MCAT expiration extension?

[Endoxifen]

I’m currently a PhD student who’s planning on applying to medical school. I’ve already taken the MCAT and am on track to graduate while my MCAT is still valid. However, I’m interested in staying in my PhD for another year (I’d currently be graduating early) in order to publish more/make up work lost to COVID. Is there any precedent for med schools accepting an MCAT a year past due for such cases?

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[Endoxifen]

It would be a case by case waiver that you would have to request though I would consider it unlikely.
1) The school's have to be concerned with following their stated admissions policy and how that impacts re-accreditation where they get audited by LCME. Too many waivers means that policy is not being adhere to.
2) As a nontrad, which a PhD would be considered, having the MCAT to compare you to the rest of the pack becomes important.

Thank you very much for your response. That all makes sense. I have three follow-up questions. Firstly, would an exceptionally high score make them more likely to wave the requirement, as it may be more clear where I stand academically? Secondly, would it make any difference if the PhD in question was one of the Rhodes, Marshall, Gates bunch? I'm aware that they often allow students to defer a year if they're awarded one. Though it's a bit of a stretch, do you think they'd be more willing to defer a year to finish one? Finally, and more tenuously, if instead of staying in my PhD another year, I were invited to work at say, Google X for that year, or be a fellow at an Oxbridge college, would med schools be OK deferring for a year? I appreciate that these questions are difficult to answer, but I would appreciate your perspective.

 

[Endoxifen]

I charge per question


Again school specific. It would a be a crapshoot. You have the additional issue that at least 80% of applicants per individual school must be be rejected pre interview this becomes a negative process. That is they look for ways to reject you like an out of date MCAT.

Again, school specific. But if you are asking to apply already being obvious that you would have to defer, I would be loathe to admit. adcom's job is to fill seats for this year

That would raise questions on commitment and motivation. If you were committed to finish a PhD you started, how do I know you will be committed to completing the 7 years minimum of training to be a physician.

Most applicants rely on the optimistic hopes of how an adcom will react and I always try to show the pessimistic worst. If you want to apply to medical school then do so. If you want to finish PhD then do so. If all this is because you cant be bothered to retake an MCAT, I think its ridiculous

Thanks again for the response. I’ll have to mull this over. To your last point, I don’t think explicitly trying to avoid taking the MCAT again is at all unreasonable. Just because I survived one round of Russian roulette doesn’t mean I’ll last the next one. That being said, I’m not unwilling to take the MCAT again, if necessary. I’ve only asked these questions so I understand how flexible I can be with my plans in the coming years. I still fully plan to continue on to medicine in the standard timeframe.