mitigating circumstance surrounding MCAT score, please advise

[newno55]

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Hello everyone, and congrats to everyone who has recently finished writing. This was really the hardest time of my life, so much so that about a week or two before my test i could not sleep, could not eat- I lost 15 pounds😕

I have taken the MCAT before (23R), and been through a grueling 4 year undergrad program so I'm no stranger to stressful situations... until this summer.

Part of the reason why this summer was so different was that during the entire spring and summer my father was very ill. We're talking in and out of hospitals with some sudden and some long term illnesses. He actually ended up passing away one week after my june 13th test date. (which make me feel even worse becasue I pretty much shut out my entire family for a about 3 months)

Regardless, I just had a question regarding a exceptional circumstance surrounding my mcat. I always disliked people who made up bull**** excuses on applications or wrote just aobut anything to get ahead (a dead cat or something of that nature)... but I feel that in this situation I really have gone through something rather traumatic.

With a composite score of 29Q (9p, 9v, 11b) I am quite displeased (but realistically my practice scores were between 29-32), but given the circumstances will an admissions committee give me the benefit of the doubt that I could have at least achieved a 30 had I need been in and out of hospitals and worrying aobut my family?

It's only July and I suppose I technically could re-take on August, but I physically/ mentally don't even feel up for it (not to mention that I just got accepted into a graduate masters program for september... which requires preparation in itself)

What do you guys think about a re-take?

 

[Alfred E Newman]

First off, I'm really sorry to hear about your father's passing. My father passed away one week before my college graduation. I understand the depression and stress that follows such a loss.

Secondly, no, I don't think adcoms will care about the circumstances surrounding your MCAT score. We all have stresses, losses, and pressures in our lives to deal with and if adcoms start making considerations based on circumstances it will be a pandora's box. Life sucks and we all have to deal with it whether we like it or not.

Third, I feel your 29 MCAT is solid and I would not retake. The fact you scored right under a 30, despite everything you were going through, is commendable, good job! I wouldn't retake. Be confident that the score will get you in somewhere. You have enough on your plate already and don't need to be worrying about 1-2 more MCAT points. In the big picture of life, this MCAT is really silly. A 29 is solid and I'd move on with my life if I were you.

 

[newno55]

Yikes, I really thought they'd have a little more compassion. I feel like I should have had 30-31 in the bag... and that's why I guess I am a little dissapointed. 29Q really that good? From what I've been reading here, anything below the magical 30 is a retake.

(as for the rest of my app. lets just assume its pretty average. Everyone volunteers, everyone works in some sort of lab, shadows a dr. GPA is low at around 3.3/ 3.4 however.)


And thanks for the kind words, this has really been the worst period of time in my life.

 

[Alfred E Newman]

Yikes, I really thought they'd have a little more compassion. I feel like I should have had 30-31 in the bag... and that's why I guess I am a little dissapointed. 29Q really that good? From what I've been reading here, anything below the magical 30 is a retake.

(as for the rest of my app. lets just assume its pretty average. Everyone volunteers, everyone works in some sort of lab, shadows a dr. GPA is low at around 3.3/ 3.4 however.)


And thanks for the kind words, this has really been the worst period of time in my life.

It's worth a try to be honest in some of your secondaries and explain what was going on in your life when you took the MCAT, but based on adcom members I've met and medical students I've talked to you should start getting used to school administrations lacking sympathy when it comes to academic matters.

Don't let SDN give you a misperception about what most people score on the MCAT. Most people that post here score well and post their scores because they are proud of them. Plenty of people get into med school with below 30 MCAT's. I'd be confident with a 29 MCAT, given you have an above average GPA.

If you feel you can DEFINITELY score better, consider a retake. But you could always score the same or slightly worse which would really be shooting yourself in the foot.

 

[newno55]

It's worth a try to be honest in some of your secondaries and explain what was going on in your life when you took the MCAT, but based on adcom members I've met and medical students I've talked to you should start getting used to school administrations lacking sympathy when it comes to academic matters.

Don't let SDN give you a misperception about what most people score on the MCAT. Most people that post here score well and post their scores because they are proud of them. Plenty of people get into med school with below 30 MCAT's. I'd be confident with a 29 MCAT, given you have an above average GPA.

If you feel you can DEFINITELY score better, consider a retake. But you could always score the same or slightly worse which would really be shooting yourself in the foot.

Scoring worse is unforgivable- or so I've been reading! I SHOULD do better than 29, I know i am capable.... but this test has a way of throwing curveballs at people... so I don't know if it's worth the risk.

Thanks for the advice. I think this score and my app. are worth a shot at least, before I consider re-taking. My GPA is quite low (at least up here in Canada.... where many of the school's in ontario have cut-offs around 3.6-3.7) but I think a M.Sc will help me in that respect.

Anyways, thanks man.

Look forward to what other members have to say as well. (don't be shy!)

 

[stixx]

Congratulations on performing so well despite your loss. A 29 is a doable score for U.S. Allopathic. Unfortunately, as you pointed out, Canadian schools are much more numbers based and you may be automatically screened out at some of them. On the other hand, the Canadian cycle starts later. You could take the MCAT in September and still be very competitive up here.

 

[kalia]

As another Canadian, I suggest you retake. I got the same score as you last year, but a different breakdown, and I was pretty much closed to Queen's, Western, Toronto, you name it. So, I would retake. Also, don't slack on the writing sample. The cutoff for the writing sample at Queen's this year was R, so that just shows you how some schools place quite a bit on WS (in Canada at least).

 

[newno55]

As another Canadian, I suggest you retake. I got the same score as you last year, but a different breakdown, and I was pretty much closed to Queen's, Western, Toronto, you name it. So, I would retake.

Hey there, well thanks for the advice. This is exactly what im trying to see if I can AVOID. I do believe that w/o the added stress this score could have and should have at least been 30? Will the schools see it the same way? I dont know...

That being said, is it worth the stress and time/ money to retake for say a 2 point increase? Ugh

Did you retake? how did you fare?


and to the other poster... I don't think retaking in sept. is an option either, as my graduate program is starting then.

I hope an M.Sc helps me out a little at least :/

 

[kalia]

Hi,

I'm retaking this friday, so...I dunno, I hope I do better! I also believe it's worth it. There's not that many Ontario schools (only ~6), and many of them have rigid MCAT cutoffs (U of T, Queen's, Western). Mac has a wacky admissions system that's based more on luck than anything else, Northern takes ppl mainly from Sudbury, and Ottawa has high GPA cutoffs. So doing well on the MCAT would be very worth it if you live in Ont.

 

[newno55]

Ugh, maybe I will have to end up in the states then. Im a US/Canadian dual citizen, but Canadian resident (if that matters).

thanks everyone for the help

 

[utjsm08]

Ok, I have experienced a similar situation. My father passed away in early February...and my MCAT was May 10th. This was a very stressful time for me but I pushed on as hard as I could...was very disaapointed...ended up with a 29P PS 12 VR 7 BS 10. I decided to re-take on July 10th...but only had a month to study while working a full-time job. It was true that part of it is luck...because my PS this time around was so calculation heavy I could not finish, and my verbal was worse!!! So, I voided, will take my 29, apply, and hope to get in. Remember, the MCAT is just one part of your application (an important part) but there are other academic criteria plus the many other non-academic factors that will make you a "strong" applicant. Good luck!!!

 

[newno55]

Hey Utjsm, thanks for the reply. And sorry for your loss as well. I'm going through the **** right now dealing with it. Maybe im just taking this too seriously, but I really want to be a physician, I really want to be in medical school... and after all the ****ty luck... I just want SOMETHING to swing my way. I don't even know when there'd be time to re-take this test.

I mean 29 is not a terrible score, I know that... but it doesn't exactly shout "pick me, pick me".

I imagine you've had more time to deal with your situation.... any other advice?

 

[smalltowngeek]

Normally, i do not spend much time posting on forums, but your situation compelled me to get off my lazy keaster and write something. I just hope that i don't end up getting crucified for it.

I don't think you should worry so much. I know that everyone on here holds themselves to very high standards on the MCAT (and rightfully so - you should hold yourself to a high standard). That being said, I feel that MCAT and grades can be a little over emphasized at times (mostly by applicants). Yes- they will get you in the door (And honestly, i'm not at all familiar with the canadian school admissions process) but after you get that interview, everyone's on an even field again. A 29 is a respectable score - i know recent MD grads who did worse and they got into good schools. It wouldn't hurt one bit to try this round of apps. If you get in, you're set. If not, then you can cross the retake bridge at that point.

Also remember that a stellar MCAT and GPA is far from a given acceptance. I have met more than one ADCOM member that has said "we have turned down students with a 38 MCAT and 4.0 gpa for students with a 28 and a 3.4." They based this decision on applicant's ability to articulate genuine interest in medicine through exploration. It is too often that people simply assume they will get accepted if they have that high score, and they are disappointed when the denial letter arrives. Also, that's not to say that a good MCAT isn't a good thing and I congratulate those who get good scores – they do have an advantage. I'm also not saying you should settle for a low score if you don't want to. I'm simply saying that the MCAT isn't everything and it says nothing about you as a person, and adcoms what to know who you are, regardless of what people on here tell you. Why else would they interview people.

As far as your personal situation with your father (Extremely sad to hear about that by the way). I think that although some people may sympathize with you, some may think you are trying to make excuses. ADCOMs are not robots hell-bent on admitting students based on only their scores and GPA's (At least not at any school i would want to go to). Again, that's why they have the interview process - they want to know what kind of person you are and if you're fit to practice medicine. High stats do not speak to this whatsoever.

If you want to talk about your father, focus on the positives. Don't relate him to your MCAT score (Again, it could be misconstrued as an excuse). Your experience as a patient's family member, however would make a great personal statement topic - maybe your experience will help you relate to your future patients and their families on a more intimate level. That would be worth talking about, but try to stray from the typical get-the-adcom's-sympathy road that some people try to use. If you tell an honest story and relate it to you motivations for medicine, your admirable motives will be recognized as genuine.

Finally, remember that you have more to offer to med schools than an MCAT score and a gpa – and they will know that as long as you can honestly demonstrate that. If you are authentic in your motivations, you'll be fine.

Sorry for the long post, I just think someone needed to say these things. It's a doozy for my first post.

Good luck with your decision and application process.

 

[StIGMA]

but after you get that interview, everyone's on an even field again.

Great post! This part, however, is more or less untrue at most schools. Check mdapplicants interview vs acceptance... definitely a bias.

Check out schools here: http://mdapplicants.com/selectschool.php

 

[newno55]

Wow, thanks everyone for the kind words. And that was pretty good advice smalltown... If and when I do bring this subject up on an app, I don't want it to come across as shallow, or that I'm pulling at heart strings.

 

[smalltowngeek]

This part, however, is more or less untrue at most schools.

Definitly agree with this. It didn't come across well in my post tho. Also, most of the adcom people i've met are from the western US and are big primary care schools.

 

[DrBowtie]

Don't get down on yourself. 1-2 points aren't going to make a big difference in the long run.

 

[crazynative]

Hello everyone, and congrats to everyone who has recently finished writing. This was really the hardest time of my life, so much so that about a week or two before my test i could not sleep, could not eat- I lost 15 pounds😕

I have taken the MCAT before (23R), and been through a grueling 4 year undergrad program so I'm no stranger to stressful situations... until this summer.

Part of the reason why this summer was so different was that during the entire spring and summer my father was very ill. We're talking in and out of hospitals with some sudden and some long term illnesses. He actually ended up passing away one week after my june 13th test date. (which make me feel even worse becasue I pretty much shut out my entire family for a about 3 months)

Regardless, I just had a question regarding a exceptional circumstance surrounding my mcat. I always disliked people who made up bull**** excuses on applications or wrote just aobut anything to get ahead (a dead cat or something of that nature)... but I feel that in this situation I really have gone through something rather traumatic.

With a composite score of 29Q (9p, 9v, 11b) I am quite displeased (but realistically my practice scores were between 29-32), but given the circumstances will an admissions committee give me the benefit of the doubt that I could have at least achieved a 30 had I need been in and out of hospitals and worrying aobut my family?

It's only July and I suppose I technically could re-take on August, but I physically/ mentally don't even feel up for it (not to mention that I just got accepted into a graduate masters program for september... which requires preparation in itself)

What do you guys think about a re-take?

Seeing as how we are all aspiring to become doctors, I felt compelled to post some sort of reply even though I just took the MCAT, and am probably not the best person to ask advice from. As someone said before there are some narcicistic people on these forums that post their MCAT scores and ask people if it's good enough just so they can feel better about themselves. Obviously you are not in that situation, and I feel like I should at least give my input on this.

I'm really sorry about your loss, and I have no idea what you have gone through. Very few people have. Should you re-take this test or not, you should include this experience in your personal statement on your application. It will probably open a soft spot for some admissions committees.

As for retaking it, I wouldn't do it if I were you because your scores are really balanced and considering the scenario you were in, it's a really good score. I don't think many people can do that given the same scenario as you. I also wouldn't take it because it might bring up memories and in the end you might not be able to concentrate (I hope I am not hurting you when I say this). I say focus on other parts of your application for now. Retaking this test will require a lot out of you, and I wouldn't recommend doing it unless your absolutely sure about increasing your score. Good luck!!

 

[newno55]

Alright hey everyone, well thanks for all the kind words. Feeling a little better about everything thats been going on. I was really freaked out for a while there.

Moving onto a M.Sc this september so it's time to think about other things. I don't think I'll be retaking with my 29 either- I've had enough. Maybe after my M.Sc if things still haven't panned out... I will see then... but its too much right now. Sucks that it couldn't have been even 1 point higher as that was my goal. Especially being from Canada where its so hard to get in... I feel like this 29 is nothing special :/

Anyways, like I said already Thanks for the support and I make sure to check back on SDN every now and then 🙂

see ya!