Help, major advice needed

[kms8480]

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Hello everyone,

I am in the process of applying to MD/DO and Caribbean, I took my MCAT last September and got a 22 (*tears*), so I am retaking it in the next few days. But I just don't feel ready, I took a practice test yesterday and did okay took one this morning and DID AWFUL. I'm wondering what I should do...

I'm looking into moving the test to September but a lot of people have said that's too late
So then I'm thinking maybe I should wait another year and try applying early next year, when I'm more confident.

Here's my other specs;
GPA 3.7
50 hours hospital volunteering
20 hours volunteering with planned parenthood
3 years of research experience
2.5 years working as ED Scribe
LOR from 2 chiefs of ED
D3 swimming 4 yrs, 3 records
ohio resident

 

[Dr. Trenb]

Definitely postpone. Your stats qualify you for majority of MD/DO schools, and you should avoid going to the Caribbean. Take the time you need to do well, doesn't matter if it postpone you a year or two. In the end, you will be a doctor.
If you don't mind me asking, how did you study for it? What prep courses did you take? Did you have a weak section? How long did you study for it?

 

[Pusheen]

Did you take the AAMC test? All the other tests vary wildly in terms of accuracy.
Take the test early next year and apply on day 1 + beef up your EC's in the mean time, and you will be fine.

 

[kms8480]

postpone the test or my application?

I took Kaplan the first time, and the second time used Princeton review which I liked better. I just didn't budget my time right. My weak section is physics.
I took an Exam Cracker test and then the Princeton Review test

 

[Dr. Trenb]

Both. With a 22, your chances of getting anywhere in the country are slim to none. As @Pusheen said, take the test early and apply on day 1. You can take the test as late as April and still be able to apply on first day. This should give you 4-9 months to study (depending on how much time you need). If TPR is good and you think you just need more time, then go back to it. However, if you think you need a different approach (particularly for physics since it's your weakest subject), I recommend TBR.

 

[Pusheen]

postpone the test or my application?

I took Kaplan the first time, and the second time used Princeton review which I liked better. I just didn't budget my time right. My weak section is physics.
I took an Exam Cracker test and then the Princeton Review test

take the AAMC fl to get a better idea of where you are. Those tests aren't known for being very predictive. I would still suggest waiting a year until you're confident

 

[gothicfoxes]

I am in the process of applying to MD/DO and Caribbean

Nooo not Caribbean.

 

[kms8480]

I also have other friends who are suggesting taking the test in September and sending in your app to some schools.
Then if the scores still aren't so hot, retake in April and do TBR

 

[kms8480]

why is everyone so against Caribbean, I work in a hospital now and almost 100% of the hospitalist are from caribbean schools

 

[radkat101]

why is everyone so against Caribbean, I work in a hospital now and almost 100% of the hospitalist are from caribbean schools

Because you have a poor chance of ever getting a residency in the US if you graduate from there. Only about 1/2 of grads get a residency. This doesn't include all the students who failed out before even getting that far. Then, out of the minority who match, probably 90% or more of them end up in primary care in less than desirable locations. This situation will only get worse with more US schools opening and the DO/MD combined match. Are you really willing to gamble a few 100K on those odds?

 

[El-Rami]

I also have other friends who are suggesting taking the test in September and sending in your app to some schools.
Then if the scores still aren't so hot, retake in April and do TBR

If the OP is already getting ready to take it the second time, maybe (s)he should wait til next year to take it.

 

[ac62994]

Don't waste your stats on a poor MCAT, let alone the Caribbean... Take your time!

 

[StudyLater]

Hello everyone,

I am in the process of applying to MD/DO and Caribbean, I took my MCAT last September and got a 22 (*tears*), so I am retaking it in the next few days. But I just don't feel ready, I took a practice test yesterday and did okay took one this morning and DID AWFUL. I'm wondering what I should do...

I'm looking into moving the test to September but a lot of people have said that's too late
So then I'm thinking maybe I should wait another year and try applying early next year, when I'm more confident.

URM? Otherwise it doesn't really seem like you know what you're doing.

A. Why are you applying MD with your stats?
B. Why are you applying to the Carribean at all?
C. Why are you trusting a third party company instead of the AAMC's practice test? Kaplan and TPR are not representative nor are they accurate. You need to do your reading to figure these things out.
D. Why are you listening to this ominous "people" of which you speak? 99% of the time, your friends don't know what they're talking about. I'm talking about the general "you" here, so it's not just your friends - it's also mine, his, hers, etc. That percentage probably goes up much higher to like 99.99% if you have a significant pool of people with whom you are socializing/discussing these things with. I've found that, generally, regular people and even people deeply entrenched in this process (ironically) don't know wtf they're saying, make stupid blanket generalizations, or are (possibly?) just plain trying to mislead you (their competition).

Sooo....you don't know what you don't know, is what I'm trying to say.

 

[gothicfoxes]

why is everyone so against Caribbean, I work in a hospital now and almost 100% of the hospitalist are from caribbean schools

We're against them for sound reasons. High drop out rates, low post-graduation perspectives. The hospital you volunteer with isn't reflective of the average American hospital. x

 

[piii]

If you think you should take back-to-back practice tests a few days before your real test, you are doing something wrong. Your brain must be so wiped, no wonder you did bad on today's practice test. That's okay! You just need to rework your strategy and schedule. I'd postpone.. postpone your app a year. Take the test after months of practice and scoring consistently where you want, and when you can apply in the beginning on the cycle - not late like now. With a decent MCAT you probably won't need to even think about DO, and definitely not carib!

 

[piii]

We're against them for sound reasons. High drop out rates, low post-graduation perspectives. The hospital you volunteer with isn't reflective of the average American hospital. x

This. 40% of SGU grads can get residencies. Only gonna get harder. The ones that do though, you know they worked their a** off to get there, starting from the ridiculously hard weed out MS1/MS2 curriculum.