From Doubt to Doctor: An Interview with Dr. Sánchez on MCAT Success Stories from Puerto Rico
The path to medical school is rarely a straight line. For pre-med students in Puerto Rico, this path is paved with unique challenges, from navigating a bilingual academic landscape to accessing resources tailored to their specific needs. At the heart of countless success stories overcoming these hurdles is a single name: Dr. Andrés Eugenio Sánchez Pérez, founder of Modern Test Prep and arguably the most experienced MCAT mentor on the island.
Having guided students since the MCAT was first administered in Puerto Rico, Dr. Sánchez possesses an unparalleled understanding of the exam’s evolution and the specific pressures facing local pre-meds. His credentials are not just academic; they are deeply practical. A former lead instructor for Kaplan and a top scorer himself on multiple demanding admissions exams, Dr. Sánchez transitioned from teaching a corporate system to developing his own, more personalized methodology—one designed with the Puerto Rican student in mind.
In this exclusive interview, Dr. Sánchez shares not just data, but the human stories of resilience, strategy, and triumph that define the Modern Test Prep experience.
The Foundation: Understanding the Puerto Rican Pre-Med Psyche
Q: Dr. Sánchez, you’ve worked with students from all over, but what would you say is the defining characteristic of the pre-med student in Puerto Rico?
Dr. Sánchez: “There’s a unique blend of tremendous passion and profound self-doubt. These students are incredibly bright, hardworking, and deeply motivated by a desire to serve their communities. They come from a strong science education system, but they often labor under a misconception that they are at a disadvantage compared to their mainland counterparts. This can create a mental block. Part of our job, before we even dive into content, is to dismantle that myth. We show them that their bilingualism is a strategic asset, their cultural competence is a gift, and with the right guidance, they can not only compete but excel. The success stories we see always begin with this shift in mindset.”
A Case Study in Transformation: María’s Journey
Q: Let’s talk about a specific success story. You mentioned María from Bayamón. Can you tell us more about her journey?
Dr. Sánchez: “María is a perfect example. She was a brilliant student at UPR with a stellar GPA in her science courses. She understood complex biological systems, but the CARS section felt like an insurmountable wall. She was trying to read these dense passages on philosophy, art, and ethics in English—a second language for her—and she was trying to do it through a scientific lens. She was looking for ‘right’ answers in a section designed to test nuance and reasoning. Her initial practice scores were discouraging, and it was shaking her confidence overall.”
Q: How did Modern Test Prep’s approach make the difference for her?
Dr. Sánchez: “It was a multi-pronged strategy. First, we worked on changing her approach to the text. Instead of reading to memorize details, we trained her to read for argument and structure. Who is the author? What is their main point? What evidence are they using? What is the tone? We used strategies from our Book of Fire, which is filled with CARS-style science passages, to teach her to deconstruct a argument logically.
Second, we reframed her bilingualism. We taught her to see her Spanish-language skills as a tool for deeper comprehension. Often, she would quickly translate a complex English word into its Spanish counterpart, which sometimes carried a more intuitive meaning for her. This wasn’t a crutch; it was a cognitive strategy that gave her an edge.
Finally, the 1-on-1 mentorship was crucial. We could review her practice passages line by line. I’d ask, ‘Why did you choose this answer? What in the text supports it?’ This process identified her specific patterns of error. She wasn’t getting questions wrong because of her English; she was getting them wrong because she was bringing in outside assumptions, a common trap. Once she learned to strictly rely on the passage, her score began to climb dramatically.”
Q: And the result?
Dr. Sánchez: “A 12-point overall score increase. But more importantly, the confidence she gained was transformative. She stopped fearing the MCAT and started mastering it. She was accepted to her first-choice medical school and is now well on her way to becoming a phenomenal physician. Her story is a testament to the fact that a perceived weakness can become your greatest strength with the right strategy.”
Beyond CARS: Comprehensive Success Across the Exam
Q: While CARS is a common hurdle, students struggle with different sections. Can you share another story that highlights a different aspect of your program?
Dr. Sánchez: “Certainly. I think of Carlos from Ponce. His challenge was the opposite. He was a natural with CARS and the psychological sciences, but he struggled with the volume and detail of the Biological and Biochemical Foundations. He was trying to memorize everything, and it was a losing battle. He described feeling overwhelmed by the sheer scale of the content.
For Carlos, our structured content plan and active learning resources were the game-changers. We didn’t just tell him to ‘study biochemistry.’ We used our personalized study plan to break down the topics into daily, manageable micro-goals. We integrated our high-yield video library, which used visual mnemonics and animations to turn abstract pathways like glycolysis or the citric acid cycle into memorable stories.
Most importantly, we pushed him from passive reading to active recall. Instead of re-reading notes, he was forced to engage with the material through thousands of practice questions in our system and explain concepts back to me in our sessions. This process solidifies knowledge far more effectively. He went from feeling overwhelmed to feeling in complete command of the material. He achieved a 98th percentile score in the Bio/Biochem section, which was the key to his outstanding overall score and his acceptance into a highly competitive MD-PhD program.”
The System Behind the Stories: More Than Just Tutoring
Q: These stories are inspiring. What is the common thread in your proven system that leads to these outcomes?
Dr. Sánchez: “The common thread is personalization. We are not selling a generic product. We are providing a professional service that is tailored to the individual. It’s a system built on three pillars:
- Diagnostic Precision: We don’t guess. We use advanced diagnostics to identify not just what a student got wrong, but why they got it wrong. Is it a content gap? A reasoning error? A timing issue? We find the root cause.
- Strategic Adaptation: We adapt the entire learning plan to the student. For María, it was CARS strategy. For Carlos, it was content mastery and active recall. For another student, it might be test anxiety or time management. Our system is flexible enough to target the real problem.
- Mentorship and Accountability: This is the human element. We are coaches, cheerleaders, and sometimes taskmasters. We hold students accountable to their goals and provide the support they need on a difficult journey. We understand the pressure they are under because we’ve been there ourselves.”
A Message to Future Success Stories
Q: What is your final word of advice to the pre-med students in Puerto Rico who are just beginning their MCAT journey?
Dr. Sánchez: “My advice is to believe in yourself. You have the intellect and the drive. Your journey in Puerto Rico has given you a perspective that is valuable and needed in medicine. The MCAT is a challenging exam, but it is a conquerable one. It is a test of strategy and perseverance as much as it is of knowledge. Seek out guidance that understands you, that sees your potential, and that is committed to crafting a plan for your success. Your success story is waiting to be written.”
The stories of María, Carlos, and countless others stand as powerful proof that with the right mentorship, tailored strategies, and a system designed for their unique context, students from Puerto Rico are not just passing the MCAT—they are setting new standards of excellence and paving the way for the next generation of physicians for the island and beyond.
