As a nontraditional student, what advice do you have for other nontrads who are preparing for the MCAT?
There are no special preparation methods for nontrads that are different than what the younger students need to do. Nontrads have some disadvantages in that they have often been out of school for a while, and they have to get back into study mode to prepare for the MCAT. But the process is pretty much the same for us as for the trads; first take the four pre-reqs, take 2-3 months to study, take plenty of practice tests, etc. I think that sometimes nontrads tend to want to rush through the process; they feel like they have to make up for lost time since they are older. But I look at it this way: you aren’t going to be 22 as an M1 no matter what you do. It’s better to take an extra year to do things right the first time and not have a poor first MCAT score to overcome along with other potential deficiencies in your academic record. I was 31 when I started medical school, and I’m far from being the oldest medical student on SDN. 16. When do you think is the best time to take the MCAT? You
