Requesting MCAT Advice

[Serac]

Hello everyone,
Found this forum about a year ago, I've read lots but just getting around to my first question.

Brief bit about myself: I am a male non-traditional student (senior) at a middle-of-the-road state school. I have a couple years of research, I couldn't start sooner as I had to do 2 years at community college (parents forbid high school for religious reasons, so no university would take me). My GPA is in the high 3.8 area, with an upward trend. I have around 1000 hours in a hospital thanks to work.

I have had to work for my entire UG career, and my boss finally let me take a month off to finish my classes and study for the MCAT. I started in early December and I am sitting for the MCAT on the 15th of this month. I have taken AAMC full-length's 3,4,5,8, and 11. My average is 35.6, the high was a 39, my low was a 32 (granted, I did have a brief emergency during the test and lost about 8 minutes in two sections), all others 35 or higher.
At this point, I worry about walking out with a score in the low thirties and feel like I need some more time to cover the material. I did not have physiology in anyway and have found this has taken a lot of my study time (I am taking it this spring though). I am not set on MSTP, but would like something fully-funded and I am unsure of what a realistic MCAT is for this.

Ultimately, my question is this: What average score on AAMCFL's 7,9,10 do I need to get for it to be safer for me score the test on the 15th vs the take the new one in April? I genuinely think I can hit a better score but I'm unsure of how the new exam will work out both on my end and on the admissions end.

Thanks for your time and thoughts,
-Serac

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[plumazul]

My average on 3,4,5,8, and 11 was about what I scored on the actual exam. My average on 7,9, and 10 was a little below my actual score. You can scan some test date threads on the MCAT forum to see how others did. The AAMC FLs seem to be a fairly good predictor.

 

[ephemeralartery]

I took it in June and had a 5 point range on my AAMC full lengths, taken after covering all the content. My scores on the full lengths had a 5 point range and I scored towards the upper end of the range on the real deal. I think as long as you have a relatively small range (like 35-39) then you don't have any glaring content weaknesses and you will probably score in that range. When I was taking the test, two of the sections seemed very long and difficult and I felt a little panicked, but I think the curve helped me with some of the more tricky questions and I still did in my range from practice tests.

 

[Serac]

Thanks for the advice that you all shared with me leading up to me test. Of course, now that I am on the other side of the test, I have a few more questions.
I ended up with scoring below my goal and my average, so I am wondering what I ought to do at this point. My score came out and I am now facing the unfortunate "should I retake" situation.

The two main reasons I think I should: 1) two points below any of my normal, timed AAMC full-lengths and points below my average. My full length average for AAMC's 9, 10, and 11 and I think I could reach that score with some additional studying (I had one month to study, so maybe with a few more weeks I could pull a high off). 2) I am an older non-trad student coming from a no-name state school and feel that my odds are virtually zero.

Of course, there are some reasons not to retake as well, such as it is a new test that will take some extra content review and I won't really be able to study for the retake until early summer, meaning my score won't be back until end of July with one month of study. My questions are: is completing my application at the end of July going to hurt my chances enough to negate a modest score improvement, and when does it become a big issue (ei August, September)? Secondly, how big of an improvement is needed for the retake to help my application?

Thank you in advance for your help, and please feel free to ask any questions...

 

[Fencer]

is completing my application at the end of July going to hurt my chances enough to negate a modest score improvement, and when does it become a big issue (ei August, September)? Secondly, how big of an improvement is needed for the retake to help my application?

1. Completing an application at the end of July will be seen by PDs until end of September. The delay is likely not much of significance. Completing it later, will be an issue as your current score is borderline for many top programs and you will diminish your chances of getting an invitation with a late application (late becomes more competitive).

2. It is hard to say because you will be comparing the new MCAT with the old. In 2013, a 33 was 90.6 percentile. You will need a 96+ percentile to make a significant improvement. If you score at less than 91 percentile, you might hurt your application.

As is, you still have a good chance of landing into many good MD/PhD programs, unfortunately, your chances for top MSTP have diminish dramatically. Apply broadly... PM me if you want to share more specifics.

 

[URHere]

I would caution you not to retake unless you are absolutely certain that your score will go up to at least a 36. I was an applicant who retook the test back when I applied and I went from a 31 to...a 32. This was despite significantly higher practice scores and feeling all-around better prepared for the test. When I interviewed, the low retake was the subject of more scrutiny than my original score. That being said, I still interviewed at more than 50% of the programs I applied to, although very few were top-tier MSTPs (despite a solid GPA and research record).

So, I guess the question is how confident you are that you could prepare well for the new MCAT and significantly increase your score? And how set are you on a top-tier program? As fencer said, your current score won't keep you out of MD/PhD, it'll just make it a bit harder to land at the top.

 

[ppp91]

I was in a similar position to you last year, Serac. I had a 33 and thought I needed to increase it to ensure I would get into an MSTP. I did end up retaking and increasing it 4 points. However, I took almost 9 months between the two tests, with probably about 5 months in fairly high study mode (I was working at the time, but I cut back my hours). Even so, in interviews, I've been asked more than once about why I took it again with a 33. And I've met a fair number of students with <=33 on the interview trail this year who now are making very difficult decisions on where they'd want to go from their multiple acceptances.

In your situation, since your other stats are strong (I assume your couple years of research are significant with presentations, publications, etc.), I would advise against taking it again unless you're dead-set on a top 10 MSTP. Comparing and preparing for the new test is going to be difficult, and even with the preparation AAMC has done to get the test calibrated, I suspect schools will not be as certain what to do with the new scores for the first year or two (this is what happened with the GRE when it moved over to a 170 point scale). With you wanting to apply this upcoming year, the time to take the test and seriously focus on it isn't there. Not improving significantly will be a bigger detriment to you than not retaking it, at least with a 33.

I am not set on MSTP, but would like something fully-funded and I am unsure of what a realistic MCAT is for this.

Additionally, this statement is a little concerning to me. MSTPs, to my knowledge, are looking for people to complete the program, sometimes even more so than an applicant's stats. Attrition is a large concern for them, and if they detect that you might not want to do both degrees in full, you might be passed up. I'd suggest, instead of focusing on retaking the MCAT, use this time to decide whether or not MSTP is really for you, what you want to do with both degrees, and why both may (or may not) be necessary to your career. When you get to interviews, there won't be a single one that won't ask you in detail about that.

 

[Serac]

Thank you all again for the insight. Fencer and URHere, I will do my best to evaluate my chances of bringing my score up significantly or not retake the test at all. I am encouraged by the idea that I still have a shot with the score I currently have, and honestly I guess this is the best news I can get at this point as retaking it would be very difficult given my work and school schedule. Nevertheless, it is hard for me to settle with a score that is at the bottom of my practice range...

ppp91, Thanks for your input, it would make my life a great deal easier over the next few months if I do not retake and the other pieces of my application are fairly strong I think.
I also wanted to clarify my statement that "I am not set on MSTP". I was not trying to communicate that I am not set on MD/PhD but rather that I am willing to do my MD/PhD at an institution whose program is not currently funded by the NIH via a NIGMS training grant. I am entirely committed to becoming a physician-scientist and I am confident in my choice to pursue it. What I was trying to say was that I will work tirelessly to get there, and attending a less prestigious program that is not NIH funded is one option that I am more than open to. From what I currently understand, there are a large number of programs in the country that offer great MD/PhD training but are not officially MSTP. I think by being open to this I increase my chances and opportunities in a number ways. My fully-funded comment was meant to express that if I end up paying for one and/or both the MD and PhD degrees, I might pursue alternative routes as I think there are more efficient ways for me to become a physician scientist. Hope this clears up what I meant the first time, and thanks again and I certainly will arrive at interviews with an answer as to why MD/PhD!

 

[ppp91]

Serac, you're absolutely right. There are quite a few fantastic non-MSTP MD/PhD programs out there that will get you the training that you need to be a successful physician scientist.

Sorry for my misunderstanding, then! Good luck on the process, and if you want to chat about anything, feel free to PM me.

 

[ladyterp]

I was in a similar situation to you, as I scored on the low end of my range on the practice tests. I chose not to retake, and I've been fortunate to receive > 50% interviews and some great acceptances so far. I'm also willing to discuss more details via PM if you'd like!