Low MCAT 2015 score, chances?

[DrHalsey]

Got a 15 on the old MCAT (was not properly prepared) and 490 on the 2015 MCAT (studied for months for this one). Took it this past May.

550+ hours of volunteer experience at a surgical ward.

I have letters from the chairman of the science department at my school and the charge nurse from the hospital I volunteer at. I will get one from an attending soon, just have to figure out which. I might also get a letter form a former CDC state director.

3.5 overall GPA and it will rise further by the time I graduate this fall or spring with my BAS.

A few MCAT groups told me it was a done deal and it was time to find a new career. How much of this is true? I am aware of LEECOM but the word is that their tuition is low so they get loads of applicants, many of which will have higher MCAT scores and 4.0 GPAs.

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[lnguyen1412]

Got a 15 on the old MCAT (was not properly prepared) and 490 on the 2015 MCAT (studied for months for this one). Took it this past May.

550+ hours of volunteer experience at a surgical ward.

I have letters from the chairman of the science department at my school and the charge nurse from the hospital I volunteer at. I will get one from an attending soon, just have to figure out which. I might also get a letter form a former CDC state director.

3.5 overall GPA and it will rise further by the time I graduate this fall or spring with my BAS.

A few MCAT groups told me it was a done deal and it was time to find a new career. How much of this is true? I am aware of LEECOM but the word is that their tuition is low so they get loads of applicants, many of which will have higher MCAT scores and 4.0 GPAs.

You can do a retake and apply by October. Otherwise, consider podiatry application open by august.

 

[sharpstickie]

You can do a retake and apply by October. Otherwise, consider podiatry application open by august.

Or..... he could wait another year before applying again. I'd say don't take it again until you are ready.

 

[DrMikeP]

A 490 is close to the lowest you can score just by showing up and randomly clicking buttons!!!! Admitting you would not only be a risk to the school but there is a significant chance you wouldn't even pass boards. You scored that after studying, which is a huge red flag!

Figure out what you did wrong and fix it! That may mean taking classes, learning to read English, seeing a psychologist for anxiety or whatever. Do not take it again until fixing the problem and don't waste your money trying to apply this cycle with that score.

 

[desiredmembername123]

Got a 15 on the old MCAT (was not properly prepared) and 490 on the 2015 MCAT (studied for months for this one). Took it this past May.

550+ hours of volunteer experience at a surgical ward.

I have letters from the chairman of the science department at my school and the charge nurse from the hospital I volunteer at. I will get one from an attending soon, just have to figure out which. I might also get a letter form a former CDC state director.

3.5 overall GPA and it will rise further by the time I graduate this fall or spring with my BAS.

A few MCAT groups told me it was a done deal and it was time to find a new career. How much of this is true? I am aware of LEECOM but the word is that their tuition is low so they get loads of applicants, many of which will have higher MCAT scores and 4.0 GPAs.

Maybe if you spent years on upper level science courses with nothing but A's and then scored a 512+... a 15 and then a 490 is toxic.

 

[779663]

If you're self studying for the exam, have you considered trying out a prep course?

 

[DrHalsey]

Alright, I pressing family problems so I cannot afford to wait a year. I will take the GRE and apply to PA school. From the practice questions, the GRE is more about applying general knowledge so I should score well on that.

 

[desiredmembername123]

If you're self studying for the exam, have you considered trying out a prep course?

I'm not sure if it is worth spending so much money after having both of these tests on record... I mean OP will have to literally reinvent himself, even a solid MCAT score won't cover up a 20th percentile exam as well as a an 8th (!) percentile score before that. I may be wrong and a very good MCAT score might be able to reassure an adcom... idk

 

[DrMikeP]

Alright, I pressing family problems so I cannot afford to wait a year. I will take the GRE and apply to PA school. From the practice questions, the GRE is more about applying general knowledge so I should score well on that.

Sounds like a great plan and infinitely easier. I wish you all the best.

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[DrHalsey]

If you're self studying for the exam, have you considered trying out a prep course?

I can't afford it and I have no mode of transportation at the moment, spending 3k on a prep course at this point would be wasting money that I do not have. I will change course as recommended.

 

[Goro]

I can't sugar coat this: These scores are lethal for ANY medical school. Are you ESL? Have test taking anxiety issues? If the latter, those are fixable.

Your scores are indicative of a high risk for failing out of med school.

I strongly recommend a different career.

Got a 15 on the old MCAT (was not properly prepared) and 490 on the 2015 MCAT (studied for months for this one). Took it this past May.

550+ hours of volunteer experience at a surgical ward.

I have letters from the chairman of the science department at my school and the charge nurse from the hospital I volunteer at. I will get one from an attending soon, just have to figure out which. I might also get a letter form a former CDC state director.

3.5 overall GPA and it will rise further by the time I graduate this fall or spring with my BAS.

A few MCAT groups told me it was a done deal and it was time to find a new career. How much of this is true? I am aware of LEECOM but the word is that their tuition is low so they get loads of applicants, many of which will have higher MCAT scores and 4.0 GPAs.

 

[desiredmembername123]

These scores are lethal for ANY medical school.

How would it look if someone had these scores and then scored 515+? Would it be possible to get into a low tier medical school? Just curious about how old poor mcats are affected by new good ones.

 

[mathnerd88]

How would it look if someone had these scores and then scored 515+? Would it be possible to get into a low tier medical school? Just curious about how old poor mcats are affected by new good ones.

It would negate the poor scores if you also have other good EC's and GPA. Again, you want to portray that you are a much better student and test taker now than you were years ago.

But going from a 15 to 515+ would be a heck of a reinvention story to tell.

 

[sharpstickie]

It would negate the poor scores if you also have other good EC's and GPA. Again, you want to portray that you are a much better student and test taker now than you were years ago.

But going from a 15 to 515+ would be a heck of a reinvention story to tell.

I can't remember who posted it, but there's a chart put out by the AAMC that shows the scores change for test retakes. It's a great source for people thinking they're going to jump 25 points on the MCAT.

 

[DrMikeP]

How would it look if someone had these scores and then scored 515+? Would it be possible to get into a low tier medical school? Just curious about how old poor mcats are affected by new good ones.

Some schools average them and some take the latest. For those who average the scores it would be a nonstarter.

It would definitely be noticed and almost certainly questioned. Depending on the answer/how the 515 was achieved it may or may not be possible to get into MD. A DO school might be more forgiving, depending on the answer and what changed. What if's are always hard to answer without all of the data.

 

[DrHalsey]

I can't sugar coat this: These scores are lethal for ANY medical school. Are you ESL? Have test taking anxiety issues? If the latter, those are fixable.

Your scores are indicative of a high risk for failing out of med school.

I strongly recommend a different career.

Not sure what ESL is. I have some minor anxiety but nothing major. Someone else said that I could go in and Christmas tree the questions and come out with a comparable score, I am not sure if that was an exaggeration or not but that bothers me because I did spend alot of time studying for the exam and was able to do decently on practice questions.

 

[DrHalsey]

I am preparing to apply to some PA programs, would I have difficulty in that as well? I did well in Biochemistry and other upper level science courses.

 

[Plastic156600sub3]

None of these people on here giving their two cents are going to get into school for you. 490 isn't unbelievable terrible like they say. It's not great, but it isn't awful either.

There is no "doomed to not get into med school ". The MCAT isn't the whole picture and most schools look at the whole picture, especially DO schools.

If they have a written cutoff for MCAT on their admissions page, don't bother applying. If they don't, by all means go ahead. If nothing else, you'll be testing the waters for next round. If you feel like you can improve your score, try to study and take another whack at it.

Contrary to what may seem to be a consensus, no, we can't tell you what your results will be for certain schools. No one is on every single admissions committee and no one is able to read your future. Don't worry and just work at it.

 

[Xanias]

If you have your mind set on being a doctor then I would retake. However, take a break for a month and get a fresh start.. Take an extra year off.. And get a schedule for 4 months to study for the MCAT. Here's the catch, you have to do as many practice tests as you can, whatever you were doing before was obviously not working.. Take a practice test every 2 weeks and as you get close to the test IF YOU DON'T CONSISTENTLY SCORE IN THE RANGE OF YOUR GOAL THEN DO NOT TAKE THE TEST. I REPEAT, DO NOT TAKE THE TEST UNLESS YOU CONSISTENTLY SCORE WELL ON THE PRACTICE TESTS. Apply to DO schools and some MD state schools that fit your criteria and apply to Caribbean as a back up. I'm more concerned with the fact that this is your third time taking the MCAT than any of your other stats, but if you set your mind to something you should be able to do it. Good luck.


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[779663]

I feel like this is bad advice for OP and is trying to be nice while leading him or her astray. I would not apply and hope for the best, it would be a waste of your money

 

[DrMikeP]

Not sure what ESL is. I have some minor anxiety but nothing major. Someone else said that I could go in and Christmas tree the questions and come out with a comparable score, I am not sure if that was an exaggeration or not but that bothers me because I did spend alot of time studying for the exam and was able to do decently on practice questions.

It was a bit of an exaggeration but not much. You get around a 475 (if I remember correctly) just for showing up and starting each section. Answering just a few questions right jumps your score quite a bit from the bottom. With basic elimination of obvious wrong answers you should be down to 3 possible answers for a majority of the questions. According to a person doing mcat prep at my university just randomly picking one of those three answers should statistically get you above a 480-90, which is way way below the 50th percentile.

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[Goro]

ESL = English as a Second Language.

Not sure what ESL is. I have some minor anxiety but nothing major. Someone else said that I could go in and Christmas tree the questions and come out with a comparable score, I am not sure if that was an exaggeration or not but that bothers me because I did spend alot of time studying for the exam and was able to do decently on practice questions.

Ahh, nothing like the smell of ignorance in the morning. OP's scores are so low they're off my scale...like down < the 18th %tile. You can score that by simply showing up and writing your name on the form. MD and DO schools have standards, and minimum scores. OP is in autoreject range, even for schools like LUCOM and CNU. We would be doing OP no favors by admitting his/her and having them fail out, which a low score is a major risk factor for.

"Testing the waters" is a display of poor choice making. This process requires people to know they're doing.

None of these people on here giving their two cents are going to get into school for you. 490 isn't unbelievable terrible like they say. It's not great, but it isn't awful either.

There is no "doomed to not get into med school ". The MCAT isn't the whole picture and most schools look at the whole picture, especially DO schools.

If they have a written cutoff for MCAT on their admissions page, don't bother applying. If they don't, by all means go ahead. If nothing else, you'll be testing the waters for next round. If you feel like you can improve your score, try to study and take another whack at it.

Contrary to what may seem to be a consensus, no, we can't tell you what your results will be for certain schools. No one is on every single admissions committee and no one is able to read your future. Don't worry and just work at it.

 

[ChelseaPsyche]

I just want to encourage you to not give up !!!

 

[lnguyen1412]

OP, we are not trying to be mean to you or anything. I understand your situation and I think everyone is trying to give you advice.

You can try and retake an MCAT the third time, if you don't do extremely well, then a career change is needed to be considered.

If you do well on third time MCAT (like extremely well, 10 pts range increase), then the dream can be done.

Medical schools do not go anywhere, take your time, take things slowly...eventually you will reach your dream.

 

[DrHalsey]

It's all right. I see no reason to attempt a third take. Adcoms tend to look down on third time MCAT scores in any case. I am definitely not going to the Caribbean because if anything happens and I either fail out or I am unable to match into a residency, I will be sitting unemployed with a huge pile of debt that will be accruing interest.

Ever since I shadowed an anesthesiologist I knew it was what I wanted to do. I have looked into the AA programs but the bullish nursing lobby is quickly making a mess of the physician anesthesiologist area and the treatment of AAs is (from what I have read) not all that great. It is with this knowledge that I have decided to go the PA route. PAs have taken a significant pay cute over the past year due to oversupply but with a 90k salary and some smart wealth management I should be able to do what I want. It won't even matter if WW3 starts with the way Europe is headed and the bullish EU. At least I will have a Bachelors degree and will be able to serve as a 2nd lieutenant rather than a lowly grunt. Maybe I will finally be able to fulfill my other childhood dream of becoming a fighter pilot...

 

[779663]

It's all right. I see no reason to attempt a third take. Adcoms tend to look down on third time MCAT scores in any case. I am definitely not going to the Caribbean because if anything happens and I either fail out or I am unable to match into a residency, I will be sitting unemployed with a huge pile of debt that will be accruing interest.

Ever since I shadowed an anesthesiologist I knew it was what I wanted to do. I have looked into the AA programs but the bullish nursing lobby is quickly making a mess of the physician anesthesiologist area and the treatment of AAs is (from what I have read) not all that great. It is with this knowledge that I have decided to go the PA route. PAs have taken a significant pay cute over the past year due to oversupply but with a 90k salary and some smart wealth management I should be able to do what I want. It won't even matter if WW3 starts with the way Europe is headed and the bullish EU. At least I will have a Bachelors degree and will be able to serve as a 2nd lieutenant rather than a lowly grunt. Maybe I will finally be able to fulfill my other childhood dream of becoming a fighter pilot...

What are you talking about?

 

[Johnwickk]

Don't give up. Change your study habits, understand the material, retake the exam. Your first MCAT score shouldn't determine whether or not you can become a doctor. My brother took the MCAT 3 times and he got in medicine this year. Don't lose hope and stay positive

 

[68PGunner]

It won't even matter if WW3 starts with the way Europe is headed and the bullish EU. At least I will have a Bachelors degree and will be able to serve as a 2nd lieutenant rather than a lowly grunt. Maybe I will finally be able to fulfill my other childhood dream of becoming a fighter pilot...

ROFL. What the hell are you talking about? If you want to talk about Brexit, the world markets have recovered. The EU won't exist in three or four years but that will create a better Europe in which the people are given back their sovereignty. In its current form, the EU is a fascist state that's commanded by Germany.

All three branches of service are always looking for people. You're welcome to sign on that indentured servant contract with your blood.

 

[Plastic156600sub3]

Ahh, nothing like the smell of ignorance in the morning.

"Testing the waters" is a display of poor choice making. This process requires people to know they're doing.

Nothing quite like the smell of arrogance and condescension in the morning. What a pompous attitude!

The person asked for advice. You gave yours. Last time I checked, I have an opinion, too. How about having a little humility and respect for the OP?

 

[MADD!!!]

even for schools like LUCOM and CNU

Loll @Goro, so is CNU in the same territory as LUCOM now?

I know they don't have a good rep, but still an MD school in Cali.

 

[MADD!!!]

Also to the OP, from the way I am reading your comments it seems as though you have the desire to become a physician, but don't understand what the process really has in store for you. It's going to require extraneous hours of studying for years, sleepless nights, massive loads of debt, pushing your body past what you believe is its natural limits, and you won't be making a penny until a minimum of 7 years later (excluding residency salary, but that's basically slavery anyway).

I believe your choice for becoming a PA is a smarter route, as you seem to want to make money sooner as well as have a sense of job security. Just know that for whichever path you decide, continue to shadow people in those fields (and multiple times, not just once) and really get a feel for what it's like. Either you will grow to love it more, hopefully motivating you enough to push through the schooling. Or you won't care, causing you to switch careers once again.

Better to know now than later.

 

[mathnerd88]

Nothing quite like the smell of arrogance and condescension in the morning. What a pompous attitude!

The person asked for advice. You gave yours. Last time I checked, I have an opinion, too. How about having a little humility and respect for the OP?

He's saying it like it is. It would be cruel to give advice that was wrong and giving false hopes. Part of being mature is to be aware of your limits and abilities and recognizing the risk of going into med school with very poor MCAT scores. If the OP does do better on his MCAT, it shows perseverance and maturity as a student that is a must for med school. Right now, it isn't the case.

Med school isn't easy. Heck, there are times now that I'm starting to question my decision going to med school. The risk of burnout is extremely high. I've been studying nonstop and only get time off for lunch and dinner and maybe another 30 minutes of TV. It is the sheer amount of material you have to know in a short period of time that gets you. I've been sleeping around 6 hours a day. I'm just trying to paint a picture of what med school so far is like for me.

 

[y123]

I am preparing to apply to some PA programs, would I have difficulty in that as well? I did well in Biochemistry and other upper level science courses.

PA schools need GRE, which only has math and verbal. You should be fine.
Sounds like a solid plan! Good luck OP!

 

[DrHalsey]

PA schools need GRE, which only has math and verbal. You should be fine.
Sounds like a solid plan! Good luck OP!

That's my reasoning too. There is still a licensing exam at the end, it won't be as hard as the boards but I will take just as seriously.

 

[DrHalsey]

ROFL. What the hell are you talking about? If you want to talk about Brexit, the world markets have recovered. The EU won't exist in three or four years but that will create a better Europe in which the people are given back their sovereignty. In its current form, the EU is a fascist state that's commanded by Germany.

All three branches of service are always looking for people. You're welcome to sign on that indentured servant contract with your blood.

http://www.express.co.uk/news/politics/683739/EU-referendum-German-French-European-superstate-Brexit
That's what I meant. I don't want to derail the thread though. But then again I started that line by mentioning it.

 

[DrHalsey]

What are you talking about?

It was 1AM and I was tired.

I posted a link above to another poster explaining my line of thinking though.

 

[Goro]

OP came here for realistic advice, not hugs and kisses. The advice you gave him/her not not merely unrealistic, it was in the realm of fantasy. Uninformed opinions do not help, and actually hurt.

Nothing quite like the smell of arrogance and condescension in the morning. What a pompous attitude!

The person asked for advice. You gave yours. Last time I checked, I have an opinion, too. How about having a little humility and respect for the OP?

Yup, I rank CNU in the same toilet as LUCOM, but for different reasons. Ditto for Penn State and, hopefully temporarily, Touro-NY.

Loll @Goro, so is CNU in the same territory as LUCOM now?

I know they don't have a good rep, but still an MD school in Cali.

 

[DrHalsey]

He's saying it like it is. It would be cruel to give advice that was wrong and giving false hopes. Part of being mature is to be aware of your limits and abilities and recognizing the risk of going into med school with very poor MCAT scores. If the OP does do better on his MCAT, it shows perseverance and maturity as a student that is a must for med school. Right now, it isn't the case.

Med school isn't easy. Heck, there are times now that I'm starting to question my decision going to med school. The risk of burnout is extremely high. I've been studying nonstop and only get time off for lunch and dinner and maybe another 30 minutes of TV. It is the sheer amount of material you have to know in a short period of time that gets you. I've been sleeping around 6 hours a day. I'm just trying to paint a picture of what med school so far is like for me.

The sad part about this is I am fully aware of what Med school and residency will be like, It's just the MCAT kept me back. Now I realize that the majority of kids change their desired specialty but I was set on Anesthesia due to my shadowing. What interests me the most is the large difference in attitude on the attendings and private practice docs I have met VS the posters here. The other doctors would push me along touting the pay, it always comes down that, I suspect that the difficulty of their job + time removed from school has clouded their memory to the difficulty of the process.

 

[W19]

Can someone tell me what is 490 in the old scale?

I have a friend who is an MD (general practitioner) now and he could not crack 20 in the MCAT. You should give the MCAT another try IMO, but aim fro 24+ this time around.

 

[DrHalsey]

Can someone tell me what is 490 in the old scale?

I have a friend who is an MD (general practitioner) and he could not crack 20 in the MCAT. You should give the MCAT another try IMO, but aim fro 24+ this time around.

It averages out to around 18. But I was under the impression that 500 was a midpoint on the new MCAT, at least that is what the story was last year.

 

[W19]

It averages out to around 18. But I was under the impression that 500 was a midpoint on the new MCAT, at least that is what the story was last year.

There was no midpoint that I knew of when I took the MCAT... All I know is that people got into DO with 23-24 so If you can bring up your score to 24+, you will definitely have a chance (albeit in the low tier schools)... Worry about step 1 when it's time to take it. MCAT and step1 are different animals anyway. If you go DO, you will take COMLEX which is easier than USMLE.

Don't give up on dream yet... Good luck!

 

[desiredmembername123]

500 is the midpoint. Competitive MCAT scores for MD are at least 75th percentile.

 

[Wolfpack93]

OP came here for realistic advice, not hugs and kisses. The advice you gave him/her not not merely unrealistic, it was in the realm of fantasy. Uninformed opinions do not help, and actually hurt.





Yup, I rank CNU in the same toilet as LUCOM, but for different reasons. Ditto for Penn State and, hopefully temporarily, Touro-NY.

Why penn state?

 

[Goro]

Their parent organization protected a child molester for over 20 years.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Penn_State_child_sex_abuse_scandal

Why penn state?

 

[desiredmembername123]

Their parent organization protected a child molester for over 20 years.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Penn_State_child_sex_abuse_scandal

Didn't the entire leadership resign over that scandal?

 

[Wolfpack93]

Their parent organization protected a child molester for over 20 years.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Penn_State_child_sex_abuse_scandal

Oh right I remember that. Didn't know about that cover up though.

 

[ItsATrap!]

If you want to be a doctor, be a doctor. If you would be equally as happy going in another direction (PA,RN,etc.) then do that.

Taking a year off isn't the end of the world. I just took a year off and reapplied. I am a single parent. I was broke, but I found work as a receptionist at a hospital. I have made it work. Don't use excuses to sugarcoat the fact that you DO need to identify a problem area so that you can be successful in your feature endeavors.

The MCAT is a beast; I was vastly unprepared for it and I didn't have the money to retake it again (I took it twice), but I also scored quite a bit higher than you did and still struggled with having a narrow windows of schools that I could apply to with my scores.

TL;DR: Figure out if you really want to be a doctor. If it is your life mission, then be a doctor and figure it out. If you are happy to become a mid-level, then do that. There is no shame, as long as you are satisfied with your decision.

 

[AnatomyGrey12]

490 isn't unbelievable terrible like they say. It's not great, but it isn't awful either.

It is absolutely awful. A large majority of test takers could take the test cold and score about that or better. It makes the chances of acceptance so low that they round to about zero.

Last time I checked, I have an opinion, too

Yes you do, and you are entitled to it, the issue is that it is complete garbage. Being realistic will potentially save the OP lots of money, which is what we are doing. OP seems to understand his situation and has back up plans he created accordingly, I don't know why we must cheerlead him on into something he has rationally decided against.

 

[desiredmembername123]

.

 

[W19]

If you want to be a doctor, be a doctor. If you would be equally as happy going in another direction (PA,RN,etc.) then do that.

Taking a year off isn't the end of the world. I just took a year off and reapplied. I am a single parent. I was broke, but I found work as a receptionist at a hospital. I have made it work. Don't use excuses to sugarcoat the fact that you DO need to identify a problem area so that you can be successful in your feature endeavors.

The MCAT is a beast; I was vastly unprepared for it and I didn't have the money to retake it again (I took it twice), but I also scored quite a bit higher than you did and still struggled with having a narrow windows of schools that I could apply to with my scores.

TL;DR: Figure out if you really want to be a doctor. If it is your life mission, then be a doctor and figure it out. If you are happy to become a mid-level, then do that. There is no shame, as long as you are satisfied with your decision.

Great advice!

OP doesn't want what has happened to many (including myself) happens to him/her... I did nursing because it was shorter and you can make a decent living... Fast forward... I will be a MS3 in a month after spending 7 miserable years in nursing.