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Yea but I want to diagnose and treat myself I don't want to assist, but I would consider it if I run out of options, thanks.
Devastated
Started by Sabrina_K
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What's your GPA, OP?
If you're more interested in research, it may behoove you to get a PhD in Physiology or Cancer Biology instead of an MD/DO degree. The GRE is essentially the SAT for college seniors (at least I found that it was like this when I took a practice test from Kaplan), and a lot of PhDs in STEM fields are subsidized with stipend, so it's not like you would be accruing too much more debt, if any.
A good thing about this route is that you can apply in December and be considered for some programs as long as you take the GRE. The GRE has a verbal portion, a quantitative portion, and a writing section. The writing section is hardly looked at though, unless you're shooting for a humanities PhD.
PhDs are not easy degrees to acquire, but you'd be able to contribute to cancer research. 🙂
Good luck to you!
If you're more interested in research, it may behoove you to get a PhD in Physiology or Cancer Biology instead of an MD/DO degree. The GRE is essentially the SAT for college seniors (at least I found that it was like this when I took a practice test from Kaplan), and a lot of PhDs in STEM fields are subsidized with stipend, so it's not like you would be accruing too much more debt, if any.
A good thing about this route is that you can apply in December and be considered for some programs as long as you take the GRE. The GRE has a verbal portion, a quantitative portion, and a writing section. The writing section is hardly looked at though, unless you're shooting for a humanities PhD.
PhDs are not easy degrees to acquire, but you'd be able to contribute to cancer research. 🙂
Good luck to you!
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Are you guys serious? Leave the OP alone. Yes, the question about being beautiful was out of place and not well-thought, but holy crap-- have some compassion and understand how desperate and upset she must feel!! People DO say all the time that being attractive can help you somewhat, so understand where she could've got the idea from (in midst of her panic). maybe you should warn your future patients to hold their tongues before they ask you a "dumb" question while distraught over something.
OP, really sorry about your scores, but just remember that this test doesn't mean the end of the world. like others have said, take some time to re-evaluate things, and apply next year. maybe the new sections could help you. xo
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Oh boy, that attractiveness entitlement. "I'm beautiful, that will help me get in to med school, right?" (and look at the MCAT) That will get you in most everywhere else in life, but not med school @CLE216 that it was even asked... If you look at the charts and that 10 people got in out of every single person that applied? That's doctor material? Can't read a f'n chart?
OP you keep saying you don't want to wait another year. Let's get something straight: the chances of getting in MD school this cycle are pretty much nonexistent! And the chances of getting in DO completely depend on your retake and even then your chances are low.Do you really think you can score >28? You said your lowest pretests were in the 22 range! What if you score at the low end in the retake? This test is extremely important! It will decide the course of your future. Why are you racing to take the retake in November? Take your time. Figure out why you scored do horrendously on the initial MCAT and then fix it. I know you want to start in 2015 but frankly that isn't going to happen.
Having trouble understanding what you mean 😳
I just came across this post that you made earlier. I think maybe people are right and we are dealing with a troll. I sure as hell don't want "a moderately competent and very good looking doctor" working with me or my family members! That statement is beyond belief for anyone considering medicine as a career!
"https://www.aamc.org/data/facts/app...mcat-gpa-grid-by-selected-race-ethnicity.html" this information was presented to her in post #7. It's the chart the SDN based their "percentage of those who were accepted with this score". With this information she wondered if being attractive helped, being told that just more than 10 people of all who applied were accepted. With all of the decisions that doctors will have to make off of evidence, research, charts and graphs, you'd hope that could come up with a better interpretation of the data than that...
Being attractive gives you a great privilege in life, and people who are tend to get used to it and expect it everywhere in life. It's like justice porn when they run into a wall like this (or maybe they're making a joke, i.e. trolling). That might be reading too much into it, but it's going to take a lot of explaining to answer how that thought sincerely inhabited her.
Also did everyone miss the having babies comment? Rough.
Either way--I would take everyone's advice OP. No one can say for sure what will happen but there's some certainty in these statistics. Rushing to retake can only make you unhappy.
Justice porn...did you coin that phrase? Very apt for everyone's interest in this one.
This is good advice. I understand the pressure to have children but these are priorities that you have to sort out on your own and we can only seriously advise you on application strategy. I would say study very hard for the last round of the old MCAT and fix the VR problem. Practice, practice, practice - ESL is a difficult barrier to overcome but it can be done! Make sure you are taking the practice tests under REAL test conditions (i.e time yourself, take only the allotted breaks, sit at a computer for hours, wear headphones, etc ) this may help alleviate test anxiety.
Ok, let's assume non-troll. 
Ahem.
5 months of 6 days a week of studying at 6 hours a day, and OP could only crack a 16? Sorry, that's just....um, how do I put this nicely...bad...horrible.
Reality check: not saying to not try again...heck, took me three tries to finally get it right, but I started at 29 and made it to 37. A similar increase would put OP at 24. I guess that might work at a few places.
On the bright side, OP pretty much doesn't have anywhere to go but up.
Ahem. 5 months of 6 days a week of studying at 6 hours a day, and OP could only crack a 16? Sorry, that's just....um, how do I put this nicely...bad...horrible.
Reality check: not saying to not try again...heck, took me three tries to finally get it right, but I started at 29 and made it to 37. A similar increase would put OP at 24. I guess that might work at a few places.
On the bright side, OP pretty much doesn't have anywhere to go but up.
No, not that clever. It's a sub-reddit.
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I agree (assuming the OP is not a troll) 5 months, studying 6 days a week, 6 hours a day, doing practice tests also, and only getting a 16 is huge red flag. Assuming of course she is actually studying and not on Facebook, Twitter, etc. and doesn't just look like she's studying. The only thing I can think of is incapacitating anxiety.Ok, let's assume non-troll.
5 months of 6 days a week of studying at 6 hours a day, and OP could only crack a 16? Sorry, that's just....um, how do I put this nicely...bad...horrible.
Reality check: not saying to not try again...heck, took me three tries to finally get it right, but I started at 29 and made it to 37. A similar increase would put OP at 24. I guess that might work at a few places.
On the bright side, OP pretty much doesn't have anywhere to go but up.
Although the beauty argument sounds ridiculous, I kind of understand your distress at the moment and your rationale for saying that (if that brings you any comfort). I would, however, say that you are not being realistic and learning how to objectively assess strengths/weaknesses would be critical to your success.
As a word of encouragement, I think that you write pretty decently and you probably have the potential to do a lot better. It doesnt matter how many practices you did but you need to do it right (English is also my second language and I had 10 for verbal). I find that reading broadly helps.
Above all, don't be discouraged. You would probably have a shot at Caribbean schools too if you would ever be interested.
As a word of encouragement, I think that you write pretty decently and you probably have the potential to do a lot better. It doesnt matter how many practices you did but you need to do it right (English is also my second language and I had 10 for verbal). I find that reading broadly helps.
Above all, don't be discouraged. You would probably have a shot at Caribbean schools too if you would ever be interested.
My gpa is 3.8 which speaks of my capabilities, and no I like the hospital I do clinical research but my goal is to practice medicine.
Hey you don't have to be so mean to me, I have already said it previously, i mentioned beauty out of desperation, I'm sure you didn't score a 16 on the MCAT, but if you did and medicine is something you had always aspired to all your life, I'm sure you would think about any possibility(even if silly) that would help you get in. SO PLEASE if you cannot give me advice, at least be compassionate of my depression and allow others to do so. Thank you.
I think I can score a 25, that should get me in a DO right? I have a master degree 3.8 gpa and one publication. Thank you for the advice.
What currently makes you feel that you can score a 25? From my understanding, that's above your practice test averages and a full 9 points above your first MCAT score.
I ve already said it countless times, you don't understand how desperate I am. I was just thinking of every possibility though silly that could help. Place yourself in my shoes, medicine is what I have always aspired too, yes my comment was silly, but if you place yourself in my shoes, you would understand, i studied for 5 months with many materials, I spent $60000 to get a master degree to be competitive, I did 3 years of research, and now all that goes to drain because of the MCAT ? I'm really depressed.
I said it on the first post I can't take criticism I'm already depressed, why are you judging me? I just want advice on how to improve my situation, if you cannot give advice at least please stop judging. You don't know how it feels to get a 16 on the MCAT, it is already offensive enough please don't add any more thank you.Ok, let's assume non-troll.
5 months of 6 days a week of studying at 6 hours a day, and OP could only crack a 16? Sorry, that's just....um, how do I put this nicely...bad...horrible.
Reality check: not saying to not try again...heck, took me three tries to finally get it right, but I started at 29 and made it to 37. A similar increase would put OP at 24. I guess that might work at a few places.
On the bright side, OP pretty much doesn't have anywhere to go but up.
you've got my sympathies. I sent you a pm
Well I'm planning to study more and this time with a tutor or in an MCAT course, so hopefully that should help me at least get a 25.
Is this in the one month time frame that you mentioned earlier?
Yes shooting for the November 7th test date.
If you're depressed get off SDN and seek medical attention, I don't know why you're on here in this state literally begging for someone to sympathize with you and make you feel better. There's nothing we can tell you that you don't already know, you need to score higher or you're not going to medical school.
Also, if you're crying because of a low MCAT score and because people are making fun of you on the internet you won't make it through residency. I've seen my fair share of residents get chewed out by attendings, you will not survive in this environment.
You need to sit down and really think through whether, considering how much you studied for your previous exam and the fact that the score you're aiming for is a full 9 points above your actual MCAT score, you will realistically be able to significantly improve your score.
To rush into taking another MCAT and score similarly (or worse), would be incredibly foolish.
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I agree with you. But I have been out of school for 4 years now and I really want to have time to make babies, I'm a woman and I'm already 25, I already took an extra year to get a master degree, I just really want to matriculate in 2015, I will study with a tutor or take an accelerated MCAT course this month and try again in November, that should help me at least get a 25, maybe studying alone is not the right way for me, but I really think English is the barrier for me.
For my own sake, I will just pretend I didn't see this. So much negativity, I'm learning about my options here, this is why SDN exists, to advise those in need of advice, I don't think you have to be rude to give advice. And yes I will improve my score, and I appreciate all the great comments from others about timing and strategies. Thank you.
I wanted to clarify something before we let you get back to making a clear-headed assessment (hopefully with the collective counsel of SDN ringing in your ears, especially Goro's and gyngyn's), you mentioned your masters degree, is your 3.8 gpa from your graduate or undergraduate coursework?
the 3.8 is from the master degree, my cumulative undergrad is 3.3 science and 3.4 overall.
Thank you.
Graduate grades aren't taken seriously as they are assumed to be inflated. Your undergraduate GPA is what the focus will be on.
In any case, it doesn't seem like you're ready to go to medical school and start medical training yet. You need to prioritize your mental health first and foremost. If you do not address this fully, you will not make it through medical training as even mentally healthy and strong people break down in this process. Please seek professional help as soon as possible and get well first.
I wish you the best of luck.
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I don't have a mental health problem, anyone else who really wanted to be a physician would be depressed if they got a 16 on the MCAT. The graduate program I was in was was very rigorous so I'm sure I will be fine.
Depression is a serious mental disorder that a lot of pre-med (and med) students have to deal with. You've stated over and over again that you're depressed. You asked for us to be "compassionate" about your depression.
Before you do anything else, you need to take control of your mental health.
Sabrina, I understand feeling depressed on making a low mcat score. I was there. You do have to pick yourself up and keep on going. You have already gotten the advice you needed and wanted. I don't understand why you are still trying to justify things for everyone else. Log off SDN and go start studying for the MCAT.
I haven't seen you address what you think went wrong on test day, which I think is the most important thing for you to consider in preparing for your next test. You've said you don't have test anxiety. Do you have any sense of why you scored so much lower than on your practice exams? Did you run out of time on sections, or did you find that you were very unfamiliar with the information in the passages?
You've been asking for advice, but you don't seem to be taking it. Most people are suggesting that you not take the MCAT again in November, because it will be hard to correct whatever went wrong in such a short time. In terms of time for "making babies" (which, to avoid getting negative responses, I suggest you reword a bit...It sounds much better if you say "I hope to have a family, and I'm concerned that entering medical school any later will make this very difficult") one year is not going to make a huge difference. On the other hand, having to take the MCAT a third time if you don't do well in November will not look good and could potentially make your intended career path impossible. Think about your priorities and don't jump into anything.
In response to the people being mean to you, don't take it personally. If you look at other posts on SDN, you'll see that this is just how people communicate here. Often people feel the need to be a bit harsh in order to get their point across. However, that holds true everywhere, and I hope that you're able to adjust to/handle this form of communication in the future, as it will make your life much easier.
This post has gotten a bit long, so I'd like to ask you to focus on the first part, and identify the problem(s) you had on your first MCAT. Feel free to share those and you may get advice on how to specifically target those issues.
You've been asking for advice, but you don't seem to be taking it. Most people are suggesting that you not take the MCAT again in November, because it will be hard to correct whatever went wrong in such a short time. In terms of time for "making babies" (which, to avoid getting negative responses, I suggest you reword a bit...It sounds much better if you say "I hope to have a family, and I'm concerned that entering medical school any later will make this very difficult") one year is not going to make a huge difference. On the other hand, having to take the MCAT a third time if you don't do well in November will not look good and could potentially make your intended career path impossible. Think about your priorities and don't jump into anything.
In response to the people being mean to you, don't take it personally. If you look at other posts on SDN, you'll see that this is just how people communicate here. Often people feel the need to be a bit harsh in order to get their point across. However, that holds true everywhere, and I hope that you're able to adjust to/handle this form of communication in the future, as it will make your life much easier.
This post has gotten a bit long, so I'd like to ask you to focus on the first part, and identify the problem(s) you had on your first MCAT. Feel free to share those and you may get advice on how to specifically target those issues.
Friendly reminder that there's a difference between being depressed and just being sad about something that happened in life. Depression is a debilitating mental disorder that is constant and sadness is only temporary. Sabrina, if you are not actually depressed, it would be more sensitive to say you are SAD about your MCAT score. This too shall pass.
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It is a rather nuanced thing, but someone can feel depressed without actually having diagnosed depression. Depression is an emotion as well as a mental disorder, that's just how it is. I can't speak to her particular usage, but I don't think it was incorrect for her to say she is depressed...sometimes "sad" just doesn't cover it. Sort of like the difference between angry and enraged.
OP I have a couple of questions. You keep quoting a 3.8 GPA in your grad program. What was the degree in and what is your undergrad cGPA and sGPA? You are aware that adcoms look mainly at undergrad grades. Graduate grade don't count for much since many adcoms feel they aren't as rigorous and It is easy to get good grades. I'd also like to know what will happen if you aren't accepted for starting in 2015( which seems probable)? Do you have a back up plan
If it's similar to the difference between angry and enraged, why not say devastated? Heartbroken? Very upset? Dejected? I get that it's ingrained in our culture to just say "depressed" like it doesn't have deeper meaning, but the English language has so many synonyms to communicate different degrees of emotions that it is unnecessary to use a term that marginalizes people with mental illnesses.
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I believe she did in fact use some of those synonyms. I guess I just don't see the problem with using a word that means exactly what she seemed to intend to convey. It is not an affront to people who suffer from major depression. Most people experience some form of depression at some point in their lives for a short period. This is distinct from major depression, and at no point did she claim to suffer from that. Are we next going to say that people can't express anxiety because that marginalizes people with anxiety disorders? So instead everyone else must say that they are nervous, apprehensive, or uneasy? I'm not trying to be insensitive here. I just don't find word policing of this kind to be particularly sensible.
Hey thanks for the detailed post, I definitely ran out of time on all sections especially V.R and P.S. You are right I have to identify the problem, I'm hoping a tutor will help me identify it, I'm not sure what it is, I know for V.R I forget everything I read since the passages are so boring, I have hard time remembering what I read, I have to find how to remedy that. I'm not sure what is wrong with B.S and P.S, I'm sure I know the content very well, maybe I don't understand the questions I don't know. Sorry for using the "making babies" expression, in my language that s what we say I guess it s the wrong translation in English. I will see where I stand with the tutor at the end of October and decide if I will retake so soon or not, you make a great point.
If I don't get in this cycle, I will really be disappointed, I have invested so much in time energy and money that I don't want to go through it again. I cross my fingers.
🙁 What's worse, not getting in this cycle or never getting in? You can raise your MCAT significantly in a year, not so much in a month.
The degree was in public health specifically cancer epidemiology. My undergrad cGPA is 3.4 and sGPA is 3.3. If I don't get in this cycle I don't know, I'm hoping to improve this MCAT score this winter, if not I really don't know, I guess I won't have any choice but to reapply next year.
Well if the depression started when I saw my scores and it will go away when I improve then it is temporary, temporary depression over a bad performance. And yes it is depression, for days I ve just wanted to eat and sleep all day nothing else. But I know I have to get up and work hard to improve my score.
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