New MCAT and it's affects on my old scores

[RabinarthTagore]

Ok, so I took the MCAT 2x (23, 25), I didn't study at all, was having personal problems.


Let's say that I get a decent score on the new MCAT (75th Percentile or higher), because Medical Schools haven't tweaked their systems and gotten accustomed to the new MCAT, will they put more of a focus on my old scores? Like, am I eternally screwed?

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[tofuuu]

Regardless, you need to re-take the MCAT.
Don't worry about what you can't control. Just focus on figuring out what you need to do to do well on the exam this time around.

 

[deleted445355]

AAMC lists which test forms both med schools accept. All med students except maybe 1 or 2 said they will accept both forms of the test. If they say they accept both forms, then that means they will focus on the new MCAT whether or not they are accustomed to it. Some people apply with just the new MCAT, so they have to use the score presented to them so I wouldn't worry about that. Most med schools either 1) Take the average of scores 2) Look at most recent scores (this is the most common) or 3) take best scores from each section (least common). If you've taken two forms of the MCAT, they can't average the scores because the test is in different forms and they can't just take the best scores from each section because you attempted 3 times but with different MCAT formats. Med schools will most likely then just take your most recent MCAT, which is the new one you plan on taking. I kinda think it's almost advantageous to take the new one if you have a bad score on the old because you almost leave them with no choice but to take the newer and better score. Just my opinion though....take it with a grain of salt. I am not an admissions officer but if I was on admissions, that's how I would think because it makes logical sense.

 

[claduva94]

A 75th percentile probably won't cut it for MD. Given your past MCAT scores you should realistically be shooting for the 90th. And I realize that is far easier said than done.

 

[RabinarthTagore]

A 75th percentile probably won't cut it for MD. Given your past MCAT scores you should realistically be shooting for the 90th. And I realize that is far easier said than done.

Yeah I'm trying to do many things different (taking a prep course, studying 4 months in advance), so maybe I'll hit 90th, who knows. For my first 2, I literally did 0 work, nothing like I should've.

And I know it's useless to worry about this, but I do. I want to go to an MD school so badly.

 

[Goro]

I wouldn't say that you're screwed, but it doesn't bode well. Your wishful thinking doesn't help.

Ok, so I took the MCAT 2x (23, 25), I didn't study at all, was having personal problems.


Let's say that I get a decent score on the new MCAT (75th Percentile or higher), because Medical Schools haven't tweaked their systems and gotten accustomed to the new MCAT, will they put more of a focus on my old scores? Like, am I eternally screwed?

 

[RabinarthTagore]

I wouldn't say that you're screwed, but it doesn't bode well. Your wishful thinking doesn't help.

So some schools say in their FAQ "Only Most Recent Scores Are Considered." Is that for real, or do they look at number of times MCAT was taken?

And why do you not think it doesn't bode well? Rationale?

Thanks!

 

[Goro]

If they say they'll look at only the last one, I'll take that at face value. But, the caveat will be that some members of the Adcom will ague that a recent good score is a fluke, and the earlier worse scores are more typical of one's test-taking abilities. I don't buy into that, I don't believe in luck where the MCAT is concerned, and do believe in good prepping. But I do think poor choice making is a factor in choosing an applicant, and I get worried when someone would say, like you "I didn't study at all, was having personal problems."

My comment on things not boding well was based upon your naivete that med schools would look at the familiar old, instead of the unfamiliar new. We know how to read percentiles.

So some schools say in their FAQ "Only Most Recent Scores Are Considered." Is that for real, or do they look at number of times MCAT was taken?

And why do you not think it doesn't bode well? Rationale?

Thanks!

 

[Silverflash]

I think you're worrying about the wrong thing. If you're serious about being a doctor, you need to be worrying about your next MCAT. It's essentially your last chance (very low success rate with more than two bad scores) and you're gonna need to crush it to prove that you have what it takes.

 

[dkr34]

You're not eternally screwed. Believe it or not, I know a current resident who took her MCAT 4 or 5 times. (DON'T do this). After the second time, I probably would've given up but you want to stay motivated!! Stuff happens, yes, and family issues/personal struggles do hold us back, but don't let those things dictate the future. You are in charge of your future 30+ score on the MCAT and you want to make sure that you achieve that.

Start studying NOW, you can do this! Make sure that you familiarize yourself completely with the new format of the exam, and get help! SDN is a great resource, but there are a ton of others out there. I'm prepping for the MCAT right now and have a laundry list of resources. Feel free to PM me,