Please help!!! MCAT advise

[awad2893]

Hi everyone
I'm a URM who is in need of some advise. I have take the MCAT 3 time 488 right out of undergrad without much prep. 492 with a little more prep but clearly not enough. I took the exam for the third time recently on August 3rd and I can't help but feel like I did not do well. I took the AAMC full length 1 about 2 weeks before the real exam and score 509 and the second full length 5 days before and scored a 503 :/ my question is if my score unfortunately comes back low (below my target <506) would it be a bad idea to retake it for the fourth time? I am sure this time I can do much better as I know where my weakness are. Would schools look down on this? Or could I get away with it. By no means do I want as top med school. I just want to be accepted anywhere. The rest of my app is good. I have lots of EC, strong committee letter, great clinical experience, 3.62 cGPA, 3.56 sGPA. Any help is greatly appreciated as I am currently completely lost and frustrated.

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[Blanky]

Take a breath until you get your scores back. AAMC 1 509 and AAMC 2 503, its likely your are in between the two scores. Isn't AAMC 2 the best predictor of actual performance.

 

[awad2893]

Take a breath until you get your scores back. AAMC 1 509 and AAMC 2 503, its likely your are in between the two scores. Isn't AAMC 2 the best predictor of actual performance.

I hope I'm somewhere in between. I'm just very worried that I screwed myself over by taking it before and not being fully prepared. I'm hoping that it does not completely ruin my chances of getting in somewhere.

 

[Gilakend]

I hope I'm somewhere in between. I'm just very worried that I screwed myself over by taking it before and not being fully prepared. I'm hoping that it does not completely ruin my chances of getting in somewhere.

From other cases I've seen, with that GPA, EC, URM, and an MCAT around 500 you should get in somewhere.

I know some schools average MCAT attempts (I think DO might not??? I'm not sure) so those schools might not be the best to apply to. Being URM will help you a lot from what I've seen on the WAMC forum.

I'm sure you did fine! Keep your head up

 

[awad2893]

From other cases I've seen, with that GPA, EC, URM, and an MCAT around 500 you should get in somewhere.

I know some schools average MCAT attempts (I think DO might not??? I'm not sure) so those schools might not be the best to apply to. Being URM will help you a lot from what I've seen on the WAMC forum.

I'm sure you did fine! Keep your head up

Thank you so much! I just have to stay away from the schools that average scores. Do you think a majority of them do? Or just a small amount? I really regret taking it without being fully prepared. I just didn't manage my time wisely because I was so eager to complete the application on time.

 

[Gilakend]

Thank you so much! I just have to stay away from the schools that average scores. Do you think a majority of them do? Or just a small amount? I really regret taking it without being fully prepared. I just didn't manage my time wisely because I was so eager to complete the application on time.

I think schools are encouraged to by the AAMC and I think most MD schools do. DO schools on the other hand might not but I honestly know nothing about DO admissions, however since they used to do grade replacement it would make sense to me if they also rewarded reinvention the same way with MCAT scores.

I found this thread but I have no idea how accurate it is. Some adcoms on here might know better, or it might be listed on MSAR. I'm sure someone more knowledgeable about this than me will see this and correct anything I said.

how do you know which medical schools average MCAT scores or which take highest?

 

[awad2893]

I think schools are encouraged to by the AAMC and I think most MD schools do. DO schools on the other hand might not but I honestly know nothing about DO admissions, however since they used to do grade replacement it would make sense to me if they also rewarded reinvention the same way with MCAT scores.

I found this thread but I have no idea how accurate it is. Some adcoms on here might know better, or it might be listed on MSAR. I'm sure someone more knowledgeable about this than me will see this and correct anything I said.

how do you know which medical schools average MCAT scores or which take highest?

I'm definitely going to apply to a lot of DO schools. Do you think my shot at MD schools is out the window? I'm mainly interested in schools in my state, NY such as SUNY Downstate, Upstate, buffalo and stony brook. And also Howard and Morehouse. I don't want to apply to a lot if I'm already at a huge disadvantage.

 

[Gilakend]

I'm definitely going to apply to a lot of DO schools. Do you think my shot at MD schools is out the window? I'm mainly interested in schools in my state, NY such as SUNY Downstate, Upstate, buffalo and stony brook. And also Howard and Morehouse. I don't want to apply to a lot if I'm already at a huge disadvantage.

The best advice I can give you is to invest in MSAR (and I think there's a DO version but I don't know what it's called) and to wait for your MCAT score to come and post a thread in the WAMC forum. There are some VERY helpful and knowledge physicians/adcoms who frequent there to help people form or refine school lists such as Goro, Faha, and gyngyn. If you do good this time around, which isn't a crazy thought considering you got a 509 on a practice test, I think you would be competitive for some MD schools. Which specific ones however, I'm not sure.

 

[awad2893]

The best advice I can give you is to invest in MSAR (and I think there's a DO version but I don't know what it's called) and to wait for your MCAT score to come and post a thread in the WAMC forum. There are some VERY helpful and knowledge physicians/adcoms who frequent there to help people form or refine school lists such as Goro, Faha, and gyngyn. If you do good this time around, which isn't a crazy thought considering you got a 509 on a practice test, I think you would be competitive for some MD schools. Which specific ones however, I'm not sure.

Thank you so much!!! I appreciate it. This whole thing has been a nightmare.

 

[ServiceFirst]

Some schools disqualify you from application if you take the MCAT a 4th time, so regardless, keep this in mind when applying for schools.

 

[Coltuna]

Hi everyone
I'm a URM who is in need of some advise. I have take the MCAT 3 time 488 right out of undergrad without much prep. 492 with a little more prep but clearly not enough. I took the exam for the third time recently on August 3rd and I can't help but feel like I did not do well. I took the AAMC full length 1 about 2 weeks before the real exam and score 509 and the second full length 5 days before and scored a 503 :/ my question is if my score unfortunately comes back low (below my target <506) would it be a bad idea to retake it for the fourth time? I am sure this time I can do much better as I know where my weakness are. Would schools look down on this? Or could I get away with it. By no means do I want as top med school. I just want to be accepted anywhere. The rest of my app is good. I have lots of EC, strong committee letter, great clinical experience, 3.62 cGPA, 3.56 sGPA. Any help is greatly appreciated as I am currently completely lost and frustrated.

Do not take the test again. What makes you think your 4th time around you know where your weaknesses are? You didn't know your weaknesses the 2 retakes before that? As a URM, if you score a 504+ (likely based on the averages of your AAMC FL's) and apply broadly, you should get at least one interview from DO schools. I don't know much about MD schools, so I cant advise confidently on that; however, I would definitely focus on DO schools.

 

[awad2893]

Do not take the test again. What makes you think your 4th time around you know where your weaknesses are? You didn't know your weaknesses the 2 retakes before that? As a URM, if you score a 504+ (likely based on the averages of your AAMC FL's) and apply broadly, you should get at least one interview from DO schools. I don't know much about MD schools, so I cant advise confidently on that; however, I would definitely focus on DO schools.

It was really just poor planning on my part. The first time was with no prep the second time while I was studying we had a lot of personal family issues at home which took away from studying and focusing. Retrospectively, I shouldn't have taken it. I just panicked. I hadn't the slightest clue how detrimental it could be. I will definitely take your advice and focus on DO schools.

 

[Coltuna]

It was really just poor planning on my part. The first time was with no prep the second time while I was studying we had a lot of personal family issues at home which took away from studying and focusing. Retrospectively, I shouldn't have taken it. I just panicked. I hadn't the slightest clue how detrimental it could be. I will definitely take your advice and focus on DO schools.

Gotcha. Sorry, didn't mean to come off as abrasive! I never had a pre-medical advisor and without information from SDN, I might've done the same thing you did lol. Neither of my parents even went to college and would frequently say, "Well it cant hurt to take it and try right?!"
Little do they know haha.

 

[blackroses]

Gotcha. Sorry, didn't mean to come off as abrasive! I never had a pre-medical advisor and without information from SDN, I might've done the same thing you did lol. Neither of my parents even went to college and would frequently say, "Well it cant hurt to take it and try right?!"
Little do they know haha.

I don't think it's an education level thing, I suspect it's a generational issue.

My parents both have Ph.D.'s and have the exact same attitude

 

[awad2893]

Gotcha. Sorry, didn't mean to come off as abrasive! I never had a pre-medical advisor and without information from SDN, I might've done the same thing you did lol. Neither of my parents even went to college and would frequently say, "Well it cant hurt to take it and try right?!"
Little do they know haha.

Same! my pre-med advisor was next to useless. My parents are first generation african immigrants to their first thought was "keep taking it until you do better". I'm not making excuses for my low scores or lack of knowledge about the admission process, but it really is difficult without someone to guide you.

 

[Marine2MD]

I think it depends on the school. One of the admin officers I sat with said taking a 3rd or fourth time isn't terrible as long as you were showing significant improvement and there was significant gaps between testing times, but a 5th is where they question whether or not you got lucky and may want you to even sit a 6th time. Another school gave me feedback saying that a fourth time was questionable if too close and no other significant improvement on your application between the years.