How bad is it to take the MCAT three times?

[lovedocta07]

is it really a application tanker, like can they reject you on the fact that you took the test three times? say your gpa and everything else is good.

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[ready2rumble10]

You'd have to ask each adcom for the schools you're interested in how they felt about it. I don't think anyone here knows for sure since they're going through the admissions process themselves.

 

[NickNaylor]

You wouldn't get rejected based purely on the number of times you've taken the MCAT. If there's no marked improvement in your scores, though, that would be a pretty big red flag. There's a girl posting here currently that took the MCAT 3-4 times and got accepted this cycle. It can be done, but you shouldn't retake the MCAT unless you have absolutely no chance of getting accepted with your current score.

 

[hiyaman]

You wouldn't get rejected based purely on the number of times you've taken the MCAT. If there's no marked improvement in your scores, though, that would be a pretty big red flag. There's a girl posting here currently that took the MCAT 3-4 times and got accepted this cycle. It can be done, but you shouldn't retake the MCAT unless you have absolutely no chance of getting accepted with your current score.

This! I'm keeping my mcat score even though my verbal isn't where I thought I was going to score. Everyone I have asked has told me to not retake because it's worth the risk of scoring lower than my first time.

 

[noshie]

I took the MCAT 5 times... And I still got many interviews and have one acceptance so far. It doesn’t matter how many times you take it... You need to get better each time, and in the end, you need to show significant improvement. My scores were crap the first four times I took it, but I don’t think it has really hurt me that much. In fact, I think it has helped me more than hurt me. Now I can tell my interviewers that I am dedicated and persistent. Who would put themselves through taking the MCAT 5 times if they didn’t want to become a physician more than anything? I am not going to let a test tell me when to give up…

 

[Pons Asinorum]

is it really a application tanker, like can they reject you on the fact that you took the test three times? say your gpa and everything else is good.

I'll just give my canned answer...how many times do MD programs want their students to take USMLE Step 1? Being able to perform your best without taking a mulligan has a certain attraction to programs that are dependent on you to do well on Step 1. Not an application tanker, and the effect that is has is program-specific I'm sure, but the better bet would be taking it once and getting a score that makes you competitive for the schools to which you want to apply.

 

[BerkReviewTeach]

I'll just give my canned answer...how many times do MD programs want their students to take USMLE Step 1? Being able to perform your best without taking a mulligan has a certain attraction to programs that are dependent on you to do well on Step 1. Not an application tanker, and the effect that is has is program-specific I'm sure, but the better bet would be taking it once and getting a score that makes you competitive for the schools to which you want to apply.

100% second this post, escpecially the golf reference as doctors must also be golfers. [P.S. I friggen love your posts Pons]

If for some reason you need to take the exam a second time, you better improve by at least three points.

Noshie's example is impressive and inspiring, but it is a unique case where her/his refusal to give up no doubt moved many adcom people so much that they overlooked the first four MCAT scores. I tend to think that her/his positive energy and passion earned that acceptance as much as any other factor.

 

[lovedocta07]

yea first time i got a 22, second time i got a 28 but unbalanced 11 6 11..i know i wont get interviews with a 6...so i guess i have no choice but to take it a third time...but do i stil have a chance at MD schools? i have a high gpa a decent extra curriculars.

 

[Pons Asinorum]

yea first time i got a 22, second time i got a 28 but unbalanced 11 6 11..i know i wont get interviews with a 6...so i guess i have no choice but to take it a third time...but do i stil have a chance at MD schools? i have a high gpa a decent extra curriculars.

Stop staring at your navel, go pick up your EK Verbal 101 and get your VR score to an 8. If someone on here says no, will you just fold up and not apply to MD programs? Just do your best and apply widely. You've almost got all the pieces put together, you know that if you get your verbal up while holding ground on PS and BS you'll be solid. Just make that happen.

 

[thelaw986]

u should really be taking the mcat once.

 

[lovedocta07]

Stop staring at your navel, go pick up your EK Verbal 101 and get your VR score to an 8. If someone on here says no, will you just fold up and not apply to MD programs? Just do your best and apply widely. You've almost got all the pieces put together, you know that if you get your verbal up while holding ground on PS and BS you'll be solid. Just make that happen.

Thanks Pons, i really needed this, im taking my SDN hiatus starting now for 3 months. Hearing people say "you should only take it once" doesnt help my confidence much. hopefully i will be ready by january and i can see where my verbals at with the new AAMC 11 coming out in december.

peace

 

[CodeBlu]

u should really be taking the mcat once.

I know FAR too many people that have taken the MCAT twice even three times. They are successful, and in medical school now. What's your point the law? Have you even written the test? I got money on you being in high school.

And if you're asking yourself, have YOU even written the test CodeBlu... actually yeah I have, got a 30, with a ****ty PS score. So I'm rewriting, does that make me stupid or something? Go back to playing Magic the Gathering or whatever it is that you do.

 

[NeuroJ]

Depends on the school:

One of my friends did his MPH at the school he hopes to go to. He became friendly with the SOM's dean. The dean told him to break a total score of 25, and he'd be accepted based on his two masters, ECs, volunteering, life experiences, etc...etc..

Needless to say, the highest score my friend has gotten is a 24. He'll be taking the MCAT again for the 5th time, which the dean said was ok.

However, I'm pretty sure this is the exception, rather than the rule.

Good luck

 

[thelaw986]

I know FAR too many people that have taken the MCAT twice even three times. They are successful, and in medical school now. What's your point the law? Have you even written the test? I got money on you being in high school.

And if you're asking yourself, have YOU even written the test CodeBlu... actually yeah I have, got a 30, with a ****ty PS score. So I'm rewriting, does that make me stupid or something? Go back to playing Magic the Gathering or whatever it is that you do.

haha no I'm not in HS. I'm a senior at a UC right now. I got a respectable 33 on my first mcat. My point was very simple, don't take it unless you're ready. There's no need to get mad.

 

[Pons Asinorum]

I know FAR too many people that have taken the MCAT twice even three times. They are successful, and in medical school now. What's your point the law? Have you even written the test? I got money on you being in high school.

And if you're asking yourself, have YOU even written the test CodeBlu... actually yeah I have, got a 30, with a ****ty PS score. So I'm rewriting, does that make me stupid or something? Go back to playing Magic the Gathering or whatever it is that you do.

Few posts; location = Paris, France; stongly-worded challenge to another poster...

...Thou art Troll!

P.S. thelaw986's point was obviously valid (and non-confrontational), your anecdotes are worthless, and a 30 doesn't make you stupid. It just makes you a mediocre MCAT-taker. Best of luck with that acid-base chemistry and projectile motion, chief.

 

[Avoidthetiger]

>.>
<.<

I've never posted on this forum but was bored this morning... and as someone who has 3 MCAT scores, here I am.

I have not once been asked about why I have taken the MCAT 3xs (and if they do mention my MCAT score, it's only that I "killed it..." (even though my final score isn't amazing))

The first two times I took the MCAT, it was within a span of three weeks from each other... so needless to say, i didn't even know my first score when I retook it. Family pressured forced me to withtake it (due to two events that happened on the day I took my first MCAT exam)... and since I took my first MCAT exam in mid-August, I took the last one possible in Sept.

unfortunately, i did better on the first test... so my second score is my lowest of the 3... and my tough area (Physical sciences) remained a 7. Neither test broke 30 (but close! stupid 7)

So I retook it the next summer... raised the PS 7 to a 11... and stayed about the same in the other two sections... and ta da. 10 interviews, 5 of them established MD programs (3 of which have accepted me)... and no questions asked about my MCAT.

It can be done. And you don't even need to improve your score each time.

 

[jadealer]

I took the MCAT twice and didn't break a 30 either time and still managed to get two acceptances.

First time, 2006, 24P (B8, P7, V9). My best friend passed away a few weeks prior to the exam and I really shouldn't have even taken it. I didn't even study the last month at all.

Second time, 2009, 29P (B11, V10, P8). Damn physics killed me again. But its okay! I got 2 MD acceptances and I had 5 MD interviews (4 which I attended and 1 which I withdrew from). Oh AND I am a reapp from last year.. I had 3 interviews which all resulted in WLs. I applied super late (nov/dec). So it can be done! My GPA was 3.8/3.73. Non URM, but non-trad. Don't give up hope if you have to take it more than once!

 

[LeoGer]

how many times do MD programs want their students to take USMLE Step 1?

my favorite

 

[DaTruMD]

Thanks Pons, i really needed this, im taking my SDN hiatus starting now for 3 months. Hearing people say "you should only take it once" doesnt help my confidence much. hopefully i will be ready by january and i can see where my verbals at with the new AAMC 11 coming out in december.

peace

I'm on the same boat as you, bro. My verbal sucks and I have to retake it as well. Good luck.

 

[Girl000]

I've taken the MCAT 4 times ... and honestly, my highest score was a 27. My first 2 scores are the same, and my second 2 are the same. This is my third time applying ... 4 interviews to MD programs and 1 acceptance (on 11/2, to MD program). Don't give up! I never thought it would happen to me ... but here I am (oddly enough!).

 

[Perimeter]

If you can't score mid 30s - low 40s in a retake I don't know... if you can't become a doctor before you're 30 years old I don't know.
These threads make me depressed.

 

[ready2rumble10]

If you can't score mid 30s - low 40s in a retake I don't know... if you can't become a doctor before you're 30 years old I don't know.
These threads make me depressed.

That usually happens when people with good intentions allow anonymous 21-year-olds to psych them out (and no, not all young posters are trolls). While there are some good posters on these boards, there are a great deal of jerks who want nothing more than to stir the pot. Just tune them out and go to work on this MCAT prep.

 

[cherylfoster]

You will not be rejected based solely on the number of times you have taken the Medical College Admission Test. If no significant improvement in your score, but this will be a considerable red flag. There was a girl present MCAT posted here, they will receive 3-4 times, got this cycle. It can be done, but you should not participate in MCAT again, unless you absolutely have not been accepted


translation agency

 

[deleted261193]

i'm bringing this thread back from the dungeons...

i'm considering taking the mcat for the 3rd time. my first two scores were good (low 30s) but this cycle i haven't been doing so well and i'm wondering if the mcat might be one of the reasons why. is it frowned upon to take it for a 3rd time, esp. considering i already have "decent" scores? opinions?

 

[liveoak]

i'm bringing this thread back from the dungeons...

i'm considering taking the mcat for the 3rd time. my first two scores were good (low 30s) but this cycle i haven't been doing so well and i'm wondering if the mcat might be one of the reasons why. is it frowned upon to take it for a 3rd time, esp. considering i already have "decent" scores? opinions?

low 30's means your MCAT isn't the issue. Did you go up from your 1st -> 2nd attempt?

 

[theseeker4]

low 30's means your MCAT isn't the issue. Did you go up from your 1st -> 2nd attempt?

UNLESS you are severely unbalanced. What are the individual section scores of your low 30's score?

 

[deleted261193]

first time was 32S (P: 9, V: 12, B: 11), second time was 33S (P: 11, V: 9, B: 13)

i flopped on the VR =\ which sucks. if i could take the highest in each category, that'd be awesome, haha. but unfortunately most schools don't do this.

 

[SN2ed]

There was no reason to retake the first time, let alone for a second. Also, unless you retook solely due to an expired score, your retake could have hurt your chances. Medical schools want to see a significant improvement whenever anyone retakes. This is especially the case when there was nothing wrong with the score in the first place.

Anyway, focus on the other aspects of your application. They're holding you back, not your MCAT.

 

[Sakura17]

I've taken the MCAT 4 times ... and honestly, my highest score was a 27. My first 2 scores are the same, and my second 2 are the same. This is my third time applying ... 4 interviews to MD programs and 1 acceptance (on 11/2, to MD program). Don't give up! I never thought it would happen to me ... but here I am (oddly enough!).

Nice, there is hope! lol. Where did you apply, got interviews, and got accepted? My highest is 27 on the 3rd time but the first 2 scores are not expired (not sure if that would really help me, lol). But, I have like 6 years of research, MPH, clinical volunteer/research/shadowing, 1 publication, & conferences. My application isn't early & is in the middle of pack (still working on them) And average gpa of 3.7cum & 3.5sci with a 4.0MPH. Super worry about this cycle but applying broadly and hopefully for the best, lol. Just was wondering what you did. I guess this is a super long post, haha. Any advice would be great.

 

[Temperature101]

After three times...It's time to look into Podiatry or Pharmacy IMO.

 

[DocOpotamus]

After three times...It's time to look into Podiatry or Pharmacy IMO.

Not true at all. I took the MCAT three times and now have 5 MD interviews lined up and it's only August. I thought the 3 scores would severely diminish my chances of attending an allopathic med school, but it looks like I may have thought wrong

 

[osprey099]

Not true at all. I took the MCAT three times and now have 5 MD interviews lined up and it's only August. I thought the 3 scores would severely diminish my chances of attending an allopathic med school, but it looks like I may have thought wrong

This.

 

[Gauss44]

is it really a application tanker, like can they reject you on the fact that you took the test three times? say your gpa and everything else is good.

I really hope that Adcoms would be wiser than that. Simply taking MCAT 3 times says nothing at all about a person. Any assumptions based solely on that would be ridiculous and based on faulty logic.

There are plenty of good reasons to retake the MCAT. Some examples:

1. You know you can do better and want to prove it.
2. The first time you took the MCAT, you were not able to fully prepare for any of the good reasons below... and then later, your circumstances changed.

(I know people who have had all of the following problems preparing for the MCAT.)

-Due to financial obligations, you only had one month to study for the MCAT. Even though you were NOT ready, you reasonably thought that this was the best chance you'd ever get, so you took it anyway (not fully prepared). Example, having to return to 60+ hour work weeks.

-You barely got disability accommodations approved after paying an attorney, a neuropsychologist, etc. and you took the MCAT just before the accommodations were set to expire, despite not being fully prepared. You could not have taken the test without accommodations and you cannot afford to reapply for accommodations, so this reasonably seemed to be your best chance.

etc.

 

[Shjanzey]

I took the MCAT 5 times... And I still got many interviews and have one acceptance so far. It doesn’t matter how many times you take it... You need to get better each time, and in the end, you need to show significant improvement. My scores were crap the first four times I took it, but I don’t think it has really hurt me that much. In fact, I think it has helped me more than hurt me. Now I can tell my interviewers that I am dedicated and persistent. Who would put themselves through taking the MCAT 5 times if they didn’t want to become a physician more than anything? I am not going to let a test tell me when to give up…

Just read this. BTW you are my hero. Great job on not giving up!

 

[jesteler]

I took the MCAT 5 times... And I still got many interviews and have one acceptance so far. It doesn’t matter how many times you take it... You need to get better each time, and in the end, you need to show significant improvement. My scores were crap the first four times I took it, but I don’t think it has really hurt me that much. In fact, I think it has helped me more than hurt me. Now I can tell my interviewers that I am dedicated and persistent. Who would put themselves through taking the MCAT 5 times if they didn’t want to become a physician more than anything? I am not going to let a test tell me when to give up…

You

I took the MCAT 5 times... And I still got many interviews and have one acceptance so far. It doesn’t matter how many times you take it... You need to get better each time, and in the end, you need to show significant improvement. My scores were crap the first four times I took it, but I don’t think it has really hurt me that much. In fact, I think it has helped me more than hurt me. Now I can tell my interviewers that I am dedicated and persistent. Who would put themselves through taking the MCAT 5 times if they didn’t want to become a physician more than anything? I am not going to let a test tell me when to give up…[/QUOT


I love this comment! Seriously made my day. You are my hero!!!

 

[Blanky]

You should/ could be rejected purely based off BAD JUDGEMENT! Take diagnostic and practice exams and have some idea the score you are going to earn before you go in and take the exam.

 

[T-Lymphocyte]

You should/ could be rejected purely based off BAD JUDGEMENT! Take diagnostic and practice exams and have some idea the score you are going to earn before you go in and take the exam.

"Should", wow.

 

[Matthew9Thirtyfive]

Thread was last active five years ago, and the OP hasn’t been active since 2012. Closing.