long road to get here... then chaos.

[healthyfitmom]

Hi all, I was hoping to get some advice as I try to briefly share my situation and hopefully get some insight on as to what I should do.
I'm a mom to 3 small children (age ranges from 6 to 1), and married. I've been a pre-med student for about 5 years, but have been working on my bachelor's degree for almost 10 years (I have bad pregnancies and took time off here and there to take care of newborns and work while husband was out of work time and time again).
I am scheduled to take the MCAT on June 21st, and I began studying for it back at the beginning of November, as I knew it would take me a while to get it all down due to how crazy my schedule is. I also do have my own business and it's hard juggling everything between classes, MCAT prep, work, and family, and all the extracurriculars for med school. One week before Thanksgiving of last year, my husband had an accident and ended up with a mild/moderate traumatic brain injury. It affected his balance and ability to retain memory (does the movie 50 First Dates ring a bell??), not to mention the chronic headaches that won't go away. He was recovering well and just a couple of weeks ago slipped/fell in the tub and got a second traumatic brain injury and lost 3 months of memory. So basically I've been a single mom for over 4 months, just when I needed to have the most help, all while taking my husband to several weekly medical appointments to help him get better.
My cGPA is ~3.6, sGPA is ~3.5, I have done all that is required of most schools as far as ECs. I have taken 2 practice MCATs, and I did horribly on both. My first score was a 17, and my second was a 15. I am TERRIFIED because I don't have anything lower than a B on my entire college transcript to date. I don't think that I will ever pass it with a higher than a 25 by June, unless divine intervention helps me.
I want to be a doctor SO BADLY, and I feel like I've jumped over MAJOR hurdles in my life to get to where I am... and now I'm scared and I don't have any more strength within me to keep studying. I'm worn out and exhausted. I am scheduled to apply in September, but should I wait a year? Or just quit altogether?? I've been trying to apply for 3 years, but every time I'm getting ready to, something major happens with my family, like what just happened... or 3 interstate moves in a 20 month period... or two surprise pregnancies... etc...
I told my husband today I was going to cancel my MCAT date, and I feel like part of me died. He is freaking out because he knows how important becoming a doctor is to me, and he feels guilty about all that has happened in the last 4.5 months. What would you do if you were in my shoes?
Thank you so much for reading my horrendous book! It's such a lonely road and it has been way beyond what I can handle.

---

Members don't see this ad.

 

[petyr_baelish]

Wow, you really have been through a lot! Medical school isn't going anywhere. If you delay applying for a year so that you can get your MCAT scores up, everything will work out in the end. Try to study like it's soon but take it toward the end of this year. The format is changing in 2015 so it would be best to get it done before January 2015 since nobody really knows what the new MCAT will be like.
It's also pretty typical for people to do badly on their first practice tests. This is not an insurmountable problem. Make sure you are studying correctly. There are lots of tips in the MCAT forums. Good luck.

 

[Dare2Dream]

Sorry to hear about your ordeal. Some things are beyond your control, don't let the unexpected challenges beat you down. The one thing you do control is how you respond to these challenges. These things may delay you by a year, and I know how much a year matters as a nontrad, but remember that it is a long journey. Make the best of that year, try to get yourself more financially stable and use the extra time to plan things out. One thing I would VERY strongly advise is not to take the MCAT unless you are getting the scores you want on the practice tests. Retaking to overcome a bad score makes things much harder.

Regarding preparing for MCAT, get as many of the AMCAS practice tests as possible, they are worth it at any cost. I can attest for the berkeley review books for physics and gen chem, so if you get those, study them one chapter at a time and continue taking AMCAS practice tests regularly.

Stay strong!

 

[Pose]

Hi!

Sorry to hear you've been having such a hard time. First, I agree with the others that medical school isn't going anywhere. But if you do want to apply this year, I really only have some general advice about applying, so I hope it helps some. Apologies if it's a little disorganized.

Studying for the MCAT, at least for me, was like a full time job. It sounds like you're already juggling multiple full time jobs as it is, so I'm not too surprised by your practice exam scores. I would absolutely delay the MCAT until you're scoring within range of your goal on the practice exams. If you've already done one pass on the content review, at this point I would focus solely on taking practice passages under timed conditions, and heavily reviewing every question you get right or wrong. You should also take every AAMC practice exam, but only when you've reviewed everything and are moderately comfortable with the format/timing of the exam. What resources are you using to study and practice?

I would also advise you not to wait until September to apply if at all possible, although I know your hands are full. If you can juggle it, you should really submit your primary applications (AMCAS and AACOMAS) in June or early July, even if that means you're still waiting on your MCAT scores. I'd start drafting up some personal statement ideas - and I doubt you lack for those! You can submit the primary applications with only one school listed, and once you get your MCAT score and are satisfied with it, you can add all the rest of the schools. This alleviates some of the financial burden of applying to 20+ schools when you don't know how strong your app will be. I would also suggest pre-writing secondary essays (you can find them in the school-specific subforum) as you can, so that when you're flooded with secondaries you won't be quite so overwhelemed.

Good luck! And if you haven't already, please consider reaching out to your support network.

 

[LetterB]

In your shoes, I would feel frustrated and terribly conflicted, just as you do. But I think it would be good to wait to see whether/how he stabilizes, what kind of recovery gains he can make, and what kind of supports you will need now and maybe later. I think it would be easier to make decisions about, and work around scheduling when you have a better idea of what things will look like, when you've settled into a pattern and aren't putting out fires. With everything that's happened and with you feeling fatigued, I am thinking that if you wrote the exam now, you might not be setting yourself up for success. And maybe some time off would give you a chance to recover from all the struggles you've gone through so far...

I would definitely take advantage of any practical help with childcare and with your husband. Family can be a boon in times like this - are you near his family or yours? Or are there services you could access?

 

[pietachok]

Hi all, I was hoping to get some advice as I try to briefly share my situation and hopefully get some insight on as to what I should do.
I'm a mom to 3 small children (age ranges from 6 to 1), and married. I've been a pre-med student for about 5 years, but have been working on my bachelor's degree for almost 10 years (I have bad pregnancies and took time off here and there to take care of newborns and work while husband was out of work time and time again).
I am scheduled to take the MCAT on June 21st, and I began studying for it back at the beginning of November, as I knew it would take me a while to get it all down due to how crazy my schedule is. I also do have my own business and it's hard juggling everything between classes, MCAT prep, work, and family, and all the extracurriculars for med school. One week before Thanksgiving of last year, my husband had an accident and ended up with a mild/moderate traumatic brain injury. It affected his balance and ability to retain memory (does the movie 50 First Dates ring a bell??), not to mention the chronic headaches that won't go away. He was recovering well and just a couple of weeks ago slipped/fell in the tub and got a second traumatic brain injury and lost 3 months of memory. So basically I've been a single mom for over 4 months, just when I needed to have the most help, all while taking my husband to several weekly medical appointments to help him get better.
My cGPA is ~3.6, sGPA is ~3.5, I have done all that is required of most schools as far as ECs. I have taken 2 practice MCATs, and I did horribly on both. My first score was a 17, and my second was a 15. I am TERRIFIED because I don't have anything lower than a B on my entire college transcript to date. I don't think that I will ever pass it with a higher than a 25 by June, unless divine intervention helps me.
I want to be a doctor SO BADLY, and I feel like I've jumped over MAJOR hurdles in my life to get to where I am... and now I'm scared and I don't have any more strength within me to keep studying. I'm worn out and exhausted. I am scheduled to apply in September, but should I wait a year? Or just quit altogether?? I've been trying to apply for 3 years, but every time I'm getting ready to, something major happens with my family, like what just happened... or 3 interstate moves in a 20 month period... or two surprise pregnancies... etc...
I told my husband today I was going to cancel my MCAT date, and I feel like part of me died. He is freaking out because he knows how important becoming a doctor is to me, and he feels guilty about all that has happened in the last 4.5 months. What would you do if you were in my shoes?
Thank you so much for reading my horrendous book! It's such a lonely road and it has been way beyond what I can handle.

First and foremost, you're going through a really difficult period, and your husband and your family are more important than getting to medical school one year earlier. I had a fiancé with TBI from a violent mugging, and I cannot imagine trying to raise children and take the MCAT while helping him recover.

Do not take the MCAT until you are getting reasonable scores on the practice tests. It is normal to not be able to sit down and take this test and perform well with everything else that you have on your plate. Work on studying for the MCAT and doing anything/everything else you need to put together a perfect application for the 2015 - 2016 cycle. In addition to the MCAT issue, I feel like applying with this chaos in your family could potentially lend to presenting a side of yourself that would be suboptimal in interviews. Depending on how severe of TBI we're talking about, I also think that letting the course of his recovery play out more fully before you get to interviews and/or medical school would potentially allow you to have a much clearer idea of what the logistical demands will be on your family while you're in med school and plan more appropriately so you can function at your best.

Also, you cannot take the MCAT in late June and apply the same year -- it is a waste of your hard work and money. Apply in a year when you have everything ready when AMCAS opens.

Have you had any formal pre-med advising and, if so, how much? Taking the MCAT so late in the year that you want to apply is a bad idea, so I'm wondering if you've been improperly or inadequately advised overall. In particular, the fact that you've taken 10 years to pluck away at college makes me worried whether you ever had a courseload that will serve as evidence that you can succeed in medical school.

Is there other family involved in helping you out during this difficult time? If so, circle the wagons and have a big discussion about needing extra support during this last year -- make sure they understand what a big deal this is in addition to the enormous deal of his TBI.

Good luck . . . with so much.

 

[DocWinter]

All else aside, you really, really need to be scoring at least 10 points higher on the MCAT AAMC practice tests before taking. Cancelling the MCAT was the right call for that reason alone.

I'm sorry to hear of your husbands health issues, pregnancies, moves etc that has prevented you from really pouring your all into your hopeful upcoming cycle. However, as someone said, medical school is not going anywhere, nor are your excellent grades. You CAN apply next cycle and let things level out in your life and work on the MCAT for another 6 months or so. You absolutely need more time and sanity back into your life before taking the MCAT so you can score well; what about refocusing for the MCAT in 6-8 months, before the new MCAT, and work on applying for the next cycle in 2015?

Essentially, wait a year. Refocus, get some spark back and deal with the major shakeups that are immediate and keep you from giving your best to your application.

Best to you.

 

[healthyfitmom]

To answer some questions....
- I use Exam Krackers mostly for my studying... and a Princeton Review book. I find that EK is right up my alley because it dumbs everything down enough for me to remember all the material hahaha
- Babysitting is an issue. My husband is slowly able to add more time to watching kids on his own but we have to be careful with how intense his headache is. The higher the headache, the more balance problems and more confusion. I do pay a babysitter once a week to watch them all day while I'm in labs all day, but we can't afford much because he isn't working. We do not rely on family hardly ever because they're all working and we don't have that much family nearby. I do have awesome neighbors though that help from time to time.
I do see a premed advisor frequently and she has more confidence in me than I have it in myself it seems!
I am concerned that if I wait another cycle, my research will have "Expired" and that my classes won't be "fresh" enough for the admission committees. I hear they only look back 4 years prior to the application and that worries me quite a bit. Or the fact that if I wait until fall to take the MCAT, I won't have time because my fall semester looks heavy with classes. Thoughts? I thought taking it in august would be good, that way I have 3 months of studying without classes. Can I pull this off???

 

[Goro]

Very sorry to hear of all your heartaches.

Do NOT take the MCAT until your diagnostics are running in the high 20s.

You've got a lot on your plate and you've got to attend to yourself before attempting medical school.

Once you get into medical school, you're going have to be selfish and realize that you can't do all this by yourself.

Hi all, I was hoping to get some advice as I try to briefly share my situation and hopefully get some insight on as to what I should do.
I'm a mom to 3 small children (age ranges from 6 to 1), and married. I've been a pre-med student for about 5 years, but have been working on my bachelor's degree for almost 10 years (I have bad pregnancies and took time off here and there to take care of newborns and work while husband was out of work time and time again).
I am scheduled to take the MCAT on June 21st, and I began studying for it back at the beginning of November, as I knew it would take me a while to get it all down due to how crazy my schedule is. I also do have my own business and it's hard juggling everything between classes, MCAT prep, work, and family, and all the extracurriculars for med school. One week before Thanksgiving of last year, my husband had an accident and ended up with a mild/moderate traumatic brain injury. It affected his balance and ability to retain memory (does the movie 50 First Dates ring a bell??), not to mention the chronic headaches that won't go away. He was recovering well and just a couple of weeks ago slipped/fell in the tub and got a second traumatic brain injury and lost 3 months of memory. So basically I've been a single mom for over 4 months, just when I needed to have the most help, all while taking my husband to several weekly medical appointments to help him get better.
My cGPA is ~3.6, sGPA is ~3.5, I have done all that is required of most schools as far as ECs. I have taken 2 practice MCATs, and I did horribly on both. My first score was a 17, and my second was a 15. I am TERRIFIED because I don't have anything lower than a B on my entire college transcript to date. I don't think that I will ever pass it with a higher than a 25 by June, unless divine intervention helps me.
I want to be a doctor SO BADLY, and I feel like I've jumped over MAJOR hurdles in my life to get to where I am... and now I'm scared and I don't have any more strength within me to keep studying. I'm worn out and exhausted. I am scheduled to apply in September, but should I wait a year? Or just quit altogether?? I've been trying to apply for 3 years, but every time I'm getting ready to, something major happens with my family, like what just happened... or 3 interstate moves in a 20 month period... or two surprise pregnancies... etc...
I told my husband today I was going to cancel my MCAT date, and I feel like part of me died. He is freaking out because he knows how important becoming a doctor is to me, and he feels guilty about all that has happened in the last 4.5 months. What would you do if you were in my shoes?
Thank you so much for reading my horrendous book! It's such a lonely road and it has been way beyond what I can handle.

 

[LingoLaine]

This is going to have to be a short post (I'm studying for Step 1) but I just wanted to chime in and say WAIT! DON'T EVEN THINK ABOUT taking the MCAT until your practice scores are around 30. Also, though this isn't what you want to hear, with three young children and a disabled husband, now is NOT the time to start medical school anyway. You need to not just get IN to school, but be able to succeed once you get there. Med school is REALLY hard. I'm doing it with two older kids (10 and 6) and a supportive gainfully employed husband, and I'm still really struggling. Your life is not stable enough YET.

 

[heartsink]

What goro said and very much what lingo lane said ^

You have a lot on your plate, as has been stated already. Students going into their first year of medical school that have nothing else going on still need to be selfish with their time because that's how demanding it is. Can you realistically balance that with everything else that's landed on your lap?

I don't want to be doom and gloom but there's been a lot of 'yays' in this thread and not enough reality check;

for example, if you are a late twenties early thirties mom you still have lots of time both to get into medical school, and get through medical school, and residency, AND enjoy your profession for enough time that you're not retiring with six figure debt. On the other hand if you're late thirties early fourties, you need to seriously evaluate how much of your life you will actually get being an attending physician and decide if that's feasible and if you want that.

Which segues to the next issue: why medicine? You said you HAVE to become a doctor, but why? What's driving you? Why not a PA or a nurse?

 

[Quik]

Wow, I am so sorry for your struggle. It sounds like a tremendous one and you seem to be handling it very bravely. I know you've been working at it a while but just be patient and realize you are almost there. Don't act hastily and do something ill-prepared. Breath, take care of yourself, and know that this is waiting in your future.

 

[Makati2008]

Op I commend your drive. You will be the third person I recommend this to out of many recommendations to attend medical school.

In your case please consider an accelerated nursing school or PA program. This will provide a monetary source quicker for your family and you won't have to deal with the mcat, step exams,etc...

 

[Law2Doc]

Cancel the MCAT. Most people score within a couple of points of the average of their full length practice tests. If your average now is around an 18, that means you are likely tracking to score somewhere in the 16-21 range, which could undo all you have accomplished thus far. take another year and figure out how to do well on this test. Switch what you are doing to something different -- if you find that exam crackers is good because they "dumb it down" for you, but it's only netting you in the teens, it's really not working. We all have those resources that we like because they are relatively painless, but sometimes it's "no pain, no gain". Swap it for another resource/approach -- it's not working for you. Maybe a Bona Fide review course (Kaplan TPR). Until you are consistently scoring at least 10 points higher on practice tests you really shouldn't plan to take it. This is less about the other things going on in your life and more about not demonstrating on practice tests that you are ready for the real thing.

 

[healthyfitmom]

Thanks all. I appreciate all your input. To answer some more questions...

- heartsink: I am 28 years old. I worked in the hospital setting since I was able to get hired, when I turned 18. I have done everything from Shock Trauma ICU to Maternity/Labor & Delivery and everything in between. I come from a family of engineers and lawyers, and as a child, I was always fascinated by the human body but never thought it was possible to go into medicine until I moved to the US (I'm from Brazil). I then completed a certified nurse assistant program in high school and thought I wanted to be a nurse, until I began working at the hospital(s), and that quickly changed... I wanted more. I hope to be a family practice doctor one day because I want to help stop the obesity epidemic by providing care to patients who are not healthy and are developing obesity-related diseases. I was obese myself and in the last year have lost 80 lbs, and I KNOW what it's like to go through the process of losing a significant amount of weight (now I sit within a very healthy BMI for the first time in my life), and I want to help others do the same as I manage their overall plan of care. My in-laws are morbidly obese and it pains me to see them struggle with diseases that could be controlled if they would only lose weight (they struggle and know they need to change but it's very much of a mental thing... I'm still working on it with them). This is my WHY.

-canadianinusa: I have very bad test anxiety. Once any exam is put in front of me, my brain shuts down for 10 minutes. It's awful. Then I lose precious time and therefore, a good chance at thinking clearly and in a timely manner. I was told by another med student I need to get some sort of permission to extend my testing time, but that requires a doctor's note. Not sure that "test anxiety" categorizes as a medical problem?! I also took those practices without having finished refreshing my mind over everything, so that was pretty raw to say the least. And maybe a small issue is that English is obviously my second language, but I speak it better than I do Portuguese. Go figure.

-makati2008- PA school is my plan B if I don't get in after applying twice.

-law2doc- I hear EK is so good, I find Princeton Review very dry. Yuck. Then I heard from several people that Kaplan/Altius is not really worth it. Not sure what to think of it all??

Maybe I do need to just spend the summer studying. I do worry that I won't get in this year if I were to apply because of the rolling admissions issue. Perhaps it's best for me to wait a year. But I'm very concerned about my classes "expiring" and my research going off the radar because it won't be within the 4 years schools look for. I feel like my time is running out! EEKKK!!!

 

[Indianarn]

Hi all, I was hoping to get some advice as I try to briefly share my situation and hopefully get some insight on as to what I should do.
I'm a mom to 3 small children (age ranges from 6 to 1), and married. I've been a pre-med student for about 5 years, but have been working on my bachelor's degree for almost 10 years (I have bad pregnancies and took time off here and there to take care of newborns and work while husband was out of work time and time again).
I am scheduled to take the MCAT on June 21st, and I began studying for it back at the beginning of November, as I knew it would take me a while to get it all down due to how crazy my schedule is. I also do have my own business and it's hard juggling everything between classes, MCAT prep, work, and family, and all the extracurriculars for med school. One week before Thanksgiving of last year, my husband had an accident and ended up with a mild/moderate traumatic brain injury. It affected his balance and ability to retain memory (does the movie 50 First Dates ring a bell??), not to mention the chronic headaches that won't go away. He was recovering well and just a couple of weeks ago slipped/fell in the tub and got a second traumatic brain injury and lost 3 months of memory. So basically I've been a single mom for over 4 months, just when I needed to have the most help, all while taking my husband to several weekly medical appointments to help him get better.
My cGPA is ~3.6, sGPA is ~3.5, I have done all that is required of most schools as far as ECs. I have taken 2 practice MCATs, and I did horribly on both. My first score was a 17, and my second was a 15. I am TERRIFIED because I don't have anything lower than a B on my entire college transcript to date. I don't think that I will ever pass it with a higher than a 25 by June, unless divine intervention helps me.
I want to be a doctor SO BADLY, and I feel like I've jumped over MAJOR hurdles in my life to get to where I am... and now I'm scared and I don't have any more strength within me to keep studying. I'm worn out and exhausted. I am scheduled to apply in September, but should I wait a year? Or just quit altogether?? I've been trying to apply for 3 years, but every time I'm getting ready to, something major happens with my family, like what just happened... or 3 interstate moves in a 20 month period... or two surprise pregnancies... etc...
I told my husband today I was going to cancel my MCAT date, and I feel like part of me died. He is freaking out because he knows how important becoming a doctor is to me, and he feels guilty about all that has happened in the last 4.5 months. What would you do if you were in my shoes?
Thank you so much for reading my horrendous book! It's such a lonely road and it has been way beyond what I can handle.

You are a strong woman and, in my opinion, if anyone can do this it would be you. However, being a father of 3 who is getting ready to start medical school, I know it is almost impossible to do it alone. I would say get some help from your mom (parents) or his parents to help you watch the kids (may be even during med school, how I don't know, but I know you would need that). As far as MCAT practice test scores, don't panic over that. Take a couple of weeks off and just study to study, then one day when you mind is free of all stress (easier said than done), take the exam. Take your time and study well for MCAT. You can do it. My thoughts and prayers are with you.

 

[Law2Doc]

Thanks all. I appreciate all your input. To answer some more questions...

- heartsink: I am 28 years old. I worked in the hospital setting since I was able to get hired, when I turned 18. I have done everything from Shock Trauma ICU to Maternity/Labor & Delivery and everything in between. I come from a family of engineers and lawyers, and as a child, I was always fascinated by the human body but never thought it was possible to go into medicine until I moved to the US (I'm from Brazil). I then completed a certified nurse assistant program in high school and thought I wanted to be a nurse, until I began working at the hospital(s), and that quickly changed... I wanted more. I hope to be a family practice doctor one day because I want to help stop the obesity epidemic by providing care to patients who are not healthy and are developing obesity-related diseases. I was obese myself and in the last year have lost 80 lbs, and I KNOW what it's like to go through the process of losing a significant amount of weight (now I sit within a very healthy BMI for the first time in my life), and I want to help others do the same as I manage their overall plan of care. My in-laws are morbidly obese and it pains me to see them struggle with diseases that could be controlled if they would only lose weight (they struggle and know they need to change but it's very much of a mental thing... I'm still working on it with them). This is my WHY.

-canadianinusa: I have very bad test anxiety. Once any exam is put in front of me, my brain shuts down for 10 minutes. It's awful. Then I lose precious time and therefore, a good chance at thinking clearly and in a timely manner. I was told by another med student I need to get some sort of permission to extend my testing time, but that requires a doctor's note. Not sure that "test anxiety" categorizes as a medical problem?! I also took those practices without having finished refreshing my mind over everything, so that was pretty raw to say the least. And maybe a small issue is that English is obviously my second language, but I speak it better than I do Portuguese. Go figure.

-makati2008- PA school is my plan B if I don't get in after applying twice.

-law2doc- I hear EK is so good, I find Princeton Review very dry. Yuck. Then I heard from several people that Kaplan/Altius is not really worth it. Not sure what to think of it all??

Maybe I do need to just spend the summer studying. I do worry that I won't get in this year if I were to apply because of the rolling admissions issue. Perhaps it's best for me to wait a year. But I'm very concerned about my classes "expiring" and my research going off the radar because it won't be within the 4 years schools look for. I feel like my time is running out! EEKKK!!!

You have to find a study approach that actually works for you, not other people. Hearing that Exam Crackers is good is meaningless if your scores after using it a bit are so bad. Time to try something different.

 

[SN12357]

-canadianinusa: I have very bad test anxiety. Once any exam is put in front of me, my brain shuts down for 10 minutes. It's awful. Then I lose precious time and therefore, a good chance at thinking clearly and in a timely manner. I was told by another med student I need to get some sort of permission to extend my testing time, but that requires a doctor's note. Not sure that "test anxiety" categorizes as a medical problem?! I also took those practices without having finished refreshing my mind over everything, so that was pretty raw to say the least. And maybe a small issue is that English is obviously my second language, but I speak it better than I do Portuguese. Go figure.

[...]

Maybe I do need to just spend the summer studying. I do worry that I won't get in this year if I were to apply because of the rolling admissions issue. Perhaps it's best for me to wait a year. But I'm very concerned about my classes "expiring" and my research going off the radar because it won't be within the 4 years schools look for. I feel like my time is running out! EEKKK!!!

I've never heard of a 4 year deadline, not sure where you got that. If schools have an expiration date on coursework it tends to be at the 10 years mark, not 4. The MCAT is required to be recent and should show competency in the prereqs; that's what it's for.

I wish you all the best, but you really need to think hard about how you would handle medical school and becoming a physician in general, not just the MCAT. There are a LOT of standardized tests in medical school, and licensing exams are going to be much less forgiving than the MCAT. Take the time you need to figure things out and do well on the MCAT now not just because it's the only way you'll get into medical school, but because if you get in you will need those skills even more. You cannot view the MCAT as a one-time thing you just have to get through. It's one step of an unfolding process that gets more difficult, not less.

 

[lunalight]

I've never heard of a 4 year deadline, not sure where you got that. If schools have an expiration date on coursework it tends to be at the 10 years mark, not 4. The MCAT is required to be recent and should show competency in the prereqs; that's what it's for.

I wish you all the best, but you really need to think hard about how you would handle medical school and becoming a physician in general, not just the MCAT. There are a LOT of standardized tests in medical school, and licensing exams are going to be much less forgiving than the MCAT. Take the time you need to figure things out and do well on the MCAT now not just because it's the only way you'll get into medical school, but because if you get in you will need those skills even more. You cannot view the MCAT as a one-time thing you just have to get through. It's one step of an unfolding process that gets more difficult, not less.

I've never heard of this 4 year deadline either. Some of my classes were 11 years old and my school never said anything.