MCATS: 3-5-6-Q

[IwannaBeADOCTOR]

Hello, as you can see I am in need of some desprate help....

My MCATS are worthless (3-5-6). I have an awsome GPA and a Degree in Biology. What should I do to get my MCATS around 8's?? I took Princton (with 12 credits that semester). I'm a URM, English is my 3rd language. I also work 40 hrs/week. SHould I enroll in a post-bacc, master's program, get a private tutor for the MCATS? I'll do anything.

Any advice? PLease only serious people reply.

Thanks, Kathy

---

Members don't see this ad.

 

[Deoxynando]

You mentioned that English is your 3rd language. Are you implying that you have great difficulties with English? That would explain the 3 in Verbal, and possibly your other scores since you have to read passages for most of the questions. However, you did get a "Q" on your writing section so I am not convinced that English is a problem for you -- you can obviously write/communicate well in English.

Build up your test taking skills. Apparently, Princeton Review didn't help, yet you implied that you were busy with a 12 credit class schedule and working 40h/wk. You don't need a Post-Bacc since you claim to have an awesome GPA, and a private tutor will be very expensive. Try enrolling in a review course again and this time dedicate yourself to the MCATs as much as you can. I suspect that you reviewed the material but didn't give yourself time to take practice exams. I can't emphasize how important it is to take practice exams because they will show you where your weaknesses are.

 

[Doc321]

I'm sorry to be so negative, but I assume you want a realistic answer. I have heard of people getting 10's and maybe a 6 on one section taking it over and increasing, and I read about someone who had 6's and 7's increasing to the mid twenties. However, usually people with scores as low as yours on ALL sections end up throwing away a significant portion of their life trying to do something they can't do and not succeeding in what they want to do. You say you had a high GPA in college, and I assume since English is your 3rd language it's because you had plenty of time to study and all you did was study. Well you won't have that kind of time in Med School. You are going to get 10X the amount of work in half the amount of time. Others on this board might tell you to keep chasing your dreams and never quit and other kinds of encouraging things to make you feel good. I don't mean to insult you, but I think realistic advice is better for you in the long run than some optimistic advice to make you feel good for the immediate future. If you have unlimited financial supply and time, by all means keep trying if you want to. But if you don't have an endless supply of money (as most of us don't) then check out some PA programs or foreign med schools.

 

[Ryu]

I totally DO not agree with the above post at ALL! What an ignorant post!! Think before you write next time. I am not talking how the original poster will feel after reading your post; I am talking about life in general. How can you say that he should just give his dream of life just by one measuring of one test even this test constitute major portion of med school application. He can retake the second time and get 20 if he study hard enough, and then he can take the third time and get 25. As an URM who show such level of dedication toward the dream of helping others while under the process of improving oneself significant, don't tell me you won't grant him at least an interview to see this applicant, and probably this person when he applies after three MCAT will only be 26 years old. And it's not that he has an 1.9 GPA; he already has awesome gpa which I think, umm. how about 3.7? With more clinical experiences, hey, I won't be surprised at all if he gets in, and he is an URM too!
So, if I become a medical student admission committee member, I will definitely grant him an interview if he has shown what I have described.
Side note: Meharry in Tennessee only have an average of 7 in each section, that comes to an average of 21.
Final note: without knowing much about how real life is, and then make such note really show you how immature your thinking process is. ok, I take back the ignorant part.

 

[gower]

Are you near any one of the three Michigan medical schools? Or even one in a nearby state. If you tell me which one, I may able to tell you who to talk with at the medical school about your situation. I assume you know the difference between a statistical minority, which by now includes everyone in the US, and the URM definition.

 

[IwannaBeADOCTOR]

Hello----I live near all 3 medical schools in MICHINGAN, they are around the area.

Who do I speak to? THanks, Kathy

 

[Doc321]

First off you could call me ignorant or all the other names you could think of all you want. When you show me a person who has been admitted to med school in the past 5 years with numbers that low, then the name calling will be justified. I am not saying the original poster was dumb. I did not tell her to give up her 'dreams'. Even if she does raise her score to a 28 (which from almost a single digit score is incredible), that still wouldn't be considered competitive at allopathic schools in the country. I know people who have gotten into foreign schools with 15's. I also said to consider a PA program, which will still allow her to 'help people' which is what this whole thing is about, right? Now if those low scores were truly due to a language barrier, then learning English fluently should be her #1 priority. In that case, taking the test again would be beneficial. Also if the low scores were from a lack of studying then studying harder would be a solution to taking it again. You can't solve a problem if you don't know why the problem exists in the first place. She has to ask herself WHY she got such low scores.

 

[fzy]

Hi,
Kathy, take the MCAT again and concentrate on your verble. I came to the US in 1998 after finishing my medical degree in China. When I took the diagnosis test at Kaplan, I got 4,12,9. My verble stink! So I spent a lot of time reading. Don't just read, time yourself and read the most boring and difficult articles. Get as many MCAT verble passages as you can, but don't do them till the last two months. I was doing 20 passages a day for one month before my MCAT. I gave myself 90 min. for 10 passages. I took the MCAT at Aug. 1999 and got 8,12,11. My verble still stink, but I know people got in with the same score. I have done all the prep. materials from Princton, Berkeley, and Kaplan. Princton review has the best verble prep., but its science preps are just ok. Kaplan has the best prep test, but they don't teach you basic science. So if you try Kaplan then learn the science by yourself.They only help you to be familiar with the test and improve your test taking skill. Berkeley is bad but better than nothing! My suggestion: take Kaplan and try to get Princton and berkely materials. If possible cut down your work. You really need at least three months to ace the test. Aim high,8s are not gonna get you too far. With hard work, you can do it. I didn't apply to med school cause my score won't get me into the top schools. I will go to dental school this year. reading skill is very important in med school. Med school can teach you science but it won't teach you how to read. Good luck!