MCAT with an extended time accommodation - how does this affect application process

[loubli]

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[onelastpuff23]

I don't have a learning disability but I did request accommodations. I needed to be near a bathroom and not using accommodations would have likely left me physically ill or worse after the exam. I got into medical school and have no regrets. It cannot be unequivocally said that there is NO discrimination against people with disabilities. I certainly hope that a profession that espouses impartiality toward their patients would seemingly do the same for their colleagues. It isn't a handout to receive accommodations and frankly I find that mentality repugnant.

 

[Dires]

Initially, the deaf kid lost it must have gotten appealed from which I was unaware.

The fact of the matter is I can't do every job just because I "feel" like it. This social engineering needs to stops. Not everyone can be a lawyer, doctor. Hell I am never going to win Miss America or be a professional football player. Guess what that's life. People need to stop blaming others for their faults and play to their strengths.

No, the fact of the matter is that you need to do your research. It's absurd for you and others in this thread to attempt to sway someone from using their accommodations based on false pretenses.

How coincidental that the ADA was in part enacted because of the uncalled for stigma against the disabled you're presenting in this thread.

 

[Great White Buffalo]

Would like to report back to anyone interested that we got the MCAT decision today that my sister does qualify for 50% extended time accommodation. Many thanks to all the individuals who reported through PM their successful experiences with MCAT accommodations and the application cycle. I was pleasantly surprised at the number of SDN folks who did contact me with their stories.

For all out there with documented learning disabilities and ADHD, there are folks who do get accommodations, and make successful MD applications. The key is having all your documentation (every report card and test from High School onward) and appropriate testing (we used a Neuropsychology Clinic at an academic medical center). And follow all the rules about what, when, where, etc. For her, it was certainly about as much fun as completing the AMCAS application, but with end goal in mind, it is doable.

 

[Mr Roboto]

Pretty sure I would've gotten a 40 with 50% extra time.

 

[happyday]

Thought I would throw this out there to any applicants who have taken MCAT with extended time accommodation. My sister just graduated with a 3.95 in physiology in 3.5 years at our state school, has done 1 year of basic research. Will be taking a couple of years off to do TFA. She had an accommodation in undergrad where she gets 1.5 hours to take a 1 hour test (diagnosed with delayed verbal fluency - - basically, she reads slowly). Obviously, she does just fine with add'l time. She took her first MCAT without an accommodation, and scored a 26 (10, 8, 8 Verbal). Her issue was actually finishing the test sections. She just got the neuropsy evaluation redone, with the same result that she should qualify for an extended time to take the MCAT.

Has anyone had issues with applications with the MCAT flag when taking the test with a time extension?? Just curious. She is retaking the test next year, before the new test comes online, but won't be applying until she finishes TFA. Just wondering about the success rate, or lack thereof, of folks with mild learning disabilities and the med school application process.

Read this article on JAMA - http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/26057286

 

[charlottematie]

This is untrue.

I qualified for extended time, as I was granted this in college. I opted for a standard exam administration after discussing this with 13 (no exaggeration) admissions directors. It bodes poorly for ones application - basically, the rationale I was almost indiscriminately given, was that you don't get "extra time" when you have 20 patients in one day, and you need to be able to manage your time efficiently in 3rd and 4th year, as well as the following 3-10 years after medical school in residency/fellowship. That being said, while it is not impossible to get accepted with a non-standard exam administration (they will not see what accommodation you received, but they will know it was not the conventional exam) it is VERY rare that it happens.

This is how I think it should be, but now extra time doesn't show up on your application.

 

[charlottematie]

Pretty sure I would've gotten a 40 with 50% extra time.

same lol

 

[TaupePremed]

Pretty sure I would've gotten a 40 with 50% extra time.

I've said this elsewhere, but I think people overestimate how well you can do on the MCAT with extra time and/or with access to the internet and crib sheets. I think time and crib sheets definitely help, but certainly not enough to get a perfect score.

Now, 40 is not perfect, and I also don't know what score you got with standard time. If you got a 38 with standard time then I have no doubt you can get a 40 with extended time.

If you got a 33 with standard time, I honestly doubt you could get a 40 with extended time.

I got a 519, and I think I could have done only a little better with 50% more time.

 

[Mr Roboto]

I've said this elsewhere, but I think people overestimate how well you can do on the MCAT with extra time and/or with access to the internet and crib sheets. I think time and crib sheets definitely help, but certainly not enough to get a perfect score.

Now, 40 is not perfect, and I also don't know what score you got with standard time. If you got a 38 with standard time then I have no doubt you can get a 40 with extended time.

If you got a 33 with standard time, I honestly doubt you could get a 40 with extended time.

I got a 519, and I think I could have done only a little better with 50% more time.

When taking practice MCATs under simulated conditions, my scores were 36-39. Given 40% more time, I'm confident I could surpass that.

 

[TaupePremed]

When taking practice MCATs under simulated conditions, my scores were 36-39. Given 40% more time, I'm confident I could surpass that.

Oh, for sure you can do better with more time. I'm just saying, you can't do way better, and you certainly can't get a perfect score. I got a 519 and I think maybe I could bump that up to 522 with 50% more time. Not too much higher, I really doubt I could do too much higher.