Chloe Hutchens asked 2 months ago
Hi,
I am planning on taking a gap year and taking the MCAT the summer after my junior year. I will start studying after school ends in May and take the MCAT at the end of August, so I will have 4 months to study and will only have minimal ECs during those months. I am planning on taking Chem 230 the fall of my senior year, so I would not have taken pchem before taking the MCAT. Is it possible to self-study the material in pchem necessary for the MCAT, especially as I will have 4 months to study? Additionally, do you have any advice on how to self-study pchem if that is possible?
Thank you!
Miranda Baumbick answered 2 months ago
Hi Chloe,
I am currently finishing up my junior year and will be studying for the MCAT this summer. So, I am in a very similar situation! The first section of the MCAT is the chemistry/physics section and this contains 59 questions, so the chemistry content is definitely heavy. That doesn’t mean you can’t self-study, however, it means you probably have to dedicate more time to it.
I took AP Chemistry, which means I hadn’t touched general chemistry in about 4 years, so I decided to take Pchem (CHEM 230 or 260) in my second semester of junior year. As of now, I’m very happy I made this decision as I realize there was a lot of content I had forgotten. If it is possible to fit it in before you study, I would definitely recommend it. There are other classes like genetics that are tested on the MCAT, but on a much broader scale, so it would be easier to self-study those topics. But it’s all personal preference!
As for self-studying tips, I would definitely recommend using whatever MCAT books you decide on, but I know khan academy is also a great tool to learn Pchem material.
I hope this helps!
Best,
Miranda, PMH Advisor
Miranda Baumbick answered 2 months ago
Hi Chloe,
I am currently finishing up my junior year and will be studying for the MCAT this summer. So, I am in a very similar situation! The first section of the MCAT is the chemistry/physics section and this contains 59 questions, so the chemistry content is definitely heavy. That doesn’t mean you can’t self-study, however, it means you probably have to dedicate more time to it.
I took AP Chemistry, which means I hadn’t touched general chemistry in about 4 years, so I decided to take Pchem (CHEM 230 or 260) in my second semester of junior year. As of now, I’m very happy I made this decision as I realize there was a lot of content I had forgotten. If it is possible to fit it in before you study, I would definitely recommend it. There are other classes like genetics that are tested on the MCAT, but on a much broader scale, so it would be easier to self-study those topics. But it’s all personal preference!
As for self-studying tips, I would definitely recommend using whatever MCAT books you decide on, but I know khan academy is also a great tool to learn Pchem material.
I hope this helps!
Best,
Miranda, PMH Advisor