16 on the MCAT, should I submit AMCAS or not yet

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simpleman

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I have everything ready for the AMCAS. Should I submit although I got a 16 on my april MCAT exam? Will I get secondaries or not at all. Should I wait till I retake it in August and then submit. Thank you guys
 
You'll get secondaries, they don't screen for those. But I'd say save your time and money and retake the MCAT. That's your best bet.
 
simpleman said:
I have everything ready for the AMCAS. Should I submit although I got a 16 on my april MCAT exam? Will I get secondaries or not at all. Should I wait till I retake it in August and then submit. Thank you guys


Wait..retake.
 
agreed, dont waste your money
 
akaz said:
Wait..retake.
I'd have to agree. It might seem like a good idea to go ahead and apply in order to get the secondary done early - which can work if you have a marginal score that you plan to improve. With an unacceptable score, however, a school may reject you without waiting for the August score - even if you have it marked on your AMCAS that you're going to re-take. That may be unfair, but I've seen it happen. And, if you're rejected, you're done for the year with that school no matter what your August score is.
 
Don't submit, you won't get accepted with a 16.
 
simpleman said:
I have everything ready for the AMCAS. Should I submit although I got a 16 on my april MCAT exam? Will I get secondaries or not at all. Should I wait till I retake it in August and then submit. Thank you guys
Some colleges screen, but the majority of them don't. You'll get secondaries, but to be even considered, you need to raise that MCAT score. Unfortunately, a 16 doesn't get you into med school.
 
Whatever you do, do not submit unless you feel totally confident that you will improve your score. I say this because if you submit and do not improve your score in August you will not get in and you will be considered as a re-applicant next cycle. So the best bet is take the test, if you feel good about it, then take a risk and submit.
 
KatdyerA1A said:
Whatever you do, do not submit unless you feel totally confident that you will improve your score. I say this because if you submit and do not improve your score in August you will not get in and you will be considered as a re-applicant next cycle. So the best bet is take the test, if you feel good about it, then take a risk and submit.

To be realistic, if you don't improve your score you have no shot at ever getting into a DO or MD school. I am not being mean. Of those posted on MD applicants.com there were only 2 people who even got into a DO school with sub 20's.

On another subject, like the above post, I have seen a lot of people with the idea that being a re-applicant carries with it some stigma.

The average entering medical student is over the age of 24. Since most people graduate college around 22, a very significant portion of each school will be comprised of reapplicants. The deans of admissions that I have talked to have given me the idea that is actually a good thing since it shows perserverance and drive. So becoming a re-applicant should be your last concern.

To the OP, dont apply until you get the scores back. You'll only get those secondaries that are automatically sent out. You might want to look into DO schools, that or double your MCATs.
 
simpleman said:
I have everything ready for the AMCAS. Should I submit although I got a 16 on my april MCAT exam? Will I get secondaries or not at all. Should I wait till I retake it in August and then submit. Thank you guys

i think you definately have a good shot as long as u have good ECs. try applying to the schools under the upper mid tier thread
 
You should take a year off and study for the MCAT and retake it. People always say patients is a virtue.
 
I think you should also take a year off. Take Aug MCAT, but like others have said, make sure you're CONFIDENT you can boost your score in a major way! If Aug MCAT is not quite high enough then you can take AGAIN in April next year. If your score was "marginal" oh say, 23-26, I'd say apply before taking Aug MCAT, but 16 is just TOO LOW for MD or DO.

I had a 25 before taking Aug MCAT and was scared to death, but I studied A LOT HARDER and knew I could improve and got a 29.
 
simpleman said:
I have everything ready for the AMCAS. Should I submit although I got a 16 on my april MCAT exam? Will I get secondaries or not at all. Should I wait till I retake it in August and then submit. Thank you guys

Did you not have enough time to study? Unless you can get at least a 28-29 then I suggest you wait a year... But definitely don't apply unless you can bring it up big in August. (The safe thing to do is wait and go do something for a year. Maybe a masters or Post-Bac because something went wrong).
 
retake....

If the MCAT score does not really reflect your abilities......retake in August and proceed. However, if you studied for the thing and still got only 16....you might want to wait to apply.

I'm not discouraging you, people can dramatically go up.....just don't waste all that money, ect unless you think you have a good shot at DO or MD.
 
simpleman said:
I have everything ready for the AMCAS. Should I submit although I got a 16 on my april MCAT exam? Will I get secondaries or not at all. Should I wait till I retake it in August and then submit. Thank you guys

For the sake of reiteration, take the MCAT exam again. What did you do to study before you took the exam? Also, you will want to take a Kaplan prep course, since with a score of 16, you probably need a bit of assistance in understanding the concepts. Anyways, with hard work you will surely be able to gain entry into a Medical school, even if not in the US (Caribbean medical schools). Good luck.
 
Assuming this isn't a troll - why did you get the 16? If there was no extrinsic reason (eg you lost consciousness mid MCAT) I would strongly consider NOT retaking the test. Raising the MCAT score 5-7 points with a lot of studying is possible, but raising it 15 points is just not realistic.

You may need to explore other health care professions as options.
 
Thank you my friend for your advice. I studied so hard for this exam and took a PR course and took 15 exams scores ranging from 20-29. I dont know what happened in april; i dont have anxiety and as a matter of fact, i really like to take the exam. I am always enthusiastic towards the exam becuase i see it as a puzzle that needs to be solved. I am a minor and my english abilities are not that strong and thats why I ended up with a 3 on VR, 7PS, and 6BS. My problem is reading slow and comprehension in verbal. I will retake the test in August and see what is there for me. I was really depressed when I saw my score, but life sometimes is unfair.

I have a 3.7CGPA and a 3.65 science GPA and my chances are really slim. I am thinking about carribean but I dont want to go there. After all, I moved to the US to stay and live in the US not to move out of it. Both my parents are MDs and they want me to have a MD, not a DO, for some reason, they wont pary for my expenses in Med School if I dont get the MD. Do your recommend Carribean and what about DO, do you think there are disadvantages on both Carribean and DO. I really appreciate all your inputs.

Thanks.
 
simpleman said:
Thank you my friend for your advice. I studied so hard for this exam and took a PR course and took 15 exams scores ranging from 20-29. I dont know what happened in april; i dont have anxiety and as a matter of fact, i really like to take the exam. I am always enthusiastic towards the exam becuase i see it as a puzzle that needs to be solved. I am a minor and my english abilities are not that strong and thats why I ended up with a 3 on VR, 7PS, and 6BS. My problem is reading slow and comprehension in verbal. I will retake the test in August and see what is there for me. I was really depressed when I saw my score, but life sometimes is unfair.

I have a 3.7CGPA and a 3.65 science GPA and my chances are really slim. I am thinking about carribean but I dont want to go there. After all, I moved to the US to stay and live in the US not to move out of it. Both my parents are MDs and they want me to have a MD, not a DO, for some reason, they wont pary for my expenses in Med School if I dont get the MD. Do your recommend Carribean and what about DO, do you think there are disadvantages on both Carribean and DO. I really appreciate all your inputs.

Thanks.

That opens up a WHOLE new topic....one that has been discussed countless times on SDN and usually gets ugly. Regardless, you really need to retake the exam. A 16 won't get you near a DO school. The avg. is 25, with several around 28. The Carib could be a viable last resort if you really can't get near the mid 20's....and you will get the precious MD for your parents.
 
simpleman said:
Thank you my friend for your advice. I studied so hard for this exam and took a PR course and took 15 exams scores ranging from 20-29. I dont know what happened in april; i dont have anxiety and as a matter of fact, i really like to take the exam. I am always enthusiastic towards the exam becuase i see it as a puzzle that needs to be solved. I am a minor and my english abilities are not that strong and thats why I ended up with a 3 on VR, 7PS, and 6BS. My problem is reading slow and comprehension in verbal. I will retake the test in August and see what is there for me. I was really depressed when I saw my score, but life sometimes is unfair.

I have a 3.7CGPA and a 3.65 science GPA and my chances are really slim. I am thinking about carribean but I dont want to go there. After all, I moved to the US to stay and live in the US not to move out of it. Both my parents are MDs and they want me to have a MD, not a DO, for some reason, they wont pary for my expenses in Med School if I dont get the MD. Do your recommend Carribean and what about DO, do you think there are disadvantages on both Carribean and DO. I really appreciate all your inputs.

Thanks.

You really need to buckle down and increase your English reading comprehension/speed. Otherwise it will be impossible for you to pass the test let alone become a practicing physician in this country.
 
Taus said:
That opens up a WHOLE new topic....one that has been discussed countless times on SDN and usually gets ugly. Regardless, you really need to retake the exam. A 16 won't get you near a DO school. The avg. is 25, with several around 28. The Carib could be a viable last resort if you really can't get near the mid 20's....and you will get the precious MD for your parents.

Even the avg. for Caribbean schools is about 25 I think. So definitely retake it and do not apply until then. I guess you could try, but I would probably suggest to save your money to apply then.
 
Flopotomist said:
Assuming this isn't a troll - why did you get the 16? If there was no extrinsic reason (eg you lost consciousness mid MCAT) I would strongly consider NOT retaking the test. Raising the MCAT score 5-7 points with a lot of studying is possible, but raising it 15 points is just not realistic.

You may need to explore other health care professions as options.
don't be so mean
 
Dude, forget a United States MD, a DO, a Carribean MD, an RN or for that matter an LPN in any first world country. With a 16 on the MCAT after an intense period of cramming, you need some supplemental career training which I will now administer. Repeat after me............

You want fries with that?


simpleman said:
I have everything ready for the AMCAS. Should I submit although I got a 16 on my april MCAT exam? Will I get secondaries or not at all. Should I wait till I retake it in August and then submit. Thank you guys
 
Psycho Doctor said:
don't be so mean

Thank you. Its ok for people to say that. If I have seen someone else with this score, I would be like what a looser. Its all cool. Last semester, I had 22 credits in school plus I had TPR, plus doing research, plus Teaching SAT Math, so I think all of these factors had an impact on my score. I am really focused on studying now and please pray for me everyone. I believe in prayers.
 
your best shot at med school is your first shot. study hard and retake the MCAT. get above a 27 (hopefully 30+) and apply next year or later (as needed). don't waste your money and your time this year.
 
Your not a loser. With a 3.75ish GPA, your no dummy.
I would say retake, and if you score high enough......take the risk and go for it. People can judge you all they want, but if you get into medical school, they won't have much else to say. So work hard, and go for it!

However, I don't suggest you do this to please your parents. When they are gone, your the one who has to deal with the decisions you made because of them! :scared:
 
simpleman said:
Thank you. Its ok for people to say that. If I have seen someone else with this score, I would be like what a looser. Its all cool. Last semester, I had 22 credits in school plus I had TPR, plus doing research, plus Teaching SAT Math, so I think all of these factors had an impact on my score. I am really focused on studying now and please pray for me everyone. I believe in prayers.

Stay strong. I am retaking once again.....however, my problem is poor test-taking skills...major anxiety. Keep perservering and take 5-6 hrs until the August test. BEST OF :luck: :luck:
PS I feel your pain. My parents (dad) thinks I am wasting time retaking, re-applying this year, etc. Sometimes I get anxious about time alone, but you must stay focused and this experience will make you a better applicant and physician.
 
Learfan said:
Dude, forget a United States MD, a DO, a Carribean MD, an RN or for that matter an LPN in any first world country. With a 16 on the MCAT after an intense period of cramming, you need some supplemental career training which I will now administer. Repeat after me............

You want fries with that?

don't be an @ss... I'm sure there are a lot of people out there that got scores similar to the OP's but don't have the courage to go to an internet forum and ask for advice from other pre-meds. your comment is un-necessary as the OP understands the score is not good enough yet. Some people really have a hard time when it comes to the REAL thing no matter how hard practice tests are.

Don't give up OP-- I think you need to re-take before exploring fast food jobs 🙄. If you truly want to be a doctor, getting that MCAT score up will be a must, but don't let ANYONE tell you you're not good enough for your dream, especially jerks like this guy on an internet forum. :luck:
 
strawberryfield said:
don't be an @ss... I'm sure there are a lot of people out there that got scores similar to the OP's but don't have the courage to go to an internet forum and ask for advice from other pre-meds. your comment is un-necessary as the OP understands the score is not good enough yet. Some people really have a hard time when it comes to the REAL thing no matter how hard practice tests are.

Don't give up OP-- I think you need to re-take before exploring fast food jobs 🙄. If you truly want to be a doctor, getting that MCAT score up will be a must, but don't let ANYONE tell you you're not good enough for your dream, especially jerks like this guy on an internet forum. :luck:

Thank you for your kind words. It is much appreciated.
 
gapotts2003 said:
You really need to buckle down and increase your English reading comprehension/speed. Otherwise it will be impossible for you to pass the test let alone become a practicing physician in this country.

I agree, you really need to improve your English. I know it's difficult; English is one of the hardest languages to learn. But until you have a good handle on grammar and decent reading/comprehension skills, you will always be at a serious disadvantage on standardized tests in the US. I had a friend in high school whose first language was Russian. She had no accent, but she never learned English grammar properly, and her standardized test scores were always low. It was incredibly frustrating for her because she was a very smart girl, yet her scores didn't show that. Could you take a year off to immerse yourself in some upper-level English courses? Have you talked to any English professors, or an ESL instructor about reaching a more advanced level in English? Good luck, and I hope things work out for you.
 
Flopotomist said:
Assuming this isn't a troll - why did you get the 16? If there was no extrinsic reason (eg you lost consciousness mid MCAT) I would strongly consider NOT retaking the test. Raising the MCAT score 5-7 points with a lot of studying is possible, but raising it 15 points is just not realistic.

You may need to explore other health care professions as options.

That's a good point. Not everyone is capable of scoring high enough on the MCAT to enter med school- no shame in that- just reality. Many other interesting professions in the medical field.
 
I simply have to say shame on you for all those who are replying negatively towards this person's journey. No a 16 on the MCAT wont get you anywhere, but you forget to take into account that this person is not a native speaker. Having lived in another country I can understand how hard it can be. Honestly, I agree that you should try some upper level English courses and then retake. Perhaps join a poetry group or a theatre troupe and keep practicing your understanding. If you have the dream and the desire you will accomplish anything you want.
 
absolutanjul said:
I simply have to say shame on you for all those who are replying negatively towards this person's journey. No a 16 on the MCAT wont get you anywhere, but you forget to take into account that this person is not a native speaker. Having lived in another country I can understand how hard it can be. Honestly, I agree that you should try some upper level English courses and then retake. Perhaps join a poetry group or a theatre troupe and keep practicing your understanding. If you have the dream and the desire you will accomplish anything you want.


Thank you for the encouragment.
 
absolutanjul said:
I simply have to say shame on you for all those who are replying negatively towards this person's journey. No a 16 on the MCAT wont get you anywhere, but you forget to take into account that this person is not a native speaker. Having lived in another country I can understand how hard it can be. Honestly, I agree that you should try some upper level English courses and then retake. Perhaps join a poetry group or a theatre troupe and keep practicing your understanding. If you have the dream and the desire you will accomplish anything you want.
There is no shame in being realistic. We are not trying to "crush somebody" on their journey - but rather give realistic advice. Shame on you for giving somebody false hope that will cost them thousands of dollars and years of their life without considering the reality that the peron may be on the wrong journey.
 
Isn't a 3 on the VR section below the score you would get if you randomly guessed on everything? It's outta 4 choices right? so 25% overall, but I don't know what that scales to. Seems like BS. I went over the AAMC score table and its harder to get a 3 then it is to get a 13...

Anyway, what if you went to a medschool in a country that speaks your native language?

Good luck with it though. One of my friends is in a similar situation, but he's a native english speaker and barely making it through college right now. The pressure from the Dr. parents can really suck.
 
Sounds off to me for some reason. A 3.6+ GPA in science should merit a decent score on the BS at least, even physics, but it is very understandable about the VR. Nevertheless, it is something that you must just work thru. So the least you can do is retake it and take it from there. If it goes well then you are on your way, if not, there is always the CBT you can try, or you can consider other options.

I am still debating on retaking it to this August, and I have yet to decide. But best of luck!
 
As everyone else said...retake. If you don't see at least some improvement might want to look into alternatives. It doesn't mean you are stupid or the like..just that it isn't your calling. A 16 MIGHT get you a chance at a few mid level carib schools...The big ones are a little tougher since even they are in the 18+ range usually. Don't give up hope just work your ass off and retake it ..maybe it was one of those fluke days where nothing clicked...it happens. If you don't get a 25 or above though then, while It isn' timpossible it will be very very difficult to get in at most places and you'll need to canvas the country with apps.
 
Simpleman, don't give up. It's true that significantly boosting one's MCAT score is very hard to do, but it's not the rule, and if you really want it bad enough then you can be the exception.

You're obviously no idiot with a 3.7 GPA. Work on your English, this is the most important issue. Study the BS and PS much harder this time as well, and make sure you know the material by studying old MCAT questions. Take the test again; you'll know what to expect this time around and should do better.
 
rouge et noir said:
Simpleman, don't give up. It's true that significantly boosting one's MCAT score is very hard to do, but it's not the rule, and if you really want it bad enough then you can be the exception.

This is a misconception. When they say it's hard to improve your score, it's for people retaking the MCAT at the next administration of the exam and without analyzing and fixing the problem that is leading to the low score. So, just simply taking the exam and hoping that you will get a higher score doesn't work. Changing your study habits and your approach to preparing for the MCAT will work.
 
simpleman said:
Thank you. Its ok for people to say that. If I have seen someone else with this score, I would be like what a looser. Its all cool. Last semester, I had 22 credits in school plus I had TPR, plus doing research, plus Teaching SAT Math, so I think all of these factors had an impact on my score. I am really focused on studying now and please pray for me everyone. I believe in prayers.

Now I can understand. No worries, it isn't the end. If you are determined enough to get a better score, then you will do it. Good luck. 🙂
 
simpleman said:
Thank you for the encouragment.
The statistics for retakers with your composite scores indicates the odds of of doing better is in your favor. However, don't rely only on that though. There are numerous forums with people asking how they can improve certain sections of their MCATs (courses, study guides, tutoring, etc) SDNers have used them all. Find the one that fits your needs and utilize them. There are a number of people in your position. Use SDN to the max. Best of luck.
 
dr_90210 said:
i think you definately have a good shot as long as u have good ECs. try applying to the schools under the upper mid tier thread
^
|
This is a joke. No doubt about it - retake.
 
Definately, definately wait a year and retake. If you studied as hard as you said you did (15 full length practice tests??) and still only got a 16, there must be some underlying problem. Fix that, don't just beat your head against the wall for another month and a half and get a similarly bad score. ADCOMs won't be that impressed if you improve 3 or 4 points when you were at a 16 to start with. You need to improve 10+ points. Especially if you're a science major, you should be getting 10+ on both the BS and PS sections of the test. You don't want to retake this august and improve by a few points. It won't improve your chances much for this cycle, and it will have the effect of putting another bad score on your record. A record of 16 and 25 is quite a bit better than 16, 18, and 25.

Aside from this, an extra year will give you a chance to strengthen the other parts of your app to help compensate for a lower than average score. Go do some things that you like that happen to look good on an app as well.

You really should take into consideration that the doctor thing might not be for you. Don't do it because your parents want you to do it. There are a lot of other great related jobs that pay pretty well, you should at least consider them. You have the very real problem of having to nearly double your previous school before being considered a competitive applicant.
 
austinap said:
Definately, definately wait a year and retake. If you studied as hard as you said you did (15 full length practice tests??) and still only got a 16, there must be some underlying problem. Fix that, don't just beat your head against the wall for another month and a half and get a similarly bad score. ADCOMs won't be that impressed if you improve 3 or 4 points when you were at a 16 to start with. You need to improve 10+ points. Especially if you're a science major, you should be getting 10+ on both the BS and PS sections of the test. You don't want to retake this august and improve by a few points. It won't improve your chances much for this cycle, and it will have the effect of putting another bad score on your record. A record of 16 and 25 is quite a bit better than 16, 18, and 25.

Aside from this, an extra year will give you a chance to strengthen the other parts of your app to help compensate for a lower than average score. Go do some things that you like that happen to look good on an app as well.

You really should take into consideration that the doctor thing might not be for you. Don't do it because your parents want you to do it. There are a lot of other great related jobs that pay pretty well, you should at least consider them. You have the very real problem of having to nearly double your previous school before being considered a competitive applicant.

I am not doing it for my parents. I love Medicine and I will do anything I can do to get there. They are going to pay for my tuition for a MD title in the US only. They wont pay if I went outside the US or if i got a DO title. I know it is stupid, but that is their deal with me.

For the record, I have no idea what happened the day of the exam, I used to score on practice tests for PS14s and 11s and BS 10s and 11s. I was so shocked when I saw this 16 score. The VR was around 5s and 6s.
 
austinap said:
Definately, definately wait a year and retake. If you studied as hard as you said you did (15 full length practice tests??) and still only got a 16, there must be some underlying problem. Fix that, don't just beat your head against the wall for another month and a half and get a similarly bad score. ADCOMs won't be that impressed if you improve 3 or 4 points when you were at a 16 to start with. You need to improve 10+ points. Especially if you're a science major, you should be getting 10+ on both the BS and PS sections of the test. You don't want to retake this august and improve by a few points. It won't improve your chances much for this cycle, and it will have the effect of putting another bad score on your record. A record of 16 and 25 is quite a bit better than 16, 18, and 25.

Aside from this, an extra year will give you a chance to strengthen the other parts of your app to help compensate for a lower than average score. Go do some things that you like that happen to look good on an app as well.

You really should take into consideration that the doctor thing might not be for you. Don't do it because your parents want you to do it. There are a lot of other great related jobs that pay pretty well, you should at least consider them. You have the very real problem of having to nearly double your previous school before being considered a competitive applicant.

I am not doing it for my parents. I love Medicine and I will do anything I can do to get there. They are going to pay for my tuition for a MD title in the US only. They wont pay if I went outside the US or if i got a DO title. I know it is stupid, but that is their deal with me.

For the record, I have no idea what happened the day of the exam, I used to score on practice tests for PS14s and 11s and BS 10s and 11s. I was so shocked when I saw this 16 score. The VR was around 5s and 6s.
 
austinap said:
Definately, definately wait a year and retake. If you studied as hard as you said you did (15 full length practice tests??) and still only got a 16, there must be some underlying problem. Fix that, don't just beat your head against the wall for another month and a half and get a similarly bad score. ADCOMs won't be that impressed if you improve 3 or 4 points when you were at a 16 to start with. You need to improve 10+ points. Especially if you're a science major, you should be getting 10+ on both the BS and PS sections of the test. You don't want to retake this august and improve by a few points. It won't improve your chances much for this cycle, and it will have the effect of putting another bad score on your record. A record of 16 and 25 is quite a bit better than 16, 18, and 25.

Aside from this, an extra year will give you a chance to strengthen the other parts of your app to help compensate for a lower than average score. Go do some things that you like that happen to look good on an app as well.

You really should take into consideration that the doctor thing might not be for you. Don't do it because your parents want you to do it. There are a lot of other great related jobs that pay pretty well, you should at least consider them. You have the very real problem of having to nearly double your previous school before being considered a competitive applicant.

I am not doing it for my parents. I love Medicine and I will do anything I can do to get there. They are going to pay for my tuition for a MD title in the US only. They wont pay if I went outside the US or if i got a DO title. I know it is stupid, but that is their deal with me.

For the record, I have no idea what happened the day of the exam, I used to score on practice tests for PS14s and 11s and BS 10s and 11s. I was so shocked when I saw this 16 score. The VR was around 5s and 6s.

Also, thank you for all your encouragements. I really appreciate them. I am going to retake in August and see what the Lord offers this time.
 
simpleman said:
I am not doing it for my parents. I love Medicine and I will do anything I can do to get there. They are going to pay for my tuition for a MD title in the US only. They wont pay if I went outside the US or if i got a DO title. I know it is stupid, but that is their deal with me.

For the record, I have no idea what happened the day of the exam, I used to score on practice tests for PS14s and 11s and BS 10s and 11s. I was so shocked when I saw this 16 score. The VR was around 5s and 6s.

Also, thank you for all your encouragements. I really appreciate them. I am going to retake in August and see what the Lord offers this time.
Wow, that's a lot of repeat posts. I think you got your point across this time. Maybe you should have them rescore it and study in the meanwhile. Best of luck.
 
simpleman said:
I have everything ready for the AMCAS. Should I submit although I got a 16 on my april MCAT exam? Will I get secondaries or not at all. Should I wait till I retake it in August and then submit. Thank you guys

Retake the MCAT.
 
You might want to figure out how to relieve test anxiety. A tutorial online or a simple relaxation session before practice exams, and another at your next MCAT should keep you from stressing out.
 
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