488 MCAT, 3.85 GPA

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SKY1795

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I just received the score for an MCAT test I took in May. I got a 488, which is a 15 with the old system and is in the 16th percentile.

I was actually really surprised at the score because I got a 21 and 23 on the two practice tests I took. I know those are still pretty low but everyone I talked to assured me practice tests are always lower. I read about 80% of an MCAT review book and took 2 practice tests prior to the real test. I am about to be a senior in college but have not taken biochem, physics, or psych yet which my advisor told me might be a reasonable excuse for a lower MCAT score, but I don't think either of us expected it to be that low. I just got done shadowing a doctor for a few weeks and I volunteer at a nursing home year round but those are my only extracurriculars for med school. I am a year round in season collegiate athlete with volleyball in the fall and track in the spring so I don't have a lot of give with my time.

I was wondering if anyone had any advice besides retaking the MCAT??
 
Same as above, I recommend retaking it.

My biggest mistake when studying for the MCAT my first time was not doing enough practice questions and practice tests. When you get into medical school, doing questions will be the primary way you learn material for your board exams. Do questions, mark the ones you missed and why you missed them, then review the material you are weakest in. Don't just read aimlessly.
 
Retake it, but make sure you have adequately covered ALL subjects prior to taking it; similarly, don't take it again until you're ready. That low MCAT score will be seen by admissions committees regardless of how you do on your next MCAT(s), so it's important that you score well the second time around.
 
I don't want to beat a dead horse, but if you want advice where you don't have to retake the MCAT, change your career plans. Otherwise, a retake is an absolute must
 
You were totally and horrendously underprepared for the MCAT. You didn't take all the courses tested on the exam, you didn't properly utilize preparatory material and you took the exam when you weren't scoring on practice exams (2 is too few) anywhere near what you'd need to be competitive for even the least selective of podiatric programs, much less MD/DO schools.

If you want to go to medical school you need to take the prerequisites that you're missing, adequately prepare for and re-take the MCAT and score MUCH higher and accumulate more than the bare bones ECs, because you're essentially going to need to make up for a major failing on your part.

And no, "I didn't take the courses that are tested on the MCAT" and "but I thought practice tests were always inflated" are not valid excuses. You need to demonstrate an internal locus of control (there was probably a question about this in the P/S section) and fix the problems where they're really seated; in your drive, abilities to vet the opinions to hear, your organizational skills and your academic capabilities.
 
That is a very bad score. Maybe consider that medical school is not for you, it only gets more difficult.
 
I studied for 2 weeks and got a 29. So... you probably need to work on your knowledge base.
 
Thanks y'all I realize I will need to retake it if I want to go to med school. And I'm seriously jealous of anyone that thinks being a college athlete isn't an excuse for not being able to take 9 practice tests and all of your classes in a favorable order because you clearly had an easier time than me.

I was more looking for advice for studying with limited time constraints or different studying techniques as mine obviously aren't working. I was also wondering if anyone else found it odd that my GPA is acceptable for premed but my MCAT was so crazy substandard. I don't think my teachers are that easy on us but who knows. I have been planning to take a gap year after college to have time to do more ECs.
 
SKY1795 said:
Thanks y'all I realize I will need to retake it if I want to go to med school. And I'm seriously jealous of anyone that thinks being a college athlete isn't an excuse for not being able to take 9 practice tests and all of your classes in a favorable order because you clearly had an easier time than me.

I was more looking for advice for studying with limited time constraints or different studying techniques as mine obviously aren't working. I was also wondering if anyone else found it odd that my GPA is acceptable for premed but my MCAT was so crazy substandard. I don't think my teachers are that easy on us but who knows. I have been planning to take a gap year after college to have time to do more ECs.
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Don't go to med school. It'll be much better for your life
 
SKY1795 said:
Thanks y'all I realize I will need to retake it if I want to go to med school. And I'm seriously jealous of anyone that thinks being a college athlete isn't an excuse for not being able to take 9 practice tests and all of your classes in a favorable order because you clearly had an easier time than me.

I was more looking for advice for studying with limited time constraints or different studying techniques as mine obviously aren't working. I was also wondering if anyone else found it odd that my GPA is acceptable for premed but my MCAT was so crazy substandard. I don't think my teachers are that easy on us but who knows. I have been planning to take a gap year after college to have time to do more ECs.
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Its about priorities. Where does doing well on an exam that will decide whether you go to med school or not fall on that list? If it is near the top you make time for it. If not look into engineering.
 
SKY1795 said:
Thanks y'all I realize I will need to retake it if I want to go to med school. And I'm seriously jealous of anyone that thinks being a college athlete isn't an excuse for not being able to take 9 practice tests and all of your classes in a favorable order because you clearly had an easier time than me.

I was more looking for advice for studying with limited time constraints or different studying techniques as mine obviously aren't working. I was also wondering if anyone else found it odd that my GPA is acceptable for premed but my MCAT was so crazy substandard. I don't think my teachers are that easy on us but who knows. I have been planning to take a gap year after college to have time to do more ECs.
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it kinda looks that way. your 3.85 doesnt seem to hold much water with a 15 mcat. dont retake the mcat until youre scoring 30 or above on your practice tests. take a course ie kaplan or princeton or whatevers in vogue these days. if you take the mcat again and score poorly youre pretty much done. good luck

Sent from my VS986 using Tapatalk
 
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I'm a D1 college athlete, and I was able to get all my pre req's in (I took summer classes), manage my time to be able to get service, shadowing, and research EC experience (especially in the summers), and to devote 3-5 hours every night for 3 months to studying for the MCAT (even if it meant only getting a few hours of sleep before weights the next morning) because I knew how important it was. If med school is something you really want, you find a way. Being an athlete shouldn't be an excuse, it should be an asset to bolster your app. Not many people can do what we do, and if you're able to put together a solid application with good stats while being an athlete, that will be looked highly upon. You need to really sit down and figure out how badly you want to become a physician. Because right now, it doesn't seem like you have that much drive for it. Which isn't a bad thing, it just means medicine probably isn't for you.
 
SKY1795 said:
Thanks y'all I realize I will need to retake it if I want to go to med school. And I'm seriously jealous of anyone that thinks being a college athlete isn't an excuse for not being able to take 9 practice tests and all of your classes in a favorable order because you clearly had an easier time than me.

I was more looking for advice for studying with limited time constraints or different studying techniques as mine obviously aren't working. I was also wondering if anyone else found it odd that my GPA is acceptable for premed but my MCAT was so crazy substandard. I don't think my teachers are that easy on us but who knows. I have been planning to take a gap year after college to have time to do more ECs.
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If you're looking for advice on how to prepare for the MCAT, you ought to look here.

You're an athlete, so maybe you can appreciate this analogy : getting into medicine isn't a sprint, it's a marathon. You have to love it and look forward to the dream, but any looser can dream. A winner who finishes the race makes day to day goals and they accomplish them. They plan and coordinate. They don't find time to run, they make it. Make time for medical school.

Good luck!
 
OnePunchBiopsy said:
Same as above, I recommend retaking it.

My biggest mistake when studying for the MCAT my first time was not doing enough practice questions and practice tests. When you get into medical school, doing questions will be the primary way you learn material for your board exams. Do questions, mark the ones you missed and why you missed them, then review the material you are weakest in. Don't just read aimlessly.
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^ this
 
masaraksh said:
Don't go to med school is probably your best advice but you're probably not gonna listen
Click to expand...
masaraksh said:
Don't go to med school. It'll be much better for your life
Click to expand...

Unfortunately, while the above advice is blunt, this is probably the best advice you will get OP. Understand that to be competitive for MD schools (many of which average all the attempts), you would need to score well above 510+. That is an extraordinary feat, which is easier said than done. DO schools probably require around 505+ or so (again due to multiple attempts)

Regardless, if you want to go to medical school and really can't think of anything else, take some time off, minimize the time-sinking obligations, visit the MCAT Discussion Forums, and really spend several months working hard and smart on the retake. Good luck!
 
You say you are a senior so after you graduate you should have considerably more time right? If you average 16 hours per week over 3-4 months with at least half the time devoted to practice questions and tests you should be good. Is there any reason why you wouldn't be able to do this?
 
Taking the MCAT without those courses...especially Biochemistry...rash isn't quite the word.

You need a new pre-med advisor.

Sent from my Nexus 6P using SDN mobile
 
No offense but a 488 isn't low; a 488 is absolutely awful. A 488 is just about rock bottom. A 488 means the overwhelming majority (85%) of test-takers did better than you... A 502 is what would be considered "low."

You need to finish taking pre-reqs before even thinking about the MCAT again. Taking a $300+ career-changing exam without fundamental pre-reqs completed and little to no formal prep shows is an egrigous mistake and shows a terrible lack of judgment on your part.

Being a D1 athlete doesn't change the fact that you're held to the exact same standards and expectations as all the rest of us.

I don't believe you should just give up on your dream like others are saying, but my advice to you is that you need to pull yourself together and start taking things more seriously. Finish the pre-reqs, devote 2-3 months minimum for prep, retake it, and start building up your EC's.
 
I have Adcom colleagues who would reject you outright not because of your score, but for the poor choice making of taking a high stake, career deciding exam without proper preparation.

There is NO reasonable excuse for a lower MCAT score.

You were also poorly advised on the practice exams. I've seen more posts on SDN about the actual scores being lower than practice scores.

SKY1795 said:
I am about to be a senior in college but have not taken biochem, physics, or psych yet which my advisor told me might be a reasonable excuse for a lower MCAT score, but I don't think either of us expected it to be that low.
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A 488 is actually between an 18 and 19 on the old scale. If you hit a 21 on a practice test right before the real thing, that shouldn't be too shocking. Really the shocking thing is that you took the real test after practice scores of 21 and 23. That should have been a huge red flag that you weren't ready and needed to go take the missing prereqs and wait until you could dedicate enough time to prep.

So, go take the missing prereqs, wait until you have time in your life to study, get practice scores up to what you'd want to see on the real test, then take it!
 
Did you even take the right test? You said practice tests were 21 and 23, so are you using old material or just converting scores? Big mistake to underprepare AND use the wrong test to prepare with.
 
Teaching moment: Successful med school applicants are expected to be able to walk and chew gum at the same time. This may sound a little harsh, but I would not call your athletic career an explanation for your MCAT score. I would call it evidence that you chose to prioritize the short-term over the long-term, which is not a particularly appealing characteristic in potential physician. You will simply get crowded out by applicants with stronger academic records.


SKY1795 said:
I just got done shadowing a doctor for a few weeks and I volunteer at a nursing home year round but those are my only extracurriculars for med school. I am a year round in season collegiate athlete with volleyball in the fall and track in the spring so I don't have a lot of give with my time.
Click to expand...
 
SKY1795 said:
Thanks y'all I realize I will need to retake it if I want to go to med school. And I'm seriously jealous of anyone that thinks being a college athlete isn't an excuse for not being able to take 9 practice tests and all of your classes in a favorable order because you clearly had an easier time than me.

I was more looking for advice for studying with limited time constraints or different studying techniques as mine obviously aren't working. I was also wondering if anyone else found it odd that my GPA is acceptable for premed but my MCAT was so crazy substandard. I don't think my teachers are that easy on us but who knows. I have been planning to take a gap year after college to have time to do more ECs.
Click to expand...
Not to sound harsh but this sounds like an excuse. I was also a college athlete, but I was able to get everything done and am now heading to medical school. Yes it is harder as an athlete, but you have to have your priorities straight and if you want to go to medical school, you'd better be ready to work harder than you are now. You also need to be able to make an honest assessment of your abilities and what your weaknesses are. Why did you do poorly on the test, and how do you plan on improving? If you cannot come up with good solutions, you may have to realize that medicine is not for everyone. There are a ton of standardized tests that you will have to take in your future, they don't go away.
 
I just can't believe you actually scored your exam after taking it. Without taking some of the core pre req's, there's no way you could have taken that exam and even remotely understood what the questions were asking let alone the passages. I've seen people on here void their exams because they didn't feel too good about a few questions. There's no way you could've gotten to the end of that exam feeling even OK about a single part of it
 
Don't rush to take the MCAT. Take a gap year or two if you must.
 
Start burning through Kaplan or Examcracker or Anki decks, or all the above. You were horribly underprepared for what is not an easy test, especially in its new form.

How do you expect to apply into medical programs WITHOUT THE BLOODY COURSES THAT MED IS BUILT OFF OF?! Physics, okay, no one likes physics. But psych (which is useful and is MCAT tested) and biochem?! Take another term, take at least one course in each and actually understand the material. FFS, I went deep into psych in undergrad and the MCAT psych section still made me say WTF. Its not easy for those who have done courses, and you think you'd do well without having a basic understanding??

A 3.85 GPA without courses that are needed to even apply into med means nothing. So go take those courses and do well in them and retake the MCAT a year from now once you've done proper review.

I don't know where you intend on applying but if you aren't scoring at least 500 after a first try, you probably should evaluate your career choices. ****, I got 505 on my first try and spent another couple months getting a better handle on the material. Your score isn't remotely competitive and wouldn't even make it past the auto filters for applications that screen the first round of applicants...
 
like the above I would definitely take the MCAT again and do WAY more practice passages. khan academy has a bunch of free MCAT practices online and I would do all of them if I were you (https://www.khanacademy.org/test-prep/mcat) or buy passages from TPR/kaplan if you can. I'm not a D1 athlete but I do work a lot during the school year while taking 17-18 credit hours so what I did for the MCAT is took it in January so I had some time during the fall to start studying but then I also could study for 8-12 hours a day during christmas break without having to worry about school or work but you could also do this by taking it in the summer or something maybe?
 
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