Overwhelmed with Uncertainty

[Machine33]

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Hey guys,

I could really use some advice right now. Long story short this is my third retake and its in the high teens and progressively scored one point less since last year (20, 19, 18). I've scored from the 23-26 on TBR tests and Princeton tests, and my highest(most recent) AAMC test was a 27. I have problems focusing for some reason on the real test (i.e my eyes will follow along with the words but I will be thinking about how I know I should be paying attention and understanding the passage, or how bad I need to make a big improvement, or how embarrassing it will be if I bomb it AGAIN, etc while really I'm comprehending nothing) and I know that now but I don't know whether to retake (hopefully after I get some aderoll or find a way to focus better) and wait another whole year with the hopes of going DO, or applying to the Caribbeans. Or is there is any chance I can get into a DO school this year?

My EC's are very good, my cumulative gpa is a 3.77, and I have really good letters. MCAT is the only thing holding me down and I know that but I don't know what to do from here on out.

Thank you so much for any help everyone, I really appreciate it.

 

[IDFsoldierboy]

Hey guys,

I could really use some advice right now. Long story short this is my third retake and its in the high teens and progressively scored one point less since last year (20, 19, 18). I've scored from the 23-26 on TBR tests and Princeton tests, and my highest(most recent) AAMC test was a 27. I have problems focusing for some reason on the real test (i.e my eyes will follow along with the words but I will be thinking about how I know I should be paying attention and understanding the passage, or how bad I need to make a big improvement, or how embarrassing it will be if I bomb it AGAIN, etc while really I'm comprehending nothing) and I know that now but I don't know whether to retake (hopefully after I get some aderoll or find a way to focus better) and wait another whole year with the hopes of going DO, or applying to the Caribbeans. Or is there is any chance I can get into a DO school this year?

My EC's are very good, my cumulative gpa is a 3.77, and I have really good letters. MCAT is the only thing holding me down and I know that but I don't know what to do from here on out.

Thank you so much for any help everyone, I really appreciate it.

personally if you are scoring like that you might want to rethink your career goals because the mcat isnt the only standardized exam you will be taking...you will be taking standardized exams throughout your life and they have shown correlation b/w the mcat and the usmle...if you cant focus for 1 what makes you think you can focus for the other...i hope this doesnt come out too mean...i am more hoping to save you from huge debt if you end up going carib and not being able to pass the usmle
i highly doubt youll get into a DO school with a sub-20 score....the only thing else i can think of is to maybe see if you have ADD/ADHD and look into taking the mcat with non-standard conditions (i dont know how all that jazz goes so youd have to research it)

 

[Mbeas]

Or is there is any chance I can get into a DO school this year?

No. And, quite frankly, getting into the big 4 schools (the only ones worth attending IMO) in the Caribs may be difficult. Scoring this low shows a fundamental lack of basic science principles. You need to re-evaluate your study/testing strategy and seek extra help if needed.

Don't give up. You'll probably regret it.

Also, don't think of this test as an obstacle. Think of it as your chance to shine and show off your knowledge.

 

[Machine33]

No it didn't come off as mean at all and I appreciate your honesty and I agree with you. I have thought that several times but what makes me think that I can still overcome this beast is that I have never had this problem before. I graduated from college acing tests left and right. Obviously this is no ordinary test but I can't get past my nerves. Like my practice tests are almost right where they need to be. I heard (and of course that doesn't necessarily make it true) from most of the doctors I've spoken with that the MCAT was the hardest part in their path and the boards weren't much compared to it. Do any schools look at the best score vs most recent score?

 

[Iliketoytles]

Hey Machine,

This is an interesting issue you have. Your GPA is pretty solid, so clearly you can handle taking actual exams and regular coursework.

I'm trying to put myself in your mindset. I feel like if I screwed up my first MCAT, I'd want to retake it ASAP so I can get the score and see if I did better. I think that's what you did. I could be wrong about this, but I feel your problem is that after your first exam, you are taking the following ones too quickly because you're nervous and just want to retake it and do better. This is working against you, since it seems you are being too hasty to retake the exams before you're prepared. You shouldn't have even taken it the first time if you've only been scoring 23-26 on the practice exams.

This has nothing to do with your intellect, and everything to do with your nerves and not evaluating the situation and thinking properly. I don't think you need to reevaluate going to medical school, since this is clearly a mental thing. You need to overcome it though. As I said before, clearly you know your stuff since you have a pretty solid GPA.

You have to have control over your mind and stop psyching yourself out. This is an example of test anxiety. You need to train yourself to stop thinking bad thoughts during the exam.

The reason I'm ranting on this so much is because it's obvious you can handle regular exams... but don't let this standardized exam (and the ones you take in the future) defeat you. You'll be making a huge mistake! Learn to control your mind and overcome your anxiety. A counselor helped a friend of mine with his test anxiety. Again, it's all mental.

Good luck bro. 😎

 

[IDFsoldierboy]

No it didn't come off as mean at all and I appreciate your honesty and I agree with you. I have thought that several times but what makes me think that I can still overcome this beast is that I have never had this problem before. I graduated from college acing tests left and right. Obviously this is no ordinary test but I can't get past my nerves. Like my practice tests are almost right where they need to be. I heard (and of course that doesn't necessarily make it true) from most of the doctors I've spoken with that the MCAT was the hardest part in their path and the boards weren't much compared to it. Do any schools look at the best score vs most recent score?

i think they "look" at your best but will def see all of them and will scratch their heads over it...and even then its still too low for DO schools...with 3 new DO schools hoping to open in 2013 you MIGHT be able to get in 1 of them...since you would be in the inaugral class its impossible to tell what they are going to try and set the avg at or if they will set min MCAT scores
personally i dont recommend carib schools...with new DO schools new MD schools and not many new residency spots opening up you will find yourself in a bad spot because of the bad reps they have been getting with residency directors looking at DO students over carib students...I have heard my dad (whos director at his hospital) and several other doctors (1 who has a son looking at them) mention polish medical schools maybe you should look at it

 

[Machine33]

Thanks Mbeas, that is an awesome way to look at it. I really don't want to let go of my dream and that's why I'm considering the Caribbeans. I wouldn't want to go over there unless I got into one of the big 4 since I have heard atrocious things about the other 56 lol. My buddy got into St. George's over with a 19 and 20 under his belt and I'm pretty sure my GPA is a little better than his. I know I shouldn't want to rush so bad only being 22 years old but this is another year that my life remains on pause. It's just frustrating, I guess. What do you mean by "extra help if needed"?

 

[Mbeas]

Thanks Mbeas, that is an awesome way to look at it. I really don't want to let go of my dream and that's why I'm considering the Caribbeans. I wouldn't want to go over there unless I got into one of the big 4 since I have heard atrocious things about the other 56 lol. My buddy got into St. George's over with a 19 and 20 under his belt and I'm pretty sure my GPA is a little better than his. I know I shouldn't want to rush so bad only being 22 years old but this is another year that my life remains on pause. It's just frustrating, I guess. What do you mean by "extra help if needed"?

No problem. By "extra help if needed", I mean tutoring, help with test anxiety (if that's the problem), or seeking a structured MCAT class. It's good to address these things now because we have many more standardized tests in our future.

Check out the MCAT Discussions subsection for lots and lots of extra help (http://forums.studentdoctor.net/forumdisplay.php?f=31).

 

[Machine33]

Iliketoytles,

Your words have inspired me man, I am definitely taking everything you said to heart. I am definitely psyching myself out and if seeing a shrink is something I must do to help train myself than so be it lol I wish I wouldn't have rushed now but since going back isn't an option I guess I have no other choice than to retake next year. I hope the 4th time is the charm! & I guess carib schools are out of the option now than. Do you know (soldierboy) where these new schools are opening up?

 

[Machine33]

Mbeas,

Oh okay, yeah I definitely need something. I took the class last year but didn't really do much of the hw. Funny how that led me to my best score lol I completely agree though. I want to do anything and every thing in my power to make sure these mistakes are taken care of now.

 

[Iliketoytles]

Mbeas,

Oh okay, yeah I definitely need something. I took the class last year but didn't really do much of the hw. Funny how that led me to my best score lol I completely agree though. I want to do anything and every thing in my power to make sure these mistakes are taken care of now.

Yeah there's nothing wrong with seeking outside help for test anxiety. It's a serious thing that needs to be address, but it's better to not be doing well because of test anxiety than because you don't know the material, you know?

Anyway, stay at it. One of the SDN legends Noshie took the MCAT like 5 times, and she was recently accepted. Determination and acknowledging your weakness (and then DOING something about it) are the keys. 🙂

Head up, and push forward. 👍

 

[IDFsoldierboy]

Iliketoytles,

Your words have inspired me man, I am definitely taking everything you said to heart. I am definitely psyching myself out and if seeing a shrink is something I must do to help train myself than so be it lol I wish I wouldn't have rushed now but since going back isn't an option I guess I have no other choice than to retake next year. I hope the 4th time is the charm! & I guess carib schools are out of the option now than. Do you know (soldierboy) where these new schools are opening up?

someone posted on here about it...the only 1 i actually looked at the website is marian university in indianpolis but the others mentioned is campbell university and university of southern alabama in the thread but didnt look at websites or anything....now i feel bad that i was the only 1 being negative lol

 

[Machine33]

I have Noshie's post bookmarked haha she definitely made me realize things could always be worse. But yeah I totally agree, I just am so glad someone on here acknowledges that its anxiety vs lack of preparation. I was worried I would get eaten alive by posting this so you single-handedly made me feel better lol I was studying with my cousin who took it with me and I literally would explain EVERYTHING to her and scored better than her on all the tests we took but yet she gets a better score than me. Not to knock on her at all but I know I was more prepared than she was so that has to say something.

 

[Machine33]

someone posted on here about it...the only 1 i actually looked at the website is marian university in indianpolis but the others mentioned is campbell university and university of southern alabama in the thread but didnt look at websites or anything....now i feel bad that i was the only 1 being negative lol

haha its okay man, you were being honest and there's nothing wrong with that. If you would have said "Give up, are you a rah-****?" it'd be slightly different. But you answered my question, so thank you.

 

[ParacrineAgent]

Machine,

Throughout my undergrad I have several advisers and a few teachers tell me that I was not smart enough to get into medical school and I should give up. (It was Freshman and Sophomore years mostly.) I went on to salvage my GPA and do moderately well (but not amazing) on the MCAT. Now I am accepted to one DO school and have another interview coming up.

My point is, I lost a lot of sleep over the uncertainty and I want you to know that if being a doctor is what you KNOW that you want to do.. it is not a question of IF you get in, but WHEN you get it. You know you are going to make it, now you just have to find out how. Take a breath, come up with a plan, and do great.

 

[Iliketoytles]

Machine,
My point is, I lost a lot of sleep over the uncertainty and I want you to know that if being a doctor is what you KNOW that you want to do.. it is not a question of IF you get in, but WHEN you get it. You know you are going to make it, now you just have to find out how. Take a breath, come up with a plan, and do great.

If anyone needs some motivation, watch this entire video:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pAJPPjGrU7g&feature=player_embedded

You'll be motivated for life, lol.

 

[Machine33]

That was beautiful... "I wanna make money, I don't wanna swim!" haha that was the best video ever. ParacrineAgent, you are the MAN/WOMAN lol congratulations!! That's awesome to hear about your success. But, it still seems like "if i get in" right now since it's so far away. It feels like a dream still but I know it's what I want to do. Thank you all so much for the motivating words! I was worried I was going to end up being a janitor after being eaten alive by the people on here lol

 

[Goro]

It appears that you've given it your best shot, and that's fine, you've done all you can, but you've come up short. Therefore, it's time to think about doing something else. PA? Nursing school? EMT? Military medic?
Physical rehab? Occupational therapy?

There are different paths to where you want to go. Unfortunately being an osteopath isn't one of them.

Hey guys,

I could really use some advice right now. Long story short this is my third retake and its in the high teens and progressively scored one point less since last year (20, 19, 18). I've scored from the 23-26 on TBR tests and Princeton tests, and my highest(most recent) AAMC test was a 27. I have problems focusing for some reason on the real test (i.e my eyes will follow along with the words but I will be thinking about how I know I should be paying attention and understanding the passage, or how bad I need to make a big improvement, or how embarrassing it will be if I bomb it AGAIN, etc while really I'm comprehending nothing) and I know that now but I don't know whether to retake (hopefully after I get some aderoll or find a way to focus better) and wait another whole year with the hopes of going DO, or applying to the Caribbeans. Or is there is any chance I can get into a DO school this year?

My EC's are very good, my cumulative gpa is a 3.77, and I have really good letters. MCAT is the only thing holding me down and I know that but I don't know what to do from here on out.

Thank you so much for any help everyone, I really appreciate it.

 

[rafman]

Don't give up Machine! You're gpa is great and as Iliketoytles and other SDNers have said, the MCAT is not only a test of scientific principles and intuition, but also nerves. Have you taken a Princeton Review or Kaplan prep course? Although they are expensive, I highly recommend taking it. They not only help with the learning the material, but they help you learn how to study for it and how to approach taking the exam, it really helped with me ( I suck at standardized testing).

Good luck dude!

 

[shaggybill]

I just am so glad someone on here acknowledges that its anxiety vs lack of preparation.

But it IS lack of preparation. You are not confident in your abilities, and that is screwing you over while you are sitting for the exam. If you want to become a doctor, you should not sit for this test again until you have taken every practice MCAT available to mankind and you are scoring 30+ on every single one of them, multiple times. Honestly man, not trying to be a buzzkill since i know you're feeling encouraged right now, but you have to realize that it's going to be harder than ever for you get accepted somewhere. 3 times is almost a maximum.

In order to make up for this, you need to spend a year minimum doing nothing but MCATs.Don't study for it any more. The fact that you were scoring in the mid 20's says you've got most of the material down. Now you just need practice building your confidence. Do every practice test you can get a hold of. I'm talking 20-30 of them at least, and then do them again. If you can master the material on all of these by reviewing and understanding what you missed and why you missed it, then you know you can handle the real thing as far as knowledge goes. This will also get you into the groove of sitting for the real thing. By the time you go to take it, sitting for the MCAT will be like just another day at the office. Sure, you'll be a little nervous, everybody is, but you will be so confident in your abilities to own that thing that once you start reading passages all the nervousness will disappear and you will just start hammering out the answers, like you've done a million times before on all the practice tests.

Don't give up on your dream, man. You can do this for sure. Just do what I wrote above and I can almost guarantee you will rock it for sure next time.

 

[Iliketoytles]

But it IS lack of preparation. You are not confident in your abilities, and that is screwing you over while you are sitting for the exam. If you want to become a doctor, you should not sit for this test again until you have taken every practice MCAT available to mankind and you are scoring 30+ on every single one of them, multiple times. Honestly man, not trying to be a buzzkill since i know you're feeling encouraged right now, but you have to realize that it's going to be harder than ever for you get accepted somewhere. 3 times is almost a maximum.

In order to make up for this, you need to spend a year minimum doing nothing but MCATs.Don't study for it any more. The fact that you were scoring in the mid 20's says you've got most of the material down. Now you just need practice building your confidence. Do every practice test you can get a hold of. I'm talking 20-30 of them at least, and then do them again. If you can master the material on all of these by reviewing and understanding what you missed and why you missed it, then you know you can handle the real thing as far as knowledge goes. This will also get you into the groove of sitting for the real thing. By the time you go to take it, sitting for the MCAT will be like just another day at the office. Sure, you'll be a little nervous, everybody is, but you will be so confident in your abilities to own that thing that once you start reading passages all the nervousness will disappear and you will just start hammering out the answers, like you've done a million times before on all the practice tests.

Don't give up on your dream, man. You can do this for sure. Just do what I wrote above and I can almost guarantee you will rock it for sure next time.

I agree with all of this, except the 3 MCAT maximum isn't really a rule. People just say it so that other people will make sure they're prepared before they take the real thing. Many people don't need to take it 3 times, so it just rubbed off that 3 is a max (I've heard some premeds say it elsewhere too).

Machine, if you aren't in a rush to apply (meaning if you don't mind taking a year off), this would be a wise thing to do. And during this year, don't hammer the MCAT each day or you're going to make yourself even more nervous. Like Shaggy said, you know the material... your test anxiety is resulting in your inability to focus and think clearly. Take a practice exam a week. Do timed passages from EK or TPR or Kaplan. Just practice practice!! You'll be hitting 30+ on them in no time and maybe even on the real thing!!

 

[Machine33]

Thanks rafman! I did already take a class last year, I should look into retaking another though as you are right that it'd probably help. Money is an issue right now, however.

Shaggy, Thanks for the honesty and I agree with you 100%. If I was prepared sufficiently I would not have the test anxiety I have. I think your point about 3 times being the max was what I was thinking too and is probably why I put so much pressure on myself. I would think during the test "This is your third time, if you take it again, you don't have what it takes" And my conscious played my biggest enemy. I've read on here, though, that several people have taken the test 4 or 5 times and still got accepted. But back to what you were saying about every practice test known to man... I've already taken most of the AAMC ones (hopefully a new one comes out next year), I'm going to take the rest of the TBR tests, any of TPR tests I didn't get around too. Are there any others that you'd suggest? Thanks for your advice man.

Iliketoytles,

I was kind of in a rush to apply, even though I know I shouldn't be. I hate that my life is on pause for ANOTHER year. I want it bad enough that I am willing to wait however. I am just upset with myself that I know I should already be in by now, you know? So hopefully a counselor visit, timed passages every week, and practice tests every week until may/june of next year should get me where I need to be?

 

[shaggybill]

I agree with all of this, except the 3 MCAT maximum isn't really a rule.

You're right, it isn't. What I mean is that 3 times is about the max before it starts raising some big red flags for schools. Like you stated, lots of people have gotten in with 4-5 tries, but after 3, it starts to become an issue.

To the OP, if you take a May MCAT, that will give you roughly 26 weeks to prepare, and roughly 26 mcats if you do one a week. I would say that you should at least do that, and maybe try to fit in 2 every few weeks. Remember, the key here is to build your confidence. Do whatever it takes to do that.

I would also suggest not doing AAMC 10 or 11 until the two weeks prior to the real thing. Save those to give yourself an idea of what to expect on test day. Obviously it's different for everybody, but I got the exact same scores on #11 and my real mcat.

 

[Iliketoytles]

I would also suggest not doing AAMC 10 or 11 until the two weeks prior to the real thing. Save those to give yourself an idea of what to expect on test day. Obviously it's different for everybody, but I got the exact same scores on #11 and my real mcat.

Good advice here. AAMC 10 and 11 are pretty darn good indicators of how ready you are for the real deal. If you don't do well on these, it's not the end of the world. But it's an indication that maybe you should focus on whatever sections you did poorly on these tests more before taking the actual MCAT.

 

[Machine33]

What if I already took 10 and 11 earlier this year? Would taking them again be good practice still? Finding 26 practice tests to take is going to be as fun as taking them lol I've taken most of the TPR test, all the AAMC tests (in 2010), and TBR 1-3. Where else could I get some good quality tests?

 

[Iliketoytles]

What if I already took 10 and 11 earlier this year? Would taking them again be good practice still? Finding 26 practice tests to take is going to be as fun as taking them lol I've taken most of the TPR test, all the AAMC tests (in 2010), and TBR 1-3. Where else could I get some good quality tests?

Well you'll probably forget all the passages on 10 and 11 by the time you're ready to take your MCAT, so it'll be like a new test anyway. Haha.

 

[Machine33]

lol I hope you're right man. I can't thank you enough for the advice. Lastly, what are some good alternatives for practice tests?

 

[Iliketoytles]

lol I hope you're right man. I can't thank you enough for the advice. Lastly, what are some good alternatives for practice tests?

Well the best are obviousley the AAMC's, specifically 7-11.

Examkrackers has this book called like... 6 mini MCATs. It's 6 or 16. Something like that... that one was good.

Just get your hands on any and all questions. 1001's EK questions are good. TPR books are good. Not sure what else.

Best of luck man. Keep us updated! 😎

 

[OzelloPiRat]

Have you tried the three month MCAT study schedule posted in the MCAT forum? I think you need a break and a whole new way of studying. You need to push the past out of your mind. These three test scores no longer matter, there is nothing you can do to change them. But you can change your next score. If you want this bad enough, then keep going after it! Do not let this stop you! Look at the three month study. Goto the classifieds on here and buy the books, then study your A off ( after a break). Take some relaxation classes, learn deep breathing or visualization. If you keep comparing your intellect to those three scores, you will never succeed. In the words of Disney himself
"Keep Moving Forward"
good luck!