May 22nd, 2009 Mcat takers

[futuredoc4432]

Hi guys, this is for all of you that plan on taking the mcat may 22nd. wondering when/how everyone is gonna be studying. I have a bunch of old kaplan books and plan on taking a kaplan class. I haven't started any intense studying yet, maybe after finals. lemme know

---

Members don't see this ad.

 

[Impossible]

Did you guys notice a lot of Genetics and Molecular Bio on this test too?

Yes! And THANK GOD for it too since my degree is in Molecular Biology. BS was the only section it go double digits in......

 

[sagtig]

In accordance with the requests for a particular format, here's my stuff again.

How did I think I did after the test?
-I didn't think the test was particularly more difficult than any practice exam, other than a bit more organic than anticipated. Over time, like everyone, I started to doubt how I did. However, this is normal and I think regardless of the outcome, we all feel crappy after 30 days of waiting.

Practice avgs?
-Including the first one of a 28, I avg about a 33. However, the 28 was the only time I scored below a 30. My last two were 36 and 35. In case it's helpful, I STARTED with AAMC 10 for absolutely no reason at all, not realizing I should have saved this for later as it is considered harder. I really believe that while some are easier than others, it also seems easier as you practice since you're practicing.

I only guessed on ONE answer, and it was an educated guess. I was running out of time and needed to make a choice. I made the wrong choice.

Actual score: 10, 10, R 10
Comp: 30R

I hadn't scored less than 12 on VR in any practice except one. I didn't think this one was hard, but I guess I was wrong. I hadn't scored less than 12 on BS except for one, and I don't know what the HELL happened. I had scored 9s three times in a row for PS before studying PS hardcore for three days and then scoring 12s on my last two (bumped me from about 33 and 34 to 36 and 35). Again, I didn't think it was hard, but I ended up two points lower than expected.

All in all, though I was worried and knew I may have not done well, possibly even gotten a 26 or something, I figured that was just my waiting and anxiety talking. Deep down, I really believed I had scored a 33-36.

I'm not trying to scare anyone, and I'm pissed that I'm in that smaller percentage of people that did worse on the real than on the practice, but here I am.

On a happier note, I have been really happy to share this wait with you all! We've all been wonderfully mental during this process and waiting. I know we'll be sharing wonderful, wonderful news of acceptances and hope the best for every one. some of us may end up in deserts studying medicine with rattlesnakes, lizards, and tumbleweeds, but we'll get in medical school nonetheless!!!

PEACE!

it was nice to share this experience with you kast, and our scores are so close! except, you beat me by one- but I won't hold a grudge

 

[Zona Pellucida]

What am I gonna do...ugh why did I have to get 4 points lower than my average.

 

[sagtig]

I'm going to requote my earlier post, any advice would be greatly appreciated... it has been a privelege to share the mcat experience with all of you!

so I got a 29M, i knew my writing blew (and I got a Q the first time, so I don't really care)
Breakdown

10-PS
9-VR
10-BS

reaction: expected my physical sciences, pretty happy with it considering I improved from an 8 in PS last time I took it, and from the 45th percentile to the 70th percentile...

surprised by verbal, I was very confident in my verbal section, I thought I'd get at least a 10, and was even hoping for a 12 or 13

Downright shocked by bio... I thought I bombed this section, I'm usually good at bio, but I thought that this one was ridiculous, I didn't study any orgo, and was once again shot down by a 3 orgo passage bio section, but worse, I found the biology passages just as difficult as the orgo passages, and left the test thinking I was going to get a 6 or 7 in bio...

so yes, the curve definitely influenced my scores, verbal probably because lots of people scored high and therefore a harsh curve, and bio because it was leniently curved due to difficulty

hope my experience gives some insight to the curve process for future takers, Good luck everyone!

I have an extremely low GPA, and I had a 26 the first time I took the exam, but I guess I should be proud of myself for retaking it since I improved by three points, didn't drop in anything, and maintained a pretty balanced distribution. I don't know if I'll get into any US MD programs (since my cGPA is only 3.05, and my science is a 2.95- I went to an undergrad school known for extreme grade deflation) but I'll try for some US MD anyways, and if I don't get in, then I think I'll be pretty competitive for some DO and abroad MD schools with my MCAT and ECs!

What do you think my chances are?

 

[sagtig]

What am I gonna do...ugh why did I have to get 4 points lower than my average.

I'm apologize for my consecutive posts...
I know how devastated you feel Zona, but remember this isn't the end of the world, you can always take a year off, build up your ECs, take time to unwind, since your future years as a med student and doctor will be pretty exhausting and retake this beast...

you definitely have the potential to rock this exam, don't be discouraged by your score this time around, it could have been a fluke...

if you don't feel up to taking the exam yet, your best bet is to wait a year, in any case I would suggest to wait because even if you took the july mcat, your application would be quite late for 2010, lowering your chances to get in...

Remember, Adcoms are completely accepting of up to 3 testing attempts, so you're completely in the clear, but do not make the mistake of rushing into anything, and you'll be golden,

Good Luck, and pm me if you want to talk, and exchange words of advice and encouragement

 

[muhali3]

Yes! And THANK GOD for it too since my degree is in Molecular Biology. BS was the only section it go double digits in......

So it was like...what would happen if the protein kinase lost its phosphorylating activity...or what would happen if this G-protein didn't hydrolyze its GTP...stuff like that?

 

[muhali3]

I'm going to requote my earlier post, any advice would be greatly appreciated... it has been a privelege to share the mcat experience with all of you!

Your GPA is pretty low, so unless you have extraordinary EC's, I'd say its still would be very hard to get a US MD even if you increase your MCAT. You could try a few state schools though. I suggest mostly applying DO if you want to stay in the US, St. Georges/Ross in Caribbean if you really want an MD.

 

[kast]

Sagtig, I would say apply in your state to most if not all the schools (assuming you make that investment of time and money). Apply to DO for sure, and you should hopefully get into at least a DO (and I'm a person that believes there are many good, respectable DO schools and see it as a great opportunity for those of us with lower GPAs but good apps otherwise.) Also, see PM.

 

[Dchurch]

Average practice tests
PS-9-12
VR-8-11
BS-12

My worst practice score of course is the score I obtain on the real one....
26O

PS-9 (wtf)
VR-7 (mother******)
BS-10 (ok i guess)

Is this score even good enough for DO school?
FML

 

[Potatoman1800]

Average practice tests
PS-9-12
VR-8-11
BS-12

My worst practice score of course is the score I obtain on the real one....
26O

PS-9 (wtf)
VR-7 (mother******)
BS-10 (ok i guess)

Is this score even good enough for DO school?
FML

Wow! you got the same exact distribution as me for this test. it should be competitive for DO but not high enough for MD unless theres an extreme case. I plan on retaking.

 

[cyahwheniseeyah]

Been long time member ('05), just recently switched screen names.

But was wondering what do you guys think.

Practice: ps 11-13 v: 8-10 Bio:11-13 (closer to higher ends though)
avg: 34-35

Real: 32 L, ps 12 v 10 bio 10:. L....No idea what happened.

What do you guys think? retake it to fix the L? maybe score couple more on the numbericals? Is that L pretty bad? percentile wise, it stinks.

Relieved but not super happy.

 

[Potatoman1800]

Been long time member ('05), just recently switched screen names.

But was wondering what do you guys think.

Practice: ps 11-13 v: 8-10 Bio:11-13 (closer to higher ends though)
avg: 34-35

Real: 32 L, ps 12 v 10 bio 10:. L....No idea what happened.

What do you guys think? retake it to fix the L? maybe score couple more on the numbericals? Is that L pretty bad? percentile wise, it stinks.

Relieved but not super happy.

Youre cool. I really dont think that your essay grade will keep you out of anywhere. Trade scores, yes? Ill give you my "P"

 

[cyahwheniseeyah]

Youre cool. I really dont think that your essay grade will keep you out of anywhere. Trade scores, yes? Ill give you my "P"

Cool, yeah I hear people talking about how essay scores aren't too important. Nevertheless I feel like an L is like Red Flaggin....

Score of 32, isn't too bad, just below my averages... I put in a lot of work through some difficult times to get it, but wouldn't phase out the idea of retaking it if I can score a couple more points, and better w.score.

 

[revolver4ever]

Real: 12 12 12 or 36R

AAMC Practices averaged:

12.5, 11.17, 11.5 or 35.17 total

I was dissapointed with my PS score as I was scoring 13-15 in my last few practice exams and likewise my BS which was 12-15. However verbal made up for it as my verbal scores actually went down with each practice, bottoming out at 10 so 12 made me pretty happy.

Overall, not bad at all. And "well rounded" =)

Congrats to everyone for finally having this over with.

 

[saucydave]

depends on what schools you apply to
for many of the upper tier, i think 8 is too low
but i got in with an 8 (7 interviews), AND you have a 32 which is a very solid score. good luck! :]

thanks!!! what schools gave you interviews?

 

[halekulani]

UIC
suny downstate
suny buffalo
tulane
MSU
loyola chicago
VCU

 

[Niloc]

So does anyone have any advice as to whether I should retake or not? I am currently leaning towards retaking...

 

[CielloStelatto]

submit and indicate you're going to retake it? don't put off applying though.

 

[orrghead16]

Woot! I am hungover as all hell at work right now...

First, congrats all on the scores. There are some phenomenal scores from this exam!

Score: 35R- 13PS 9VR 13BS

AAMC practices: 33-39. Avg 36-37.

Take: First, I did better than I thought I did on the exam, but still below my averages and right at the avg for most MD/PhD programs. That said, there is no way in hell I would ever go through this thing again and I am very content with my score.

Second, the curve of PS seemed to be pretty standard, fairly steep. I am pretty sure I missed 1 for sure and a few random mistakes. The curve for BS was fairly liberal and forgiving. I know for sure I missed at least 3, probably around 5-6 total.

Verbal curve was steep, it screwed me. I felt a lot better about VR coming out of the test that how I actually preformed. Pretty sure I got an 11. Looks like I muffed one of the passages, mixed a few of them up, etc. I am just keeping in mind that the difference was likely one or two questions on VR.

Lower than I was hoping, but I am ecstatic! I would never wish going through the MCAT on my greatest enemies; that was horrible. Waiting, studying, lost summer, practice tests. NEVER AGAIN! I would have started looking for a new career if my score was lower. Point: the MCAT is a complete crap-shoot. You can prepare for months, but on test day there is always, always, always a large component that is luck.

I might get screened from some schools with a 9VR or turned down offers, but its all good. Science is all that matters anyway.

 

[saucydave]

UIC
suny downstate
suny buffalo
tulane
MSU
loyola chicago
VCU

Thanks! I've applied to 3 of those 7.

 

[Zona Pellucida]

Congrats orrghead! Great work

 

[drzing]

i called some schools yesterday and almost all of them said "what really matters is that you get at least a 9 in biology"

 

[sagtig]

Sagtig, I would say apply in your state to most if not all the schools (assuming you make that investment of time and money). Apply to DO for sure, and you should hopefully get into at least a DO (and I'm a person that believes there are many good, respectable DO schools and see it as a great opportunity for those of us with lower GPAs but good apps otherwise.) Also, see PM.

thanks a lot for your advice kast, you got 30 right? that's the golden score, congrats

 

[delicatefew24]

Great job to all these amazing scores. To those of you that are re-taking, remember the MCAT is just one test, while your GPA speaks for the past 3-4 years of hard work...

 

[LoveWalk]

cGPA: 3.45 sGPA: 3.21
In engineering, but clearly still not very good. There is a solid upward trend: 3.1, 3.5, 3.8 (approximate) but I was hoping for a high 30s mcat to make up for this GPA because I am a california resident and wish to stay in CA. Because of circumstances beyond my control (long story involving the military) I cannot apply next year and I cannot take a year off to improve my GPA.

AAMC practices: 35-39
Studied my butt off for 2 weeks...

Real thing: PS:14 VR:10 WS:Q BS:12
Total: 36 Q

I just feel like even one point better would have made me competitive, but now I don't know what to do. My ECs are good. Do I have a chance??? Thanks guys. Great job to all these amazing scores. To those of you that are re-taking, remember the MCAT is just one test, while your GPA speaks for the past 3-4 years of hard work...

Apply broadly

Nice MCAT

 

[Turbowned]

I've been lurking for a long time in the shadows.

First off, excellent job to everyone who got the scores that they wanted!

My AAMC averages were right around what I got on the real thing:

5/22: PS: 11 BS: 9 VR:7 WS: P Total: 27P

Science GPA is: 3.80
Cumulative is 3.64 (Biological Sciences)
Volunteer research internship, Clinical hours


I know the verbal is too low. Do you guys think I need to retake if I am applying to:

UNC Chapel Hill
Wake Forest
East Carolina University

Thanks for any help!

 

[golffanatic]

I've been lurking for a long time in the shadows.

First off, excellent job to everyone who got the scores that they wanted!

My AAMC averages were right around what I got on the real thing:

5/22: PS: 11 BS: 9 VR:7 WS: P Total: 27P

Science GPA is: 3.80
Cumulative is 3.64 (Biological Sciences)
Volunteer research internship, Clinical hours


I know the verbal is too low. Do you guys think I need to retake if I am applying to:

UNC Chapel Hill
Wake Forest
East Carolina University

Thanks for any help!

Yes, the verbal is a bit low. However, since your real score mimics your AAMC averages, I would not risk getting a lower score by retaking. Your science GPA is excellent! Best of luck to you!

 

[kay87]

So I know this is a little bit off topic, but when I was taking the MCAT I had this one really big problem. I came in a little bit before the 8AM start time and I was towards the end of the sign in list. I didnt get fingerprinted and checked in until about 8:40. They were SOO SLOWW.

When I finished my Physical sciences section, and moved onto the Verbal, everybody else was on the writing section. The incessant typing KILLED my verbal section...even with the headphones they give you, all i could hear was the stupid typing from their loudass keyboards. The first passage took me over 15 minutes cuz I had to keep rereading.

Did anyone else have this problem?? If I take the test again im gonna make sure i get there like an hour early so I can be first on the list...

I had the same exact problem. As I was doing my physical section (yeah great way to waste time on that one) I realized that typing noise would be a problem when I was on verbal. However...would you rather them be typing during the bio section ? I'm not sure. I SUCK at verbal anyways, and might not want to jeopardize bio too if I redo the exam.

Sorry to have multiple ideas in one post (this is my first post ever) but I am getting worried about something that I remembered happened on test day. I took mine on June 18, and I know that I should have been more aware but I didn't care about anything than the actual exam and I was so nervous I was literally shaking at the end of the sections-and definitely not thinking rationally. But anyways, not only did they input my birth month wrong in the computer at the test center (May instead of June, which the girl said she'd fix but god knows if she did), but my fingerprint scan kept not working at a few of the breaks. I remember redoing it almost every time, but I am worried that one of them might not have worked when I redid it. The reason I am worried is because the proctor girl seemed really careless, kept walking out and not paying attention to what was going on and at one point just told me to go back in. I I feel like I should call somewhere to at least ask if they changed my birth date to the right month (I feel like this might be a discrepancy when the score is sent to amcas or something?), but since I won't get the same idiot proctor on the phone, I'm worried that the person might give me a hard time or flag me somehow.

Do you think this is something I should be worried about? They do have me on tape there during the entire exam, and I never left the break room. Do you think they don't release the score unless all the fingerprints are submitted/ valid, or do you think they only look at that stuff if there is a problem. Great, now I'm going to be sooo paranoid the next 17 days.

 

[texaslily]

I had the same exact problem. As I was doing my physical section (yeah great way to waste time on that one) I realized that typing noise would be a problem when I was on verbal. However...would you rather them be typing during the bio section ? I'm not sure. I SUCK at verbal anyways, and might not want to jeopardize bio too if I redo the exam.

Sorry to have multiple ideas in one post (this is my first post ever) but I am getting worried about something that I remembered happened on test day. I took mine on June 18, and I know that I should have been more aware but I didn't care about anything than the actual exam and I was so nervous I was literally shaking at the end of the sections-and definitely not thinking rationally. But anyways, not only did they input my birth month wrong in the computer at the test center (May instead of June, which the girl said she'd fix but god knows if she did), but my fingerprint scan kept not working at a few of the breaks. I remember redoing it almost every time, but I am worried that one of them might not have worked when I redid it. The reason I am worried is because the proctor girl seemed really careless, kept walking out and not paying attention to what was going on and at one point just told me to go back in. I I feel like I should call somewhere to at least ask if they changed my birth date to the right month (I feel like this might be a discrepancy when the score is sent to amcas or something?), but since I won't get the same idiot proctor on the phone, I'm worried that the person might give me a hard time or flag me somehow.

Do you think this is something I should be worried about? They do have me on tape there during the entire exam, and I never left the break room. Do you think they don't release the score unless all the fingerprints are submitted/ valid, or do you think they only look at that stuff if there is a problem. Great, now I'm going to be sooo paranoid the next 17 days.

Just call the testing center and explain the situation and check that the birth month is correct. I don't think the fingerprint thing should affect your scoring at all if the proctor didn't care, I wouldn't worry about it.

 

[kay87]

Just call the testing center and explain the situation and check that the birth month is correct. I don't think the fingerprint thing should affect your scoring at all if the proctor didn't care, I wouldn't worry about it.

Thanks so much for the advice! I hope that the fingerprint business is mainly to help out the proctors and keep someone else from entering the room on test day, and not something that is submitted with your exam later.

 

[texaslily]

Thanks so much for the advice! I hope that the fingerprint business is mainly to help out the proctors and keep someone else from entering the room on test day, and not something that is submitted with your exam later.

Yeah I highly doubt it, I think the fingerprint is just a security measure on test day.