With the Medical College Admissions Test (MCAT) undergoing major changes in 2015, the first revamp in over two decades, aspiring medical students are faced with new uncertainty in how to prepare for the crucially important exam. Many students are turning to dedicated MCAT prep courses to supplement their self-directed studies, only to be stymied by a market crowded with many alternatives. Here are some important questions to ask when selecting an MCAT prep course.
1) What’s the focus?
This is probably one of the most important things to look at when deciding on a specific prep course. Is preparation for the MCAT and other medical exams the company’s sole focus, or just one of a slew of standardized test prep materials offered? A company that solely focuses on MCAT knows the details of the MCAT and will be better equipped to easily guide students through the ins and outs of the exam. This allows for the whole program to be tailored to one specific exam and giving students the best possible chance for excelling at that exam.To help demonstrate the value of picking a company which specializes in MCAT preparation, consider an illustration from medicine. A patient may consult a general practitioner for regular health checkups, aches and pains, and everyday minor illnesses. But what happens when a patient is presenting the symptoms of a specific, serious illness? They’re referred to a specialist. Obviously, studying for an exam isn’t the same as getting a disease (although there are times it may make you feel a little sick at your stomach!), but the principle is the same. If studying for the MCAT is making you sick, consult a specialist!
2) Is the course taught by subject experts?
Our second point is related to the first. A student who is being taught a subject wants to make sure they are getting the most comprehensive review of that subject. Instructors must be well-qualified and equipped to address the needs of their students. Is the course being taught by grad students, or by actual experts with both practical and academic experience in medical fields? This will have a major impact on how well the instructors are able to impart an understanding of the essential topics.
Think about all of the other classes you’ve taken in your academic career, from elementary school through college. In elementary school, maybe you had the same teacher for several different classes, or even all of your classes. This is because in elementary school, you were only learning basic information. It wasn’t necessary for your teacher to have an expert-level understanding of math when they were only teaching you multiplication tables. The teacher’s ability to engage and interact with young children was the most important thing. By high school, though, you were probably being taught by several different teachers all specializing in different subjects, right? Certainly in college your biology courses were not taught by the same professor as your elective in Elizabethan literature.
An MCAT prep course is no different from any other advanced course: it covers advanced, highly specialized material for a specific goal. Like any other advanced-level course, an MCAT prep course needs to be taught by a subject expert in order for students to succeed. A non-expert instructor may be able to teach good general strategies for taking standardized tests, but without real knowledge and experience in the medical field, they probably won’t be able to help you really grasp the advanced concepts you need to understand to succeed on the MCAT. This is why you should always look for an MCAT prep course taught by true subject experts.
3) What about lectures?
Of course, having great instructors probably won’t help you very much if you don’t get any actual instruction time. An MCAT course that simply gives students an array of study materials, collects a fee, and then leaves students to their own devices can hardly be called a course at all. Some pre-meds may be able to succeed this way, but chances are if you’re considering taking a prep course for the MCAT in the first place, it’s because you feel you are the type of learner who can benefit from structured, expert instruction. Look for a course that offers regular, classroom-style lecture sessions (whether in-person or online), rather than one which just sells you a ton of study materials and leaves you on your own to figure out how to utilize them effectively.
It’s also important to find out what material is being covered in lecture sessions, if the course you’re considering offers them. The topics students applying to medical school are tested on are diverse, especially in the revised 2015 MCAT exam, which includes an entirely new section on behavioral and psychological elements of medical practice. Some students need a refresher on courses they took as a freshman or could benefit from review on a subject they struggled with. Look for an MCAT prep course that includes review of topics that will be on the exam instead of just teaching exam-taking skills.
4) Does the course offer practice exams?
No matter how well you think you’re picking up the key topics and terms covered in the MCAT in your study time, the only way to go in to the test with confidence is to assess yourself by taking practice exams. The best way to utilize practice exams is generally to start by taking them under low-pressure conditions: open book, without a time limit. As test day gets closer, start taking practice exams under simulated test conditions.
Taking practice exams is vital for estimating what score you can expect to achieve on the real MCAT, and for assessing the progress of your studies. This is why you should pick a prep course that offers you access to the official AAMC practice exams for the MCAT. Although every company has their own question banks, results on the official AAMC tests are the best predictor of what scores students can expect on the day of the actual MCAT exam. Finding a company that provides AAMC tests with the course also saves students from wasting money on buying them separately. Students would be well advised to contact test prep companies they are considering and find out if they provide AAMC tests if there is any uncertainty.
5) Does it fit your budget?
This one may seem somewhat obvious, but with MCAT prep programs running the gamut in price from tens to tens of thousands of dollars, it’s important to give some thought to what you can realistically afford to spend. Exactly what that amount should be necessarily varies a lot from person to person. In some cases it may be worth checking to see if any of the programs you’re considering offer any special discounts through your undergraduate college or university. Everyone’s priorities and financial situation is different, so it’s not possible to suggest a “magic number” you should spend in an article like this. Still, we can suggest a few things to keep in mind when considering your budget.
Since your score on the MCAT has such a big impact on whether you get accepted into medical school and on which schools you’re accepted to, a prep course that will truly improve your score can be seen as an investment in your future. You don’t just want to pick the cheapest option available to you.
At the same time, you need to understand and accept your personal financial realities. The important thing to remember is that the price of a program is in not necessarily an indicator of its quality. A less expensive course which offers more material in areas you think you’re weak in and is taught in a style that suits your learning style will help you more than one that wastes your time reviewing subjects you already understand or one that you find dull and unengaging. This is why it’s so critical to find out as much as possible about what each program you’re considering has to offer before you make a decision. Even setting aside the impact that your MCAT score can have on your dreams of a career in medicine, you’re potentially investing thousands of dollars, and you should feel that you’re getting the best possible value for your money.
Conclusion: Narrowing Down Your Choices
Studying for the MCAT exam is a big challenge, but picking the right test prep resources can be a difficult task in itself. There’s no “one size fits all” approach to choosing an MCAT prep program: what will deliver the best results for you depends on factors like your score goals, your strengths and weaknesses in different subjects, your learning style, and your budget. But considering these essential factors when reviewing MCAT prep courses will help you to narrow down your options and pick a program that will equip you to take the exam with confidence and achieve your goals.
Based in Dublin, Ohio, EduMind provides live online review courses and one-on-one tutoring services for students preparing to take the MCAT, and will soon be adding prep courses for the USMLE.