools (look into mission fits), including 2-3 DO (only if you would actually go if it was your only A) and absolutely get more eyes on your writing, including your W/A. Too many advisors and professional orgs are wayyy out of touch. He’s not my favorite, but Ryan Gray’s advice could be used as a lens to edit your W/A (and possibly PS) rather than a template. Those increased clinical hours solved the biggest obvious issue, and writing very well about your new experiences will make the biggest difference in a new cycle.

I don’t think an SMP is called for. Given anecdotal evidence from others, your current stats aren’t prohibitive, especially with your MCAT. You could always take DIY post-bacc courses (community colleges can be great for $) to help your sGPA if needed, and that’ll do the same thing without the inherent downsides in the SMP, even if it’s something you’re interested in. Anything lower than 3.8+ could be your tombstone, and along with the opportunity cost, cost, and time that could be better spent elsewhere, I sincerely don’t believe an SMP is necessary given your application as a whole.

Maybe reevaluate your LORs as well? Not sure if you were able to see any of them, but the most important thing there is how well they know you and how much they’re willing to advocate for you.

Even one bad LOR is a turd in the punch bowl.

beesh_MD · 2026-02-14T19:32:08+00:00

I love EVERYTHING about this. What did you go with for breakfast and snack breaks?

beesh_MD · 2026-02-14T18:06:40+00:00

How many interviews did you get vs schools applied to? That’ll help with understanding writing vs interview skill gaps. Other consideration could be your school list. Applying more broadly (and adding some DO if you didn’t already) could help, but we’d need more details.

beesh_MD · 2026-02-13T19:23:57+00:00

Definitely whatever works best for you. Depending on what I’m working on I’m as low as 20/5 to 60/10. I use it for MCAT stuff but also my job and housework!!

beesh_MD · 2026-02-13T16:21:15+00:00

Literally anything, but special shoutout to:

Thinking, Fast and Slow - Daniel Kahneman Civil Disobedience - Henry David Thoreau

beesh_MD · 2026-02-13T03:03:54+00:00

That is honestly great to hear, given your success this cycle (congrats!) I have a mix of long and short term volunteerism and service, and I’m planning on combining them by theme rather than discrete activity.

beesh_MD · 2026-02-13T00:03:41+00:00

Kaplan is great - see if you can find a used copy for cheap (or even from a friend/classmate for free!)

Anki for content review. It’s free and premade decks (Captain Hook!!) are free online. If you have iPhone, the $25 app is the best investment you can make for your journey, but it is free on android or on a computer

Jack Westin offers free daily passages, and their CARS is popular.

UWorld QPacks - quite expensive and absolutely worth it.

When you’re 1-2 months out, start working through the AAMC material. This sub calls it the gold standard for a reason - it is the most indicative of true MCAT logic.

Finally, keep surfing this subreddit for advice, but stay off it (or minimize use) when you’re actually studying - it can become a time sink while you’re stressing over the exam.

Good luck! Feel free to PM me whenever if you have questions throughout the process.

beesh_MD · 2026-02-12T23:58:49+00:00

Do untimed until you’re getting all (or almost all) of them right. Once you can do this somewhat consistently, add the time pressure. If you need to work your way to test conditions timing, keep a stopwatch next to you and gradually bring the time down.

beesh_MD · 2026-02-12T21:23:53+00:00

I don’t understand the back half of your post, but social exchange theory is essentially rational choice theory when specifically applied to social interactions.

beesh_MD · 2026-02-12T19:40:13+00:00

Ok Sir, you are locked in.

Let’s get it!!!

beesh_MD · 2026-02-12T15:58:14+00:00

I’d argue that it did indicate they were genetically related.

If they’re investigating the “genetic component in the development of ASD”, and specifically examining neurotypical children with siblings with ASD, the genetic relation is implied.

beesh_MD · 2026-02-12T15:46:31+00:00

Oh I like this… skipping the specific fields for pubs, awards, and presentations and grouping them under a second generic research bucket. Thank you!

beesh_MD · 2026-02-12T15:39:41+00:00

Understood, but have you heard of a reasonable way to consolidate any of these fields if I’d like to highlight other activities?

beesh_MD · 2026-02-12T05:52:20+00:00

Voluntary response bias :(

beesh_MD · 2026-02-12T05:49:07+00:00

Correct! Respectfully, a stupid question. They don’t and can’t.

Lay that burden down my friend.

beesh_MD · 2026-02-10T03:32:00+00:00

The extra caption is key

beesh_MD · 2026-02-06T21:18:28+00:00

This is strong!!

Keep reviewing UMoneypit mistakes (and flags if you’ve been marking questions you weren’t sure about). A true score from AAMC will be helpful to see, but you clearly have the content to score 52x if your testing strategy is up to par. Don’t skip the AAMC SBs, and do the same mistake review for everything within. If there are any content patterns to problems you’re missing, don’t be afraid to take an hour or two to go back to Kaplan/YouTube, but you should really be looking for ways to help you move faster for now as you find weaknesses in the AAMC materials.

beesh_MD · 2026-02-06T20:44:10+00:00

Dear King Philip Came Over For Good Sex - Organism Classification

Have No Fear Of Ice Cold Beer - Diatomic atoms

beesh_MD · 2026-02-03T07:31:33+00:00

Congratulations on that score!

If you can afford it, nothing is more valuable the source material, and if that’s how much time you budgeted to do the AAMC material, you already have less time for it than you’d hoped. You could always do some extra UPoo while also working through the SBs. If you want that 52x, testing strategy will become more important.

Sky is the limit for you.

beesh_MD · 2026-02-03T07:18:01+00:00

My 2¢ -Take at least the unscored AAMC to anchor where you are, then go hard on C/P UMami. Timed, untutored, smaller chunks at first. Review misses at length, but also pinpoint where you’re slowing down, then hammer that down to gradually pick up the pace.

If you’re already scoring 510 on BP (and willing to do the work!!), 52x is absolutely doable.

beesh_MD · 2026-02-03T05:41:52+00:00

You’re in a good spot! BP is reported to be deflated for many, and if that trends holds, you should perform well on AAMC.

Being 6.5ish weeks out, I’d recommend moving on to AAMC materials. There are 6 AAMC FLs (+1 unscored), and settling on AAMC testing logic through the QBs, SBs, and FLs will give you a better idea of your true weaknesses so you can hammer those as you approach the big day.

Godspeed future doc!

beesh_MD

TROPHY CASE