You can do almost anything with your smart phone these days. You can video call a friend in China, order pizza with the click of a button, and even see in the dark! So, if your smart phone can help you do these and an almost infinitely large number of other things, then why can’t you use it to study for the MCAT? In this article, I am going to show you that you not only can, but should use your smart phone to study for the MCAT. Here are 5 ways that you can start using your iPhone to study for the MCAT right now:
- Watch Videos. Although many students choose to utilize bulky textbook-sized study materials in their effort to get a top MCAT score, these massive books can be incredibly inconvenient for on-the-go studying. And let’s face it, you are an incredibly busy student who is trying to get A’s in your pre-med classes, shadow doctors, get service hours, and watch silly cat videos on Facebook all while trying to fit in studying for the MCAT. For this reason, videos are a great option for a while-you-walk, while-you-ride-the-bus, or even a while-you-sit-on-the-john study tool. My top-recommended YouTube Channels are Khan Academy, AK Lectures, Crash Course, and Udacity. And if you are looking for a structured, step-by-step format to watch these in, I combined the best of these videos into easy-to-digest YouTube playlists that match up with MCAT content categories.
- Study Flashcards. As many students studying for the MCAT understand, the MCAT covers a vast amount of material. So much so that your typical pen and paper note-taking style will be insufficient. You will need a systematic system of review that allows you to test yourself regularly on what you have been learning, and notecards are the perfect way to do this. You can easily download a flashcard app that will allow you to review your flashcards on the go. I would recommend either Anki or Quizlet, both of which have their pros and cons. Anki is a little less sleek but it will automatically remind you when you should review a notecard. With a small upgrade Quizlet will do the same for you, and I am a huge fan of the Quizlet user-interface. It allows you to easily add pictures to your notecards, and Quizlet makes sharing notecards with your friends a breeze. Feel free to utilize my Quizlet sets for free, which will test you on the content covered in the previously mentioned YouTube playlists.
- Practice on Practice Problems. If you were to only study and learn content, you would be ill-prepared for the MCAT. Those who succeed on the MCAT utilize many practice problems. Although I strictly recommend the official practice problems from the AAMC to my private tutoring students, there are a handful of other good options in terms of practice problems that you can do from your smart phone. This article will walk you through 8 different apps that you may want to utilize for this purpose.
- Read a Book. I have met many students who are able to conquer the science sections of the MCAT, yet struggle to handle the Critical Reading and Analysis Section (CARS). In order to feel more confident on this section, I would recommend reading as much as you can. You don’t necessarily need to spend your time reading academic journals and papers. The key is to simply read – read a bunch! Even if Twilight is your cup of tea, go for it! You can download all sorts of books onto your smart phone using the Kindle app or various other book platforms.
- Peruse Online MCAT Forums. There are so many premeds out there just like you that are going through the same things as you. They can be one of your greatest assets as you work through your MCAT prep and medical school applications. For instance, as I was studying for the MCAT, I found great value in this SDN forum where 509+ MCAT scorers share their MCAT score as well as how they studied to achieve it. Along with SDN, Reddit also has a strong and active MCAT forum. Both of these forums can easily be accessed and used from your smart phone, providing you with helpful information as you continue along your premed journey.
There you have it – 5 easy ways to start studying for the MCAT from your smart phone. So, next time you are sitting in line at the grocery store, stuck on the subway, or even sitting on the john, why not pull out your smart phone and start racking up points toward a higher MCAT score. Best of luck studying and feel free to reach out with any questions along the way!
