The MCAT books

Today's post will talk about the books I used to prepare for the MCAT. I will not promote books I have not had, but I will make recommendations based on my knowledge. Please take note of the previous post's suggestions about self-discipline required for the use of books.

1. Kaplan MCAT Premier book

• Kaplan MCAT 2009-2010 Premier Program (Kaplan Mcat Premier Program)
  

This was my master book. I believe you should get a book like this because it will allow you to prepare specifically for the MCAT as apposed to just boost your knowledge say, for a college test. If you read my previous posts, you are aware I am strongly against prep companies' ripoff courses. However, I do believe that they did a pretty good job at gathering info from many sources in one place thus saving you an enormous amount of time. Most importantly, I am convinced that for ~100$ this book (along with the other items below and my study strategy) is superior to an almost 2000$ course.

MCAT Strategies

As an aside to the following information: I have received my MCAT scores a couple of days ago, and I can gladly say that the practice AAMC tests have a strong predicting accuracy.
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Today's post will be mostly about the broad strategies of preparation for the MCAT.

As you probably know, two major components determine whether or not you make the cut for the interview. These are your GPA and your MCAT score. There are books written on how to study efficiently and every university will have an undergraduate advising office that would be more than happy to justify its existence by helping you out with your studying. Today, however, we are going to talk about the other component, the MCAT.

Needless to say, there is no person on earth that would like to re-take this test (except maybe the guys who teach prep courses, so they can claim numerous successes). Let alone the financial toll it will have on you, the psychological damage your neurons will sustain is irreversible. So how can you prepare for this horrendous test?

McGill University - tips and quick facts series

Updated in 2010
Here is the stuff that will get you brownie points with the admission committee:

• Some affiliated teaching hospitals:
  
  
  • McGill University Health Centre (MUHC), representing five teaching hospitals affiliated with McGill:
    
    
    • Montreal Children's Hospital
    • Montreal General Hospital
    • Royal Victoria Hospital
    • Montreal Neurological Hospital and Institute
    • Montreal Chest Institute
  • Sir Mortimer B. Davis - Jewish General Hospital
  • Douglas Institute
  • St. Mary's Hospital Centre

• McGill's unique Simulation Centre

The McGill Medical Simulation Centre is an interprofessional centre of excellence using medical simulation to enhance the skills of health care professionals through education, research, evaluation and innovation, thereby improving patient safety and the quality of care.
The Centre combines training techniques from high-risk professions in aviation and emergency response with the latest medical simulation technologies. Fully integrated into McGill's professional programs, the Centre provides the next generation of doctors, nurses, physiotherapists and occupational therapists with hands-on training in difficult and potentially dangerous procedures without risk to patients. It also promotes the importance of teamwork in health care delivery.
Established health care professionals are also able to take advantage of the Centre for the professional upgrading that will be increasingly required by licensing bodies. (http://www.mcgill.ca/medsimcentre/about/)

• McGill's e-Curriculum

The M.D., C.M. program is committed to making use of electronic media, multimedia learning objects and information technology in learning and teaching. In recognition of the wide variety of learning styles evident in our students, it is considered important to provide as broad a range of educational resources as possible. The Faculty of Medicine at McGill was very fortunate to have received, in 1997, a major donation from the Molson foundation for the development of computer enhanced learning and teaching methodologies. Since then, the faculty has converted major components of the mainstream curriculum to an electronic format, and enhanced the curriculum with multi-media learning objects (e.g. animations, audio and video clips, etc.) to facilitate teaching and learning. (http://curriculum.mmi.mcgill.ca/)

If you want a preview this cool e-stuff, check out this link http://curriculum.mmi.mcgill.ca/viewflash.aspx?path=~/images/ECurriculumDemo-800x600.swf&w=800px&h=600px

• From this year on, McGill will have MMIs (Multiple Mini-Interviews), just like McMaster. There are 9 MMI interviews each lasting 10 minutes total (2 minutes for reading the prompt + 8 minutes for actual situation) and a single traditional type interview that last 10-20 minutes long. The weight of these MMI`s is significant - 80% versus 20% the rest - which means that if you got to that point, you better give it all you can.
• McGill has recently introduced a new category of Mature applicants who have completed an undergraduate degree and have been out of the academic world for at least 3 years. They have slightly different criteria (most notably lower GPA requirements). Read more here: http://www.mcgill.ca/medadmissions/applying/applicant-categories/non-traditional-pathway-quebec
• McGill has rather complete details about their GPA and MCAT (unless you are an international applicant, McGill does NOT, I repeat, DOES NOT require the MCAT) requirements over here: http://www.mcgill.ca/medadmissions/what-are-we-looking/academics-university
• McGill has recently introduced the so-called physicianship program in their curriculum. I would highly recommend you read the following:
• http://www.medicine.mcgill.ca/ugme/curriculum/physicianship_en.htm
• http://www.hopehealing.org/projectphysicianship.asp
• Here is an extra, albeit a bit old, still gives you some useful info that hadn't changed much, like breakdown of the application materials:

Here is some more general info about medical education:

• Medical Schools
• Online PHD programs
• Choosing a Medical School

off-topic ramblings

Photo by Abby Lanes

I had taken the MCAT this past Saturday.

Deep breath. Another one. Yet another one.

"How did you do, friend" - you'd ask me. You will surely be the 100th to do that, as well. It is hard for me to judge my performance on such rare events as the MCAT. I find that my brain retains all questions that puzzled me more, and quickly discards the easier ones I tackled easily. In any case, my mean scores on the practice AAMC tests were 32-35 and so I only can hope to have them closely reflect my actual score.

2 major things I'd like to say to you, my reader:

• I will be back with my university series. Moreover, I hope to finish it before this Christmas.
• I will start a mini-series on the MCAT and unorthodox ways of preparation (and as time [October 7th, to be specific] will show, success).
  

Université de Montréal - tips and quick facts series

A couple of interesting things that might be helpful during your interview:

• Since 1999 to 2006, University of Montreal medical graduates had the highest performance on the Licencure exams of the Canadian Medical Counsil (required to be taken by every graduate before being able to work in Canada). [link]
  
• Hospital affiliation is among the largest in Canada. Here is a partial list:

Centres hospitaliers universitaires (CHU)

• CHUM - Centre hospitalier de l'Université de Montréal
• CHU - Centre hospitalier universitaire Sainte-Justine

Centres affiliés universitaires (CAU)

• Hôpital du Sacré-Coeur de Montréal
• Hôpital Maisonneuve-Rosemont

Instituts universitaires (IU)

• Institut de cardiologie de Montréal
• Institut universitaire de gériatrie de Montréal

Centres hospitaliers affiliés (CHA)

• CSSS Sud-Ouest-Verdun
• Centre hospitalier régional de Trois-Rivières
• CSSS Laval
• CSSS de Chicoutimi
• Hôpital Louis-Hippolyte Lafontaine
• Hôpital Rivière-des-Prairies
• Institut de réadaptation de Montréal
• Institut Philippe-Pinel de Montréal

• APP (Apprentissage par problème) teaching method. Puts emphasis on self-directed learning, problem solving and team work. Students are split into small groups and participate in controlled discussions.
• As of  2008, University of Montreal has picked up the trend and has MMIs (Mini Multiple Interviews). According to their website: 8-10 stations, each with a situation, 2 minutes to read the situation, 8 minutes to perform it, with an actor and an evaluator.
  
• Beautiful Campus in Montreal

NOTE: If you know anything I should add to this list, please contact me through the top right sidebar link. I will be happy to add your advice so everybody else can benefit. Please do not post it in the comments.

Choose your medschools carefully

Choosing which schools you will spend your precious time on is a worthwhile effort if you are to get from point A to point M(edical School X). This will both save you time and increase your chances of success. Unless you print money, I do not see a lot of sense in applying blindly everywhere, just because you can. This strategy can seem fail safe, but in the long term you will realize that you have a brain for a reason, and in most real life situations you cannot go 'all out'. That is where prioritizing comes to play. Priorities are the determining factor when you are wondering about going out on that weekend trip with your buddies instead of learning translational motion equations or the anatomy of the nervous system.

So, let us get started on priorities. To choose schools you will have to have stringent criteria. Here are some of the most obvious ones:

• Tuition. Plain and stupid : can you pay for it if you get in? While, of course my dear mate, what could be easier? Nevertheless, take a calculator (a pen and a paper if you are studying for the MCAT - yes, I am that obsessed) and jot down your annual tuition fees, ancillary fees, equipment fees, possible relocation fees and cost of living. Make sure you double check it with somebody who has an understanding of living on their own. Budgets tend to seem simpler than they are when you are cut loose...
• Do THEY need you? This relates to all the limitations each school can impose. For example, applicants to McMaster Medical School outside the welcoming province of Ontario enjoy a 10% quota of the available places. Will this limit your chances? Hmmm
  This also includes the GPA/MCAT/EC requirements. Make sure you are at least at the threshold in every category. Although in that case your chances might be slim and you would have to have a special achievement to blow the admissions office out of their comfortable leather chairs. In the good sense, that is.

Canada enjoys 17 medical faculties total, which I list below in no special order:

• Memorial University of Newfoundland
• McMaster University
• Dalhousie University
• University of Western Ontario
• Université Laval
• Northern Ontario School of Medicine
• Université de Sherbrooke
• University of Manitoba
  
• Université de Montréal // my tips - here
• University of Saskatchewan
• McGill University // my tips - here
• University of Alberta
• University of Ottawa
• University of Calgary
• Queen's University at Kingston
• University of British Columbia
• University of Toronto

Over the next weeks I will try to get some useful insider info about each and every one of those. Note: This will be info you cannot usually find on the websites listed above.

Planning your timeline

Photo by Joe Lanman

Planning a timeline is not necessary but will make your life much easier if done properly. Rest assured, planning ahead of time for as much as three years requires a lot of insight into the intricacies of the process (which I have briefly outlined in the previous post) and is thus very hard and time consuming.

Like most things tagged high importance in your life, timeline planning requires making mutliple attempts,with subsequent revisions improving. You will see the progress as time goes on . That said, if you do not start, there will be no progress at all.

As a sample, below is a modified timeline Kaplan recommend using:


36-18 months before the start of school (md):

• Take free practice MCATs (Kaplan, Princeton Review, others that came with your study books)
• Gather school info
• Develop a target school list

24-16 months before the start of school (md):

• Register for the MCAT
• Dedicate at least 2 months of studying
• Do the MCAT

20-12 months before the start of school (md):

• Go to your student service, see what resources your university offers with premed applications.
• Set deadlines with referees
• Write your personal statement
• Complete and submit applications
• Investigate financial aid options

12-3 months before the start fo school (md):

• Prepare for interviews
• Visit campuses

Inasmuch as this example could be applied to a real plan, it is obviously limited by lack of details and some important points. Remember, the quality of your planning will be directly proportional to the investment you make in it.

You need to have a plan

Unlike true geniuses, most of us, mortals, have to plan things out when we attempt something as complex as medical school application. That is, of course, if we want to be successful. I cannot overemphasize that you will not get anywhere near a medical faculty unless you have a plan, your dad owns Switzerland or you discovered the cure for AIDS and cancer.

Assuming you are in the same category as me, let me tell you a couple of things about planning for md applications.

First of all, you have to do it early. What do I mean by early? Answer this question: Did you already start planning? A 'no' means you are already late. Seriously, start as soon as you can. I am only stressing this because more time means more opportunities. As you will see yourself, taking advantage of every opportunity you get is a must and will make the difference between you and ... well, most other people who will get rejected. Also, some extracurriculars require time to accomplish, the MCAT requires at least 3 months worth of studying (off academic year) etc. I personally think that the ideal time is the beginning of your first year in university.

Now that you are getting doubts about whether you should have strated earlier, let me talk about a couple of things you need to consider including and elaborating on in your plan (I will go into excruciating detail about each one of them in later posts).

1. Your story. The best example I can give for the visual people is a secret agent's secret identity for a mission. No, I am not living in one of Bourne's movies, but this is probably the best analogy I could come up with. By a story I mean a coherent narrative with logical sequence of your accomplishments. Basically, whatever you do in life (jobs, recreation, volunteering, etc) needs to fit in this story.
2. Choosing schoools. Most of the following points will concentrate on things specific to each school. It will make your life much easier to make a list of schools you want to apply to, and then do the following items of your plan for each school.
   
3. Your CV. This is the nitty-gritty details, the hardcore of your story. You will most likely need to submit some form of CV to most schools.
4. Autobiographical essay. This one is the condensed, written form of your story. Many schools will ask you a question through which you will have to develop your story. Some will simply ask the 'Why' questions.
5. Your references. You will need to provide academic and non-academic references, whether you want it or not, you will have to find a way to distinguish yourself from the 300-800-1200 students in your class to make sure the professor will remember you.
6. Interviews. Med faculties are starting to experiment with the mini-interviews. Are you prepared for them? Can you tell me your weaknessess without looking awkward or making me think you will fail everything you'll start?
7. MCAT. Believe me, you will need preparation for this beast. There is a lot I have to say about this one, since I am taking it this fall (2008). As I mentionned already, you will need a good 2-3 months dedicated specifically to studying for the MCAT.

A good thing would be to make a timeline. Outlining when you are doing what is important for your motivation, execution and, of course, gratification. In the next post, I will give the example Kaplan uses for the timeline planification.