DO Low MCAT, what are my changes?

[Soviet Poland]

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So I graduated in May 2013 with a bachelor of science in Psychology and a minor in Physiology. I have a 3.5 GPA with a 3.2 sGPA (Upward trend senior year), and a 3.8 major GPA. My first MCAT I took during my senior year, but I had decided half way through studying that I wanted to postpone it into the summer and finish my semester strong. I was a day late on rescheduling and had no choice but to take it with the option of voiding if I did not feel comfortable. I ended up scoring it and got a 23 (9VR, 6PS, 8BS). I signed up for another test in 3 months. This time I had time after graduation to study. I put in for time off at work (at least my exam date and 3 days prior) months in advance and was scheduled 6 consecutive closing shifts, up to the day before my exam (I was only a part time employee too, so this was terribly bad luck). I got the night before covered, but still worked that entire week. I went in feeling more confident: I had been scoring 30+ on my practice exams consistently now, and I noticed taking more time on the questions improved my score.

Well, I ended up taking too much time during my PS section and was left with 14 minutes remaining on my last 14 questions (included two separate passages and a non-passage page). I admit I kind of bombed PS on my retake. I changed my strategy and sped things up for the next two sections. I scored another 23...(10VR, 4PS, 9BS). Improved a point each in VR and BS, dropped two in PS.

So not the best planning on my part, I will admit. Moving on.

EC wise, I have about 150 hours of volunteering in an ED. I have about 80 hours shadowing physicians (40 in primary care, 20 in anesthesia, 20 in hospitalist/pulmonologist/ICU shadowing). After graduation I was employed as an ED Scribe and have been working full time (with overtime) since. While it was not included in my secondary (since I was just hired), I plan to update with a letter of interest since I now have over 500+ hours of clinical experience in the ED directly working with physicians, seeing patients, and charting. I have documented over 1,500 H&Ps, MDMs, consultations, and dispositions. I have seen such an amazing range of cases. I have interacted with medical students, residents, and attendings. I've pulled 60 hour work weeks, with some overnight shifts only to come back in the afternoon the same day. Basically I want to demonstrate that I have resilience and an understanding of medicine.

Beyond that, I have some retail employment history, sport refereeing background (When I was 16 I was promoted to a managerial position and allowed to hire my own referees because of my performance), intramural sports in college, physiology club involvement (participating in cadaver labs, helping with fundraisers, volunteering in club-sponsored tents at events), and then some. No real research, but I did write a hypothetical grant proposal for a study that was part of a 400/500 level course called psychoneuroimmunology. It was graded on the standards as if we were applying for an NIH grant and I got an A. In high school I had a class that allowed us to shadow health care employees 3 days of the week since we were right across the street from a hospital. I shadowed 80+ hours in departments including pharmacy, in patient and out patient surgery, wound care, respiratory therapy, and more. It was mostly technicians and mid-level type stuff, but it at least gave me a broader scope of the opportunities in medicine, so I can adequately answer their question of "Why a physician?" when you can "help others and be interested in the body and/or health care" in a million other careers.

I only applied to AZCOM this year since I was late in getting a doctor LOR, but I plan to apply more broadly next year when I can apply day one. I was put on their waitlist for an interview after submitting my ii. I applied with an M.D. letter. Now that I've been scribing, I have a DO letter in the works. I plan to submit my DO letter, along with a letter of interest (including my scribing experiences and credentials, and possibly addressing my MCAT), and also sending in an updated transcript with an ochem lab I still needed to complete post-bacc. I think those three items will warrant a reevaluation of my file. If I am invited to an interview, I am positive that I will rock it. I'm extremely extroverted, personable, and everyone says I can't help myself in terms of talking about medicine with a fervent passion.

I realize my MCAT is my one thing holding me back. But I know some people do get in, and by next cycle, I will have at least a year of scribing under my belt. My only hesitation to retaking the MCAT is that I am living paycheck to paycheck right now since scribing does not pay very well. I'm first generation born in the U.S., and first in my family to graduate college. I suppose that may help account for my lower MCAT, and VR is correlated the most with performance on the boards. I do believe I can give a reasoned explanation as to why my score is not as big of a concern. Especially considering the 2015 MCAT will include psychology and I majored in it. I scored in the top quarter percentile for the trial section so I know it will weigh my score in my favor. I assume admission committees can make these kinds of judgments when gauging my score? My only other option is to take out a personal loan to support me for 3-4 months so I can study full-time and make sure I do not screw up this third attempt. That is a scary endeavor with no guaranteed employment or safety net.

Thoughts?

 

[Mad Jack]

You'll be screened with a verbal that low. Read more.

Also, VR correlating best with the boards is a falsehood that's been spread for whatever reason. Bio correlates best to the boards. If you Google it, there is a study out there that has the results. VR was predictive, but not astoundingly so.

 

[BestDoctorEver]

So I graduated in May 2013 with a bachelor of science in Psychology and a minor in Physiology. I have a 3.5 GPA with a 3.2 sGPA (Upward trend senior year), and a 3.8 major GPA. My first MCAT I took during my senior year, but I had decided half way through studying that I wanted to postpone it into the summer and finish my semester strong. I was a day late on rescheduling and had no choice but to take it with the option of voiding if I did not feel comfortable. I ended up scoring it and got a 23 (9VR, 6PS, 8BS). I signed up for another test in 3 months. This time I had time after graduation to study. I put in for time off at work (at least my exam date and 3 days prior) months in advance and was scheduled 6 consecutive closing shifts, up to the day before my exam (I was only a part time employee too, so this was terribly bad luck). I got the night before covered, but still worked that entire week. I went in feeling more confident: I had been scoring 30+ on my practice exams consistently now, and I noticed taking more time on the questions improved my score.

Well, I ended up taking too much time during my PS section and was left with 14 minutes remaining on my last 14 questions (included two separate passages and a non-passage page). I admit I kind of bombed PS on my retake. I changed my strategy and sped things up for the next two sections. I scored another 23...(10VR, 4PS, 9BS). Improved a point each in VR and BS, dropped two in PS.

So not the best planning on my part, I will admit. Moving on.

EC wise, I have about 150 hours of volunteering in an ED. I have about 80 hours shadowing physicians (40 in primary care, 20 in anesthesia, 20 in hospitalist/pulmonologist/ICU shadowing). After graduation I was employed as an ED Scribe and have been working full time (with overtime) since. While it was not included in my secondary (since I was just hired), I plan to update with a letter of interest since I now have over 500+ hours of clinical experience in the ED directly working with physicians, seeing patients, and charting. I have documented over 1,500 H&Ps, MDMs, consultations, and dispositions. I have seen such an amazing range of cases. I have interacted with medical students, residents, and attendings. I've pulled 60 hour work weeks, with some overnight shifts only to come back in the afternoon the same day. Basically I want to demonstrate that I have resilience and an understanding of medicine.

Beyond that, I have some retail employment history, sport refereeing background (When I was 16 I was promoted to a managerial position and allowed to hire my own referees because of my performance), intramural sports in college, physiology club involvement (participating in cadaver labs, helping with fundraisers, volunteering in club-sponsored tents at events), and then some. No real research, but I did write a hypothetical grant proposal for a study that was part of a 400/500 level course called psychoneuroimmunology. It was graded on the standards as if we were applying for an NIH grant and I got an A. In high school I had a class that allowed us to shadow health care employees 3 days of the week since we were right across the street from a hospital. I shadowed 80+ hours in departments including pharmacy, in patient and out patient surgery, wound care, respiratory therapy, and more. It was mostly technicians and mid-level type stuff, but it at least gave me a broader scope of the opportunities in medicine, so I can adequately answer their question of "Why a physician?" when you can "help others and be interested in the body and/or health care" in a million other careers.

I only applied to AZCOM this year since I was late in getting a doctor LOR, but I plan to apply more broadly next year when I can apply day one. I was put on their waitlist for an interview after submitting my ii. I applied with an M.D. letter. Now that I've been scribing, I have a DO letter in the works. I plan to submit my DO letter, along with a letter of interest (including my scribing experiences and credentials, and possibly addressing my MCAT), and also sending in an updated transcript with an ochem lab I still needed to complete post-bacc. I think those three items will warrant a reevaluation of my file. If I am invited to an interview, I am positive that I will rock it. I'm extremely extroverted, personable, and everyone says I can't help myself in terms of talking about medicine with a fervent passion.

I realize my MCAT is my one thing holding me back. But I know some people do get in, and by next cycle, I will have at least a year of scribing under my belt. My only hesitation to retaking the MCAT is that I am living paycheck to paycheck right now since scribing does not pay very well. I'm first generation born in the U.S., and first in my family to graduate college. I suppose that may help account for my lower MCAT, and VR is correlated the most with performance on the boards. I do believe I can give a reasoned explanation as to why my score is not as big of a concern. Especially considering the 2015 MCAT will include psychology and I majored in it. I scored in the top quarter percentile for the trial section so I know it will weigh my score in my favor. I assume admission committees can make these kinds of judgments when gauging my score? My only other option is to take out a personal loan to support me for 3-4 months so I can study full-time and make sure I do not screw up this third attempt. That is a scary endeavor with no guaranteed employment or safety net.

Thoughts?

I think you have a shot since your low(ish) is in PS... You have to apply early (June) and to low tier schools like LMU-DCOM, LUCOM, ACOM, WVSOM, VCOM, KYCOM, PCOM-GA, WCUSOM, PNWU...

 

[BestDoctorEver]

You'll be screened with a verbal that low. Read more.

Also, VR correlating best with the boards is a falsehood that's been spread for whatever reason. Bio correlates best to the boards. If you Google it, there is a study out there that has the results. VR was predictive, but not astoundingly so.

It's OP PS score that is that low... How the heck someone get a 4 in PS since it is the easiest section on the test

 

[Mad Jack]

It's OP PS score that is that low... How the heck someone get a 4 in PS since it is the easiest section on the test

Whoa, my eyes must be going all wonky from looking at biochem slides all day.

With a 4 in PS, you're done son. Retake or hit the bricks. You're 100% screened and your app'll never see the light of day.

 

[BestDoctorEver]

Whoa, my eyes must be going all wonky from looking at biochem slides all day.

With a 4 in PS, you're done son. Retake or hit the bricks. You're 100% screened and your app'll never see the light of day.

I don't think so...It seems like most schools care about VR>BS>PS in that order? OP will have a shot at low tier DO schools....

 

[Arayh]

A 4 in PS is definitely dangerous and most schools will most likely screen you out. I recommend a retake, but maybe Goro, LizzyM can give more insight.

 

[sat0ri]

DO you combine your best subsection scores, but even a 6VR will get you screened at places, and the ones you don't get auto-screened you have some 'splainin to do...

 

[Soviet Poland]

What schools take a composite of your highest score in each section? That would imply a 25 on my part (10VR, 6PS, 9BS). I understand a 4 is low. In all honestly, I probably choked on that section. I mentioned I tried taking more time on it, only to run into time issues, forcing me to guess on my last few passages. I changed my strategy and improved my score on the latter two sections.

With regards to my physiology classes, it was an undergraduate program through the college of medicine at University of Arizona. I had mostly A's, with some B's in my upper division physiology courses. I am good at the science relevant to medicine, and not to undermine physics and chemistry, but they're a bit further from the subject matter than biology, biochem, and physiology are.

That being said, would being humble in admitting bombing my PS, but indicating my change in strategy and improvement in BS and VR be viewed as a good thing?

I'm not sure if a waitlist for interview is akin to a rejection at AZCOM, I figured it was at least better than a flat out rejection. On some miracle I get an interview, I feel confident in giving a reasoned and humble answer with respect to my score.


So, second question I suppose: which MCAT to retake? 2014 or 2015? I majored in Psych, scored top percentile in the trial section for psych, and my curriculum had more biology, biochem, and cellular biology/physiology compared to general chemistry/physics. Needless to say I'll work on PS the most, but I think I have a better shot at a good score with the 2015 changes.

 

[sat0ri]

Hm I thought most DO's take a composite score, I don't know. @Goro is knowledgeable for sure. Even if that was the case you PS (sorry, I said VR before--that's just the usual problem area), is rough, and probably why you're experiencing a drought. Also, you're improvements in other areas were meek to modest, so addressing you deficits there wouldn't be a good strategy for a explaining a retake--it's just not a consistent argument for a retake, when you should have addressed the problem by that point. Your only redemption will be a really good 3rd take. Don't take it until your averages are in the target range!

I'm curious why you didn't void your test? And were you averaging that score on your practice tests?

You bring up a good question about the MCAT. I think that will be totally irrelevant though, just polishing the brass on a sinking ship

 

[sat0ri]

You obviously have the will to do it though, so I think you can pull it off in as much as you think you can pull it off. Didn't want to come off too negative up there... (;

 

[Goro]

This will be a hard one. I like the great Bio scores, but the 6 -> 4PS might be an issue. Some schools do take a composite scores (mine doesn't), but I suggest applying broadly (skip the Touros, DMU and CCOM), and taking an app cycle on the chin to see how it goes. I expect better luck with the newer programs.

 

[plumhill]

How the heck someone get a 4 in PS since it is the easiest section on the test

Hey now, everyone's got different strengths and weaknesses.

OP, are you opposed to another retake? It looks like in each section, between your two attempts you have at least one subsection score that's decent (10, 9, 6...okay the 6 is a little low but its within striking distance). If you can put aside a couple of months and (I am saying this in the nicest way possible) pull yourself together for another attempt, you certainly have the potential to score in the high 20s.

 

[BestDoctorEver]

Hey now, everyone's got different strengths and weaknesses.

OP, are you opposed to another retake? It looks like in each section, between your two attempts you have at least one subsection score that's decent (10, 9, 6...okay the 6 is a little low but its within striking distance). If you can put aside a couple of months and (I am saying this in the nicest way possible) pull yourself together for another attempt, you certainly have the potential to score in the high 20s.

I was not trying to be harsh on OP since I am having issue with VR as well.