Curriculum
Fast Facts
These are the basics of self study that I do not break down in my videos in deference to more in depth points I try to make. Nonetheless, this page will prove useful to you, and I suggest you come back often!
What's on the MCAT?
I will be showing you how to integrate the Association of American Medical Colleges (AAMC) official MCAT content guide in to your studies.
Can I use a calculator on the MCAT?
Nope! I show you the resources to practice math long hand (further down on this page), and discuss how to think #MCATfast in a future lecture as it pertains to math and similar skills that overlap broadly in to the category of "working memory skills".
How many practice tests should I take?
Yes! First I wanted to say that while it might seem obvious, you should be taking practice MCAT tests. I have given students advice on how many to take based on my own course of study in the past and it has left them feeling frustrated. So let me instead give you this catch all answer: No more than 20 practice tests, and no fewer than 5 practice tests. Any more and you don't have time to learn anything from your practice tests. Any fewer and you aren't checking in to see if your study technique is effective. Don't be discouraged if you don't see your goal score right away. More important is to see an upward trend over time. That is to say, be taking practice tests along the way with your studies; don't save them all up for the very end.
How long/How many hours should I study for the MCAT?
A three month course of study is pretty standard. Studies suggest successful test takers studied between 250 and 300 hours for the test. Across 3 months/100 days, this averages out to about 3 hours per day. Some days will be more. Some will be less.
What test prep materials/guides should I follow?
Again, yes! As this is a course of self study, you will need test prep books and access to a practice test bank. Let me cover the resources I recommend:
MCAT Content
Kaplan Complete 7-Book Subject Review
The Kaplan books are written by a single author who happens to be a doctor, so they have a more fluid narrative and an "Oh, wouldn't it be cool to actually apply these abstract mathematical formulas in medical school feel," whereas The Princeton Review is a collaboration of authors. Both cover all required content. Either can get you where you need to go. I lean towards Kaplan because it is readable to the point that I can read it twice, which for me compensates any technical fireworks it may lack.
Practice Tests
MCAT Critical Analysis and Reasoning (CARS) Practice Passages
Examkrackers 101 Passages in MCAT Verbal Reasoning
MCAT Chemistry/Physics and Organic Chemistry Extra Practice Questions
Examkrackers 1001 Practice Questions in MCAT Physics
Examkrackers 1001 Practice Questions in MCAT General Chemistry
Examkrackers 1001 Practice Questions in MCAT Organic Chemistry
Why did you list MCAT Critical Analysis and Reasoning (CARS) Practice Passages Separately?
The number of recommended ways to study for CARS is seemingly greater than there are sand grains on the sea shore. But they all include doing regular CARS practice passages, for which I recommended my favorite resource.
Why did you list only MCAT Chemistry/Physics and Organic Chemistry practice question resources?
Chemistry, Physics, and Organic Chemistry are procedural in nature; that is to say that the more you do of them the better you will get at them. Per the Examkrackers book recommendation, do every 5th problem in these books to get you started and cover every topic rather than getting bogged down in, say, translational motion for 3 weeks. Then, on the topics you missed questions on, or would like further clarification, read just those parts in the subject books recommended above. This is in contrast to Biology/Biochemistry and Psychology/Sociology, where you should read the textbooks cover to cover twice if you are able to (but each subject once first). I give you these material recommendations here as a free preview, but to get the most out of them, you will need my lecture entitled "MCAT Physics, Organic Chemistry, Chemistry: AKA Your Limitless Pill for a Brain on Fire." See what I did there?
Any other recommendations I forgot to ask about?
Yes. Print out the AAMC official content guide, three hole punch it, and put it in a 1 1/2'' notebook. Carry this with whatever other subject you are studying. Never let it leave your side, so you can always reference what you are learning back to what the test writers expect you to know. I break this down in a future lecture where printing out the official content guide will be some of the only homework I assign you, but this is something you could do today to "get ahead of the game." Carrying the official content guide with you is less important for Physics and Chemistry, but important across the board for the other subjects. I'm posting it a second time down here because I think it's that important.
AAMC Official MCAT Content Guide
What about outside reading, don't they say reading improves your MCAT Critical Analysis and Reasoning (CARS) score?
Why, I'm glad you asked. I recommend the below book, and only the below book to improve your CARS score, for the duration of your MCAT studies. It contains 40+ hours (yes, you read that correctly) of the most engaging exploration of western philosophy imaginable. Philosophy is grounded in logic, and philosophy majors tend to do better on standardized tests. This author is a Leibniz aficionado--the same Leibniz who invented Calculus in Germany concurrent to Newton in England--which goes to show you that rigorous logical proofs are important for Bertrand Russell, said author. Yet, he never seems to get lost in the logic and his prose soars at times above the clouds. In particular, I felt this book helped me to get a 91 % on a recent CARS practice section I took--not percentile, mind you, but actually 91 % of the questions correct. Percentile would equate much higher than actual percentage. And all for free, or 1 credit if you already have an Audible account. A side note is that I do not receive compensation for the products I recommend; I have simply used and enjoyed each of them personally.
A History of Western Philosophy by Bertrand Russell, FREE Audiobook when you sign up with Audible.
Also, here are the JBL wireless headphones I listen to many of my audiobooks with.
You're trying to save students money. Why not recommend Khan Academy?
Sal Khan is not and has never been an individual with a passion for mentoring pre-med students in to acing the MCAT and matriculating to medical school. That's what I provide that he doesn't. You might watch the occasional video (they are free, after all), but even if you don't pay the $49 for my course I would still recommend using the above listed materials for your course of self-study. My recommendations are freely available on the sample preview page so that A.) You can purchase them and they can ship by the time you decide to buy the course and B.) Because here at LincolnsMCATacademy my goal is to empower you to a greater degree than if I had not come in to contact with you.
Self-Study for *MCAT is a service offered by LincolnsMCATacademy. The MCAT is a registered trademark of the Association of American Medical Colleges (AAMC), which does not endorse this service or its methodology.