MD Advice for a friend

[kevinsword91]

So I was wondering how to best give my friend some advice. His situation is that he got a 26 on his MCAT for the second time with a 4 in VR. He has always had issues with VR and is not ESL. He had plenty of time set aside to prepare so I don’t think being rushed was his issue. Instead, I feel that he may have been studying ineffectively by retaking some of the same practice tests that he had taken before his first attempt. He is applying this cycle as his primary was already sent before he got his second score back. He has about a 3.6 cGPA with average ECs.

I strongly urged him to re-take the MCAT before it changes in 2015 and just continue with this cycle since he was already into secondaries. Even though an improved third score would not help him this application cycle his current scores really drag him down and an improved third score might be very important next cycle. I even told him what dates were left in our state to take the test of which there were only two in January. He already has been rejected this cycle from a state school where his chances were objectively the highest. I suggested he ask WAMC for opinions, but he wasn’t interested.

So my questions are:

Is a 4 in VR lethal for MD?

Should he retake his MCAT for a third time?

Should he consider DO next cycle?

I wrote this post out of curiosity if my advice was sound and if there were any other angles I was not considering. Appreciate any input!

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[ciestar]

Forget being a doctor, period, with a 4 in any subsection.

 

[gyngyn]

A Nobel Prize winner with a 4 in VR would not be a good candidate, especially on the the second try, non-ESL.

 

[Goro]

Lethal for MD AND DO!

Is a 4 in VR lethal for MD?

Only if he can fix his VR deficit. Merely hoping that magic will occur is not a good test taking strategy,
Should he retake his MCAT for a third time?

Auto reject at my school; I am not sanguine about chances at any others.
Should he consider DO next cycle?