Multiple <500 MCAT scores, do I still have a chance?

[clinical999]

Long story short I graduated from a top 10 undergrad in 2019, went back to school to finish my prerequisites while working a clinical job at a large academic center. Have taken the MCAT 4x and scored below 500 each time. My practice test averages were above 510 before each attempt and I had months between each retake, I think I just have really bad test anxiety. I applied last year and had one II but got rejected. I am reapplying and have 4000 hours of paid clinical experience + good DO LOR this time around. Wondering If I have a chance at any DO school, please advise me on what to do. Thank you.

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[FutureDoctor5000]

Long story short I graduated from a top 10 undergrad in 2019, went back to school to finish my prerequisites while working a clinical job at a large academic center. Have taken the MCAT 4x and scored below 500 each time (491,491,496,493). My practice test averages were above 510 before each attempt and I had months between each retake, I think I just have really bad test anxiety. I applied last year and had one II but got rejected. I am reapplying and have 4000 hours of paid clinical experience + good DO LOR this time around. Wondering If I have a chance at any DO school, please advise me on what to do. Thank you.

You can throw in an app to the newest DO schools like the brand new ones. The established DO’s that have graduated more than a few classes are out of the picture, they average 3.4-3.5 gpa and 504-505 mcat. What was your core and science gpa?

 

[Doc_Ock]

Yikes, not gonna lie that's pretty bad. It would be one thing if you showed an upward trend but this would scare adcoms into thinking you might bomb your board exams even if you were a bright student.

 

[Goro]

Long story short I graduated from a top 10 undergrad in 2019, went back to school to finish my prerequisites while working a clinical job at a large academic center. Have taken the MCAT 4x and scored below 500 each time (491,491,496,493). My practice test averages were above 510 before each attempt and I had months between each retake, I think I just have really bad test anxiety. I applied last year and had one II but got rejected. I am reapplying and have 4000 hours of paid clinical experience + good DO LOR this time around. Wondering If I have a chance at any DO school, please advise me on what to do. Thank you.

Test anxiety is fixable. You need to get this out of the way before you could even think about attending a medical school.

 

[Goro]

You can throw in an app to the newest DO schools like the brand new ones. The established DO’s that have graduated more than a few classes are out of the picture, they average 3.4-3.5 gpa and 504-505 mcat. What was your core and science gpa?

I strongly disagree with this advice, because the newest schools will be the least likely to have the resources to help out the o p.

It's like throwing someone to the sharks

 

[Doc_Ock]

I strongly disagree with this advice, because the newest schools will be the least likely to have the resources to help out the o p.

It's like throwing someone to the sharks

^ This. While they may have lower standards and more likely to admit you (odds are still pretty bad though) you probably wouldn't make it through.

 

[navdeep_1992]

Regarding your AAMC practice exams, Are you taking breaks, looking up answers/remembering them from previous attempts? It makes sense to go from 510 to 504 due to test anxiety but not a drastic drop like to 490s.

I can’t recommend attending even if you got in (DO or Caribbean). Medical education is only getting tougher and exams don’t stop after the MCAT. If you can get a 505+ then go for it

 

[Calizboosted76]

I would suggest that you stop taking the MCAT until your test anxiety is fixed. Once you fix the testing anxiety then try a retake but you need to be 100% SURE that the anxiety is under control.

I am in my first year of school and the amount of tests, quizzes, etc is something you don't want to go into with testing anxiety. As Goro likes to say, medical schools aren't going anywhere. Take care of anything and everything that you can before you begin at ANY medical school.

 

[clinical999]

Regarding your AAMC practice exams, Are you taking breaks, looking up answers/remembering them from previous attempts? It makes sense to go from 510 to 504 due to test anxiety but not a drastic drop like to 490s.

I can’t recommend attending even if you got in (DO or Caribbean). Medical education is only getting tougher and exams don’t stop after the MCAT. If you can get a 505+ then go for it

took them under real testing conditions, lowest I have ever scored which was my first practice test was a 503, the rest were around 510

 

[clinical999]

You can throw in an app to the newest DO schools like the brand new ones. The established DO’s that have graduated more than a few classes are out of the picture, they average 3.4-3.5 gpa and 504-505 mcat. What was your core and science gpa?

cgpa is 3.6X, sgpa is 3.7X

 

[pink92]

cgpa is 3.6X, sgpa is 3.7X

Just as everyone before has been saying, if you can't manage your test anxiety, it'll be better not to go to medical school for now. If you think you have bad test anxiety for the MCAT, just imagine the USMLE. Step 1 is P/F now so it won't matter as much (unless you fail) but I'm sure they'll just start using Step 2 CK to determine residencies and both are pretty monster tests.

If you're okay going to a Family Med program in an undesirable location then by all means, go to medical school now and become a huge ball of stress as you study your ass off every day trying to pass/get decent grades (depending on your school) but if you can't manage to do decently on the MCAT, your exam scores in med school or residency will likely not be that much better unless your test anxiety is fixed. It'd be much, much worse to fail out of medical school or fail any Step exam than to delay application/attendance until you get better at standardized exams.

Sorry if I sound a little mean. I'm just giving you my experience as a current M3. Besides, there are tons of non-trad students out there, myself included, so there's no shame in delaying.

 

[Mr.Smile12]

For a completely different tack: Try podiatry?

 

[Doc_Ock]

I know how it feels to not be able to do really well on that dam thing. I've been there, I know. But I can summarize all of this in one sentence:

Ignore everyone.

I know this is incredibly difficult but you need to stay in your own lane. Focus on yourself.

I had a pretty decent gpa and a well below average MCAT. Everyone told me I wouldn't get in. I read through these threads day and night losing sleep day after day, often crying... and you know what? I GOT IN. Screw everyone. Work hard, send letters to programs, get great recs, show your eagerness on interviews. You will get to where you want by your tenacity. Period. It may take longer than expected or may not be your dream school... but if becoming a DOCTOR is your dream, none of that will matter.

I wrote this book for people like you and I. I hope it brings you some encouragement. Best of luck.
Amazon product

... Btw, your mcat will have no correlation to your board score. I was terrified about that... zero correlation

Advice from someone who immediately tries to sell you something is pretty much always garbage.

 

[deleted314957]

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