Chances to get in DO or MD with low mcat?

[kingkev91]

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Hey everyone I just got my mcat back and got a 24P..10PS, 5Verbal, and 9BS...Yes I know verbal killed me but during the actual exam I was freaking out and just could not get focused til the 3rd passage, it was too late by then. I also had to guess on the entire last passage so..Anyways whats my chances of getting into an MD/DO/Carribean school. If Carribean whats the best school to go to so that I can get residency once I come back to the US, I heard its Ross? At this point I don't have a preference, I just really want to get in somewhere. I have a 3.80 cumulative gpa and a 3.73 science gpa. On top of that I volunteered at two hospitals for a total time of 200 hours, I am taking an EMT class right now and hopefully can be a certified EMT-Basic by the end of the semester, I did research for 1.5years now and probably will go on for 2 years, I tutored at my schools learning center for a year, and shadowed a family physician...I don't know if thats enough, be honest guys what do you think I should do? I honestly don't want to retake it..I feel like I got lucky with this mcat and will do worse on the one I retake...Thanks in advance for your advice!

 

[theseeker4]

Hey everyone I just got my mcat back and got a 24P..10PS, 5Verbal, and 9BS...Yes I know verbal killed me but during the actual exam I was freaking out and just could not get focused til the 3rd passage, it was too late by then. I also had to guess on the entire last passage so..Anyways whats my chances of getting into an MD/DO/Carribean school. If Carribean whats the best school to go to so that I can get residency once I come back to the US, I heard its Ross? At this point I don't have a preference, I just really want to get in somewhere. I have a 3.80 cumulative gpa and a 3.73 science gpa. On top of that I volunteered at two hospitals for a total time of 200 hours, I am taking an EMT class right now and hopefully can be a certified EMT-Basic by the end of the semester, I did research for 1.5years now and probably will go on for 2 years, I tutored at my schools learning center for a year, and shadowed a family physician...I don't know if thats enough, be honest guys what do you think I should do? I honestly don't want to retake it..I feel like I got lucky with this mcat and will do worse on the one I retake...Thanks in advance for your advice!

Retake the MCAT and apply again next year. Dont apply with that score, and definitely don't go foreign with that GPA. you just said you freaked out on the verbal section, so you obviously didn't "get lucky" and you certainly should o better next time, as long as you prepare more. Retaking it is a no brainier at this point. It s a painful test, but certainly not " I would rather go Caribbean than retake" painful.

 

[MedPR]

Hey everyone I just got my mcat back and got a 24P..10PS, 5Verbal, and 9BS...Yes I know verbal killed me but during the actual exam I was freaking out and just could not get focused til the 3rd passage, it was too late by then. I also had to guess on the entire last passage so..Anyways whats my chances of getting into an MD/DO/Carribean school. If Carribean whats the best school to go to so that I can get residency once I come back to the US, I heard its Ross? At this point I don't have a preference, I just really want to get in somewhere. I have a 3.80 cumulative gpa and a 3.73 science gpa. On top of that I volunteered at two hospitals for a total time of 200 hours, I am taking an EMT class right now and hopefully can be a certified EMT-Basic by the end of the semester, I did research for 1.5years now and probably will go on for 2 years, I tutored at my schools learning center for a year, and shadowed a family physician...I don't know if thats enough, be honest guys what do you think I should do? I honestly don't want to retake it..I feel like I got lucky with this mcat and will do worse on the one I retake...Thanks in advance for your advice!

If you applied earlier you could've had a good shot at DO. You could try now, but it's getting late in the cycle. 3.8/3.73/24 are fine for DO

 

[Barcu]

You have to retake. 5 on verbal is not going to get you in.

 

[La Presse]

Retake. -_-

 

[theseeker4]

If you applied earlier you could've had a good shot at DO. You could try now, but it's getting late in the cycle. 3.8/3.73/24 are fine for DO

Even with a 5 verbal?

 

[MedPR]

Even with a 5 verbal?

I think that high of a GPA would make up for it.

 

[MiracleforMD]

I do not mean to be offensive, but if I saw someone had a 5 on verbal, I would literally think they are unable to read.

 

[ModernAlchemist]

I think that high of a GPA would make up for it.

Some schools have unpublicized cut offs for DO. Most of them are 6 and up at least.

I do not mean to be offensive, but if I saw someone had a 5 on verbal, I would literally think they are unable to read.

That's funny coming from someone who is obviously being offensive when they aren't meaning to be.

 

[MiracleforMD]

HE obviously can. With those competitive GPAs and solid science scores he clearly just blew it on verbal. I don't see how retake is not the answer here.

 

[MedPR]

I do not mean to be offensive, but if I saw someone had a 5 on verbal, I would literally think they are unable to read.

Then you'd be sorely mistaken considering all sections of the MCAT require reading.

 

[MiracleforMD]

Then you'd be sorely mistaken considering all sections of the MCAT require reading.

I meant as a stand alone data point. And yes, in this case, I would be mistaken. I am going to conservatively assume that most MCAT takers with a 5 in verbal have either English as their second language or a severe deficit in reading comprehension.

 

[kingkev91]

I just couldn't focus while reading the verbal section, and I really am trying to avoid taking this test again if I can..The cycle for most schools primary application doesn't close til Dec.1, wouldn't it be worth just trying my luck? and if I don't get in, I'll retake it and then try again? Or does it look bad if you apply to the same school twice?

 

[MedPR]

I just couldn't focus while reading the verbal section, and I really am trying to avoid taking this test again if I can..The cycle for most schools primary application doesn't close til Dec.1, wouldn't it be worth just trying my luck? and if I don't get in, I'll retake it and then try again? Or does it look bad if you apply to the same school twice?

You can try DO if you want, but don't hold your breath. Definitely don't bother with MD.

 

[dsoz]

I just couldn't focus while reading the verbal section, and I really am trying to avoid taking this test again if I can..The cycle for most schools primary application doesn't close til Dec.1, wouldn't it be worth just trying my luck? and if I don't get in, I'll retake it and then try again? Or does it look bad if you apply to the same school twice?

Applications that late in the cycle are difficult to get acceptances, especially with lower stats. You may want to take a gap year, practice, practice, practice for a retake. Do it in March or April to get your results before May so you can decide to retake it a third time or not.

Get so good with the verbal reasoning section that you don't even realize that you are taking a test when you do them. Pay for professional help if you need to (test prep companies). It may cost $1000+ but so would applying this cycle, paying for secondaries, and getting a rejection from them all.

Take all the AAMC practice exams that you can. Keep doing them until you can get a score greater than 10 EVERY TIME. Then you will be ready.

You can do it. Your GPA shows that you are not stupid. Don't let this one test keep you from doing what you want in life.

This advice is coming from someone that is changing careers mid-life. It is only another year. You will not be "old" if you wait a year.

dsoz

 

[mike2652]

you're not going to get into an MD school with that score. you need to retake the exam. you didnt work that hard to get a 3.8 GPA so you could roll the dice with a DO or caribbean.

like someone above mentioned, save the money it would take to apply this cycle and invest in a MCAT prep course.

 

[Moosepig]

Retake it. Have the nerves of an assassin on VR. Get a 28 and apply DO next cycle. You're in good shape, just retake it for your VR.

Don't go carib. Just don't. Way too risky considering you're prime DO material with a retake and a calm VR section.

 

[MiracleforMD]

Study your ass off get a 29-30 and go MD. DO could easily become your backup.

 

[kingkev91]

Applications that late in the cycle are difficult to get acceptances, especially with lower stats. You may want to take a gap year, practice, practice, practice for a retake. Do it in March or April to get your results before May so you can decide to retake it a third time or not.

Get so good with the verbal reasoning section that you don't even realize that you are taking a test when you do them. Pay for professional help if you need to (test prep companies). It may cost $1000+ but so would applying this cycle, paying for secondaries, and getting a rejection from them all.

Take all the AAMC practice exams that you can. Keep doing them until you can get a score greater than 10 EVERY TIME. Then you will be ready.

You can do it. Your GPA shows that you are not stupid. Don't let this one test keep you from doing what you want in life.

This advice is coming from someone that is changing careers mid-life. It is only another year. You will not be "old" if you wait a year.

dsoz

I took Kaplan it really did not help, I felt as if I did not learn the material or their strategies enough for it to have a really huge impact on me..I feel if I self-studied the whole way I would have done a lot better...As for the AAMC test I took them all...Honestly I have been bad with verbal the whole way, I was averaging 5-7's on the AAMC verbal..Kaplan was overgrading my test, they were giving me 30s sometimes when AAMC were given me around low 20s..Also I was just wondering would it be that bad if I just tried to apply and get in with my stats? For MD schools I was just thinking about applying to low mcat schools, such as Howard..Whats the worst that could happen they say no? right?

 

[MiracleforMD]

Normally, I think any advice on SDN is debatable, but I think this is one of the few exceptions. I strongly advise you not to spend 2 grand and hundreds of hours applying with a 5 in verbal. Just does not make sense. Even a 7 is a huge difference.

 

[pre med 2014]

Study for the verbal and retake. You should be able to break 30 and get into American MD. Verbal is the easiest section just do as many practice verbal sections as you can. Go over the answers you got wrong AND the ones you got right.

You have to wait an extra year.