low mcat. postbac or retake?

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souvenir94

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Hello, I am 21 and i graduated in may with a Bachelors in biochemistry ( i was taking summer classes up until august). my gpa was 3.56 and i took the mcat for the first time in november 2014, got 18 :( , i took it again in august and got 491 which is still horrible. However i had already sent my applications for a couple of DO schools.
Now, i have been looking at threads here for a couple of weeks and realised my mcat score probably won't get me anywhere. (i have not yet been verified on aacomas). I went back to my parent's house since i couldnt pay rent, now i am looking for a job at several laboratories. I am confused as to what to do next, i anticipated a year off but now it's looking more like two.
Should i retake my mcat next year and apply again next cycle? Apply for SMP or postbacc? Or maybe take further biology classes at a Community college?
I was thinking of taking mcat classes to help me study better. if i were to take my mcat and receive scores before march next year, could i still send an updated mcat score ( i already sent out the 491 i got )to DO programs or will that be too late?

I really do not know what to do at this point and i feel like nothing is working the way i planned it. I just need a plan that i can dedicate myself to but so far i'm overwhelmed with different ideas and do not know what is the best way for my situation.

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You need to figure out why are you scoring so low on the MCAT, improve it, then retake the MCAT when you feel fully ready.
 
Your 3.56 GPA, assuming your science GPA is close, won't keep you out of any schools. You aren't the person that would benefit from an SMP or spending time retaking classes. MCAT prep should be the only thing on your mind. Keep in mind that you have 2 very low scores (about 15th and 22nd percentiles on the two tests) so you absolutely do not want to take this next one until you are crushing practice tests.
 
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So definitely not waste time in post grad programs?
if my new score comes out by end of february, could i still send applications for this cycle to schools i havent applied to before? In the mean time what would you suggest i do in terms of keeping in touch with my goal (like not do something completely opposite from medecine)?
Thank you for replies
 
Youre 21, chill.

You have a good GPA.

Focus on fixing your deficits on the MCAT. Retake. In the meantime, boost your ECs and get some shadowing experience.
 
So definitely not waste time in post grad programs?
No post-bac. Your deficit is in the MCAT not GPA.
if my new score comes out by end of february, could i still send applications for this cycle to schools i havent applied to before? In the mean time what would you suggest i do in terms of keeping in touch with my goal (like not do something completely opposite from medecine)?
Feb is too late. You might as well save your money and apply to the next cycle. Fix your MCAT first. Shadow some DOs if you haven't and use that time off wisely to upgrade your EC.
 
Don't waste that 3.5 by applying this cycle. Try again and get that MCAT score above 501. Apply early and broadly next cycle and you will do much better.
 
Your GPA isn't the problem; the MCAT is the problem. Even a 4.0 from Rice or Wash U couldn't make you a viable candidate when your score is so low it puts you int he category of "high risk for failing our of med school and/or failing Boards."

So what you need to do is identify why you are doing so poorly. Test taking anxiety? Poor preparation? taking the the test while some life event puts you off your A-game? ESL?

Get your life back into gear. Gte the job and start saving money. Pay your parents room and board, otherwise they're merely prolonging your childhood.

Then fix the problem. Take an MCAT prep course. or go back to school while taking a few classes, seek out the learning or education center to fix the test problem. And always have a Plan B.



Hello, I am 21 and i graduated in may with a Bachelors in biochemistry ( i was taking summer classes up until august). my gpa was 3.56 and i took the mcat for the first time in november 2014, got 18 :( , i took it again in august and got 491 which is still horrible. However i had already sent my applications for a couple of DO schools.
Now, i have been looking at threads here for a couple of weeks and realised my mcat score probably won't get me anywhere. (i have not yet been verified on aacomas). I went back to my parent's house since i couldnt pay rent, now i am looking for a job at several laboratories. I am confused as to what to do next, i anticipated a year off but now it's looking more like two.
Should i retake my mcat next year and apply again next cycle? Apply for SMP or postbacc? Or maybe take further biology classes at a Community college?
I was thinking of taking mcat classes to help me study better. if i were to take my mcat and receive scores before march next year, could i still send an updated mcat score ( i already sent out the 491 i got )to DO programs or will that be too late?

I really do not know what to do at this point and i feel like nothing is working the way i planned it. I just need a plan that i can dedicate myself to but so far i'm overwhelmed with different ideas and do not know what is the best way for my situation.
 
Your GPA isn't the problem; the MCAT is the problem. Even a 4.0 from Rice or Wash U couldn't make you a viable candidate when your score is so low it puts you int he category of "high risk for failing our of med school and/or failing Boards."

So what you need to do is identify why you are doing so poorly. Test taking anxiety? Poor preparation? taking the the test while some life event puts you off your A-game? ESL?

Get your life back into gear. Gte the job and start saving money. Pay your parents room and board, otherwise they're merely prolonging your childhood.

Then fix the problem. Take an MCAT prep course. or go back to school while taking a few classes, seek out the learning or education center to fix the test problem. And always have a Plan B.

thank you for your response. i am taking psychology online, and i planned on doing a phlebotomy certification. My very last resort would be chemical engineering.
 
thank you for your response. i am taking psychology online, and i planned on doing a phlebotomy certification. My very last resort would be chemical engineering.

Take a MCAT prep course or do some major MCAT studying. If you do well on MCAT, then you will be able to get into DO schools. I would withdraw my apps from AACOMAS right away before they are transmitted to medical schools. Last thing you want is to be a reapplicant.

I never took the new MCAT, but I'm sure you can find good resources on SDN on how to study for the new one. As for the old one, I just used ExamKrackers and it worked relatively well.
 
Take a MCAT prep course or do some major MCAT studying. If you do well on MCAT, then you will be able to get into DO schools. I would withdraw my apps from AACOMAS right away before they are transmitted to medical schools. Last thing you want is to be a reapplicant.

I never took the new MCAT, but I'm sure you can find good resources on SDN on how to study for the new one. As for the old one, I just used ExamKrackers and it worked relatively well.
wow i never thought about the reapplicant consequences. Is it really bad if i dont get accepted this cycle and reapply? because i just wanted to wait and see what happens without any hopes either
 
wow i never thought about the reapplicant consequences. Is it really bad if i dont get accepted this cycle and reapply? because i just wanted to wait and see what happens without any hopes either

Being a reapplicant will put you at a disadvantage, as some schools will ask about it in their secondaries. If you already have essays written now, you won't have to rewrite a whole new different essay when you become a reapplicant.

Also, schools sometimes expect a vast improvement in the application for re-applicants. You also waste more money in applying and paying those secondaries. I would say to withdraw your application before it gets transmitted to schools, if you feel like there is absolutely no hope due to your MCAT score.

Plus, your primary application is considered "regular" instead of early during this time. If you want to maximize your chances for next year, I would suggest applying as soon as the application is released. The ideal situation is you just apply one cycle and get accepted.

I would NOT retake the MCAT until you are confident enough to get your best score. Taking it too many times can be a red flag for medical schools.
 
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