MCAT Study Motivation!

Hey! How’s studying for the MCAT going? Great? Just all right? Let’s take a minute to talk about motivation. The Medical College Admissions Test is no easy feat and the many (necessary) hours preparing for it can be grueling. The feeling of burning out is a common occurrence for many Pre-Meds and can really throw you off track of your path to MCAT domination. When test day arrives, it basically comes down to which Stark you want to be: Tony Stark aka Iron Man aka the badass that walks away from the explosion without looking OR Jon Snow aka the Stark bastard from Game of Thrones aka the guy that knows nothing.

Stark Option One: Tony Stark.

Stark Option One: Tony Stark.

Stark Option Two: Jon Snow.

Stark Option Two: Jon Snow.

Let’s get down to business…to defeat the Huns? No. The MCAT! So when motivation wanes, what can you do? (Besides listen to awesome motivation songs like that one!)

Here are a few strategies for motivation and keeping yourself on track:

– Stop & Take a Practice Test: If you’re in the middle of a studying block and suddenly hit a brick wall: Take full timed practice test. Your score just might give you the kick in the rear to knock you back into focus. With MCAT Cracker you’ll even pin point exact weak spots in your preparation thus far.

– Change it up: A swift change in the subject you’re studying or change in normal study location can revive your spirits and give you boost in motivation! But don’t change too often be sure you’re sticking to the 50/10 rule…

– Be strict with yourself: The 50/10 rule of studying really does work! That’s 50minutes of straight focus studying then a 10minute break to refresh your brain! Do it. Discipline. “There are no short cuts to any place worth going.”

– Turn off everything: Echoing the last tip, be hard on yourself and put all things you don’t need to study away, really. It may seem harmless to leave open Facebook open in a tab or have your phone lying there beside you but come test time these things won’t be there. You want to your studying environment to emulate that of the test day. So put away all distractions and save them for your breaks!

 

So study study study and practice practice practice (3x for emphasis) because when test day comes, you’re definitely going to need the confidence of Tony Stark not Jon Snow.

Lesson Learned: Be Iron Man.

Lesson Learned: Be Iron Man.

MCAT 2015 Section Breakdown: Critical Analysis and Reasoning Skills

This is Part 4 of a series breaking down each section for the new MCAT 2015. Be sure to check out the whole series to get the full rundown of all things new with the upcoming MCAT 2015 because this really is a whole new ballgame! The new sections really aren’t just revamped versions of the old 3 sections: Biological Science, Physical Sciences, and Verbal Reasoning, these integrated giant sections are really brand new monster sections! On the menu today: The Critical Analysis and Reasoning Skills or CARS Section! The official tagline of this section is that it assesses your ability to “Analyze, Evaluate and Apply Information Presented in the Passages”. As you’re aware of by now, the magic word for the MCAT 2015 is integration and the CARS section is basically testing your comprehension by integration! Yep, integration is here too!

 

The CARS section is different from the others in quite a few ways. First off it’s slightly shorter, you only have 90 minutes here and about 50-60 passage-based questions (no free-standing). It’s also different from the other sections because you don’t necessarily need specific content knowledge to answer these questions; all the information needed is in the text (and your interpretation of said info). The topics of the passages fall into two broad categories and are distributed equally in the section: 50% Humanities and 50% Social Sciences. These cover big subjects like Ethics, Population Health, Philosophy, Studies in Diverse Cultures, and etc. Below is MCAT Cracker’s further breakdown of possible topics in Humanities and Social Sciences:

CARS Subjects

Notice that these aren’t the ‘Natural Sciences’ kind of subjects and that’s because Medical Schools want to see you apply your analytical and critical thinking to these areas of study too! You have to be well-rounded and well-read to succeed not just in future schooling but also to be a productive member of the healthcare community. Keeping that in mind, you should know these passages are highly stylized in writing type and contain a fancy vocabulary. They are meant to be complex and thought-provoking pieces, different from medical journals and textbooks that you’re used to. You’ll have to read the text and consider the author’s intentions, tone, point of view then be make inferences and suggestions based of all that. If it’s been a while since you’ve had to do this kind of reading, that’s completely understandable! Recreational reading? Who’s got the time? With practice, *coughMCATCRACKERcough*, you really can hone your Critical Analysis and Reasoning skills set! Check out the AAMC’s spiel on the CARS section here and MCAT Cracker’s full introduction video to it below:

 

Although there are no Foundation Concepts covered in this section like the rest of them, here are the skills and percentage breakdown being tested here:

1) Foundations of Comprehension (30%) – Summarizing the text and developing the overall meaning

2) Reasoning Within the Text (30%) – Evaluating and critiquing the big picture!

3) Reasoning Beyond the Text (40%) – Synthesizing, adapting, and reinterpreting the concepts and content of the passages

This Critical Analysis and Reasoning Skills section is not to be taken lightly and the skills they’re testing really are important for you sooooo PRACTICE PRACTICE PRACTICE! This is not just reading comprehension; you gotta Analyze, Evaluate, and Apply your reading of the text! Hop to it! Go to MCAT Cracker and PRACTICE!

MCAT 2015 Section Breakdown: Psychological, Social, and Biological Foundations

This is Part 3 of a series breaking down each section for the new MCAT 2015. Be sure to check out the whole series to get the full rundown of all things new with the upcoming MCAT 2015! These really aren’t just revamped versions of the old 3 sections: Biological Science, Physical Sciences, and Verbal Reasoning, these integrated giant sections are really brand new monster sections: 1) Biological and Biochemical Foundations of Living Systems, 2) Chemical and Physical Foundations of Biological Systems, 3) Psychological, Social, and Biological Foundations and 4) Critical Analysis and Reasoning Skills.In case you haven’t figured it out: The magic word for the MCAT 2015 is integration. You’re not being tested on straightforward subjects more like all your knowledge will be tried intertwined together. The Psychological, Social, and Biological Foundations section is not to be underestimated as a just a psych section. To quote the AAMC, “This section tests your understanding of the ways psychological, social, and biological factors influence perceptions and reactions to the world; behavior and behavior change; what people think about themselves and others; the cultural and social differences that influence well-being; and the relationships between social stratification, access to resources, and well-being.” Well… that sounds like… a lot! Let’s take a closer look.

The addition of this section comes with the move towards a more holistic testing field looking for well-rounded incoming med students. Because really doctors and medical professionals in real world settings don’t just deal with the sciences and diseases; they have to consider the human factor. So this new section dedicated to access your understand of the impact of behavior on health and it, again from AAMC, “communicates the need for future physicians to be prepared to deal with the human and social issues of medicine.” You can read the AAMC’s full overview of the section here. This section is definitely where a background in Public Health will come into play!

As you know the MCAT 2015 is testing for 10 Foundation Concepts: the Biological and Biochemical Foundations of Living Systems section tests 3, the Chemical and Physical Foundations of Biological System section covers 2, and the Psychological, Social, and Biological Foundations section wins with the most coming in with 5 Foundational Concepts being tested here. This means this section and the material covered is BROAD but just like the other sections we’ve broken down here on the blog, you get the same number of questions and the same amount time for this section. The Psychological, Social, and Biological Foundations section will consist of around 60 passage-based and freestanding questions and you with have 95 minutes to answer them. Check out MCAT Cracker’s video introduction guide to this section and those Foundational Concepts covered below:

With the previously discussed sections all about the NATURAL sciences and this one really focusing on the SOCIAL sciences, no doubt this section can be a tricky! This part of the big exam will be asking you to pull information from courses like psychology, sociology, and biology, not to mention it’s the integration and how all these subjects combine in the medical field. If you’re not completely comfortable with the social and behavioral aspects of public health, well MCAT Cracker can really give you a leg up on acing for this section! MCAT Cracker has this whole new section figured out and will help you get a handle on it! It is possible and you can conquer this new best of the MCAT 2015! Happy Studying!

MCAT 2015 Section Breakdown: Biological & Biochemical Foundations of Living Systems

This is Part 2 of a series breaking down each section for the MCAT 2015. Starting in April 2015 no more broad straight-forward sections, now it’s 1) Biological and Biochemical Foundations of Living Systems, 2) Chemical and Physical Foundations of Biological Systems, 3) Psychological, Social, and Biological Foundations and 4) Critical Analysis and Reasoning Skills. These revamped sections are not just a mouthful to say they are dense and all-encompassing sections designed to test a wider range of your knowledge than the MCAT before. The Biological and Biochemical Foundations section will consist of around 60 passage-based and freestanding questions and you will have 95 minutes to answer them. These questions will being testing you specifically from courses you taken like First-semester Biochem, Intro Biology, General Chem, and Organic Chem. but keep in mind the integration factor of MCAT 2015 so really it’s so much more. Check out the approximate percentage breakdown of the section below:

Courses:
o First-semester biochemistry, 25%
o Introductory biology, 65%
o General chemistry, 5%
o Organic chemistry, 5%

If you’re a biology major thinking, ‘Well I can relax like a little studying for THIS section, amirite?’ Nope. The key thing to remember in all this is integration. Each section is integrating nearly all the classes you might have taken in college to better assess your knowledge as a whole and how you relate it to the medical field. There is also an emphasis of research practices and procedures to keep in mind. For example you might be presented with an experiment and asked why they chose this particular protein and why not this other one. That kind of question integrates research methods while also testing your biological and chemical structures and properties of proteins knowledge too. If this sounds like a lot, that’s because it is. Well MCAT Cracker has got it all figured out and will help you practice, practice, practice. You can read the AAMC full overview of the section here and check out MCAT Cracker’s complete video introduction to the section below:

The Biological and Biochemical Foundations section is concerned with Foundational Concepts 1, 2 and 3. Learn in depth what Foundational Concept 1 entails, which will make up about 55% of the section here. Foundational Concept 2, which makes up the other 20% of the section here. Foundational Concept 3, which makes up the other 25% of the section here. Thankfully, MCAT Cracker is designed to emulate the real test in both look and in difficulty. Each practice test is complete with streaming tutorials and explanations of answers to really give you the edge in studying for the MCAT 2015. Also each explanation gives you a breakdown of the Foundational Concept and Content Category the test question comes from. Below is a sample passage-based question, which you don’t even need the passage to answer!

Freestanding questions can actually have a lot of unnecessary information or really be fairly straightforward like this sample one below. With these MCAT Cracker streaming tutorials, not only do you get explanations of the answers but also a review of the subject at hand ☺! Plus you can still upgrade your MCAT Cracker account and unlock the all the practice tests for $39 instead of the regular $99!

This section of the MCAT 2015 is not to be underestimated especially considering the move towards everything integrated! Don’t panic! With MCAT Cracker and practice, practice, practice, this section of the rest of this new MCAT beast can be dominated!

MCAT 2015 Section Breakdown: Chemical & Physical Foundations of Biological Systems

This is Part 1 of a series breaking down each section for the MCAT 2015. As you know, starting in April 2015 a completely revamped MCAT rolls out and the changes to what you need to know are huge! Instead of the broad bland sections of Physical Sciences, Biological Sciences, and Verbal Reasoning the MCAT 2015 will have, 1) Biological and Biochemical Foundations of Living Systems, 2) Chemical and Physical Foundations of Biological Systems, 3) Psychological, Social, and Biological Foundations and 4) Critical Analysis and Reasoning Skills. So it’s pretty evident that this isn’t going to be a straightforward section just testing your knowledge on chemistry and physics but really an integration of so much more. The changes reflect a shift of focus on a more holistic approach to medical education and testing how students can apply their ALL their knowledge to the medical field.

The Chemical and Physical Foundations of Biological Systems will consist of around 60 passage-based and freestanding questions and you with have 95 minutes to answer them. Keeping in mind the integration overhaul, this section will basically be testing you on a number of the courses you’ve taken including: Intro-level Biology, Organic Chemistry, Inorganic Chemistry, Physics, Biochemistry, and Cell/Molecular Biology. Whoa, it’s been a while since you thought about those classes, huh? Well MCAT Cracker has got it all figured out and will help you practice, practice, practice. You can read the AAMC full overview of the section here and check out MCAT Cracker’s video introduction guide below:

On MCAT Cracker you take MCAT 2015 practice tests that simulate the look and feel of the new MCAT and that emulate the difficulty level of the real thing. Each practice test is complete with streaming tutorials and explanations of answers to really give you the edge in studying for the MCAT 2015. Also each explanation gives you a breakdown of the Foundational Concept and Content Category the test question comes from. FYI the Chemical and Physical Foundations of Biological Systems section is concerned with Foundational Concepts 4 and 5. Learn in depth what Foundational Concept 4 entails which will make up about 40% of the section here and Foundational Concept 5 which makes up the other 60% of the section here. Below is a sample chemistry question to give you an idea of what you’ll be facing. The wording and phrasing of the question is meant to be tricky but really it’s just asking about protein and protein interaction. Breaking down the question is half the battle and MCAT Cracker helps you practice not only that but also gives a great review of the subject matter at hand.

Besides your knowledge of the subjects, remember you are also being tested on your scientific reasoning, analytical problem solving, and research methods. This new integrated system is highly intimidating and studying for it is no easy task. But with the right practice (and more practice, practice, practice) you can breakdown the questions, remain calm, and conquer! P.S. right now you can upgrade your MCAT Cracker account and unlock the all the practice tests for $39 instead of the regular $99!

MCAT 2015 is coming with new changes

Preparing for the MCAT is a daunting task and in the wise words of Benjamin Franklin, “By failing to prepare you are preparing to fail”. No need to panic though, this is what you’ve been training for. But incase you hadn’t heard…

Starting in April 2015 a completely revamped MCAT rolls out and the changes are huge! Instead of a 3 hour 20 minute test, this monster is nearly doubled clocking in at 6 hours 15 minutes. Gulp. Instead of the broad bland sections of Physical Sciences, Biological Sciences, and Verbal Reasoning there are now, 1) Biological and Biochemical Foundations of Living Systems, 2) Chemical and Physical Foundations of Biological Systems, 3) Psychological, Social, and Biological Foundations and 4) Critical Analysis and Reasoning Skills. Yep, that’s really their new names and they’re definitely a mouthful. Within the sections there are 10 Foundational Concepts or big picture themes and Content Categories aka subtopics that your being tested on. The changes reflect a shift of focus on a more holistic approach to medical education and testing how students can apply their all their knowledge to the medical field. In addition to testing on the application of the natural sciences, there is now a section on the social behavioral sciences highlighting the importance of sociocultural and psychological expertise integration needed in today’s diverse healthcare world.

So are you panicking yet? Well with this major overhaul of the MCAT a lot of resources available out there are now outdated and won’t be the right help for the MCAT 2015. Take a deep breath. This is where MCAT Cracker comes in. On MCAT Cracker you take MCAT 2015 practice tests that simulate the look and feel of the new MCAT and that emulate the difficulty level of the real thing. Log on to MCATCRACKER.com and take a free diagnostic test to see where you stand and pin point your weaknesses. These new sections with their exhaustive titles are kind of intimidating but MCAT Cracker has free introductory video tutorials to walk you through all the changes to MCAT 2015 and on what to expect in each section. Upgrade your membership to unlock all the practice tests, each complete with streaming tutorials and explanations of answers to really give you the edge in studying for the MCAT 2015. Each explanation gives you a breakdown of the Foundational Concept and Content Category the test question comes from. Plus, little piece of advice: right now you could upgrade and unlock the tests for $39 instead of the regular $99! There’s even support 24/7/365 to help you all along the way.

The new MCAT 2015 is a monstrous undertaking but with MCAT Cracker you can test-drive the exam and get real feedback! Preparation is key and although you can read through and through and study tons of test prep material, the real preparation comes from practice. Taking timed MCAT 2015 practice tests will not only greatly help you in studying concepts and content but you’re also practicing for the actual test day seeing how the test is structured and getting accustomed to the test section times. The MCAT and whole process of getting into the med program of your dreams is stressful enough as is but with MCAT Cracker you will have the kind of preparation Benjamin Franklin would be proud of.