Getting Over Tough Times

[SyrianHero]

I submitted my primary app earlier this year and I took the MCAT in July. Unfortunately I was surprised that my score is a 499, so I have to withdraw my applications (I haven't submitted the secondaries yet). I'm feeling discouraged because I'm almost 25 and all my other friends are starting med school already. I feel like I'm getting old lol how do you guys get over tough times?

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[Mad Jack]

I submitted my primary app earlier this year and I took the MCAT in July. Unfortunately I was surprised that my score is a 499, so I have to withdraw my applications (I haven't submitted the secondaries yet). I'm feeling discouraged because I'm almost 25 and all my other friends are starting med school already. I feel like I'm getting old lol how do you guys get over tough times?

Have you considered applying DO? I don't know how competitive a 499 is- that's what, the equivalent of a 24? Might get you in somewhere if you apply broadly.

 

[SyrianHero]

Have you considered applying DO? I don't know how competitive a 499 is- that's what, the equivalent of a 24? Might get you in somewhere if you apply broadly.

I haven't applied to DO schools this cycle and I'm pretty sure it's too late given my MCAT score.

 

[Mad Jack]

I haven't applied to DO schools this cycle and I'm pretty sure it's too late given my MCAT score.

Not really. The DO cycle runs really late. Put in a broad app with lower stat schools and you could probably get a few IIs if your app is solid aside from the MCAT.

 

[Eccesignum]

25 is not old (says the 35 year old applicant). Rushing just because your friends are in medical school already is not a good frame of mind.

Dissenting opinion from above: I would not risk making yourself a reapplicant for both DO and MD, it's just more of an uphill battle. If your score is the equivalent of a 24 you're scraping the floor for DO...if you have a spectacular GPA and impressive ECs it miiiight be worth it but if I were you I'd seriously not do it yet. I would take the time to study, retake the MCAT when you're scoring in a good range, then apply next year.

 

[Mad Jack]

25 is not old (says the 35 year old applicant). Rushing just because your friends are in medical school already is not a good frame of mind.

Dissenting opinion from above: I would not risk making yourself a reapplicant for both DO and MD, it's just more of an uphill battle. If your score is the equivalent of a 24 you're scraping the floor for DO...if you have a spectacular GPA and impressive ECs it miiiight be worth it but if I were you I'd seriously not do it yet. I would take the time to study, retake the MCAT when you're scoring in a good range, then apply next year.

All he'd have to do is improve his MCAT score and do something, literally anything to overcome reapplicant bias, since his MCAT score is his biggest flaw. Yeah, he'd be scraping the floor for DO schools. Personally, I'd say do an MCAT retake and apply DO simultaneously, if the new MCAT score comes back solid, apply MD and defer the DO acceptance (assuming you get one), if your score doesn't improve or gets lower, stick with the DO acceptance (assuming you get one), and if you get no acceptances but your MCAT improves, try your luck next cycle. There's plenty of people at my DO school (one of the better regarded ones) that had 23s and 24s on the MCAT, so it's hardly a death knell. And many of those students were "Oh **** my app is great but my MCAT came back ****" late applicants like the OP.

 

[Eccesignum]

All he'd have to do is improve his MCAT score and do something, literally anything to overcome reapplicant bias, since his MCAT score is his biggest flaw. Yeah, he'd be scraping the floor for DO schools. Personally, I'd say do an MCAT retake and apply DO simultaneously, if the new MCAT score comes back solid, apply MD and defer the DO acceptance (assuming you get one), if your score doesn't improve or gets lower, stick with the DO acceptance (assuming you get one), and if you get no acceptances but your MCAT improves, try your luck next cycle. There's plenty of people at my DO school (one of the better regarded ones) that had 23s and 24s on the MCAT, so it's hardly a death knell. And many of those students were "Oh **** my app is great but my MCAT came back ****" late applicants like the OP.

Also an option! Good luck no matter what, OP. Keep us posted and keep your chin up. We're all rooting for one another in here.

 

[SyrianHero]

Also an option! Good luck no matter what, OP. Keep us posted and keep your chin up. We're all rooting for one another in here.

I really appreciate your guys' advice! I think I'll probably study hard and retake the MCAT, because I know I can do better since I got a horrible 33% on the verbal section. I'll also save up money so I can apply to many schools next year. I was just feeling a little down, and you guys are amazing. Your support is awesome

 

[Goro]

The only person you should be comparing yourself to is yourself.

Stay busy.

Make a plan and fix your MCAT deficits.

Always have a Plan B and don't look back.

I submitted my primary app earlier this year and I took the MCAT in July. Unfortunately I was surprised that my score is a 499, so I have to withdraw my applications (I haven't submitted the secondaries yet). I'm feeling discouraged because I'm almost 25 and all my other friends are starting med school already. I feel like I'm getting old lol how do you guys get over tough times?

 

[NontradICUdoc]

Did you practice test taking skills? Did you manage your time during the test correctly? Last i checked there is no expiration date on the bottom of your foot that tells you that you must complete milestones by a certain time in you adult life. Take a breath and relax. Find out what you may be able to improve on and work from there.

 

[popopopop]

I wasted a year in my journey prepping for the MCAT and bombed it ( I had good practice scores). I met an intern at the hospital who took it 3 times. It's a setback, but not the end of the road. Either keep going or quit your plan becoming a physician. I'm not trying to instill magical thinking, but I'm just saying the road is going to be tortuous.

This podcast has great info (MD hosting, two time applicant with 27 MCAT), and has been giving me great insight and motivation to study harder.

http://medicalschoolhq.net/the-medical-school-hq-podcast/

 

[Dral]

I took it three times. 29, 30, 37

The 37 was 8 years out of undergrad after a Kaplan course.

I feel the keys are structured study starting about three months in advance and lots of full length exams leading up to test day. Kaplan had us take so many that the real thing wasn't a test, it was my job.

I hate to admit that Kaplan helped me. Everyone is different, but it's what worked for me.

 

[Spirit of the Student Doc]

I wasted a year in my journey prepping for the MCAT and bombed it ( I had good practice scores). I met an intern at the hospital who took it 3 times. It's a setback, but not the end of the road. Either keep going or quit your plan becoming a physician. I'm not trying to instill magical thinking, but I'm just saying the road is going to be tortuous.

This podcast has great info (MD hosting, two time applicant with 27 MCAT), and has been giving me great insight and motivation to study harder.

http://medicalschoolhq.net/the-medical-school-hq-podcast/

How long are the podcasts? Does it repeat basic info over and over? I have long drives and since the wall street journal podcast has been out of commission for a rather long time now I'm up for something new (in addition to Pimsleur).

EDIT: Wow a whole hour, I'll listen to one.

 

[popopopop]

How long are the podcasts? Does it repeat basic info over and over? I have long drives and since the wall street journal podcast has been out of commission for a rather long time now I'm up for something new (in addition to Pimsleur).

EDIT: Wow a whole hour, I'll listen to one.

Most are 20M-1H. I just discovered them. I thought I knew everything about the admissions/MCAT game, but there are definitely good information in them that I never considered. They interviewed a guy who applied 4x and took the MCAT 9(nine) times and was accepted!

 

[JW2020]

A few others^ have basically said this, but to hopefully further boost your outlook I'm 2 weeks in and I'm 28. There's a bunch of classmates who are my age or older.

 

[Ad2b]

@SyrianHero - my son is your age. I'm a premed. He's a premed. You're not too old. Fix your MCAT. Don't give up.

 

[Buzzlightyear33]

Youre fine OP. I think its vital you submit AACOMAS though. For example, there are people who got accepted to BCOM (new for-profit DO school in NM) that have stats similar, if not worse, than yours. One person says he got in with a MCAT of 21.

 

[Gibbward]

I'm 25 and I don't feel old, nor do I feel behind my friends who are already in their 3rd year of medical school! By the end of it all, you'll be a doctor for ~30 years or so and those 3-4 gap years you took will look very short in comparison.