MD & DO Retook the MCAT and did worse :( do I still have a shot?

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sGPA 3.4
cGPA 3.6
First MCAT 28R - 9VR, 11PS, 8BS
Recent MCAT I got back today 24R - 9VR, 8PS, 7BS

2.5 years different research, including clinical, benchtop, and field
2 years officer positions
3 years tutoring
1 year scribing full time
3 years on university health advisory board
1 year volunteering once a week at community clinic
1 year teaching sunday school

I don't know what happened I wasn't even averaging close to that. I was shooting for the 30 completely and I just ended up doing worse.

I applied broadly OOS already with MD schools that were near or close to my stats, and I'm a texas resident so I applied to all the Texas schools. That was all submitted before I saw this.

I'll be applying to a lot of DO schools, but my question is do I still even have a shot? MD Schools? DO schools? Will they only consider my most recent score or will they look at both? Average?

I looked at the scores today and was completely crushed.

I think MD is out of question. DO school might have been in reach with your GPA but doing worse on MCAT retake will raise red flags. I think you should not apply until you can raise your score to 26-27 for a shot at DO schools. Don't rush into taking it for the sake of applying. Take your time and then take MCAT

Originally Posted by Saf1

sGPA 3.4
cGPA 3.6
First MCAT 28R - 9VR, 11PS, 8BS
Recent MCAT I got back today 24R - 9VR, 8PS, 7BS

2.5 years different research, including clinical, benchtop, and field
2 years officer positions
3 years tutoring
1 year scribing full time
3 years on university health advisory board
1 year volunteering once a week at community clinic
1 year teaching sunday school

I don't know what happened I wasn't even averaging close to that. I was shooting for the 30 completely and I just ended up doing worse.

I applied broadly OOS already with MD schools that were near or close to my stats, and I'm a texas resident so I applied to all the Texas schools. That was all submitted before I saw this.

I'll be applying to a lot of DO schools, but my question is do I still even have a shot? MD Schools? DO schools? Will they only consider my most recent score or will they look at both? Average?

I looked at the scores today and was completely crushed.

I think a lot of schools take your best effort (as long as its still a valid score, which in Texas is 5 years).

So, while your second MCAT wouldn't get you much love, I think you still have a pretty good shot

Thanks so much for the hope :/

I'm enrolled in a 1 year masters program now. The summer is light but it'll get really intense by like September. The problem with that is that even if I start SN2's study method ASAP I'll be really strapped on time. I'll try my best but they really don't recommend his method with only 2 months of study.

Originally Posted by angldrps

I think MD is out of question. DO school might have been in reach with your GPA but doing worse on MCAT retake will raise red flags. I think you should not apply until you can raise your score to 26-27 for a shot at DO schools. Don't rush into taking it for the sake of applying. Take your time and then take MCAT

I disagree and think youll get into a good amount of DO schools.

i would STRONGLY advise you to call DO schools and ask them if they look at the latest score or the best score.

schools take your best score. don't let sdn neuroticism get to you.

Even at best my MCAT was so-so. I was aiming so much for this one. But you know what, it's about picking myself up not letting it get me down. I'm going to do what I need to to beat this thing.

Originally Posted by qwerty2012

schools take your best score. don't let sdn neuroticism get to you.

Some schools take best score..maybe most. Some take most recent test. Some take the best section from any test. Some take the most recent, which would be the schools for OP to watch out for

Originally Posted by qwerty2012

schools take your best score. don't let sdn neuroticism get to you.

Unless the ADCOM is only able to see the applicants' best MCAT score, I would not believe this to be true even if it were the official policy. A 28 looks better than a 28 followed by a 24 and it will bias people even if the official policy claims that it does not.

That said, OP looks like a good candidate for DO schools. Their mean GPA/sGPA are 3.48/3.36 and the mean MCAT is 26.51. OP is a little above average GPA-wise and a little below average MCAT-wise.

If I decide a retake how should I let schools know? If I put it on my application it'll slow it down so much it won't matter at all since the soonest would be September for the retake which means scores back in October. This time for sure I won't do anything until I'm completely ready so it may even leak to mid September.

Should I just take it, leave it off the app, and whenever the score comes in call each individual school and let them know? Will they reconsider my app even after they've already looked at it? It's like 6 am and I can't sleep. I just want to start studying so bad.

Originally Posted by HalfListic

Some schools take best score..maybe most. Some take most recent test. Some take the best section from any test. Some take the most recent, which would be the schools for OP to watch out for

Not to hijack this thread. But what I NEED to know what schools take best section from any test?

Originally Posted by Saf1

If I decide a retake how should I let schools know? If I put it on my application it'll slow it down so much it won't matter at all since the soonest would be September for the retake which means scores back in October. This time for sure I won't do anything until I'm completely ready so it may even leak to mid September.

Should I just take it, leave it off the app, and whenever the score comes in call each individual school and let them know? Will they reconsider my app even after they've already looked at it? It's like 6 am and I can't sleep. I just want to start studying so bad.

I'm in the same boat. Unsure if I should only apply DO and not stress over retest or retest and hope I'm not too late.

Originally Posted by qwerty2012

Not to hijack this thread. But what I NEED to know what schools take best section from any test?

I read that from a couple of schools. Utah says they take best of each. I think NM does too.

I think you have a good chance at DO schools. I don't think the fact that you went down is a severe red flag. They know you are capable of that 28. They will consider your highest score and look at that breakdown, cept for a few schools that look at most recent. They may ask you what happened at the interview so just be prepared.

Thanks, I was really really set on MD though so I'm hoping so badly that I get some slack there.

Originally Posted by Saf1

Thanks, I was really really set on MD though so I'm hoping so badly that I get some slack there.

Your recent 24 is going to keep you out of most MD schools. Your GPAs are average to below average for MD schools. Yes, you have good ECs but a 28 isn't really going to help your MD chances a lot either. Plus, MD schools are a lot less forgiving than DO schools with retakes...

Thanks for the input. I'll take that into consideration but I'll try my best and go from there.

At this point I'd forget about the MD schools and stick to only DO. You'll get plenty of interviews.

Originally Posted by Saf1

sGPA 3.4
cGPA 3.6
First MCAT 28R - 9VR, 11PS, 8BS
Recent MCAT I got back today 24R - 9VR, 8PS, 7BS

2.5 years different research, including clinical, benchtop, and field
2 years officer positions
3 years tutoring
1 year scribing full time
3 years on university health advisory board
1 year volunteering once a week at community clinic
1 year teaching sunday school

I don't know what happened I wasn't even averaging close to that. I was shooting for the 30 completely and I just ended up doing worse.

I applied broadly OOS already with MD schools that were near or close to my stats, and I'm a texas resident so I applied to all the Texas schools. That was all submitted before I saw this.

I'll be applying to a lot of DO schools, but my question is do I still even have a shot? MD Schools? DO schools? Will they only consider my most recent score or will they look at both? Average?

I looked at the scores today and was completely crushed.

Originally Posted by qwerty2012

schools take your best score. don't let sdn neuroticism get to you.

yeah.... no. this is not correct. some schools do. most do not.

Originally Posted by tenndoc

yeah.... no. this is not correct. some schools do. most do not.

+1 That's why we should NEVER make ABSOLUTE statements...

Only a sith deals in absolutes lol