Nice video! I just finished a Kaplan course and really liked it for the structure and materials (but as you said, it could have been taken online). Did you notice that your Kaplan scores were 10 points lower than AAMC? This is a Kaplan statistic and a lot of people say it is true. How do you feel about that and the comparisons between Kaplan and AAMC exams? I'm taking the AAMC exams last and want to know if they are similar in content and scoring to Kaplan. Thanks in advance and good luck with your studies!
Hi Emily! I'm so sorry for never replying to this! YES!!! I noticed that. Typically, I felt that the Kaplan tests were so much harder than the AAMC ones. The language was more difficult, along with the concepts being more specific instead of broad/general idea-style. I actually really appreciate the difference though. When you prepare by taking all kaplan full length exams, then finishing with AAMC full lengths, you're so much more prepared for the AAMC ones. Also, seeing that lower score in the kaplan exams pushes you to work harder and figure out any gaps you have in your knowledge. The AAMC tests are a good representation of the actual exam (obvi since they are old exams lol), but definitely continue preparing with the Kaplan FL so you are prepared for the hardest material. Again, sorry for the late response! I try to reply to every comment and sometimes some slip through the cracks. Best of luck on your MCAT, my friend! Let me know how you do :)
Hi Rachel, would you recommend a course that takes place twice a week for 6 weeks or once a week for 12 weeks? I have already taken the MCAT once with self studying (scoring similarly to your first score!), and I am looking to take the course to improve. Also, what did you do to prep before and after the course? I want to use it in the most efficient way possible. Thanks!
Hi there! I would take the 6 weeks course, personally. You do not want to spend that much time studying for the MCAT, especially since you've taken it again already. You have a huge advantage this second time around because you know your weaknesses and you know what to expect. I recommend you take the shorter course, really hone in on those weaknesses, do LOTS of practice problems (i highly recommend the adaptive question bank for Kaplan), and also maintain that healthy balance of actually living while studying. Before the course, I started reading the books ahead of time and determining where my weak points were in the material. Then after the course, I did LOTS of practice questions and full lengths. I accepted what I didn't know after the course, and focused on strengths and practice :) hope that helps! Best of luck!
@@RachelSouthard Thank you so much Rachel, this is so extremely helpful! I agree with doing the 6 week course and not spending too much time trying to start all over again. Its important to focus in on the weak points and bring those scores up.
You're so amazing and these videos are so helpful I am trying to get into pre medical school and I m afraid of math and physics like it's a phobia. But you're such an inspiration I started watching your videos from the beginning. I hope you respond to me if I have any doubts further. Take care.
Hi Rachel, thanks for your video. I am planning on taking the MCAT this summer. My very general plan is to take a practice exam cold (since I came from classes). Then I was gonna self-study content for about 3 weeks before taking another benchmark. Then I was gonna take the Kaplan Course to get further study. I was then gonna run down the home stretch with the AAMC practice exams and then sit the exam. My question is will this make sense given that it might push me to take the actual exam at the beginning of school? I would have done the bulk studying before then, but should I just go directly from my cold practice exam into the Kaplan course and skip the self-study 3 weeks part? If you are still responding to comments on this video, I would greatly appreciate the help. Thanks
Hi Rachel, I know this video is old and I hope you have time to answer my question. I'm debating between the self-paced and live online prep course. In your video, you love the Kaplan online resources, which the self-paced course allows 5 months of videos, Q-banks, and more. Do you think starting my MCAT prep would benefit in self-paced or live online?
Did you take the regular in-person prep course or in-person plus? If you did the in-person plus, how beneficial are the extra materials (e.g. MCAT Foundations of Biochemistry & Psychology - Self Paced videos)?
What is your opinion on the Princeton Review, I was looking into KAPLAN and found that PR gives you more in class hours. Still I'm unsure which is actually better. Any insight? (p.s. congratz on the 511! )
I can truly only speak on Kaplan's behalf. I've worked with Princeton Review before (with my previous campus organization involvement), and I did NOT like them. I would look into Exam Krackers--people have told me that they liked them a lot. I'm not sure that more in-class hours is better. That's more time listening to the course instead of using that time to focus your own studies and pin point your weaknesses. I noticed that during my in-class hours, i didn't have trouble in many of the areas that the class focused on, so it almost was a waste of my time. And thank you so much!! :)
@@RachelSouthard But which book is better for someone who may not have taken class in those subjects included in MCAT? It's like I gotta work from scratch...SO which is it: TPR or Kaplan? And is both both updated ?
I'd say about 2 weeks after the course has finished. You have some extra time to work on any weaknesses that you may have, and then a few days before the exam, you have the time to chill out and mentally prepare :)
Great questions. 1. I think that really all depends on how familiar you are with all of the material. And if you have a great understanding of how to take the exam and approach the passages/problems. I think it wouldn't be very smart to just watch videos online. You definitely would need to take practice exams, do practice problems, flashcards, etc. 2. Kaplan helps you determine a solid study schedule depending on your work/school/activities. You can work with your teacher to find a schedule that works for you. I hope that helps! Let me know if you have any more questions.
Hi! So i saw that on the kaplain site, it says that for self study, you get 5 months of access? Does that mean after paying $2000+ that access disappears and you have to pay again?!
Hi Naomi! Yup! Unfortunately with all of their online materials, you only have access to them for a limited amount of time. There are such great study tools on there though, so it's definitely worth it. Also, if you're studying for the MCAT, you probably don't need more than 5-6 months of studying if you're consistent with it. Let me know if you want me to add you to a google calendar I made of how I studied for the MCAT.
Rachel Southard wow thats insane! thanks soo much for the reply and clarification! im not going to start studying until im done with physics, but could you still add me to your calendar please? thanks so much
@@RachelSouthard Hi Rachel! Thank you so much for explaining your whole experiences for us. I have been watching you for awhile and I am so proud! I have been struggling with the MCAT. Therefore, I continue to refer back to your MCAT videos because I am constantly on the fence with purchasing a kaplan course and which one would suit me. I definitely need structure in my life because I am juggling a lot of things and adding the MCAT to the list can be too much but it is all about Time Management. I would LOVE to be added to your google calendar on how you studied for the MCAT. The study plan is so important and that is exactly where I am struggling :)
This is a community where you can get varying opinions on any MCAT course from various students: facebook.com/groups/mcatbros . On youtube you typically only see one side of the story.
If I have not taken the pre reqs close to a decade, do you recommend this? I am thinking of taking the kaplan self paced. I need to learn the material from scratch.
adam banes hey! Great question. I think you should review your pre reqs and decide if you’re comfortable enough with the material to be able to be quizzed on it. Kaplan covers a lot of the high yield material, but truly, almost anything can be tested on the exam. I’d hate for Kaplan to only cover high yield (their books are also very condensed and skip a lot of information that can appear on the exam), and then you come across something on the exam that you learned a while back and can’t recall. Brush up, and see if you’re comfortable/can at least recognize a lot of the material. Take a look at Exam Krackers too, I’ve heard good things about them from people who haven’t been with the material for a while. (:
whats the difference between in-person and online? Does in-person mean physically going to a place and studying or studying in person (one on one) online?
In person, you will go to a designated classroom (probably at a campus near to you) and have lectures in a class of students, then you'll also have assigned things to do on your own. For online, you'll watch the same lecture with a live instructor on the internet and you'll be in a chat with the rest of the students. And you will still have assignments outside of the online class time.
When you sign up for the course, you have to give a date (or estimated date) of when you take the MCAT. From there, they will give you an expiration date of the course. My course access expired 1 month after I took the MCAT.
Hi Angel! No, I had already graduated once I started studying for this beast of an exam lol. Personally, I wanted to commit all of my time and attention to it. But i know plenty of people who did both at the same time
Hi rachel, your videos are amazing and super helpful. Im from saudia arabia and planning to start my college in canada next year so do you have any clue what i should do to get into a medical school? I know i need to clear mcat but do i need a bachelors degree or somthing? It would be really helpful if you advise me ive already taken a 2 year break after school and i feel ive wasted a lot of time already. Im so upset. Im 21 and im still clueless about everything.
Yes you need 3-4 years of bachelor degree for MCAT in canada. Plus, it is really difficult for international student to get into medical school in canada due to limited space, but not impossible(so you gotta get competitive score). You need also clinical experience and extracurricular activities to get in. I know this since I am going there too.
You have a pretty small chance unless you are a permanent resident or citizen of Canada. Most Canadian med schools do not take international applications unless your governments have an agreement. The ones that do take applicants are less than 10 and like 3-4 of them are in French. You could probably look up the exact numbers. There’s also little amount of candidates that get accepted. If you really want to go there, look up the universities that do take international applicants, I know U of Toronto does and email them your questions. Note that becoming a doctor it’s not just med school, it’s also residency so probably look up if you can get into a residency in Canada as an international.
T. K it would depend on the country you go to, I know more about the process of the US but I’m they are similar to Canada. In your senior year of med school you start something called matching, you apply to different places, you get interviews and hope that you’ll get into the residency you wanted or similar to the path you’re pursuing. Residencies vary in length depending on the specialty you want. For instance, going into surgery will take longer than going into internal medicine. If you’re trying to get into something like neurosurgery you path is probably be way longer, as you’ll have to do subspecialties and a whole lot more of studying. As a resident you do get paid, it’s somewhere around $3,000 USD per month. Once out of residency, you finally get a job and that’s when you start earning more. As a PR you should probably look more into the US because it’s gonna be easier for you.
@@MrYoda222 Could you tell me the difference between fellowship and residency? When do we start choosing our specialties: In med school or at residency? And we can choose to do surgery right after medical school? wow Thanks for replying
Great question! Both! I really benefitted from the test-taking strategies. They taught me really useful tips and tricks that I 100000% needed for the exam. Not sure I could've learned them from anywhere else.
Yes! Personally, I don't think i would've done well without the course. I wouldn't have known where to start with studying and I also would've had NO idea how to take the exam. The tips/tricks they teach you with how to read and answer questions was really critical in my success. The kaplan full lengths were much harder than the exam. I only managed to get a 507 as my highest score on a practice FL; however, on the actual exam, I managed to get a 511. I highly recommend the course if you're looking for something to assist in your studies. It is expensive, but it's an investment in your future.
@@yaredarcher3774 Always, my friend! Be confident in your decisions :) You made the right choice; however, just remember that the course is what you make it. Work hard and take full advantage of all the materials (especially the adaptive Q-bank) and you should be fine. Best of luck to you in your studies and MCAT!
I'm now a senior student and I'm studying for my MCAT in 3 months. I have 18 credits in this semester and I will taking the MCAT on the 23rd of January (I think). I'm very stressed because I'm doing my MCAT in my senior year and then I'll apply in my same uni for the next year. I'm very stressed and scared and I think it will be hard since I will finish this semester on the 8th of December. I want some advice if that is possible. Thank you so much for the videos.
Nice video! I just finished a Kaplan course and really liked it for the structure and materials (but as you said, it could have been taken online). Did you notice that your Kaplan scores were 10 points lower than AAMC? This is a Kaplan statistic and a lot of people say it is true. How do you feel about that and the comparisons between Kaplan and AAMC exams? I'm taking the AAMC exams last and want to know if they are similar in content and scoring to Kaplan. Thanks in advance and good luck with your studies!
Hi Emily! I'm so sorry for never replying to this! YES!!! I noticed that. Typically, I felt that the Kaplan tests were so much harder than the AAMC ones. The language was more difficult, along with the concepts being more specific instead of broad/general idea-style. I actually really appreciate the difference though. When you prepare by taking all kaplan full length exams, then finishing with AAMC full lengths, you're so much more prepared for the AAMC ones. Also, seeing that lower score in the kaplan exams pushes you to work harder and figure out any gaps you have in your knowledge. The AAMC tests are a good representation of the actual exam (obvi since they are old exams lol), but definitely continue preparing with the Kaplan FL so you are prepared for the hardest material. Again, sorry for the late response! I try to reply to every comment and sometimes some slip through the cracks. Best of luck on your MCAT, my friend! Let me know how you do :)
Very helpful! Thank you so much! Adding this to my MCAT playlist 😍
Thank you Taylor! :D
Hi Rachel, would you recommend a course that takes place twice a week for 6 weeks or once a week for 12 weeks? I have already taken the MCAT once with self studying (scoring similarly to your first score!), and I am looking to take the course to improve. Also, what did you do to prep before and after the course? I want to use it in the most efficient way possible.
Thanks!
Hi there! I would take the 6 weeks course, personally. You do not want to spend that much time studying for the MCAT, especially since you've taken it again already. You have a huge advantage this second time around because you know your weaknesses and you know what to expect. I recommend you take the shorter course, really hone in on those weaknesses, do LOTS of practice problems (i highly recommend the adaptive question bank for Kaplan), and also maintain that healthy balance of actually living while studying.
Before the course, I started reading the books ahead of time and determining where my weak points were in the material. Then after the course, I did LOTS of practice questions and full lengths. I accepted what I didn't know after the course, and focused on strengths and practice :) hope that helps! Best of luck!
@@RachelSouthard Thank you so much Rachel, this is so extremely helpful! I agree with doing the 6 week course and not spending too much time trying to start all over again. Its important to focus in on the weak points and bring those scores up.
You're so amazing and these videos are so helpful I am trying to get into pre medical school and I m afraid of math and physics like it's a phobia. But you're such an inspiration I started watching your videos from the beginning. I hope you respond to me if I have any doubts further.
Take care.
Thank you for the amazing video. Def helped me decide if I want to pay for the course.
No problem! Let me know if you have any other questions.
I think it depends on the person. Some need the extra discipline/ structure that the course provides. To each their own.
Hi Rachel, thanks for your video. I am planning on taking the MCAT this summer. My very general plan is to take a practice exam cold (since I came from classes). Then I was gonna self-study content for about 3 weeks before taking another benchmark. Then I was gonna take the Kaplan Course to get further study. I was then gonna run down the home stretch with the AAMC practice exams and then sit the exam. My question is will this make sense given that it might push me to take the actual exam at the beginning of school? I would have done the bulk studying before then, but should I just go directly from my cold practice exam into the Kaplan course and skip the self-study 3 weeks part? If you are still responding to comments on this video, I would greatly appreciate the help. Thanks
Hi Rachel, I know this video is old and I hope you have time to answer my question. I'm debating between the self-paced and live online prep course. In your video, you love the Kaplan online resources, which the self-paced course allows 5 months of videos, Q-banks, and more. Do you think starting my MCAT prep would benefit in self-paced or live online?
Did you take the regular in-person prep course or in-person plus? If you did the in-person plus, how beneficial are the extra materials (e.g. MCAT Foundations of Biochemistry & Psychology - Self Paced videos)?
I took the regular in-person prep course, then after bombing the first MCAT, i took the online version :)
What is your opinion on the Princeton Review, I was looking into KAPLAN and found that PR gives you more in class hours. Still I'm unsure which is actually better. Any insight? (p.s. congratz on the 511! )
I can truly only speak on Kaplan's behalf. I've worked with Princeton Review before (with my previous campus organization involvement), and I did NOT like them. I would look into Exam Krackers--people have told me that they liked them a lot. I'm not sure that more in-class hours is better. That's more time listening to the course instead of using that time to focus your own studies and pin point your weaknesses. I noticed that during my in-class hours, i didn't have trouble in many of the areas that the class focused on, so it almost was a waste of my time.
And thank you so much!! :)
@@RachelSouthard But which book is better for someone who may not have taken class in those subjects included in MCAT? It's like I gotta work from scratch...SO which is it: TPR or Kaplan? And is both both updated ?
How long do you recommend writing the actual MCAT after the course finishes?
Thanks!
I'd say about 2 weeks after the course has finished. You have some extra time to work on any weaknesses that you may have, and then a few days before the exam, you have the time to chill out and mentally prepare :)
Do you think the Kaplan 3rd edition books still represent/prepare you for the mcat today well?
Two questions. Can you just watch all the videos online and still do very well on the test? Also, do they provide a schedule for you?
Great questions.
1. I think that really all depends on how familiar you are with all of the material. And if you have a great understanding of how to take the exam and approach the passages/problems. I think it wouldn't be very smart to just watch videos online. You definitely would need to take practice exams, do practice problems, flashcards, etc.
2. Kaplan helps you determine a solid study schedule depending on your work/school/activities. You can work with your teacher to find a schedule that works for you.
I hope that helps! Let me know if you have any more questions.
Rachel Southard thankyou for the feedback.
Hi! So i saw that on the kaplain site, it says that for self study, you get 5 months of access? Does that mean after paying $2000+ that access disappears and you have to pay again?!
Hi Naomi! Yup! Unfortunately with all of their online materials, you only have access to them for a limited amount of time. There are such great study tools on there though, so it's definitely worth it. Also, if you're studying for the MCAT, you probably don't need more than 5-6 months of studying if you're consistent with it. Let me know if you want me to add you to a google calendar I made of how I studied for the MCAT.
Rachel Southard wow thats insane! thanks soo much for the reply and clarification! im not going to start studying until im done with physics, but could you still add me to your calendar please? thanks so much
@@RachelSouthard Hi Rachel! Thank you so much for explaining your whole experiences for us. I have been watching you for awhile and I am so proud! I have been struggling with the MCAT. Therefore, I continue to refer back to your MCAT videos because I am constantly on the fence with purchasing a kaplan course and which one would suit me. I definitely need structure in my life because I am juggling a lot of things and adding the MCAT to the list can be too much but it is all about Time Management. I would LOVE to be added to your google calendar on how you studied for the MCAT. The study plan is so important and that is exactly where I am struggling :)
2000 $ omgg that’s sooo expensive
This is a community where you can get varying opinions on any MCAT course from various students: facebook.com/groups/mcatbros . On youtube you typically only see one side of the story.
If I have not taken the pre reqs close to a decade, do you recommend this? I am thinking of taking the kaplan self paced. I need to learn the material from scratch.
adam banes hey! Great question. I think you should review your pre reqs and decide if you’re comfortable enough with the material to be able to be quizzed on it. Kaplan covers a lot of the high yield material, but truly, almost anything can be tested on the exam. I’d hate for Kaplan to only cover high yield (their books are also very condensed and skip a lot of information that can appear on the exam), and then you come across something on the exam that you learned a while back and can’t recall. Brush up, and see if you’re comfortable/can at least recognize a lot of the material. Take a look at Exam Krackers too, I’ve heard good things about them from people who haven’t been with the material for a while. (:
whats the difference between in-person and online?
Does in-person mean physically going to a place and studying or studying in person (one on one) online?
In person, you will go to a designated classroom (probably at a campus near to you) and have lectures in a class of students, then you'll also have assigned things to do on your own. For online, you'll watch the same lecture with a live instructor on the internet and you'll be in a chat with the rest of the students. And you will still have assignments outside of the online class time.
how long do you have access to the online tools? Thank you for the vid
When you sign up for the course, you have to give a date (or estimated date) of when you take the MCAT. From there, they will give you an expiration date of the course. My course access expired 1 month after I took the MCAT.
Is this what you get when you purchase the "self-paced" option from Kaplan as well?
Hi Lydia, i'm not entirely sure since I didn't purchase that one. I think so?? You would have to double check.
Did you take this course while you were taking classes at university?
Hi Angel! No, I had already graduated once I started studying for this beast of an exam lol. Personally, I wanted to commit all of my time and attention to it. But i know plenty of people who did both at the same time
Rachel Southard Same here. I plan on taking the MCAT 6 months after I graduate from college
Hi rachel, your videos are amazing and super helpful. Im from saudia arabia and planning to start my college in canada next year so do you have any clue what i should do to get into a medical school? I know i need to clear mcat but do i need a bachelors degree or somthing? It would be really helpful if you advise me ive already taken a 2 year break after school and i feel ive wasted a lot of time already. Im so upset. Im 21 and im still clueless about everything.
Yes you need 3-4 years of bachelor degree for MCAT in canada. Plus, it is really difficult for international student to get into medical school in canada due to limited space, but not impossible(so you gotta get competitive score). You need also clinical experience and extracurricular activities to get in. I know this since I am going there too.
You have a pretty small chance unless you are a permanent resident or citizen of Canada. Most Canadian med schools do not take international applications unless your governments have an agreement. The ones that do take applicants are less than 10 and like 3-4 of them are in French. You could probably look up the exact numbers. There’s also little amount of candidates that get accepted. If you really want to go there, look up the universities that do take international applicants, I know U of Toronto does and email them your questions. Note that becoming a doctor it’s not just med school, it’s also residency so probably look up if you can get into a residency in Canada as an international.
@@MrYoda222 Can you tell me what happens after medical school? And are we paid from then on--as a PR?
T. K it would depend on the country you go to, I know more about the process of the US but I’m they are similar to Canada. In your senior year of med school you start something called matching, you apply to different places, you get interviews and hope that you’ll get into the residency you wanted or similar to the path you’re pursuing. Residencies vary in length depending on the specialty you want. For instance, going into surgery will take longer than going into internal medicine. If you’re trying to get into something like neurosurgery you path is probably be way longer, as you’ll have to do subspecialties and a whole lot more of studying. As a resident you do get paid, it’s somewhere around $3,000 USD per month. Once out of residency, you finally get a job and that’s when you start earning more. As a PR you should probably look more into the US because it’s gonna be easier for you.
@@MrYoda222 Could you tell me the difference between fellowship and residency? When do we start choosing our specialties: In med school or at residency? And we can choose to do surgery right after medical school? wow
Thanks for replying
Do they cover test taking strategies or are the lectures more tailored to content review?
Great question! Both! I really benefitted from the test-taking strategies. They taught me really useful tips and tricks that I 100000% needed for the exam. Not sure I could've learned them from anywhere else.
Do you take your undergraduates degree and pre led separately
Did the Kaplan course actually helped you? Did your Kaplan full lengths reflect the test score you got?
Yes! Personally, I don't think i would've done well without the course. I wouldn't have known where to start with studying and I also would've had NO idea how to take the exam. The tips/tricks they teach you with how to read and answer questions was really critical in my success. The kaplan full lengths were much harder than the exam. I only managed to get a 507 as my highest score on a practice FL; however, on the actual exam, I managed to get a 511. I highly recommend the course if you're looking for something to assist in your studies. It is expensive, but it's an investment in your future.
Rachel Southard Thank you so much for responding. I’m currently taking the course and just wanted to be sure I made the right decision.
@@yaredarcher3774 Always, my friend! Be confident in your decisions :) You made the right choice; however, just remember that the course is what you make it. Work hard and take full advantage of all the materials (especially the adaptive Q-bank) and you should be fine. Best of luck to you in your studies and MCAT!
@@RachelSouthard did you do the online course plus version or the regular version?
great video. very informative!
Thank you!
I'm now a senior student and I'm studying for my MCAT in 3 months. I have 18 credits in this semester and I will taking the MCAT on the 23rd of January (I think). I'm very stressed because I'm doing my MCAT in my senior year and then I'll apply in my same uni for the next year. I'm very stressed and scared and I think it will be hard since I will finish this semester on the 8th of December. I want some advice if that is possible. Thank you so much for the videos.
Thank u
Hey did u get your score yet?
Yes! I did. Finally filmed a video on it. It's my most recent one. Go check it out :)
Nice channel!!! Subscribed!!
Thanks Gerran! :D
Look at you. 5 years ago you where studying to go to medical school. Now you are getting ready to get into residency.
Whaaat so the mcat has history geography and philosophy parts 😶
Is it free?
U beautiful video