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Consultation FAQs

Common questions about getting started with Dr. Donnelly

What actually happens on the call

Every consultation begins with Dr. Donnelly listening. He will ask about your current MCAT score or most recent AAMC diagnostic, the score you need to be competitive for your target medical schools, and the timeline you have before your planned test date. From there, he works through a short set of diagnostic questions designed to expose the real reason your score has not improved. Most students are surprised to learn that the thing holding them back is almost never what they thought it was.

Questions Dr. Donnelly asks to diagnose your score gaps

Expect questions such as: Which section-by-section scores have stalled, and for how many practice tests in a row? How much time are you spending on content review versus practice questions? Are you reviewing wrong answers in writing, or just reading the explanation and moving on? What does your CARS approach look like on long-humanities passages versus philosophy passages? What is your timing like on the last ten questions of each section? These questions quickly reveal whether your issue is content, reasoning, timing, endurance, or anxiety. Only then is a study plan meaningful.

Concerns we address — students and parents

Students most often worry about two things: whether a significant improvement is realistic in the time they have left, and whether tutoring is worth the investment compared to self-study or a large prep-course bootcamp. Parents tend to ask about safety, accountability, and fit — how the sessions are structured, what homework looks like, and how progress is measured session to session. Dr. Donnelly answers all of these directly, with specific examples from the 500+ students he has tutored from his Sorrento Valley office and online nationwide.

Typical MCAT preparation timeline

For most students, three to six months of focused preparation is ideal. Three months is the minimum realistic window for a student with a strong science background who can commit 25 to 35 hours a week. Four to five months suits students balancing a heavy course load, research, or clinical hours. Six months is the right choice for students aiming for a 515+ composite from a starting diagnostic in the low 500s, or for those whose CARS needs deep, structural retraining. During the consultation Dr. Donnelly will tell you honestly whether your desired test date is realistic or whether pushing it back by one administration will produce a significantly better outcome for your medical school application.

What to have ready before your call

To make the 30 minutes as useful as possible, please have three pieces of information at hand: (1) your most recent full-length practice test scores, ideally AAMC FL1 through FL4 if you have taken them, broken down by section; (2) your intended MCAT test date or the window you are considering; and (3) a short note on your pre-med coursework status, especially biochemistry, which is the single most tested content area on the exam. If you do not have practice test scores yet, that is fine — Dr. Donnelly will walk you through which diagnostic to take first.

Response time and communication

Every enquiry submitted through the form on this page is read personally by Dr. Donnelly, not by an assistant or sales team. Messages received during business hours (Monday to Friday, 9:00 AM to 9:00 PM Pacific) typically receive a reply within two to four hours. Evening and weekend messages are answered by the following morning. Once you book a consultation you will receive a calendar invite with a Zoom link or directions to the San Diego office at 5425 Oberlin Drive, Suite 202, depending on your preference. There is no obligation to continue beyond the free call.

After the Consultation

Within 24 hours of your consultation Dr. Donnelly will send you a short written summary of what was discussed: your diagnosed score gaps, the recommended weekly hour commitment, a suggested test date (whether to keep or move your current one), and a transparent quote for the tutoring package that matches your goals. You are free to take as long as you need to decide. Many students choose to begin the following week; others take a full month to finish coursework before starting. Either way, the consultation itself gives you a clearer picture of your MCAT trajectory than most students arrive with after months of self-study. For students unable to schedule a call immediately, Dr. Donnelly also answers questions by email from his San Diego office — simply use the form above and indicate email as your preferred contact method.