How to Study for the MCAT (100th Percentile Scorer) | My MCAT Prep Tips and Strategy
Вставка
- Опубліковано 6 лип 2024
- In this video, I share my tips for structuring your MCAT prep and MCAT study schedule and reveal my MCAT score. The MCAT is a huge factor for medical school applications, so learning how to study for the MCAT is critical. These are the MCAT tips and strategies that got me a 525 MCAT score (100th percentile).
🟥 Please like and subscribe, and hit the bell button if you’re feeling generous! I upload every Saturday! Thank you for your support and welcome to the family if you’re new :)
🟦 About: I’m Ahmad, a first-year medical student studying in Phoenix, Arizona. I hope these videos help or make you laugh but no promises
🟥 Instagram: / notahmadshahin
🟦 Contact: Leaving a comment is typically the easiest and fastest way to get a response!
🟥 Business: ahmadshahinbusiness@gmail.com
Timestamps:
0:00 Intro and Score Reveal
0:37 Should I Take an MCAT Prep Course?
1:38 When to Take the MCAT and How Long to Study
3:29 Which Courses to Take and Self-Studying Courses
5:41 The Best Prep Books to Use
8:18 The Best Practice Exams and Practice Questions
11:22 Content Review Schedule
13:38 How to Prepare for Test Day
16:40 How to Pre-Prepare for the MCAT
Useful Links (I'm not sponsored by any of the companies below and receive no commission on purchases):
Khan Academy of Psychology/Sociology Videos: bit.ly/2CILwBy
Kaplan Prep Books: amzn.to/30gF5hs
AAMC Official MCAT Prep Bundle: bit.ly/3fE8d8H
(Link to fee assistance program: bit.ly/30hKbd5)
NextSteps Practice Exams (Now known as BluePrint MCAT): bit.ly/3eBL6tW
Uworld: bit.ly/2WLqkC2
#mcat #medicalschool #mcatprep
Please Note: The views expressed on this channel are my own and do not necessarily reflect the views of The Mayo Clinic. Any form of advice or recommendation that I offer (whether that be related to medical school admissions, study techniques, exercise, etc.) is entirely based on my own personal experience and is not intended to serve as a substitute for medical advice from your physician.
![ОРБАН приехал к ПУТИНУ и "отчитался" о поездке в Киев 😁 [Пародия]](http://i.ytimg.com/vi/_0ukDovOWq8/mqdefault.jpg)
"The mcat is hard and the mcat is important"
I’m in highschool and I searched the mcat one time and I cannot escape this ad.
Lol hate that add so much
Bruh I literally read this and the second ad I got was that
@@kendraoutlaw2540 frrrrr 😭
“ And to do well on the MCAT matters how you prep and not just how much you prep”
When you showed the picture of the Princeton Review guy, in my head I immediately heard "The MCAT is hard and the MCAT is important..."
He's living in our head rent free smh
Saaaaaame
After trying so many study guides and techniques, I failed over 5 times to the point I almost gave up till I through Mr Clayton contact on UA-cam who helped me passed my MCAT exam..
Guys if you need help then waste no more time and get to Mr Clayton at (714)455-9534
you are actively top down processing (high yield)
this was a great video with very realistic advice. I wish I had found this earlier. Congratulations on your acceptance to MED school and thanks for giving back to the community.
at least one and a half months just for practice IS KEY! thank you for these videos that just keep dropping gems for this beast of a test.
This is the first MCAT video I've seen that I can relate to and offers real, unbiased advice! Love it. Thank you for the strategies, studying tips, and links, I'm using this as my prep guide!
Thank you for making this video! I wasn't sure how exactly to start studying for it but the way you explained it makes it so much more easy to plan out :)
A very realistic and informative video! To the point and no BS. Can't wait to follow your journey along the way. Best of luck at Mayo!
Thank you so much, I'm glad you enjoyed it!
Thank you so much!!
@@AhmadShahin pmk
This video was so helpful! It gave me the confidence I needed instead of scaring me off! Thank you so much!!!
This was so informative! Definitely gained a subscriber (: I will be sure to share your channel, I feel so lost as a pre-med and watching this video lessened my anxiety!!!!
The MCAT isn't a test of science but of reading comprehension and reasoning. Master that and you master the MCAT!
i really like how you touch base on having things you are committed to outside of school. This is the first video i have watched where i actually relate to. Thank you!!.
I recently found your channel. Your channel is very helpful. I’m going to watch all your videos. Keep up the great work!
I'm so glad you found it helpful! Thanks for the support :)
I will be watching this again in a year or two, very helpful
see you soon haha
Great and honest advice, thanks for all the tips and recommendation.
My pleasure!
what a great video! how is this guy not more popular?
Wow, such a great breakdown! Thank you!
Glad it was helpful!
I appreciate your helpful advice and your planning technique! Thank you ❤
Im not a med student and im getting a stroke jus thinking about the MCAT test. Good luck in your journey and i wish you all the best from Norway!
I really appreciate that, thank you so much!
I am in the process of watching all your videos since they are informational ;)
I should've initiated with this one bc it is filled with the Information I am in search of these days! Thank you!!
Greetings from San Diego. Best wishes, young man :)
thank you so much! I'm glad you like them :)
Needed this today...thanks a ton❤
I’m so thankful for this video
so happy to help :)
Thanks buddy. Very useful information
Thank you so much for the advises!!
Thank you for this. Liked, followed, and downloaded.
good luck and I hope it helps!!
Thank you for making the video ❣️
Great video Doc
I am planning on taking my MCAT next year and starting Nursing school for my undergrad degree this year as well. It's gonna be tough but I ain't giving up yet. Thanks for the video. It definitely cleared up my mind. Will be following along on your journey.
GOOD LUCK!!! 💪💪💪
What a motivation bro....
Keep it up👏👏👏
...
This information was wonderful. Thank you so much
This video was very informative! I’m going to be taking the MCATs soon!
I'm so glad it was helpful!! best of luck, I know you'll do great :)
Hey dude, how’d it go?!
Thank you for the video I’m literally using it as a guide for my mcat prep! Quick question. Before doing content review I scored a 495 on blueprint and after doing it I scored a 497. My goal is a 510 but I feel like I’m doing something wrong. Would you say I’m in the right path or I need to study harder?
TRIPLE WOW WOW WOW! THANKS FOR SHARING!
Thank you for this!!
Wow. This was detailed!!!!
Very useful, thank for sharing your journey.
Glad it was helpful!
Great video man. Thanks for all the help
My pleasure man! Let me know if I can help along the way
Ahmad Shahin for sure! I’ll be a bioengineering freshman in school this year. I’m hoping to become a physician. I was wondering if you think I should look into getting a bioengineering internship next summer or try and work as a cna/ma or as an ems worker. Would an internship at a place working on cardiac devices or something of the sort (health-care related bioengineering internships) do the same for me on my medical school apps as direct patient-care jobs?
Very cool! Hmmm those are two unique experiences so it depends on a few things. What would your role be in the internship? Is it a research position?
Hi, thank you for your video! I was wondering which practice exam (i.e., source) should I take before my content review? I’m planning on taking it this summer and I want to plan ahead with your videos☺️
Hi Ahmad! Thank you for the video, it's super informational and made me feel a lot better about studying for the MCAT! Do you offer online tutoring/guidance?
Thank you for the links 👏🏽👏🏽
My pleasure! I hope they help :)
I love this video! It’s so informative and gives such real advice, that I feel like most people don’t get at all! Your score, is the score I actually I ideally want, of course everybody says that probably, but this is the score I kind of need to probably have a good shot an MD school! Most people I’ve heard who get this high of score say that practice problems are really really key and eventually content doesn’t do anything for you just to keep worrying and focusing solely on it. Also I’ve heard people who get like 98%-100% score ranges say that focusing on the low low yield topics or details of say ochem or physics benefits you and you basically have to do this otherwise you don’t have a good chance of getting this high of score. What is your opinion and thoughts on this?
I agree that practice problems are critical but the reason I hesitate sometimes in emphasizing their importance is that people use it as an excuse to slack on content because "there's no way I can memorize it all anyway". But if you're doing your best then yes I agree and I also agree that you should get to the point where (after high yield info is down) you also focus on low yield info because that's another thing that's going to separate you from the pack imo. hope that helps!
thank you SO MUCH!!!
Can you please make a video about the extracurricular activities you did as a premed student. What counts as a clinical experience and how to balance and get into what kind of extracurricular activities can help you succeed as a medical school applicant? thanks
You are so handsome Ahmad💝😘looking forward to your new video soon🤗🥰with big hugs🤗🤗🤗💖
Good info, thanks
Hey brother, I was wondering if you had a document or could make a quick video of your set schedule you stuck to when you were studying for the MCAT. Trying to get my ducks in a row and come up with a good strategy of attack!
Thanks for the info. I’ve been studying for the MCAT for the past 6 months and still have MCAT anxiety. I am at least glad that I over studied for it.
Did you pass??
Hey Ahmad, thanks for the great video. At 13:07 you recommend taking a practice full-length exam before diving into the Kaplan books. So are you recommending that I start off mcat prep with a Next Step full-length rather than the half-length diagnostic test? Thanks for all you do. I'm about to start studying for this headache this winter.
yes I think the full length is better because it gives you a better idea of what you're in for (it can be a tiring exam) and it'll give you a more accurate idea of where you're at. You've got this!!!
I did my premed in psychology and I did integrated science in secondary school so I really needed a realistic guide on how to go about this
This guy is so perfect. Everything I wish I was :(
Congratulations, fellow 100th percentile scorer!
Please make a video with your MCAT study schedule !!!!!
Great Tips! Can you also provide the Content books I should be referring to for each section of the exam?
Do you have your study schedule available? I’m planning on studying for 6 months too and would love to see your study schedule. Thanks!
Do you think it’s necessary to take cellular biology, human genetics, or molecular biology in addition to intro to genetics and gen bio?
When you were using the Kaplan prep books, how exactly do you recommend using them? Should we read them anki, take handwritten notes, etc. ?
Hi, thanks so much for this video! So you recommend using ONLY khan academy videos to study P/S and CARS? Did you use the khan academy passages as well? Your link is only for behavior unit, please how can I access other units? Thank you.
Hi Ahmad, I'd love if you could do a video on nontraditional (and older - 30 y/o) students studying for the MCAT or applying to med school.
Also, do you recommend or use ANKI cards? What are your thoughts?
Bro I forgot about your channel but I just wanna say I got a 526 using ur strats so thank you boss
very informative video! Do you mind talking about what you did for extracurriculars, volunteer, etc.?
Of course! I have a full video on that coming soon :)
What kind of research papers would you recommend reading?
Congrats dude! That's very impressive. I'll be taking the MCAT in August, wish me luck 😬
Did you do well
@@dlvyadarshlnl Hard to say, took it about a week ago so I have a while until I get my score back. Definitely had the feeling that the Chem/Phys section was much harder than my practice tests, but i think this is a natural feeling.
@@travissorenson9554 That's okay i wish you good luck
@@dlvyadarshlnl Score released today. 515
@@travissorenson9554 Congratulations
Does it matter which version of the prep book we get? For instance, would the content be different for a prep book of 2021-2022 and 2022-2023?
Thanks for making this vid, it's very informational. I'm not gonna start studying for the MCAT until next year but already ordered my Kaplan test prep books and want to start planning how to study for it. For content review, did you take notes on every single page of every book or some just some of the pages (like 50% or so?)? It seems like it would be a good idea to just take notes on all the books and review those notes but idk if that would be time efficient or even an effective method since there's like 7 books in the Kaplan set. Any tips on this? Thanks again bro and great videos.
Is their OChem Genchem in med school. I would like to know this because I need to prepare mentally for it :(
you are expected to have general knowledge because you may need to apply it in different situations but there isn't an ochem or genchem course!
This guy makes it look easy and I know it isn't. I would take notes and duplicate everything this guy did if I were serious about getting into a good medical school.
I appreciate your confidence in me and your support Cheryl!
Do we need to have medical experiences to get admission in medical colleges in US for MD?
Hey, Ahmad. Is momentum tested on the physics portion. I am taking a physics class and they lack some of the concepts required on MCAT
I recommend going off of what you have in your content review book rather than your physics class as there is no guarantee they will teach what is on the MCAT
hi you mentioned finishing all of your pre-reqs before taking the mcat, my advisors have also mentioned this and have said that medical school looks down on students who take it before they finish all of their pre-reqs because the AAMC does not recommend this but how important is this exactly?
How long did it take you to get through Kaplan books while taking notes on each chapter? I’m self studying for biochem, but almost done with it! I have about 3 more months left.
Everyone will get through them at a different rate, depending on their study timeline and how familiar they are with the material but it sounds like you're doing a great job! keep it up!!
What advice would you give someone that is an RN, been out of school for 5 years and wants to transition into med school?? I was pre-med before but went into nursing. However, finishing pre-reqs and the MCAT, in general, is so overwhelming 😮💨
I am actually currently in Nursing school and I’m doing it as pre-med! We started clinicals this semester
@@ryanmoalemi7783 Under no circumstances should anyone go to a Caribbean medical school unless they've failed 2 cycles in the USA/Canada. Under no circumstances should anyone EVER take a post-bacc course at a Caribbean school because if you can't get accepted directly into a Caribbean school you shouldn't be attending at all.
I'm only a college freshman but I bought a book set to review as I am going through the prereqs. I bought Princeton review books. Any thoughts on those?
Super informative video..New subbie here💕
I gotchu! I've got a video on CARS that's coming out in a couple hours. Stay tuned!
Hey! Can I use an older version of the Kaplan books? I have an online version of the Kaplan books made in 2014 which were designed for the 2015 MCAT exam. Thank you!
I would say those are probably outdated, especially because the MCAT was redisigned in 2015. you don't need the newest books, but maybe those are a bit too old
Ahmad, I know it might have been a while since you have looked at/thought about it, but I wanted to get a better idea of your pysch/soc studying with Khan Academy. Did you review only the videos you have linked under the unit "Behavior"? Or did you also review "Individuals and society", "Society and Culture", and "Social Inequality"? Thanks for the awesome video, this was very helpful!
lol i have the same question too!
Hi I noticed that the link you provided for the Khan Academy MCAT Psych/Soc videos only brings you to the Behavior section. Are the other sections (Individuals and Society, Society and culture, and Social Inequality) not material the AAMC expects you to know?
great question; no you should know the other stuff too. Thanks for bringing that up :)
Dear gosh, the road to becoming an M.D. is wrought with monumental stress.
You're not wrong! It's very worthwhile though :)
Hi! I have been trying the KAPLAN behavior science videos and they’re very easy to follow! The problem is that whenever I answer the questions for each section, some of them were never mentioned in the videos. Am I doing something wrong? Or do I need additional resource for this section.
I had the same problem
I am a junior this year and plan on taking the MCAT in January (after completing biochemistry) and am wondering the best way of going about studying. I purchased UWorld one year subscription and have the Princeton Review book set. I am very involved during school with many leadership positions, so I want to plan efficiently. I started studying last week with practice questions but want to do it the best way possible
Sooo what's the wrong way of using the AAMC material?
thank you :)
My pleasure!
Love your videos brother!! I have some questions about the my path. Where can I shoot you a Dm!?
Did you use the infamous milesdown anki card deck for content review?
Did you make a video regarding your CARS strategy?
Hey ahmad,
Can a Med school student works after courses? especially that med schools are expensive
after medical school is residency where you do get payed! you can look up what a resident makes where you live but in general it's not much compared to a doctor's salary so you still have to live frugally especially if you have debt
Hey Ahmad, hope you are in good health
Best video two thing I need you to explain me can I give the MCAT test without a bachelor degree and second I graduated from high school I'm studying my high school's science subject am I correct
thanks for helping us
How do you self study biochemistry
Bro, so I’m on day two of MCAT studying and I’m trying figure out a the best way to study the content in the Kaplan books. So, when you were reading the Kaplan books did you take notes on anki or just write them down?, and did those concept checks at the end of each chapter help out much?
I think anki is good for retaining information but maybe not for learning it the first time around (in a lot of cases). Everyone learns differently so I can't know for sure what works for you but yes I did go through all the Kaplan Books while taking notes at least once
@@AhmadShahin thank you!
This semester I'm in Physics, Organic, (I've taken anatomy, psych, socio, phisio, bio, and microbio), however I couldn't get into Biochem. I might self study-- I'm starting now for the semester because my semester ends May 02, and my MCAT is May 13.
o: should I just wait to take biochem or should I self study this last course?
so you used kaplan books, aamc, uworld? Would that be okay? and also anki?
Hey, this video so helpful, thank you! But do you recommend taking cell biology before MCAT?
My pleasure! Is this cell biology course an advanced or introductory course? You need two semesters of biology but I'm not sure how your school breaks it up
@@AhmadShahin I would say it is a little advanced as it is a 300 level course. I took general bio, organismal bio, anatomy 1 and 2, and genetics. So was wondering If I have to take cell bio too.
@@tejamanaswini592 that sounds perfect! I don't think you need to take cell bio before unless you'd like to. If you're still not sure, take a look at one of the biology prep books (since you'll need to get MCAT prep books anyway) and see if you think you have any major gaps in your knowledge
@@AhmadShahin Thank you!!
Is it smart to only use Khan Academy for content review or should I use the text book as well?
Should I only watch the Khan Academy videos and not look at the Psychology/Sociology Kaplan content book? Or look through both?
Ok I’m in! I passed the nclex first trial! Now I’m studying for the frigging beast 😆😆
I'm excited for you!! best of luck :)
@@AhmadShahin much appreciated Ahmad! Best of luck with the rest of Med school inshallah!!
@@SalmaMohamed-vx7me me too! How are you studying?
Hello, fantastic video. Just a question, when you were studying the Kaplan books for content review, did you take notes while you were reading? i’ve been doing that, and it is taking me like 5-7 hours to finish 1 chapter. Do you have any tips on being more time efficient? Thank you.
Have you figured out a faster way to get through a chapter? I’m also using Kaplan. It’s taking me 7 hrs for reading and doing Anki for each chapter.
What are your thoughts on taking organic chemistry over the summer? It would be only 1 month.... but the only class I would be taking. 5 days a week for 1 hour and 40 minutes a day..plus lab...Maybe I can even email the teacher this spring and get on good terms with him and start getting information early to study for?
summer courses can be tough but if you're ready to make it your priority then it's not a bad idea! and it never hurts to have a good relationship with the professor!
I hope you didn’t ….. I’m taking general chem rn and boy let me tell you
I'm a student-athlete, should I go longer than 6 months? I feel like that would be too much
Great question Seri! I think 6 months will be plenty; going longer has diminishing returns. Just be sure to stay consistent and you'll do great within that timeframe
You’re a genius guy, And thank you for the helpful information of the mcat I have a question is every MCAT version of books different than the other, For example if I have to take the exam in the year 2024 can I study for the Books version of 2022 or 2021.
Every year comes with minor corrections and updates so it's not that big of a difference year to year except when they changed the entire format of the MCAT in 2015. So unless they don't do that again a book that's 1, 2, or 3 years old should be fine!
@@AhmadShahin thank sir I wish a successful career inchallah
@@basharraddad4529 to you too!
How many times do you highly recommend to take the MCAT test?
I am in dental school and have been learning head and neck anatomy and introductory medicine courses, but I have not touched an organic chemistry or biochem textbook in like 4 years :/ I am not happy being in dental school and plan on taking the mcat and applying to med school. I am so nervous.
About how many practice exams did you take for the MCAT?
good question, maybe around 8? I'd have to check