Did the number of times you took the MCAT hold you back?

[Yousaf_Khalid]

So, long story short, I took the MCAT 3 times and ended with a score of 33. But I have 2 MCAT scores of 22 & 25 respectively. I was dealing with a lot of crap in my life during the time. Namely the breakdown of an engagement, family pressure to live up to the goals I'd set for myself, and being generally depressed.

Now I'm funny enough engaged again things are happy, and my life is going well, so don't worry about me.

BUT, I would love to have some insight from people who've taken the MCAT twice or thrice and what they've been asked at interviews and if they feel as if it's held them back from getting II's.

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[occams_razor]

taking the MCAT 3 or more times can sometimes be an issue, but it won't prevent you from getting into a US MD school (I know someone who took the MCAT 3x who got into a US MD school and her scores were 29, 28, 32 - but she had a very strong app in every other way and her MCAT scores did not vary much).

One issue is that some adcoms might see your scores of 22 and 25 as more indicative of your true ability and view the 33 as an outlier. Be prepared for this.

 

[MedEdits]

It is extremely difficult to "fake" a good MCAT score. Hopefully the 22 and 25 won't screen you out early in the process at some schools and anyone reviewing your application will understand (and assume) that something was going on in your life when you earned the two lower scores. If your GPA supports the 33, this will be further evidence of your academic ability. You will need to carefully explain what happened (in your personal statement) without dwelling on the topic and highlight other significant accomplishments.

 

[ridethecliche]

The fact that you got a 33 after the two Lee scores bodes well for you especially if done time has passed between the first two tests relative to the third.

You might get asked about it at interviews, but it looks good for you.

Good job!

 

[Yousaf_Khalid]

bump, also for screening purposes is the most recent MCAT used?

 

[Yousaf_Khalid]

It is extremely difficult to "fake" a good MCAT score. Hopefully the 22 and 25 won't screen you out early in the process at some schools and anyone reviewing your application will understand (and assume) that something was going on in your life when you earned the two lower scores. If your GPA supports the 33, this will be further evidence of your academic ability. You will need to carefully explain what happened (in your personal statement) without dwelling on the topic and highlight other significant accomplishments.

I'm kind of stuck between ignoring it all together and not mentioning it in my application, or mentioning it in the box that asks about academic difficulty. I mean, I don't have a great reason. It wasn't like I had a death in the family, I didn't suddenly have to provide for myself, I was just feeling down in the dumps and was seriously depressed. I feel like adcoms would see my minor dalliance with depression as a much more alarming thing than taking the MCAT thrice, so it makes me not even want to mention it. Also, I think that my experiences were entirely situational and not something that could embody a pattern in my life.

 

[Goro]

Concur. Some schools average (like mine), others take the most recent or best score (or best composite score). Just do your homework and find out which schools do what and apply accordingly.

taking the MCAT 3 or more times can sometimes be an issue, but it won't prevent you from getting into a US MD school (I know someone who took the MCAT 3x who got into a US MD school and her scores were 29, 28, 32 - but she had a very strong app in every other way and her MCAT scores did not vary much).

One issue is that some adcoms might see your scores of 22 and 25 as more indicative of your true ability and view the 33 as an outlier. Be prepared for this.

 

[Eppur Si Muove]

I have multiple MCAT scores and it cost me an acceptance at a school. After going through the whole interview process it isn't until the final evual that the school that they decide to average your MCAT scores and compare it to the average of others that day. At schools that don't average you should be OK.

 

[gyngyn]

As the number of MCAT scores increases, so does the opportunity for unpredictable interpretation.
Many applicants with more than one score are acceptable (and accepted). It's just that a single strong score is less likely to lend itself to idiosyncratic interpretation.
The AAMC recommends that we average scores.

 

[xffan624]

I'm kind of stuck between ignoring it all together and not mentioning it in my application, or mentioning it in the box that asks about academic difficulty. I mean, I don't have a great reason. It wasn't like I had a death in the family, I didn't suddenly have to provide for myself, I was just feeling down in the dumps and was seriously depressed. I feel like adcoms would see my minor dalliance with depression as a much more alarming thing than taking the MCAT thrice, so it makes me not even want to mention it. Also, I think that my experiences were entirely situational and not something that could embody a pattern in my life.

Having a good reason for doing poorly on a exam isn't really a redeeming element. You only get one chance to do well on Step 1 unless you fail it. ADCOM's value applicants who prepare well for a high stakes exam or recognize when they are not able to do well and then take it when they are ready. 3 time takers certainly can and do get in but it's not something I would bring attention to in my application or attempt to excuse previous scores based on the reasons you stated. It isn't to your benefit.

 

[Yousaf_Khalid]

I have multiple MCAT scores and it cost me an acceptance at a school. After going through the whole interview process it isn't until the final evual that the school that they decide to average your MCAT scores and compare it to the average of others that day. At schools that don't average you should be OK.

Could you elaborate? Did you take your MCAT 2x? And was it brought up at your interview?

 

[Yousaf_Khalid]

As the number of MCAT scores increases, so does the opportunity for unpredictable interpretation.
Many applicants with more than one score are acceptable (and accepted). It's just that a single strong score is less likely to lend itself to idiosyncratic interpretation.
The AAMC recommends that we average scores.

Hi Gyngyn, I was wondering if at the schools one can be screened out for previous MCAT attempts? Like will my first 22 screen me out? How does that work?

 

[gyngyn]

Hi Gyngyn, I was wondering if at the schools one can be screened out for previous MCAT attempts? Like will my first 22 screen me out? How does that work?

This is quite unlikely.

 

[Aloft085]

The way I view it is thus: everyone has a range of potential scores that they're capable of. For example, I could have easily scored an additional 3 points on my MCAT, if only I had more preparatory time beforehand. For most students, this may be true, since many of us are under time constraints. If you've taken the test multiple times, I'm more likely to consider your score to be near your 'peak' than I would for a student who has taken it only once. Therefore, I would probably consider your 33 to be the equivalent of a 31 or 30 for someone that took the test only once.

This is just my thought process. I have no idea if this is a common way of thinking among adcoms. Some schools may treat you as a 'true' 33, and some schools may treat you more like a 28. Who knows. Just apply broadly, and you should be fine, assuming the rest of your app is good. Be prepared to discuss it in an interview.

 

[Eppur Si Muove]

Could you elaborate? Did you take your MCAT 2x? And was it brought up at your interview?

I took it twice and it was not brought up at the interview because it was an MMI. I was told post- rejection when I called the admissions office to talk about weak points in my application and that is why I was told was the reason for my rejection.

 

[DocOpotamus]

So, long story short, I took the MCAT 3 times and ended with a score of 33. But I have 2 MCAT scores of 22 & 25 respectively. I was dealing with a lot of crap in my life during the time. Namely the breakdown of an engagement, family pressure to live up to the goals I'd set for myself, and being generally depressed.

Now I'm funny enough engaged again things are happy, and my life is going well, so don't worry about me.

BUT, I would love to have some insight from people who've taken the MCAT twice or thrice and what they've been asked at interviews and if they feel as if it's held them back from getting II's.

I am so sick of the responses that people leave about taking the MCAT multiple times. I received 18 Interview invites having had the following MCAT scores: 19 24 32. I now attend my dream school, UC Davis. I also was accepted to every school that I actually interviewed at and received a 100,000 dollar scholarship to one of those schools. All I was ever asked about my scores was: "how did you improve your MCAT score so much?" And I was honest: I reevaluated my approach and organized my studies better. It felt like the schools were excited about my improvement not looking down on it. It's all in how you take the setbacks. Haters gonna hate but I smell a trail of BS on this forum. Personal growth can go a long way in making your dream a reality. You got this.

 

[moop]

I am so sick of the responses that people leave about taking the MCAT multiple times. I received 18 Interview invites having had the following MCAT scores: 19 24 32. I now attend my dream school, UC Davis. I also was accepted to every school that I actually interviewed at and received a 100,000 dollar scholarship to one of those schools. All I was ever asked about my scores was: "how did you improve your MCAT score so much?" And I was honest: I reevaluated my approach and organized my studies better. It felt like the schools were excited about my improvement not looking down on it. It's all in how you take the setbacks. Haters gonna hate but I smell a trail of BS on this forum. Personal growth can go a long way in making your dream a reality. You got this.

SDN loves to remind us that there are exceptions. You are an exceptional exception, and I'd even guess that there was also some other really strong part of your app that really stood out.

But let us not pretend that those are EXCEPTIONS. Nothing less. It's not BS. Its called an exception odor a reason. It's BS TO YOU because you did it and are currently in med school. How many people go from 19 to a 32? Try asking all those who failed if they think the advice is BS.

Anything is possible, but realistically, this forum does a good job of putting realistic odds at those possibilities.

 

[peanutsss]

......

 

[technician]

I am so sick of the responses that people leave about taking the MCAT multiple times. I received 18 Interview invites having had the following MCAT scores: 19 24 32. I now attend my dream school, UC Davis. I also was accepted to every school that I actually interviewed at and received a 100,000 dollar scholarship to one of those schools. All I was ever asked about my scores was: "how did you improve your MCAT score so much?" And I was honest: I reevaluated my approach and organized my studies better. It felt like the schools were excited about my improvement not looking down on it. It's all in how you take the setbacks. Haters gonna hate but I smell a trail of BS on this forum. Personal growth can go a long way in making your dream a reality. You got this.

Did you cure Ebola?

 

[gyngyn]

I am so sick of the responses that people leave about taking the MCAT multiple times. I received 18 Interview invites having had the following MCAT scores: 19 24 32. I now attend my dream school, UC Davis. I also was accepted to every school that I actually interviewed at and received a 100,000 dollar scholarship to one of those schools. All I was ever asked about my scores was: "how did you improve your MCAT score so much?" And I was honest: I reevaluated my approach and organized my studies better. It felt like the schools were excited about my improvement not looking down on it. It's all in how you take the setbacks. Haters gonna hate but I smell a trail of BS on this forum. Personal growth can go a long way in making your dream a reality. You got this.

You have cause for celebration.
Your experience does not constitute a basis for recommendation, however.
I'm sure you would agree that a single strong score is preferable to multiple less successful attempts.
Because we are counseling applicants prospectively we need to give them advice that results in the best outcome..
We hope to help them avoid problems. When that fails, we offer advice to salvage prospects.

 

[Goro]

I am very happy to hear of your success. However, you are an outlier. It's hard to argue with a Case In Point. I'll point out that people also win the Lotto, but that doesn't mean that we should run out and buy Lotto tickets. OP came here for realistic advice.

I am so sick of the responses that people leave about taking the MCAT multiple times. I received 18 Interview invites having had the following MCAT scores: 19 24 32. I now attend my dream school, UC Davis. I also was accepted to every school that I actually interviewed at and received a 100,000 dollar scholarship to one of those schools. All I was ever asked about my scores was: "how did you improve your MCAT score so much?" And I was honest: I reevaluated my approach and organized my studies better. It felt like the schools were excited about my improvement not looking down on it. It's all in how you take the setbacks. Haters gonna hate but I smell a trail of BS on this forum. Personal growth can go a long way in making your dream a reality. You got this.

 

[ortnakas]

One good score: better than multiple scores.

A second score worse than the first score: could definitely hold you back.

A second score better than the first score: better than just the bad score, but not as good as nailing it the first time. (Full disclosure: I'm an OMS-1 and fell into this category).

 

[Doug Underhill]

In general, having one good score and one or more bad scores is much, much better than having zero good scores and one or more bad ones. It remains to be seen whether a person who scored a 33 on the first try is better off than a person who scored a 33 after getting a 22 and 25. This sort of thing is very hard to determine scientifically.

 

[PlaqueBuster]

only time will tell and then I'll repost on this

 

[gyngyn]

In general, having one good score and one or more bad scores is much, much better than having zero good scores and one or more bad ones. It remains to be seen whether a person who scored a 33 on the first try is better off than a person who scored a 33 after getting a 22 and 25. This sort of thing is very hard to determine scientifically.

Many schools average scores. This is based on a recommendation by the AAMC.
By rule, one will fare less well at these schools.
Even the schools that give another party line on multiple scores cannot make evaluators "unsee" the weak scores.
Sometimes a re-test is necessary, but someone who takes many tries to achieve the desired outcome is not viewed as positively as one who does it in a single attempt.
There is only one passing attempt at the USMLE. Schools are judged by this.

I'm not saying you can't get in with multiple scores. You may get into a different set of schools though, and you will open the door to speculation that is best avoided if possible.

 

[senzen]

I wonder how schools would evaluate 2 different testing scales (i.e., one old MCAT score and a second new MCAT score). Would they average percentiles? Haha.

 

[gyngyn]

I wonder how schools would evaluate 2 different testing scales (i.e., one old MCAT score and a second new MCAT score). Would they average percentiles? Haha.

pretty much.

 

[Shjanzey]

SDN loves to remind us that there are exceptions. You are an exceptional exception, and I'd even guess that there was also some other really strong part of your app that really stood out.

But let us not pretend that those are EXCEPTIONS. Nothing less. It's not BS. Its called an exception odor a reason. It's BS TO YOU because you did it and are currently in med school. How many people go from 19 to a 32? Try asking all those who failed if they think the advice is BS.

Anything is possible, but realistically, this forum does a good job of putting realistic odds at those possibilities.

Ok dude. I also took the MCAT three times, got accepted, got a scholarship. Man why are there exceptions everywhere in this thread? Maybe this happens more than you realize

I think it speaks to that poster's persistence for why they got in and why they are at their dream school.

Multiple MCAT is not bad unless you are doing worse on the retakes. Part of getting into medical school is constantly improving your resume. If you are confident that you can improve your MCAT score then do it.

 

[Goro]

At CCOM, for example, the OP would be a 26.6 and the Dean would probably waitlist him/her, even if the Adcom loved the OP.
So all I can reiterate is to aim for schools that don't do this.

Ok dude. I also took the MCAT three times, got accepted, got a scholarship. Man why are there exceptions everywhere in this thread? Maybe this happens more than you realize

I think it speaks to that poster's persistence for why they got in and why they are at their dream school.

Multiple MCAT is not bad unless you are doing worse on the retakes. Part of getting into medical school is constantly improving your resume. If you are confident that you can improve your MCAT score then do it.

 

[DocOpotamus]

I am very happy to hear of your success. However, you are an outlier. It's hard to argue with a Case In Point. I'll point out that people also win the Lotto, but that doesn't mean that we should run out and buy Lotto tickets. OP came here for realistic advice.

People do not win the lotto 18 times ( my interview invites prior to withdrawing from a good chunk); definitely not an outlier but some of you on SDN like to think you're adcoms. I have been apart of admissions and challenges are just that; this road is challenging and adcoms need to see that you don't give up when the stress or stakes are high.

 

[xffan624]

People do not win the lotto 18 times ( my interview invites prior to withdrawing from a good chunk); definitely not an outlier but some of you on SDN like to think you're adcoms. I have been apart of admissions and challenges are just that; this road is challenging and adcoms need to see that you don't give up when the stress or stakes are high.

Most people also don't get 18 interview invites or even win the lottery once. You're are an outlier (maybe you don't know what that word means...), congratulations. It was successful for you, but it's not a strategy to build successful medical school application cycle on. Are you planning on showing PD's your tenacity by not giving up when you fail Step 1 the first time and nailing it the second time? (hint, most prefer you just do well the first time). Or doing poorly on it, but doing really well on Step 2? Neither one of those are valid strategies in medical school. It's a one shot, one kill approach in medical school and for the rest of your medical career for standardized tests. Not everybody can achieve that for the MCAT, but to argue that ADCOM's don't prefer that in general is just naive.

 

[moop]

People do not win the lotto 18 times ( my interview invites prior to withdrawing from a good chunk); definitely not an outlier but some of you on SDN like to think you're adcoms. I have been apart of admissions and challenges are just that; this road is challenging and adcoms need to see that you don't give up when the stress or stakes are high.

When you get 18 IIs, you are an outlier. Do you seriously not understand that? You don't belong anywhere near admissions if you don't. l o l

And guess what? They are adcoms. You're just a student on the committee. Big difference.

 

[Goro]

*ahem*

I AM an Adcom; so is gyngyn.

Again, we try to give advice that's reasonable, and not try for 100% accuracy. I aim for the 10-90th %ile of competitiveness. There will always be people who get in with stats < the 10th %ile, (someone has to, so why not you?), but it's too difficult to accurately predict what med schools see in those; obviously your schools saw something, such as being URM, a veteran, having a compelling life story, or really stunning ECs, unless you are conflating.

People do not win the lotto 18 times ( my interview invites prior to withdrawing from a good chunk); definitely not an outlier but some of you on SDN like to think you're adcoms. I have been apart of admissions and challenges are just that; this road is challenging and adcoms need to see that you don't give up when the stress or stakes are high.

 

[justadream]

In general, having one good score and one or more bad scores is much, much better than having zero good scores and one or more bad ones. It remains to be seen whether a person who scored a 33 on the first try is better off than a person who scored a 33 after getting a 22 and 25. This sort of thing is very hard to determine scientifically.

I disagree. It's pretty clear that a 33 in one try > 33 after scoring a 22 and a 25.

A 33 shows that you likely prepared well the first time. A 22 and 25 show that you likely did not prepare well two times. Now while improving to a 33 is good, you are still more "risky" (after all, how do we know that 33 isn't an outlier)?

You can argue that the single score of 33 may also be an outlier. That is true but we don't know for sure which direction it is. But with a 22, 25, and a 33, you already have 2 more data points that suggest things in the negative direction.

Improvement is good but you can't say that improvement to X is > scoring X on the first try. Otherwise, you are saying people who can consistently score 40+ should bomb the MCAT first try intentionally and then show massive improvement.

 

[medic86]

I disagree. It's pretty clear that a 33 in one try > 33 after scoring a 22 and a 25.

A 33 shows that you likely prepared well the first time. A 22 and 25 show that you likely did not prepare well two times. Now while improving to a 33 is good, you are still more "risky" (after all, how do we know that 33 isn't an outlier)?

You can argue that the single score of 33 may also be an outlier. That is true but we don't know for sure which direction it is. But with a 22, 25, and a 33, you already have 2 more data points that suggest things in the negative direction.

Improvement is good but you can't say that improvement to X is > scoring X on the first try. Otherwise, you are saying people who can consistently score 40+ should bomb the MCAT first try intentionally and then show massive improvement.

I think he's trying to state that it's not quantitatively known.

 

[NoahIndonesia]

At CCOM, for example, the OP would be a 26.6 and the Dean would probably waitlist him/her, even if the Adcom loved the OP.
So all I can reiterate is to aim for schools that don't do this.

Speaking of CCOM, here is a thread that says CCOM takes the highest score only:

http://forums.studentdoctor.net/threads/how-do-schools-view-multiple-mcat-scores.822285/

I called the admissions office and the corroborated this fact, they only take the highest score into consideration. Where did you find out they average @Goro ?

 

[Goro]

All I can tell you is that many schools average, including my own. If CCOM is one that doesn't that's a good thing to know!

 

[NoahIndonesia]

All I can tell you is that many schools average, including my own. If CCOM is one that doesn't that's a good thing to know!

Oh so you were just using CCOM as an example? The way you wrote it made it sound like you knew CCOM averages. And I would find this interesting. If an adcom knew a school averages when they tell applicants their policy is not to average.

 

[gyngyn]

Oh so you were just using CCOM as an example? The way you wrote it made it sound like you knew CCOM averages. And I would find this interesting. If an adcom knew a school averages when they tell applicants their policy is not to average.

Schools have every reason to say that they "take" the highest or most recent score. This doesn't mean that multiple lower scores are not considered, though.

 

[NoahIndonesia]

Schools have every reason to say that they "take" the highest or most recent score. This doesn't mean that multiple lower scores are not considered, though.

. Ya that part's a bit frustrating. Wish they'd just say that multiple scores will hurt your app at this school. Would save the multiple test takers some $$$!

 

[gyngyn]

. Ya that part's a bit frustrating. Wish they'd just say that multiple scores will hurt your app at this school. Would save the multiple test takers some $$$!

A single strong score is always best.
No matter what they say.

 

[Goro]

@user3 was kind enough to dig up and post the 2014 stats for nearly all of the COM's matriculants. CCOM has an avg MCAT score of ~30, with GPAs of ~3.6. Top of the pile, actually.

This is different from having a policy of averaging MCAT scores of applicants, like my school does. OP would thus not be a competitive candidate at my school, no matter what we Faculty think. Our Dean is the ultimate decider, and he likes high MCAT scores. So do several others. The Dean at CCOM is not one of them, apparently.

Oh so you were just using CCOM as an example? The way you wrote it made it sound like you knew CCOM averages. And I would find this interesting. If an adcom knew a school averages when they tell applicants their policy is not to average.

 

[user3]

@user3 was kind enough to dig up and post the 2014 stats for nearly all of the COM's matriculants. CCOM has an avg MCAT score of ~30, with GPAs of ~3.6. Top of the pile, actually.

This is different from having a policy of averaging MCAT scores of applicants, like my school does. OP would thus not be a competitive candidate at my school, no matter what we Faculty think. Our Dean is the ultimate decider, and he likes high MCAT scores. So do several others. The Dean at CCOM is not one of them, apparently.

so when publishing entering class statistics, does your school report the average of each matriculant's average score or the average of each matriculant's highest score?

 

[Goro]

This is the realm of my wily old Admissions Dean!

so when publishing entering class statistics, does your school report the average of each matriculant's average score or the average of each matriculant's highest score?

 

[DocOpotamus]

Most people also don't get 18 interview invites or even win the lottery once. You're are an outlier (maybe you don't know what that word means...), congratulations. It was successful for you, but it's not a strategy to build successful medical school application cycle on. Are you planning on showing PD's your tenacity by not giving up when you fail Step 1 the first time and nailing it the second time? (hint, most prefer you just do well the first time). Or doing poorly on it, but doing really well on Step 2? Neither one of those are valid strategies in medical school. It's a one shot, one kill approach in medical school and for the rest of your medical career for standardized tests. Not everybody can achieve that for the MCAT, but to argue that ADCOM's don't prefer that in general is just naive.

This is my last post as people like you and the others on here who have been super negative twist my words. Of course I would never want someone to go through what I did but it's important that people know the truth. Med school is still very possible for those who couldn't achieve perfection from the start. Relax, it's good to have hope and I am far from naive, just someone who can empathize with the pain of feeling like your doomed. To those of you that feel that way, don't listen to them, keep working hard to improve your stats and participate in activities that will help you grow. And to the poster I quoted, grow up and stop being such a sour puss. I'm gonna rock the crap outta STEP ; )

 

[xffan624]

This is my last post as people like you and the others on here who have been super negative twist my words. Of course I would never want someone to go through what I did but it's important that people know the truth. Med school is still very possible for those who couldn't achieve perfection from the start. Relax, it's good to have hope and I am far from naive, just someone who can empathize with the pain of feeling like your doomed. To those of you that feel that way, don't listen to them, keep working hard to improve your stats and participate in activities that will help you grow. And to the poster I quoted, grow up and stop being such a sour puss. I'm gonna rock the crap outta STEP ; )

I think you'll find most older, mature people ARE sour pusses. It comes with experience and realism. I hope you do well on Step. I think the best advice for pre-meds is for them to approach the MCAT the same way you're approaching Step. One shot, one kill.

Thankfully for them, they can get a second chance if they don't do well, but it's not a strategy to plan on.

 

[Shjanzey]

As far as STEP goes, I am convinced that most of us that had to take MCAT multiple times are traumatized by the experience. So much so that we will most likely "over prepare" for our Step exam. I say that in quotes because you can't really over prepare, however every one of my peers that retook MCAT has summer study plans when most people give the extremely horrible advice to "take it easy" over the summer. Not happening in my world

 

[GavinThePremed]

I took the MCAT multiple times as well, finally ending with a semi-reasonable score.

What I've been told is that multiple MCATs matter less at DO schools than at MD schools. And, of the MD schools they matter at, it's a small minority in comparison to the majority that take most recent/highest scores.

But, even though I would like to see the bright side of things, seeing as I'm in this position, I do think that if an adcom sees one person with a 34 on their first try, it'll be better than someone who did 2x,2x, 3x.

But the stories of people getting lots of II's even though they are multiple test takers is very encouraging.

 

[Gauss44]

Response to OP:
OP, it depends on the school. Worst case - Some schools will note the number of attempts you made at the MCAT and jump to the (often inaccurate) assumption that multiple attempts indicates bad judgement or similar. Best case - Other schools will take your best score in each section and ignore how many attempts there were. I think there are lists somewhere on here of which schools do what. (Those lists may need updating.)

How schools should do this IMO:
There may be an element of CHANCE or luck** built into the MCAT. This is because the MCAT cannot test every single subject in the prep books. The MCAT topics* that do appear on the test, may be primarily someone's best subjects or worst subjects. Because of this, I believe the most fair policy for the student is to take everyone's best score. The best policy for the profession would involve averaging recent scores and using a cut off. Ideally, the MCAT would test more MCAT topics on each test to minimize the "chance" factor. In that way, I think the new MCAT is an improvement.

*Examples of what I mean by, "MCAT topics" - fluids in physics, the circulatory system in biology, electrostatics in physics, buffers in chemistry, etc.
**Somehow a AAMC practice test scores are usually still within a couple points of the actual MCAT score. In my experience, the individual sections are more prone to fluctuation. This presents a mystery to me.

 

[Shepadil]

This is my last post as people like you and the others on here who have been super negative twist my words. Of course I would never want someone to go through what I did but it's important that people know the truth. Med school is still very possible for those who couldn't achieve perfection from the start. Relax, it's good to have hope and I am far from naive, just someone who can empathize with the pain of feeling like your doomed. To those of you that feel that way, don't listen to them, keep working hard to improve your stats and participate in activities that will help you grow. And to the poster I quoted, grow up and stop being such a sour puss. I'm gonna rock the crap outta STEP ; )

Also 3x taker, what did you differently to improve your score? I used SN2ED