Volunteer Profile: QofQuimica

QofQuimica is currently a second-year allopathic medical student. After college, she went to graduate school and earned her M.S. in medicinal chemistry. She then worked as a lab tech and in a doctor’s office before returning to school to earn her PhD in pharmaceutical chemistry.

In August 2004, Q took the MCAT and scored a 43S. She began giving MCAT advice on SDN when she joined as a member in October 2004. Q joined the SDN staff in June 2005 as an advisor for the MCAT Study Questions subforum and later became MCAT forum moderator. She now oversees all of the SDN premedical forums. Recently, SDN spoke with Q to get her input on preparing for and taking the MCAT. 

Read more »

The Price of MCAT Prep

Studying for the MCAT can set you back almost as much as you’re willing to pay, with prices ranging from over $2,149 to as low as $35, depending on what you’re looking for and how much work (and money) you want to put into it.

Kaplan

Kaplan’s Complete Preparation for the Computer-Based MCAT costs $1,749 for Classroom or Online Courses. They offer the “Kaplan Higher Score Guarantee” that states that if you feel you’re not ready to take the exam, you can study with them again for free for the next test date. They also say that, no matter how many points you improve, if you’re not satisfied with your overall score, you can study with them again for free for the next test date. Lastly, if for any reason you don’t raise your overall score, you can study with them again for free or get your money back. Read more »

MCAT Study Guides Feature All You Need to Know, And Then Some

Venture inside any bookstore and you know there’s a book for just about everything, and studying for the MCAT is no exception. There are shelves and shelves of MCAT prep books, some of which you’ve probably already heard of (or own) and some you may not.

Here’s a rundown of the tip of the iceberg of what’s available in the MCAT prep world:

The Gold Standard MCAT, by Dr. Brett Ferdinand, covers all science sections in detail, and includes a review for verbal reasoning, a “Five minute, Five step” approach to the writing sample, conversion tables for MCAT scores, and over 100 diagrams and illustrations.

Available at mcat-bookstore.com for $60, the 842-page Gold Standard includes a comprehensive and easy-to-understand review of the MCAT, and three pull-out full-length practice exams with explanations. This manual covers all aspects of medical school admissions, as well as tips for improving your grades, preparing for medical school interviews, and strategies for autobiographical materials and letters of references. Read more »

MCAT Testing Goes High Tech

MCAT Testing CenterTechnology strikes again—beginning in January 2007, the computerized MCAT became the only way to take the test. Although some may think the new test requires technological knowledge known only to IT specialists, it really only requires basic computer operating skills, such as familiarity with using a keyboard and a mouse.

Now, opportunities to take the test have increase from twice a year to 22 times, and the test day takes about half as long as the paper-test days of old. This is partly because the new test is shorter (with the amount of questions reduced proportionately in all sections of the test).

Because the number of questions has been reduced by about one-third, the amount of time allowed to take the test has been reduced by about 30 percent, to four and a half hours. Test results are speedier as well; they will be available in 30 days instead of 60, with plans to eventually reduce reporting to 14 days. Read more »

SDN Podcast 1

Listen to it here: SDN Podcast 1

Host NJBMD introduces the new SDN Podcast series. This issue describes the new changes to the Medical Colleges Admission Test (MCAT).

Additionally includes a brief presentation about getting organizated for medical school interviews.

Subscribe to the podcasts!

© 1999-2007 Coastal Research Group. Some rights reserved.
The SDN Logo and "Student Doctor Network" are registered trademarks of CRG.

TRUSTe Trust Mark   Creative Commons License   We subscribe to the HONcode principles of the HON Foundation. Click to verify.   HACKER SAFE certified sites prevent over 99.9% of hacker crime.