Anyone got their mcat score back?

[trinity111222]

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Hi guys,

I recently took my MCAT and got the score - Total 28 (P11, B11, V6). As I expected my verbal was horrible!!
I graduated from UCBerkeley with cGPA 3.79 and sGPA 3.7 a few years ago & I am an non-traditional student. I have pretty competitive ECs (researches, volunteer activities, leaderships, honors, etc) and great recommendation letters from professors and doctors I am working with now.

I took a time off to study for MCAT for about 3 months. I did try to read NYtimes and do verbal passages on daily basis during that 3 months (did all verbal passages from Princeton review, Berkeley review, and EK) but my verbal score didn't improve much... my practice verbal scores were bet 4~10 (and got 6 on actual exam).

Although I really really don't want to retake MCAT but just apply this year with whatever I have (I am almost done with my primary application too )... Since my MCAT score is too poor, I guess I have no choice but retaking MCAT...right? (I am not planning to apply for DO program because I heard MD graduates are more competitive to get into specialized residency programs...and I know I am not interested in being primary care doc; so I feel wrong to apply for DO program as a backup when I truly want to go to MD program).

About retaking MCAT... Am I the only one feel sick to even think about restudying and retaking?? I tried to study for MCAT last year while working, it did not work out well (man, maybe I am too old?)... My hesitation is coming from : Gosh I really don't study all that materials again! + What if my score go down OR my verbal doesn't get improved?? 🙁 As I said I am not a traditional student.. since I am over 30, I'd like to finish school and settle down ASAP.
As I think more, I doubt myself maybe I don't have a quality to be a doc... MCAT score must mean something right? and me getting 6 on verbal must mean something...

Anyways, I have a few questions for you... I would appreciate if someone can share their thoughts on my concerns... OR share my frustration about MCAT/application!!!

1. Should I still apply for some MD schools with my poor verbal score? I checked MSAR and found only handful schools that have accepted anyone with verbal 6 (and many are public school, which mean I have lower chance of getting in)...

2. If retake MCAT, probably this September: as an non-native English speaker (I am not used to read non-science materials in English) + did all Princeton review, Berkeley review, and EK 101, how can I improve my verbal score? Any suggestions? I notice that I have major problems understanding passages, plus I read slowly... I normally takes about 10~15 min per passages. I don't want to redo passages I did because I noticed that I tend to get higher scores from passages that I redid (although more than a year ago). Do you suggest any courses or verbal books that I should try? I know I should get better scores on other sections too...

MCAT and application process are exhausting... as I read more threads I am more depressed... Anyone feel the same way I fell?

 

[clairephillips]

Hi guys,

I recently took my MCAT and got the score - Total 28 (P11, B11, V6). As I expected my verbal was horrible!!
I graduated from UCBerkeley with cGPA 3.79 and sGPA 3.7 a few years ago & I am an non-traditional student. I have pretty competitive ECs (researches, volunteer activities, leaderships, honors, etc) and great recommendation letters from professors and doctors I am working with now.

I took a time off to study for MCAT for about 3 months. I did try to read NYtimes and do verbal passages on daily basis during that 3 months (did all verbal passages from Princeton review, Berkeley review, and EK) but my verbal score didn't improve much... my practice verbal scores were bet 4~10 (and got 6 on actual exam).

Although I really really don't want to retake MCAT but just apply this year with whatever I have (I am almost done with my primary application too )... Since my MCAT score is too poor, I guess I have no choice but retaking MCAT...right? (I am not planning to apply for DO program because I heard MD graduates are more competitive to get into specialized residency programs...and I know I am not interested in being primary care doc; so I feel wrong to apply for DO program as a backup when I truly want to go to MD program).

About retaking MCAT... Am I the only one feel sick to even think about restudying and retaking?? I tried to study for MCAT last year while working, it did not work out well (man, maybe I am too old?)... My hesitation is coming from : Gosh I really don't study all that materials again! + What if my score go down OR my verbal doesn't get improved?? 🙁 As I said I am not a traditional student.. since I am over 30, I'd like to finish school and settle down ASAP.
As I think more, I doubt myself maybe I don't have a quality to be a doc... MCAT score must mean something right? and me getting 6 on verbal must mean something...

Anyways, I have a few questions for you... I would appreciate if someone can share their thoughts on my concerns... OR share my frustration about MCAT/application!!!

1. Should I still apply for some MD schools with my poor verbal score? I checked MSAR and found only handful schools that have accepted anyone with verbal 6 (and many are public school, which mean I have lower chance of getting in)...

2. If retake MCAT, probably this September: as an non-native English speaker (I am not used to read non-science materials in English) + did all Princeton review, Berkeley review, and EK 101, how can I improve my verbal score? Any suggestions? I notice that I have major problems understanding passages, plus I read slowly... I normally takes about 10~15 min per passages. I don't want to redo passages I did because I noticed that I tend to get higher scores from passages that I redid (although more than a year ago). Do you suggest any courses or verbal books that I should try? I know I should get better scores on other sections too...

MCAT and application process are exhausting... as I read more threads I am more depressed... Anyone feel the same way I fell?

Trinity, please don't give up if this is your dream! I am 31 currently and about to take the MCAT in August. This is a dream that I have deferred repeatedly, almost exclusively over fear of the MCAT. Now, I took Organic Chemistry 13 years ago and have absolutely no memory of it, but I'm relearning it and doing well. General Chemistry and Physics are a long time ago too. When I took my diagnostic (AAMC #3) I scored a 4/9/9 (ps low score). I have so much work to do, but I'm doing it, and you can too. I would recommend a tutor, either who has taken the MCAT and been successful (your first choice), or is a rockstar English graduate student (my sister, who is a rockstar English graduate student, has been helping me, so I know this works). I found my tutor for physics on Wyzant.com and he made everything really understandable. Tutors on there range in price from 30 to 70 dollars an hour, and you don't pay for the first hour unless you find the person to be a good fit for you. My tutor is an MS3 at my dream school who happened to be doing his clinicals here in my city. I think having someone there to help you while you just maintain a good level (or even raise your scores) in science will really help you. Schedule another test for months from now, hire that tutor, take every practice VR section you can find, keep the tv off and only read, get a year's subscriptions to The Economist, and keep it going. You hit a 10 before, so you know you can do it again. Best of luck.

 

[dandelion12]

Hi guys,

I recently took my MCAT and got the score - Total 28 (P11, B11, V6). As I expected my verbal was horrible!!
I graduated from UCBerkeley with cGPA 3.79 and sGPA 3.7 a few years ago & I am an non-traditional student. I have pretty competitive ECs (researches, volunteer activities, leaderships, honors, etc) and great recommendation letters from professors and doctors I am working with now.

I took a time off to study for MCAT for about 3 months. I did try to read NYtimes and do verbal passages on daily basis during that 3 months (did all verbal passages from Princeton review, Berkeley review, and EK) but my verbal score didn't improve much... my practice verbal scores were bet 4~10 (and got 6 on actual exam).

Although I really really don't want to retake MCAT but just apply this year with whatever I have (I am almost done with my primary application too )... Since my MCAT score is too poor, I guess I have no choice but retaking MCAT...right? (I am not planning to apply for DO program because I heard MD graduates are more competitive to get into specialized residency programs...and I know I am not interested in being primary care doc; so I feel wrong to apply for DO program as a backup when I truly want to go to MD program).

About retaking MCAT... Am I the only one feel sick to even think about restudying and retaking?? I tried to study for MCAT last year while working, it did not work out well (man, maybe I am too old?)... My hesitation is coming from : Gosh I really don't study all that materials again! + What if my score go down OR my verbal doesn't get improved?? 🙁 As I said I am not a traditional student.. since I am over 30, I'd like to finish school and settle down ASAP.
As I think more, I doubt myself maybe I don't have a quality to be a doc... MCAT score must mean something right? and me getting 6 on verbal must mean something...

Anyways, I have a few questions for you... I would appreciate if someone can share their thoughts on my concerns... OR share my frustration about MCAT/application!!!

1. Should I still apply for some MD schools with my poor verbal score? I checked MSAR and found only handful schools that have accepted anyone with verbal 6 (and many are public school, which mean I have lower chance of getting in)...

2. If retake MCAT, probably this September: as an non-native English speaker (I am not used to read non-science materials in English) + did all Princeton review, Berkeley review, and EK 101, how can I improve my verbal score? Any suggestions? I notice that I have major problems understanding passages, plus I read slowly... I normally takes about 10~15 min per passages. I don't want to redo passages I did because I noticed that I tend to get higher scores from passages that I redid (although more than a year ago). Do you suggest any courses or verbal books that I should try? I know I should get better scores on other sections too...

MCAT and application process are exhausting... as I read more threads I am more depressed... Anyone feel the same way I fell?

For a second I thought this is my post because i have such similar Mcat score as you, mine is (12/10/6), and Im also a non-traditional, non-native english speaker. On top of that I applied extremely late, my application was verified one day before my state school's dealine and I still got an interview and just got accepted last week! So please dont lose hope and apply with what you have, Im sure if they like you as a person and like everything else about you then they will take you! Good luck!

 

[happypremed1]

Hi guys,

I recently took my MCAT and got the score - Total 28 (P11, B11, V6). As I expected my verbal was horrible!!
I graduated from UCBerkeley with cGPA 3.79 and sGPA 3.7 a few years ago & I am an non-traditional student. I have pretty competitive ECs (researches, volunteer activities, leaderships, honors, etc) and great recommendation letters from professors and doctors I am working with now.

I took a time off to study for MCAT for about 3 months. I did try to read NYtimes and do verbal passages on daily basis during that 3 months (did all verbal passages from Princeton review, Berkeley review, and EK) but my verbal score didn't improve much... my practice verbal scores were bet 4~10 (and got 6 on actual exam).

Although I really really don't want to retake MCAT but just apply this year with whatever I have (I am almost done with my primary application too )... Since my MCAT score is too poor, I guess I have no choice but retaking MCAT...right? (I am not planning to apply for DO program because I heard MD graduates are more competitive to get into specialized residency programs...and I know I am not interested in being primary care doc; so I feel wrong to apply for DO program as a backup when I truly want to go to MD program).

About retaking MCAT... Am I the only one feel sick to even think about restudying and retaking?? I tried to study for MCAT last year while working, it did not work out well (man, maybe I am too old?)... My hesitation is coming from : Gosh I really don't study all that materials again! + What if my score go down OR my verbal doesn't get improved?? 🙁 As I said I am not a traditional student.. since I am over 30, I'd like to finish school and settle down ASAP.
As I think more, I doubt myself maybe I don't have a quality to be a doc... MCAT score must mean something right? and me getting 6 on verbal must mean something...

Anyways, I have a few questions for you... I would appreciate if someone can share their thoughts on my concerns... OR share my frustration about MCAT/application!!!

1. Should I still apply for some MD schools with my poor verbal score? I checked MSAR and found only handful schools that have accepted anyone with verbal 6 (and many are public school, which mean I have lower chance of getting in)...

2. If retake MCAT, probably this September: as an non-native English speaker (I am not used to read non-science materials in English) + did all Princeton review, Berkeley review, and EK 101, how can I improve my verbal score? Any suggestions? I notice that I have major problems understanding passages, plus I read slowly... I normally takes about 10~15 min per passages. I don't want to redo passages I did because I noticed that I tend to get higher scores from passages that I redid (although more than a year ago). Do you suggest any courses or verbal books that I should try? I know I should get better scores on other sections too...

MCAT and application process are exhausting... as I read more threads I am more depressed... Anyone feel the same way I fell?

Just so you know there are DOs in practically every specialty of medicine from family medicine to radiation oncology. Maybe try to shadow some DOs at work to see for yourself. Yes, it's harder to match into derm or rad onc as a DO, but you still have a chance if you perform well in medical school and on the USMLE. Your current MCAT score is very good for DO schools. Apply to about 10-15 DO schools and you'll have IIs up your nose. For the MD schools, you'll have to improve your VR scores. Now, if you apply extremely broadly to the MD schools, someone out there will take you, but that probability is rather low.

I'm also a non-native speaker and found the VR extremely difficult to do well. Like you, I got a 6 on it. I exhausted all the review materials and devoted countless hours to prepare for VR to no avail. I know exactly how you feel. VR is my biggest academic failure up to date. There are a lot of threads on SDN about how to improve, and I recommend that you try to adopt some of those strategies to see how things go.

I couldn't see myself getting better than 6 on VR so I decided to roll with it in the 2013-2014 cycle and applied exclusively to DO schools. I'm happy with my choice and can't for med school to start in the fall!

 

[linglei]

Just so you know there are DOs in practically every specialty of medicine from family medicine to radiation oncology. Maybe try to shadow some DOs at work to see for yourself. Yes, it's harder to match into derm or rad onc as a DO, but you still have a chance if you perform well in medical school and on the USMLE. Your current MCAT score is very good for DO schools. Apply to about 10-15 DO schools and you'll have IIs up your nose. For the MD schools, you'll have to improve your VR scores. Now, if you apply extremely broadly to the MD schools, someone out there will take you, but that probability is rather low.

I'm also a non-native speaker and found the VR extremely difficult to do well. Like you, I got a 6 on it. I exhausted all the review materials and devoted countless hours to prepare for VR to no avail. I know exactly how you feel. VR is my biggest academic failure up to date. There are a lot of threads on SDN about how to improve, and I recommend that you try to adopt some of those strategies to see how things go.

I couldn't see myself getting better than 6 on VR so I decided to roll with it in the 2013-2014 cycle and applied exclusively to DO schools. I'm happy with my choice and can't for med school to start in the fall!

I agree with you, I applied to 15 MD school and 15 DO school, I applied DO schools rather later and I only got one interview from a MD school (the school eventually offered the acceptance to me) and I got three interviews for DO schools, went to two and both of them offered me waitlist with guaranteed spot for next year. I would def going to either one if the MD school did not offer me the spot. DO is def a good alternative and the doctors I shadowed told me that the difference between DO and MD are much less now and eventually we all gonna be doctors!