502 MCAT, sGPA 3.98, cGPA 3.93

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Dream_big

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Hey everyone,

Long time reader, first time poster. I just received my MCAT score today, and I'm pretty bummed. This was the break down:

Chem/Phys: 126 (68%)
CARS: 122 (25%...sheesh)
Bio/Biochem: 127 (78%)
Psych/Soc: 127 (78%)

With my GPA in consideration, would I get screened out with this score? I took the MCAT in June of 2015, and received an awful 497 (42%). I was determined to improve my CARS section, so I took a gap year and took the test again on May 20th. With only an 18% increase because of my detrimentally low CARS section, would adcoms ever take the rest of my application into consideration? I already applied to 16 MD programs on June 10th, but now I am looking into shadowing a DO just in case..

If it is any help, I am a first-generation American and Arabic is my first language. Any advice would be a great help! Thanks everyone.

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I would definitely add DO schools to your list.
 
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what the hell are these MCAT categories?

Are you referring to the awful scores, or the categories themselves? The categories for the MCAT2015 are:

Chemical and Physical Foundations of Biological Systems
Critical Analysis and Reasoning Skills
Biological and Biochemical Foundations of Living Systems
Psychological, Social, and Biological Foundations of Behavior
 
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I would definitely add DO schools to your list.

PCOM would have been my first choice (PA resident here), however, I believe their sub section cut-off is a 126.. Any OOS DO program suggestions?
 
Your MCAT scores are lethal for MD schools and some DO programs, like mine. I recommend applying broadly to DO schools, especially targeting the newest programs. I can't recommend LUCOM, and due to stats, forego my school (somewhere out west, CCOM, AZCOM, PCOM, KCU, Western and the coastal Touros).


Hey everyone,

Long time reader, first time poster. I just received my MCAT score today, and I'm pretty bummed. This was the break down:

Chem/Phys: 126 (68%)
CARS: 122 (25%...sheesh)
Bio/Biochem: 127 (78%)
Psych/Soc: 127 (78%)

With my GPA in consideration, would I get screened out with this score? I took the MCAT in June of 2015, and received an awful 497 (42%). I was determined to improve my CARS section, so I took a gap year and took the test again on May 20th. With only an 18% increase because of my detrimentally low CARS section, would adcoms ever take the rest of my application into consideration? I already applied to 16 MD programs on June 10th, but now I am looking into shadowing a DO just in case..

If it is any help, I am a first-generation American and Arabic is my first language. Any advice would be a great help! Thanks everyone.
 
PCOM would have been my first choice (PA resident here), however, I believe their sub section cut-off is a 126.. Any OOS DO program suggestions?
Start with LECOM-PA and UNE.. Your main focus should be on DO schools this cycle since your MCAT scores are way too low for MD schools.
 
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I'll assume you have the paid subscription to MSAR. I have similar stats to yours and had 10 IIs, 4 acceptances, am going to my top choice school in just a few weeks and am a K-MD (traditional) student. Other than adcoms, no accepted med student here can look behind the curtain about how the new MCAT numbers will have shaken out for the 2015-2016 cycle until next year's MSAR data is updated. I had an awesome cycle, but was stressed out like everyone else. Apply smartly, apply broadly. I hope you have outstanding ECs behind you. Best of luck!
 
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Your MCAT scores are lethal for MD schools and some DO programs, like mine. I recommend applying broadly to DO schools, especially targeting the newest programs. I can't recommend LUCOM, and due to stats, forego my school (somewhere out west, CCOM, AZCOM, PCOM, KCU, Western and the coastal Touros).

Thanks for the reply, Goro.

A few follow-up questions. Will I get automatically screened out with this score? If I were to retake the MCAT again, and somehow take a class to bump up that CARS section, when would be the latest time to do so? I thought my strong GPA would have outweighed this score. I do not want my time to have gone to waste, and since I already applied to 16 MD programs, do you suggest I withdraw my AMCAS application?
 
I'll assume you have the paid subscription to MSAR. I have similar stats to yours and had 10 IIs, 4 acceptances, am going to my top choice school in just a few weeks and am a K-MD (traditional) student. Other than adcoms, no accepted med student here can look behind the curtain about how the new MCAT numbers will have shaken out for the 2015-2016 cycle until next year's MSAR data is updated. I had an awesome cycle, but was stressed out like everyone else. Apply smartly, apply broadly. I hope you have outstanding ECs behind you. Best of luck!

Yes, I do have the updated MSAR, and I took everything into consideration when I applied to each program (OOS interviews/acceptances, mission statements, '15 MCAT applicant score ranges, demographics...) but the CARS section really killed me here again. I understand that the AAMC urges schools to take all scores 500+ into consideration, and hope that schools follow their suggestion. Along with undergraduate research, I have valuable volunteering, shadowing, leadership and work experiences that can really set my application apart from others. Thank you for the hope and encouragement, and congratulations on your top school acceptance!
 
What do you think is hurting your MCAT compared to your GPA? That's a pretty big discrepancy.
 
The new MCAT scoring system is freakin' stupid and prevents me from giving any poor pre-med much needed and valuable advice.
 
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Hey everyone,

Long time reader, first time poster. I just received my MCAT score today, and I'm pretty bummed. This was the break down:

Chem/Phys: 126 (68%)
CARS: 122 (25%...sheesh)
Bio/Biochem: 127 (78%)
Psych/Soc: 127 (78%)

With my GPA in consideration, would I get screened out with this score? I took the MCAT in June of 2015, and received an awful 497 (42%). I was determined to improve my CARS section, so I took a gap year and took the test again on May 20th. With only an 18% increase because of my detrimentally low CARS section, would adcoms ever take the rest of my application into consideration? I already applied to 16 MD programs on June 10th, but now I am looking into shadowing a DO just in case..

If it is any help, I am a first-generation American and Arabic is my first language. Any advice would be a great help! Thanks everyone.
I was able to get 4 II out of 6 applications with your stats at DO schools. You'd better have a killer PS, ECs, etc.
 
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What do you think is hurting your MCAT compared to your GPA? That's a pretty big discrepancy.

Other than test anxiety, I believe it is the inability to read the passages in ~4 minutes (especially in the CARS section) while fully understanding the author's tone. I have received awards for the second highest GPA in my undergraduate institution along with a Physics 1 and 2 award. I am confident with the content, however, I am not a great standardized test taker (my SAT scores were about average as well). I do well with the discrete questions, but the passage-based questions have always hurt me. Do you have any suggestions for me?
 
I was able to get 4 II out of 6 applications with your stats at DO schools. You'd better have a killer PS, ECs, etc.

Thanks for your reply! It's very hard to find information on stats for '15-'16 acceptants comparable to my stats (or maybe I have not looked hard enough). May I ask if, in your opinion, these are "killer" ECs? See below.

-Undergraduate research (2 years on White Nose Syndrome [disease caused by an invasive fungus that is killing our bats] -- 1st year with mycology perspective, 2nd year with microbiology perspective. 5 total presentations with powerpoints and posters at conferences)
-Pharmacy technician (2 years)
-Cafe manager (3 years)
-Physician Assistant and Physician shadowing (~175 hours..she sent me off to observe procedures by physicians in nearly every department, and wrote me a strong LOR)
-Underserved community volunteer (120 hours)
-Hospital volunteer (~100 hours)
-Anatomy and Physiology tutor (3 years)
- Blood drive host through the Red Cross (4 successful blood drives)
- Asthma Camp counselor (~150 hours)
 
Thanks for your reply! It's very hard to find information on stats for '15-'16 acceptants comparable to my stats (or maybe I have not looked hard enough). May I ask if, in your opinion, these are "killer" ECs? See below.

-Undergraduate research (2 years on White Nose Syndrome [disease caused by an invasive fungus that is killing our bats] -- 1st year with mycology perspective, 2nd year with microbiology perspective. 5 total presentations with powerpoints and posters at conferences)
-Pharmacy technician (2 years)
-Cafe manager (3 years)
-Physician Assistant and Physician shadowing (~175 hours..she sent me off to observe procedures by physicians in nearly every department, and wrote me a strong LOR)
-Underserved community volunteer (120 hours)
-Hospital volunteer (~100 hours)
-Anatomy and Physiology tutor (3 years)
- Blood drive host through the Red Cross (4 successful blood drives)
- Asthma Camp counselor (~150 hours)
Well... That should do it lol
It shows you actually did something with your time in undergrad. Of course no one can guarantee admissions but I'd say you have a good shot at DO.
 
Perhaps apply broadly DO schools where your stats would be reasonable this year (15+ ... maybe bon could suggest some schools where he/she had good results?), with a plan to improve your ECs (have you looked into scribing for example?) and continue to study both the CARS section as well as the science sections with a goal of 508+ (if you can increase your knowledge in the other sections, perhaps you could bump the CARS up to around a 125 and the improve on the other sections a few points. I would think if you could get an e.g., 508 with your 3.9 would definitely be competitive for DO and perhaps some MD for example).
 
For MD it would be worth applying to your state MD schools such as Penn State, Commonwealth, Drexel, Temple and Jefferson. Your high GPA may attract some attention. For DO consider all these schools:
PCOM
LECOM
ACOM
BCOM
WCU-COM
LMU-DCOM
UP-KYCOM
WVSOM
VCOM (all 3 schools)
CUSOM
ARCOM (new school)
UIW (new school Texas)
NYIT-Arkansas (new school)
RVU-Utah (new school)
You should be able to receive some interviews from this list if you apply in July and submit all your secondaries by August. You may need a DO LOR for some schools so find one soon.
 
For MD it would be worth applying to your state MD schools such as Penn State, Commonwealth, Drexel, Temple and Jefferson. Your high GPA may attract some attention. For DO consider all these schools:
PCOM
LECOM
ACOM
BCOM
WCU-COM
LMU-DCOM
UP-KYCOM
WVSOM
VCOM (all 3 schools)
CUSOM
ARCOM (new school)
UIW (new school Texas)
NYIT-Arkansas (new school)
RVU-Utah (new school)
You should be able to receive some interviews from this list if you apply in July and submit all your secondaries by August. You may need a DO LOR for some schools so find one soon.

Thank you very much! I am currently pre-writing my secondaries, and working on finding a clinical job in August for my gap year. One question: do you suggest I retake, for the third time? I am unaware of any schools (other than PCOM) screening out new MCAT scores, however, a 122 on CARS is lethal as Goro stated.
 
Weak MCATs are not balanced by good GPAs. In fact, the call into question the rigor of your University coursework. At the minimum, the exam score draws Adcoms to speculate that you can't master all the material of the exam, that your preparations were questionable, or that you have issues with high stakes standardized exams. Your test taking anxiety issues can be fixed. Suggest a visit to your school's learning or education center, and the counseling center as well.

For MD schools, you should have the results in by Labor Day. Yes, I suggest withdrawing your app for MD schools and either focussing on DO, or a retake for next cycle.





Thanks for the reply, Goro.

A few follow-up questions. Will I get automatically screened out with this score? If I were to retake the MCAT again, and somehow take a class to bump up that CARS section, when would be the latest time to do so? I thought my strong GPA would have outweighed this score. I do not want my time to have gone to waste, and since I already applied to 16 MD programs, do you suggest I withdraw my AMCAS application?
 
For MD it would be worth applying to your state MD schools such as Penn State, Commonwealth, Drexel, Temple and Jefferson. Your high GPA may attract some attention. For DO consider all these schools:
PCOM
LECOM
ACOM
BCOM
WCU-COM
LMU-DCOM
UP-KYCOM
WVSOM
VCOM (all 3 schools)
CUSOM
ARCOM (new school)
UIW (new school Texas)
NYIT-Arkansas (new school)
RVU-Utah (new school)
You should be able to receive some interviews from this list if you apply in July and submit all your secondaries by August. You may need a DO LOR for some schools so find one soon.
The motherland RVU isn't out of the question.
 
Other than test anxiety, I believe it is the inability to read the passages in ~4 minutes (especially in the CARS section) while fully understanding the author's tone. I have received awards for the second highest GPA in my undergraduate institution along with a Physics 1 and 2 award. I am confident with the content, however, I am not a great standardized test taker (my SAT scores were about average as well). I do well with the discrete questions, but the passage-based questions have always hurt me. Do you have any suggestions for me?
That's tough. I guess I was hoping you were ESL. I think that's hard to improve in a short time -- personally I do well on standardized tests because I read really fast, and can pick up on passages well. Since I never had to work on it, it's hard to give advice. I did improve on verbal (that's cars right?) with the EK method of thinking of the main idea and not going back to the passage. I finished that section 10 min or 20 min early actually on the real test and then I did have time to go back.

Test anxiety can definitely be addressed though. I used a focusing technique used by a lot of athletes. I pictured myself acing the MCAT, getting into my top choice med school, and had a statement about myself excelling in med school. I used this before each section and it helped me get over a more difficult PS section than I was used to. (My PS ended up being my worst section, despite being my best on all practice exams -- I was thrown by a passage on content I was less comfortable with, but I definitely recovered.)

Agreed about not retaking unless practice scores seem significantly higher though.
 
If anyone is reading this-- I got into an in-state MD program:wow:
 
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