The Med School Pulse

So, you have been preparing for a late May or early June MCAT by studying hard and taking practice tests. Are you looking for something to give you that extra studying edge? Or perhaps you’re eyeing an MCAT test date later in the summer? Are you looking to get jump-started on material?

Either way, you’re in luck! Kaplan is running an MCAT Boot Camp event on 5/20/13 at 8pm ET!

This intensive MCAT Boot Camp event will feature questions on advanced content to give you an excellent idea of where you need to focus your MCAT studies. It will …

It’s one of those days. I am exhausted. My body hurts because I’m so tired. My brain is full. I can’t concentrate and my to-do list is decidedly too long to even contemplate.

With the full schedule of a pre-med student (taking classes, volunteering, studying for the MCAT , working, shadowing and applying to medical school), I have a lot of experience “powering through” and “playing through the pain.” I have made it through the toughness of finals week with mono and the absurdity of finishing a half marathon on a broken foot.  But, there are just some days where …

It’s officially Spring! Although those of us in the Upper Midwest have yet to see any weather that even slightly resembles spring, the changing of the seasons heralds what can be the craziest time of year for any student who is simultaneously applying to medical school while taking the MCAT in April, May, or June.

Other times of the year, studying for the MCAT has the potential to be stressful, but in May that stress can reach an impressively high level. In the next month and a half most students will have hurdles such as finals, graduation, moving, asking professors …

One of the questions I get asked most frequently as a teacher is, “Exactly what questions will I see on my test?”  If I knew the answer to that question, I would be making tons of money setting everyone up with their personalized MCAT answers. Although I can’t tell anyone exactly which questions they will be answering on Test Day, I do want to help out all of my intrepid MCAT studiers today and correct a common MCAT misconception.

Misconception: When I take my test, all of the material will be 100% familiar

Here’s the deal- yes, you have been …

So you have decided to skip going on vacation for spring break and hope to utilize your week free from classes to catch up on your MCAT studies. As a dedicated MCAT student, you want to make sure that you’re maximizing every moment of your break on your quest for MCAT success. Here are some helpful tips for helping you make the most of your studying stay-cation:

1. Create a break-friendly schedule- During a normal MCAT study schedule you have to account for work, class, volunteering, homework etc. During a spring break schedule, you won’t have to make …

Spring Break: that time of year again when we pasty northern folks get a week free from classes and flock to warm locations like Florida, Mexico and California, all in the hopes of warming up and making it through the last few weeks of winter. Even if you’re not traveling from the frozen tundra, you can still enjoy a week of fun and sun away from, at least, the lecture hall. For those of you who are studying for spring MCAT dates, this week may seem like a perfect time to get away from your MCAT studies and take …

Monday can be the day where it is hardest to find motivation.  With so many MCAT test dates coming up I thought it would be important to talk about something often overlooked by the majority of students. When a student comes to me and says their scores are not increasing and they just simply can’t find enough time to study I often respond with one simple question, “How motivated are you feeling right now?”  The answers I get would astonish you. Many students regularly say that they feel terrible and it is painful even to drag themselves to the library …

It’s that time of year again- when people daydream of valentines, candy hearts, roses and romantic gestures. While you, intrepid pre-med student, are preoccupied with daydreams about physics equations, the intricacies of mitosis vs. meiosis and the trends on the periodic table. As the commercials say, “every kiss begins with Kay” and you begin to wonder which K? Ksp? Keq? Temperature in Kelvin? As February 14^th rolls around, you think- How can I possibly have time for a hot date on Valentine’s Day? Surely I must spend this day of romance alone and wallowing in MCAT-studying induced self-pity.

That’s …

Following up on last week’s entry on Study Schedules, I want to continue the focus and narrow in on what “study blocks” are and how to best implement them.  Many of you were asking what a typical day in the week would look like. Remember, the focus of re-thinking your MCAT studying is to build consistency over to aid in preventing burnout and producing a happier you!

The first question that many students ask is how long they should be studying for.  Right away many say “9, 10 hours? All day even?” I am here to tell you that is …