CANT BELIEVE i have to start this process again

[UCDavisdude]

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when i took the mcat in june, i was soooo happy that the whole ordeal was over with. now, a few months later, im sitting here preparing for the same thing, and its really starting to get depressing here. 2 interviews, one waitlist and a bunch of rejections later, i have to start this whole ordeal over....ahhhhh!!!!!
12,12,6(vr) in case you were wondering. waitlist temple, waiting to hear from another, and a bunch of rejections(allo and osteo)

 

[mterp45]

when i took the mcat in june, i was soooo happy that the whole ordeal was over with. now, a few months later, im sitting here preparing for the same thing, and its really starting to get depressing here. 2 interviews, one waitlist and a bunch of rejections later, i have to start this whole ordeal over....ahhhhh!!!!!
12,12,6(vr) in case you were wondering. waitlist temple, waiting to hear from another, and a bunch of rejections(allo and osteo)

with your 30 MCAT, I would think that your chances of getting into an osteo school are high, despite the verbal score. If you don't mind me asking, what's your G.P.A? and how are your ECs?

 

[aliDO]

when i took the mcat in june, i was soooo happy that the whole ordeal was over with. now, a few months later, im sitting here preparing for the same thing, and its really starting to get depressing here. 2 interviews, one waitlist and a bunch of rejections later, i have to start this whole ordeal over....ahhhhh!!!!!
12,12,6(vr) in case you were wondering. waitlist temple, waiting to hear from another, and a bunch of rejections(allo and osteo)

well, at least you know what to focus on. The good thing is with practice, practice, practice, verbal can be increased to a 12 or even higher! My guess is you focused too much on the sciences first time around and it showed. I'm sure you can do really good this time around (like 34+)! Good luck!

 

[supafield]

I wrote with 2 years ago.... 11,11,9..... the schools im applying to require minimums on 10 in each section.... that is awfully disheartening but coming into it for a 2nd time and 2 years older I am going into it confident aiming for a 33-36 not just to get a 30 this time around.....

So while it sucks to write again.... Still try to keep positive....
Hopefully Temple works out for ya.

 

[UCDavisdude]

with your 30 MCAT, I would think that your chances of getting into an osteo school are high, despite the verbal score. If you don't mind me asking, what's your G.P.A? and how are your ECs?

3.4 overall,3,5 science. typical extracurrics:volunteer at hospital, research, publications, philantropy for childrens miracle network, .yadda yadda yadda, only weakness i could see is that i have no osteopathic experience, my letter were written by m.ds....i dunno, its frustrating, and supposedly, my personal statement was a "work of poetic art" according to my health advisor that proofreads them all. i was also qualified for "disadvantaged" status, on my app....so who knows.and i was complete in sept/oct...so not too late.

 

[UCDavisdude]

well, at least you know what to focus on. The good thing is with practice, practice, practice, verbal can be increased to a 12 or even higher! My guess is you focused too much on the sciences first time around and it showed. I'm sure you can do really good this time around (like 34+)! Good luck!

thanks, i was actually started at 5 on diag, worked my way up to 9,10,11 and 12's at the end using ek and kaplan material, but scored lower on the real thing. ouch

 

[UCDavisdude]

I wrote with 2 years ago.... 11,11,9..... the schools im applying to require minimums on 10 in each section.... that is awfully disheartening but coming into it for a 2nd time and 2 years older I am going into it confident aiming for a 33-36 not just to get a 30 this time around.....

So while it sucks to write again.... Still try to keep positive....
Hopefully Temple works out for ya.

oh man, just 1 point away! i hate these cut offs that schools have.i am assuming you are applying to canadian schools?i hear they are rather stringent on numbers. im not really too hot on philly rite about now. ive been applying to grad programs in ny, i really want to live in manhattan for a few years while im still young, so maybe not receiving any luck this cycle is a blessing in disguise!

 

[utahjazz]

I am in the same boat. I did okay (10/11/9), but not good enough to compensate for a low GPA (3.34) & being from CA.

I was so happy to be done before... it's really hard to start up again. I erased so much from my memory. 🙁

 

[SN2ed]

I think Cali residents live in the worst state for med school. Yes we have great schools, some of the best, but almost all are tough to get into. You look at other in-state schools and you see low GPAs and 30s on the MCAT. You look at Cali and the average MCAT is a 33 with a high GPA. Not to mention how many people apply to Cali schools. Sometimes I wish I lived in New Mexico, solid med school with lower GPA and MCAT averages. Oh well, I still love the beach and Cali.

 

[supafield]

In an article i was reading last year.... Ontario was the 2nd toughest place to get into medical school in North America.... and California was number 1.....
Lol the average accepted student at University of Toronto last year had a 3.9 GPA and a 10,11,12 (33) Q ..... It's a rough go when you have to be in 90th percentiles to be average ..... not all schools in Ontario are this bad.... but I can definitely sympathize for those in California

 

[maristella]

haha we have such similar unbalanced scores, except my lowest was a 7 in PS.
anyway, 1 interview-->1 deferral this past cycle pretty much means i'm going to be in the same boat with ya'll. it really sucks having to get geared up to take it again after the stress of the last cycle!

 

[UCDavisdude]

haha we have such similar unbalanced scores, except my lowest was a 7 in PS.
anyway, 1 interview-->1 deferral this past cycle pretty much means i'm going to be in the same boat with ya'll. it really sucks having to get geared up to take it again after the stress of the last cycle!

when r u planning on retaking. im waiting to hear back from grad schools. so whichever grad school i go to, will determine when i retake the exam, as some schools start in may and others start in june, etc..

 

[UCDavisdude]

im already almost half way through the bio section, but am only on the 2nd chapters for the rest..haha. i just get annoyed reading the p.s. section. doesnt interest me at all. oh well, time to get to this sarcoplastic mumbo jumbo.

 

[mterp45]

im already almost half way through the bio section, but am only on the 2nd chapters for the rest..haha. i just get annoyed reading the p.s. section. doesnt interest me at all. oh well, time to get to this sarcoplastic mumbo jumbo.

Thats how I felt about the orgo last week. I hadn't studied it at all but I was still getting most of the questions right on the Full lentghs, until I took a full lentgh last week and got every single orgo question wrong, so what did I do? I went crazy and finished all 14 of kaplan's orgo chapters in two days. I think I probably spent 10 hours a day on it lol.

 

[BerkReviewTeach]

3.4 overall,3,5 science. typical extracurrics:volunteer at hospital, research, publications, philantropy for childrens miracle network, fraternity leadership officer positions....yadda yadda yadda, only weakness i could see is that i have no osteopathic experience, my letter were written by m.ds....i dunno, its frustrating, and supposedly, my personal statement was a "work of poetic art" according to my health advisor that proofreads them all. i was also qualified for "disadvantaged" status, on my app....so who knows.and i was complete in sept/oct...so not too late.

One problem is that most schools don't reaize how hard it is to get a good GPA from UC Davis. From the UC stats I've seen, UCSD and UCD give the fewest percentage of As in their science classes in all of the UCs. That has to hurt somewhat, although your 12/12 in the sciences show the adcoms you are good there.

Just get that dang VR score up. Over the years, I've seen people pull it up by 2 to 3 points, but it takes a change in your approach and doing a few skill development projects that are very unfun. You'll be able to pull it up. Just get a 9 and doors will open.

BTW, if the advisor you're speaking of is Linda Scott, you might seek a second opinion. Word of her not-such-sound advice spreads around the state pretty quickly. If it's any consolation, we get a few UCD second-timers every year (once they've graduated and moved home) and they do well when they re-apply without Linda's guidance.

 

[scooter31]

One problem is that most schools don't reaize how hard it is to get a good GPA from UC Davis. From the UC stats I've seen, UCSD and UCD give the fewest percentage of As in their science classes in all of the UCs. That has to hurt somewhat, although your 12/12 in the sciences show the adcoms you are good there.

Just get that dang VR score up. Over the years, I've seen people pull it up by 2 to 3 points, but it takes a change in your approach and doing a few skill development projects that are very unfun. You'll be able to pull it up. Just get a 9 and doors will open.

BTW, if the advisor you're speaking of is Linda Scott, you might seek a second opinion. Word of her not-such-sound advice spreads around the state pretty quickly. If it's any consolation, we get a few UCD second-timers every year (once they've graduated and moved home) and they do well when they re-apply without Linda's guidance.

Amen to that, brother. 👍

 

[BerkReviewTeach]

Amen to that, brother. 👍

Amen to the recognizing that it's difficult to get a good GPA from Davis or that Linda Scott is considered (outside of Davis at least) to not be such a useful advisor?

 

[scooter31]

Amen to the recognizing that it's difficult to get a good GPA from Davis or that Linda Scott is considered (outside of Davis at least) to not be such a useful advisor?

Just the tough to get an A part, although I had heard the same rumblings when I was an undergrad about Linda. I wasnt a premed during my time at Davis, so I cant really provide anything but anecdotal evidence.

 

[evandavidson]

One problem is that most schools don't reaize how hard it is to get a good GPA from UC Davis. From the UC stats I've seen, UCSD and UCD give the fewest percentage of As in their science classes in all of the UCs.

What percentage As do they usually award in their lower division science classes?

 

[Blade28]

From the UC stats I've seen, UCSD and UCD give the fewest percentage of As in their science classes in all of the UCs.

Ah, that would explain it! 😡

 

[quiksilver87]

hey man,
Im in the same boat...so dont feel so bad...Check my mdapp profile

 

[UCDavisdude]

What percentage As do they usually award in their lower division science classes?

usually top 10% A. and Low 10%F....then it all fills in as youd expect. but there are notoriously difficult classes lower and upper division that are not curved, regardless of class performance. such as gross anatomy for the undergrads, which is offered by the med school. no curve, and really difficult as well. a few npb classes are like that as well.

 

[DavisStudent]

One problem is that most schools don't reaize how hard it is to get a good GPA from UC Davis. From the UC stats I've seen, UCSD and UCD give the fewest percentage of As in their science classes in all of the UCs. That has to hurt somewhat, although your 12/12 in the sciences show the adcoms you are good there.

Just get that dang VR score up. Over the years, I've seen people pull it up by 2 to 3 points, but it takes a change in your approach and doing a few skill development projects that are very unfun. You'll be able to pull it up. Just get a 9 and doors will open.

BTW, if the advisor you're speaking of is Linda Scott, you might seek a second opinion. Word of her not-such-sound advice spreads around the state pretty quickly. If it's any consolation, we get a few UCD second-timers every year (once they've graduated and moved home) and they do well when they re-apply without Linda's guidance.

Interesting, I had never heard questionable things about Linda's advising, though I haven't ever met with her. I'm just curious as to what makes her advice not so sound? Thanks!

 

[deleted106503]

Yep, same boat, but I took the MCAT back in August of '06. Now I plan to take it in May. Does anyone know the differences been the EK 6 and EK 7 books? I have the 6th edition. Hopefully they're not too different. I have to change my timing on answering practice MCATs since the length of them changed. 🙄

 

[whateva07]

I will be another retaker. I applied and got two interviews this time...rejected from one, and dont know about the other (thinking they will waitlist me)....so I have to retake. This time I'm taking kaplan (I never took a course before, I did self-study through EK)...anyone have opinions about the kap course?

 

[evandavidson]

I scored a 12 on verbal. I struggled with it at first, mainly due to technique. However, this is what I found that worked for me.

1. Read the passage. I read every line, and I move the cursor down the page as I read to keep my eyes (and mind) focused. I read for overall comprehension (main idea and support). Additionally, I mentally keep track of what was mentioned and, more importantly, where it was mentioned so that I may refer to it later.

2. I do not read the questions beforehand. I found it to be a distraction.

3. I do not highlight. I started highlighting, but I found I really wasn't using the sections I highlighted.

Practice makes perfect. Verbal became a lot easier for me once I got this technique down it down.

Also, EK's 101 Passages in Verbal was really helpful.

Hope this helps.

 

[Dr.D-man]

I guess I'll join the retake party. My first attempt was in August of 06, but the VR section didn't go my way and apparently me not rite so goodly too. So, this time around I'll be putting a lot more time into my verbal and writing strategery. Although, I would really like to see improvement in all sections.

 

[Vihsadas]

I wish I could retake my GPA in one sitting! 🙁

 

[supafield]

I wish I could retake my GPA in one sitting! 🙁

Haha tell me about it...

You hope when someone reviews an application the fact that I had a 2.6 over my first two years and a 3.8 over my last 3 years that maybe my overall GPA isn't reflective of the person I am now lol...

Luckily in Ontario we have a couple schools that will look at your best two or most recent two 2 years in considering your GPA.

 

[maristella]

i'm gonna bump this thread cuz it makes me feel better to read. i've already registered to retake in late may. anyone with me? all you retakers, when are you going to schedule the exam?

as for restudying, call me sick but i enjoy studying for VR! it's all about reading for the main idea, once you can spot that out you're golden. PS, however, will take a LOT of willpower. GAH.

 

[WrightMD]

with your 30 MCAT, I would think that your chances of getting into an osteo school are high, despite the verbal score. If you don't mind me asking, what's your G.P.A? and how are your ECs?

My Kaplan instructor told us that the VR score has the best predictive value for how someone will perform in medical school. She said that med school admission committees look heavily at it.

 

[Vihsadas]

My Kaplan instructor told us that the VR score has the best predictive value for how someone will perform in medical school. She said that med school admission committees look heavily at it.

It's so debatable. Yes and no, maybe and everything in between. There is literature that loosely correlated the BS with Step 1, the VR with Step 1, the BS with medical school performance...just search pubmed. Over-generalized statements generally are not true in the medical school admissions process. Every school has different admissions criteria. Some schools will look at VR heavily and some schools will not. From the Adcoms that I've talked to, I've been told that if all scores are above 10, it's the composite score that matters most. If someone has a 9 or lower in a section, they may look a little closer. Then again, there are some adcoms that didn't even think THAT was true.
It's just not consistent from school to school.

 

[littlealex]

Interesting, I had never heard questionable things about Linda's advising, though I haven't ever met with her. I'm just curious as to what makes her advice not so sound? Thanks!

I kinda want to know too. What exactly is considered bad advice?

 

[decafplease]

One problem is that most schools don't reaize how hard it is to get a good GPA from UC Davis. From the UC stats I've seen, UCSD and UCD give the fewest percentage of As in their science classes in all of the UCs. That has to hurt somewhat, although your 12/12 in the sciences show the adcoms you are good there.

Just get that dang VR score up. Over the years, I've seen people pull it up by 2 to 3 points, but it takes a change in your approach and doing a few skill development projects that are very unfun. You'll be able to pull it up. Just get a 9 and doors will open.

BTW, if the advisor you're speaking of is Linda Scott, you might seek a second opinion. Word of her not-such-sound advice spreads around the state pretty quickly. If it's any consolation, we get a few UCD second-timers every year (once they've graduated and moved home) and they do well when they re-apply without Linda's guidance.

I'm a transfer and I've never been in a curved class before (even OChem) so I'm not finding my upper division bio classes heinously difficult, so far. Though damn the stupid Physics 7 series. It is HORRIBLE. They admittedly don't cover about half of what is on the MCAT for Physics. Now I have to take a prep course (wanted TBR, but your schedule doesn't fit with mine so I'm using TPR. Sorry)

About Linda... I've never spoken with her before, so I can't speak from personal experience. Most of the "advice" I have been given comes straight from the mouths of Admissions and Outreach for Davis and UCSF..

 

[BerkReviewTeach]

I'm a transfer and I've never been in a curved class before (even OChem) so I'm not finding my upper division bio classes heinously difficult, so far. Though damn the stupid Physics 7 series. It is HORRIBLE. They admittedly don't cover about half of what is on the MCAT for Physics. Now I have to take a prep course (wanted TBR, but your schedule doesn't fit with mine so I'm using TPR. Sorry)

About Linda... I've never spoken with her before, so I can't speak from personal experience. Most of the "advice" I have been given comes straight from the mouths of Admissions and Outreach for Davis and UCSF.

In re-reading my original post, it came across as pretty harsh, and that was not the intention. I didn't say her advice was bad. I'm sure she knows the statistics and the logistics of the process quite well. I base my comment on my belief that you never tell a student they are hopeless. I just don't see the point in telling someone there is 0% chance if they have a 3+ GPA and a strong desire to work their butt off and they are smart.

Perhaps I see an advisor as a cross between an advocate and a mentor. There is nothing wrong with telling a student that "you have a problem here and it's going to be hard to get in." But a counselor's job is to let the student make a choice and then offer them the best statistical information they can as well as guidance on how to maximize their chances (timing, what to write about, who to ask for letters, etc...). A counselor should not give up on a student ever.

I hear advisors and a few adcom folks rave about what's good, what's new, and so forth. The material they put out and the workshops they offer are insightful beyond the facts that one could get from the AAMC website. They seem excellent and knowledgable and give prudent advice in general.

I'm sure Linda is quite helpful for many students. I know she had an issue with Dr. Bresnick coming to Davis and giving admissions advice that she felt was unprofessional. Why not let someone who has been on an admissions board give a seminar. Maybe she felt threatened, but I tend to think that more information is a good thing and that she shouldn't have made an issue. hat's about the only tangible thing I have in general. The other things are based on single case scenarios and I shouldn't have let them formulate an opinion on the whole.

The fact that you get your information from the admissions and outreach offices means that you have a better source for advice than anywhere else.

 

[decafplease]

In re-reading my original post, it came across as pretty harsh, and that was not the intention. I didn't say her advice was bad. I'm sure she knows the statistics and the logistics of the process quite well. I base my comment on my belief that you never tell a student they are hopeless. I just don't see the point in telling someone there is 0% chance if they have a 3+ GPA and a strong desire to work their butt off and they are smart.

Perhaps I see an advisor as a cross between an advocate and a mentor. There is nothing wrong with telling a student that "you have a problem here and it's going to be hard to get in." But a counselor's job is to let the student make a choice and then offer them the best statistical information they can as well as guidance on how to maximize their chances (timing, what to write about, who to ask for letters, etc...). A counselor should not give up on a student ever.

I hear advisors and a few adcom folks rave about what's good, what's new, and so forth. The material they put out and the workshops they offer are insightful beyond the facts that one could get from the AAMC website. They seem excellent and knowledgable and give prudent advice in general.

I'm sure Linda is quite helpful for many students. I know she had an issue with Dr. Bresnick coming to Davis and giving admissions advice that she felt was unprofessional. Why not let someone who has been on an admissions board give a seminar. Maybe she felt threatened, but I tend to think that more information is a good thing and that she shouldn't have made an issue. hat's about the only tangible thing I have in general. The other things are based on single case scenarios and I shouldn't have let them formulate an opinion on the whole.

The fact that you get your information from the admissions and outreach offices means that you have a better source for advice than anywhere else.

Oh good. Thanks. I totally agree about the "never give up on a student" thing. Unnecessarily harsh advice can be severely damaging to an otherwise great med school candidate.

When I was a lowly CC student, I didn't know about places like SDN (probably for the best, in retrospect) so I just figured, "Well, that's why it's called Outreach" and called them up multiple times. I also make a point to stay late and converse with the Deans/Directors of Admission after they speak or do workshops at premed events. Dean Wolfsy is SO nice! I almost hugged him after chatting with him. Very encouraging man.