I love Khan Academy!
The most "pro-MCAT prep" argument for Khan Academy is that Sal often uses example problems that don't require a calculator. The problems you work on the MCAT won't require a calculator (at least until 2015--take it before then if you can), and so Sal's problems are more like what you will encounter on the actual test then class exams or textbook practice sets.
The biggest con for Khan is that it is not MCAT-specific. That means you will be spending a lot of time getting information that you do not need. Don't get me wrong, the material covered on the MCAT is pretty darn vast. You willneed a broad exposure, but Khan Academy may not be the best place to get it if you are short on time. If you do have the time to watch the series on chemistry, organic chemistry, and biology videos, then go for it. The reality is, however, most of us don't have that time.
I recommend getting a program that is geared for MCAT prep like ExamKrackers. (I checked their books out for free from my public library.) Work through their books. You will undoubtedly come to a section that maybe isn't written in a way you understand (or that you didn't get the first time through in your prereq class). That is the perfect time to check out what Sal has to offer. By taking this approach, you will focus on much more high-yield material that you are more likely to encounter on the actual exam.
Bottom line: Getting high-yield concepts down pat needs to be your greatest priority. Khan Academy can help you learn the concepts, but it will not identify which concepts are of greatest relevance to the MCAT.
Can you automatically assume that the high yield topics are what is covered in those prep books (i.e. that they don't add in anything extra)? Do you know if there is a way of finding out what the most high-yield items are? I have the prep books but am trying to maximize my time as much as I can (because I only have a relatively short time to study).
ReplyDeleteGreat post, I feel you are very dead-on in your thinking! :)
I have heard that Kaplan (and I never went to one of their courses) tends to have some of the low- to mid-yield stuff. I have heard that Berkley Review tends to focus on the high-yield stuff. I was very please with ExamKrackers and Gold Standard in regards to high-yield content.
DeleteNews Flash: I just read a post regarding a partnership between AAMC and Khan Academy. They WILL be developing MCAT prep resources. However, I am not sure when the content will be available. Khan Academy sponsored a contest this past summer for contributors. I believe they hope to launch a new section of MCAT-specific material by the end of the year.
Great post, really interesting stuff that I had not thought about before. I was just curious about why you recommended taking the old mcat rather than the new one? I only ask because I am a freshman in college right now and our class will definitely be taking the new mcat, but my counselor said that with the ap credits I got, I could do undergrad in three years and take the old mcat? Would you recommend this and could you also talk about the differences between the two mcats and which do you think would be easier?
ReplyDeleteThe current MCAT already has a wide variety of content you need to be comfortable with. In 2015, the subjects will be even more broad. If you need to take it in 2015, you'll adapt and do what you need to do, but the resources you'll have to draw on may not be as useful as the "tried and trued" ones that are in existence for the current test format. I would say that the current one would be easier to prep for as it has more known qualities to control for. Rest assured, both will be hard.
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