Retaking MCAT for M.D. / Ph. D

[thesmolcat]

Hello all,

Looking for a little advice: I was very fortunate to get into an EAP with a minimum MCAT score requirement. However, since I planned on applying into M.D. / Ph.D as an MS1, I wanted to shoot for a very high MCAT score. When it came time to take the MCAT, I ended up needing to move back home and care for a disabled family member full time. I really struggled balancing this, and had considered withdrawing from the EAP to wait until I felt I was ready since my practice scores were not where I wanted them to be (50X which is higher than the minimum but definitely not M.D./Ph.D. range). However, I realized that there are no guarantees in life, being a physician was my #1 priority a the end of the day, and was advised to go in and take it to keep my spot in the program. Now that I've arranged home health care so that I'd be able to handle med school and will be matriculating, is it worth it to retake the MCAT? Do M.D/Ph.D programs look at the latest MCAT scores, the MCAT you applied with,or just MS1 performance? I have a 3.9, 1 co-first author pub in basic science, and 3000+ hrs in research, (even though I realize I will need to buff up my research profile during MS1).

Thank you in advance for any suggestions!

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[Mr.Smile12]

You can ask this question to the Physician Scientists forum.

Moderator: are you able to move this thread?

 

[LizzyM]

I would expect that the proof of the pudding will be in your performance in M1 year. If you do well, and your research productivity had been excellent prior to matriculation, and your interests and skills mesh with at least some of the labs on the PhD side, you would have a good chance of transferring in regardless of MCAT score.