Thread: Any doctors here?

I spent nine years in the trenches, teaching biology labs at a Big 10 university, and also worked for a couple of years as a test editor on the MCAT. Here's the secret: Learn your biology, learn to read and write well, and always trust your first answer. Be confident that the first thing your memory pushed up was the correct thing.

I taught a few semesters in a course for nonmajors, and it was SO FUN not to have any premeds. My students were truly curious about the anatomy, the physiology, why the small intestine was narrow and long while the large intestine was wide and short. In review sessions they asked questions about biology.

In the majors/premed course, I was tortured by variations of "What's on the test?" Premeds were the worst. Most of them had forgotten what curiosity was, and a grade was their goal, not the knowledge. I'd answer "Well, I suspect there will be a lot of biology on the test. Does anybody have a question about biology?" Roomful of blank faces. If you master the knowledge, you'll earn the grade. If you focus on grades, you'll diminish your ability to build a cumulative body of knowledge. If you value the knowledge over the grade, your instructors will be quite fond of you.

In my opinion, the very best thing that you can do for your MCAT is to quit studying for it at least three days before the actual testing date, chill out, sleep well, then go into the test calm and well-rested and trust your first answer every time.

Best wishes to you.