If you’re planning on taking the MCAT in the next year or two, you’ve probably asked yourself this question: how many months do I actually need to set aside to prepare? The answer to this question is enormously important – the MCAT is a content-intensive and difficult test, so you need to give yourself plenty…
5 Things You Need to Know Before Your MCAT Exam
Applying to medical school is no doubt one of the most exciting paths in your life so far, however intense the process may feel! And while taking the MCAT can definitely be intimidating, the best way to ease any stress you may have surrounding it is to be as informed about it as possible. The…
Kaplan Test Prep Survey Offers Tips to Aspiring Doctors
Fewer MD applicants earned a seat in medical school in 2016 (39.7%) than in recent history. According to the Association of American Medical Colleges, this is the second year in a row that the admit rate fell below 40%. For their 12th annual survey of medical school admissions officers, Kaplan Test Prep recently queried…
1 Doctor, 2 Entrepreneurs: Eliza Morrison & Andrew Nimmich [Episode 230]
Meet Eliza Morrison and M4 Andrew Nimmich, the CEOs of Tutor the People and Nerdly. Both of today’s guests attended the College of Charleston in South Carolina where Eliza Morrison majored in French, Russian and Comparative Literature. Andrew Nimmich also attended the College of Charleston and CUNY Brooklyn College and majored in Pre-Medical Studies. He…
MCAT Strategy: Learning from Practice
Once you’ve assessed your baseline strengths and weaknesses, crafted your study plan, and gotten into the swing of things with your MCAT studying, you’ll find yourself taking practice sections and full-length exams before too long. To get the best results, though, you need to do more than just practice; you must also carefully review your…
MCAT Strategy & Planning: Where Do I Even Begin?
As an MCAT student concerned about crafting your perfect exam strategy, you might be feeling overwhelmed. You may have heard about numerous MCAT strategies – highlighting the passage, taking notes, reading the questions first, skipping around, etc. Which should you choose? And even once you settle on a larger strategy, you’ll find various ways to…
Firecracker – A Dynamite Way to Approach Med School Education [Episode 187]
Today’s guest is Ben Williams, founder and CEO of Firecracker. Firecracker is, according to its website, “an adaptive learning platform that uses amazing content coupled with spaced repetition to help medical students crush their exams.” Ben graduated from Harvard College in 2005 with a BA in Biology and Health Policy. From 2006-09 he co-founded and…
Affordable Online Test Prep [Episode 198]
We are now getting calls from applicants who plan to plan to apply in the summer, fall, and winter to matriculate in 2018. A few have all their ducks lined up – test score in place, school visits planned, a GPA they’re proud of, and maybe they’re just rounding out their profile to put icing…
3 Ways Temple Can Help You Become an MD: MCAT, Postbac, Med School [Episode 155]
Meet Temple University’s Dr. Glenn Gerhard (Professor and Chair, Department of Medical Genetics and Molecular Biochemistry), and Dr. Kathy Giangiacomo (Associate Professor, Medical Genetics and Molecular Biochemistry). They’re joining us today to discuss an innovative online MCAT prep option, plus Temple’s postbac programs and the Lewis Katz School of Medicine. Welcome! How Temple’s online Biochem MCAT…
4 Things Your MCAT Score Says About You
Why are standardized tests so important? Do they really reflect your abilities or capabilities? Do they really test what you need to know in order to become a physician? According to most medical school admissions committees, the answer is a resounding YES. How you perform on your MCAT says a lot about how you’ll perform…
Do You Measure Up to the DO Applicants Who Got Accepted Last Year?
In reviewing the matriculation data for the 2016-17 cycle from AACOMAS, there are several trends that can inform your application strategy and increase your chances of acceptance. Last cycle, 185,602 applications were submitted by 20,720 applicants, and 6,778 were accepted. In other words, 32.7% of applicants matriculated at DO school. Let’s take a look at…
MCAT Expertise + Harvard MBA Experience [Episode 145]
Today’s show has something for pre-meds looking to prepare for the MCAT and for MBA wannabes interested in Harvard Business School. << Click here to listen to the show >> Meet Alec Lee [1:15] Alec is the co-founder of the online prep course M Prep. He graduated from the University of British Columbia in 2011…
Making Your MCAT Study Plan
It’s official – you’ve registered for an MCAT exam date, acquired prep materials, and figured out exactly how many months you can set aside to study. You’re ready to get started! While this can be an exciting time, for the majority of students, it’s when paralysis sets in. How much time should you spend on…
The New MCAT Topic that Nobody is Talking About
When the AAMC revamped the MCAT in April 2015, there was a lot of discussion and hype surrounding new subjects on the exam: biochemistry, sociology and psychology. While those new topics are important, the AAMC actually added another new topic to the exam that most students are unaware of: the design and implications of scientific…
A Cure for MCAT Anxiety and Lots More MCAT Advice [Episode 153]
Are you suffering from a case of MCAT anxiety? We’ve got the prescription for you in this week’s podcast episode. Meet our guest. [0:30] Meet Bryan Schnedeker, National MCAT Director for Next Step Test Prep and a standardized test expert. He scored 44 on the old MCAT and a perfect 180 on the LSAT, and has…
MCAT 2015: What You Actually Need to Study [Infographic]
Getting ready for the new MCAT? Our friends at NextStepTestPrep have a great infographic on what you actually need to study! Related Resources: Get Ready for the New MCAT Applying to Medical School with Low Stats: What You Need To Know 3 Reasons to Be Excited for the New MCAT
Individual Mobile Test Prep and the MIT Sloan MBA Who Created It [Episode 156]
Would you like to combine a slick, personalized mobile test prep app with access to individual tutoring? Stick around! Meet Elad Shoushan, a former pro-basketball player in Israel who attended the Technion, Israel’s MIT, got into coding big time, and worked for GE Healthcare. Just before starting at MIT Sloan he founded a little start-up…
How to Help Your Child During MCAT Preparation
Do you want to help your pre-med child get into med school…without having to nag or stress them out? This series has loads of concrete, actionable advice that will help your premed discover their competitive advantage and get accepted! The MCAT terrifies most students. Rightly so; it’s a grueling exam that requires enormous dedication while preparing…
Why Are Psychology And Sociology On The New MCAT?
Until this year, the MCAT hadn’t had any major revisions since 1991. Since then, lots has changed in the medical world, and the new MCAT2015 aims to address some of those dramatic changes with its new Psychological, Social, and Biological Foundations of Behavior section. In today’s world, physicians need to know how to communicate with…
The Evolution of the MCAT
Wondering about the history of the MCAT? The AAMC published a timeline of major changes to the exam: Related Resources: • MCAT Scores, MCAT Prep, and MCAT2015 • Improve Your MCAT Score for Medical School Acceptance • Your MCAT Score and GPA – Free Resources