<125 mcat subsections cutoff autoscreen

[tictac3]

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[PossibleDOC?]

Most schools have a cutoff at 125, I suggest a retake if you think you can score that 125 in bio. It's going to be a red flag regardless because medicine is life science, bio is life science, you can't do life science according to that score (your gpa says otherwise but adcoms don't care). The MCAT is the most important so you may need to retake that

 

[tictac3]

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[PossibleDOC?]

That one low section is passable in psych/soc but not in the core sciences

 

[tictac3]

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[AnatomyGrey12]

The fact that it is in bio is more damning then the 123 itself. It is often regarded as the most indicative section. I don't get the 125 cutoff though, seeing as now a 125 is 55th percentile in the sciences and even 58th in CAR. My state MD school doesn't have a cutoff even close to that.

 

[PossibleDOC?]

@PossibleDOC? hmm yeah then good thing I'm planning a retake I guess haha idk how much of an expert you are but do you think I would still be a competitive DO applicant with my numbers as they stand now?

with a 123 bio honestly you should ask people like @Goro (sorry to pull you in here good sir) but honestly I think you need to wait and study really hard, the 123 shows content gaps that need to be repaired

 

[tictac3]

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[tictac3]

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[PossibleDOC?]

Just be safe, study hard and retake that should be your focus don't play with the low score here or there games just take it again and rock it (easier said then done i know)

 

[lnguyen1412]

I ask the admission counselor at WVSOM. He said that the most important score the school look at is the Bio. So while MCAT is 502, he said I have a strong mcat because my bio score is 128 along with my chemistry/physic 128 as well. I have 123 (~7) in cars and psych as well but he said the BIO score can compensate for that.

 

[Goro]

A 123 Bio school makes me question if the test taker learned anything at all.

with a 123 bio honestly you should ask people like @Goro (sorry to pull you in here good sir) but honestly I think you need to wait and study really hard, the 123 shows content gaps that need to be repaired

 

[Doctor_Strange]

I have read that CARS is the most looked at section, but this was from a US News article. I figure you should apply with those scores as long as you are not picky, i.e. apply broadly and accept anything...

 

[lnguyen1412]

I have read that CARS is the most looked at section, but this was from a US News article. I figure you should apply with those scores as long as you are not picky, i.e. apply broadly and accept anything...

I heard that as well. But the counselor said the core curriculum is bio based. I guess it depends on some schools

 

[Doctor_Strange]

I heard that as well. But the counselor said the core curriculum is bio based. I guess it depends on some schools

It sucks. I may end up a similar MCAT as OP, and if I was in his shoes I would have apply with that. Despite the tone of this thread, it seems people have been accepted with at least one section that is subpar, including C/P or B/B.

 

[lnguyen1412]

It sucks. I may end up a similar MCAT as OP, and if I was in his shoes I would have apply with that. Despite the tone of this thread, it seems people have been accepted with at least one section that is subpar, including C/P or B/B.

I have 2 below 125 sections lol. But they not the core sciences. That sucks indeed but I think OP can still apply. I already applied and been verified so we gonna see how this cycle goes.

What is your stats @Doctor_Strange

 

[Doctor_Strange]

I have 2 below 125 sections lol. But they not the core sciences. That sucks indeed but I think OP can still apply. I already applied and been verified so we gonna see how this cycle goes.

What is your stats @Doctor_Strange

Good luck to you then--we both are certifiably in the underdog category it would seem! I get my MCAT score next week (expecting a 501 or 502). My cGPA is 3.51 and sGPA is 3.47. But if AACOMAS verifies my app as I think it should be I may have a sGPA of 3.55. Strong LORs, average ECs, solid PS, top 10 liberal arts college. Basically, not picky where I go, but dream school is LECOM-B or PCOM-GA lol.

 

[lnguyen1412]

Good luck to you then--we both are certifiably in the underdog category it would seem! I get my MCAT score next week (expecting a 501 or 502). My cGPA is 3.51 and sGPA is 3.47. But if AACOMAS verifies my app as I think it should be I may have a sGPA of 3.55. Strong LORs, average ECs, solid PS, top 10 liberal arts college. Basically, not picky where I go, but dream school is LECOM-B or PCOM-GA lol.

Oh sound similar to mine.

cGPA is 3.54
sGPA is 3.36
Also Strong LORs and good ECs (2700 hours in paid tutoring, 120+ hours in volunteer, 100+ shadowing hours)
My dream school is LECOM and WVSOM with Tourou California

Good luck to both of us haha

 

[sharpstickie]

I have read that CARS is the most looked at section, but this was from a US News article. I figure you should apply with those scores as long as you are not picky, i.e. apply broadly and accept anything...

US news is a silly place... Like unto The Huffington Post

 

[Doctor_Strange]

US news is a silly place... Like unto The Huffington Post

https://www.aamc.org/download/410078/data/mcatacademicmedicinearticles.pdf

According to the AAMC it follows that importance is 1. Total score 2. Biology 3. Verbal 4. Chem/Phys, but each section is all weighted almost equally. This is pre-MCAT 2015 though..

 

[PossibleDOC?]

At the end of the day Anatomy and systems physiology comes down to Bio, most pre-meds are bio majors.......you should be doing well in the bio section otherwise your gpa looks like it was inflated. Just get the score up don't dance around it

 

[Mr. D.O.five]

C/P and Bio has become more relevant due to the 2015 MCAT transitioning more into biochemistry and biochemical aspects. CARS is largely the same. There is some coorelation studies with P/S section and med school courses by AAMC but i dont' know anything further in that regard.

 

[kkosp2451]

While I understand why bio has such a high emphasis, I wonder if adcoms take into account the variability between exams. My exam was very heavy on analytical data and biochem - there were some discretes that asked tidbits about human biology here and there, most of my passages were abstract concepts that you wouldn't find in any exam prep book. They were just LONG experimental passages. I feel like certain versions of the exam stray away from the true "biological science" concepts that med schools rely on the MCAT to test.

 

[Mr. D.O.five]

Biochemistry is a very important course in med school. There is a reason they added it into the new MCAT in such a large percentage of questions.

 

[AnatomyGrey12]

While I understand why bio has such a high emphasis, I wonder if adcoms take into account the variability between exams. My exam was very heavy on analytical data and biochem - there were some discretes that asked tidbits about human biology here and there, most of my passages were abstract concepts that you wouldn't find in any exam prep book. They were just LONG experimental passages. I feel like certain versions of the exam stray away from the true "biological science" concepts that med schools rely on the MCAT to test.

It doesn't matter, that's why the test is scaled. It is scaled to historical norms of someone who did how you did in relation to everyone else. In theory, you would get the same score regardless of the exam

 

[kkosp2451]

Biochemistry is a very important course in med school. There is a reason they added it into the new MCAT in such a large percentage of questions.

I understand that. However, anatomy, physio (especially physio) and genetics are also very important medical school courses. I would argue that physiology may be even more important that biochemistry because understanding the bodily processes and how they can go wrong requires an important understanding of physiology and basically forms the foundation of medical education. IMO, I think that understanding the Renin-AT-Aldosterone system is more important than knowing the structures of different carbohydrates. But again, just my opinion. While I get that biochemistry is important, I feel that a more "fair" exam would cover equal proportions of each area - but I suppose that like @AnatomyGrey12 mentioned, the curve does make up for this.

 

[Mr. D.O.five]

I understand that. However, anatomy, physio (especially physio) and genetics are also very important medical school courses. I would argue that physiology may be even more important that biochemistry because understanding the bodily processes and how they can go wrong requires an important understanding of physiology and basically forms the foundation of medical education. IMO, I think that understanding the Renin-AT-Aldosterone system is more important than knowing the structures of different carbohydrates. But again, just my opinion. While I get that biochemistry is important, I feel that a more "fair" exam would cover equal proportions of each area - but I suppose that like @AnatomyGrey12 mentioned, the curve does make up for this.

I agree, but remember they go into immense detail (med school level so doesn't get any detailed than that) for anatomy and physiology to the point the pre-studying for it is essentially useless. Biochemistry for most schools is only a one semester course and it's good to have a basis for it. Also, Biochemistry as a subject itself is very relevant to treatment of disease. All that pathophys and anatomy is taught from the ground up in med school. Unless youy are talking about the biochemistry passages and questions themselves in context of the MCAT, then I see your point because a good amount of the analysis is pretty irrelevant further down the years of med school.

 

[JB50]

A 123 Bio school makes me question if the test taker learned anything at all.

Was not expecting this lol goro with the one liners

 

[JB50]

I agree, but remember they go into immense detail (med school level so doesn't get any detailed than that) for anatomy and physiology to the point the pre-studying for it is essentially useless. Biochemistry for most schools is only a one semester course and it's good to have a basis for it. Also, Biochemistry as a subject itself is very relevant to treatment of disease. All that pathophys and anatomy is taught from the ground up in med school. Unless youy are talking about the biochemistry passages and questions themselves in context of the MCAT, then I see your point because a good amount of the analysis is pretty irrelevant further down the years of med school.

I felt the same way until I bumped my score up from a 503 to a 512 now I completely and wholeheartedly understand why the test is designed the way it is

 

[Mr. D.O.five]

I felt the same way until I bumped my score up from a 503 to a 512 now I completely and wholeheartedly understand why the test is designed the way it is

I get my score back today so here's to hoping I get a score around your re-take! I also had a 503 the first time around.

 

[JB50]

I felt the same way until I bumped my score up from a 503 to a 512 now I completely and wholeheartedly understand why the test is designed the way it is

I get my score back today so here's to hoping I get a score around your re-take! I also had a 503 the first time around.

Its a crapshoot. Let me know what you end up with!

 

[Neurality]

I can only speak to MSUCOM, LUCOM and DMUCOM but I received IIs with a 124 in the CPS section with a 503 overall. (124/125/128/128 was the breakdown.) I did not apply MD but they may have a cutoff below 125. Also, I've heard that a score below a 125 affects your score more than a score above 125. (i.e. I was 78th percentile in BIO and PSYCH sections and 62nd percentile in CARS but only a 45th percentile in CPS- my overall 503 was only a 63rd percentile 🤔)

 

[JB50]

I can only speak to MSUCOM, LUCOM and DMUCOM but I received IIs with a 124 in the CPS section with a 503 overall. (124/125/128/128 was the breakdown.) I did not apply MD but they may have a cutoff below 125. Also, I've heard that a score below a 125 affects your score more than a score above 125. (i.e. I was 78th percentile in BIO and PSYCH sections and 62nd percentile in CARS but only a 45th percentile in CPS- my overall 503 was only a 63rd percentile 🤔)

a 503 is 63rd percentile regardless if you got a 118 in a section.

 

[Neurality]

a 503 is 63rd percentile regardless if you got a 118 in a section.

I understand that but I'm saying a score below 125 must carry more weight because the combination of 124/125/128/128=505?... Also, two sections at 28(78th) above 50th percentile and a section at 12(62nd) above 50th percentile is that offset by a 5(45th) below 50th percentile? Just seemed odd.

 

[JB50]

I understand that but I'm saying a score below 125 must carry more weight because the combination of 124/125/128/128=505?... Also, two sections at 28(78th) above 50th percentile and a section at 12(62nd) above 50th percentile is that offset by a 5(45th) below 50th percentile? Just seemed odd.

Still confused. Think of 125 as zero. Any deviance from 500 is reflected by your sub 125 score or above 125. so, a 124=-1, 125=0, 128=+3, 128=+3. -1+3+3 = 5, hence 505. A 505 is blah blah percentile. I don't believe any section matters more than another in terms of how it affects your percentile. A 118,118, 132, 132 is still a 500 and a 56th percentile. Your cumulative total of all four sections is all that matters. Percentile of that cumulative score is standardized regardless of how you got it.

 

[InternistDO]

If it helps, OP, I got in to two schools and was waitlisted at a third with a 123 in bio and a lower GPA. I was actually never even asked about it.
My biochem and phys grades in med school are fine, too.

EDIT: Whoops, just saw this is 3 months old. Well to anyone who finds it helpful, I'll leave my response up.