Any one else finding the MCAT pointless and unjust?

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gdawg102 said:
Although your frustration is understandable, how is this helping you or others? In general, it seems whining only wastes time away from actually doing the work needed to improve, as difficult and impossible it may seem to be. (Believe me I know since I've been whining for the past 3 days over my verbal practice results - alas 3 days wasted)

I must say if this test is unjust, I suggest you write a version of the MCAT you feel is most fair and send it to AAMC for approval. Since you seem to have extensive scientific background, I'm sure they might consider it. I am struggling through this test too, so if you made it easier, and I do well on it then I guess that would make it fair.....
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That is the hope in the near future,:laugh:, my individual opinion standing on by itself, will not weigh heavily, but after recruiting a significant number of people through conversations and debates such as this, we may at some point protest a change.
 
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U of ottawa and Mcmaster don't use the Mcat, and they produce perfectly capable doctors...

just sayin.
 
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Here's my on-topic post... hopefully it offers a legitimate viewpoint.

I actually agree with a lot of what people have said about the MCAT not being a perfect test. We shouldn't expect any test to be perfect, of course. The SAT and ACT weren't perfect in assessing intelligence, only the ability of a student to take a test, after all. I think its flawed in a lot of ways, some of it to do with verbal reasoning.

Right now, you don't know me, or my background, so I won't go into it too much, but to say that I could be considered disadvantaged from birth. It' hasn't been significant enough to have kept me from getting to where I am now, even considering being a doctor. One of the reasons this is so is because my parents taught me to value hard work and persistence, and to approach challenge and adversity with panache. I'm sure some of you can appreciate that, given that some of the posters in this thread have learned English as a non-primary language, including BG and CC. I learned both to appreciate that life isn't fair as well as the need to approach challenges with an attitude that is conducive to overcoming these challenges. If you have a self-defeating attitude, you will most likely fail. And that's why I have such a problem with this thread and anyone who is willing to debate that the MCAT is unfair and unjust to test-takers, despite my belief that the MCAT isn't perfect.

So when I look at the MCAT, or any standardized test for that matter, tests that may be difficult and intimidating, it's just another obstacle designed to test your mettle, your ability and drive to succeed. It's a challenge, and my intent is to rise to the challenge, not shrink from it. You may get frustrated when you study, I definitely have gotten very frustrated at times. You may want to vent, I certainly did too, regarding VR and my patent inability to raise my score. It's tough. But I am much more confident in my ability to score what I want on VR, and that is the important part. If you want to vent, do so constructively, instead of destructively like this thread is leading to be. It is a difficult challenge, to be sure, and even more difficult for some of you than it may be for me. All I know is that from my standpoint, it is silly to be debating about how unfair or unjust the MCAT is when you could be working harder to overcome that, which I am sure that most of you are. I get the feeling that CC isn't, but I don't know how much work he's putting into the MCAT. To be sure, I really don't care, because I can't control what he does, nor do I want to, as it is not my business. The only thing I can control is my performance, my mindset and my desire to overcome. The MCAT is a test to be conquered, not a test to complain about.

That's my spiel. I hope you enjoyed it. I'm pumped up and ready to take on the MCAT beast on Friday.
 
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BlueCow said:
I feel the MCAT is biased toward people who can read fast and have excellent mastery of the English language. I do well on the PS because I don't have to read the passages in great details. Many of the PS passages have nothing to do with the questions. On the BS, the passages are quite dense. Because I am a slow reader, timing is very tight for me. The VR is the worst section for me. If I can understand the passages then I can answer the questions. The MCAT often throws in several hard passages (such as philosophy ir literary analysis) that I have no idea what it meant and how to answer the questions.

I think that the VR should be taken out of the MCAT and replace with a section something similar to the USMLE Step 1 type of questions.
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Perhaps you are stronger in PS due to having a major which incorporates a lot of Physics and/or chemistry. I don't know your major, but if you do have a physical science based major or engineering as a major it would make sense why your score in that section is higher.

When I took the MCAT last time, I got a 10 in bio and I didn't read the passages in great detail. I examined the figures and just skimmed the passages. I don't think they were particular dense. But then again, I was a microbio major so the info was ingrained in me.
 
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RoadRunner17 said:
Here's my on-topic post... hopefully it offers a legitimate viewpoint.

I actually agree with a lot of what people have said about the MCAT not being a perfect test. We shouldn't expect any test to be perfect, of course. The SAT and ACT weren't perfect in assessing intelligence, only the ability of a student to take a test, after all. I think its flawed in a lot of ways, some of it to do with verbal reasoning.

Right now, you don't know me, or my background, so I won't go into it too much, but to say that I could be considered disadvantaged from birth. It' hasn't been significant enough to have kept me from getting to where I am now, even considering being a doctor. One of the reasons this is so is because my parents taught me to value hard work and persistence, and to approach challenge and adversity with panache. I'm sure some of you can appreciate that, given that some of the posters in this thread have learned English as a non-primary language, including BG and CC. I learned both to appreciate that life isn't fair as well as the need to approach challenges with an attitude that is conducive to overcoming these challenges. If you have a self-defeating attitude, you will most likely fail. And that's why I have such a problem with this thread and anyone who is willing to debate that the MCAT is unfair and unjust to test-takers, despite my belief that the MCAT isn't perfect.

So when I look at the MCAT, or any standardized test for that matter, tests that may be difficult and intimidating, it's just another obstacle designed to test your mettle, your ability and drive to succeed. It's a challenge, and my intent is to rise to the challenge, not shrink from it. You may get frustrated when you study, I definitely have gotten very frustrated at times. You may want to vent, I certainly did too, regarding VR and my patent inability to raise my score. It's tough. But I am much more confident in my ability to score what I want on VR, and that is the important part. If you want to vent, do so constructively, instead of destructively like this thread is leading to be. It is a difficult challenge, to be sure, and even more difficult for some of you than it may be for me. All I know is that from my standpoint, it is silly to be debating about how unfair or unjust the MCAT is when you could be working harder to overcome that, which I am sure that most of you are. I get the feeling that CC isn't, but I don't know how much work he's putting into the MCAT. To be sure, I really don't care, because I can't control what he does, nor do I want to, as it is not my business. The only thing I can control is my performance, my mindset and my desire to overcome. The MCAT is a test to be conquered, not a test to complain about.

That's my spiel. I hope you enjoyed it. I'm pumped up and ready to take on the MCAT beast on Friday.
Click to expand...


A very good post. Those who are determined will succeed if it is in them. There is not point on arguing the point of CCs original thread.

I think it is definitely difficult but not impossible to score higher if you work hard even in Verbal. Those who really can't score higher are those who either only recently moved here from another country where they didn't learn English or those who came from countries like Viet Nam where english isn't taught and then when they came here never took the time to teach themselves to read English literature enough to become knowledgable in English. That is what I've seen in Tampa.

Like you said the test isn't perfect but I don't believe it is pointless either.
 
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RoadRunner17 said:
Here's my on-topic post... hopefully it offers a legitimate viewpoint.

I actually agree with a lot of what people have said about the MCAT not being a perfect test. We shouldn't expect any test to be perfect, of course. The SAT and ACT weren't perfect in assessing intelligence, only the ability of a student to take a test, after all. I think its flawed in a lot of ways, some of it to do with verbal reasoning.

Right now, you don't know me, or my background, so I won't go into it too much, but to say that I could be considered disadvantaged from birth. It' hasn't been significant enough to have kept me from getting to where I am now, even considering being a doctor. One of the reasons this is so is because my parents taught me to value hard work and persistence, and to approach challenge and adversity with panache. I'm sure some of you can appreciate that, given that some of the posters in this thread have learned English as a non-primary language, including BG and CC. I learned both to appreciate that life isn't fair as well as the need to approach challenges with an attitude that is conducive to overcoming these challenges. If you have a self-defeating attitude, you will most likely fail. And that's why I have such a problem with this thread and anyone who is willing to debate that the MCAT is unfair and unjust to test-takers, despite my belief that the MCAT isn't perfect.

So when I look at the MCAT, or any standardized test for that matter, tests that may be difficult and intimidating, it's just another obstacle designed to test your mettle, your ability and drive to succeed. It's a challenge, and my intent is to rise to the challenge, not shrink from it. You may get frustrated when you study, I definitely have gotten very frustrated at times. You may want to vent, I certainly did too, regarding VR and my patent inability to raise my score. It's tough. But I am much more confident in my ability to score what I want on VR, and that is the important part. If you want to vent, do so constructively, instead of destructively like this thread is leading to be. It is a difficult challenge, to be sure, and even more difficult for some of you than it may be for me. All I know is that from my standpoint, it is silly to be debating about how unfair or unjust the MCAT is when you could be working harder to overcome that, which I am sure that most of you are. I get the feeling that CC isn't, but I don't know how much work he's putting into the MCAT. To be sure, I really don't care, because I can't control what he does, nor do I want to, as it is not my business. The only thing I can control is my performance, my mindset and my desire to overcome. The MCAT is a test to be conquered, not a test to complain about.

That's my spiel. I hope you enjoyed it. I'm pumped up and ready to take on the MCAT beast on Friday.
Click to expand...
In the last two weeks, I have done AAMC tests 3 to 8 and here is a break down of my scores(average). Scores indicate whether I am working hard, not you
Bio 13
Phy: 14
VR: 8 (and I used 10 to 15 more minutes on each test on this section)
You don't see anything wrong with that?

Besides you talk about hard work, what do you know? how much education do you have?
Also, by your own admission all you have studied for this test was 2 months, to come here and make it sound that you are the most hard working guy on the planet and preaching human kind about overcoming obstacles.
take a look at my profile, do I seem to be the lazy ass jobless shmuck who just woke up today to realize he wants to go to med school?
Please do not lecture me about hard work, you have no clue, I do take that one as an insult.
 
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Corpus Callosum said:
In the last two weeks, I have done AAMC tests 3 to 8 and here is a break down of my scores. Scores indicate whether I am working hard, not you
Bio 13
Phy: 14
VR: 8 (and I used 10 to 15 more minutes on each test on this section)
You don't see anything wrong with that?

Besides you talk about hard work, what do you know? how much education do you have?
Also, by your own admission all you have studied for this test was 2 months, to come here and make it sound that you are the most hard working guy on the planet and preaching human kind about overcoming obstacles.
take a look at my profile, do I seem to be the lazy ass jobless shmuck who just woke up today to realize he wants to go to med school?
Please do not lecture me about hard work, you have no clue, I do take that one as an insult.
Click to expand...

If you indeed scored a 35 (which I suspect is greatly exaggerated), this thread needs to be officially closed and you need to be banned for trolling.
No school will reject you for such a score.
 
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gujuDoc said:
Thank you for posting it. I was getting annoyed by looking at the constant laughing smilies in every single post. I use smilies but only when I really find something funny.

This guy seems to use them almost in a derogatory manner to each and every single post.
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:laugh::laugh::laugh:
 
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PreMD86 said:
If you indeed scored a 35 (which I suspect is greatly exaggerated), this thread needs to be officially closed and you need to be banned for trolling.
No school will reject you for such a score.
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how do you know I am exaggerating, you are my wife with me in the bedroom,:laugh::laugh:, or isit jelousy?
 
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gujuDoc said:
Perhaps you are stronger in PS due to having a major which incorporates a lot of Physics and/or chemistry. I don't know your major, but if you do have a physical science based major or engineering as a major it would make sense why your score in that section is higher.

When I took the MCAT last time, I got a 10 in bio and I didn't read the passages in great detail. I examined the figures and just skimmed the passages. I don't think they were particular dense. But then again, I was a microbio major so the info was ingrained in me.
Click to expand...

You are absolutely right. I do well on PS because it is my major. BS is not my major so my processing speed drops when it comes to that section. Had I know more bio I probably could process the passages quicker. VR is a total different story.
 
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Corpus Callosum said:
how do you know I am exaggerating, you are my wife with me in the bedroom,:laugh::laugh:, or isit jelousy?
Click to expand...

I know you are exaggerating because no other individual in their right mind would spend this much time consuming themselves with the fairness of the MCAT with such practice scores.
I have very little evidence that you are in fact sane- all I know about you is that you have the same propensity for smilicons as a prepubescent girl.

Are you implying you are married? I can't fathom your wife having to sit there while you attempt to explain the unjustness and fairness of failing to satisfy her :laugh:
 
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gujuDoc said:
A very good post. Those who are determined will succeed if it is in them. There is not point on arguing the point of CCs original thread.

I think it is definitely difficult but not impossible to score higher if you work hard even in Verbal. Those who really can't score higher are those who either only recently moved here from another country where they didn't learn English or those who came from countries like Viet Nam where english isn't taught and then when they came here never took the time to teach themselves to read English literature enough to become knowledgable in English. That is what I've seen in Tampa.

Like you said the test isn't perfect but I don't believe it is pointless either.
Click to expand...
Why would you claim info is engrained within you if you are a micro-bio major, I have a masters in biology and never make that claim
what happened to physiology, immunology, molecular biology and million other areas
Besides if you did so well on the mcat, why aren't you in med school?
 
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PreMD86 said:
I know you are exaggerating because no other individual in their right mind would spend this much time consuming themselves with the fairness of the MCAT with such practice scores.
I have very little evidence that you are in fact sane- all I know about you is that you have the same propensity for smilicons as a prepubescent girl.

Are you implying you are married? I can't fathom your wife having to sit there while you attempt to explain the unjustness and fairness of failing to satisfy her :laugh:
Click to expand...
Send you wife or girlfriend here, and she will let you know,:laugh::laugh::laugh:
 
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RoadRunner17 said:
Here's my on-topic post... hopefully it offers a legitimate viewpoint.

I actually agree with a lot of what people have said about the MCAT not being a perfect test. We shouldn't expect any test to be perfect, of course. The SAT and ACT weren't perfect in assessing intelligence, only the ability of a student to take a test, after all. I think its flawed in a lot of ways, some of it to do with verbal reasoning.

Right now, you don't know me, or my background, so I won't go into it too much, but to say that I could be considered disadvantaged from birth. It' hasn't been significant enough to have kept me from getting to where I am now, even considering being a doctor. One of the reasons this is so is because my parents taught me to value hard work and persistence, and to approach challenge and adversity with panache. I'm sure some of you can appreciate that, given that some of the posters in this thread have learned English as a non-primary language, including BG and CC. I learned both to appreciate that life isn't fair as well as the need to approach challenges with an attitude that is conducive to overcoming these challenges. If you have a self-defeating attitude, you will most likely fail. And that's why I have such a problem with this thread and anyone who is willing to debate that the MCAT is unfair and unjust to test-takers, despite my belief that the MCAT isn't perfect.

So when I look at the MCAT, or any standardized test for that matter, tests that may be difficult and intimidating, it's just another obstacle designed to test your mettle, your ability and drive to succeed. It's a challenge, and my intent is to rise to the challenge, not shrink from it. You may get frustrated when you study, I definitely have gotten very frustrated at times. You may want to vent, I certainly did too, regarding VR and my patent inability to raise my score. It's tough. But I am much more confident in my ability to score what I want on VR, and that is the important part. If you want to vent, do so constructively, instead of destructively like this thread is leading to be. It is a difficult challenge, to be sure, and even more difficult for some of you than it may be for me. All I know is that from my standpoint, it is silly to be debating about how unfair or unjust the MCAT is when you could be working harder to overcome that, which I am sure that most of you are. I get the feeling that CC isn't, but I don't know how much work he's putting into the MCAT. To be sure, I really don't care, because I can't control what he does, nor do I want to, as it is not my business. The only thing I can control is my performance, my mindset and my desire to overcome. The MCAT is a test to be conquered, not a test to complain about.

That's my spiel. I hope you enjoyed it. I'm pumped up and ready to take on the MCAT beast on Friday.
Click to expand...

Corpus Callosum said:
In the last two weeks, I have done AAMC tests 3 to 8 and here is a break down of my scores(average). Scores indicate whether I am working hard, not you
Bio 13
Phy: 14
VR: 8 (and I used 10 to 15 more minutes on each test on this section)
You don't see anything wrong with that?

Besides you talk about hard work, what do you know? how much education do you have?
Also, by your own admission all you have studied for this test was 2 months, to come here and make it sound that you are the most hard working guy on the planet and preaching human kind about overcoming obstacles.
take a look at my profile, do I seem to be the lazy ass jobless shmuck who just woke up today to realize he wants to go to med school?
Please do not lecture me about hard work, you have no clue, I do take that one as an insult.
Click to expand...


Unfortunately, this time I did not mean my post to be an insult. Read my post again, which I quoted and bolded for you, if you are feeling reasonable enough. You reacted quite defensively, and that is your prerogative. I never said you don't work hard, but I did state that my impression of you based on your online persona is that you aren't working as hard as you could be (given that you post here as often as you do, mostly on threads that are only related to the MCAT in terms of this thread topic), qualified with the fact that there is no way for me to know how hard you are working. So don't take the insult, and hold your own posts to the standard of civility and reason that you want everyone to have. If you're not going to read my post in its full entirety and give the effort to understand where I'm coming from, then that's your problem.

If you're going to question my own body of work in response to my post, then you may be even more insecure than your posts indicate. You don't know me. I don't know you. All I'm going off on is based on what I can deduce from your posting habits, because I don't know you, and I make that very clear. You don't know me either. I think I made that very clear as well. You have no idea what I've been through, and I don't know what you've been through. I've never looked at your MDapps, nor is your MDapps relevant to my post. The whole point of my post is not to insult you; it wasn't even directed at only you, but to perhaps give people another perspective from which you can approach the MCAT. In the end, that's all it is. It's probably a perspective different from yours, based on your reaction. I'm not saying I'm the hardest working guy, far from it.. but it's the attitude that you take towards the MCAT is the main point.

Nowhere in my post did I say that I am working harder than everyone else, or humankind for that matter. Yes, I've studied full-time for two months, and I've had the results that I want. I'm ready for the actual MCAT. What qualifies "hard work" in studying for the MCAT? Some people will study hard for one month, others will study for a whole year. It depends on what you want and need to accomplish. But you seem to say that because you studied more than I have means I'm not as hardworking as you are. What kind of standard is that? If you're going to accuse me of arrogance and condescension, look in the mirror.

I commend you on your scores. You are averaging a 35, which most people would kill for. I know you are aiming for a 10 on VR, and I am sure that is frustrating. But it isn't helping anyone at all, especially not you, to be spending so much time on irrelevant thread topics. If you are giving it all you have, that is really all you can ask for. Do your best, and approach the MCAT with a positive attitude, and make the best of the situation. In the end, it is just another standardized test to overcome. I'm saying that all the energy spent on here posting about how unfair and unjust it is rings hollow to me. That's my perspective, and if you disagree, feel free to disagree. Just don't be a hypocrite about it.
 
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This is just turning ugly. I honestly think some good points have been raised, but it seems like people are more intent on attacking each other. It's my belief that you should have a positive outlook on the MCAT. Similar to RoadRunner17, I try to think of it more like a challenge than anything else. Additionally, this won't be the last standardized test we take once we get into medical school and all standardized tests have flaws. Also, doing well on the MCAT isn't the only factor going into admissions. So someone with a great MCAT score might not get in if they don't have other strong aspects. Lastly, simply because one does great on the sciences does not necessarily translate to high VR scores. There were some people in my Kaplan class that scored 13-14s on the sciences as well, but 6-7s on the VR. To me, PS and BS are quite different from VR. There have been numerous times when one does not have to understand a passage in PS or BS to get the questions right. This, however, is not the case with VR. They require different attack strategies. I couldn't use the same strategy for PS or BS on VR. Admittedly, I haven't found the best way yet either or else my average would be higher.
As a side note to CC, I don't suggest giving yourself extra time on any section on the practice test. That extra time could potentially artificially inflate your scores and place you under more stress once the real thing comes. Again this is just some friendly advice. In the end, do want YOU think is best, not me.

And come on people, stop attacking each other or this thread will likely get closed as well.
 
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Corpus Callosum said:
In the last two weeks, I have done AAMC tests 3 to 8 and here is a break down of my scores(average). Scores indicate whether I am working hard, not you
Bio 13
Phy: 14
VR: 8 (and I used 10 to 15 more minutes on each test on this section)
You don't see anything wrong with that?

Besides you talk about hard work, what do you know? how much education do you have?
Also, by your own admission all you have studied for this test was 2 months, to come here and make it sound that you are the most hard working guy on the planet and preaching human kind about overcoming obstacles.
take a look at my profile, do I seem to be the lazy ass jobless shmuck who just woke up today to realize he wants to go to med school?
Please do not lecture me about hard work, you have no clue, I do take that one as an insult.
Click to expand...

CC, I've seen your profile and (now) your practice breakdown and it boggles my mind that you could expend this much energy complaining about how unfair the test is, especially when you seem to be doing fine. Maybe you're stressed out and/or someone who's never encountered an adverse score after a set amount of hard work. If that is truly your breakdown then you have one section that needs slight improvement. Yes, you've made it clear that you've studied for five months and are frustrated w/ your verbal score. So what are you going to do about it? Your verbal score will be your verbal score and from what I've seen from your posts, you're a slightly below average writer w/average reading comprehension. I would suggest trying to improve but since you take the test in three days I don't know what you can possibly do about it. Nevertheless, I pray to god you break 10 because if you don't we'll never hear the end of it.

Good luck on the test.
 
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I really think you'd be more confident and that you'd be doing better if you change this negative attitude into more positive energy..

try it.. stay away from here for a few days and study 👍
 
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RoadRunner17 said:
Unfortunately, this time I did not mean my post to be an insult. Read my post again, which I quoted and bolded for you, if you are feeling reasonable enough. You reacted quite defensively, and that is your prerogative. I never said you don't work hard, but I did state that my impression of you based on your online persona is that you aren't working as hard as you could be (given that you post here as often as you do, mostly on threads that are only related to the MCAT in terms of this thread topic), qualified with the fact that there is no way for me to know how hard you are working. So don't take the insult, and hold your own posts to the standard of civility and reason that you want everyone to have. If you're not going to read my post in its full entirety and give the effort to understand where I'm coming from, then that's your problem.

If you're going to question my own body of work in response to my post, then you may be even more insecure than your posts indicate. You don't know me. I don't know you. All I'm going off on is based on what I can deduce from your posting habits, because I don't know you, and I make that very clear. You don't know me either. I think I made that very clear as well. You have no idea what I've been through, and I don't know what you've been through. I've never looked at your MDapps, nor is your MDapps relevant to my post. The whole point of my post is not to insult you; it wasn't even directed at only you, but to perhaps give people another perspective from which you can approach the MCAT. In the end, that's all it is. It's probably a perspective different from yours, based on your reaction. I'm not saying I'm the hardest working guy, far from it.. but it's the attitude that you take towards the MCAT is the main point.

Nowhere in my post did I say that I am working harder than everyone else, or humankind for that matter. Yes, I've studied full-time for two months, and I've had the results that I want. I'm ready for the actual MCAT. What qualifies "hard work" in studying for the MCAT? Some people will study hard for one month, others will study for a whole year. It depends on what you want and need to accomplish. But you seem to say that because you studied more than I have means I'm not as hardworking as you are. What kind of standard is that? If you're going to accuse me of arrogance and condescension, look in the mirror.

I commend you on your scores. You are averaging a 35, which most people would kill for. I know you are aiming for a 10 on VR, and I am sure that is frustrating. But it isn't helping anyone at all, especially not you, to be spending so much time on irrelevant thread topics. If you are giving it all you have, that is really all you can ask for. Do your best, and approach the MCAT with a positive attitude, and make the best of the situation. In the end, it is just another standardized test to overcome. I'm saying that all the energy spent on here posting about how unfair and unjust it is rings hollow to me. That's my perspective, and if you disagree, feel free to disagree. Just don't be a hypocrite about it.
Click to expand...
Someone, who has already admitted to having problems with the MCAT VR section, misconstruing your last post as an insult is too classic.
 
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Let me break down how the next 15 or so posts are gonna look

  1. CorpusCallosum (CC) whines about inherent unfairness of MCAT
  2. PosterA leaves strong short post of disagreement
  3. PosterB leaves medium length post of agreement
  4. PosterC calls out CC on his idiocy
  5. CC :laugh::laugh: at PosterA, PosterC
  6. PosterD actually writes a reasonable post in disagreement
  7. PosterE disagrees reasonably with PosterD
  8. CC :laugh::laugh: I have 5 degrees! So I work hard! Therefore STFU!
  9. PosterC comes back and calls CC names
  10. CC you're not my wife PosterC :laugh::laugh:
  11. Mod comes in and tells everyone to stay on topic
  12. CC :laugh::laugh: I like mods
  13. PosterB wants to get back on topic
  14. PosterF wants icecream
  15. PosterG also wants icecream
  16. CC ICE CREAM will be the uniting force to stand up against AMCAS and their unfair test! :laugh::laugh:
  17. Mods give everyone icecream, oops I mean close the thread

This is like the MCAT subforum version of URM threads.. I swear..! lol
 
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Corpus Callosum said:
As for the psychiatrist, go to MED school become one and then I will hire you
Click to expand...

I'm not interested in psychiatry actually. I hate listening to people talk because it is mostly pointless banter like the stuff that comes out of my mouth.

Corpus I hope you take this MCAT thing soon, get your scores back, realize that you did fine and move on with it. I don't know why you're so bitter about it, let it go, it is just a test. Just because you can't score well on verbal doesn't make the test pointless. It just means others comprehend better than you do, accept that. You've mentioned that English is your second language, and the likelihood is that you really do not read as well as a native reader. The scores reflect that, big deal, it doesn't make you less of a person nor does it hint that you're not as bright as others.

It is sad that after so many years of school, you've yet to gain some maturity in handling your failures. Success is easy to accept, accepting your short comings with grace and deriving from it the determination to remedy the situation is the hard part.

Go read a book.
 
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this is all very odd to me.

Corpus--what is your purpose for starting this thread?

we all know/sympathize that the mcat is not a fair test, but we all know that we have to take it to get into med school, in the current system.

complaining about it won't get you anywhere, as i'm sure you know.

your options are

1) admit that this is the system. yes, its unfair, but it's how it is now, so just do the best you can at it.

2) if you really have a huge problem with it, do something productive about it (contact AAMC, make suggestions)
 
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littlealex said:
I'm not interested in psychiatry actually. I hate listening to people talk because it is mostly pointless banter like the stuff that comes out of my mouth.

Corpus I hope you take this MCAT thing soon, get your scores back, realize that you did fine and move on with it. I don't know why you're so bitter about it, let it go, it is just a test. Just because you can't score well on verbal doesn't make the test pointless. It just means others comprehend better than you do, accept that. You've mentioned that English is your second language, and the likelihood is that you really do not read as well as a native reader. The scores reflect that, big deal, it doesn't make you less of a person nor does it hint that you're not as bright as others.

It is sad that after so many years of school, you've yet to gain some maturity in handling your failures. Success is easy to accept, accepting your short comings with grace and deriving from it the determination to remedy the situation is the hard part.

Go read a book.
Click to expand...
No, that I won't accept, others read and understand their language faster than I do, NOT comprehend better than I do, this is exactly why I posted my practice scores, to emphasize this, but you don't seem to have gotten the point, no offense.
 
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Dulcina said:
this is all very odd to me.

Corpus--what is your purpose for starting this thread?

we all know/sympathize that the mcat is not a fair test, but we all know that we have to take it to get into med school, in the current system.

complaining about it won't get you anywhere, as i'm sure you know.

your options are

1) admit that this is the system. yes, its unfair, but it's how it is now, so just do the best you can at it.

2) if you really have a huge problem with it, do something productive about it (contact AAMC, make suggestions)
Click to expand...
'
 
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Dulcina said:
this is all very odd to me.

Corpus--what is your purpose for starting this thread?

we all know/sympathize that the mcat is not a fair test, but we all know that we have to take it to get into med school, in the current system.

complaining about it won't get you anywhere, as i'm sure you know.

your options are

1) admit that this is the system. yes, its unfair, but it's how it is now, so just do the best you can at it.

2) if you really have a huge problem with it, do something productive about it (contact AAMC, make suggestions)
Click to expand...
I am not complaining, I am simply debating an existing dillema that millions of candidates are facing. As for AMCC, the only factor that goes into their equation is profit, people like me and you, mean nothing to those monsterous cooperations.
 
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estairella said:
Let me break down how the next 15 or so posts are gonna look
  1. CorpusCallosum (CC) whines about inherent unfairness of MCAT
  2. PosterA leaves strong short post of disagreement
  3. PosterB leaves medium length post of agreement
  4. PosterC calls out CC on his idiocy
  5. CC :laugh::laugh: at PosterA, PosterC
  6. PosterD actually writes a reasonable post in disagreement
  7. PosterE disagrees reasonably with PosterD
  8. CC :laugh::laugh: I have 5 degrees! So I work hard! Therefore STFU!
  9. PosterC comes back and calls CC names
  10. CC you're not my wife PosterC :laugh::laugh:
  11. Mod comes in and tells everyone to stay on topic
  12. CC :laugh::laugh: I like mods
  13. PosterB wants to get back on topic
  14. PosterF wants icecream
  15. PosterG also wants icecream
  16. CC ICE CREAM will be the uniting force to stand up against AMCAS and their unfair test! :laugh:
  17. Mods give everyone icecream, oops I mean close the thread
This is like the MCAT subforum version of URM threads.. I swear..! lol
Click to expand...
👍 Classic!
 
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If you think the MCAT is hard, unjust, whatever, wait until you get into med school. First year tests will make the MCAT look like baby shiet.

And then come second year, the MCAT will seem like a distant memory of easier times as the boards roll up. If someone bitched and moaned about the boards, it would be understandable as it basically determines (and sometimes limits) what kind of doctor you can be. I'm not even going to talk about residency and what happens there.

The MCAT is exactly to the point and it's an effective mechanism to cull applicants. Any first year can tell you everything covered in the MCAT will appear within the first few days of lecture as an introduction in their classes (physio, biochem, histo, anatomy, genetics, neuro, endo, and immuno).

At most med schools, first years have to pass all those classes in a short period of time with at least a 75%. Is it coincidental that a score of 30 is ~75%? I don't think so.
 
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Corpus Callosum said:
No, that I won't accept, others read and understand their language faster than I do, NOT comprehend better than I do, this is exactly why I posted my practice scores, to emphasize this, but you don't seem to have gotten the point, no offense.
Click to expand...

Personally, I suggested earlier that you put information about your background in your personal statement. Explain that you are not a native speaker of English, that you've only been speaking for however many years, and that's why you think your VR scores are lower. You aren't the first non-native speaker to apply to medical school. Others have been there and successfully handled the MCAT before; I'm quite confident that many of them also had relative low VR scores compared to other matriculants. My guess is that when an admissions committee sees that you're foreign born and scored double 13s with an 8 in VR, they'll first look for a reason. Learning English as a 2nd language later in life is a good explanation for not reasoning as quickly as other people in VR.
 
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littlealex said:
I'm not interested in psychiatry actually. I hate listening to people talk because it is mostly pointless banter like the stuff that comes out of my mouth.

Corpus I hope you take this MCAT thing soon, get your scores back, realize that you did fine and move on with it. I don't know why you're so bitter about it, let it go, it is just a test. Just because you can't score well on verbal doesn't make the test pointless. It just means others comprehend better than you do, accept that. You've mentioned that English is your second language, and the likelihood is that you really do not read as well as a native reader. The scores reflect that, big deal, it doesn't make you less of a person nor does it hint that you're not as bright as others.

It is sad that after so many years of school, you've yet to gain some maturity in handling your failures. Success is easy to accept, accepting your short comings with grace and deriving from it the determination to remedy the situation is the hard part.

Go read a book.
Click to expand...
Failures, I don't understand what failures you are refering to. If every one who discusses contreversial issues are failures, I don't see any one succeeding.
 
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makoto00 said:
If you think the MCAT is hard, unjust, whatever, wait until you get into med school. First year tests will make the MCAT look like baby shiet.

And then come second year, the MCAT will seem like a distant memory of easier times as the boards roll up. If someone bitched and moaned about the boards, it would be understandable as it basically determines (and sometimes limits) what kind of doctor you can be. I'm not even going to talk about residency and what happens there.

The MCAT is exactly to the point and it's an effective mechanism to cull applicants. Any first year can tell you everything covered in the MCAT will appear within the first few days of lecture as an introduction in their classes (physio, biochem, histo, anatomy, genetics, neuro, endo, and immuno).

At most med schools, first years have to pass all those classes in a short period of time with at least a 75%. Is it coincidental that a score of 30 is ~75%? I don't think so.
Click to expand...
All of the above are MCAT topics "physio, biochem, histo, anatomy, genetics, neuro, endo, and immuno" + physics (1 and 2) +chemistry (1 and 2) + organic chemistry (1 and 2) + verbal reasoning "humanities" (1+2+3....n,:laugh::laugh::laugh:)
 
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Corpus Callosum said:
Failures, I don't understand what failures you are refering to. If every one who discusses contreversial issues are failures, I don't see any one succeeding.
Click to expand...
In all due respect, one of your biggest failures is your heedlessness of the public outcry: no, your posts are not laughter inducing 🙂laugh🙂, and your continued use of 🙂laugh🙂 is unnecessary and irritating.
 
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Corpus Callosum said:
No, that I won't accept, others read and understand their language faster than I do, NOT comprehend better than I do, this is exactly why I posted my practice scores, to emphasize this, but you don't seem to have gotten the point, no offense.
Click to expand...

http://www.askoxford.com/concise_oed/comprehension?view=uk

comprehension - • noun 1 the action of understanding. 2 the ability to understand; range of understanding: mysteries beyond human comprehension.
 
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cheezer said:
[/color][/color]

your setback in the verbal section of the practice mcats you've been taking. if you were scoring 10+ on verbal would this thread exist?



abortion is a controversial issue. the mcat, not so much.
Click to expand...
My score on any section of the MCAT is irrelevant to this debate.
Even if I or anyone else score 15 on the verbal reasoning section, does not make this test anymore valid than it already is, just like prostitution is despicable but turns in substantial profits,:laugh:
 
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To add on to my previous idea of simply indicating non-native speaker status in the application, here's another idea.

OP, have you tried taking the VR section by doubling the amount of time you allow yourself to finish the section? One idea I've always heard for improving a score is to start out by taking it under untimed conditions. I haven't been following these threads much, so I'm sorry if this question's already been asked, but how long have you been speaking English (and also when did you start)?

Ultimately, it comes down to the test being fair for as many people as possible. For the vast majority of people applying to medical school, an English verbal reasoning test is as fair as it gets. You'll always get some people for whom it's not quite as valid because they don't speak English well. That's why admissions committees don't just look at test scores. How many people have you met in college who are foreign-born and have trouble with English? They figured out a way to get around the problem posed by SAT verbal (yes, I know, SAT verbal is different from MCAT verbal). Admission to my high school required taking a standardized test--many of my friends were very recent Asian immigrants who had been speaking English for less than 2 years, but they got in also.

So in the end, I don't see the point. Large numbers of people who don't speak English natively are faced with standardized tests and manage to do just fine. If admissions committees are already taking care of correcting for the problems involved in taking a test in a non-native language, then why bother changing the MCAT?
 
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scgamer2000 said:
To add on to my previous idea of simply indicating non-native speaker status in the application, here's another idea.

OP, have you tried taking the VR section by doubling the amount of time you allow yourself to finish the section? One idea I've always heard for improving a score is to start out by taking it under untimed conditions. I haven't been following these threads much, so I'm sorry if this question's already been asked, but how long have you been speaking English (and also when did you start)?

Ultimately, it comes down to the test being fair for as many people as possible. For the vast majority of people applying to medical school, an English verbal reasoning test is as fair as it gets. You'll always get some people for whom it's not quite as valid because they don't speak English well. That's why admissions committees don't just look at test scores. How many people have you met in college who are foreign-born and have trouble with English? They figured out a way to get around the problem posed by SAT verbal (yes, I know, SAT verbal is different from MCAT verbal). Admission to my high school required taking a standardized test--many of my friends were very recent Asian immigrants who had been speaking English for less than 2 years, but they got in also.

So in the end, I don't see the point. Large numbers of people who don't speak English natively are faced with standardized tests and manage to do just fine. If admissions committees are already taking care of correcting for the problems involved in taking a test in a non-native language, then why bother changing the MCAT?
Click to expand...
I was 18 years old when I came here
 
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scgamer2000 said:
To add on to my previous idea of simply indicating non-native speaker status in the application, here's another idea.

OP, have you tried taking the VR section by doubling the amount of time you allow yourself to finish the section? One idea I've always heard for improving a score is to start out by taking it under untimed conditions. I haven't been following these threads much, so I'm sorry if this question's already been asked, but how long have you been speaking English (and also when did you start)?

Ultimately, it comes down to the test being fair for as many people as possible. For the vast majority of people applying to medical school, an English verbal reasoning test is as fair as it gets. You'll always get some people for whom it's not quite as valid because they don't speak English well. That's why admissions committees don't just look at test scores. How many people have you met in college who are foreign-born and have trouble with English? They figured out a way to get around the problem posed by SAT verbal (yes, I know, SAT verbal is different from MCAT verbal). Admission to my high school required taking a standardized test--many of my friends were very recent Asian immigrants who had been speaking English for less than 2 years, but they got in also.

So in the end, I don't see the point. Large numbers of people who don't speak English natively are faced with standardized tests and manage to do just fine. If admissions committees are already taking care of correcting for the problems involved in taking a test in a non-native language, then why bother changing the MCAT?
Click to expand...

For the love of God, please stop feeding the animals.
 
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Okay, folks, this is beginning to get out of hand. Refrain from any further personal insults, name calling, etc. I don't want to have to take further action than this warning. Play nice.
 
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Corpus Callosum said:
I am not complaining, I am simply debating an existing dillema that millions of candidates are facing. As for AMCC, the only factor that goes into their equation is profit, people like me and you, mean nothing to those monsterous cooperations.
Click to expand...

I dont think anyone is debating with you. We all AGREE that the mcat isnt fair. But what's the point of dwelling on it? Either do something to fix it, or just work within the system and do the best you can.
 
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In my opinion. AAMC is the most irresponsible organization I have dealt with. First, everything is delayed. Second, the move to CBT was suppose to be so that you can get scores faster (oooo one month faster, big deal) and to standardize the exam even more....NOT TRUE....how is it fair when someone has to write an exam on a old computer where the screen might flinch here and there...mouse moves slow...more of a headache i think

I have been trying to register for the last month for a date and the funny thing is I can't even get past the bio page because of some glitch which I have reported to AAMC numerous times and all they keep doin is changing my password...so i finally gave up and will just wait for my results

sorry guys lol just had to let it out
 
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