MCAT, two sections not double digits..suggestions?

[owenmichael]

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[anomic]

IMO that is stupid. I would apply and get into a school this year. Your dream of going to a 'top' school is ridiculous since middle tier schools also place VERY well in residencies which is all you should care about. As you seem to be a smart and motivated person, I am sure you can get any residency from any middle tier school if you tried.

If I had your stats, I would apply this year! Don't be that pre-med who is a number/name recognition *****.

 

[jc11011]

I feel your pain. I went through the same thing last year with the same MCAT score (all other things being fine) and decided to take a year off between college and med school to make sure I'd have a chance at my top choices. I retook the MCAT, improved 8 points, and really couldn't be happier about my decision.

After all, it's not necessarily about being a number/name *****, but being in a place where you know you'll be happy and proud of your school.

 

[owenmichael]

I feel your pain. I went through the same thing last year with the same MCAT score (all other things being fine) and decided to take a year off between college and med school to make sure I'd have a chance at my top choices. I retook the MCAT, improved 8 points, and really couldn't be happier about my decision.

After all, it's not necessarily about being a number/name *****, but being in a place where you know you'll be happy and proud of your school.

thank you for the advice, ANY more experiences or suggestions from fellow SDN'ers?

 

[silas2642]

The thing is, even if you do score a 40 on your MCAT re-take, there's still a good chance that you might not get accepted to Harvard, Cornell, or any of the other ivy-league schools. They deny acceptance to people with great stats all the time. Remember that numbers aren't everything, and neither is the name/prestige of a school. Which reminds me, why are you obsessed with getting into a "top ranked" school?

 

[owenmichael]

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[DrBowtie]

If you are into Public Health name especially won't matter.

 

[owenmichael]

If you are into Public Health name especially won't matter.

bump, any more advice from anyone........???

 

[Lorrayne]

If you decided to take a year off, have you thought about what you would do (other than study for the MCAT)? The "top-tier" med schools are definitely going to want to see that you did something worthwhile. If not, you may risk hurting your overall application. Just a thought...

 

[TheMightyAngus]

If you are into Public Health name especially won't matter.

Is there any field where name is particularly important?

 

[DrBowtie]

Academia more than anything else.

 

[TheMightyAngus]

Academia more than anything else.

Given that no one gets an academic position straight outta med school, going to a reputable residency program is more important in terms of an academic career than a brand name med school. Residency programs are fair game no matter where you went to med school (provided you are AOA, published, etc.).

 

[CTSballer11]

Given that no one gets an academic position straight outta med school, going to a reputable residency program is more important in terms of an academic career than a brand name med school. Residency programs are fair game no matter where you went to med school (provided you are AOA, published, etc.).

yea this is a good point that a lot of premeds fail to realize. In order to get into a top residency program you need board scores, class rank, AOA status, research work, honor rotations. Medical school name will only get you so far. In private practice a brand name medical school is not going to do much for you, you need business skills and you have to be friendly with your referal base.

OP, if I were you I would apply now and see what happens.

 

[bigdan]

Apply now, OP. I was 11, 9, 9 and was accepted at eight schools, including Rochester and Emory (admittedly not the heavy hitters you're looking for).

My guess is that you'll be fine. If you are into the "top tier" game, look at the school averages. But remember that if the "average" is 33 MCAT, some folks certainly scored above that, and some folks certainly scored below that. The name is most definitely nice to flaunt around; be sure to think whether the price tag is worth what you're looking for.

Good luck in whatever you choose.

dc