annihilated on mcat.. advice please

[swaggydoc]

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Hi,

First SDN post, long time lurker.

1/23/15 mcat = 22 (7PS, 5VR, 10BS)
bio major
3.56 cGPA, ~3.4 sGPA from a mid-upper tier UC
age 23
800+ volunteer hours, research poster, some additional ECs'
private tutor
english second language
asian

did spend a lot of time preparing for mcat (>6 months with prep class in the beginning.. on and off studying due to emergency events in family)
have support from many.. feel like i let everyone and myself down
had australia as back up, but their minimum mcat req is 8/8/8..

really want to pursue this path and don't wanna give up just yet.. but feeling drained.. what to do now?

here are some options i'm considering, leaning towards 1+2

1) become EMT-B, continue preparing for 2015 mcat, and apply with a better score hopefully next year?
2) apply to SMD, continue preparing for 2015 mcat since i will need a better score later.. bridge programs don't really exist w/out a decent score
3) shadow DO and apply "broadly" to DO schools this year
4) apply to carribeans knowing the risks associated
5) find an alternative endeavor

would like to hear suggestions, thanks very much in advance

 

[UBC2014]

First off, you are too late for this cycle (if you mean for starting in Sept 2015), especially with a 22 MCAT. Even for next cycle, for 2016 entry, you would be better served to retake the MCAT and be in a better position for applying to USDO schools and your state MD schools.

2. An SMP won't help you, your mcat is the problem. You do not need the SMP to get into medical school since it is the MCAT that is your problem.

3. Yes, for sure shadow a DO if you are applying to DO schools, it helps.

4. DO not apply to the carrib. Retake the mcat.

Retake the MCAT, and you can get into some USDO schools. You can try applying to all the low-tier DO schools this upcoming cycle, but you're better off prepping for the MCAT again and retaking it. The good news is the 7 in PS can be increased greatly if you just do a lot of practice, the VR however, well depends on how you were doing on VR in practice(I notice you are ESL), but it is possible to increase that score (maybe you just had a bad day?). That is very individual. I would focus on ensuring the science scores are as high as possible if you aren't able to get your VR up more.

What concerns me is you said you studied for 6 months? maybe that was too spread out, and fruitless. Try and make some time, maybe 1-2 months where you can focus on the MCAT and do it properly. It is person dependent, but even 1 month could be fine, or maybe you need 2 months.

 

[Drrrrrr. Celty]

What were your test averages?

 

[Instatewaiter]

How about retaking the MCAT? Clearly you're not a incapable of better given your 10 in BS. Do a lot of literature reading to improve the verbal and study the physical sciences more. You should be able to improve by at least a handful of points.

Also agree with above poster- what were you average practice test scores?

 

[YourMD]

Do not apply to medical schools this cycle, apply for a D.O post bacc instead. Some programs with unofficial linkage are PCOM, LECOM, NSU, and Touro college. Good luck!

 

[Goro]

Fix your deficits and retake the MCAT. Are you ESL?

Such a low score is a risk factor for failing out med school or failing Boards.

Hi,

First SDN post, long time lurker.

1/23/15 mcat = 22 (7PS, 5VR, 10BS)
bio major
3.56 cGPA, ~3.4 sGPA from a mid-upper tier UC
age 23
800+ volunteer hours, research poster, some additional ECs'
private tutor
english second language
asian

did spend a lot of time preparing for mcat (>6 months with prep class in the beginning.. on and off studying due to emergency events in family)
have support from many.. feel like i let everyone and myself down
had australia as back up, but their minimum mcat req is 8/8/8..

really want to pursue this path and don't wanna give up just yet.. but feeling drained.. what to do now?

here are some options i'm considering, leaning towards 1+2

1) become EMT-B, continue preparing for 2015 mcat, and apply with a better score hopefully next year?
2) apply to SMD, continue preparing for 2015 mcat since i will need a better score later.. bridge programs don't really exist w/out a decent score
3) shadow DO and apply "broadly" to DO schools this year
4) apply to carribeans knowing the risks associated
5) find an alternative endeavor

would like to hear suggestions, thanks very much in advance

 

[UBC2014]

Do not apply to medical schools this cycle, apply for a D.O post bacc instead. Some programs with unofficial linkage are PCOM, LECOM, NSU, and Touro college. Good luck!

Strongly disagree. Postbaccs are for people with low GPAs.

Would be an utter waste of time and money for OP when all they have to do is redo the MCAT.

 

[jqueb29]

Do option 1 while also shadowing a D.O. The only D.O. schools you even have a slight chance of getting into with a 22 are not ones you want to go to. An SMP will not help you. Do not ever go Caribbean unless you just really want the rest of your life to be debt-filled misery.

 

[swaggydoc]

Really appreciate all the great tips and input from everyone! 🙂

10 is my usual average for BS.. 8 for PS.. i wanna say 8 for VR b/c i've gotten 6, 10 and anywhere in between.
All in all, i was planning to get around a 27 but fell way short..

I came to US at age 11, so everyday English is not a problem; however, my score on reading comprehension exams has always been a notch lower.. it was a problem for SAT and now too..

The 2015 MCAT is unavoidable at this point, so i'll have to duke it out.

 

[Matrix0992]

Retake MCAT ur GPA is Fine

 

[DoctorSynthesis]

Really appreciate all the great tips and input from everyone! 🙂

10 is my usual average for BS.. 8 for PS.. i wanna say 8 for VR b/c i've gotten 6, 10 and anywhere in between.
All in all, i was planning to get around a 27 but fell way short..

I came to US at age 11, so everyday English is not a problem; however, my score on reading comprehension exams has always been a notch lower.. it was a problem for SAT and now too..

The 2015 MCAT is unavoidable at this point, so i'll have to duke it out.

2015 MCAT is your best bet. I have heard of people getting in with a 22 but it's very tough. Also that 5 is another killer. Here are some schools to consider (still going to be very low yield).

William Carey university
LMU
Alabama com
CUSOM
PCOM ga
Touro nv/ Middleton
West Virginia som
VCOM
Virginia com Carolina and auburn
LECOM
Marian/RVU
Burrel (if they open)
Liberty
PNW
KYCOM

 

[Matrix0992]

2015 MCAT is your best bet. I have heard of people getting in with a 22 but it's very tough. Also that 5 is another killer. Here are some schools to consider (still going to be very low yield).

William Carey university
LMU
Alabama com
CUSOM
PCOM ga
Touro nv/ Middleton
West Virginia som
VCOM
Virginia com Carolina and auburn
LECOM
Marian/RVU
Burrel (if they open)
Liberty
PNW
KYCOM

Agreed very little chance with a 5 or 22 overall you HAVE to retake it !! and this list I interviewed and couple of these schools most averages are 25-28 unless you have something extra ordinary very rarely a school will take a chance on you that 5 is a killer. Definitely try to be a EMT/Scribe and yes you NEED to shadow a DO. Even Caribbean now a days is getting harder. If you are considering it I wouldn't do anything other than SGU, ROSS or AUC. Even those schools might end up making you take one extra sym as a "preparation semester" best option = RETAKE

 

[jamcat]

Sounds like you've gotten some good advice here. Ss a fellow 1/23 test-taker, I can tell you that pretty much all of our Verbal scores were well below (as in 2+ below) our practice averages for that test, so you might not be as bad off as you think in terms of preparing for a re-take. It could well be that you are more in the 7-ish range, and that if you continue to work at it you'll be golden for the new MCAT. So I hope that it some encouraging news for you!

 

[j4pac]

No question...follow Goro's advice. Retake. If you score similarly again...I would apply to the DO programs with lower MCAT requirements such as Liberty. If you don't get accepted after that...time to consider another career path.

 

[referee3]

No question...follow Goro's advice. Retake. If you score similarly again...I would apply to the DO programs with lower MCAT requirements such as Liberty. If you don't get accepted after that...time to consider another career path.

^this. Also make sure you are scoring in the 30's on all of your practice tests before you sit for the actual exam.

 

[Dr1zzy]

ya try getting good practice scores before sitting for real deal