Please help....i'm about to lose my mind

[stella81]

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I have a cum gpa 3.66, science gpa 3.5, non-science gpa 3.86. I have 2years of researchexperience, published one article, 5 years of hospital experience and extensive extracurricular activities, but I have not been able to pass the MCAT (15N, 14L, 14K)....dont laugh at me. I took two review classes studied 8-10 hours a day before the exam, I understand the material but cannot pass this exam, please advice. I know I am not stupid, I just need to figure out what my problem is. Please tell what you think I should do,thank you.

 

[goat]

I'm sorry to hear of your hardship. Although I can't tell you what aspect to fix, have you thought about perhaps it's not the content of the material but the way you are processing the MCAT questions? Perhaps you can't incorporate the different materials the way the MCAT is asking. May I ask which review classes you have taken? Each one has its own teaching method and perhaps you haven't taken one that fills your study needs.

 

[N1DERL&]

Stella, are those scores from the real mcat or are they practice scores? I'm guessing they are real scores because you have the writing score with them. Were you practice scores very different from your actual scores? Which review course did you use? From your gpa it doesn't seem like you get a lot of anxiety when taking tests. Maybe giving us a breakdown of your scores will help. Is it even across the board or is one score stronger than the others?

Sorry so many questions. We'll get to the bottom of this! 🙂

 

[stella81]

It's from the real thing, very embarrassing. The most I scored on the practice test was an 18, so. 1st (5,5,5) 2nd ( 04vr, 05ps, 05 bs) 3rd ( 04vr, 06ps, 04 bs) terribly huh. I need major help post-bac or something, but most of the post-bac programs require a 21-28 MCAT score, dont know what to do.

Stella, are those scores from the real mcat or are they practice scores? I'm guessing they are real scores because you have the writing score with them. Were you practice scores very different from your actual scores? Which review course did you use? From your gpa it doesn't seem like you get a lot of anxiety when taking tests. Maybe giving us a breakdown of your scores will help. Is it even across the board or is one score stronger than the others?

Sorry so many questions. We'll get to the bottom of this! 🙂

 

[stella81]

Probably so. Kaplan and Princeton, I need to figure out what my problem is soo. Thank's for your reply

I'm sorry to hear of your hardship. Although I can't tell you what aspect to fix, have you thought about perhaps it's not the content of the material but the way you are processing the MCAT questions? Perhaps you can't incorporate the different materials the way the MCAT is asking. May I ask which review classes you have taken? Each one has its own teaching method and perhaps you haven't taken one that fills your study needs.

 

[goat]

It's from the real thing, very embarrassing. The most I scored on the practice test was an 18, so. 1st (5,5,5) 2nd ( 04vr, 05ps, 05 bs) 3rd ( 04vr, 06ps, 04 bs) terribly huh. I need major help post-bac or something, but most of the post-bac programs require a 21-28 MCAT score, dont know what to do.

No, don't think like that. It is not embarrassing...well, you should not feel embarrassed since I would not regard your scores as embarrassing. In my opinion, I don't think you need to take a post-bac since your undergrad gpa is quite competitive. You just need to figure out how to conquer the MCAT. May I ask again, which review classes you have taken. Please don't give up hope. If you need a pick me up, we're here.

 

[dakotaman]

Stella,

It's just a stupid test. 🙂 Not embarrassing at all. Some people are good test takers and some aren't. Here's the dilemma: medical school is chock-full of similar tests, and some would say they're a lot worse than the MCAT. You also have to pass USMLE Steps 1, 2, and 3. You might make a fantastic, loving, caring physician, but the way the system is set up you have to be decent at passing tests. You might experience a LOT of difficulty during medical school if you can't take tests well. This is not to dissuade you at all...just a consideration. That's really one purpose of the MCAT, whether intended or not: it helps illustrate the difficulty of medical school tests. Anyway, don't let me discourage you at all, just trying to give you an honest perspective. Good luck to you!! 😀

 

[goat]

Oh, just thinking. Have you looked at where you're not "getting it?" As in, are you getting the freestanding ques in the sciences and missing the ones in passage form or is it vice versa. Perhaps you need to tune up your reading skills and comprehension (I'm not trying to sound mean). The MCAT has a lot of reading and comprehension so perhaps you're not looking at it the right way or perhaps taking too long reading and rushing through the questions? I know. Although I can pass an English course, I don't always "get" what the MCAT questions were asking or just not looking at it in the right way.

 

[MSc44]

I have a cum gpa 3.66, science gpa 3.5, non-science gpa 3.86. I have 2years of researchexperience, published one article, 5 years of hospital experience and extensive extracurricular activities, but I have not been able to pass the MCAT (15N, 14L, 14K)....dont laugh at me. I took two review classes studied 8-10 hours a day before the exam, I understand the material but cannot pass this exam, please advice. I know I am not stupid, I just need to figure out what my problem is. Please tell what you think I should do,thank you.

This will deffinetly deviate from the other responces, but im going to say apply to some DO schools, go speak to them, you are very legit, and it sounds to me that you would do wonderful in medical school. I knew a kid who had even higher scores then yours and could not pass the mcats. However he was from a foreign country and had a hard time with the reading. He ended up going to st george and is now a pediatric resident........Give it a shot

PS ..dont laugh at me for suggesting this ...what have youy got to loose

 

[stella81]

Kaplan and Princeton, Thank you goat.

No, don't think like that. It is not embarrassing...well, you should not feel embarrassed since I would not regard your scores as embarrassing. In my opinion, I don't think you need to take a post-bac since your undergrad gpa is quite competitive. You just need to figure out how to conquer the MCAT. May I ask again, which review classes you have taken. Please don't give up hope. If you need a pick me up, we're here.

 

[MSc44]

Kaplan and Princeton, Thank you goat.

I might be under scoring my self but i fall into this catagory, 3.9 gpa bio major, now a last year MS student in mol bio, i have takem practice mcats and cant get past a 18, i have not taken it yet but i suck at standardized tests, so like everyone has said i have to figure out a way to get around it......any advice from anyone on studying tips

 

[FutureDocDO]

I have a cum gpa 3.66, science gpa 3.5, non-science gpa 3.86. I have 2years of researchexperience, published one article, 5 years of hospital experience and extensive extracurricular activities, but I have not been able to pass the MCAT (15N, 14L, 14K)....dont laugh at me. I took two review classes studied 8-10 hours a day before the exam, I understand the material but cannot pass this exam, please advice. I know I am not stupid, I just need to figure out what my problem is. Please tell what you think I should do,thank you.

I would suggest buying all the old AAMC exams and study from those. Take it first as a real exam then go back and see what and why you missed them. Look at their explanations. Most of the answers are right in the passage. You just have to know how to look or guess. After doing a couple of those you will see what kind of answers they look for and how to look for them. Although it's not a great method if you want to score in the 30s but it WILL help you to be in the 20s. Good luck!

 

[CoffeeFreak]

I might be under scoring my self but i fall into this catagory, 3.9 gpa bio major, now a last year MS student in mol bio, i have takem practice mcats and cant get past a 18, i have not taken it yet but i suck at standardized tests, so like everyone has said i have to figure out a way to get around it......any advice from anyone on studying tips

With that kind of a GPA I wouldn't let a friggin test stand in your way. I am a nontrad/ premed in another industry and I too sucked at standardized test. One of my jobs required me to take a 6 hour exam with 2 months to study while working 10 hour days. They gave me a 900 page book to study. I learned it is not so much the material as it is the exam. If you can master the exam questions you usually eliminate most of the wrong answers. I have not taken the MCAT but I have taken dozens of standardized tests for various certifications, etc.

Make that test your mission!

 

[TheMightyAngus]

I have a cum gpa 3.66, science gpa 3.5, non-science gpa 3.86. I have 2years of researchexperience, published one article, 5 years of hospital experience and extensive extracurricular activities, but I have not been able to pass the MCAT (15N, 14L, 14K)....dont laugh at me. I took two review classes studied 8-10 hours a day before the exam, I understand the material but cannot pass this exam, please advice. I know I am not stupid, I just need to figure out what my problem is. Please tell what you think I should do,thank you.

I teach for Kaplan, so I encounter many students like you. My advice is that you focus more on test-taking strategies. Since your science GPA is good, I dont think content is the problem. Are you finishing all the sections? Are you skipping difficult problems? Do you misread the questions? Can you identify the science concept behind each question?

If I can be presumptious, considering your writing score is low, I think that you don't spend enough time thinking about the question at hand--whether for essays or actual test questions. Anyone should be able to score a P or a Q just by addressing the three tasks for the writing sample. Are you panicking when you take the test? The only way to overcome this is through practice.

For the science sections. Slow down. Relearn the basic science if you need to. Identify the science-concept behind each problem of a practice set. Predict an answer before reading the answer choices for each question. When you review the correct answers, understand why each wrong answer choice is incorrect. Do this consistently and don't do anything timed until you feel confident about your science-abilities. Then work on speed and timing.

 

[Scottish Chap]

I have a cum gpa 3.66, science gpa 3.5, non-science gpa 3.86. I have 2years of researchexperience, published one article, 5 years of hospital experience and extensive extracurricular activities, but I have not been able to pass the MCAT (15N, 14L, 14K)....dont laugh at me. I took two review classes studied 8-10 hours a day before the exam, I understand the material but cannot pass this exam, please advice. I know I am not stupid, I just need to figure out what my problem is. Please tell what you think I should do,thank you.

It sounds to me like there's a systematic issue that's tripping you up. Ask yourself how far you are willing to go to reach this goal. I would change the way you are studying or figure out if there's an 'MCAT phobia' phenomenon and try to overcome that before you go any further. I know one bright guy with a GPA just like yours who kept freaking out during the MCAT and performing poorly. He overcame this fear enough to get an acceptable score and he's a 4th year at an allopathic school now. Clearly, he's done okay on the USMLEs. I know another girl with a similar problem - she had to take the MCAT three times (14, 20, 27) and she's now a 2nd year at an allopathic school. I don’t want to mislead you and say it'll be easy, but know assuredly that there are MANY people out there who are bright but just have problems with this test. If it's a case of slow reading, I would say practice, practice, practice and make sure you go over the questions you got wrong until you see the pattern and determine where you are being tripped up most often.

From your GPA, it's clear that you're very bright and can consistently score well on exams. For what it's worth, I and many of my friends feel that the MCAT is just the kind of test that you are either good at or you are not; the material is very basic, but the way it's presented is sometimes a problem for people who don;t read very fast. It’s my contention that if there was not such a severe time pressure, almost anyone can get a good score. It’s the lack of time that gets most people. Medical school exams are not at all like the MCAT so don't worry about that. Because of the volume of work, they rely more on knowledge and hard work rather than deciphering cryptic passages with almost no time at all to do this. Figure out the MCAT issue via practice exams and don't even take it again until you can consistently get around a 24-27 on practice exams. Do this and you're golden for most osteopathic schools and you'll have a shot at one or two allopathic schools. Good luck, and don't give up!

 

[silas2642]

Are you not finishing the tests in time? Try playing around more with your style-- take practice tests that are timed and change your approach. Try reading the passage first, skimming the passage and then going back for the answers, reading the questions first, etc. If you're having a difficult time finishing reading the material on time or something, then just practice reading. Read everything you can-- Newsweek, Time, books, whatever. Learn how to group words together so that you can get through the passages faster. Also, learn how to guess on multiple choice tests. Try MCAT Secrets if you really get desperate. The thing's like 50 bucks but it did help a little bit in showing me how writers try to trick you on standardized tests. Good luck!

 

[stella81]

Thank you for your advice.

This will deffinetly deviate from the other responces, but im going to say apply to some DO schools, go speak to them, you are very legit, and it sounds to me that you would do wonderful in medical school. I knew a kid who had even higher scores then yours and could not pass the mcats. However he was from a foreign country and had a hard time with the reading. He ended up going to st george and is now a pediatric resident........Give it a shot

PS ..dont laugh at me for suggesting this ...what have youy got to loose

 

[stella81]

Thank you.

I would suggest buying all the old AAMC exams and study from those. Take it first as a real exam then go back and see what and why you missed them. Look at their explanations. Most of the answers are right in the passage. You just have to know how to look or guess. After doing a couple of those you will see what kind of answers they look for and how to look for them. Although it's not a great method if you want to score in the 30s but it WILL help you to be in the 20s. Good luck!

 

[MustaphaMond]

I have a cum gpa 3.66, science gpa 3.5, non-science gpa 3.86. I have 2years of researchexperience, published one article, 5 years of hospital experience and extensive extracurricular activities, but I have not been able to pass the MCAT (15N, 14L, 14K)....dont laugh at me. I took two review classes studied 8-10 hours a day before the exam, I understand the material but cannot pass this exam, please advice. I know I am not stupid, I just need to figure out what my problem is. Please tell what you think I should do,thank you.

Stella,
I knew a person in your position who was very smart, made god grades in school but was horrible with standardized tests. It turned out that nerves were most of the problem. After going to a doctor and being treated, she went on to do great on the MCAT and is now a third year medical student. I don't want to make it seem like I'm suggesting you have an anxiety problem, it's just that your situation reminds of a person I know who did. Hope this helps.

 

[uL007]

I took two review classes studied 8-10 hours a day before the exam, I understand the material but cannot pass this exam, please advice. I know I am not stupid, I just need to figure out what my problem is.

hi stella, i understand your agony.

back in the day, i had probs with the physical science section. i chained myself to my desk and studied physics continuously for 10 hours a day for over a month. i studied nothing but physics. before taking the mcat, i had the princeton review mcat book memorized and could probably recite sentences verbatim. but... then a horrible thing happened. i got my mcat scores back and my score actually went DOWN in physical science!!! why?!? i thought i knew the material inside/out!! so what went wrong??

clearly, the mcat is not a straight forward test. i now realize that i may have known/memorized the material, but i truly did not understand the concepts or how to apply them to the passages.

it is not enough to punish yourself to endless hours of mcat studying if your scores are not improving. obviously... something needs to change. (i.e. instead of memorizing a formula, learn to derive it). i'm glad that you are evaluating your study techniques and hope you figure out what works for you.

did you consider re-taking/auditing some core science classes? i know you stated your gpa was decent... but i've gotten A's in classes and walked away without really learning anything. i don't think that's hard to do. if you do re-take/audit classes, you'll sit through them with a different perspective. you'll be more driven, more motivated... it can only help.

also... have you considered getting a tutor to work with you one on one? it may be expensive, but so is med school. do what you need to get in.

good luck.
p.s. (i hear examkracker material is really good. practice like crazy. and don't retake the mcat until your practice scores are around where you want them).

 

[happydays]

you also need to think about how much you want to be a doctor. will you kill yourself if you don't become a doctor? If yes, then I'd say study like crazy, do everything possible to bring up your score. If no, then there are plenty of rewarding, great jobs out there that offers lots of flexibility, such as dentistry and physician's assistant. You should look into those, too.

 

[NRAI2001]

Maybe u could use private tutoring?? I m sure anyone who puts in the time can get atleast a 21, your probably neglecting some aspect of the exam and not even realizing it.

 

[etudiante04]

How do you feel on test day? Are you in the best physical condition possible for the test? Were you tired? Sleepy? The MCAT for me was more like a test of endurance. On my earlier practice tests, I could not focus, and so I was easily distracted by the tricky questions - especially in the verbal section. So I just started exercising more, monitoring my diet. I also made sure I had at least 7 hrs of sleep each night in the month before the MCAT. It really helped me to clear my head. I was able to finish all my sections on the remaining practice tests, and I was able to focus for test day. I finished all my sections early. I am not saying that you have bad eating/exercising habits, but I know that the time put into studying for the MCAT can stress a person out, and sometimes, you may have to change your eating and exercise habits to maximize your performance on the MCAT.

I hope this helps

 

[riceman04]

I have a cum gpa 3.66, science gpa 3.5, non-science gpa 3.86. I have 2years of researchexperience, published one article, 5 years of hospital experience and extensive extracurricular activities, but I have not been able to pass the MCAT (15N, 14L, 14K)....dont laugh at me. I took two review classes studied 8-10 hours a day before the exam, I understand the material but cannot pass this exam, please advice. I know I am not stupid, I just need to figure out what my problem is. Please tell what you think I should do,thank you.

You said that you studied 8-10 hours a day....but did you use any of that time to take more practice tests/practice problems, or were you just reviewing notes? I think you should just focus on your test taking skills. Sit down and analyz what you are doing wrong. I would start by taking a practice MCAT test....but do not focus on what score you get. Instead focus on your stratgey for answering the questions. Are you finishing the sections (meaning that you are not guessing heavily on them)? If so, then check for careless errors...if not then check to see how you are interpreting the information given. Once you have been able to fully observe your problem, without worrying what score you will get (but still taking the test as if it is the real thing), then you can go from there. You obviously know that knowing all the info and equations in the world is not enough for the MCAT....You have to master its FORMAT, which is testing much more than your brain smarts....That test is testing whether you can take a difficult test like that and work your way through it without getting flustered/giving up.

Good luck....keep at it!

One more word of advice: If your practice scores are not in your ideal range DONT TAKE THE TEST....make sure you are fully ready before you spend $200 only not perform well....I am assuming you are young, so you have many opportunities to take this beast!

Good Luck!

 

[NRAI2001]

Stella perhaps you can tell us what materials you are using and how you are using them. Maybe we can give you some advice from there? 😕

 

[lfesiam]

try considering another profession or you could

try even harder, if you can't go through the MCAT, don't even bother with medschool test blocks & the USMLE.

persistance & perserverance is everything my friend.

best wishes - keep doing practice problems.

 

[NRAI2001]

try considering another profession or you could

try even harder, if you can't go through the MCAT, don't even bother with medschool test blocks & the USMLE.

persistance & perserverance is everything my friend.

best wishes - keep doing practice problems.

I think all premeds should really consider if they would enjoy persuing anyother field, bc u really have to give up a lot to this route. But don't go into another field bc of the mcat.

You may consider the carrib. schools bc they usually have lower avg. mcats (around 20-25 avg).

But the avg mcat score nation wide is 24. I know you could probably score atleast close to this, but if you can't figure out why you arent, your gonna have a lot of trouble.

 

[DarkWingDuck]

Knowing nothing about your situation I would say that you probably have to learn to read faster. The people who seem to get the best scores are the ones who read a lot and can do it quickly. Writers and English majors. Physics, chem., and bio. aren't easy, but they are a lot easier than learning to read and comprehend at light speed.