Any success stories for those with low MCAT scores?

[ShyRem]

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I'm not sure WHAT the magic formula is for med school admissions. I have a 29 MCAT, a 3.7 GPA (this time around) doing a double major in three years, and phenomenal experience. Not one single interview. I am, however, quite humble, and find it difficult to "blow my own horn" so to speak. On the other hand, I have a friend who had a 24 MCAT, took 5 years to do a single major with a 3.7 GPA, NO experience, but had someone else (basically) write her PS. She got several interviews.

I'm finding that few people actually TOTALLY write their own PS - not to say people have someone else do it, but they have many people assist with it; in the end it resembles nothing like the original. It saddens me that adcoms penalize applicants who put forth a totally honest application. I am, however, very happy for my friend. I'm just not sure what the answer should be. I do know that test scores don't predict whether someone will be a *good* doctor or just a booksmart doctor. Not the same thing.

SO: success stories. My friend with the 24 MCAT for one. I personally know another student with a 19 (yes, 19) MCAT who went to the Carribean. Don't scoff - he'll still be an MD someday. As for me, I don't know if I can afford to apply again. I'll have to do some serious thinking about what my husband and children can do without in order to come up with the money to try again.

 

[medicEZ]

ShyRem, have you tried DO schools? A lot of times they are more amenable to non-trads and more willing to look beyond just grades/MCATs (in my case, 80% of the DO schools I applied to gave me interviews; 5% of MD schools did). Also if that doesn't work out, there is always PA school (I know it's not the same, but you still do patient care and you could still do the medical missions I read you were interested in in one of your other posts).

 

[Sarikate]

I'm not sure yet if I'm a "success story," but I have gotten four interviews (at allopathic schools) so far with a low MCAT, 24R (very mind-boggling breakdown of scores, too). I am generally considered non-traditional - coming up on the ripe age of 26 with some great healthcare experience in the four years since college, plus good LORs. Here's hoping!

 

[MedicineBird]

I'm not sure yet if I'm a "success story," but I have gotten four interviews (at allopathic schools) so far with a low MCAT, 24R (very mind-boggling breakdown of scores, too). I am generally considered non-traditional - coming up on the ripe age of 26 with some great healthcare experience in the four years since college, plus good LORs. Here's hoping!

Sarikate, UW is gonna love ya!

 

[Sarikate]

Awww, I hope so! I want to have UW's lovechild.

 

[MedicineBird]

Awww, I hope so! I want to have UW's lovechild.

did you mention this in your personal statement???

 

[cfdavid]

Where the hell do some of you get off with your self righteous attitutdes? Because you were trained somewhere along the way to think like a circus monkey and regurgitate answers while jumping through the hoop called the MCAT, somehow that makes you eligible for Godhood? I think not. Neither does it make you the judge of your peers' competence. I suspect you take pleasure in sabotaging the hopes of others to make yourselves feel better than deep down you know you are. It is a mask for the inferiority complex nagging at you. Do a little reading, compadres, and you will find that study after study has shown that the MCAT is no predictor of ones ability to be a good physician. It merely predicts success in the first year of medical school. Great news for all of the book smart automatons out there. Being a good physician does take some scientific knowledge, yes, but more and more it takes someone able to relate and understand the mitigating factors that brought this patient to your door. That can not be learned in classrooms or from books. It comes only with life experience. The arrogance found in this thread is the same type that looks to place blame when the infallable physician makes a deadly mistake. If you are willing to rob a stranger strugglng along the same path you have chosen of their hope, who is to say you wouldn't also rob hope from your patients? No one is saing you should lie to them but for God's sake be a physician, not the grim reaper and recognize the power of mind and spirit not only to heal but also to drive people to accomplish their goals, no matter what the score is against them.

👍 Extremely well put. 👍

 

[cfdavid]

I'm not sure WHAT the magic formula is for med school admissions. I have a 29 MCAT, a 3.7 GPA (this time around) doing a double major in three years, and phenomenal experience. Not one single interview. I am, however, quite humble, and find it difficult to "blow my own horn" so to speak. On the other hand, I have a friend who had a 24 MCAT, took 5 years to do a single major with a 3.7 GPA, NO experience, but had someone else (basically) write her PS. She got several interviews.

I'm finding that few people actually TOTALLY write their own PS - not to say people have someone else do it, but they have many people assist with it; in the end it resembles nothing like the original. It saddens me that adcoms penalize applicants who put forth a totally honest application. I am, however, very happy for my friend. I'm just not sure what the answer should be. I do know that test scores don't predict whether someone will be a *good* doctor or just a booksmart doctor. Not the same thing.

SO: success stories. My friend with the 24 MCAT for one. I personally know another student with a 19 (yes, 19) MCAT who went to the Carribean. Don't scoff - he'll still be an MD someday. As for me, I don't know if I can afford to apply again. I'll have to do some serious thinking about what my husband and children can do without in order to come up with the money to try again.

Hang in there. You WILL get in eventually with those scores. Take it from a non-trad (I'm 30), time flies by. So, don't think you're an old lady that needs to get in now or never! Just be patient, even though I know it's tough not knowing. Good luck.

 

[Sarikate]

did you mention this in your personal statement???

Oh, it was a personal statement all right!!!

🙂

 

[Violet54]

I got a 26 and I alrteady got into a medical school (MD)and in the competent pool for two other schools. So please do not give up

 

[dbpatto]

There's an implication that low MCAT scores correlate with incompetence, inability to do well acedemically, or just plain stupidity. But for me and several other nontrads, it has nothing to do with intellegence or ability, and everything to do with not having taken chemistry, physics and biology for several years. Every med student I've talked to says the MCAT material is almost completely irrelevant in med school. Not to mention that so many people with high scores have taken one of those test courses.

I understand tesitmonials aren't actually indicitive of all that much but here goes: Outside of all other aspects of my application, it is true that last year I applied to 14 schools with a 28 MCAT and had 4 interviews - this year I applied to the same 14 schools with a 32 MCAT (w/ improved essay - new lab job) and contrary to my expectations I only recieved 2 interviews. My point is that maybe the lower MCAT was a point of uniqueness last year? Perhaps the distance between a 28 and 32 is shorter than we think. I tend to think someone with a lower MCAT score should wear it as a point of character and frame it as another obstacle they will overcome as they continue the uphill battle towards medical school.... People love a fighter. At least that's what I thought last year. And in hindsite it looks as if it worked a bit better than not being able to talk about it this year. Go figure.

 

[em31]

I understand tesitmonials aren't actually indicitive of all that much but here goes: Outside of all other aspects of my application, it is true that last year I applied to 14 schools with a 28 MCAT and had 4 interviews - this year I applied to the same 14 schools with a 32 MCAT (w/ improved essay - new lab job) and contrary to my expectations I only recieved 2 interviews. My point is that maybe the lower MCAT was a point of uniqueness last year? Perhaps the distance between a 28 and 32 is shorter than we think. I tend to think someone with a lower MCAT score should wear it as a point of character and frame it as another obstacle they will overcome as they continue the uphill battle towards medical school.... People love a fighter. At least that's what I thought last year. And in hindsite it looks as if it worked a bit better than not being able to talk about it this year. Go figure.

were you not accepted to any schools last year? so you re-applied?

 

[dhoonlee]

.

 

[Ypo.]

I'm not sure WHAT the magic formula is for med school admissions. I have a 29 MCAT, a 3.7 GPA (this time around) doing a double major in three years, and phenomenal experience. Not one single interview. I am, however, quite humble, and find it difficult to "blow my own horn" so to speak. On the other hand, I have a friend who had a 24 MCAT, took 5 years to do a single major with a 3.7 GPA, NO experience, but had someone else (basically) write her PS. .

Yeah, I have the same problem. I don't like to "sell" myself or talk a lot about my achievements, and I had to learn to do that in order to interview well.

I don't know what you all consider a low MCAT score, but I was accepted this year with a 28 and a 3.5. I was a reapplicant. I didn't retake the MCAT, I just decided to apply earlier and get another clinical experience, and luckily I got several more interviews before interviewing at the school I really wanted to get into. I feel really lucky and happy to have been accepted this year.

Good luck to everyone who is still trying to get in this year.

 

[MedicineBird]

👍 Extremely well put. 👍

Thank you thank you -- I'm here all week!

 

[MedicineBird]

Yeah, I have the same problem. I don't like to "sell" myself or talk a lot about my achievements, and I had to learn to do that in order to interview well.

I don't know what you all consider a low MCAT score, but I was accepted this year with a 28 and a 3.5. I was a reapplicant. I didn't retake the MCAT, I just decided to apply earlier and get another clinical experience, and luckily I got several more interviews before interviewing at the school I really wanted to get into. I feel really lucky and happy to have been accepted this year.

Good luck to everyone who is still trying to get in this year.

YPOSH!!! I totally missed this joyous event -- where did you get in?

 

[dbpatto]

were you not accepted to any schools last year? so you re-applied?

yeah, got waitlisted last year at all of em. Not much fun. I'm lucky enough to have gotten into one of the two I interviewed at this year though. This still doesn't change the fact that I had more interviews last year at the same schools when my MCAT was lower.

 

[Ypo.]

YPOSH!!! I totally missed this joyous event -- where did you get in?

Michigan State University. I was really having a hard time deciding between the DO and MD school there, I eventually decided on the MD program because I like the PBL curriculum they use in the second year. I just found out that the DO program will be starting class a month earlier than expected, so now I feel OK about my choice because my boyfriend and I are spending a month in Costa Rica from July to August, and I would have missed out on that had I decided to attend COM. I will be bummed about missing out on the OMM, but I can always take those classes later.

 

[RangerD]

I consider anything above 26-27 as being reasonable and good score. Being 31 or 32 or 28 is not low at all! 😀 It is pretty good and it can get you to lots of places for sure (that is of course depending on the rest of the application). In my question I was asking about numbers below 25 😳

I agree with your analysis. 31 or 32 or 28 is not low and can get you in to lots of places. On the otherhand, most would agree that numbers below 25 are low. I know of an MD program that has accepted below that however it was only for those non-traditional applicants with some really good background/experiences that they bring to the incoming class.

 

[blump]

bump

 

[maryannea]

I don't know what you all consider a low MCAT score, but I was accepted this year with a 25 and a 3.9GPA. I am a reapplicant and I didn't retake the MCAT. I applied a lot earlier, did some more research, got 4 interviews this year (last year I had one and ended up on the waitlist). I cant believe I just got accepted after so many people said it couldnt happen. I got the call like 30mins ago and I'm still flabbergasted.

 

[Khenon]

I don't know what you all consider a low MCAT score, but I was accepted this year with a 25 and a 3.9GPA. I am a reapplicant and I didn't retake the MCAT. I applied a lot earlier, did some more research, got 4 interviews this year (last year I had one and ended up on the waitlist). I cant believe I just got accepted after so many people said it couldnt happen. I got the call like 30mins ago and I'm still flabbergasted.

Hey, Congrats! Good for you!

I'm not all that inspiring yet, but I did get an interview finally. If I become more "inspiring" in the next weeks, I'll be sure to post!

 

[1Path]

Hey, Congrats! Good for you!

I'm not all that inspiring yet, but I did get an interview finally. If I become more "inspiring" in the next weeks, I'll be sure to post!

Congrats!! I'm sure you're ging to rock the interview!

 

[Termwean]

3.75 overall
3.6something science gpa
24mcat can't remember letter score
10 years as respiratory therapist
combat medic 3 warzones

it is true that somethings can make up for a low mcat
Going to the only school I want to.
applied to 2 schools accepted at one then turned down interview at other school

 

[Blue Scrub]

Congrats Maryannea!! That phone call cannot be described in words. I still remember mine a few months ago and to this day, I still cant believe it! Im sure it will sink in by the time I'm an MSII or something...