Bad MCAT decent GPA, should I retake?

[drabberbadge]

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Hey all , so I have a 3.7 cumulative GPA upward trend and a masters degree in neuroscience
However I took the MCAT , unwisely, twice and received a 497 on both tests. Unfortunately, Im depressed lol. As i prob should be. However, i know its no excuse but I really think I didnt focus well on both exams and my prep wasnt adequate enough. I applied one time last year to a lot of schools and got rejected.If I take it a third time and hopefully do well, would it be possible to be accepted into a medical school or am I completely screwed?
A follow up question : if i am not screwed, would it be wise to go through my old textbooks and study?

 

[ready2go2]

Have you considered DO?

How did you study both times? I don't think it is recommended to study from textbooks, instead you should focus on MCAT focused text (like Kaplan, TPR, take AAMC practice tests etc)

 

[drabberbadge]

i used the princeton review and took many practice tests

 

[NimbleNavigator]

I definitely think you can do better. When you studied the first time, was it when you were taking courses or were you on break? You'll probably do better if you take a break to study for the MCAT (if that's an option at all for you).

Secondly, did you thoroughly review each practice test? EX. not only going through problems you missed, but if you find you really just don't understand the subject, reading through the related text once more?

I'm also going to assume you didn't really study the second time around?

Also you should really take this last attempt seriously (but you know that)

 

[Cookiess]

You have a solid GPA and, assuming you have solid extracurricular activities/research/LOR, your low MCAT would raise a flag at most schools so you would have to re-take and improve your score if your goal is getting into MD med schools.

Do your best to make your third attempt your last attempt. Dedicate 2-3 months of focused MCAT study time, do plenty of practice passages and spend a lot of time analyzing your answers (both correct and incorrect answers) to see if your reasoning was correct. I would not recommend using your textbooks to study/review content (unless it's a specific topic you're struggling with). I would dedicate more time to practice passages. Make an error log spreadsheet or notebook and track the questions you get wrong to see if there's a pattern or type of questions that you tend to miss. See if your incorrect answers are because you have gaps in content review or if you reasoned incorrectly. Only take the MCAT when your full length practice tests are slightly above your target score.

 

[Goro]

Your MCAT scores are lethal for MD and most DO schools.

You're in risk category for failing out of med school and/or failing Boards.

A history of poor choice making concerning a high stakes, career deciding exam is also problematic.

Hey all , so I have a 3.7 cumulative GPA upward trend and a masters degree in neuroscience
However I took the MCAT , unwisely, twice and received a 497 on both tests. Unfortunately, Im depressed lol. As i prob should be. However, i know its no excuse but I really think I didnt focus well on both exams and my prep wasnt adequate enough. I applied one time last year to a lot of schools and got rejected.If I take it a third time and hopefully do well, would it be possible to be accepted into a medical school or am I completely screwed?
A follow up question : if i am not screwed, would it be wise to go through my old textbooks and study?

 

[ramifications]

if you did practice tests what were the scores???

 

[----x----]

I would consider not applying this cycle and instead dedicating some serious time to doing the MCAT exam right. Don't rush to take it in June or something so you can get in near the beginning of the cycle, that sounds like it would end poorly.

Then, if you sit the exam around August or Sept - I wouldn't apply late in the cycle as a reapplicant. Use a year to improve the rest of your app as well (volunteer, get a clinical job if possible, etc.).

<50th percentile on the exam is a tough sell.

 

[drabberbadge]

I barely studied the second time around
I took both while taking other courses
How should I study? I was thinking of just using Berkeley review books
My practice exams were around the same as my real and it was a poor decision to take it (which I now realize ) I am not applying this cycle
I can dedicate 6 months to study for the mcat in the fall full time
Can I have some tips and advice? Or how should I lay out my schedule? Like I said I want to do in depth content review so I'll use Berkeley review books

 

[tantacles]

I barely studied the second time around
I took both while taking other courses
How should I study? I was thinking of just using Berkeley review books
My practice exams were around the same as my real and it was a poor decision to take it (which I now realize ) I am not applying this cycle
I can dedicate 6 months to study for the mcat in the fall full time
Can I have some tips and advice? Or how should I lay out my schedule? Like I said I want to do in depth content review so I'll use Berkeley review books

There are hundreds of threads with study advice on SDN. I would do a quick search. One of the ones most cited is sn2ed's study guide. Someone else feel free to link it as I'm on my phone.


Large dogs

 

[dougy]

http://forums.studentdoctor.net/thr...m-sn2ed-mcatjelly-ek-tbr-tprh-kaplan.1127723/