Please help...Need Advise

[lynn86]

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I just got back my MCAT results...not good at all. 20M(7ps , 4v, 9bs). I have an cGPA 3.52 and sGPA 3.0. I am going to retake the mcat and I know I am going to loose one year towards matriculation. Does being a re-applicant affect my application in any way. If it doesn't I am thinking of applying to mostly DO and fewer MD. I mean what do I have to loose. I will loose a year anyways because I am going to retake the mcat after the deadline this year maybe early next year. I am so confused. Please help.

I am currently volunteering at an ER and scheduled to job shadow a few physicians. Did undergraduate research and had a few leadership roles on campus.

 

[PeachyPhd]

Being a re-applicant does affect your application process. You have to prove that you have made progress and improved since the previous cycle. This can be negative or positive. If I were in your position, I would wait until your retake to apply.

 

[megathunder]

Yeah, people will say it has been done but I would definitely not apply with a 20. Take a prep course if you can or just hardcore study on your own and solid improvement is pretty much guaranteed. G'luck..

 

[FutureDoc1988]

Truthfully if you applied with that score, you probably won't get any interviews. It would just be a waste of your money.

Study hard for the MCAT. The Examkracker books really helped me. I also took lots of practice exams and the real exam had very similar problems so that helped me a lot.

Take this time to improve your application by shadowing and getting clinical experience and then apply in June next year.

Good Luck

 

[brookliner7]

I agree, I would hold off on applying till you have a decent MCAT score.

What did you do to prepare for it?

Make sure you do well the second time around...doing well shows ADCOMS that you are able to learn from your mistakes and figure out how to get it done.

Goodluck!

 

[radhika]

hey Lynn!

I understand how fustrating a low mcat can be, pulling out the books again was soo sad for me when i had to retake. I went from a 24 to a 28 by using the examkrackers 1001 series, nothing beats practice....I even took the mcats after my sophomore year, and EK worked so well!!! Good luck Lynn!! 🙂

-Radhika

 

[Pet of the Week]

Definitely wait. I had to make the painful decision to wait a year myself just due to some growing I needed to do. I know it's difficult, but it really will be for the best. Also, I tutor mcat, so let us know how you prepared, and I'm sure the good folks at sdn and I can offer some advice for your retake. Don't give up. =)

 

[lynn86]

Thanks guys. No need to rush. I used EK to prep and the EK Verbal book. I also used old books with full length tests from a friend. I am thinking of taking a prep course coz I don't know how else I can study for this. I think my study method sucked and maybe I was burnt out after I voided my first exam....Looks like a prep course is the way to go. I feel that if I started studying again it would be a waste of time coz I will be studying the same way.

Verbal is my weakest area and I have known this from the beginning. I really don't know how else to study for this. I did a lot of practice with the EK book and the outcome was not always good.

 

[ilmdoc]

Definitely do a prep course. I retook the MCAT just trying to "try harder" and got the same score the second time around. 🙁

 

[roadrunr]

i would definitely not apply with with that score, most schools will screen out any mcat with less than a 7 in any section, some screen based on overall score, usually anything less than 21. I used the kaplan verbal reasoning book to study for the mcat and got a 13 in verbal. Also took many practice tests.