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Hi, pre-meds!

As promised, here is part 2 of yesterday's Q&A post with the answer from our MCAT expert Rohit Gupta, MD.

Question:

What is something you wish you knew when you began studying for the MCAT?

Answer:

"That was a great answer, Lily. I'll echo that and say that Student Doctor Network is also
not always a helpful resource, so don't spend too much time on that website. I think the best
piece of advice I like to give my students is to change their mindset to think like a test maker
instead of a test taker. That's where you really shift to become an MCAT master. The AAMC,
the people who make the MCAT, are not only testing your content knowledge but also your
critical reasoning, how well you handle stress, and how well you strategize for this 7- to 8-hour
exam. By shifting your mentality to think like the AAMC, you'll be able to break down each
question and figure out why each answer choice is there or why they included certain
information in the passage. For example, during my sessions, I like to walk through passages in our initial sessions and talk specifically about each paragraph and figure, and discuss whether a question is likely to be asked about that figure. A mistake many students make is spending too much time reading the passage or analyzing figures, then getting to the questions and realizing they didn't even ask a question about a figure they spent a lot of time on. So, if you're able to change your mentality to that test maker mentality, you can really take your test-taking to the next level, and that's something I like to emphasize when I tutor.”

-Rohit Gupta, MD

Drop your questions and comments in the chat below! We would love to answer them and even include them in future AMA's!

Hi Ae-Ri! Thank you so much for your thoughtful answer. As I have worked through the content refresher and begun the application phase of this course it does seem like it would be beneficial to have greater background knowledge. As briefly mentioned I have taken AP Psych, AP Biology, AP Chem and Physics 12. Surprisingly, these have served me well as I have gone through the first phase of this course but there are definitely gaps, such as organic chemistry. I am considering doing the org chem course on khan academy and brushing up on my background knowledge before starting again on this Kaplan course. Do you think that's a viable option? Curious to know what people have done in my scenario. Thank you so much!