MD Stuck & Not Sure What to Do

[TexasSurgeon]

Thanks in advance to all of you who respond.

First I'm a TX resident. Senior at a large state university with a cGPA of 3.77, sGPA of ~3.75. Both of these will increase if I apply in May of 2015.

ECs:

• Non consistent hospital volunteering (but still, ~140 hrs)
• Lots of research (did a summer + semester internship with my PI)
• Experience in 2 other research labs prior to above ^^
• Very high leadership experience with a student organization
• Good amounts of shadowing (total probably just under 100 hrs but in various specialties)
• Private tutor for small stuff like algebra
• Done a few summers of office-desk-work (small stuff really)

Now, here's where it gets complicated. I will not be graduating this May because I am taking a "gap year" where I will be doing a thesis with the same PI I did my summer/semester research in + finishing up the last 1-2 courses of my degree. I'm hoping I can get some more volunteering done and maybe some shadowing.

My main issue is regarding the MCAT.
I took the MCAT in September 2014 and scored a 26. Not ideal at all, even for a TX resident. I'm scheduled to retake this month (January) of the 23rd. The first time studying, I completely messed up and realized a lot about myself in the process, namely that I prefer having a course to help with structure and becoming familiar with the prereqs again. So I took the course and I'm feeling confident, but I know that I could score much higher if I honestly had more time.

Here's my options:
Take it for the second time January 23 at give it my best shot. If I score similar to the first shot, I'll have to take it again for the third time.

How bad would this look? I'm really interested in BCM (Baylor) and I know their average accepted MCAT is a 34. Would taking it a 3rd time seriously remove me from consideration at a school like this? Additionally, would spending another entire summer on it look bad that I spent 2 summers "not doing anything" to add to my application?

Also, if I were to retake this, would I still be okay to apply this May? What would you guys advise for the last day to take my MCAT be?

I know this is all dependent on my MCAT score and that really is the last string I have to tie in my application. All other stuff is solid. I've had pretty much a 4.0 upward trend for the past 3 semesters. This semester I actually went down to 9 hours to study for the mcat but I'm still not feeling confident entirely enough.

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[gyngyn]

I generally recommend that the MCAT only be taken when one is confident that they will score at or above their target, based on reliable resources. If you were applying in CA I would strongly suggest that you not re-take until your timed practice scores were consistently high. I have been told in these fora (but cannot verify) that TX schools don't care how many times you take the MCAT as long as the eventual score is high enough. If there is a TX school likely to break with the pack, it is probably Baylor, though.

 

[Catalystik]

It seems to me that the most selective AMCAS schools are the more likely to average multiple MCAT scores. Why not call Baylor admissions office and see what their policy is to assure that your goal is realistic.

Also, if I were to retake this, would I still be okay to apply this May? What would you guys advise for the last day to take my MCAT be?

If you want the earliest possible consideration for an AMCAS school like Baylor, a late May MCAT date would be fine, as the application service doesn't send applications to med schools until the last week of June anyway. I don't know the timing for TMDSAS schools.

 

[TexasSurgeon]

I generally recommend that the MCAT only be taken when one is confident that they will score at or above their target, based on reliable resources. If you were applying in CA I would strongly suggest that you not re-take until your timed practice scores were consistently high. I have been told in these fora (but cannot verify) that TX schools don't care how many times you take the MCAT as long as the eventual score is high enough. If there is a TX school likely to break with the pack, it is probably Baylor, though.

It seems to me that the most selective AMCAS schools are the more likely to average multiple MCAT scores. Why not call Baylor admissions office and see what their policy is to assure that your goal is realistic.
If you want the earliest possible consideration for an AMCAS school like Baylor, a late May MCAT date would be fine, as the application service doesn't send applications to med schools until the last week of June anyway. I don't know the timing for TMDSAS schools.

I remember when I asked BCM one time that they look at the highest MCAT. As much as I would HATE to take the new exam, I don't want to have a crappy second score and redo this process to receive a third score.

If I did end up voiding the MCAT for 1/23, then I was hoping to take the new exam in August and have the summer to prepare for it. I hate this option as well, but I would rather have adequate time to redo it.

It just bothers me that the only thing in the world holding me back is this exam. I'm determined to do well on it, but I just don't want schools to look down on me unfavorably that I spent another summer just on the MCAT or that I'm applying too late or something.

 

[gyngyn]

I remember when I asked BCM one time that they look at the highest MCAT. As much as I would HATE to take the new exam, I don't want to have a crappy second score and redo this process to receive a third score.

If I did end up voiding the MCAT for 1/23, then I was hoping to take the new exam in August and have the summer to prepare for it. I hate this option as well, but I would rather have adequate time to redo it.

My only caution is that "look at" may mean something very different for the school than it means to the applicant. I can promise you that we too, will report as your score the highest score achieved (usually the last score). This does not take into account the fact that several sets of eyes have screened and and reviewed the whole application in order for your score to get to the point that it will be reported (in the aggregate, of course). No one can stop those viewers from seeing the "bad" scores.

 

[TexasSurgeon]

My only caution is that "look at" may mean something very different for the school than it means to the applicant. I can promise you that we too, will report as your score the highest score achieved (usually the last score). This does not take into account the fact that several sets of eyes have screened and and reviewed the whole application in order for your score to get to the point that it will be reported (in the aggregate, of course). No one can stop those viewers from seeing the the "bad" scores.

Wait could you elaborate on that a little bit? Do you mean that various people will consider the activities that were surrounding my MCAT tests in order to determine how "busy" I was during those times?

 

[gyngyn]

Wait could you elaborate on that a little bit? Do you mean that various people will consider the activities that were surrounding my MCAT tests in order to determine how "busy" I was during those times?

No, rather that all your MCAT scores will be visible to all reviewers. That will include screeners as well as interviewers (in open file interviews) and ultimately the committee members who vote on your admission. How each of them interprets the series of scores is guaranteed to be idiosyncratic and, thus unpredictable. One thing that is in your control is the number of data points that they will speculate upon: the fewer, the less room for unfortunate conclusions.

 

[connie95]

I remember when I asked BCM one time that they look at the highest MCAT. As much as I would HATE to take the new exam, I don't want to have a crappy second score and redo this process to receive a third score.

If I did end up voiding the MCAT for 1/23, then I was hoping to take the new exam in August and have the summer to prepare for it. I hate this option as well, but I would rather have adequate time to redo it.

It just bothers me that the only thing in the world holding me back is this exam. I'm determined to do well on it, but I just don't want schools to look down on me unfavorably that I spent another summer just on the MCAT or that I'm applying too late or something.

I'm not an adcom, so my opinion is probably not entirely reliable. But I feel that it would be better to be extremely confident about taking the new exam than taking the old one in an uncertain manner. I went and looked at all the 2015 books and they are very similar to the old MCAT's material. It seems to me that the difficulty comes from biochem and the length of the test…but you would have three months to build up that endurance.

If I were in your situation, I wouldn't risk taking the exam again until I was very sure I could score in my target range, especially since it's a retake. Schools may say they view your most recent MCAT score, but that doesn't mean that's all they will consider. I think @gyngyn is right... when compared to a similar applicant, adcoms will probably go with the student that did well on the MCAT once. How else can they differentiate btwn the two? If I were on an admissions committee, trying my best to eliminate candidates out of a huge applicant pool in a short time, a student that has retaken the MCAT 3-4 times would provide an easier way for me to do so =/