MCAT score

[docE15]

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[deleted407021]

Have you taken the MCAT, yet?

 

[docE15]

No, I will be taking it at the end of this year/beginning of 2016 and apply to matriculate in 2017. But I am a terrible test-taker and really doubt I can get higher than a 30 from practice tests I've taken before. I think the actual question here is can a high GPA balance an average MCAT?

 

[user3]

Hello all,

I calculated my AACOMAS GPA and found that it is much different (higher) than I thought it was. My bachelor's is in Health Sciences so for the AACOMAS, many of the classes I took count in science GPA (nutrition, epidemiology, pathology). So far it is 3.81 science/3.85 cumulative. But for AMCAS it is around ~3.5. Anyways, I was wondering for DO schools, what MCAT score will I have a pretty good chance with that GPA? Will a 27 suffice?

if you score at least a 23 you will have a great chance of getting at least 1 acceptance. I even saw someone with lower GPA's and a 21 get an acceptance this year. If you score a 25 you will have interviews coming out of your ears.

Just don't bomb it and you will be good to go.

 

[dangitandy]

User3, would you have any recommendations for schools if you have around a 24 MCAT?

 

[BobaBoba]

I am health science too. It is awesome how much my sGPA just spiked with this new classification system AACOMAS is using. I don't get why they are suddenly letting us put all these crazy classes into "other science" but it definitely works out for us being health science majors. I could use a couple sGPA points for my MD application 🙂

 

[user3]

User3, would you have any recommendations for schools if you have around a 24 MCAT?

http://forums.studentdoctor.net/threads/msar-for-do.1115265/#post-16055436

 

[Dr Tony T. Chopper]

if you score at least a 23 you will have a great chance of getting at least 1 acceptance. I even saw someone with lower GPA's and a 21 get an acceptance this year. If you score a 25 you will have interviews coming out of your ears.

Just don't bomb it and you will be good to go.

21 MCAT, now that is an underdawg..

 

[deleted407021]

-_- y'all need to do some reading on the new scoring system of the MCAT. All this discussion is essentially meaningless now that the 2015 MCAT is in play.
https://www.aamc.org/students/download/378098/data/mcat2015scorescaleguide.pdf

 

[user3]

21 MCAT, now that is an underdawg..

even with a 21, I bet that with a very broad, early application with >3.8 GPA's, chances would still be better than 50/50.

 

[karling]

even with a 21, I bet that with a very broad, early application with >3.8 GPA's, chances would still be better than 50/50.

What about someone with a 3.2/26 who applies to every DO school not named LUCOM?

 

[DetectiveAlonzo]

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[ananasmed]

Are you sure you want to do medicine? You DO know that Medical School is all pretty much standardized tests right? Have you heard of the COMLEX and USMLE?

You are unreasonably grumpy today.

 

[Goro]

IF you have test taking anxiety issues, these can be fixed. For some DO schools, a higher GPA does seem to balance out a low MCAT. Not my school, alas.

Be forewarned that a very low MCAT (equivalent of 24 and less) is a risk factor for failing out of med school, or failing boards.

No, I will be taking it at the end of this year/beginning of 2016 and apply to matriculate in 2017. But I am a terrible test-taker and really doubt I can get higher than a 30 from practice tests I've taken before. I think the actual question here is can a high GPA balance an average MCAT?

 

[spenguin]

No, I will be taking it at the end of this year/beginning of 2016 and apply to matriculate in 2017. But I am a terrible test-taker and really doubt I can get higher than a 30 from practice tests I've taken before. I think the actual question here is can a high GPA balance an average MCAT?

How long have you been practicing for the MCAT? Just taking practice tests improves your score. My score probably went up ~5 points from studying +prac tests.
The first practice test is not a good indicator of your score for most people.
Take the time to brush up on areas where you are weak and get used to the test format (types of questions and also, how much time to spend on each question)

I'm always confused on how people get low 20s but got As on pre-req classes. If you understood the material for classes, you should be getting a decent chunk of the answers correctly

 

[user3]

What about someone with a 3.2/26 who applies to every DO school not named LUCOM?

read this:

You will be completely fine. Let me tell you my very fast story... And if you want you could probably find my WAMC post. My stats going into this round were 3.2 cgpa and sgpa with a 26 mcat . I then retook the mcat in August and got a 29. Pre-new mcat I received around 7 II And post I was closer to 10-11 and at the end of the day around 7 acceptances. I am not telling this story to brag but to give you hope that you will be just fine. Apply broadly and be open to anything.

 

[deleted407021]

How long have you been practicing for the MCAT? Just taking practice tests improves your score. My score probably went up ~5 points from studying +prac tests.
The first practice test is not a good indicator of your score for most people.
Take the time to brush up on areas where you are weak and get used to the test format (types of questions and also, how much time to spend on each question)

I'm always confused on how people get low 20s but got As on pre-req classes. If you understood the material for classes, you should be getting a decent chunk of the answers correctly

The MCAT is totally different as an exam than how the vast majority of people are tested in their prereqs. Just knowing the material won't cut it, you have to be able to draw from various disciplines and skill sets in order to solve problems, which most people don't have practice doing, probably explaining the discrepancy you see.

 

[IslandStyle808]

How long have you been practicing for the MCAT? Just taking practice tests improves your score. My score probably went up ~5 points from studying +prac tests.
The first practice test is not a good indicator of your score for most people.
Take the time to brush up on areas where you are weak and get used to the test format (types of questions and also, how much time to spend on each question)

I'm always confused on how people get low 20s but got As on pre-req classes. If you understood the material for classes, you should be getting a decent chunk of the answers correctly

Nope. A good chunk of undergrad tests are 1st degree tests of pure memory, with a few 2nd degree questions here and there. The MCAT requires a far greater amount of critical thinking and 2nd degree questions are the norm with a few 3rd degree questions.

 

[spenguin]

The MCAT is totally different as an exam than how the vast majority of people are tested in their prereqs. Just knowing the material won't cut it, you have to be able to draw from various disciplines and skill sets in order to solve problems, which most people don't have practice doing, probably explaining the discrepancy you see.

Nope. A good chunk of undergrad tests are 1st degree tests of pure memory, with a few 2nd degree questions here and there. The MCAT requires a far greater amount of critical thinking and 2nd degree questions are the norm with a few 3rd degree questions.

I don't know. I think my critical thinking skills are pretty good because that was never an issue for me. I was always struggling with learning the material because there was so much of it (like Kaplan book of high yield bio stuff included fetal heart and circulation which I stupidly wasted time memorizing) and I didnt learn it properly in classes (plus never took anatomy or physio)

But still, there are a chunk of questions that are straight forward. And even if your not used to that type of testing, with all the practice tests you take, you adapt.
And a lot of my undergrad classes required critical thinking/ werent simple memorization.

TLDR: I can see why some people innately do better than others (crit thinking skills, staying calm during tests)

If you do badly in verbal, I understand because its hard to improve
Or if you choke during the exam and get a lower score then prac tests, I get it, its really stressful

But being a doctor is going to require crit thinking