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WHAT is "MCATbyJames"?
 

MCATbyJames isn’t just another prep course. It is a training ground for critical thinking.

Unlike traditional test prep that recycles theory-heavy lectures, this program mirrors the real MCAT by prioritizing passage application and reasoning skills over memorization.

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Active recall makes knowledge stick, but practice and simulation are what make it permanent. Students do not just watch, they engage directly with step-by-step guided passage breakdowns. This allows them to internalize theory, apply it under pressure, and recall it with confidence.

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What sets James apart is his dual role as instructor and coach. A perfect 528 scorer and former medical student, James has reproduced elite results in his students year after year. His students consistently average between 520 and 525 on AAMC diagnostic exams, with real MCAT scores typically falling within plus or minus two points. By the end of the program, the typical student completes more than 20 full-length practice exams with measurable improvement in pacing and accuracy.

 

The methodology is rooted in a 70 to 30 ratio of application to theory. Each session blends pre-readings, live passage analysis, and follow-up assignments, all provided at no extra cost. The emphasis is on active thinking, not passive consumption. Students leave each class able to explain concepts in their own words and apply them across a variety of contexts under exam conditions.

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A highlight of the course is James’s proprietary CARS framework called the “ABC’s.” This is not a set of tips or tricks, but a proven lens for understanding passages through thesis, structure, and tone. From the very first class, students discover how accessible a perfect CARS passage can be. By the final month, most can confidently finish passages in eight to nine minutes, even if they began with lower reading speed.

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MCATbyJames is an intensive and results-driven experience. Every student follows a personalized roadmap with weekly goals, monthly progress checks, and daily practice logs. Exposure to increasingly challenging material ensures mastery not only of content knowledge, but also of the exam itself, in the way it was designed to be taken.

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WHO is James?  

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James is a former Canadian medical student with more than eight years of professional teaching experience. After scoring both a 41 on the old MCAT and a perfect 528 on the new exam, he discovered his passion for teaching by guiding peers through the same journey. He was later recruited by several major prep companies as a lead tutor before developing his own curriculum, tailored to produce consistent top-tier results.

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In his academic career, James earned multiple distinctions including the nationally recognized Loran Scholarship, the Principal’s Scholarship, the President’s Award, and the Robert and Bella Martin Award at Queen’s University, where he completed his BSc.H in Life Sciences with a perfect 4.3 GPA. Beyond the sciences, he is a published poet (An Apple Tree), winner of Alberta’s Public Speaking & Advocacy Competition hosted by Burnet, Duckworth & Palmer LLP, and a varsity rowing athlete.

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In synthetic biology, James represented Queen’s University at MIT as the opening speaker at the North American iGEM competition, earning a Bronze medal and recognition from the Kingston Whig and CBC Radio. His team’s research explored innovative solutions to mosquito-borne illnesses by engineering E. coli to convert skin-emitted isovaleric acid into isoamyl acetate through a four-step metabolic pathway. With extensive training in techniques such as mass spectrometry, gel electrophoresis, and chemotaxis assays, James has taught workshops in collaboration with Shad Valley and QSynBio, introducing high school and university students to the principles of molecular biology and synthetic biology design.

 

James is trilingual in English, French, and Korean. In his spare time, he enjoys playing piano and guitar, swimming, and teaching youth with physical and neurological disabilities as a certified Swim Instructor. He is also a certified Personal Training Specialist (PTS). Deeply committed to social impact, James has launched multiple homeless outreach initiatives in Calgary and currently manages a non-profit microfinance organization that supports underrepresented entrepreneurs in developing countries, with a focus on women and minority groups.