Reapplication in Texas, should I retake a 508??

[jamjen]

At the time of my first application I had:

A 508 MCAT from 2022 (128,128,126,126)
3.8 GPA, roughly same sGPA
1000 hrs in research (no pub)
100 hours shadowing a number of physicians
~400-500 non-clinical volunteering
300 “non-clinical” volunteering hours at the hospital.
Not an URM, am a Texas native.

In my first cycle I had two interviews, one waitlist and one rejection. I’ve spoken to the school that rejected me and their position was I needed to work on my clinical experience more. Well I got a job as a IPR rehabilitation therapy tech, as well as volunteering hands on with preventing dementia in at risk hospitalized pts. I shadow other doctors currently, and more and more have been planting a seed in my head about retaking the MCAT. I really want to retake it, but I also found an opportunity to work as a Community health worker for a physician (would also be a very nice LOR) and there wouldn’t really be anyway to do both and have a meaningful impact on my score or experiences. I’m very much torn on wether I need to retake the MCAT for my app this coming cycle.

Currently, I bumped the amount of research to about 1500 with a publication just sent back to journal editors for final feedback, increased my shadowing by another 100 hr, worked IPR therapy tech for about 1200 hours this past year, and putting in at least 200 hr volunteering in the hospital and another 200 hr non clinical volunteering. LOR this time around should be better as well compared to last cycles (not that they were bad, but I had gotten some from volunteer groups that wrote pretty generic letters).

All of that said, I’m leaning more towards not retaking my MCAT. I want to also email the admission of the schools that interviewed me and ask if they have any advice. Thoughts?

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[Mr.Smile12]

You had two interviews with your MCAT. You must score +10 for a big impact on the MCAT since many schools average scores.

I need details regarding the comments needing more clinical experience.

 

[jamjen]

You had two interviews with your MCAT. You must score +10 for a big impact on the MCAT since many schools average scores.

I need details regarding the comments needing more clinical experience.

Well I used to volunteer in the ER and Neuro ICU in the hospital in my hometown. Most of my responsibilities were mainly administrative tasks; while I would shadow physicians around and speak to patients who feel very vulnerable, the problem was with my volunteering is that it wasn't so much working with patients, rather fetching stuff for them, greeting their families. I never really had a direct hand in their care, and never really was "close enough to smell them".