The Ultimate MCAT Strategy Session with Dr. Jasmine Weiss

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Unlock the secrets to conquering the MCAT as Dr. Jasmine Weiss guides you through the pitfalls to avoid on your path to medical school. Prepare to elevate your test prep game beyond what you thought possible, because Dr. Weiss doesn't just share tips—she transforms the way you approach studying. This episode of the B-MED Connect podcast is an essential listen for any aspiring medical professional, packed with strategies and insights that promise to morph potential stumbling blocks into stepping stones for success.

Please tune in for an enlightening conversation with Dr. Weiss, where she lays out the top three blunders students make while prepping for the MCAT and how to sidestep them with finesse. From the dangers of underestimating the exam to the necessity of a tailored study plan and the power of daily practice questions, Dr. Weiss has your back. She even throws in a bonus tip about the critical role of full-length practice exams and shares resources like Khan Academy, where you can find these tools for free. It's not just about studying harder; it's about studying smarter, and this episode is your key to doing just that.

Episode Transcript

Speaker 1 (00:00):
Hey you, yes you Are you taking the MCAT soon.
Well, let me help you out andgive you three mistakes that
people commonly make so youdon't make those mistakes when
preparing for the MCAT.
Let's jump right into theepisode.
Welcome back to theBlackMadeConnect podcast.

(00:33):
I'm your host, dr Jasmine Weiss, and here on the Be man podcast
we share inspiring stories ofBlack physicians and physicians
in training, and today we'regoing to talk about three
mistakes I want to help youavoid while you're preparing for
the MCAT.
Number one I want you to makesure you don't wing it.
That's right.
I know everybody has taken atest where they may have studied

(00:55):
a little bit less than theyreally wanted to.
Well, the MCAT is not the testwhere you do that.
The MCAT is the test where youactually take the time to take a
few months actually to preparefor the exam, so you make sure
you ace it on that first try.
So the first mistake to avoidis winging it and just going to
take the test like it's aregular exam.

(01:16):
So how do you do that?
The second mistake people makeis not having a study plan when
they're actually preparing forthe test.
This test, again, is like noother test you've ever taken.
There are portions of the examthat you need to make sure you
set aside time for, and it maytake weeks at a time to make
sure you review all of thesubject matter.
The way to make sure you createa study plan is to first take a

(01:41):
practice test.
That's right.
Take a full practice exam atthe beginning of your months
where you're going to study.
Why is this important?
It's important to take apractice test early so you can
identify your strengths and yourweaknesses.
If you know the things that youare not strong in, you can take
the most time to prepare forthat section of the MCAT.

(02:02):
That's the second mistake toavoid not having a plan, not
taking a practice test early sothat you can create your plan as
you proceed and get closer toyour MCAT date.
The third mistake to avoid isnot doing enough practice
questions.
This is a huge part of takingthe MCAT.

(02:24):
Again, most times when you'rein your classes, you can do the
homework assignments.
Potentially, you can read thechapters that you need to read
for your class and then you cango take the test.
The MCAT is not like that.
I want you to do practicequestions every single day.
Let me repeat that At least oneor two practice questions every

(02:45):
single day in the monthsleading up to your exam.
This test is much longer thanany other test you've ever taken
.
It's not one hours, it's nottwo hours, it's a full half-day
exam.
So you have to get into thehabit of doing practice
questions that correlate withthe subjects that you are
practicing for.
So that is the third mistake toavoid not doing enough practice

(03:09):
questions.
Now I want to give you a fourthbonus mistake that a lot of
people make they never sit downto do a full-length exam.
Like I just said, this exam islonger than any other test
you've ever taken, and if youdon't build up your stamina, if
you don't practice the sectionswith the appropriate time limits

(03:30):
that they have, then you willpotentially rush through the
exam or, on the other side tothat, you may think you have
more time on each section thanyou truly do and then run out of
time for each section.
So I want you to make sure thatyou sit down, whether that be
on a weekend or a day where youdon't have classes, and I want
you to take multiple full-lengthexams.

(03:52):
So a few key resources whereyou can get free full-length
tests include the Association ofAmerican Medical Colleges or
the double AMC.
They have a free full-lengthtest that you can take.
A few other resources includeKaplan and Princeton Review.
They also have free MCAT teststhat you can take.
Another great resource whenstudying for the MCAT that has

(04:16):
tons of free videos and practicequestions is Khanacademycom.
So be sure you check out thatfree resource to help you as you
prepare for your MCAT exam.
We just explored three commonmistakes that people make when
preparing for the MCAT.
Number one some people justthink they can go straight into
the exam without actually takingtime to prepare.

(04:37):
The second mistake is notactually creating a study plan,
not starting off your study timewith a practice exam to make
sure you're setting aside timeto really attack your weaknesses
and take lots and lots ofpractice questions related to
those weaknesses.
And the third thing that peoplecommonly do is not actually

(04:58):
take a full-length exam beforepreparing to actually take the
real test.
And I want to rephrase thatit's not one full-length exam.
You need to make sure you takeat least three or four exams to
be sure that your test score isincreasing over the months
leading up to the MCAT.
One thing I want you toremember is you can retake this

(05:19):
test more than one time.
So you want to make sure youreally lean in that first time
you're taking the exam to getthe best score possible.
But do not get discouraged.
If it's not the score you want,you can always take the test
again.
But to do that, you cannot waitto the last MCAT date to take
your test.
So be sure to take the testearly in the spring and summer

(05:42):
so you can get that score backand decide if you need to take
it again before your applicationis due.
And Be man is a huge resourcefor you too.
We're so excited because the Beman app is launching very soon,
in the coming month.
So I want you to remember onthis app you'll be able to join
other people just like you whoare studying for the MCAT.

(06:04):
You'll be able to add them asfriends and ultimately create
groups around studying for theMCAT.
If you want to join that MCATstudy group in the Be man app,
be sure to sign up for thewaitlist today.
We hope you enjoyed this episode.
We do this because we want tomake sure we give you all the
tools and resources you need tobe successful as you go to apply

(06:26):
for medical school.
So if you want to stayconnected with us and you want
to build your community as yougo along this journey, then I
want you to like, comment andsubscribe to BlackMed Connect
and share this with a friend ifthey're studying for the MCAT
too, to make sure they get allthe tips and tricks to be
successful along their journeyto prepare for the MCAT.

(06:48):
Until next time, alwaysremember to drink without limits
.