Am i the dumbest person in the world? MCAT says i am

[ponybreeder4]

Took TBR prep class over the summer, studied like a good child, scored a 22 end of last summer. (This is after i scored a 23 on my first diagnostic at the beginning of prep course). Studied again from february to may, got a 23. I re read everything in BR, EK, listened to osmosis, did about 15 practice tests and passage problems. When i read the passages i often don't understand what they're implying, even when its simple concepts that i really understand in the book.
Oh and verbal, i really just can't get above a 7 for the life of me. Do you guys think if my probal is reading comprehension, doing the EK 1001 will help my verbal as well as sciences?
Retaking in a month...someone please tell me what to do.
It is my lifelong dream to be a doctor, i can't let this beast stop me.
What is wrong with me??

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[MCAT guy]

you're probably just not a good reader.

I'm struggling right now too, but as I find out what the problem is, it is the fact that you need to be able to read really well and get main ideas from even science passages.

The MCAT isn't everything dude. Nothing is wrong with you, you probably didn't read much as a kid, those skills are developed over decades (not months).

Try to do the best you can. Do lots of passages and lots of FLs but understand that AAMC are best and the other ones may give you lower scores.

Good luck. Don't be down, some people take the MCAT 3 times and then get into medical school.

 

[StayingFocused]

Oh God I am also as discouraged as you.

If you have studied this much and have not improved, this just shows that you have not been studying well.

It could be you don't really have a good grasp of the content or that you aren't approaching the passages in the right manner.

I would suggest signing up for an MCAT course. Perhaps then you will be taught the correct way to approach the test.

Good luck.
Remember, anything worth having is worth fighting for

 

[ponybreeder4]

Thats the said part i already waste $2000 on a prep course...and what it got me was 1 point lower than my initial diagnostic before the course even started...am i just beyond hopeless?

 

[folktale]

don't worry, I also took a Kaplan online class and it costed almost 2000 dollars as well...and i've been scoring only mid-20s on the practice tests...it's just that I didn't really put any effort into studying...all I did was go to the online class when there was a class...that's it. I definitely underestimated this beast, so I'm going to put more effort into studying. You're not alone, people are also in the same situation as you. So just practice harder and focus on your weakness.

 

[plzNOCarribbean]

Thats the said part i already waste $2000 on a prep course...and what it got me was 1 point lower than my initial diagnostic before the course even started...am i just beyond hopeless?

No. My friend took the MCAT 4 times; he scored a 24,24,24,28 and he got into medical school this year. His GPA was a 3.1, No research. Yes, it took him 3 application cycle to finally get in, but don't worry. Just keep attacking the test. I know it can be frustrating. English is m 2nd language and while I am doing pretty good on bio and PS, i can't do well on verbal for the life of me. Its probably bc i never read while I was younger. Just keep trying, do your best, and don't give up. Persistence is rewarded by the admissions committee, and while your number might not be great, the fact that you kept trying will eventually get you in somewhere, as was the case for my friend. Goodluck

 

[yamaraja808]

I too had the same problem as you. I did a kaplan course and studied like a good boy but still did bad on the real thing. I am taking it again after a year. Most of my problems was on the verbal section.

Now I am studying again for the mcat. My AAMC scores are now higher than the last time I used them for practice (If you are wondering whether I checked the answers the last time I took them... "I did not" and don't really remember the passages).

One thing that helped me on sections like the verbal was passage mapping. When I did this, it made it a lot easier to answer more difficult questions because I could go back into the passage and find them immediately.

Another thing I did was to check why I got answers wrong and here is the part people don't say very often is... why I got answers right. There are times when one guess's an answer correctly because it was a fluke in judgement. Make sure you look at those questions to see whether your "process" of elimination was correct.

Also make sure you truly understand the question and the answer choices. I used examkrackers, for verbal especially, and found out that my problem was not understanding the passage but understanding the questions. Make sure you pay close attention to words like "explicit" vs. "implicit." These are two totally different words and verbal questions can throw you off with words like these.

Since you sound like reading is not one of your strengths, make sure to look up some of the words that you do not know. This way when you encounter it again, you have a better chance at understanding the passage.

Hopefully this helps you. Don't freak out about the MCAT too much. Although it is important to get a good score but it only correlates with success on standardized tests. It does not show whether you will be a successful doctor or not. I was not a very good student during my undergrad years and am making up for it during my grad years. I will be applying to allopathic schools in US as well as the Caribbean. If you need more time you should take it and there is no need to rush to get into medical school. It is a life long commitment, and people get into medical school even in there late 20's or early 30's. So just do what you can.

 

[MCAT guy]

remember also that 50,000 people take the MCAT every year.

The people you see on this site are mostly CRAZY pre-med people, so don't compare yourself to 35/40s scores you see on here. Most people don't go on SDN 20 hrs a week...

Just because you get a sub 30 score means you're not a top 10% test taker, that isn't such a bad thing. Be careful about comparing yourself to others and remember that MOST people aren't posting their scores on here, many have lower scores you don't see. The people likely to post are those scoring 30+

Good luck

No. My friend took the MCAT 4 times; he scored a 24,24,24,28 and he got into medical school this year.

See, don't give up.

 

[Pisiform]

Hey Man, Calm down.

NOBODY is DUMB.

NOBODY is DUMB.

NOBODY is DUMB.

Keep this in your head. Improve your reading/understanding skills. Try to RETAIN things which you read in your head. Try to gather important & relevant information from the passage.
And go over your Basics.

I hope you will do just fine ... at least 28 or more.

GoodLuck

 

[ponybreeder4]

Thank you guys i appreciate it, good to hear im not struggling alone. Good luck to all of us!

 

[ilovemcat]

Thank you guys i appreciate it, good to hear im not struggling alone. Good luck to all of us!

Just relax bro. Take as much time as you need to prepare for the MCAT. If your practice scores aren't where they should be, then I'd encourage that you delay taking your test or even apply next year. This is definitely something you don't want to rush. If you did poorly the first time, chances of a significant improvement over a month's time is unlikely. I'm not saying this to freak you out but I'm telling you for your own good. The MCAT is something you can definitely conquer - it just takes sooo much time, especially if you lacked many of the fundamentals throughout college.

The best way to study for the MCAT is with interest. There's a direct correlation between your attitude towards the MCAT and your performance. Freaking out and panicking isn't the mentality you want. I promise you though, with practice, dedication, and adequate preparation - your scores will shoot up, I promise.

Best of Luck to you