Anxious about starting school/low MCAT

[labrat50]

Hi everyone,

So I've been fortunate enough to have been accepted into a good DO school and start later this year. After graduating and having a bit of time before school starts, I've had more time to worry about school haha. I'm very excited and am ready to start, but I'm also worried about doing well-especially on the boards.

I was always top in my science/non-science courses in undergrad, professors often saw me as their model student, and when I asked my physical chemistry professor/dean for a LOR, she said, of course, I was in the top 5% of the brightest students she had ever taught.

My point is, I've never doubted my abilities to succeed, but what's been on my mind lately is the 25 I got on the MCAT. I self studied for about a month before I took it. I feel I probably could've done better with a different strategy and more time, but also felt so done with the test after that month.

Reading previous posts about how low MCATs are correlated with low boards, I'm concerned about how I may fare in school. I'm currently interested in anesthiology, and especially with the merger, I guess I'm worried I might not be competitive to specialize.

What advice/comments might other users be able to offer me? Any others who have done poorly on the MCAT who worked hard and excelled in school?

I figure hearing from others may help to calm my nerves and/or give me some perspective.

Thanks!

@Goro - if you don't mind, how would you advise an incoming student with these concerns?

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[IslandStyle808]

Don't blindly believe in the paper studies like that. There are a lot of situational reasons why people get those low scores. You only studied for 1 month which is not near the average time that most people study. There are several people on here who had similar or worse scores than you and have ended up in the 240-250 range on the USMLE. One cannot say you will be one of those scorers, but I'm sure you can go beyond the 50% tile (around a 230 currently) if you study smart in class and utilize the board prep materials properly. It is not to say there is no correlation between the boards and the MCAT, but it is not as strong as people believe.

 

[radian313]

Don't blindly believe in the paper studies like that. There are a lot of situational reasons why people get those low scores. You only studied for 1 month which is not near the time average time that most people study. There are several people on here who had similar or worse scores than you and have ended up in the 240-250 range on the USMLE. One cannot say you will be one of those scorers, but I'm sure you can go beyond the 50% tile (around a 230 currently) if you study smart in class and utilize the board prep materials properly. It is not to say there is no correlation between the boards and the MCAT, but it is not as strong as people believe.

My friend had a 23 to get into DO school. Today he graduated from DO school and got a radiology residency. Im not making it up.

 

[Goro]

ESL?

1st generation American?

Have trouble only with the VR section?

Test taking anxiety issues??

Just do well in your courses, and the MCAT will be less of a worry.

Hi everyone,

So I've been fortunate enough to have been accepted into a good DO school and start later this year. After graduating and having a bit of time before school starts, I've had more time to worry about school haha. I'm very excited and am ready to start, but I'm also worried about doing well-especially on the boards.

I was always top in my science/non-science courses in undergrad, professors often saw me as their model student, and when I asked my physical chemistry professor/dean for a LOR, she said, of course, I was in the top 5% of the brightest students she had ever taught.

My point is, I've never doubted my abilities to succeed, but what's been on my mind lately is the 25 I got on the MCAT. I self studied for about a month before I took it. I feel I probably could've done better with a different strategy and more time, but also felt so done with the test after that month.

Reading previous posts about how low MCATs are correlated with low boards, I'm concerned about how I may fare in school. I'm currently interested in anesthiology, and especially with the merger, I guess I'm worried I might not be competitive to specialize.

What advice/comments might other users be able to offer me? Any others who have done poorly on the MCAT who worked hard and excelled in school?

I figure hearing from others may help to calm my nerves and/or give me some perspective.

Thanks!

@Goro - if you don't mind, how would you advise an incoming student with these concerns?

 

[labrat50]

Thank you all for the insight. I am not a first gen American and english is my first language. I got fairly solid scores on the PS and BS sections, but did bomb the VR section. Some of it was probably anxiety. I ran out of time on the VR section. Seems my biggest obstacle was the timing, which concerns me as this was also an issue with the ACT.

 

[IslandStyle808]

My friend had a 23 to get into DO school. Today he graduated from DO school and got a radiology residency. Im not making it up.

Had a friend of a friend (met him) he had a 24 on his MCAT. Graduated from our local MD school, matched radiology also. Not making this up either.

 

[IslandStyle808]

Thank you all for the insight. I am not a first gen American and english is my first language. I got fairly solid scores on the PS and BS sections, but did bomb the VR section. Some of it was probably anxiety. I ran out of time on the VR section. Seems my biggest obstacle was the timing, which concerns me as this was also an issue with the ACT.

I would even be less worried about it. Even the studies on the MCAT shows the correlation between VR and the USLME/COMLEX is the lowest amongst the three sections.

 

[radian313]

Yeh dont loose sleep over it. But dont be complacent either. Study smart and efficient but dont sit there and memorize slides. That wount help. Always seek help if you are having issues. The biggest hinderance in medical school is often complacency over the fact that "oh I know this". Knowing is one thing, but applying it through second and third order questions is a other. Good luck.

 

[LuluLovesMe]

Had a friend of a friend (met him) he had a 24 on his MCAT. Graduated from our local MD school, matched radiology also. Not making this up either.

Oh yeah? Well I had a friend of a friend of a friend (met him) he had a 20 on his MCAT. Graduated from UCSF, matched MGH Dermatology. Totally made this up.

 

[trs88]

Just an anecdote here but I had multiple low mcat scores and just finished my first year at a DO school and I did just fine. Made solid B's this semester and a few A's. Wanted better grades but the material was tough this semester compared to first semester. For me, I think the difference was how the mcat tests and how my school tests. The mcat was more conceptual while the school was more fact based; with how my brain works, the fact based type questions clicked so much nicer than any conceptual question.

As long as you work hard and study effectively, you'll be fine. Yes, it is true that people with low mcat scores are at risk of failing boards. And I plan to work hard to ensure that that wont be a reality for me. For this summer, I plan to to just memorize drug names and main actions as well as watching sketchy pharm and micro to give myself a better foundation for when I study for boards (in a year).

 

[IslandStyle808]

Oh yeah? Well I had a friend of a friend of a friend (met him) he had a 20 on his MCAT. Graduated from UCSF, matched MGH Dermatology. Totally made this up.

Derp... Derp... Fine by me if you think I am making it up. No skin off my back. The person I mentioned when through the formal post-bacc my friend went through. I know multiple people who graduated from my local state MD school, because of extra curricular I did through the years.

 

[LuluLovesMe]

Derp... Derp... Fine by me if you think I am making it up. No skin off my back. The person I mentioned when through the formal post-bacc my friend went through. I know multiple people who graduated from my local state MD school, because of extra curricular I did through the years.

A little sensitive are we? I didn't think you made it up at all. Just thought it was funny how you one upped the previous poster.

 

[IslandStyle808]

A little sensitive are we? I didn't think you made it up at all. Just thought it was funny how you one upped the previous poster.

How is that one upping the other poster when the MCAT of the mentioned person is 1 point higher? It makes the previous posters friend look even more amazing.

 

[radian313]

Lets all take a step back. No one was upping anyone else. We were all just giving examples to the OP so as to ensure he or she doesn't correlate mcAt scores to med school proficiency and the types of residency one might get. We are all in this together. We are supposed to raise each other up.

 

[0dee]

Don't worry, anesthesia is going down the rankings. The more I talk to anesthesia attendings the more they tell me to stay away from it, and it's getting less and less competitive. So study hard and keep an open mind, going into medical school aiming for only one speciality is not ideal.

 

[Dr. Rafiki]

I wouldn't stress about it. If you've had deans comment that you are in the top 5% of students they've had, then you are already above most people. Besides, you got accepted to a good school, congrats!

 

[crazyboi1993]

I too also am feeling this, I did very well in undergrad, 3.8+ gpa, and everything, was valedictorian in high school, but only got a 26 on the MCAT! I didnt study that much for it, I rushed to take it in January of 2015, so I would have to take the new one! But honetly I think well be fine, just continue to work hard, and study a lot for the USMLE. Put the MCAT behind you, that what I did, infact I threw all my prep books out!

 

[DrMikeP]

You were accepted so that means you are already doing better than almost 60% of applicants. There is a common experience where many who obtain something worry about being incompetent/found out and feel like someone will finally figure out they don't deserve it. That is really normal and ultimately once in you can use your fears as motivation to rock med school or hold you back. You have a choice! So rock it!

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[KP2AZ]

You'll be fine. Study for long term retention and try not to cram too much (as much as possible...but cramming will be involved). Also-First Aid is your friend (also picmonic)


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[DO2015CA]

You were accepted so that means you are already doing better than almost 60% of applicants. There is a common experience where many who obtain something worry about being incompetent/found out and feel like someone will finally figure out they don't deserve it. That is really normal and ultimately once in you can use your fears as motivation to rock med school or hold you back. You have a choice! So rock it!

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Imposter syndrome!

If I learned only one thing in my psych block. That and it really Doesn't matter what the exact diagnosis is... They all have the same treatment anyways.

 

[Halcyon45]

I think everyone has doubts leading up to medical school. You dream about this all your life, wait for the moment of that first acceptance letter and when you finally get it and med school gets closer and closer, there can be some doubts on whether you are as good as all the others. Unless you're one cocky MF.

I think it is natural to have some doubts. But remember those odds you looked at pre-application season and talked about with your pre-med friend? I remember at least. How that one school had thousands and thousands of applicants and only accepts a hundred or so? You beat those odds. Your classmates beat those odds. So be happy, enjoy the last couple months you have, and remember that everyone comes in with some doubt, and we should all work together to help each other succeed!

 

[DrMikeP]

Imposter syndrome!

If I learned only one thing in my psych block. That and it really Doesn't matter what the exact diagnosis is... They all have the same treatment anyways.

Yes! But as far a tx with psychotherapy that's sort of like saying that all surgeries are the same. There are significant differences in tx of say panic d/o and even ptsd.

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[costales]

If they let you in, they think you'll pass. That's all that matters. In fact, further down the road, that's how residency programs operate - if you get in, that means you'll get to practice (assuming no slacking off and mouthing off). For what you're interested in, the anesthesiology folks actually have published data showing board certification performance vs. Step scores of some 8,000 residents - look at say 225 vs. 240:

 

[memory tcells]

I would even be less worried about it. Even the studies on the MCAT shows the correlation between VR and the USLME/COMLEX is the lowest amongst the three sections.

oh thank god. I bombed the verbal, got a 7. My other scores saved me.

 

[learner01]

Had a friend of a friend (met him) he had a 24 on his MCAT. Graduated from our local MD school, matched radiology also. Not making this up either.

so assuming this person was not accepted and ended up going to a Caribbean school would that have tainted his competency!?

 

[McRibs]

so assuming this person was not accepted and ended up going to a Caribbean school would that have tainted his competency!?

http://www.nrmp.org/wp-content/uploads/2016/04/Main-Match-Results-and-Data-2016.pdf

Page 1.

If you're comfortable with an ~52% match rate upon graduation, go for it.

 

[IslandStyle808]

so assuming this person was not accepted and ended up going to a Caribbean school would that have tainted his competency!?

Think of it this way, if a person with a 30 MCAT entered the caribbean he would be facing the same level stigma. The school you go to can determine your fate. The fact that my friend's friend did well and was at a MD medical school worked in his favor. The MCAT is more or less a weeder tool, it doesn't really show that strong of a correlation of success in medical school.