The Official April 11, 2014 MCAT Thread

[txlonghorn2314]

This happens to fall on my birthday...don't know if that's a good thing or bad. Starting sn2d's 3 month program on Monday! I'm scared.

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[benjaminl1nus]

anyone else recovering from the world's worst hangover?

 

[Love_Cats_without_the_M]

I'm not saying out of staters can't get in, but it is exceedingly difficult. Schools like U of Mich is like a private school because they take about half of their class from out of state. For the most part if you are good enough to get into an out of state public school you would be good enough to get into a really good private school and would have had a MCAT greater than 30 anyway. I know alot of people who applied to med school this year with good grades and the only ones who have gotten in have had at least a 32 so it seems like it is becoming the unofficial cutoff for established schools.

I guess we will have to agree to disagree, I really do feel like it varies from state to state like @nctw said. We have to remember that East/West coast schools are very competitive, as for the midwest from individuals I know a 28-30 got them in.

 

[deanthedream17]

What state was this?

NJ

 

[Bbqchickenman]

NJ

Damn... I'm NY so I expect competition to be fierce for Public

 

[deejzy]

Hey everyone,

New member here, who just took the April 11 MCAT. I hate to say this, but did anyone think that our test was too easy? Specially, in a sense that our "curve" is going to be very steep? Also (this may have been addressed before, apologies if so) are the AAMC practice test curves legit? They were pretty steep as well.

 

[ZymurgySurfer]

I guess we will have to agree to disagree, I really do feel like it varies from state to state like @nctw said. We have to remember that East/West coast schools are very competitive, as for the midwest from individuals I know a 28-30 got them in.

From my experiences, it seems like many med schools are focusing less on "the numbers" in regards to their acceptance decision. Talking with doctors and researchers who have done interviews and been involved with the acceptance process it seems that schools are finally realizing that getting a 40 on the MCAT and having a 4.0 GPA means nothing if you can't communicate with patients effectively. I know for a fact that someone with a 22 recently got accepted to a state school. At the same time I know someone who had almost a 4.0, a 34 MCAT, and has done research at an ivy league university for almost two years and hasn't gotten an interview. Hitting a certain GPA/MCAT is necessary to survive the first cutoff, but I spoke with an anesthesiologist who sat on his alma mater's board and conducted interviews for a number of years who admitted that he never looked at one interviewee's test scores or grades.

 

[deanthedream17]

From my experiences, it seems like many med schools are focusing less on "the numbers" in regards to their acceptance decision. Talking with doctors and researchers who have done interviews and been involved with the acceptance process it seems that schools are finally realizing that getting a 40 on the MCAT and having a 4.0 GPA means nothing if you can't communicate with patients effectively. I know for a fact that someone with a 22 recently got accepted to a state school. At the same time I know someone who had almost a 4.0, a 34 MCAT, and has done research at an ivy league university for almost two years and hasn't gotten an interview. Hitting a certain GPA/MCAT is necessary to survive the first cutoff, but I spoke with an anesthesiologist who sat on his alma mater's board and conducted interviews for a number of years who admitted that he never looked at one interviewee's test scores or grades.

all I gotta say is once you apply you will realize how untrue this is. There is no doubt that you need a personality so if you act like a robot you are not going to be looked at seriously. However, these schools get literally thousands of apps they need to go by objective factors like the MCAT because there is much too many apps to get through in the time they have. After you reach that then yes the other stuff might be looked at but you gotta hit that score. That is what this disagreement is about.

 

[Bbqchickenman]

all I gotta say is once you apply you will realize how untrue this is. There is no doubt that you need a personality so if you act like a robot you are not going to be looked at seriously. However, these schools get literally thousands of apps they need to go by objective factors like the MCAT because there is much too many apps to get through in the time they have. After you reach that then yes the other stuff might be looked at but you gotta hit that score. That is what this disagreement is about.

On a side note i met with an admitted student yesterday at my grad program at Cornell. I looked at her resume beforehand and I was like wtf thiis is who were accepting?? I was unimpressed by her experiences/her messy resume, and unimpressed by her GPA. She must have done well enough on the GRE to get looked at despite these flaws, so there's dean's argument. But when i met with her she told me about her unique and relevant experiences. I threw some industry lingo at her and she was able to respond very intelligently and was extremely passionate about her thoughtful goals. I quickly realized she was better than many of the 4.0 students we have. So yeah it's not med school, but its still people, grades, communication skills and passion.

 

[deanthedream17]

On a different note. Why are people able too discuss the SAT on sites like college confidential, but not allowed to discuss the MCAT here? just curious.

 

[deanthedream17]

Hey everyone,

New member here, who just took the April 11 MCAT. I hate to say this, but did anyone think that our test was too easy? Specially, in a sense that our "curve" is going to be very steep? Also (this may have been addressed before, apologies if so) are the AAMC practice test curves legit? They were pretty steep as well.

I think it will be probably be about the same. The test may have just played to your strengths which made it appear easier. I know this time around I certainly felt like that because last year when I took the bio sections pretty much 4 of passages were research based (which I suck at) so I scored below my average. However, this time there was a lot of physiology and stuff that I was strong at because I TA it so I breezed through it.

 

[Love_Cats_without_the_M]

On a different note. Why are people able too discuss the SAT on sites like college confidential, but not allowed to discuss the MCAT here? just curious.

Im pretty sure its because they redistribute MCAT exams, so by discussing them others who take the exams will have a unfair advantage.

 

[deanthedream17]

Im pretty sure its because they redistribute MCAT exams, so by discussing them others who take the exams will have a unfair advantage.

I don't see how it would be so much different that the SAT or any other standardized exam. There is only so much to ask about i.e. limited question bank

 

[MCAT1982]

I guess we will have to agree to disagree, I really do feel like it varies from state to state like @nctw said. We have to remember that East/West coast schools are very competitive, as for the midwest from individuals I know a 28-30 got them in.

Hey..

From my experience I would say the admissions lean a lil on the score but the over all app is whats important than anything - I have a mid 20's MCAT and 4.0 and I applied to 7 schools - I have 1 acceptance and 3 wait lists so far.
So everyone - be positive - its not just your scores that matter.

Cheers.

 

[Chimichica]

Ugh anyone else feel like that round on Friday was rough...like wtf! Oh and I was so exhausted because of Life butting in and keeping me up the prior night that I mistook the verbal section for the biology section at the first 2-3 passages so I hope that didn't screw me over. Oh and its just so happened that most of the topics im weakest in were heavily present on the test. So...next stop, October test date.

 

[Chimichica]

its just so unfair, there are so many topics to cover in each discipline how am I suppose to master every chapter in physics, bio, orgo, pchem and do verbal. Its just too much. But Im no quitter so I guess I will just have to keep on truckin along

 

[TheBoneDoctah]

its just so unfair, there are so many topics to cover in each discipline how am I suppose to master every chapter in physics, bio, orgo, pchem and do verbal. Its just too much. But Im no quitter so I guess I will just have to keep on truckin along

How do you "mistake" the verbal for bio? And how it it unfair? Everyone has the same test

 

[deanthedream17]

its just so unfair, there are so many topics to cover in each discipline how am I suppose to master every chapter in physics, bio, orgo, pchem and do verbal. Its just too much. But Im no quitter so I guess I will just have to keep on truckin along

How do you expect to be able to handle medical school if you can't achieve a intermediate mastery of the basic sciences?

 

[deanthedream17]

Hey..

From my experience I would say the admissions lean a lil on the score but the over all app is whats important than anything - I have a mid 20's MCAT and 4.0 and I applied to 7 schools - I have 1 acceptance and 3 wait lists so far.
So everyone - be positive - its not just your scores that matter.

Cheers.

.

 

[MCAT1982]

Allopathic? and are you a URM?

MD and DO - not URM

 

[farnell]

PS - did not think it was too bad. I had to guess on a few, but overall I thought the topics were very representative of the AAMC FL material. Was a little more rushed than usual, but I think I was just a little nervous. Guessing an 11 but who knows.
Verbal - Felt really good about this section. There were two difficult passages but the other 5 were manageable. The two difficult passages were BORING. One of them could have been about paint drying and I would have enjoyed it more. Don't think I got lower than a 10.
Bio - Sounds like this was everyones best section, but I thought it was the toughest one. Anyone else with me? There were definitely some gimmies but I was caught of guard by a bunch of questions too. No idea what i scored.

Going to be a long month!

 

[Chimichica]

How do you "mistake" the verbal for bio? And how it it unfair? Everyone has the same test

ugh whatever dude. mastery of the sciences as you say has nothing to do with being a strong student, not everyone is a good test taker. but ill let you condescending remarks slide **cough, cough ** but nonetheless my opinion is just that mine (mine mine mine) hehe no hard feelings bro. anyway everything that could go wrong did for me that day...barring someone dying. and with exhaustion depleting my brain, yea I mistook verbal for bio for like the first couple passages but oh well. I can only do better. Hmm maybe I actually marked all the right answers, that would be awesome!!!

 

[TheBoneDoctah]

ugh whatever dude. mastery of the sciences as you say has nothing to do with being a strong student, not everyone is a good test taker. but ill let you condescending remarks slide **cough, cough ** but nonetheless my opinion is just that mine (mine mine mine) hehe no hard feelings bro. anyway everything that could go wrong did for me that day...barring someone dying. and with exhaustion depleting my brain, yea I mistook verbal for bio for like the first couple passages but oh well. I can only do better. Hmm maybe I actually marked all the right answers, that would be awesome!!!

How was what I wrote condescending? I was making a true statement. If everyone takes the same exam, then everyone has the same chance.

 

[deanthedream17]

How was what I wrote condescending? I was making a true statement. If everyone takes the same exam, then everyone has the same chance.

She may have mistook me for you, but I wasn't directing my comment at her just in general. You need to be able to be a good test taker if you want to be a doctor since your going to be taking a lot of them your entire life. My dad is almost 70 and is studying for his renewal of his surgical boards.

 

[TheBoneDoctah]

She may have mistook me for you, but I wasn't directing my comment at her just in general. You need to be able to be a good test taker if you want to be a doctor since your going to be taking a lot of them your entire life. My dad is almost 70 and is studying for his renewal of his surgical boards.

Your dad = boss

 

[PKA<0]

PS- probably did bad for me... I scored in the 11-13 range on AAMCs, but I took too long to answer the passages so I'm thinking maybe a 10-11. I recall solving a problem going to click the correct answer and running out of time. Very demoralizing and I'm still thinking about it
VR -was unusually straightforward. I fluctuated very much in this section 8-12 on my AAMCs. I feel I did on the upper end of this.
BS- I scored an 11 every time on the AAMCs and that is what I expect from this section. a couple dumb mistakes I know I made but I did that every time.

32-34 and Ill be a very happy person. Any less and its probably going to be a retake due to a lower GPA.

 

[John2448]

When's day 30???

 

[lpp06]

When's day 30???

May 13th is the projected score release date

 

[kayleel0ve]

ugh whatever dude. mastery of the sciences as you say has nothing to do with being a strong student, not everyone is a good test taker. but ill let you condescending remarks slide **cough, cough ** but nonetheless my opinion is just that mine (mine mine mine) hehe no hard feelings bro. anyway everything that could go wrong did for me that day...barring someone dying. and with exhaustion depleting my brain, yea I mistook verbal for bio for like the first couple passages but oh well. I can only do better. Hmm maybe I actually marked all the right answers, that would be awesome!!!

Wait but actually. How did you not know the order of the test? Serious question haha

 

[kayleel0ve]

NJ

Yeah, I believe you. The competition is insane. Most people I know in med school only got that one acceptance, so it makes you thnk, what if they just hadn't applied to that particular school? They wouldn't have gotten in anywhere. It's making me want to apply to a lot of schools but it's going to be very expensive :/

 

[deanthedream17]

Yeah, I believe you. The competition is insane. Most people I know in med school only got that one acceptance, so it makes you thnk, what if they just hadn't applied to that particular school? They wouldn't have gotten in anywhere. It's making me want to apply to a lot of schools but it's going to be very expensive :/

Applying to a lot of schools is not essential. It is all about school selection. Only apply to schools where your GPA and MCAT are in the 50 percentile range. Blindly applying because you think your higher GPA is going to combat a lower MCAT does not work because there is a reason for your app to be denied but if both scores are competitive than you should get interviews.

 

[jcb123]

So question for u guys..... I know that the scale is already predetermined before the mcat is administered, but do you guys think it would be similar to the practice tests? All of the aamc FLs had about the same number of incorrect pertaining to certain scores give or take one or two. Just curious

 

[Chimichica]

Wait but actually. How did you not know the order of the test? Serious question haha

haha brain fart i guess... i do know the order of the test i switched them (p,b,v) when I did all my studying because i felt more comfortable studying that way. bad idea.
"From synapticDoctah- How was what I wrote condescending? I was making a true statement. If everyone takes the same exam, then everyone has the same chance. "
-yes even though everyone has the same chance, life is not a vacuum, things affected me (obviously my mental and physical were out of tune) but i guess that is the part you choose to dismiss (lol life happens to people) im not too bummed, there is always another chance to do better.

She may have mistook me for you, but I wasn't directing my comment at her just in general. You need to be able to be a good test taker if you want to be a doctor since your going to be taking a lot of them your entire life. My dad is almost 70 and is studying for his renewal of his surgical boards.

I understand what you are saying. I usually am a decent test taker, but that was due to most of my exams being in paper form. I have really awesome skills for paper testing. But i know that CBT testing is pretty much standard now. Im just not that great at this test for some reason, but then again there is always room for improvment. My SAT and ASCP tests were cake walks. But i think my nerves play a big role. Since I have wanted this since like 6 yrs old, i think the fact that im so close but yet so far kills me and psychs me out. Anyway I will fine tune my study habits and try again.

 

[lpp06]

So question for u guys..... I know that the scale is already predetermined before the mcat is administered, but do you guys think it would be similar to the practice tests? All of the aamc FLs had about the same number of incorrect pertaining to certain scores give or take one or two. Just curious

It will vary. The total number of questions for the scale will be reduced because the experimental questions of each section will not count (PS will have a total of less than 52/54 scored questions, VR less than 40, BS less than 52/54). Based on the fact we don't know how many experimentals each section has, it's impossible to predict which number of correct questions will correlate to which score.

 

[drpm2018]

I too thought the test was too easy... Makes me nervous!!! Only one passage on the PS got me tripped up. VR was easy, but some of the questions were worded weird/ very cleverly!!! BS was a breeze! Biochem helped a ton! I highly recommend taking it before the MCAT!! We shall see in about a month if I feel the same haha

 

[jcb123]

It will vary. The total number of questions for the scale will be reduced because the experimental questions of each section will not count (PS will have a total of less than 52/54 scored questions, VR less than 40, BS less than 52/54). Based on the fact we don't know how many experimentals each section has, it's impossible to predict which number of correct questions will correlate to which score.

I thought the only experimental questions where the trial section.
I didn't realize they where in the actual test aswell

 

[kl0117]

I don't think there are experimental questions in the actual mcat exam. More likely the curve is predetermined and they take time to administer scores due to fluctuations with each testing center (complaints, power outages (this happened to someone I know) as well as doing their own statistical analysis of the results. Maybe if the results do not match their predetermined predication of difficulty they readjust the curve.

 

[deanthedream17]

I too thought the test was too easy... Makes me nervous!!! Only one passage on the PS got me tripped up. VR was easy, but some of the questions were worded weird/ very cleverly!!! BS was a breeze! Biochem helped a ton! I highly recommend taking it before the MCAT!! We shall see in about a month if I feel the same haha

I wonder if you and I found the same passage difficult in PS...

 

[lpp06]

I don't think there are experimental questions in the actual mcat exam. More likely the curve is predetermined and they take time to administer scores due to fluctuations with each testing center (complaints, power outages (this happened to someone I know) as well as doing their own statistical analysis of the results. Maybe if the results do not match their predetermined predication of difficulty they readjust the curve.

Definitely some experimentals in each section

https://www.aamc.org/students/download/63060/data/mcatessentials.pdf

Pg. 6

 

[jcb123]

Definitely some experimentals in each section

https://www.aamc.org/students/download/63060/data/mcatessentials.pdf

Pg. 6

We'll that answers my question!
It probably shouldn't but it sort of gave me a new hope for how I did. Especially in PS which I found a bit more brutal than the FLs

 

[Bbqchickenman]

We'll that answers my question!
It probably shouldn't but it sort of gave me a new hope for how I did. Especially in PS which I found a bit more brutal than the FLs

If YOU found PS brutal.... I'm skrewed. You were hitting 12-14s on practice tests... I am yet to break 11 on PS on AAMC (except for 9 which was too easy on PS)

 

[jcb123]

If YOU found PS brutal.... I'm skrewed. You were hitting 12-14s on practice tests... I am yet to break 11 on PS on AAMC (except for 9 which was too easy on PS)

NOooo don't think like that. My PS section was by far my least consistent and the test just didn't hit areas I focused on when I studied. plus I don't think everyone gets the same exam but idk.
you studied, don't worry.

 

[TheBoneDoctah]

NOooo don't think like that. My PS section was by far my least consistent and the test just didn't hit areas I focused on when I studied. plus I don't think everyone gets the same exam but idk.
you studied, don't worry.

Everyone gets the same exam on a said test day.

 

[drpm2018]

I wonder if you and I found the same passage difficult in PS...

Haha probably, but we can't talk about it or men with suits will come abduct us. I've already been accepted into a med school but I wanted one more crack at it before going down the rabbit hole. I sincerely hope my score is better, because it felt like it.

 

[jcb123]

Everyone gets the same exam on a said test day.

ohhh ok. thanks. either way whats done is done no point in worrying

 

[kl0117]

Okay, def not liking this experiment bs. So, I'm wondering if a whole damn passage is experimental and say I kicked some booty.. i'm not awarded for that whatsoever? Having trouble finding straight answers about this. Is it entire passages or like 1-2 questions / test? What do you guys think. They definitely do have experimentals ... Found this in another thread. https://twitter.com/AAMC_MCAT/status/359670931242745856

 

[deejzy]

Hi kl0117,

I did some searching myself as I think I "bombed" a section (looking back, the questions I missed were very tricky, but very easy) in the PS section, but, unfortunately, it appears that no one really knows. I have read blogs where test-takers feel as though an entire passage was beyond the expected difficulty of the exam, and they were quick to assume that the passage and accompanying questions must be experimental. There isn't any confirmation of this, however. The mysteriousness surrounding the quantification of every aspect of the MCAT is really remarkable.

 

[deejzy]

With that said, I already know I missed 4 on PS and 3 on BS (late nights of the brain running through questions), so I am planning to re-take in May. I think this time I will approach the exam with the mindset of "how is this question designed to trick me?" instead of rushing through the exam to make sure I have extra time at the end. I think the psychometricians who design the exam know that the test taker will feel "rushed" and they certainly take advantage of this when posing questions (in many cases, traps). The exam really isn't as content based as I would have hoped; it is very much a test of logic. Just my two cents.

 

[PKA<0]

With that said, I already know I missed 4 on PS and 3 on BS (late nights of the brain running through questions), so I am planning to re-take in May. I think this time I will approach the exam with the mindset of "how is this question designed to trick me?" instead of rushing through the exam to make sure I have extra time at the end. I think the psychometricians who design the exam know that the test taker will feel "rushed" and they certainly take advantage of this when posing questions (in many cases, traps). The exam really isn't as content based as I would have hoped; it is very much a test of logic. Just my two cents.

You might not have missed much more than that. I'm in the same boat with knowing I missed a couple. But missing up to 6 questions usually means a 12 in that section. Hopefully you won't have to retake.

 

[zinthafan]

Do we all really have the same test? I know some of our experimentals might be a little different. I'm asking in regards to verbal and ps both of which I thought were pretty straight forward and honestly a little bit easy. I looked this up and it says that AAMC says that we all get the same tests--- but doesn't like Kaplan, PR say that we DON'T all get the same test?
I understand some of our experimentals might be a little different so like a passage or two, but I honestly thought my PS was SO easy (in comparison to what I expected) and I have such a hard time believing that others would think that it was as hard as I heard people describe it.

I'm so anxious about my score too! I don't want to retake (MCAT studying time was horrid) but what if the test is curved to bring us all down (because so many people thought it was easy) or is there really like a "pre-set" curve that I'm reading about online? AAMC descriptions of what the test is like could be super ambivalent too.

I'm worried about having to retake because then I might not be able to apply this cycle! Did a lot of other people sign up for a retake already (just in case) who are planning to apply this cycle?
I looked online and there's not a single spot open in my state or the state next to mine for May or June!

 

[kayleel0ve]

Applying to a lot of schools is not essential. It is all about school selection. Only apply to schools where your GPA and MCAT are in the 50 percentile range. Blindly applying because you think your higher GPA is going to combat a lower MCAT does not work because there is a reason for your app to be denied but if both scores are competitive than you should get interviews.

Okay. Thanks for the advice!