Sketchy: A Revolutionary Way to Study for Your MCAT
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Originally Posted On: https://blog.sketchy.com/sketchy-a-revolutionary-way-to-study-for-your-mcat
Sketchy is revolutionizing how the world approaches studying for the MCAT exam.
Building off the success of our medical school study program, which is used by students at every medical school in America, our MCAT study prep course is helping students study smarter — not harder — for the MCAT exam.
Student by student, our groundbreaking approach, combining visuals, mnemonics, and the power of storytelling, continues to make an impact.
Our user-friendly platform and scientifically proven applied learning methodologies and approaches make both short-term test prep and long-term knowledge retention more fun, more effective, and more engaging.
Let’s explore the features, benefits, and impact using Sketchy can have for aspiring medical professionals.
Complete MCAT Exam Prep, Reinvented
Our MCAT study plan curriculum includes nine courses that collectively cover all sections of the MCAT exam:
- Biochemistry
- Cell Biology
- Systems Biology
- General Chemistry
- Organic Chemistry
- Physics
- Psychology and Sociology
- Science Strategy
- CARS strategy (Critical Analysis & Reasoning Skills)
Wait a minute, you might be thinking… aren’t all good MCAT programs comprehensive and focused on test prep? Well, yes. But, we offer one of the best MCAT study resources available because our program is both comprehensive and innovative.
We’ve also tailored our program to meet student needs and student feedback. For instance, the CARS MCAT section is one where students consistently score the lowest. Students also commonly struggle with data and research design. That’s why we’ve included strategy course sections for CARS and science, respectively.
We not only teach students what they need to know. We teach a framework to better understand it, too.
Content subject matter and courses aside, it’s how Sketchy prepares students (and how we deliver the content) that makes it arguably the best way to study for the MCAT.
In other words, it all comes down to how we apply cutting-edge learning research and methods to provide a more engaging, more effective, and more fun study experience.
What’s more, Sketchy’s unique approach doesn’t just help students get ready for test day. It treats students not as future test takers, but rather as the future of the healthcare industry.
We’re Making MCAT Prep Fun, Risk-Free, & Accessible
Ask the average med student if they think studying for the MCAT can be fun and they’ll probably roll their eyes. Rote memorization is boring, after all, isn’t it? We invite students to imagine if it wasn’t. More on that below…
We Offer 7 Days of Free Test Prep Access
We provide anyone who doubts our ability to make preparing for the MCAT fun with 7 free days of course access, plus easy monthly payment plans and a fee structure that amounts to as little as $3 a day. That’s less than the average hot lunch.
We also offer a unique MCAT score guarantee. With the Sketchy MCAT Score Guarantee, if you meet the terms listed, you’ll be refunded your purchase price (less the cost of the AAMC Online Only resource pack).*
The takeaway? We believe in our solutions, and we’re confident that once students try them, they will know what we do. They’ll realize that studying for the MCAT, done our way, is easier, more effective AND more fun.
We’re Getting Rave Reviews from Students
Here’s what some of our past students are already saying about their experience with Sketchy:
“More fun and engaging. I remember a lot faster!” — My Nguyen, went from 487 to 505 after using Sketchy
“It’s like some kind of magic! They really make the knowledge stick in your brain.” – Moushumi Sahu, went from 511 to 523 after using Sketchy
“Worked better than anything I’ve done to increase my score.” – Sophie Fertel, went from 502 to 517 after using Sketchy
Not Just Another Test Prep Program, A New Way to Study
Memorization and test prep can be tricky. So, in thinking about the best way to prepare students for the MCAT exam, we considered not just what students would need to know for the exam (content) or how to master the exam format (strategy), but also what new and innovative ways to learn and study we could implement.
That’s because Sketchy was founded by med school students, for med school students.
In 2013, four medical students began creating sketched stories to help them memorize complicated viruses. Since then, Sketchy has applied the same visual learning techniques to a variety of subjects, and become a premiere learning destination for students around the world.
We Take a Holistic Approach to Helping You Study
Since our inception, we have been not only outcome driven (helping students improve their MCAT scores) but also empowerment driven (how can we make students’ overall med school experience better and easier?).
We’ve Found a Way to Improve Existing Learning Methods
Our program is research-backed and evidence-based, combining new and old learning techniques like the Method of Loci and elaborative encoding. Then, we apply them in innovative new ways to produce something completely revolutionary (not to mention highly effective).
We Take an Innovative & Integrative Approach to MCAT Prep
The Sketchy Method utilizes visual mnemonics and animated scenes along with spaced repetition and the power of narrative. These features help students save time, increase their retention, and improve recall speed.
Sketchy’s MCAT study plan is different from any other currently on the market, because it was designed from the ground up to work for all types of learners:
While not everyone is a visual learner, our innovative and integrative visual learning approach integrates elaborative encoding along with images and stories.
In this way, Sketchy uses visuals to set a scene, on top of which we create a story, or narrative. We then link the scene and the story with the image, and link the new information to all of the above using mnemonic devices and other methods. This ensures that all types of learners benefit from our study program.
This is very different from other programs, which use simple mnemonics or take a piecemeal approach. Those options offer many different solutions. But they don’t put them together into a cohesive, seamless, and comprehensive MCAT study program.
We Offer Flexible Study Programs to Fit Your Schedule
Each of our nine course modules and the respective individual lessons within them are designed so that you can study at your own pace, as it fits in with the demands of your busy schedule. Sketchy lets you work when you’re most productive and comfortable, whether you’re an early riser, a night owl, or none of the above!
You can pick up where you left off whenever it’s convenient for you. We’ll be waiting for you!
We Provide Quizzes & MCAT Practice Test Access
We’ve partnered with the Association of American Medical Colleges (AAMC) — the administrators of the MCAT exam — to provide students with access to MCAT practice exams. These not only provide exposure to what exam day will be like, thereby increasing confidence during test day, but also familiarize students with the format of the exam.
We also offer routine quizzes after learning modules that are separate from our practice exams. These quizzes test and enhance knowledge retention along the learning journey, ensuring that no “Swiss cheese learning holes” develop.
In other words, our tests help prep students for taking the MCAT and test knowledge after studying. Our quizzes help students reflect on course content while learning, reinforcing and solidifying material and promoting a firmer knowledge foundation.
We Help Students Build Knowledge Brick by Brick
Think of learning MCAT course content like building a house with bricks:
- Quizzes are like the cement or grout that allow each brick to “set” into place.
- Practice exams are like a home inspection that ensures everything is as it should be after the fact, or uncover if certain areas need more cement.
- Course content is the clay that must be compacted and baked into bricks.
- Our unique approach to teaching MCAT topics is like the artful hands of a master builder or designer, ensuring that the bricks are arranged in the most structurally sound and efficient way possible.
Sketchy x Blueprint: Even-More-Individualized Learning
No two students are alike. Here at Sketchy, we understand what that means in practice.
That’s why we’re excited to have partnered with Blueprint Test Prep to help students diagnose their individual learning strengths and weaknesses to help them be as efficient and focused as possible when creating an MCAT study plan.
We offer three unique Sketchy x Blueprint MCAT bundles. Here’s what all bundles include:
- 375+ Sketchy MCAT videos covering high-yield topics
- 935+ Sketchy quiz questions to test your knowledge
- 375+ Sketchy illustrated review cards
- Blueprint full-length practice exams with 5 attempts per exam
- Blueprint customizable study planner tool
- Blueprint Analytics report access to target weakness areas
- 1,600+ mobile-friendly Blueprint MCAT flashcards
These in-depth bundles are ideal for students who:
- Have already done some content review but need a plan to target weak areas
- Have hit a score plateau
- Need a quick way to level up close to test day
Like You, We’re Always Learning & Growing!
Here at Sketchy, we believe in progress, not perfection.
Does that sound counterintuitive for a test prep solution? Make no mistake: you can use our approach to get a perfect score on your MCAT exam. But we’re also a different kind of test prep org.
Like we’ve said already, we are not just outcome oriented. We’re here to help increase your quality of life while studying (because we know how med school can get — we’ve been there) while also helping you study more effectively.
The bottom line is that as a program developed by and for aspiring medical professionals, we are passionate about providing the best overall learning experience possible and adding the most value.
To that end, we’re always revisiting and reevaluating our approach to teaching. That not only applies to our MCAT program, but to all of our learning tracks. We update our course content on a rolling basis to reflect the latest medical data, industry trends, MCAT test prep format, and anything else applicable.
Ready to experience Sketchy today? Check out our MCAT study program here.
MCAT Test Prep Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)
Is Sketchy Compatible With All Learning Styles?
Yes; we have made a conscious effort to cater our teaching approach to meet the learning styles of all students and learners. The beauty of our unique approach is how it weaves together new and old learning methodologies to produce an entirely new learning experience that’s easier, more effective, and more fun.
How Do I Access Sketchy Course Content?
Sketchy.com or the Sketchy mobile app.
What Sets Sketchy Apart from Other MCAT Prep Programs?
Our unique integrative and innovative approach that combines visual learning, interactive content, and personalized learning paths sets us apart.
How Long Should You Study for the MCAT?
People often ask questions such as “Is 2.5 months enough for MCAT?” or “Is 3 months good for MCAT studying?”. While we have developed time-oriented study resources to help students prepare for the MCAT, like our 3-month MCAT study schedule, and our 60-day MCAT study program, we highly recommend devoting at least 200-300 hours to studying for the MCAT.
To give you a better idea of what 300 hours looks like, if you study for 300 hours at 2 hours a day, that’s 150 total days of studying. If you study every day of the week, that’s 21 weeks of studying. With the average month having 4 weeks, that’s roughly a 5-month timespan. We recommend starting your study program around 6 months or more before test day.
Is the MCAT Exam Hard?
Each individual student has their own perception of what is “difficult”. But Ilana Kowarski notes for U.S. News & World Report Education, “The duration, scope and rigor of the MCAT make it difficult even for academic overachievers.”
Our hot take? Yes, the MCAT is a challenging exam. That’s why MCAT test preparation is important.