MCAT advice ASAP

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Rogue42

Rogue42

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I took the AAMC FL and made a 499 (122/127/125/125). This practically mimics my Kaplan FL where I made a 498 (122/127/125/124). I can reschedule my test, but this is my last night to do so. I am afraid if I reschedule, then it will put me into the "category" and my chances are screwed anyways. I am unsure of what to do, and I am also unsure of how to increase my Chemistry subsection score because its basically all I have focused on, and I have gained no ground. Any advice on the entire post would be great!
 
Rogue42 said:
I took the AAMC FL and made a 499 (122/127/125/125). This practically mimics my Kaplan FL where I made a 498 (122/127/125/124). I can reschedule my test, but this is my last night to do so. I am afraid if I reschedule, then it will put me into the "category" and my chances are screwed anyways. I am unsure of what to do, and I am also unsure of how to increase my Chemistry subsection score because its basically all I have focused on, and I have gained no ground. Any advice on the entire post would be great!
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*Late category*
 
Were you planning on applying this current cycle?
 
Rogue42 said:
Yes. My application is already done. Waiting for an MCAT score to complete it.
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I honestly wouldn’t take the MCAT until you’re hitting around your target score. There is always next cycle. A solid MCAT score will open so many doors, a poor one will close those doors.
 
rg2o3 said:
I honestly wouldn’t take the MCAT until you’re hitting around your target score. There is always next cycle. A solid MCAT score will open so many doors, a poor one will close those doors.
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Valid point; but I do not know what a good "target" score would even be for me. I know that the DO average is a 502/503, and I feel that the only thing keeping me from that is the Chemical section.
 
Rogue42 said:
Valid point; but I do not know what a good "target" score would even be for me. I know that the DO average is a 502/503, and I feel that the only thing keeping me from that is the Chemical section.
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What are your other stats?
 
rg2o3 said:
What are your other stats?
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I read through some of your posts, and let me say that my stats are not nearly as impressive as yours. I have a 3.61 cGPA, 3.50
sGPA, and a 3.9 non-science GPA. I have over 1000 clinical hours, 100 volunteer hours in total, over 300 hours shadowing, member of some high honor clubs, and I have published research with university awards. In your opinion, with a rescheduled MCAT to late August and almost two months to prepare, could I increase me Chemical foundations score and still be competitive to apply?
 
Rogue42 said:
I read through some of your posts, and let me say that my stats are not nearly as impressive as yours. I have a 3.61 cGPA, 3.50
sGPA, and a 3.9 non-science GPA. I have over 1000 clinical hours, 100 volunteer hours in total, over 300 hours shadowing, member of some high honor clubs, and I have published research with university awards. In your opinion, with a rescheduled MCAT to late August and almost two months to prepare, could I increase me Chemical foundations score and still be competitive to apply?
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I took my MCAT in August. That’s fine for DO schools. You should be shooting for at least 505-507. If you fall a little short, you should still be good, if you fall in that range you’ll be good. I think it’s reasonable to obtain that in 2 months.
 
rg2o3 said:
I took my MCAT in August. That’s fine for DO schools. You should be shooting for at least 505-507. If you fall a little short, you should still be good, if you fall in that range you’ll be good. I think it’s reasonable to obtain that in 2 months.
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Any MCAT advice on how to achieve that?
 
Rogue42 said:
Any MCAT advice on how to achieve that?
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I can say that if I could go back and do it again, I would do significantly more practice problems. I focused on content, but didn’t do enough questions. Especially since the MCAT is heavily passage based, getting good at the questions alone can significantly raise your score.

Edit: also head to the MCAT section, there is some real good advice in there from students who killed it.
 
rg2o3 said:
I can say that if I could go back and do it again, I would do significantly more practice problems. I focused on content, but didn’t do enough questions. Especially since the MCAT is heavily passage based, getting good at the questions alone can significantly raise your score.
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Solid advice for being this late in the evening. I appreciate your thoughtful and helpful responses immensely!
 
Rogue42 said:
Solid advice for being this late in the evening. I appreciate your thoughtful and helpful responses immensely!
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Just binge watching as many shows as possible before the semester starts, haha. Good luck! Make sure you come back and give some updates!
 
I'd cancel the MCAT. Take a year to study for it and apply MD next year. If you take it unprepared and score under 500 you might get into DO this year. If you study well for it and get 510+ you'll have a good shot at MD and any DO next year.
 
A 122 is seriously low... What percentage correct on AAMC chem/bio Qpacks? You are miles away from getting into CP section banks.If you repeat the Qpacks until you can score 80% in chem and phy then you have to be able to score like 124 at least.
Have you practiced using scientific notation and magnitudes to make quick calculations?
 
Blanky said:
A 122 is seriously low... What percentage correct on AAMC chem/bio Qpacks? You are miles away from getting into CP section banks.If you repeat the Qpacks until you can score 80% in chem and phy then you have to be able to score like 124 at least.
Have you practiced using scientific notation and magnitudes to make quick calculations?
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I have not studied the Qpacks. I have only attempted to read chemistry and physics MCAT books.
 
Cardboard101 said:
I'd cancel the MCAT. Take a year to study for it and apply MD next year. If you take it unprepared and score under 500 you might get into DO this year. If you study well for it and get 510+ you'll have a good shot at MD and any DO next year.
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I have already taken a gap year, and would not like to take another. My goal is to become a physician, and both paths get me there. For me, it is not about the letters at then end of my name. I rescheduled for two months from now. If still not in target range, then a cancellation would definitely be in order!
 
You need to purchase the AAMC Qpacks and section banks for chemistry, physics, biology. Also get the section bank for the PS section at the minimum. Repeat these practice questions until you can cruise through them and then try another FL.
You really should apply next cycle.
 
Rogue42 said:
Not anymore. Rescheduled for late August.
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What did you do productive during the GAP year?
What is your current GPAs? Do you have decent ECs?
Do you have your PS and LORs together?

Don't feel bad I'm 30 years old and applying.
 
Blanky said:
What did you do productive during the GAP year?
What is your current GPAs? Do you have decent ECs?
Do you have your PS and LORs together?

Don't feel bad I'm 30 years old and applying.
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I have a 3.61 cGPA, 3.50
sGPA, and a 3.9 non-science GPA. I have over 1000 clinical hours, 100 volunteer hours in total, over 300 hours shadowing, member of some high honor clubs, and I have published research with university awards. I have above average LOR, and I feel that I have great ECs. I am unsure what "PS" stands for. Let me rephrase, I just graduated in May, and I am beginning my first Gap year. I am either going to get my MBA in healthcare administration or begin research at Vanderbilt University.

Edit: Yes, I have my personal statement rather perfected. I had been working on that for over a year.
 
You are looking pretty solid! ECs look good and you have more than enough shadowing. If you keep putting in time invest in volunteering.
Your CARS is strong which is typically the most difficult section to improve. I think if you work on the AAMC material you will be fine. Are you ok with DO? those GPAs with a decent MCAT and you will be looking good. Apparently its better to apply late with DO, while MD late apps are less forgiving.
PS stands for personal statement.
 
Blanky said:
You are looking pretty solid! ECs look good and you have more than enough shadowing. If you keep putting in time invest in volunteering.
Your CARS is strong which is typically the most difficult section to improve. I think if you work on the AAMC material you will be fine. Are you ok with DO? those GPAs with a decent MCAT and you will be looking good. Apparently its better to apply late with DO, while MD late apps are less forgiving.
PS stands for personal statement.
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Yes, I am. Last summer, I almost applied even though I knew I was not ready. My advisor strongly urged me to stop and think about my decisions and counseled me on DO. I then spent a few weeks shadowing DOs, asked them 1000's of questions about how they felt/felt limited/regretted their decision, and many had a very positive outlook and did not feel that they were at a disadvantage - though they did voice some of the harder paths required harder work than MD. At the end of the day, I have looked myself in the mirror and decided that I want to be a physician regardless of what letters appear at the end of my name - and most of the fields that I am interested in are DO friendly.

Edit: You are correct about DO applications. As long as they are in by November, they are not late. That is why with a late August MCAT and two months to prepare, I still feel that I have hope for this cycle.
 
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You have an objective view and understanding of the DO path. DO is perfectly fine as long as you will be happy with DO friendly specialties. For me I like EM and maybe Anesthesia but doubtful. Also you have the stats to go to one of the more established DO schools which also makes the path a strong option for you. Just don't take the MCAT prematurely and get stuck somewhere you don't want to be after you put in years of hard work in every other aspect of you app.
 
Hop on the AAMC Question packs for Chemistry, physics, and biology and look into WHY you got each question right or wrong... This will take about one day per subject and then take a FL and shoot me an update. I'm sure you will see some improvement.
 
122 is not too hot. You have some fundamental knowledge gaps. Wikipremed is magic for physics and chemistry. It’s free. I’d do the whole curriculum and apply next year. That plus khan academy practice passages and videos on khan academy to clear up something you don’t get from wikipremed.

Your 125 subsections are nothing to write home about either, even for DO. That’s why I’m recommending the whole curriculum bc it’s likely you’ve got some pretty big fundamental gaps and aren’t conceptualizing how all of these sciences really link together.
 
Ho0v-man said:
122 is not too hot. You have some fundamental knowledge gaps. Wikipremed is magic for physics and chemistry. It’s free. I’d do the whole curriculum and apply next year. That plus khan academy practice passages and videos on khan academy to clear up something you don’t get from wikipremed.

Your 125 subsections are nothing to write home about either, even for DO. That’s why I’m recommending the whole curriculum bc it’s likely you’ve got some pretty big fundamental gaps and aren’t conceptualizing how all of these sciences really link together.
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Valid points and thanks for the recommendation on the material to use! I really don't know where to start on studying for that section. Chemistry was definitely my weakest subject in Undergrad. I would agree that 125's are nothing great, but are averages. It seems that the DO average is a 503, and it seems to me that my Chemical foundation score is really the only thing holding me back form achieving that score. In your opinion, is it not something that I could improve by the time I take my MCAT on August 31st?
 
125's are 50%
125x4=500 (50%)
Typically you want to beat 125s.
126= 504
127= 508
I know this is obvious math but if you are gunning for DO I would say you want 126-127 in each section ideally and 127-128 for MD.
 
Rogue42 said:
I took the AAMC FL and made a 499 (122/127/125/125). This practically mimics my Kaplan FL where I made a 498 (122/127/125/124). I can reschedule my test, but this is my last night to do so. I am afraid if I reschedule, then it will put me into the "category" and my chances are screwed anyways. I am unsure of what to do, and I am also unsure of how to increase my Chemistry subsection score because its basically all I have focused on, and I have gained no ground. Any advice on the entire post would be great!
Click to expand...

Try to get 500+ and do not take unless you are ready. Reschedule and try to take in August/September time frame. You rest of the app is great for DO.
All the best!
 
dial1010usa said:
Try to get 500+ and do not take unless you are ready. Reschedule and try to take in August/September time frame. You rest of the app is great for DO.
All the best!
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Thanks for the support! I rescheduled for August 31st!
 
Scoring a 498-499 on a practice tests means you will likely get sub 498 on the actual exam and won't get in anywhere.

Reschedule test, hit 504+, then take it. You may have to apply next cycle.

Don't try and rush the process.
 
gensurghopeful said:
Scoring a 498-499 on a practice tests means you will likely get sub 498 on the actual exam and won't get in anywhere.

Reschedule test, hit 504+, then take it. You may have to apply next cycle.

Don't try and rush the process.
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Rescheduled for August 31st! Is the AAMC practice not reflective of the score you should make?
 
AAMC Sample? Good practice but too easy
AAMC FL 1-3 is predictive, I would say FL2 is most accurate and FL3 can have a big curve sometimes.
 
Rogue42 said:
I took the AAMC FL and made a 499 (122/127/125/125). This practically mimics my Kaplan FL where I made a 498 (122/127/125/124). I can reschedule my test, but this is my last night to do so. I am afraid if I reschedule, then it will put me into the "category" and my chances are screwed anyways. I am unsure of what to do, and I am also unsure of how to increase my Chemistry subsection score because its basically all I have focused on, and I have gained no ground. Any advice on the entire post would be great!
Click to expand...
Do I have to reach through the electrons and give you a dope slap??? Adcoms have no idea if you delay or even void the MCAT.

Do NOT take this career-deciding, high stakes exam until you are scoring at least 5-10 points higher.
 
Goro said:
Do I have to reach through the electrons and give you a dope slap??? Adcoms have no idea if you delay or even void the MCAT.

Do NOT take this career-deciding, high stakes exam until you are scoring at least 5-10 points higher.
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I rescheduled for August 31st! I am not ready to give up, but I'm prepared to cancel then if scores are not significantly better on practice exams.
 
Blanky said:
AAMC Sample? Good practice but too easy
AAMC FL 1-3 is predictive, I would say FL2 is most accurate and FL3 can have a big curve sometimes.
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Sorry, your reply got lost in the shuffle! No, I took the AAMC FL 1.
 
Rogue42 said:
Valid points and thanks for the recommendation on the material to use! I really don't know where to start on studying for that section. Chemistry was definitely my weakest subject in Undergrad. I would agree that 125's are nothing great, but are averages. It seems that the DO average is a 503, and it seems to me that my Chemical foundation score is really the only thing holding me back form achieving that score. In your opinion, is it not something that I could improve by the time I take my MCAT on August 31st?
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Everybody is different. I’m not sure I could tbh. But other people could in half the time. It might help to take a step back for a few days to kind of reset. If you keep trying the same thing and rushing as hard as you can you’ll probably get the same results.

If I were you, I’d check out wikipremed.com, order his physics flash cards and make sure you have a decent set of mcat study books (I liked EK but it doesn’t matter).

Then take a few days off. This is easy advice to give, but hard to take. I’m bad about working myself into the ground and getting diminishing returns.

Start at the first module. Iirc, if you shoot for two modules/week you should get through all of his physics and gen chem by August 31. He’s got practice questions on his site and do the practice questions others in this thread recommended. Take your first practice test a week or so before the

If you’re not ready by then don’t rush it. Just cancel. Bombing the mcat and having to retake and postponing the mcat are both going to mean postponing another year. Don’t believe you’ll be that lucky person who’s score goes up drastically on the real deal bc that’s just unlikely.
 
Honestly after reading your responses, I think you made the right call. Conventional wisdom would say take your time to obtain a solid mcat especially considering that you don’t seem to struggle much in CARS and try for MD and DO. However, you are definitely someone that believes MD = DO and if you truly feel this way, you will probably get into some new DO school off the WL later in the cycle with even a 498-500. Good luck!


Sent from my iPhone using SDN mobile
 
knowledge777 said:
Honestly after reading your responses, I think you made the right call. Conventional wisdom would say take your time to obtain a solid mcat especially considering that you don’t seem to struggle much in CARS and try for MD and DO. However, you are definitely someone that believes MD = DO and if you truly feel this way, you will probably get into some new DO school off the WL later in the cycle with even a 498-500. Good luck!


Sent from my iPhone using SDN mobile
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Thanks! I think I did too along with some good advice, obviously! I definitely think that they are equal and in 30 years, it really will not matter. MD or DO, you introduce yourself as Dr. Whatever, and the patient is usually just happy being treated appropriately no matter the title and that is what matters to me.
 
Goro said:
These are the fields which I consider DO friendly (where PDs will often rank/interview DOs):

Radiology-Diagnostic
Obstetrics and Gynecology
Emergency Medicine
Child Neurology
Internal Medicine
Neurology
Internal Medicine/Pediatrics
Psychiatry
Anesthesiology
Pathology
Pediatrics
Family Medicine
Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation

Some 25% of Thoracic and Gen Surg PDs will often rank/interview DOs.
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This should almost be stickied somewhere.
 
Rogue42 said:
Yes. My application is already done. Waiting for an MCAT score to complete it.
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STOP! Unless you have a "special characteristic" (check matriculation/acceptance statistics outside of GPA/MCAT) or a MAJOR life experience (You gunned down 18 terrorists attacking you during an exam and then resuscitated all of them) you have no chance M.D. and D.O. is going to be a stretch. Apply next cycle! Don't waste the time and money, you're not ready.
 
TheRealCookieMonster said:
STOP! Unless you have a "special characteristic" (check matriculation/acceptance statistics outside of GPA/MCAT) or a MAJOR life experience (You gunned down 18 terrorists attacking you during an exam and then resuscitated all of them) you have no chance M.D. and D.O. is going to be a stretch. Apply next cycle! Don't waste the time and money, you're not ready.
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While the app wont be early, and the numbers aren't ideal....Lets be honest OP can focus on CP for a couple weeks and score 125/127/125/125 502 and with a 3.6 GPA get into a decent DO this cycle.
 
Blanky said:
While the app wont be early, and the numbers aren't ideal....Lets be honest OP can focus on CP for a couple weeks and score 125/127/125/125 502 and with a 3.6 GPA get into a decent DO this cycle.
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Maybe it's easier to up your mcat score than I thought... but med school isn't about squeaking by and this feels like squeaking.
 
TheRealCookieMonster said:
Maybe it's easier to up your mcat score than I thought... but med school isn't about squeaking by and this feels like squeaking.
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Definitely a little "squeaky" by not being ideal. But OP needs to be realistic that in the next 1-2 months he/she isn't likely to break 505. But CP is not the hardest section to see improvement. A 122 in CP is seriously low and a couple high yield concepts and formulas can get you to 50%, if not then OP should cancel.
Average matriculate for DO is 503 and 3.4? OP is 3.6 and x/127/125/125 and with a 50% CP will be 502 and 3.6 which is 50% for DO students.
 
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