New MCAT Study Resources Released
The Student Doctor Network has shared a free 100-Day MCAT Study Plan that covers all exam sections and includes thousands of practice questions and four full-length exams. In a separate event, the AAMC hosted a live session on evidence-based prep techniques like active learning, with a recording now available for students.
The AAMC's evidence-based learning strategies emphasize active recall and spaced repetition, methods shown to improve long-term retention over passive review. Studies indicate that testing yourself, such as with flashcards or short-answer questions, strengthens memory retrieval pathways, which is crucial for the MCAT's application-based format. The full MCAT exam is 7.5 hours long and consists of 230 questions across four sections: Chemical and Physical Foundations of Biological Systems; Critical Analysis and Reasoning Skills (CARS); Biological and Biochemical Foundations of Living Systems; and Psychological, Social, and Biological Foundations of Behavior. Each section is scored from 118 to 132, with a total possible score of 528. The average score for all MCAT test-takers is around 501, but the average for students accepted into allopathic (MD) medical schools is approximately 512. A score of 515 or higher is generally considered competitive for top-tier medical schools, placing an applicant in the 91st percentile. The Chemical/Physical section is roughly 30% general chemistry, 25% biochemistry, 25% physics, and 15% organic chemistry. The CARS section, unlike the science sections, tests reading comprehension and reasoning skills using passages from humanities and social sciences. The Biochemistry section also integrates concepts from introductory biology and both general and organic chemistry. For a Winter/Spring 2028 test date, a 12-month study plan would ideally begin in early 2027, with the initial 3-6 months focused on comprehensive content review before transitioning to heavy practice with question banks. Most students dedicate between 300 and 500 hours to MCAT preparation. The final month should be reserved for full-length practice exams to build endurance and simulate test-day conditions. Beyond the official AAMC materials, which include thousands of practice questions, question banks from UWorld are frequently recommended by high-scoring students for additional, often more challenging, practice. Kaplan and The Princeton Review also offer extensive question banks and full-length practice tests. Harvard offers numerous avenues for pre-meds to gain clinical and research experience, including the Summer Honors Undergraduate Research Program (SHURP) at the medical school and various programs at affiliated hospitals like Mass General Brigham. Student organizations such as the Harvard Premedical Society also facilitate shadowing opportunities and physician mentoring programs. Highly competitive medical specialties often include dermatology, neurosurgery, and plastic surgery, characterized by high demand for limited residency positions and often a better work-life balance. Fields like general surgery and interventional radiology are also considered highly competitive.
