Two More Essential Tips to Master the MCAT 

Number 3:  Do MCAT Practice Questions 

This may seem like an obvious one but just to spell it out for you, if you do not do practice questions, you will have a lower MCAT average score. 

What is beneficial about these testing guides is they often have a comprehensive overview explaining why the correct answer was chosen while explaining incorrect material as well. This helps to reinforce the material that you have already studied and clarify some of the finer points that may not be as evident on reviewing the text.  Often times, exam writers will target the exceptions to the rules and it is important to not overlook those details while studying.  

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Another benefit of doing practice questions is you have an early glimpse of what style to expect when writing your test.  The most important thing to remember on Test Day is you will not know all of the information!!!  

It could be concepts in Organic Chemistry you have never heard of or diseases that may have appeared once in a textbook during Medical School. This may seem strange but in reality, you are presented with a lot of scenarios on a daily basis in the hospital where you have to think on your feet and solve riddles that you have never heard of before.  These questions are just earlier teasers of what real medicine is going to be like.  If you don't do practice questions, this may unnerve you during the actual test and diminish your performance.  

Number 4:  Study Material with a Partner 

This is a great way to help study for the MCAT and is a useful therapeutic tool to have during your endeavor.  You may think that studying with someone else could lead to falling into conversations and interrupting your study flow.  If that does happen, switch partners but do not try to do this alone.  

You are going to get frustrated along the way, question if it is worth all the effort and stress you are putting yourself through, and do practice tests where you score less than 50% correctly.  That is all part of the process. It is paramount to have someone on your side going through the same thing in order to make sure you stay focused and push you through the adversity. 

If you are the type of person that views everyone else as competition and trying to get into the same schools as you are, you are going to have a very rough path in this career.  Yes, there is a chance that you and your friend may interview at the same schools but if you choose to prepare alone for this test, you will surrender another valuable tool that you must utilize to be a good doctor. You have to accept that you don't know everything. Someone may be better than you in one field and the most important thing to survive in this field is to be humble enough to ask for help.  This can even apply to studying where you may specialize in Biology but be horrendous in Physics. If your friend is better in that field, he can teach you material to help you learn the concept and vice versa pushing you both into higher MCAT percentiles and more interviews.