3.89 GPA/ivy league grad/510,506 MCAT should I retake?

[azt17]

Hi everyone! I'm planning to apply in the 2019 cycle but I'm in a really tough spot. I am an international student and went to an ivy league school. My GPA is 3.89, I graduated magna cum laude with a distinction in my major. However, I didn't do well on my first MCAT attempt last year: 510 (129 C/P, 124 CARS, 128 B/B, 129 P/S) in April. I decided to retake it a couple of months later, without testing enough and my score dropped to a 506 (129 C/P, 124 CARS, 127 B/B, 126 P/S) in June. I should have tested more, but it was also a rough time for me: mental health problems and family issues. I was ready to apply last cycle but didn't. After the second score, I was completely devastated so my pre-med advisor thought I should focus on my mental health.

I am considering a retake this year in May and have been prepping since December. But I'm really unsure and very anxious about taking the MCAT a third time. What do you think would be the best thing to do considering my second score has already wrecked my application?

My profile:
- International student, South Asian, Female
- GPA 3.89, Chemistry major, magna cum laude from ivy league school (drop in GPA mainly because of non-science courses)
- significant drug design and development research experience in a wet lab and computational lab, co-authored a manuscript for a conference
- launched a domestic violence prevention project back in my country with $13k fellowship, which I plan to turn into an NGO. (received the Davis Projects for Peace fellowship which is awarded to 100 students nationally each year and one student at my school). Conducted educational workshops in low-income areas, trained women as community support workers, organized street theatre performances to raise awareness and developed a website with all the resources available nationally for survivors of abuse (after conducting extensive research and fieldwork).
- launched an education initiative during my sophomore summer for 40 out-of-school children back at home
- was a Science & QR tutor for physics, chem and biology since sophomore year
- gave a TEDx talk and was on a mental health student panel (discussed the relationship between race and mental health)
- have a summer teaching experience in Hong Kong
- experience working with education non-profits in the US (helped an organization redesign their adult education curriculum)
- shadowed a clinician at a Child Sexual Abuse Clinic (one semester)
- took blood pressure readings as a part of a student group for 3 years
- layout designer for Global Health publication at my school (2 years)
- working at a cancer research lab and will get a co-author publication soon
- currently, planning my country's first mental health hackathon and conference for undergrads and professional school students (since last year when I had my own breakdown)
- presently, also interning with the RAINN, largest anti-sexual assault organization in the US
- strong recommendations from two research PIs (one is famous in the computational chemistry field), abnormal psych professor, public health professor, a well-known biology professor

*took an EMT course but not yet registered (so this won't count)

Please let me know what you think. Whether retaking the MCAT would be wise or not. My list of medical schools is already limited due to my status as an international and my financial standing (heavily relying on institutional loans). Pursuing an MD/MPH has been a dream and I'm just devastated that I didn't do well enough on the MCAT twice...

Thank you!

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[DokterMom]

You're in a tough spot... Your academic profile, ECs and research are of the nature and type to position yourself as a candidate for top schools. But as you no doubt know, your MCAT falls below their 10th percentiles.

How have your practice tests been going? And is anxiety a significant factor for you? A 512+ could help, but a 'same or lower' score would be strong evidence that that's the best you could do and that your success has been more hard work than brilliance. Fortunately, 506/510 is good enough for many programs -- just not the ones that will most appreciate your research and leadership.

Honestly, if I were reviewing your application, I would have questions about your mental health. The extent and nature of your activities would prompt me to wonder if you yourself have been a victim of domestic violence and/or sexual abuse, and if so, whether or not you have been able to recover fully emotionally to the extent that it won't cause you problems in medical school. (Mental health is the number one cause of med school attrition.) Your activism and leadership is impressive, but what I would really want to see is evidence of long term stability and resilience. (Overcoming abuse and thriving is a strong positive, experiencing it but not yet fully overcoming it is just a risk.)

My best advice is to apply broadly to a large number of schools. There's much in your application to get excited about. You just need one --

 

[candbgirl]

Do you have any clinical experience? How about shadowing? You have great nonclinical stuff but it seems to be focused on a very limited population. Obviously it is very personal. How are you now? Have you talked with your doctors about applying to med school
at this point in your life? Med school pressure has destroyed people without the baggage you have. Are you strong enough? And don’t take the MCAT again. What if you fall lower or don’t reach your initial score? You are in a difficult spot for a number of reasons. Please put your health and well being first. Med schools aren’t going anywhere.

 

[azt17]

@DokterMom Thank you so much for your thoughtful response! I would never have thought those questions would come up if anyone looked at my ECs. So I really appreciate your input.

I am extremely passionate about women's rights and health, particularly because those are neglected in my country. Having access to fellowships at my school made me feel like it was a responsibility to help address those problems back at home. I just strongly believe in using my education to improve the lives of those around me. I haven't experienced sexual abuse personally but know people who have, which gave me another reason to work on the project.

I'm curious to know what you think would show long term stability and resilience?

My mental health has improved in the last year. I have severe test anxiety when it comes to the MCAT, which I'm trying to overcome. I was not planning to mention it on my application but recently I've been conflicted about that. I have not taken a practice test yet because I've been focusing on content review and just solving question banks. However, I'm dedicating the remaining time up to my exam (6 weeks) just to testing.

 

[el_duderino]

I see little potential benefit to retaking, and significant risk. I'd say don't take it. Your MCAT, especially when considered with the rest of your application, is more than sufficient for a quality US MD school.

Are you URM, and what's your state of residency?

 

[azt17]

@jonnythan, I'm an international student, unfortunately...

 

[azt17]

@candbgirl, I have limited clinical experience. I did not like my shadowing experience where I followed a neurology resident who was completely burnt out. That was 10 hours. I did not continue shadowing after that. Additionally, I have 20 hours shadowing in the ER through my EMT course, where I also wrote patient assessments. I am hoping to do more shadowing after my MCAT.
[Both of my parents are doctors in my home country and I grew up shadowing and assisting them. Even when I visit home once a year, I spend a considerable amount of time with my mother at her clinic. I also did a considerable amount of volunteering in hospitals at home when I was in high school and I am familiar with the field. Unfortunately, don't think medical schools care about that.]

Thank you for asking about how I am now. I am much much better this year. This whole process has definitely impacted my mental health, specifically after the unexpected second MCAT score when my dream of going to medical school slipped out from my hands. My therapist and I, after much discussion, agreed that I will not be getting any better than I am right now until I resolve my medical school plans i.e. either get in or switch career tracks. I believe I am strong enough to handle medical school. A lot of what I am experiencing is directly linked to getting into medical school. If you omit that part, my mental health is perfect. A lot of my past experiences have tested my mental strength, such as supporting domestic violence survivors. I loved and valued the work that I was doing, and found the strength to continue doing it with full commitment. I know that once I am in medical school, I will be fine.
The MCAT, in particular, is what had led to and continues to cause most of my breakdowns...

 

[seren1051]

This is tough. Your academics, research and advocacy is brilliant. It's stunning. But being an international hurts. Not having enough clinical volunteering/clinical experience hurts more. Two MCAT hovering around 508 hurts a lot. OP, you will need to absolutely ace that MCAT. And do so much more in terms of clinicals - volunteering, shadowing, and non-clinical volunteering. As you already know, shadowing abroad and high school volunteering dont really count. With very little clinical experience, you don't look like an applicant for a medical school. I cannot recommend applying this cycle. That's too much to squeeze in three months. Only four schools that accept internationals have MCAT median lower than your highest one - Howard, Loma Linda, Penn State, Hawaii.

You also mentioned that you're "heavily relying on institutional loans". Are you aiming for schools that provide some form of need-based aids to internationals?

 

[DokterMom]

@DokterMom Thank you so much for your thoughtful response! I would never have thought those questions would come up if anyone looked at my ECs. So I really appreciate your input.

I am extremely passionate about women's rights and health, particularly because those are neglected in my country. Having access to fellowships at my school made me feel like it was a responsibility to help address those problems back at home. I just strongly believe in using my education to improve the lives of those around me. I haven't experienced sexual abuse personally but know people who have, which gave me another reason to work on the project.

I'm curious to know what you think would show long term stability and resilience?

My mental health has improved in the last year. I have severe test anxiety when it comes to the MCAT, which I'm trying to overcome. I was not planning to mention it on my application but recently I've been conflicted about that. I have not taken a practice test yet because I've been focusing on content review and just solving question banks. However, I'm dedicating the remaining time up to my exam (6 weeks) just to testing.

I absolutely share your passion for women's rights and supporting survivors of domestic and interpersonal violence. A sentence in your personal statement that "while you have been fortunate not to have experienced such violence personally it is all too common in your country of origin, hence your commitment..." -- The damage from such abuse runs deep and can take decades to heal, so even well-meaning Ad Coms may hesitate to take a risk on someone they feel may be at risk.