Can You Study for the MCAT by Yourself? – Have you ever thought taking an MCAT prep course offered by Kaplan or The Princeton Review (TPR) totally unnecessary? Not only are they expensive, they are also time consuming, inflexible and may not be the best option out there for you. There MUST BE a better way to study for the MCAT.  Instead, why not study for the MCAT by yourself using your own schedule and preferred learning system?

My Story – I prepared for and wrote the MCAT without ever enrolling in a TPR course or Kaplan course. In fact, I had not taken organic chemistry prior to the MCAT and I did not have any biochemistry background. I also lacked many classes that would have been useful for the MCAT such as genetics, cell biology, anatomy, and especially physiology. In fact, I wrote the MCAT after only one year of university classes.

I had 2.5 months in the summer to prepare for the test. I worked full time in research during the day (40 hours/ week) and studied in the evenings. I spent absolutely no money, other than the registration fee, to prepare for the MCAT. I was also in the first administration of the computer-based-test (CBT).

Despite all these unusual circumstances, I still decided to self study and prepare for the MCAT on my own.  Although I had so many factors against me, I was fortunate enough to achieve a balanced score of 36Q (97th percentile) and be admitted into medical school.

Now, I am not trying to boast about my accomplishments or make others feel bad about their own score, but instead I want to show others how I was able to successfully prepare and score well on the MCAT, despite forgoing any help from test prep companies.

I want to point out that not all prep courses are bad, and many students find them beneficial. I was unable to take one when I decided to take the MCAT, so I had to study on my own. Having said that, studying on your own has many benefits and I hope you will consider this as a viable option.

The benefits include a flexible schedule based on your specific strengths and weaknesses. You don’t have to show up to class and sit through lectures that might not help you. You control the pace of the learning; speeding up if you are familiar with the material or slowing down on difficult concepts. You can study wherever, whenever and however you like. Best of all, you save a big money ($1400-1600: the average tuition for a prep course). So with this all in mind, I will outline the steps you need to know to study for the MCAT on your own.

1. Learn about the MCAT and Register

What is the MCAT? – Before you begin to study for the MCAT, you have to know what the MCAT is. The format, subjects tested, and criteria of what a good a MCAT score is should be researched. Learn all you can about the test and how you can prepare for it. Read the official AAMC website and ask people who have taken it already about what’s it like, how they prepared for it and any additional tips or pitfalls to avoid. A simple google search will provide with you with more than enough resources for the basics of the MCAT.

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