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MCAT EXAM
STRATEGY
A 6-Week Guide to Crushing the MCAT
Revised for the new 2015 MCAT Exam

By Leah Fisch
If you know anyone who can benefit from this guide,

Please feel free to share it with them by

sending them to this page :

http://leah4sci.com/mcat-exam-strategy-guide

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DISCLAIMER

This guide is intended to help you maximize the last few weeks before your
MCAT. I assume you have been studying for months or weeks and are familiar
with the exam.

Id like to promise you a perfect MCAT score or your money back

guarantee if you read this e-book and follow my advice, but sadly, I can't.
However, I can promise that you will be much more prepared for your MCAT
after you follow this guide. Results after implementing my 6 week strategy will
differ based on your level of preparation, understanding of the material, test-
taking ability and more. Everyones results will vary and no one can promise
perfect MCAT scores, only better ones. Also, this e-book is free, so I couldn't give
you your money back even if I wanted to.

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CONTENTS

01 Cover

05 Introduction

08 Step # 1 Do your Research

11 Step # 2 Create a Baseline

15 Step # 3 Understand Your Starting Point

17 Step # 4 Create a Backwards Calendar

20 Step # 5 Create a Study Strategy

25 Step # 6 Don't Burn Out Seriously

30 Tutoring

36 About the Author

38 Links and Resources

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INTRODUCTION

This guide was originally written for the 2014 exam, but has been updated
to reflect the new 2015 MCAT. if youre not familiar with those changes, read
my article: The New 2015 MCAT Demystified

As a former pre-med student and an MCAT tutor for nearly a decade, I've
helped hundreds of aspiring medical students prepare to master the MCAT.
Studying for the MCAT can be quite overwhelming. Why? Well, in a nutshell, you
have to know EVERYTHING! And thats just the beginning. First, you must learn
an obscene amount of information. Then, you must be able to apply the
information to tricky and difficult MCAT style questions.

A bright eyed pre-med student will open a brand new notebook, take a
moment to think about the road ahead, and freak out. Where do I start? Do I
tackle chemistry, physics, biology, biochemistry or organic chemistry? And how
do I even study psychology and sociology? Do I take a practice test or sign up for
a prep course? These students get overwhelmed before they even start.

So they push it off.

Nah, I have over a year to go, this can wait, they think. College exams, work,
volunteering, relationships, and just life in general gets in the way.

Theres still a year until I have to take the MCAT.

I still have eight months.

I still have six months.

I still have uh oh, I dont have enough time.

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Then they start studying like crazy, take practice exams, enter panic mode,
and burn out before even reaching the actual exam. In working with these
students, Ive noticed a trend: they lack a strategic approach to MCAT studying.
Ive heard horror stories of students wasting weeks reading through their
college chemistry and physics textbooks; of others reading through years of
biology notes; and even more taking every possible practice MCAT out there.
None had a real strategy, so when it came to the exam, they got stuck. They may
have studied all the information and memorized the practice test answers, but
they werent able to apply their knowledge to MCAT style questions.

These students lacked a strategy: a simple but strategic roadmap telling

them exactly what to do to reach their goal. And thats exactly what you need.

When students hear strategy, they get overwhelmed, expecting I will tell
them to read their book in three days and do all the practice problems. But I
won't. In fact, the secret to effective strategy is creating a personal game plan,
one that fits your schedule, focuses on your strengths and works toward your
goal.

Im calling this guide a 6 week strategy because it's a concrete picture of

how long it takes to figure out your strategy, create a game plan, and follow it. I
will assume, given that you are 6 weeks out from your exam, that you have
spent months studying the material and are ready to jump into last minute
preparations. But this guide is not set in stone. It will still work whether you
have 4 weeks or 4 months to go.

To master the MCAT, you cant simply study and hope for the best. You
must approach your studying with a sound strategy from day one, whether it's
day one of a six week, six month, or even one year study plan. By creating a
sound strategy and mapping out a game plan, you will know exactly what to do
every step of the way. A sound strategy takes out the guesswork, doubt and
insecurity that leads to procrastination.

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By following a measurable strategy, you can track and analyze your progress
along the way. Instead of guessing you're studying effectively, you have
measurable feedback that pinpoints how to adjust your preparation, as well as
regular intervals to keep your goal in sight.

(c) leah4sci.com 2015

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STEP # 1

Do your Research

Lets face it, MCAT studying is not the most fun activity. You will be eating,
sleeping, and breathing the MCAT. You may not see your friends and family for
months. You need a very strong motivator to keep you going.

You don't have a motivator if you dont know what you need to score.
"Shoot for a 500," works in a pinch, but thats not sound advice. Your required
MCAT score will depend on a number of factors, and I recommend doing the
research before you even begin your studies.

Devote an afternoon to researching medical schools in your state (and

country). Look into everything about the school (MD or DO), from the programs
they offer to campus layout. But more importantly, look into their accepted
student stats, including class requirements, extra-curricular activities, average
GPA, science GPA and MCAT scores. This will help you determine if you are a
competitive candidate for the program.

I recognize it will be difficult to research school requirements for the 2015

MCAT for at least a year or two, as the schools themselves dont yet know what
they will accept. But it doesnt hurt to call them and ask.

Aim High (Five)

Once you find a few schools that match your requirements and desires, find
out what MCAT score you are required to achieve, and aim to score five points
higher.

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Medical schools are flooded with applications, and the competition is fierce.
The average medical school receives dozens of applications for every available
seat. Junk-applications aside, this means you are competing with many other
students to get in. Shooting for five points higher on the MCAT will help you
stand out as far as your MCAT score is concerned.

In 2013, around 85,00 students took the MCAT, and 35,700 first time
applicants applied to medical school. Only 20,000 were accepted, meaning that
nearly three out of five new applicants were rejected. 2014 data is not yet
available as of this writing. Keep in mind that most students applied to multiple
schools and some students were accepted to more than one school, which
means many students were rejected from multiple schools. So it makes sense to
aim for scoring five points higher than the schools average.

In addition:

1. If you score five points above the average you will stand out as a stronger
applicant, thus increasing your chances of getting an interview which can lead
to acceptance.

2. Aiming for five points higher helps you build in a buffer. No matter how well
you prepare, you will feel nervous on exam day. Nerves and panic can cause
you to make silly mistakes and lose a few points. By preparing to score higher
from the start, youve built in the careless-mistake buffer and are still likely
to achieve a competitive score.

Now that youve done your research, you should have a solid picture of what lies
ahead. This picture will keep you going through the long study days to come.

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Back when I was still a pre-med college student , before I discovered my

love of teaching, my dream was to do military emergency field medicine, and my
dream school was the Uniformed Services University of Health Sciences, or
USUHS. I contacted the school and they sent me a very fat guide complete with
their curriculum outline, student stats and even campus pictures.

I read that book cover to cover and carried it everywhere. That book and
the dream it represented kept me going through late-night cram sessions and all
those stay-in-and-study days when my friends were hanging out doing fun
things. So get your "book" to carry around. Create your own personal dream.

Now that you have your dream, lets figure out where you stand to determine
how far you have to go to get there.

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STEP # 2

Create a Baseline

Remember, your strategy is supposed to give you a concrete picture of

where to go and how to get there. The only way to determine your next step is
to understand where you stand now. I dont care if youve forgotten all of the
material or if you havent even completed one or more of the required science
courses. If youre taking your MCAT in the next 12 months, and especially if
youre taking the exam in six weeks, you cannot skip this step.

Many of my MCAT tutoring clients come to me after having spent weeks or

months studying on their own. My first question to them is this: Where do you
stand with your MCAT score right now? And they have no idea but they have
good excuses.

NOT!

I havent taken orgo 2 yet so I dont feel ready.

I took physics two years ago and want to re-learn it first.

I havent finished going through my biology notes.

The list goes on. Do you have a similar reason for postponing? If so, WHAT
ARE YOU WAITING FOR?? Seriously, if youre taking the MCAT soon, how do you
know what to work towards if you dont know where you stand right now?

The MCAT is about more than content; its about logic, reasoning,
application, math-without-a-calculator and more. And hey, if youre worried
about doing poorly on an assessment exam, lets try some reverse psychology:

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The worse you do now, the better chance you have for improvement. And if
you miss points because you didnt yet learn a topic, think of how much faster
you will improve once you do learn it.

So if you havent taken a practice MCAT, stop reading and RUN to the nearest
MCAT practice test and get started!

But before you run off, let me explain why you need to do this, and then Ill
tell you how to get a free exam. (This option is not yet available for the new
2015 MCAT but will be listed as soon as is.)

With the 2015 MCAT in its infancy, there aren't any official practice exams.
However, there are plenty of resources out there to help you get a baseline and
practice. For starters, there is the AAMC 230 question sample test, the AAMC
120-question packets, and diagnostic exams from the big name test prep
companies, many of which are free. (A sample test is not a practice test, which is
a real test recycled for practice.)

Practice test options (disclaimer: I have not reviewed these exams and cannot
vouch for their quality)

Princeton Review - 8 full Lengths

Next Step Prep - 5 full lengths

Remember, the purpose of a strategy is to know you stand, where youre

headed, and what steps you must take to get there. Studying information out of
a book will give you a foundation, but knowing content is not enough. Yes, the
MCAT will test you on your knowledge, but it will also test your ability to reason
through difficult questions, derive answers from the way material is presented,
and answer questions on topics you have actually never learned before.

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Practice, Practice, Practice

So how do you prepare for this exam? By taking the exam itself or a real
practice version of it again and again and again at strategically timed intervals.
The official practice test option is not yet available for the 2015 exam, but you
can improvise by taking a few diagnostic tests followed by the AAMC sample
test. After taking a practice test, you can answer the following questions: How
would I score if I took the MCAT today? Am I competitive enough? Whats
missing in my knowledge base? Which subjects/topics/subtopics do I need to
work on next?

In other words, taking practice tests enables you to pinpoint EXACTLY what
needs improvement and use your remaining time to focus on that. Later in the
strategy portion, Ill talk about continually gauging and improving where you
stand.

Which Exam to Take?

With so many MCAT test-prep companies out there, each offering some
version of the MCAT, its difficult to know where to turn and how to start. I have
nothing against those test-prep companies. But for now, forget them and focus
on gauging your score with a real AAMC exam.

After all, the AAMC administers the real MCAT, and theyve made some of
the past MCATs available online. How much more authentic can you get? You
dont have to play the guessing game. Start your strategy on a concrete
foundation. The first new AAMC practice test will be available fall of 2015. For
now, use the AAMC sample test and practice packets, and take the full length
exams offered by other reputable test prep companies.

(c) leah4sci.com 2015

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Dont Waste This Exam

Before you take your sample or practice test, keep this in mind: your goal is
to simulate realistic exam conditions, so dont waste your practice exam by
doing anything stupid. Below are some common mistakes to avoid. You may
laugh, but Ive spoken to students who have committed each of these errors.

1. Turn off your cell phone! Seriously, this is an exam. That text message can
wait, your Facebook friends wont unfriend you, and you can tweet about this
torture when its over.

2. Dont use a calculator! The MCAT requires you to do math without a

calculator. Dont cheat yourself and skew your expectations by using
electronic aids. If this throws you off, dive into my MCAT-Math-Without-A-
Calculator tutorial after your practice exam.

3. Take the entire exam in one sitting! You are testing more than your science
and reading skills with this exam. Youre testing your endurance along with
your ability to solve MCAT-style questions over the span of a few hours.
Pausing your exam for an hour or a day to return with a fresh-rested mind
does not simulate exam conditions, so dont do it!

4. 4. Avoid distractions. You are not allowed to talk during your MCAT, so dont
let anyone speak to you during this pretest. Explain to family or roommates
that you cannot be disturbed, or find another location to work such as a WiFi-
capable caf or library.

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So how did you do?

High 400s? Over 500? Believe it or not, its normal for students to score
abysmally low on their first practice exam. This comes from lack of knowledge,
unfamiliarity with the exam and more. So if you scored low, dont worry; theres
still hope for you. In my experience tutoring for the old MCAT, scores can
increase by around 20 points with a solid strategy followed up by serious
dedicated studying. In the final six weeks, however, this 20 point increase is
atypical. Ive seen as much as 5-10 point increases over the final 6 week stretch,
but an increase of 3-6 points is more typical.

This, of course, depends on your initial score. The higher your initial score,
the more difficult it will be to climb many points. My experience with 2014
students showed that improving from a 9 or 12 to a 20+ can be achieved with
initial studying. Improving between the 20-30 scores requires serious content
studying with practice application. Improving beyond a 30 becomes increasingly
difficult for every additional point and requires following my strategy to the T.
How these numbers relate to new exam scores remains to be seen, but the gains
from pointed studying still stand.

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STEP # 3

Understand Your Starting Point

The AAMC sample exam is more than just a diagnostic test. The feedback
provided with your exam is the key to creating your final six-week study plan.
When you submit your exam, you will be provided with a very detailed exam
report. This is not available yet, but is promised to follow shortly. Youll receive
your overall score out of 528 and 4 individual section scores, each out of 132.
Youll also get a detailed breakdown of the topics and subtopics on the exam,
including how many questions you got right, wrong and omitted (hopefully
none) in each topic.

Dont take this report as the final word on your abilities. Your score may
have been impacted by a bird chirping outside, a fluke correct guess on a tough
question, or a careless mistake on a question you should have gotten right in
your sleep! But its a starting point, so well use this as the basis of your
upcoming foundation.

Instead, focus on the following:

How did you do overall? How does this compare to your score goal established
in step 1?

How did you do in the individual sections? What went wrong- which topics were
your pitfalls in each section?

But again, if you feel your result doesn't accurately represent your current
standing, dont worry; youll be taking more exams and generating more score
reports periodically. Below is a snapshot of one of my students diagnostic exam
reports for the 2014 MCAT, copied with permission. I will update with a 2015
image once its available.

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STEP # 4

Create a Backwards Calendar

Ive chosen to focus on a six week strategy based on my experience working

with dozens of MCAT students. Ive found that six weeks is the minimum time
frame required to see really strong improvement and results when starting from
a diagnostic test. If you have less than six weeks to your exam, dont rush to
change your date. If youre worried about your personal situation, including the
time remaining or your current MCAT score, let me know where you stand via
http://leah4sci.com/contact/, and Ill try to help.

I really like the backwards calendar when it comes to working towards a

difficult goal. The average to-do list requires writing out a series of bullet points
showing what you still have to do. And while you may be enthusiastic at first, life
tends to get in the way and your motivation slowly dies down.

By working on your goal backwards you dont try to reach a goal. Instead
you mark down your goals, each one to be conquered on a very specific day. You
backtrack from your final goal, figuring out which steps must be taken along the
way to reach it.

Go to your local office supply store and purchase the largest poster board
you can find, or make one by taping many sheets of paper together. Draw a
single backwards calendar similar to the images Ive included below.

This will allow you to eyeball your total strategy in one view. You may not
take a traditional calendar as seriously as a huge poster with the exam date right
there in front of you.

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Mark your exam date and time the top of the calendar. If you havent
registered for the exam yet, what are you waiting for? Its just six weeks away-
go reserve your MCAT date RIGHT NOW!

Keep in mind, registration for the 2015 MCAT opens February 11th for April-June
exams and April for July-September exams.

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For this example, well assume the MCAT takes place on Wednesday, July 16 at 8
am.

Mark this day on your backwards calendar. Now here is how you mark the
remaining calendar. Remember, you can adapt this guide depending on how
much time YOU have left. You should also take all the practice exams at the
same time your exam is scheduled. This will simulate real life conditions.

1 week before the exam: Full Length Practice Test 5

2 weeks before the exam: Full Length Practice Test 4

3 weeks before the exam: Full Length Practice Test 3

4 weeks before the exam: Full Length Practice Test 2

5 weeks before the exam: Study/review week

6 weeks before the exam: AAMC sample 2015 MCAT. If you've already taken it,
use a diagnostic test from a reputable company.

You may also want to incorporate the 6 AAMC practice packets for review in
between taking full length exams.

Note: I dont care if your friend illegally shared their Kaplan password or
Examkrackers study guides; I recommend that your final testing and analysis
happen through the official AAMC practice material (once available of course).
They write the exam- best learn directly from the source.

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As of January 2015, there is one sample 2015 MCAT along with a 120
question set packet available in the The Official Guide to the MCAT (2015). The
AAMC plans to release 6 more packets of 120 MCAT style questions in February
2015. The first real practice test is expected by Fall 2015. No, they are not free,
but if this means lunching on ramen noodles for a month, its a worthy sacrifice.
You cant skimp on your MCAT preparation. You can purchase them directly
from the AAMC website.

Longer-Term Strategy Addendum

Six weeks is the minimum amount of time required to prepare for the MCAT
and see serious improvement. If you are reading this and have a few months to
go, kudos to you.

If youre testing before Fall 2015, plan to work through the sample test as
your initial diagnostic, and then retake this test a few weeks before your exam
when

1. Youve likely forgotten most of the questions.

2. Youve since worked on all the areas that initially gave you trouble.

Heres how to adjust your backwards calendar for a longer term strategy.

1, 2, 3, and 4 weeks before the exam: work through one full length practice
exam at the same day/time as your actual MCAT, and once AAMC packet per
week.

5 weeks before the exam: Deep dive into any material youve forgotten or
dont yet feel solid on.

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6 and 7 weeks before the exam: review 2 additional full length practice tests.

Space out the remaining exams evenly over the period you have before the
7 week mark. In the example below well assume that you have access to 13 full
length practice tests and your exam is 6 months away.

It is important to note that just because there are 7 AAMC question packets
does not mean you have to take them all. Let me repeat: just because you have
access to many exams doesnt mean you should take them all. I will write more
on this later.

I recommend taking a maximum of one full length exam per week. If you
only have a few weeks to go and you just started this strategy, you can take an
exam every 5-6 days. Dont take an exam every day or every other day. You will
burn out trying to test and review without time to breathe in between.

(c) leah4sci.com 2015

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STEP # 5

Create a Study Strategy

Let me tell you a quick story. I hate running. I repeat: I HATE RUNNING! Yet
when I joined the United States Navy Reserves in 2005, I was required to
complete a 1.5 mile timed run to qualify on the physical fitness test. I also had
to run again to pass my boot camp physical, and repeat this run every six
months as part of my biannual physical fitness test. (Until I learned I could
qualify with a timed swim instead.)

When I set out for my run I managed a quarter mile before I had to stop,
huffing and puffing and cramping all over. But I couldnt give up because I
dreamed of becoming a military doctor. And so I trained. Over the next few
weeks I ran, rested, ran, and rested some more.

I was slow at first. I walked the two miles and added one minute of running
at intervals. Slowly but surely, I was able to run a quarter mile, then a half mile,
then a mile. I was finally able to run two miles without stopping, cursing all the
way. Did I mention I hate running?

But when it came to the test, I was able to do it. By learning to run two miles
with ease, a 1.5 mile test was just another run and easier to complete.

Many refer to this phenomenon as muscle memory. I dont know if my

muscles remembered the run, but over time they got used to it and stopped
complaining so loudly. The length became bearable, the physical exertion
doable, and the time not as boring.

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Apply Muscle Memory to Your Brain

So how does this relate to your weekly practice MCATs? Remember that
practice test you took? You may have felt excited, nervous, or motivated during
the Chemical and Physical Foundations of Biological Systems section. Perhaps
your patience began to run out when you hit the CARS section. But if you are like
most students, you were likely pulling your hair out and jumping out of your seat
by the time you reached the Psychological, Social and Biological Foundations of
Behavior section.

Is psychology or sociology tougher than the rest of the MCAT topics? Not
necessarily. The issue is that youre simply not used to sitting for 7 hours at a
time. Your body and brain protest because they are not happy with the torture
you are putting them through. So not only are you taking your exam, youre also
fighting every instinct that tells you to give up and go home.

Now imagine completing a similar exam one week later with some
preparation, and again the next week, and the week after that. Not only are you
familiarizing yourself with the testing style, you are also physically conditioning
yourself to sit for hours at a time and function at maximum capacity for those
7.5 hours. And, of course, you are learning to tackle MCAT style questions. By
the time you take your real exam, itll feel like just another practice exam, free
of the many-hour boredom and related MCAT jitterbugs.

But taking the exam is not enough. What you do in between practice exams
is key to improving your score from week to week. Were assuming that by the
time youre tackling your final six-week stretch, you have at least attempted to
review all of your science requirements. I say attempted because no one REALLY
gets through all of it.

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Heres what youll take out of each subsequent practice exam or question set:

1. An overall score or % correct letting you know how youve improved since last
time, and how close you are to your overall goal.

2. A breakdown of section scores showing how youve improved in each section,

and how close you are to the individual section goals.

3. A breakdown of the specific topics and subtopics within each section letting
you know what to study in the coming week.

I think points #1 and #2 are self-explanatory. They are key to helping you
measure your intermediate success, progress, and improvement towards your
overall goal. So lets talk about #3.

A common mistake I see among MCAT students is that they take too much
time to review and study the actual practice MCAT exam or questions without
learning from them. Yes, the exam is a valuable testing tool, but thats all it is.
Dont go and memorize the exam questions because the likelihood that youll
see the same exact question on your actual exam is slim to none.

Instead, here is what you should focus on when reviewing your practice MCAT
or question set.

1. Specific questions you missed yes, they are still important.

2. The broader topic related to your missed question.

3. The questions and topics you werent 100% confident about, even if you
guessed or answered them correctly.

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Make a list of topics to study based on the above points. Look for question
types and bigger picture topics that you missed. Take these topics and break
them up on your backwards calendar for the week leading up to your next
practice exam. Aim to spend a minimum of 30 minutes studying and reviewing
every topic or specific subtopic that you missed. If you feel you need more time,
by all means take the time you need.

Lets say you missed only ten questions (impressive). Thats at least 30
minutes per question topic for a total of five hours spread over the course of the
week. Now lets say you missed or didnt feel confident with 40-60 questions,
which is much more likely. This will require at least 20 - 30 study hours over the
course of the following week.

Use this time to relearn the information, understand concepts, practice and
memorize formulas, and test your knowledge through practice quizzes and
topic-specific exams in your study books and online material.

For example, if you missed a question on pendulums, dont just review the
answer out of the AAMC exam solution guide. Instead, review the answer first,
then review the section on pendulums in your book Go back to your study
guides, my MCAT videos and your MCAT prep resources. Did you forget how to
apply harmonic motion and Hookes law? What about potential energy and the
effect of gravity? Be sure to spend some time reviewing each of these individual
concepts.

When your next practice exam or question set rolls around, you may find
some overlap in the question topics. You wont find the exact same questions,
but your review should have broadened your knowledge and strengthened
some of your weaknesses. You will also come across questions you havent seen
before, but dont worry. Thats why Im having you do multiple practice exams in
the weeks leading up to your exam.

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This is the key to practice exam success. Too often I come across a serial-
MCAT-taker, a student who takes practice exam after practice exam without
maximizing the benefit that each exam has to offer in terms of guided follow-up
study sessions. These students take exams every few days but only study the
answers to the actual exam questions and nothing else. They quickly find
themselves frustrated and overwhelmed. AND THEY DONT UNDERSTAND WHY
THEIR SCORES DONT INCREASE WITH EACH EXAM. Dont let this be you.

Note of Caution

You may find that your score stagnates towards the end or even dips a few
points. This tends to happen as you get into critical thinking mode and perhaps
over-think questions. Just relax and realize that this does happen. After doing a
few practice exams as Ive suggested, youll get comfortable with the strategy
and break out of this plateau.

Longer-Term Strategy

If you have more than six weeks to your exam, this strategy still applies,
especially during the final six weeks. However, if you have a few months to go,
space your initial exams a month or two weeks apart. Spend more than 30
minutes on each topic missed, and perhaps even set up blocks of time devoted
to nothing but content review.

(c) leah4sci.com 2015

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STEP # 6

Don't Burn Out Seriously

You know that feeling of Im so motivated/excited I can go on studying for

hours? Well it doesnt last. And if you keep pushing yourself without taking
proper breaks, youre going to burn out. In fact, you will actually accomplish
MORE by taking regular breaks to refresh and clear your mind.

Breaks include the following:

1. 45-90 minute study sessions should be followed by a 10-15 minute break

2. Multiple 45-90 minute sessions should be followed by a proper

lunch/dinner/fun break

3. Try to take a day (or half day) off from studying at least once a week

4. Make time to hang out with your friends and family.

Your brain is not designed to function at full capacity all the time. If you
attempt to push it, you will burn out. Youll find that you forget more than you
retain, get easily frustrated, and overall start hating anything related to the
MCAT.

Hopefully youve explained the seriousness of MCAT prep to your friends

and family. But even if they understand and respect your study time, its
important to dedicate time to spend with them. Yes, you need to study hard, but
you must also allow yourself some guilt-free breaks to mingle with people,
maintain whats left of your sanity, and have a good ol fun time. This will keep
you happy, focused, and motivated to keep going.

(c) leah4sci.com 2015

CONTENTS 29

My sister took her bar exam in the summer of 2013. I was getting to the
point where I forgot I had a sister because she ate, slept, and breathed the bar.
And if I did get her on the phone shed yap on and on about the law. Dont be
like that. Or simply hang out with other pre-meds.

Emergencies Never Check the Calendar

This is a fun quote that really does apply. Be sure to build safety days into
your schedule allowing you to play catch-up just in case something unexpected
happens on a planned study day.

For some reason, cram days always invite catastrophe, from sickness, a car
breaking down, friend/family issues, or anything really. And while life does
happen, you cannot afford to fall behind to the point where you must choose
between postponing your exam or taking it unprepared. So yes, schedule a day
off every week or so, but if something unexpected happens, turn the day off into
a study day to keep you on track.

Another way to avoid burning out is in the way you study. No matter how
much you dislike a specific MCAT topic, the pain can be alleviated if you space it
out over time. For example, if this weeks post-exam study requires a few hours
each for physics, chemistry, organic, biology, biochemistry, psychology,
sociology and verbal reasoning, dont spend an entire day on one subject.

First of all, there arent enough days in a week. Second, youll go insane.
Instead, vary your day. Take your favorite topic and spend the first 30 minutes of
each study day on this one topic. This will put you in a positive mood and get
your mind in study mode. Then turn to something less fun; maybe an hour of
physics followed by an hour of biochemistry. Leave the final half hour for
additional review of your favorite topic. This will help you end your session on a
high note and keep you motivated for the next day.

(c) leah4sci.com 2015

CONTENTS 30

If youre on a longer term schedule, this strategy applies even more.

Students often tell me, I have eight months to study eight topics: Ill devote a
month to chem, a month to physics, a month to biochem...

It sounds great, but I advise against it for two reasons:

1. You may want to spend a month reviewing each topic, but as life happens,
your month of chem turns into six weeks, your month of physics turns into
two months, biochem takes another 2 months, and before you know it, youre
out of time and you havent tackled sociology.

2. Say you are super-motivated and somehow manage to stick to this one month
per topic schedule. By the time you hit biochemistry in month three, youll
have forgotten general chemistry from the first month. By the time you hit
sociology youll have forgotten even more.

Here is my alternative strategy. If you have the time, devote 2 weeks to

your 8 topics with good breaks in between. If you have less time, devote 8
consecutive study sessions, however you choose to break it up.

For example, If you devote 3 hours per day for 8 topics over 2 weeks, try this:

First Monday: Physics

First Tuesday: Chemistry

First Wednesday: Organic Chemistry

First Thursday: Biochemistry

Fri/Sat/Sun = Breathe, sanity, friends

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CONTENTS 31

Second Monday: Biology

Second Tuesday: Reading (CARS)

Second Wednesday: Psychology

Second Thursday: Sociology

Fri/Sat/Sun = Breathe, sanity, friends

If you have less time to your exam and need to cover more material, try
something like this:

Monday Session 1: Chemistry

Monday Session 2: Physics

Monday Session 3: Organic Chemistry

Tuesday Session 1: Biochemistry

Tuesday Session 2: Biology

Tuesday Session 3: Reading (CARS)

Wednesday Session 1: Psychology

Wednesday Session 2: Sociology

You dont have to stick to this exact schedule. This is just an example of how
to continually vary your study topics so that youre making regular progress for
each section on a weekly and monthly basis. This pattern of studying ensures
that you devote enough time to each topic, stay fresh on each topic, and keep
your study schedule exciting by changing topics every day or every few hours.

(c) leah4sci.com 2015

CONTENTS 32

And thats it!

You have your strategy, now get to it!

If you dont have an exam date yet, GO SIGN UP NOW.

(Registration for April-June 2015 registration opens Feb 11. July-September 2015
registration opens in April)

If you havent done a practice exam yet, what are you waiting for? GO DO IT
NOW!

I will be posting a ton of valuable MCAT videos, tips, tricks, guides, cheat-sheets
and more on my website at http://leah4sci.com/mcat. The topics and advice I
publish will directly reflect questions I receive from students, so if you have any
questions dont hesitate to contact me via http://leah4sci.com/contact/.

Good Luck!

(c) leah4sci.com 2015

CONTENTS 33

TUTORING

Sometime studying on your own is not enough. What if you dont

understand the information, get stuck on a concept, or get lost on the
explanation to a practice question? This is where you need to enlist help to
ensure you remain on the right track and keep moving forward to your goals.

I offer private online tutoring and will be happy to help you prepare for your
upcoming exam, including setting up a personal MCAT exam strategy, working
through your content and understanding foundation, and helping you with
difficult concepts that come up in your study material and practice MCATs.

Additional details/information can be found on my website at

http://leah4sci.com/mcat-tutoring-sessions. You can contact me directly to set
up a session at http://leah4sci.com/contact.

(c) leah4sci.com 2015

CONTENTS 34

ABOUT THE AUTHOR

Leah Fisch has always been fascinated by science and has

nurtured a lifelong desire to understand how things work or what makes
them tick. While other kids were watching Barney & Friends or Clifford,
The Big Red Dog on television, Leah was watching The Magic School Bus
and learning about the inside of the human body. Yes, you could call her a
geek. She used to 'borrow' her siblings science books and lock herself in
the bathroom to read undisturbed.

At 15 she learned first aid in a lifeguard certification class. That

experience opened her eyes to medicine and the fascination grew from
there. She watched movies like Saving Private Ryan and shows like Xena
Warrior Princess that invoked a sense of adventure, an interest in the
military and an overall goal of doing military emergency field medicine.

During college Leah joined the U.S. Navy Reserves and served with the Maritime Expeditionary
Security Forces while working on her pre-med dual degree in biology and chemistry. She has served in
both Iraq and Kuwait in support of Operation Iraqi Freedom and Operation Enduring Freedom and has
actively participated in other adventures such as port security at fleet week, border patrol missions and
training the Panamanian military/police in security.

To further satisfy her passion for science and to help enlighten others, Leah has been tutoring
high school and college students in general and organic chemistry and other sciences for nearly a decade
through her now full-time tutoring business Leah4sci.com. Leahs students love her informal, down to
earth teaching style with simple explanations delivered on their level and a wonderful sense of humor.
They are grateful to be able to actually enjoy the learning process rather than memorize the material.

Leah currently lives in New York with family and a cute pet bunny. She enjoys sculpting magical creatures
in polymer clay, swimming, bike-riding and rising through the belt ranks in Shotokan karate and Kobud.

(c) leah4sci.com 2015

CONTENTS 35

LINKS AND RESOURCES

Leahs Website: http://leah4sci.com

Tutoring with Leah: http://leah4sci.com/mcat-tutor

Leahs MCAT YouTube channel: http://youtube.com/Leah4SciMCAT

Leah4sci on Facebook: http://facebook.com/mcatexamstrategy

Leah4sci on Twitter: http://twitter.com/leah4sci

Be sure to visit the links above to subscribe to my YouTube channel and say hello
on Facebook and Twitter

Copyright Leah4sci.com

All Rights Reserved

(c) leah4sci.com 2015