[MCAT Success Story] — From 498 To 514 WITH A Busy Schedule!

February 20, 2024

minute read

MCAT Mastery Podcast: Show Notes

About The MCAT Master Interview Series

Welcome to the MCAT Master Interview series!

We’re on an ongoing mission to put together THE formula for achieving a top MCAT score.

We’ve been doing this by gathering the most effective MCAT study strategies from verified top scorers, and then we bring them to you in the form of blog articles, daily emails, YouTube videos, strategy courses, through tutoring sessions and anything else that can help you along on this journey to reach YOUR maximum MCAT score.

We’ve been researching and holding interviews with top MCAT scorers for many years now, until recently we thought "Why not let you all in and give you a seat at the table during these interviews!”.

So, that’s what this series is for ????

We hope by listening to these interviews, you learn proven MCAT study strategies you never thought of, that you can start implementing right away!

And most importantly, we hope you feel an increase in inspiration and motivation because the MCAT journey can be very tough and it can be easy to fall into negative mental cycles...

But as you’ll learn from these success stories, every top scorer had to deal with the struggles, the challenges, and through perseverance, through strategy, through mindset work, they all made it to the top score that was right for them. ???? ???? ????

About Kalei Hering

When Kalei first started studying for the MCAT, she was worried that she wouldn't have enough time to study and was overwhelmed by her busy schedule on top of preparing for the exam. 

All of this culminated in her scoring a 498 on the MCAT at the beginning of her prep, which was definitely not as high as she wanted it to be. 

So going forward from there, she began to focus on developing efficient MCAT study strategies, and was able to raise her score to an astounding 514 MCAT score by her test date!

In this interview, we learn exactly how Kalei studied, how she scheduled her prep, what strategy she used for each MCAT section, and so much more!

"My MCAT journey really shows that MCAT Mastery can give any student the confidence and direction they need to be successful, regardless of their schedule. I am a military member studying at a Service Academy (West Point) therefore my journey was pretty unique. I balanced my MCAT studying with 22 credit hours, an honors research independent study, and my extracurriculars including tutoring, intramural coaching, and club president. I was extremely worried I would not be able to have enough time to study, but MCAT Mastery showed me how to be efficient and effective in my preparation. It was also extremely encouraging to read other stories of students overcoming unique circumstances in their MCAT journey -- it helped give me confidence!" - Kalei Hering

Topics Discussed

  • [1:22] Kalei’s background
  • [2:31] Her score goal and how she planned her study schedule
  • [5:53] Material and resources she used
  • [8:38] Her biggest struggles and how she got through them
  • [12:42] Key pieces of advice to students who are preparing to take the MCAT
  • [13:40] Studying for Psych/Soc
  • [15:09] Bio/Biochem
  • [15:57] Chem/Phys
  • [17:17] CARS
  • [18:58] Her MCAT test date preparation

Memorable Quotes

  • The earlier you start practice questions, the better off you're going to be.
  • Review your practice tests thoroughly, not just going over what you got wrong, but also what you got right.
  • Practice building endurance for the practice exams.

  • Meditation will really help keep your mind centered while taking the test.
  • Take practice exams seriously.

  • If you're taking the MCAT now, don't be discouraged. It may start out rough but it does get better. 

Resources Mentioned

Subscribe and Review

If you enjoy the podcast, would you please consider leaving a short review on Apple Podcasts/iTunes? It takes less than 60 seconds, and it really makes a difference in helping convince more top MCAT scorers to come on the show. We also love reading the reviews!

Join over 11,000 premeds in the MCAT Mastery Community learning how to improve their scores for free at https://medlifemastery.com/freecourse

Learn more about each mentor on The MedLife Mastery Team here.
Work with an MCAT Mastery Mentor: https://medlifemastery.com/mcat-tutors

Kalei's Testimonial for MCAT Mastery Strategies!

"My MCAT journey started out very frustrating. I didn't feel like my scores were reflecting the amount of content I knew. It wasn't until after I found MCAT Mastery that I realized I was studying the wrong way -- studying like you would for an undergraduate course is not an effective MCAT strategy. A huge missing piece for me was the mental component of the MCAT, it's partly a mind game... MCAT Mastery gave me the confidence to reach 510+"

Additional Reading -- MCAT Success Stories:

Your MCAT Success Mentors

About the Author

We're a team of future doctors passionate about giving back and mentoring other future doctors! All mentors on the team are top MCAT scorers and we all are committed to seeing you succeed in achieving your physician dreams ???? To help you achieve your goal MCAT score, we take turns hosting these Live MCAT Courses and are also available for 1:1 private tutoring!

70+ MCAT Strategy Video Lessons + Notes - Free!

The Free Top Scorer MCAT Strategy Video Course

Learn from multiple 515+ scorers on how to:

  • Master MCAT content quickly and for the long-term
  • Breakdown MCAT questions and identify correct answers
  • Plan your MCAT prep schedule to ensure you stay committed
  • Take and review practice exams in the most strategic way
  • Cultivate the right MCAT success mindset
  • Know how to study as a retaker to ensure this is the last MCAT prep
  • And much more!

Trusted by 2,800+ students since 2019

200+ 5  ⭐️ reviews on TrustPilot

>
Success message!
Warning message!
Error message!