Hypothetical Question

[SerUnMedico]

I am a Molecular Bio /premed student, now preparing to apply to med school. While I have always done well in school, my greatest weakness has always been standardized testing — I dont’t know what it is, maybe I get so nervous and worked up or whatever. My sGPA 3.89, cGPA 3.86. I am doing my best to study for the MCAT but quite frankly, I’m terrified. So, here’s my hypothetical question…
(1) If say, the highest I get on the MCAT is low 500s, should I take a gap year or do Post Bacc? I read that Post Bacc is mostly for those who don’t have a strong GPA…? I also would like to avoid the cost of Post Bacc program! If I were to take a gap year, while obviously studying immensely for the MCAT, what type of work should I look for? Is being a scribe a good background/experience?
(2) If, worse case scenario, I don’t score more than 505, should I start looking at foreign med schools? I mean, I don’t know if I want to go to a foreign MD school or should I take a gap year or Post Bacc and reapply? How do foreign med schools do in terms of matching (Internal Medicine)?
(3) How crucial is having done undergraduate research? Try as I might, I just haven’t been able to land any research positions (I’ve applied to several, including volunteer positions).
Also, I don’t know if it still matters but I am an URM, California.
Would greatly appreciate your input!!!

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[medapp22]

Firstly, what year are you in school and when do you plan to take the MCAT/apply? I would not go into it thinking you will score that low especially with your current GPA in molecular biology. As someone who also thinks standardized tests do not show my potential very well, my biggest advice is to start studying early and do as many practice exams as you can. When you do a practice exam, try and mimic the testing environment as much as you can (take only the allowed breaks, do not eat/drink while in a section, no headphones, etc). Also spread them out and do not "waste" them too early. This will make test day feel somewhat familiar and make you feel more confident. The MCAT is a long exam, it is a marathon not a sprint.

1. With that GPA, I do not think a post bacc would really boost your application that much and could potentially hurt you if you do worse than you have in undergrad. You did not mention any of your extracurriculars, but I would focus on health-related volunteering and employment (ie. MA, Scribe, EMT, etc) to gain clinical experience. This will show that you have done your due diligence that medicine is a career you are prepared to go into and understand what is involved. It will also give you experiences you can discuss in your application and during interviews. When it comes to being a scribe, this can give you valuable experiences especially if you spin it the right way, but it is best if you have a role with direct patient care/contact. It can sometimes be hard to get a MA job without experience/certification, but a lot of the times, a practice will "promote" scribes to MAs as the need arises (this happened for me and my fiancé). During a gap year, you should continue/start being involved in your local community as much as time allows, this does not have to be directly related to healthcare but that is a plus if you can (food bank, elderly home help, hospital volunteer, etc).

2. You can look at foreign MD schools if you want, but is there a reason you did not mention applying to any DO schools? I would personally prefer to be at a DO school in the states than have to go international, but this is my personal preference.

3. In general research is a good thing to have, but might not be 100% necessary depending on the schools/programs you are looking at. For top programs, research is almost required, but look into schools' mission statements and see what kind of applicant they are looking for. You would be a great fit at some schools without any research if you show a lot of commitment to the community.

 

[Goro]

Seek out your school's learning or education center for advice on doing well on standardized tests

 

[gyngyn]

1. Your grades are the strength of your application so far. You don't need a post bac. You need a single strong MCAT. Do not plan on more than a single MCAT sitting. Do not waste the the AAMC FL's! You will need them to determine your readiness for the real thing.

2. If you get a 505, you will have a good chance at MD interviews (if it is your only score!) and an even better chance at DO schools. You will get several interviews if you have a demonstrated commitment to your community. Do not even think about the Caribbean!

3. Research is optional as long as everything else is good.

 

[everythingisonfire]

I also sucked at standardized testing, but managed to do very well on the exam. The answer is simple - take as many practice tests under test-like situations as possible. I recommend buying a package of tests and just working through each and every one of them.

 

[LindaAccepted]

I am a Molecular Bio /premed student, now preparing to apply to med school. While I have always done well in school, my greatest weakness has always been standardized testing — I dont’t know what it is, maybe I get so nervous and worked up or whatever. My sGPA 3.89, cGPA 3.86. I am doing my best to study for the MCAT but quite frankly, I’m terrified. So, here’s my hypothetical question…
(1) If say, the highest I get on the MCAT is low 500s, should I take a gap year or do Post Bacc? I read that Post Bacc is mostly for those who don’t have a strong GPA…? I also would like to avoid the cost of Post Bacc program! If I were to take a gap year, while obviously studying immensely for the MCAT, what type of work should I look for? Is being a scribe a good background/experience?
(2) If, worse case scenario, I don’t score more than 505, should I start looking at foreign med schools? I mean, I don’t know if I want to go to a foreign MD school or should I take a gap year or Post Bacc and reapply? How do foreign med schools do in terms of matching (Internal Medicine)?
(3) How crucial is having done undergraduate research? Try as I might, I just haven’t been able to land any research positions (I’ve applied to several, including volunteer positions).
Also, I don’t know if it still matters but I am an URM, California.
Would greatly appreciate your input!!!

You've received some excellent suggestion here. I do want to mention that there is a test prep service called City Test Prep that specializes in people suffering from Test Anxiety.

FYI, I have no ownership interest in it or referral arrangement with it. Clients who suffer from text anxiety have used it and said it helped them.

 

[Mr.Smile12]

Welcome to the forums.

1) As you see, most of us can point out the main issue seems to be your test anxiety, with many good resources to help you.
2) As a URM, have you connected with any mentoring organizations? If you are Latinx, have you connected with the MiMentor team (consisting of med school admins and students with common involvement in LMSA)? If you are Black, have you connected with any organizations dedicated to helping aspiring Black medical students, especially Black men? You should connect with SNMA regardless as they may have other options to get low-cost MCAT prep.
3) From your description, your GPA is high enough that I don't think you "need" a formal postbac. Maybe take any remaining recommended premed courses, but you clearly can do well as a student in a class; it's the test prep that is your mental hurdle.
4) Have you done visits to schools? Have you talked to DO programs? If you got a 505, you would be in a good position for DO programs at least, and if you came from a challenging childhood, you could be viable for Charles Drew UCLA. UC schools have a strong preference for candidates with low SES, especially if they grew up near their medical school campuses.

 

[gyngyn]

you could be viable for Charles Drew UCLA.

CR Drew is no longer part of UCLA. They are a freestanding school.

 

[SerUnMedico]

So grateful for the wealth of information I’ve received. Thank you!!!