Preparing for medical school

[Dino007]

Hi guys,
So I'm starting medical school this coming January at St. George's. I really want to start preparing ahead of time before going there because I know I have to work extra hard to make up for the fact that I'm attending a Caribbean school. I want to start studying biochem and anatomy/physiology since biochem was my weakest subject in undergrad and I've never taken anatomy.
Anyway, do you guys recommend any youtube videos or anything else to get me started on my own for now? I won't have my med school books until I actually start in January.

Thanks in advance guys

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[Gilakend]

Literally (and I mean literally) everyone: "Back out now, don't go, you're making a mistake, apply DO, do a post-bac, retake the MCAT (you have 3.45 GPA, which can pass). Literally anything else."

/thread

I'm not trying to be harsh, but here is SO much info out there on this. I'd highly suggest you start researching this decision.

 

[21Rush12]

Literally (and I mean literally) everyone: "Back out now, don't go, you're making a mistake, apply DO, do a post-bac, retake the MCAT (you have 3.45 GPA, which can pass). Literally anything else."

/thread

I'm not trying to be harsh, but here is SO much info out there on this. I'd highly suggest you start researching this decision.

This. Do not make a permanent decision based on temporary inconvenience.

 

[Schwifty]

Hi guys,
So I'm starting medical school this coming January at St. George's. I really want to start preparing ahead of time before going there because I know I have to work extra hard to make up for the fact that I'm attending a Caribbean school. I want to start studying biochem and anatomy/physiology since biochem was my weakest subject in undergrad and I've never taken anatomy.
Anyway, do you guys recommend any youtube videos or anything else to get me started on my own for now? I won't have my med school books until I actually start in January.

Thanks in advance guys

Don’t pre study, it doesn’t really help. Also, like others said, dont go to the Carib. What was your MCAT/GPA?

 

[Gilakend]

Don’t pre study, it doesn’t really help. Also, like others said, dont go to the Carib. What was your MCAT/GPA?

3.45 and below 490 (based on past posting history)

 

[efle]

below 490

Do not start school in the Caribbean. You are extremely unlikely to make it through based on this alone.

 

[Dino007]

3.45 and below 490 (based on past posting history)

yea so gpa is 3.45, mcat is 488.
its gonna be hard for me to retake the mcat because I work full time and I can't not work. That 488 was mainly a result of studying a couple hours a day after work for about 3 months. I'm not giving excuses but simply saying that I don't think my mcat will improve much even if I retake it since I'll still be under the same circumstances. At least once I'm in medical school I won't be working and my focus will be on studying.

 

[efle]

yea so gpa is 3.45, mcat is 488.
its gonna be hard for me to retake the mcat because I work full time and I can't not work. That 488 was mainly a result of studying a couple hours a day after work for about 3 months. I'm not giving excuses but simply saying that I don't think my mcat will improve much even if I retake it since I'll still be under the same circumstances. At least once I'm in medical school I won't be working and my focus will be on studying.

Has someone already linked you this classic blog?

Counting the Points

Walking to and from the community hospital in Miami was sketchy. There was a makeshift memorial with candles and teddy bears that had been set up on my walk. A young teen had been shot and killed t…

milliondollarmistake.wordpress.com

Make sure you know what you're signing up for. Take a glance at the residency data (NRMP Charting Outcomes) for DO vs Caribbean.

Your best option by far would be to climb to ~500, even if that means taking a year of studying on weekends, and going to a US DO program.

 

[Schwifty]

yea so gpa is 3.45, mcat is 488.
its gonna be hard for me to retake the mcat because I work full time and I can't not work. That 488 was mainly a result of studying a couple hours a day after work for about 3 months. I'm not giving excuses but simply saying that I don't think my mcat will improve much even if I retake it since I'll still be under the same circumstances. At least once I'm in medical school I won't be working and my focus will be on studying.

A 488 MCAT puts you at a very high risk of a board failure, and that coupled with being a carib grad (assuming you even graduate, which chances are not good) pretty much means you won't practice in the US, and you'll have hundreds of thousands of debt to go with it. So, you could risk it, go to the carib and fail out, fail boards/retake and graduate and then not match, or graduate and still only have 50-70% chance of matching in the US, all with a lot of debt. I'm not trying to be mean here, but you need to be realistic. I highly recommend you retake the MCAT and reapply USDO or even USMD if your score is high enough. Take a look at this thread about how another non-trad studied for the MCAT MCAT Advice from a 521 Non-Trad - its a marathon not a sprint

 

[Gilakend]

yea so gpa is 3.45, mcat is 488.
its gonna be hard for me to retake the mcat because I work full time and I can't not work. That 488 was mainly a result of studying a couple hours a day after work for about 3 months. I'm not giving excuses but simply saying that I don't think my mcat will improve much even if I retake it since I'll still be under the same circumstances. At least once I'm in medical school I won't be working and my focus will be on studying.

I did the exact same thing. I took the MCAT while working full time and took it way too early and did terribly. I told myself I studied as much as I could, but after some introspection, it wasn't true at all. Then I buckled down, stayed dedicated to my study plan (while working, full class schedule, research, volunteering, etc.), and improved my score by almost 50 percentile points. I had no issues with my app cycle and now attend my #1 choice.

My point is, many people have overcome similarly bad scores. At least try one more time with full effort.

 

[Cornfed101]

yea so gpa is 3.45, mcat is 488.
its gonna be hard for me to retake the mcat because I work full time and I can't not work. That 488 was mainly a result of studying a couple hours a day after work for about 3 months. I'm not giving excuses but simply saying that I don't think my mcat will improve much even if I retake it since I'll still be under the same circumstances. At least once I'm in medical school I won't be working and my focus will be on studying.

I agree with @Gilakend here. I also worked full time and studied about 20 hours a week for 9 months. You just didn't put in the time necessary to get a good score. You don't get a pass because you are working full time. You have to work around it. Retake the MCAT and don't go Caribbean.

 

[ThetisAntithesis]

I worked full time and studied for the MCAT it can be done.
Give it another shot.

 

[ciestar]

Just echoing what others have said, i worked full time and still found a way to study and do well on the MCAT.

Going carib is just a bad idea

 

[Dino007]

I appreciate this advice guys. Can't say its my first time hearing this but it's definitely got me rethinking hard. Especially because I've already payed 1000 dollar deposit and pretty much set my self for leaving at the start of the new year.

 

[Cornfed101]

I appreciate this advice guys. Can't say its my first time hearing this but it's definitely got me rethinking hard. Especially because I've already payed 1000 dollar deposit and pretty much set my self for leaving at the start of the new year.

$1000 is nothing in the grand scheme of things

 

[Goro]

I appreciate this advice guys. Can't say its my first time hearing this but it's definitely got me rethinking hard. Especially because I've already payed 1000 dollar deposit and pretty much set my self for leaving at the start of the new year.

Do not fall victim to the sunk cost fallacy.

You'll make that money back once you become a doctor after attending a US med school

 

[Fatalis]

Hi guys,
So I'm starting medical school this coming January at St. George's. I really want to start preparing ahead of time before going there because I know I have to work extra hard to make up for the fact that I'm attending a Caribbean school. I want to start studying biochem and anatomy/physiology since biochem was my weakest subject in undergrad and I've never taken anatomy.
Anyway, do you guys recommend any youtube videos or anything else to get me started on my own for now? I won't have my med school books until I actually start in January.

Thanks in advance guys

graduated from SGU, got the residency I wanted; as other stated, it is a very tough road...VERY VERY VERY TOUGH ROAD. What the school doesn't tell you but I will... is that with the carib route, your first mistake is your last one. Ex. if you mess up step 1.... it is game over...forget it! And again as others rehashed; exhaust every option possible before going to the carib. Being from Canada like myself, that is quite difficult so my options were limited. But really consider what others have said; 1000 is peanuts in the grand scheme of things. I knew plenty who didn't match [poor board scores, etc]. Also, your options are limited regarding specialties; yes I have 1 friend that did ortho and another that finally got opthal and a few that got gen surg/ ER but they were exceptions. PM me if you want for advice. DONT pre study tho, just relax and enjoy yourself

 

[efle]

I appreciate this advice guys. Can't say its my first time hearing this but it's definitely got me rethinking hard. Especially because I've already payed 1000 dollar deposit and pretty much set my self for leaving at the start of the new year.

Good. This is why everyone jumps down OP's throat whenever they mention that they're about to matriculate to the Caribbean, because occasionally someone will listen and spare themselves from the monumental mistake. Read that Million Dollar Mistake blog, and think hard about whether it's worth a gap year to avoid the experiences he describes (not only regarding matching, but also what his life was like during med school).

 

[Goro]

Good. This is why everyone jumps down OP's throat whenever they mention that they're about to matriculate to the Caribbean, because occasionally someone will listen and spare themselves from the monumental mistake. Read that Million Dollar Mistake blog, and think hard about whether it's worth a gap year to avoid the experiences he describes (not only regarding matching, but also what his life was like during med school).

OP, read these:
Million $ Mistake
http://www.tameersiddiqui.com/medical-school-at-sgu

"Why didn't I Match?"

There seems to be a lot of discussion lately on this topic, including a lot of fear-mongering anecdotes with an undercurrent of innuendo that odds are you will necessarily fail if you go to the Caribbean. With that said, I'm sharing an article from the AMA's blog about why applicants/soon-to-be...

forums.studentdoctor.net

 

[Deecee2DO]

yea so gpa is 3.45, mcat is 488.
its gonna be hard for me to retake the mcat because I work full time and I can't not work. That 488 was mainly a result of studying a couple hours a day after work for about 3 months. I'm not giving excuses but simply saying that I don't think my mcat will improve much even if I retake it since I'll still be under the same circumstances. At least once I'm in medical school I won't be working and my focus will be on studying.

I don't understand you can't not work but you can not work in january when you go to med school. Why don't you not work in January and take the MCAT instead of going to med school in the caribbean and then apply to DO or MD in the US. You can get above a 490 dude trust me. Don't sell yourself short and don't rush this process. No one should be in a "hurry" to go to med school-you should go when the time is right for you and when you are fully prepared. I don't understand why everyone going to these carrib schools are so worried about taking gap years and being "too old" to go to med school that they want to drop everything right away and go to the carib. I didn't start med school until 28 years old but I did it the right way (grade repair and went to DO school in the states) and glad I didn't rush it.

 

[7331poas]

Think this through. I am telling you that the people scoring around 500 at my school are struggling with exams. I go to a US MD school where admins are very proactive in helping students make it through and graduate.

The reasons you should not go to a Caribbean school are multiple:

1) If you have a 488 your chances of succeeding in medical school are small. You can make excuses for the score, but that doesnt change the facts.

2) The Caribbean program you are entering will not support you academically. It is in their interest to fail a student who will not do well on board exams. (but at the same time take your tuition money for as long as possible)

3) Even if you do pass Step 1 and Step 2, your ability to matching from a Caribbean program will be significantly harder than from any DO school in the US. Especially if Step 1 scoring is changed to Pass/Fail as it is rumored to do so.


Think this through before you have 200k in debt and zero to show for it.

 

[Deecee2DO]

Think this through. I am telling you that the people scoring around 500 at my school are struggling with exams. I go to a US MD school where admins are very proactive in helping students make it through and graduate.

The reasons you should not go to a Caribbean school are multiple:

1) If you have a 488 your chances of succeeding in medical school are small. You can make excuses for the score, but that doesnt change the facts.

2) The Caribbean program you are entering will not support you academically. It is in their interest to fail a student who will not do well on board exams. (but at the same time take your tuition money for as long as possible)

3) Even if you do pass Step 1 and Step 2, your ability to matching from a Caribbean program will be significantly harder than from any DO school in the US. Especially if Step 1 scoring is changed to Pass/Fail as it is rumored to do so.


Think this through before you have 200k in debt and zero to show for it.

I agree with all of this except for the 500 MCAT students struggling in med school. There are some DO schools where thats the avg score-they cant all be struggling. I know this is anecdotal evidence but personally I attend a DO school (one of the older established ones) where the avg mcat is a 506 (which isnt bad for DO) and myself and several of my classmates had an MCAT around 500 and we are all top quartile. I think if you have around a 500 it is good enough to do well you just have to bust your ass. The avg mcat for DO schools 20 years ago was around a 500 and some of those people are physicians and surgeons in competitive specialties. The mcat is important because it demonstrates your work ethic, your test taking abilities and to the least extent your intelligence. After a certain point your score has diminishing returns in my opinion in predicting success in med school. That is why success on step 1 has a much stronger association with preclinical grades in M1 and M2 than your mcat score. Basicallt what I am saying is a 488 means OP probably just didnt try hard enough because he didnt put in the required time which means he doesnt know what his potential is for handling med school. I dont know him but if he busted his ass hard enough I bet he could get above a 500 which I think is good enough to succeed. But right now I dont know if he has shown enough dedication to studying to succeed in even the carribbean. Its sink or swim there-they take your money and watch you drown which isnt the case at US schools they really want students to succeed. OP, for the love of God retake your mcat and go to US MD/DO

 

[7331poas]

I agree with all of this except for the 500 MCAT students struggling in med school. There are some DO schools where thats the avg score-they cant all be struggling. I know this is anecdotal evidence but personally I attend a DO school (one of the older established ones) where the avg mcat is a 506 (which isnt bad for DO) and myself and several of my classmates had an MCAT around 500 and we are all top quartile. I think if you have around a 500 it is good enough to do well you just have to bust your ass. The avg mcat for DO schools 20 years ago was around a 500 and some of those people are physicians and surgeons in competitive specialties. The mcat is important because it demonstrates your work ethic, your test taking abilities and to the least extent your intelligence.

If the average for your school is close to 500, then of course a person with close to a 500 will be a top quartile student. Thats just how statistics work.

And the point about physicians historically, they would either under-preform or they would realize the expectations are higher and work harder. Matching as a surgeon in a competitive specialty was much easier in prior generations.

 

[Deecee2DO]

If the average for your school is close to 500, then of course a person with close to a 500 will be a top quartile student. Thats just how statistics work.

And the point about physicians historically, they would either under-preform or they would realize the expectations are higher and work harder. Matching as a surgeon in a competitive specialty was much easier in prior generations.

It might have been easier to get into as far as competition simply because there were less med students but the training wasnt intellectually physically and emotionally easier than it is now. The only reason there is so much emphasis on standardized testing in med school is because there are so many damn med students now its the only way to stratefy. If you can get around a 500 or higher you can succeed imo. The reason a 510 is the avg now is because there are too many applicants now that the adcoms make the cutoff higher. Its the only real strat tool

 

[7331poas]

It might have been easier to get into as far as competition simply because there were less med students but the training wasnt intellectually physically and emotionally easier than it is now. The only reason there is so much emphasis on standardized testing in med school is because there are so many damn med students now its the only way to stratefy. If you can get around a 500 or higher you can succeed imo. The reason a 510 is the avg now is because there are too many applicants now that the adcoms make the cutoff higher. Its the only real strat tool

Again, I have to disagree. The amount of knowledge necessary to do well on Step 1 and Step 2 today is easily 50-100% larger than it was in 1990.

Also we are arguing past each other. Your contention is that competency hasn't changed since 1990, that may be true. But if you are the lowest preforming student in the class, no one is going to care whether that is technically above the standard of competency of 1985.

 

[ScreamingInternally]

Just to add to that, I have spoken with old school ENT and the like who literally have no idea that MCAT/STEP scores mean anything. When I worked with one, he said that I was amazing in the OR and has the skills to do what he did, and when I said that it wasn't a reality to me due to low STEP scores (forget the fact that I hate the OR setting), he said STEP was basically P/F for him and no one gave a **** about scores. The structure has changed, and the expectations for competency have changed. There are real and artificial limiters everywhere you look based on scores, schools & their reputation, subjective measures from attendings, your name, different scoring systems at different places, the color of your skin, the people you know etc. There is an attending I worked with for one day who single-handedly tanked my IM score for no reason other than she could, and prevented me from getting Honors. Everything matters more now than it used to.

 

[Osteosaur]

I pulled a 515 working full time. The key is to really space out your studying up to 12 months beforehand and take every practice test you can. If you're not doing good on standardized tests working a regular job in the US, you're not going to do good under high pressure at the carribean.

Caribbean schools have a lot of added stressors. You're away from home. Utilities on Grenada do not always work. You can't just buckle down and study for medical school; you need to really be a proven student to make it work and its not going to be any easier in the caribbean WITHOUT support.

Generally speaking, though, don't pre-study. Try and de-stress and not regret any missed trips or time spent with your friends and family. Do that whenever you can, honestly. And learn not to feel guilty for it.

 

[Tenk]

Lol. Wtf do people think this job is.

“I can’t work full time and study.”

That is LITERALLY what we do as doctors.

 

[ciestar]

Lol. Wtf do people think this job is.

“I can’t work full time and study.”

That is LITERALLY what we do as doctors.

And as med students.
Surgery rotation and the shelf hahaha

 

[efle]

And as med students.
Surgery rotation and the shelf hahaha

Except full time for OP probably means 40 hrs/week.

Surgery rotation with 60-70 hours in the hospital, reading up on patients at home and studying for a "surgery" shelf (medicine shelf part 2) is a special hell. I honestly do not understand how any student experiences this rotation and thinks yea, I want a lifetime of this.

 

[Dantes]

Lol. Wtf do people think this job is.

“I can’t work full time and study.”

That is LITERALLY what we do as doctors.

That's different. You're still working and being immersed in an environment that's similar to what you're studying. Harder to do if you're working a completely unrelated job. But I agree with what others said, 9-12 months might be necessary. I did closer to 9 months and that was still working part-time.

 

[ciestar]

Except full time for OP probably means 40 hrs/week.

Surgery rotation with 60-70 hours in the hospital, reading up on patients at home and studying for a "surgery" shelf (medicine shelf part 2) is a special hell. I honestly do not understand how any student experiences this rotation and thinks yea, I want a lifetime of this.

I thought the same thing, especially while on 24 hour call. No thanks

 

[Tenk]

That's different. You're still working and being immersed in an environment that's similar to what you're studying. Harder to do if you're working a completely unrelated job. But I agree with what others said, 9-12 months might be necessary. I did closer to 9 months and that was still working part-time.

Negative. Whatever job this person has, mine would make him **** his pants, run into a closet and cry.

Med school, residency and working as an attending builds you into a freaking beast mode machine. It only gets harder. It just seems better because you've gotten your ass kicked for so many years it becomes the norm.

 

[stickgirl390]

Just speculating here, as I don’t know your personal situation:

If you have to work full time to make ends meet, how will you fare if you fail out of a Caribbean school and end up right back where you are now, but $200k in debt?

Another good option for you that hasn’t been suggested yet is PA school. The GRE is much more manageable than the MCAT, and you’ll finish 6 years earlier than your med school counterparts.

 

[Dantes]

Negative. Whatever job this person has, mine would make him **** his pants, run into a closet and cry.

Med school, residency and working as an attending builds you into a freaking beast mode machine. It only gets harder. It just seems better because you've gotten your ass kicked for so many years it becomes the norm.

Lol who are you trying to flex on? It does only get harder, but at the pre-med stage studying for the MCAT while working full-time is a recipe for burnout unless it's spread out over a longer period.

 

[Thesimplelifeofamyloid]

Negative. Whatever job this person has, mine would make him **** his pants, run into a closet and cry.

Med school, residency and working as an attending builds you into a freaking beast mode machine. It only gets harder. It just seems better because you've gotten your ass kicked for so many years it becomes the norm.

Someone had a rough day and needs to feel good about him/her self

 

[Tenk]

Lol who are you trying to flex on? It does only get harder, but at the pre-med stage studying for the MCAT while working full-time is a recipe for burnout unless it's spread out over a longer period.

If I wanted to flex I’d post my W-2.

I’m simply stating facts. I don’t understand why people think somehow it gets better/easier in medical school. It doesn’t. It’s worse. Undergrad is a freaking joke compared to medical school. These students with subpar GPAs and little to no chance of a US MD/DO admission are being spoon fed lies and false hope by a for profit Caribbean system. Sure a couple who have low GPAs may come out alright at the end, but a large portion won’t.

It’s like taking $300,000, going to a casino and putting it all on black. You wouldn’t do that, so why do this?

 

[Aloe paleo]

retake mcat and apply DO!

 

[Matthew9Thirtyfive]

yea so gpa is 3.45, mcat is 488.
its gonna be hard for me to retake the mcat because I work full time and I can't not work. That 488 was mainly a result of studying a couple hours a day after work for about 3 months. I'm not giving excuses but simply saying that I don't think my mcat will improve much even if I retake it since I'll still be under the same circumstances. At least once I'm in medical school I won't be working and my focus will be on studying.

you can come back from that. I know med students who got below 490s, retook and got above 500s and are med students now. Please don’t throw your future away by going to the Carib.

 

[IsleyOfTheNorth]

yea so gpa is 3.45, mcat is 488.

With those scores, you are either not smart enough or you don't have the work ethic required to be a physician. Don't spend $250K+ figuring out which.

Keep working and study for the MCAT again. If you can't get break 500, being a physician is out of reach for you - choose a different profession.

 

[Matthew9Thirtyfive]

With those scores, you are either not smart enough or you don't have the work ethic required to be a physician. Don't spend $250K+ figuring out which.

Keep working and study for the MCAT again. If you can't get break 500, being a physician is out of reach for you - choose a different profession.

This is almost good advice. There could be any number of reasons why she has a 3.45 (which is actually higher than my cum gpa was). And her MCAT score seems to be from not prioritizing studying. I agree that she needs to take time to study for the MCAT again and retake it. But I have classmates who just couldn’t get good scores on the MCAT and now they are killing it in med school.

 

[IsleyOfTheNorth]

But I have classmates who just couldn’t get good scores on the MCAT and now they are killing it in med school.

Do you have classmates that got a 488 on the MCAT and are succeeding in med school? A 488 is in the 15th percentile; a 500 by comparison is 49-50th percentile. That's a huge difference, indicating, in my opinion, a lack in fundamentals.

 

[Matthew9Thirtyfive]

Do you have classmates that got a 488 on the MCAT and are succeeding in med school? A 488 is in the 15th percentile; a 500 by comparison is 49-50th percentile. That's a huge difference, indicating, in my opinion, a lack in fundamentals.

Nice straw man but that’s not what I said. I do have classmates who scored 496-500 who are doing very well. Some people have issues with standardized tests, not learning.

 

[IsleyOfTheNorth]

Nice straw man but that’s not what I said. I do have classmates who scored 496-500 who are doing very well. Some people have issues with standardized tests, not learning.

So you're saying that my advice is exactly accurate except that, instead of the number 500, you would choose the number 496 as the cutoff. Ok.

Also, have those classmates of yours that are "killing it in med school" that "have issues with standardized tests" taken their Step 1 yet? If so, how'd they do?

 

[7331poas]

If I wanted to flex I’d post my W-2.

I’m simply stating facts. I don’t understand why people think somehow it gets better/easier in medical school. It doesn’t. It’s worse. Undergrad is a freaking joke compared to medical school. These students with subpar GPAs and little to no chance of a US MD/DO admission are being spoon fed lies and false hope by a for profit Caribbean system. Sure a couple who have low GPAs may come out alright at the end, but a large portion won’t.

It’s like taking $300,000, going to a casino and putting it all on black. You wouldn’t do that, so why do this?

Meh, med school is pretty chill if you arent going for a competitive specialty. Becoming a FM doc really just requires the bare minimum.

 

[Tenk]

Meh, med school is pretty chill if you arent going for a competitive specialty. Becoming a FM doc really just requires the bare minimum.

There is nothing chill about a Caribbean med school.

 

[IsleyOfTheNorth]

But I have classmates who just couldn’t get good scores on the MCAT and now they are killing it in med school.

I do have classmates who scored 496-500 who are doing very well. Some people have issues with standardized tests, not learning.

I think the 496 MCAT bar is set too low. Here's why:

An MCAT of 496 is 37th percentile. Now, if we assume that the issue isn't with learning but with standardized testing itself, as you have suggested, then we can assume that the same problem will occur with the COMLEX exam - which is also standardized. (I'm assuming DO based on MCAT score.)

On the COMLEX, according to NBOME, a 37th percentile score in 2018-2019 is 495. According to NRMP, in 2016 the mean score for matched DO students is 566. The mean score for unmatched DO students is 518.

A 496 (37th percentile) doesn't even approach the average for an unmatched DO student.

For Family Medicine, which is the least competitive specialty listed, the matched average COMLEX score was 525.

 

[jurassicpark]

It’s like taking $300,000, going to a casino and putting it all on black. You wouldn’t do that, so why do this?

Dude, I've thought about this every day.

 

[Matthew9Thirtyfive]

So you're saying that my advice is exactly accurate except that, instead of the number 500, you would choose the number 496 as the cutoff. Ok.

I said your advice was almost good. I agreed with you that the OP needs to retake. MCAT is a decent predictor of med school success. My disagreement was that if you have a 3.4 and below a 500 then you aren't cut out for med school.

Also, have those classmates of yours that are "killing it in med school" that "have issues with standardized tests" taken their Step 1 yet? If so, how'd they do?

Nope. We take NBME exams though. Some of them did great, some did okay. And some of the people who did very well on the MCAT didn't do so hot on the NBME. My whole point is that you can succeed in med school without cracking a 500 if the reason you're not getting there isn't just because you can't fundamentally understand science, and I know real life examples of people like that.

 

[Dantes]

If I wanted to flex I’d post my W-2.

I’m simply stating facts. I don’t understand why people think somehow it gets better/easier in medical school. It doesn’t. It’s worse. Undergrad is a freaking joke compared to medical school. These students with subpar GPAs and little to no chance of a US MD/DO admission are being spoon fed lies and false hope by a for profit Caribbean system. Sure a couple who have low GPAs may come out alright at the end, but a large portion won’t.

It’s like taking $300,000, going to a casino and putting it all on black. You wouldn’t do that, so why do this?

I mean...yeah. OP needs to avoid the Caribbean and retake the MCAT to go DO. Their GPA is within range for DO schools. Why rush a retake with higher stakes when you need to work full time? Space the studying out and take it when your practice scores say you're ready. What are you even arguing? For OP to give up now after one bad MCAT?

Please don't flex your baller W2 on me. My six figure negative net worth couldn't take it