expiring MCAT... should I retake?

[chiknuggies]

I'm hoping to reapply this coming year. I took my MCAT around September of 2021 and got a 523.

Unfortunately, it seems to be expiring for some schools according to the AAMC list. It narrows my list to around 35 schools that may be suitable, but it definitely excludes a few schools that I may be a good fit to. This is not including Texas schools, which I may apply to (fyi I am not a Texas resident).

MCAT expiration dates if anyone is curious. This is for 2023? so I imagine the oldest MCAT would be +1 year.

I'm wondering if it is a good idea to retake in order to expand my school options and better my chances of acceptance? Any advice or recommendations?

Some considerations
- I am a reapplicant, applied in 2021
- CA resident

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[wysdoc]

TMDSAS schools take an MCAT score up to 5 years old. That opens up a good number of schools to you with your current score and the TMDSAS application gives you all the schools for one application fee. Secondary fees are extra.
From your posts you seem to have applied in the 2022-2023 cycle. What have you been doing since then to add to your application profile?

 

[Mr.Smile12]

What do you think happened to your application that you didn't get in previously (2022-2023)? Have you filled out a WAMC?

 

[chiknuggies]

TMDSAS schools take an MCAT score up to 5 years old. That opens up a good number of schools to you with your current score and the TMDSAS application gives you all the schools for one application fee. Secondary fees are extra.
From your posts you seem to have applied in the 2022-2023 cycle. What have you been doing since then to add to your application profile?

Yes, I definitely plan to attempt the Texas schools this time.

Honestly a big portion of the time, I spent 'recovering,' I did additional shadowing (of physicians and other health professions) to re-confirm my desire to go into medicine. I'm more confident of the reasons I want to be a doctor. I also spent a lot of time working on my non-medical hobbies.

Since my last application, I got some extra publications and paid patient care experience, probably new letters of rec too. I think the first time I applied I didn't have as many experiences to back up the claims that I was making in my application.