Can I Still Get Into Medical School?

[16173]

Hello Everybody,

I'm a little ambivalent about my score and unsure about what it means for me. Perhaps you can help me come to a resolution. I am satisfied and fortunate because I got a 33P overall, but the breakdown is V8, P13, B12. The irony is that Verbal was my strongest section in all my diagnostic exams! So I am a little disappointed at my performance because I knew that I could do better. I remember panicking during the verbal because my hand was shaking so hard that I had to hold it down with my other hand just to bubble in the answers! After Verbal I calmed down.

My main concern is that I hear that schools frown upon a wide range of scores. Some of my med-school friends tell me that a five point difference between scores, such as in my case, are considered by schools as negative. Should I retake the exam? Would you, my fellow student doctors, retake the exam? (Note: I am not entirely confident that I can pull off the same science scores.) Would medical schools still accept me? What do you think/suggest? (For the most part, I am a pretty good student 3.7, research, clinical)

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[mpp]

I would not retake the exam.

 

[myhc]

that's a real toughie. i mean, 33 is an awesome score, you really rocked the sciences. as for verbal, i hear ya, it is the toughest section and i have no clue as to why its the very first section on the exam. i'll be honest with you, i hear that medical schools ask for a minimum of 9's on all sections. but i think in your case, i would make an exception because you did so well on the other sections. if i were you, i wouldn't retake the test because your score could easily go down(if you don't really have the confidence as you say) and honestly, you should only retake the test if you did horribly or if you truly believe you can jump up at least 3 points. its not worth the aggravation. and remember, your application isn't all mcat's. they're important, but they're not the end all be all. gpa looks good, get good recs. you involved in extracurriculars, etc? i got a 28 (V9, P10, B9) and my gpa was 3.6 but i still got 8 interviews right now and counting, so other aspects of your application count too. hope that helped.

 

[tatabox80]

Yes you can still get into med school...and very good ones at that.

 

[Dr. Wall$treet]

what horrific advice by that poster above who was saying meds chools need a min of 9 in each section. Defintly DONT retake again, if like u said u got lucky a bit on the sciences, odds are ull drop possibly a point or two in those areas adn those are stanford, teir 1 numbers you have. What ur friends mean by a wide range of scores is if you are in the lower levels, for example schools would rather see 10 10 10 then 6 12 12 for examle but an 8 is solid and then as high as you can go on the rest is just a bonus.. if u took the time or did look at the percentile breakdowns 12s and 13s is in the 95th percentil.e.. like honestly are u telling me u dont check this stuff out? why cant peple who want to be diagnosticians as physicians fail to ever see they obviously are gonna get in.. man naivity is just overlowing on this board. anyway dont retake

 

[14931]

Originally posted by Nomad
Hello Everybody,

I'm a little ambivalent about my score and unsure about what it means for me. Perhaps you can help me come to a resolution. I am satisfied and fortunate because I got a 33P overall, but the breakdown is V8, P13, B12. The irony is that Verbal was my strongest section in all my diagnostic exams! So I am a little disappointed at my performance because I knew that I could do better. I remember panicking during the verbal because my hand was shaking so hard that I had to hold it down with my other hand just to bubble in the answers! After Verbal I calmed down.

My main concern is that I hear that schools frown upon a wide range of scores. Some of my med-school friends tell me that a five point difference between scores, such as in my case, are considered by schools as negative. Should I retake the exam? Would you, my fellow student doctors, retake the exam? (Note: I am not entirely confident that I can pull off the same science scores.) Would medical schools still accept me? What do you think/suggest? (For the most part, I am a pretty good student 3.7, research, clinical)

go for it,i think u have a great score,u have nothin to lose, but u are behind if u havent already submitted ur amcas, if u dont have an acceptance by april then register for the mcats but remeber u also have to consider ur EC's and so on, but other wise, go for it and good luck!!!

 

[CaNEM]

You can definitely get into medical school (a wide range of medical schools), provided teh rest of your application is good. The only trouble the 8 would give you is if you are gunning for some of the top schools which weed out low MCAT sections by computer, and don't even look at you if you don't pass the filter. Also consider that retaking certainly doesn't guarantee you'll do any better. Good luck.

 

[youngjock]

yea, you are all fools. this guy is bragging about his score. well, that is not a good way to be a pre-med.

 

[Mudd]

Bragging about his scores? I seriously doubt that.

He is from California, so an 8 could be a genuine concern. I too have heard that 9 minimum is needed for most UC schools. However, if the rest of your application is strong, an 8-13-12 should open most any door. If you get rejected by the computer cut-off, file an appeal.

 

[Kovox]

Hey your scores are awesome
I think you should be able to make UCSF and USC's cutt off.

You should also apply to medical college of wisconsin....they love californians.

Good luck with everything

 

[BushBaby]

I don't think he is bragging about his "33". Plenty of other peeps have 33's. If he had a 39, then I'd say he was bragging.

I think a 33 is a good score and will definitely get u into a school.....just depends where your aim is.

 

[UCLA2000]

You've still got a good shot. Don't worry about the verbal. Apply to mostly third and middle tier schools.

 

[lll505]

Definitely do not retake!!

My friend last year, also a Cali resident, had same score except 11 instead of 12, and got acceptances and scholarships to Mayo, Yale, UCSF, UC Davis, and countless others. Your score is great!

 

[siempre595]

Hi!
Only re-take if you're about 99% sure you can score higher on the verbal and at least maintain the other scores. Personally, I'd hope for the best with what you have, clearly you are qualified and stand a great chance at most any school. You'll get interviews, just be honest and say you were really nervous at the start, you think the verbal is tough, and perhaps your strengths are elsewhere, then move on.
Good Luck!

 

[UCLA2000]

do NOT retake.

 

[Lebesgue]

If you look at the AMCAS statistics for the MCAT, it shows that people who retake the test score an average of .4 lower in each section, so there is a real potential to drop your score by at least 1.2 pts. 33 is real solid anyway you look at it. I wouldn't retake it if I had your scores, in fact I had a 31Q with 11V 10P 10B and I'm am not even considering retaking it. Either way, Good Luck!!!

 

[Dubbya]

Hey guys,
I got a 12V, 13P, 14B and have a 3.9999999994 GPA with 5 B.S. degrees, an MBA, and a doctorate in physiology. I have15 published research papers and 12 years of clinical experience. I was also a gold medalist in the olympics. Do you think I have any shot at getting into a medical school this year? ----- c'mon!

 

[nuggie]

Are you an URM? Maybe then you'll have a chance

 

[pheck]

i had almost same situation. that darn 8 verbal was killing me (didn't finish the section....ran out of time). but here i am 4-5 years later at stanford med. got lots of great interviews (harvard, vanderbilt, etc). no worries. good luck to you guys!