Keep these in mind if you're testing in Jan or March
Sharing my full resource breakdown from my 3-month study period and ended up with a 521. hopefully useful for anyone planning a Jan or March test date.
the content:
I used Kaplan books for content review. Blueprint/Next Step FLs are disproportionately difficult, so don't get discouraged if your numbers are low on them. Blueprint was fantastic for keeping me fighting even when I knew I was screwed. never give up, because no MCAT section is done until it's done. I took the AAMC FLs as full 7-hour exams.
for practice problems, I used UPlanet. it's an incredible resource and a huge part of how I survived the exam. their solutions will do just as much content review as Kaplan books. aim to do all your practice blocks timed and without solutions. I did 2-3 CARS passages every single day from UPlanet or Jack Westin. Westin is good for timing, but UPlanet is what really got me thinking how the CARS section wants you to think.
I keep seeing people post about having everything down but CARS. in some ways, CARS is the easiest to fix, but you have to realize what they're looking for. every other section expects you to bring outside knowledge. for CARS, you have to completely retool your brain. focus exclusively on what's in that passage. use only the evidence there to develop answers. once you get that, all you have to do is get good at finding the evidence you need. the only "trick" I had, which I can't recommend enough, is to read all the questions for a passage before reading the passage itself. it'll give you a heads up on what they'll be asking, and you'll read more efficiently for the specific questions.
I also used the Miledown Anki deck, but only for P/S. that deck saved me. I've never been a flashcard person but the P/S info just wasn't sticking from Kaplan. I did the maximum number of cards each day for the month before the exam. start it as early as possible. there are other decks at the sidebar of r/AnkiMCAT but I can't speak to any of them.
on the AAMC material: I think the flashcards and q packs are much less beneficial. the section banks are solid, especially for C/P and B/B. my biggest issue with the AAMC stuff was the layout; it's nothing like the real exam, so just do the problems as problems, don't use it as test simulation.
we all succeed together, medicine is a team sport.