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What should I do? Tough call!

  • Don’t retake MCAT, just go for it 1st thing in June ‘18

    Votes: 20 80.0%
  • Retake MCAT, then go for it 1st thing in June ‘18

    Votes: 4 16.0%
  • Take multiple years off, do research, don’t retake MCAT (must apply before score expires)

    Votes: 0 0.0%
  • Take multiple years off, do research, and retake MCAT (can apply after score expires)

    Votes: 1 4.0%

  • Total voters
    25

SWIITPEA

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Hello,

Title says all about my stats.
3.96-3.97 GPA, 512 MCAT 131/123/130/128 taken somewhere in 7/17
I am a US pre-med, graduated in late 2015.
AP credit in 1st semester physics, 1st semester comp, and other (non-pre-med) courses
IB credit in biology

Activities include/will include:
Between 750-1000 hours of mostly non-clinical volunteering/community service
150 hours observing a GI physician in a hospital setting
8 months in a research lab (didn’t do much: read papers, practiced writing a mock paper for feedback about academic writing, prepared buffers, autoclaved, grew E. coli.) Removed from lab due to not showing up consistently
Learning/teaching assistant for histology and genetics for 2 semesters
After graduating, participated in pre-med club (won most active member award 3 semesters in a row but ineligible for leadership position due to alumni status)
Future:
Will work in a different lab in 2 months (hopefully doing actual research, but it’s likely just helping out again since I will be in a totally new lab and I plan to apply first thing in June ‘18)
Will apply for a medical scribe position once I get my wps up, currently doing online typing practice and typing speed competitions and reviewing medical terminology.


My advisor said, along with about 3/4 of my premed friends (and those already in MD schools), that I shouldn’t risk retaking it, especially if I am smart with my list. Will my sky-high GPA and CP/BBch section scores make up for the pretty low CARS score? I will be applying first thing next cycle to MD schools with an average MCAT of 508-515 and a 10%ile MSAR CARS score of 123-125, but have not compiled a school list yet (I will include all in-state schools)
Should I give DO a shot even though I don’t feel like it? Some of my friends are already in MD schools and I did way better than them in college (and for some, in middle and high school) grades/GPA-wise. Since some of them think that I will be more successful than themselves, I feel like that I MUST go to better schools than all of them (one of them went to HOPKINS), and this is hurting me emotionally...

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I would say only retake if you are consistently scoring higher on MCAT Practice Tests (with the CARS score in the range you want)
 
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You should be more worried about lack of clinical experience rather than your MCAT. Screw the typing speed - apply for scribing already, volunteer in a hospital or clinic, do something!
 
Are you a URM?

You don't need to retake the MCAT - and you shouldn't unless your boning for a top 10 school. If you score lower in the other sections it will hurt you though.

You need to get actual patient experience, I would suggest you look for a scribing job now. Your research job is pointless unless you are actually contributing - which is not difficult you just have to be interested and show it. Assist a post-doc with his project do enough work and be an author on their next paper, or come up with your own interesting questions and do experiments. Another option is write a review paper with the help of the post-docs and PI of the lab on a topic that is related to the lab and something you want to learn more about.

Lastly, you need to get the idea that you need to go to a better school than your friends out of your head. That statement just oozes immaturity. Also the "better" school for you and your goals (which I would hope you know by know and it better not be to be a doctor - you need to think beyond that what is the change you want to make) is not necessarily a top 10 school - which also from reading how you aren't ambitious about research you probably wouldn't be a good fit for many of the top 10 schools anyways since they are very research focused in one way or another. Hopkins might be the best school for your friend while another school is a better fit for you.
 
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