Devastated by MCAT 2015 score, advice?

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bme94

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Hello all,

I really need some advice. I just got back my score today, scored a 499. I'm truly, completely devastated. I cried for an hour straight. I studied so hard and looks like I got absolutely nothing out of it. My gpa as is stands is a 3.67, and my science gpa is around a 3.6 (don't remember exactly).

This pretty much means I'm not competitive anywhere, right? Not even for DO? My heart is truly hurting. Maybe the fact that I have bad anxiety, or maybe the fact that my exam was delayed for two hours had some contribution to this. Can anyone give me some solid advice? I understand I screwed up. Thank you.

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Bme94, I completely understand how you feel. I think many of us have experienced a point where we screwed up and can't seem to be able to look past the immediate damage. However, once you are able to get past the grieving stage, try to look at how it is not the end of the world:

1) you are clearly not applying this cycle, so you have up till April to retake for the next one.

2) ok. You have anxiety (clinical?) many people do and that two hour delay would freak me out even though I don't have anxiety. Don't beat yourself too much about it. Next time if you feel that your test conditions were bad, or you felt ****ty, then just void the exam.

3) you can look at how you studied and try to improve over the next 6 months. There are lots of people and threads here that can help you.

4) you are not that far off! You just need an improvement of about 6-10 points to be golden for DO and some MD.

5) you can always take another year off and do something amazing.
 
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Hello all,

I really need some advice. I just got back my score today, scored a 499. I'm truly, completely devastated. I cried for an hour straight. I studied so hard and looks like I got absolutely nothing out of it. My gpa as is stands is a 3.67, and my science gpa is around a 3.6 (don't remember exactly).

This pretty much means I'm not competitive anywhere, right? Not even for DO? My heart is truly hurting. Maybe the fact that I have bad anxiety, or maybe the fact that my exam was delayed for two hours had some contribution to this. Can anyone give me some solid advice? I understand I screwed up. Thank you.

So sorry to hear that but it's not the end of the world! A 499 is indicative of a decent foundation of knowledge that you can definitely work up with plenty of practice. Apply next year that way you can put together the best app possible. In the mean time, focus on the MCAT and only the MCAT as your GPA is competitive as is.

It sounds like this score blindsided you.
What did you get on the AAMC FL and/or the OG?
 
Bme94, I completely understand how you feel. I think many of us have experienced a point where we screwed up and can't seem to be able to look past the immediate damage. However, once you are able to get past the grieving stage, try to look at how it is not the end of the world:

1) you are clearly not applying this cycle, so you have up till April to retake for the next one.

2) ok. You have anxiety (clinical?) many people do and that two hour delay would freak me out even though I don't have anxiety. Don't beat yourself too much about it. Next time if you feel that your test conditions were bad, or you felt ****ty, then just void the exam.

3) you can look at how you studied and try to improve over the next 6 months. There are lots of people and threads here that can help you.

4) you are not that far off! You just need an improvement of about 6-10 points to be golden for DO and some MD.

5) you can always take another year off and do something amazing.

Thank you for your kind words. I really appreciate it. Is it a bad idea to take it in June or July? School for goes until May, and I really don't know if it's a good idea to take it while I'm in school.
And I haven't been diagnosed, but I easily get upset with myself and I've had breakdowns before.
 
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So sorry to hear that but it's not the end of the world! A 499 is indicative of a decent foundation of knowledge that you can definitely work up with plenty of practice. Apply next year that way you can put together the best app possible. In the mean time, focus on the MCAT and only the MCAT as your GPA is competitive as is.

It sounds like this score blindsided you.
What did you get on the AAMC FL and/or the OG?

Do you have any recommendations for studying? I also don't know if I can put myself through this again...I gave up an entire summer, spending time with friends, family...as you probably already know, it's really hard.
I don't remember exact numbers, but I think on the full length (first one I ever took) I think I got a 65% overall. And so my gpa is competitive at most schools?
 
Sorry things didn't go your way OP, I can't imagine how frustrated you must feel. Podiatry might be something to look into if that interests you. Your MCAT is good for DPM and your GPA is great.
 
Hello bme94,

I just wanted to encourage you to keep your head up and consider giving it another try. The MCAT is tough, and although it is no fun to retake it, there are many people who have successfully done it.

The best MCAT study advice given to me was to spend plenty of time doing practice problems after completing content review. Thoroughly reviewing the problems that I got wrong, and understanding why I got them wrong, helped me improve greatly.
 
Thank you for your kind words. I really appreciate it. Is it a bad idea to take it in June or July? School for goes until May, and I really don't know if it's a good idea to take it while I'm in school.
And I haven't been diagnosed, but I easily get upset with myself and I've had breakdowns before.

Honestly, I feel taking it later than May or Early June would be detrimental to you application. You want to know your score before you get verified. That way if you still don't get what you want then you can delay the application for a year.

I took the 2015 MCAT in May. I had school too, so I understand how intimidating it can be. My last final was 2 days before the MCAT, but I carefully chose low intensity and only essential classes. I also excused myself from work and some extraneous extracurricular activities for a few months leading up to the exam. Most importantly, I spread my studying over 5 months. You should spread it over 6. In my opinion, the best bet is to 1) take a break to recoup. while researching different study plans and making one for yourself 2) plan a light schedule for next semester 3) start studying once you feel you have a plan in place that you can follow (with buffer weeks in place to account for midterms/finals) 4) if your finals end in early may, that is perfect because you can use the following weeks to recover/wrap up studying for the MCAT. By mid March you should have finished content review and started some practice. Take a break right before your finals to study. Take your finals, recover and continue practice and last minute review until your exam in end of May/Early June. Submit your AMCAS for verification with only one throwaway school by mid to end of June. You will then get your MCAT score and get verified around the same time. If you get the score you wanted then add the rest of your schools and YAY! If for some reason you do not, then withdraw your application and try again for the following year.

The above plan is what I had in mind when I took it, but I was able to execute it because: 1) I was very honest with myself about expectations 2) I correctly evaluated myself as a calm person 3) I am a generally good student and quick learner 4) I built in a lot of buffer zones and was able to manage unforeseen complications like a wasted month due to my committee process and a few wasted weeks due to exams 5) I researched a lot of study plans and carefully tailored one for myself 6) I scaled back on my social life and focused on my priorities 7) I got extremely lucky. Bottom line: this is about you. Be honest with yourself about your strengths, weaknesses, habits, and circumstances. If you get easily upset, work on that starting now.
 
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I don't remember exact numbers, but I think on the full length (first one I ever took) I think I got a 65% overall.

I think once you commit to a retake, this comment needs to be your starting point. If you look at successful MCAT people, they will give you scores for every section of every practice exam they take, especially the one from AAMC.

Many people think studying for the MCAT is like studying for classes in college. It's NOT!!!! You are not being asked to regurgitate information; you are being ask to apply your knowledge base to slightly unfamiliar style questions after reading a passage that you may or may not fully comprehend. That can be unnerving at first, and only through repeated practice and refinement of your approach to passages and questions do you get better. You have to thoroughly review questions after the fact and learn from the explanations. You have to honestly be able to say that if you saw that question in the future, or one just like it, that you'd get it right.

In my signature is a link to a few suggestions for repeating the MCAT. I think it's a great place to start. Take a few days to get your mentality in a better place and then go at it full force. It's all about doing passage after passage this time. Not reading, not stand-alone questions, not memorizing information lists!!!

Passages, questions, answer explanations, passages, questions, answer explanations, passages, questions, answer explanations, REPEAT!
 
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Do you have any recommendations for studying? I also don't know if I can put myself through this again...I gave up an entire summer, spending time with friends, family...as you probably already know, it's really hard.
I don't remember exact numbers, but I think on the full length (first one I ever took) I think I got a 65% overall. And so my gpa is competitive at most schools?
you will do better. Just DON'T settle.
 
Sorry things didn't go your way OP, I can't imagine how frustrated you must feel. Podiatry might be something to look into if that interests you. Your MCAT is good for DPM and your GPA is great.

Thank you for your kindness. Nothing wrong with DPM at all, it's just that becoming a pediatric physician has always been a dream of mine.
 
Honestly, I feel taking it later than May or Early June would be detrimental to you application. You want to know your score before you get verified. That way if you still don't get what you want then you can delay the application for a year.

I took the 2015 MCAT in May. I had school too, so I understand how intimidating it can be. My last final was 2 days before the MCAT, but I carefully chose low intensity and only essential classes. I also excused myself from work and some extraneous extracurricular activities for a few months leading up to the exam. Most importantly, I spread my studying over 5 months. You should spread it over 6. In my opinion, the best bet is to 1) take a break to recoup. while researching different study plans and making one for yourself 2) plan a light schedule for next semester 3) start studying once you feel you have a plan in place that you can follow (with buffer weeks in place to account for midterms/finals) 4) if your finals end in early may, that is perfect because you can use the following weeks to recover/wrap up studying for the MCAT. By mid March you should have finished content review and started some practice. Take a break right before your finals to study. Take your finals, recover and continue practice and last minute review until your exam in end of May/Early June. Submit your AMCAS for verification with only one throwaway school by mid to end of June. You will then get your MCAT score and get verified around the same time. If you get the score you wanted then add the rest of your schools and YAY! If for some reason you do not, then withdraw your application and try again for the following year.

The above plan is what I had in mind when I took it, but I was able to execute it because: 1) I was very honest with myself about expectations 2) I correctly evaluated myself as a calm person 3) I am a generally good student and quick learner 4) I built in a lot of buffer zones and was able to manage unforeseen complications like a wasted month due to my committee process and a few wasted weeks due to exams 5) I researched a lot of study plans and carefully tailored one for myself 6) I scaled back on my social life and focused on my priorities 7) I got extremely lucky. Bottom line: this is about you. Be honest with yourself about your strengths, weaknesses, habits, and circumstances. If you get easily upset, work on that starting now.

Thank you for your advice, I truly appreciate it. Do you mind telling me how many credits you took that semester? I also considered taking a lighter load as well. Either that, or maybe take the test during January. I'm not totally sure yet. Were there any books you thought were really helpful? I didn't do as well on the Chem/Bio as I wanted, as well as CARS. The psychology section went well though.
 
I think once you commit to a retake, this comment needs to be your starting point. If you look at successful MCAT people, they will give you scores for every section of every practice exam they take, especially the one from AAMC.

Many people think studying for the MCAT is like studying for classes in college. It's NOT!!!! You are not being asked to regurgitate information; you are being ask to apply your knowledge base to slightly unfamiliar style questions after reading a passage that you may or may not fully comprehend. That can be unnerving at first, and only through repeated practice and refinement of your approach to passages and questions do you get better. You have to thoroughly review questions after the fact and learn from the explanations. You have to honestly be able to say that if you saw that question in the future, or one just like it, that you'd get it right.

In my signature is a link to a few suggestions for repeating the MCAT. I think it's a great place to start. Take a few days to get your mentality in a better place and then go at it full force. It's all about doing passage after passage this time. Not reading, not stand-alone questions, not memorizing information lists!!!

Passages, questions, answer explanations, passages, questions, answer explanations, passages, questions, answer explanations, REPEAT!

Thank you for your help! I think there definitely is truth to that - I studied for it like a college exam, and spent a ton of time memorizing information, a lot of which did NOT show up on my exam. Does it honestly look that bad to take repeat an exam?
 
What I've been told is that scores are treated within their statistical framework.

If a school has a cutoff of 508, and you score a 505, a 506, and a 509, you might find yourself excluded because your history suggests a 'true score' below the cutoff - whereas if you'd gotten the 509 the first time, the school would only have that to go off of.

Meanwhile, if you got a 499 and a 509, the variance can not be adequately accounted for by random chance. Moreover, substantial variation in the negative range is much more likely to occur from situational factors than the reverse. That is, you can become severely ill, anxious, or sleep deprived, or you can face poor test center conditions, etc., and any of those could potentially tank your score. You don't wake up one day feeling super healthy, confident, and well-rested, and then score far beyond your mastery of the subject because of that. In those circumstances, the school is likely to weigh the 509 much more heavily than the 499, potentially valuing you higher than the 505/506/509 applicant.

Apologies if this reads poorly, it's late.
 
You'll be fine! I didn't do well on my first attempt either ( this was the old mcat). Take some time to change up your game plan for this exam and do much better.

If it makes you feel better I spoke with the dean of medical school I want to attend and he told me that having a poor mcat score on your first try isn't the end of the world if you can improve greatly on your second attempt. So keep your head up and don't be too upset :)
 
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What I've been told is that scores are treated within their statistical framework.

If a school has a cutoff of 508, and you score a 505, a 506, and a 509, you might find yourself excluded because your history suggests a 'true score' below the cutoff - whereas if you'd gotten the 509 the first time, the school would only have that to go off of.

Meanwhile, if you got a 499 and a 509, the variance can not be adequately accounted for by random chance. Moreover, substantial variation in the negative range is much more likely to occur from situational factors than the reverse. That is, you can become severely ill, anxious, or sleep deprived, or you can face poor test center conditions, etc., and any of those could potentially tank your score. You don't wake up one day feeling super healthy, confident, and well-rested, and then score far beyond your mastery of the subject because of that. In those circumstances, the school is likely to weigh the 509 much more heavily than the 499, potentially valuing you higher than the 505/506/509 applicant.

Apologies if this reads poorly, it's late.

Thank you for the information. I hope I can score a 509 the next time.
 
You'll be fine! I didn't do well on my first attempt either ( this was the old mcat). Take some time to change up your game plan for this exam and do much better.

If it makes you feel better I spoke with the dean of medical school I want to attend and he told me that having a poor mcat score on your first try isn't the end of the world if you can improve greatly on your second attempt. So keep your head up and don't be too upset :)

Thank you! Hope everything worked out for you
 
I think you know your problem. Your anxiety got the best of you. You have to somehow control it. This could be done with a combination of practice, preparation, and or professional guidance like a therapist. You have to understand the root of your fears and anxiety. For most students, their anxiety stems from improper mentalities. "the MCAT will decide my entire life" or "If I don't do well on this exam, people will think I'm dumb" or "I can't let my friends and family down, I've been studying for such a long time and been making all of these excuses not to go out"

If you have that kind of mentality, this exam is going to drive you nuts. You can't let one exam mess with your head. You have to create a plan of attack, and give it your all for 3-4 months. You have to tell yourself that regardless of how it turns out, you tried your best.

The MCAT is not as important as you may think it is. Sure, it could determine which medical school you get into, but who cares? If you truly just want to become a physician, the location of your med school is not that important. You'll be studying in a library all day, everyday anyways. Does it really matter if the library is located in city X or city Z?

"If I don't get into a good med school, I can't match well for residency" is flawed thinking as well. Step 1, your letters of rec, research, and interview (really, your personality) are in my opinion the most important aspects of your application. Does the caliber of your med school matter? Yes, but not to the extent you may think.
 
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I think you know your problem. Your anxiety got the best of you. You have to somehow control it. This could be done with a combination of practice, preparation, and or professional guidance like a therapist. You have to understand the root of your fears and anxiety. For most students, their anxiety stems from improper mentalities. "the MCAT will decide my entire life" or "If I don't do well on this exam, people will think I'm dumb" or "I can't let my friends and family down, I've been studying for such a long time and been making all of these excuses not to go out"

If you have that kind of mentality, this exam is going to drive you nuts. You can't let one exam mess with your head. You have to create a plan of attack, and give it your all for 3-4 months. You have to tell yourself that regardless of how it turns out, you tried your best.

The MCAT is not as important as you may think it is. Sure, it could determine which medical school you get into, but who cares? If you truly just want to become a physician, the location of your med school is not that important. You'll be studying in a library all day, everyday anyways. Does it really matter if the library is located in city X or city Z?

"If I don't get into a good med school, I can't match well for residency" is flawed thinking as well. Step 1, your letters of rec, research, and interview (really, your personality) are in my opinion the most important aspects of your application. Does the caliber of your med school matter? Yes, but not to the extent you may think.

Thank you. Everything that you just said is exactly what went through my mind before the exam. I just really want to go to a school here in the US. I was really upset for a few days because I believed no medical school would take me with that poor score. So, I plan to retake it at some point. And as you said, I have to have a better plan of attack. I'll try to be more positive this time around.
 
I think if you applied early this cycle you would have been fine. There definitely are people under 500 getting in. Maybe not below 495 but still they are with good GPA 3.7 and up. I would do a retake. If you do not get above 500 I would apply broadly and get an acceptance. Newer schools and slightly established ones would take you with good experience such as clinicals, tutoring, shadowing, research etc the adcom really loved I tutored for two years. You will be fine.
 
Bad anxiety is definitely an adversity one must overcome when taking a test. I have one piece of advice, but I am unsure if it will truly help you:

When you are doing a practice test or whatever, try to pretend like you are 'actually taking the test.' I know this might sound ridiculous, because you are clearly NOT taking the test and because it is a practice it has no determination of your MCAT score, but if you try this and continue practicing in this way, your anxiety might stop. I have chronic OCD, and for some reason (when I'm practicing) I am able to credulously believe I'm 'actually taking the test', even though I'm obviously not. I guess my brain is maybe wired a bit differently...

This probably didn't help you, but could possibly give you some ideas (maybe?)... Anyways,

Best of luck, Technology
 
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