Worth it to mention I didn't have Orgo II when I took the MCAT?

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Magnetek Blue

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So I hadn't taken Organic II when I took the MCAT. Is it worth mentioning in the "is there anything else you would like the adcom to know" section of my secondaries? It really only mattered on about 5-6 questions, but that could make a huge difference in my score.

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Not worth it in the slightest. Best case scenario is schools ignoring your excuse, worst case is them hammering you for not being prepared for such a big test. That's not such a great risk/reward gambit.
 
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I have a related question, is it wise to provide the context under which you prepared for the test namely -fulltime work and classes? The point is not to excuse a score (I'm content with my 31) but to provide context for the score.

Thanks
 
I have a related question, is it wise to provide the context under which you prepared for the test namely -fulltime work and classes? The point is not to excuse a score (I'm content with my 31) but to provide context for the score.

Thanks
do you have your work listed on the ECs section somewhere? if so, they can put 2 & 2 together.
 
My MCAT tested Org 1 only, zero questions from Org 2
 
do you have your work listed on the ECs section somewhere? if so, they can put 2 & 2 together.


Good point, don't state the obvious I guess.

Thanks
 
So I hadn't taken Organic II when I took the MCAT. Is it worth mentioning in the "is there anything else you would like the adcom to know" section of my secondaries? It really only mattered on about 5-6 questions, but that could make a huge difference in my score.

No. What sounds like justification to you sounds like excuses to the adcoms.
 
No, absolutely not. Sounds very immature/insecure if someone were to bring that up at an interview.
 
They'll just say "well, why did you take the MCAT before taking orgo 2? That was a dumb thing to do..."

And anything you say to justify that will just seem like excuses.
 
I agree. It will seem like you're making an excuse for your score whether you mean it that way or not. I got the flu two days before taking the MCAT, nothing I could do about that, but its not something I would mention to the admissions committee because I wouldn't want it to be taken the wrong way. Although that's just my opinion.
 
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I vote against mentioning it. If you're trying to show them that you are a good student, they should be able to see that with the transcript they get.
 
I have a related question, is it wise to provide the context under which you prepared for the test namely -fulltime work and classes? The point is not to excuse a score (I'm content with my 31) but to provide context for the score.

Thanks

Don't do this either.
 
yea they also might ask why you aren't retaking it


which could lead to bad bad things
 
After re-reading my last post, I realized that it does indeed sound really petty. It's just a s**tty situation, especially if I get my scores back and I get something like a 28-29. Then those few points I could've gained with orgo II would've made the difference between competitive and average. If only I had known earlier that I wanted to get into medicine...

There is not point dwelling on it or not, apply with the scores you get and if you get in somewhere great! If you don't then retake it after you complete Organic Chemistry 2 and apply again next cycle.
Think of that year break as the last fun truly free, fun year of your life.

Good luck!!:xf:
 
There's no such thing as a fun year-long break when you are responsible for your own living expenses. I can tell you right now that this year off due to reapplication is causing me far more problems than if I had just been accepted last cycle. In the end though, I can blame nobody but myself.
 
I guess maybe some more context would help. I decided to become pre-med in the middle of spring my senior year of college (2008), so I didn't exactly have a lot of time to take all of the courses covered on the MCAT. I took a year (including summer classes) of the med school pre-reqs in the 08-09 year, and then the MCAT this summer so I could apply for 2010. I wanted to take orgo II this summer, but it isn't offered. If I waited till I had taken orgo II this fall, I would've had a year and a half to waste, as I already have nothing to take this coming spring.

So the point is that I couldn't have taken the MCAT after organic II unless I wanted to have this spring and the entire next year with nothing to do.

I'm sure someone will suggest this, so I'll shoot it down now: I am broke and can't afford to travel. (I graduated, which means I have to pay back my student loans, and my job at the hospital pays me about $7.60/hr. ...not exactly great wages.)

Travel??!!

You could have gotten a job in the health care field. Your excuses sound lame to us, they are going to sound lamer to the adcoms. You are supposed to have the maturity to take the time you need to perfect your application.
 
Travel??!!

You could have gotten a job in the health care field. Your excuses sound lame to us, they are going to sound lamer to the adcoms. You are supposed to have the maturity to take the time you need to perfect your application.

Uh...are you oblivious to the current state of the job market? How easy do you think it is to just "get a job in the health care field." You say it like it's the easiest thing in the world.
 
def dont mention it! my MCAT only covered SN1 and SN2 reactions and that was the ONLY Orgo topic on there and they even gave me the freaking reaction mechanisms..lol

its weak excuse and the adcoms may very well judge you to be too immature for medical school if you cannot own up to your mistakes and not make excuses.
 
Definitely a horrible excuse. I didn't take Orgo 2 either. It will just show the adcom that you knew your deficiency and didn't do anything about it, i.e. self-study.
 
Uh...are you oblivious to the current state of the job market? How easy do you think it is to just "get a job in the health care field." You say it like it's the easiest thing in the world.

Seriously. For the first time in history, my county up in Michigan has a freeze on hiring doctors. Considering how desperate they usually are for them, that's pretty freaking intense.
 
We understand what your situation is and it legitimate. However, to address the question on whether or not to mention it I have to say no way for the reasons others have stated, plus the fact that almost all of the orgo tested on the MCAT is orgo 1. Orgo 2 is really just a ton of mechanisms. The only important conceptual topic is aromaticity, which some schools address in orgo 1. Since the MCAT doesn't require memorization of mechanisms, it will usually give the background info for a common orgo 2 reaction, then ask you questions that can be answered using orgo 1 concepts and passage info.

So unless an adcom asks you SPECIFICALLY why you're BS score was lacking, I'd steer clear. Even if they do ask, I'd say try your best to think of better reasons/excuses.

But then again you mentioned your scores haven't come in yet. Your BS score may turn out to be quite good, making this questions irrelevant for you in the long run. Very few people I know that have taken the MCAT were able to accurately predict their score. They often over or underestimate the score based on how the exam felt. I myself felt like I did pretty badly on a full length/atmosphere practice exam when in fact I got a 36 (though I'm almost sure I didn't get that high on the real thing). Until the scores come in, there's no point worrying about them since there's nothing you can do for now. I'm currently waiting for my scores as well (August 5th exam)...agonizing, isn't it?
 
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