Questions About Retaking The MCAT

[SBanya]

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Hello,

So I applied for this current cycle (2016) as soon as I could in June right after I took the MCAT.

That being said, I studied with the in-person Kaplan course, but still ended up with a 492 when all was said and done. I did whatever I could and really committed but even then, I still think it was just a waste of money in the end.

The second section for the actual test I must admit I was feeling stupidly hungry, and wasn't ready for the absolutely draining effect it had on me even though I had snacks and food prepared.

Thankfully, I would take practice tests every Saturday so the timing nor the endurance wasn't a huge issue, but its just sad to not even break 500.

I really tried to balance studying and AmeriCorps and feel like I don't know what to do at this point. My secondaries are in through the FAP program for the major MD schools, and I paid for all 3 DO schools myself with the secondary apps / fees since the stupid deadline was absolutely slim to begin with, and have yet to hear back from anyone except that its under current review.

What's even compounding the fact is that another AmeriCorps coworker has already had like 15 interviews, and got in to 2 schools.

I have been thinking about retaking the MCAT in April, but am kind of hesitant if the SNP route is needed.

On a very realistic side note though, I am working in public health as an AmeriCorps but feel like so many other rich kids in the same boat are getting interview after interview, and are accepted one after another, even in my program. The whole process so far has been making me completely jaded as a low income white male, and makes me absolutely bitter since I want to do this to fulfill the gap I see every single day at the health center I work at that is always losing consistent primary care providers.

On a personal note, I grew up in a single parent family, but still managed to even get a 3.6 GPA in undergrad, so I'm honestly sitting here wondering why nothing ever has worked out so far.

Living under the low AmeriCorps stipend has been a huge burden in NYC, and I just can't relate to how good others in my program have it. That being said, if anyone has advice to any extent, I'd really appreciate it because this is seemingly hopeless at this point.

Does anyone know any good linked SNP's or study schedules to help kill this test again in April?

The only positive thing that has been keeping me going is my own band as well as doing DIY gigs around NYC, but even then, that doesn't really make money at all. The lack of keeping friends isn't helping either 🙁. Especially since most of the ones even attempting this route are either grandfathered into it since their parents are doctors, or they're from pretty wealthy families.

 

[SBanya]

I also help out at a soup kitchen on Saturdays in Manhattan too since I can't find a decent one in Queens.

 

[deleted407021]

A 492 is in the 25th percentile. Why did you apply at all, with that score?

The reason your coworkers are getting interviews is likely because they did well on the MCAT. If you payed for an expensive and obviously useless Kaplan course, then I think the income correlate is fairly weak.

Bottom line -- you have to retake the MCAT and do significantly better the second time around. Assuming your GPAs are in line, you'll likely be met with success.

 

[SBanya]

What do I aim for then?

 

[deleted407021]

What do I aim for then?

I'd suggest looking around the MCAT sub-forum, here on SDN. You need to find what really works for you, identify and address your deficits from your first prep/test experience and demonstrate progress.

 

[deleted407021]

I.e. do well and show you can improve and solve problems.

 

[SBanya]

So if I give myself until April to take this test again, would that be sufficient? My coworker has the ExamKrackers book and I can print it at work sometime tomorrow.

I still have the Kaplan set from last time, but I heard its not good to use a previous set of materials, and to use a new set if its a new time retaking the test.

 

[deleted407021]

So if I give myself until April to take this test again, would that be sufficient? My coworker has the ExamKrackers book and I can print it at work sometime tomorrow.

I still have the Kaplan set from last time, but I heard its not good to use a previous set of materials, and to use a new set if its a new time retaking the test.

Perhaps start a thread in the subforum I mentioned. While I don't know how much time you'll need, conventional wisdom holds that 3 months of studying is ideal.

 

[SBanya]

Hey, I appreciate the genuine advice though. I feel like I'm so dumb for getting that low of a score, but its sad because I'm probably more motivated than the next guy.

I'm just so unsure of things, and have a limited support system with all of these questions since no one in my family has yet to do graduate school at all.

Thanks a lot.

 

[deleted407021]

Hey, I appreciate the genuine advice though. I feel like I'm so dumb for getting that low of a score, but its sad because I'm probably more motivated than the next guy.

I'm just so unsure of things, and have a limited support system with all of these questions since no one in my family has yet to do graduate school at all.

Thanks a lot.

You may have lots of barriers, but you've gotten this far and you seem to be doing good work. Don't let a bad score on one dumb test put you down. The MCAT is just one piece of an application and all you have to do is well enough. Learn how to study for and take that thing and you'll do fine.

Best of luck.

 

[SBanya]

Thanks, will do. I msged a previous AmeriCorps alum who had my position two years ago since this is my second year of doing AmeriCorps since its the only way to get experience to at least get a full time job these days, and I'm waiting for his response.

He's taking classes with first year med school students down south at Tulane and is in the same process. Definitely know that I probably should have taken things more seriously or something. Music during studying I guess didn't help, but I did always use earplugs as well.

Regardless, definitely will take your advice, cool.

 

[Ho0v-man]

It sounds like you have a very external locus of control, OP. You need to stop blaming all of these external factors. At the end of the day, YOU bombed the MCAT. It wasn't your low socioeconomic status or the fact that your parents aren't connected or your busy work schedule or whatever else. It was you. The reason you have not been accepted into medical school is solely on you and you alone. If a patient is dead because you mismanaged a code, no one is going to care about whatever it was that was distracting you from doing what you needed to do. You're signing up for a job where you aren't going to be able to make any excuses for poor performance so you might want to start now.

I can really sympathize with your situation. I'm a non trad with multiple jobs and a family. I also came from a poor background. It's pretty discouraging having to compete with people that can take 3-5 months off to study 8 hours a day for that test while personally going weeks at a time without a day off at all. But if you're really passionate about what you want out of life, you're gonna drive through those roadblocks and get where you need to go.

I bombed my first MCAT and wanted to immediately blame the fact that I had 3 jobs and a bunch of other external factors. But at the end of the day, it's my fault for taking it without being fully prepared and it was really tough to come to grips with that. I didn't rock the MCAT on the retake by any means. But I still got an acceptance by busting my hump and (hopefully) with some more to come. You can do it too. You just have to start making improvements and stop making excuses. Good luck!


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[dapdrow]

It sounds like you have a very external locus of control, OP. You need to stop blaming all of these external factors. At the end of the day, YOU bombed the MCAT. It wasn't your low socioeconomic status or the fact that your parents aren't connected or your busy work schedule or whatever else. It was you. The reason you have not been accepted into medical school is solely on you and you alone. If a patient is dead because you mismanaged a code, no one is going to care about whatever it was that was distracting you from doing what you needed to do. You're signing up for a job where you aren't going to be able to make any excuses for poor performance so you might want to start now.

I can really sympathize with your situation. I'm a non trad with multiple jobs and a family. I also came from a poor background. It's pretty discouraging having to compete with people that can take 3-5 months off to study 8 hours a day for that test while personally going weeks at a time without a day off at all. But if you're really passionate about what you want out of life, you're gonna drive through those roadblocks and get where you need to go.

I bombed my first MCAT and wanted to immediately blame the fact that I had 3 jobs and a bunch of other external factors. But at the end of the day, it's my fault for taking it without being fully prepared and it was really tough to come to grips with that. I didn't rock the MCAT on the retake by any means. But I still got an acceptance by busting my hump and (hopefully) with some more to come. You can do it too. You just have to start making improvements and stop making excuses. Good luck!

^This so much.

I grew up low income (and in NYC) with a mother who was a teen mom and a father who is straight-up blue collar. College was never even discussed. And now, as an older adult, I'm trying to finish my pre-reqs (trying to finish physics II right now, UGH) and then study for the MCAT once I'm done. Even though I work full-time on third shift and take OT when I can get it, the nights exhaust me. There are days where I sleep non-stop because night shift really messes with my head. But if I can't do it, then at the end of the day that's on me.

Your MCAT is too low. And that's it. Your GPA is fine. They were probably accepted with better MCAT scores.

 

[surgeryDO]

I also initially took Kaplan courses and it was nothing but a huge waste of time. I did the Kaplan courses TWICE. My practice scores weren't improving and I just wasn't syncing with how they presented the material. I decided to switch it up and bought the examkrackers set on Amazon for $200. It's very affordable and they have a 10 week home study schedule on their website so you can guide yourself through the material. Once I got those books, I started seeing significant improvement. I suggest trying that if you're looking to save some money and get away from Kaplan.
On a side note, everyone is different and Kaplan puts a lot of hype into triaging, outlining passages, and taking loads of practice tests. None of that helped me. I took one practice test before my last mcat and did way better than when I was taking 10 Kaplan practice tests.
Essentially, you have to figure out what works best for you. There are other ways to prep besides Kaplan and forking out all that money for those courses. Check out EK or Princeton Review. Good luck dude, you can make it.

 

[SBanya]

Love you guys, those two posts alone hit it hard that I still have a chance. I can definitely make the time to make it happen and put things aside for three or four months to nail this thing.

At the bare minimum, I at least am working full time so I'm happy in that respect. Its just that nothing else is kind of working out. I think it might be due to a relationship that just didn't end well / quickly two months ago, and being alone through all of this that makes this affect even my work habits / motivation.

But with that being said, that's pretty cool to know others were in the same boat.

I'll definitely print that Exam Krackers book today at one of the centers downtown. Though, I'm wondering if I should pay for additional practice tests online though.

Should I get a pull up bar and add that to my workout routine in the morning? I've noticed all of these successful pre-med types are really into exercising. Also, does anyone have any ideas to build a schedule / how to study these particular books if you work full time?

 

[Ho0v-man]

Love you guys, those two posts alone hit it hard that I still have a chance. I can definitely make the time to make it happen and put things aside for three or four months to nail this thing.

At the bare minimum, I at least am working full time so I'm happy in that respect. Its just that nothing else is kind of working out. I think it might be due to a relationship that just didn't end well / quickly two months ago, and being alone through all of this that makes this affect even my work habits / motivation.

But with that being said, that's pretty cool to know others were in the same boat.

I'll definitely print that Exam Krackers book today at one of the centers downtown. Though, I'm wondering if I should pay for additional practice tests online though.

Should I get a pull up bar and add that to my workout routine in the morning? I've noticed all of these successful pre-med types are really into exercising. Also, does anyone have any ideas to build a schedule / how to study these particular books if you work full time?

There's lots of schedules you'll find on here, but none of them worked for me because they're mostly geared toward people with nothing to do but study.

I used wiki premed. It's great for people weak in physical sciences. Its set up to be affordable. It's geared toward the old test, but still very useful. He sells physics flash cards that are pretty cheap and VERY useful. The ochem stuff is maybe a little too much for the new format. I used that and coupled it with the EK 1001 and worked through all the problems coupled with the module I was doing. I did one module/week but since I was super busy, you could probably do it a little faster.

I used Kaplan for everything else. PM me if you have questions specific to wiki premed. It's great, but it's rough.


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[Goro]

An SMP is worthless for you. Your GPA is NOT the problem. Your problem is the MCAT and you're going to have to retake it. Your score is lethal for any med school.

Do NOT take it unless you're 100% ready for it.

Eat a high lipid breakfast if hunger issues affect your test taking.

Hello,

So I applied for this current cycle (2016) as soon as I could in June right after I took the MCAT.

That being said, I studied with the in-person Kaplan course, but still ended up with a 492 when all was said and done. I did whatever I could and really committed but even then, I still think it was just a waste of money in the end.

The second section for the actual test I must admit I was feeling stupidly hungry, and wasn't ready for the absolutely draining effect it had on me even though I had snacks and food prepared.

Thankfully, I would take practice tests every Saturday so the timing nor the endurance wasn't a huge issue, but its just sad to not even break 500.

I really tried to balance studying and AmeriCorps and feel like I don't know what to do at this point. My secondaries are in through the FAP program for the major MD schools, and I paid for all 3 DO schools myself with the secondary apps / fees since the stupid deadline was absolutely slim to begin with, and have yet to hear back from anyone except that its under current review.

What's even compounding the fact is that another AmeriCorps coworker has already had like 15 interviews, and got in to 2 schools.

I have been thinking about retaking the MCAT in April, but am kind of hesitant if the SNP route is needed.

On a very realistic side note though, I am working in public health as an AmeriCorps but feel like so many other rich kids in the same boat are getting interview after interview, and are accepted one after another, even in my program. The whole process so far has been making me completely jaded as a low income white male, and makes me absolutely bitter since I want to do this to fulfill the gap I see every single day at the health center I work at that is always losing consistent primary care providers.

On a personal note, I grew up in a single parent family, but still managed to even get a 3.6 GPA in undergrad, so I'm honestly sitting here wondering why nothing ever has worked out so far.

Living under the low AmeriCorps stipend has been a huge burden in NYC, and I just can't relate to how good others in my program have it. That being said, if anyone has advice to any extent, I'd really appreciate it because this is seemingly hopeless at this point.

Does anyone know any good linked SNP's or study schedules to help kill this test again in April?

The only positive thing that has been keeping me going is my own band as well as doing DIY gigs around NYC, but even then, that doesn't really make money at all. The lack of keeping friends isn't helping either 🙁. Especially since most of the ones even attempting this route are either grandfathered into it since their parents are doctors, or they're from pretty wealthy families.

 

[SBanya]

Cool, will definitely check out the schedules that are available.

Not sure if I should go the wiki PreMed route though. Do you think its worth my time? Or should I end up making physical note cards instead?

Regardless, thanks for the replies, that's super helpful 🙂.

 

[Ho0v-man]

Cool, will definitely check out the schedules that are available.

Not sure if I should go the wiki PreMed route though. Do you think its worth my time? Or should I end up making physical note cards instead?

Regardless, thanks for the replies, that's super helpful 🙂.

It drastically helped me with Chemistry and physics. Those notecards are not just formulas. They're like little lessons. They're on the site for free. It's more convenient to purchase them is all. If physical science is a weakness, this is the best ( and def most affordable) around. I feel like Kaplan was good for everything else when supplemented with khan vids and passages when you don't quite get something, but everyone is different. I really liked wiki premed because it focused a lot on building up a scientific intuition prior to hardcore rote memorization. If you're crushing Chem/phys and everything else is the problem, you might not want to waste your time, though.


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[SBanya]

Chemistry and Physics were never my strong point but I still got past the courses.

I find the overwhelming use of Biochem throughout the entire test to be cumbersome though. Like, they would sprinkle it in any section they possible could, and makes me jaded why they changed the test the year I actually got the courage to apply.

I remember even one of the sections to be simply just ridiculous jargon on enzymes, and was just staring at the screen going 0_o but still sucked it up and fought past it with a quick mental boost to ignore it. That was the only single passage where it was obviously trying to make you lose confidence.

I'll definitely check out that wiki. The funny / sad part about today is that I went to go print out that book from my coworker and apparently it's the Exam Krackers book from 2008 :/... I'll look into buying it tonight for sure somehow. Probably have to delay building a computer another month or two then since my current one I built a few years ago is now blue screening like crazy.

And I just realized I didn't even submit the supplemental app for Morsani and Drexel (will do so, but there goes my chances --> lost cause). That's how far my motivation has been stripped this year with everything. I almost stopped caring after I got rejected from Pittsburgh and Scranton since I've been a PA resident forever, and just wonder why even Scranton that touts community health would not even consider me at all even though I lived like 30 mins away for a good majority of my life -_-. Pittsburgh was even worse because I really really really wanted to do their neuro program in high school, and that was the first college rejection I ever received. I guess it wasn't meant for me then.

Well, at least I know what schools to not apply to next year for sure.

Another weird thing to note is my state residency. In order to not screw over my brother and mother, I'm technically on their lease in PA so I have to be a PA resident, which blows, but otherwise they'd be homeless. This is only a stupid burden until June onward because I literally will finish this AmeriCorps term by that point and am planning to nail a job at that point at the bare min.

Hopefully if I declare NY state residency in June and apply shortly afterwards, that's considered to be a resident :/

But I will definitely try my best this time. At least I know what to expect, and even the whole experience wasn't as bad as people had said it was. It was just a marathon honestly. I'm only thankful I did so many practice tests to just be able to sit at a computer for 8 hours to do a test.

 

[Ho0v-man]

Please don't submit more secondaries. You're throwing you're money away. This cycle is over for you. Focus on the next one.

Also, wiki premed uses an older version of EK as a supplement so I'd say use your friends book. It's really old. You'd think he'd let you have it.


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[SBanya]

It was through FAP so it was no cost to me anyway. I hear you though.

I literally can print out those old books though, but I don't even know if that's worth my time. I should just probably look into buying the Exam Krackers set and just go from there.

Are you on FB or should I contact you through here for any further questions because I don't want to seem like a bother. Thanks a bunch for the help so far though.

 

[Ho0v-man]

Just PM me


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[SBanya]

Hey dude, question. Should I consider the Kansas City University program? They keep sending me info about their program but I don't know if it would be worth it in my case :/

Here's the app they keep sending me:

https://powercampus.kcumb.edu/Admissions/Application.aspx?applicationformid=5

 

[Dr Tony T. Chopper]

Study for the MCAT with everything you have. Drop all distractions from your life and aim to score something around the ballpark of a 507. Do what you have to do to get decent numbers on your application and take your own life by the horns.

 

[SBanya]

Cool advice, thanks.

Yeah, I bought the ExamKrackers bookset this week since my ego deep down wants me to give this a second chance for sure.

If anyone can link me some good Excel schedules for anyone who works full time, or at least help me in this regard, that would be cool. I only ask because I think I need to not only revamp the time put towards this but HOW I study too.

I felt better by taking a bunch of practice tests to build endurance, but would rather have someone say "Read these chapters, do this, review this, take test, repeat" etc since I don't think I absorbed the material as well as other people apparently. I'm still not looking forward to that Biochem material, but I'll definitely learn it again since its mandatory.