Retake MCAT for reapp (4.0, 509)?

[pleaseaccept]

1. 4.0 sGPA and cGPA
2. 504 (126, 124, 126, 128), 509 (126, 126, 129, 128)
3. State: IL
4. Ethnicity: ORM, Asian Male
5. Undergraduate institution: Flagship state school (T-30-40?)
6. Clinical: CNA - 600 hours, Hospital Volunteer that counts as clinical role - 150 Hours
7. Research experience: 500 hours in Neurodegeneration study lab studying animal behavior - 1 poster and 1 pub in progress (might not go through due to NIH funding issues). Also 200 hours w/ translational lab regarding child mental health access - was told by PI that my work led to changes in state policies.
8. Shadowing experience: 100 hours w/ Psych, Pediatrics, and Geiatrics
9. Non-clinical volunteering: 150 hours soup kitchen, 100 hours volunteer photographer for non-profit.
10. Other extracurricular activities: Significantly accomplished in art related field with international recognition. Have multiple selections and awards for my work. Started a club at my undergrad which became very large and successful as well.
11. Awards: Scholarship for $1,000, Dean's List, and 20+ awards in Art field.

Question: I feel like I have decent, well rounded extracurriculars and GPA. My main gripe is with my MCAT. My first attempt I prepared for around 6 months full time and achieved around a 519 practice exam average toward the end. I became really anxious on exam day and underperformed heavily scoring 504. I was also going through a series of other issues during this time including the death of a family member.

I retook immediately around 6 weeks after I got my score as I could not diagnose why I underperformed initially. Nevertheless I was unable to sleep the night before from anxiety and improved a decent bit in CARS and BB. I know I am capable of performing higher and am disappointed in my scores for CP and Psych which both are my strengths (did not score below 130 on neither on FL's).

I applied for this cycle anyway because I did not want to waste another year, and hoped that my other experiences + GPA would uplift the application. I received my score back from the retake end of August, and was complete at all my schools early to mid September. I got 1 interview this cycle, but did not hear back from atm. I did not hear back from a majority of my schools (including state school) yet.

My main question is: Should I retake the MCAT to improve my chances for an MD acceptance for next year? I am confident in scoring higher, but even if I scored around a 514, would it be a significant improvement? If I scored somewhere around a 510 again, would it be a DOA? Or should I simply count on being complete early this cycle (was complete in September last time due to retake)?

Also is there any other significant red flag or area of my application I should improve? I am volunteering at a local food bank to improve non-clinical hours, but anything else I should be doing?

School List:

RFU

UIC

UW-Madison

Pitt

MCW

Penn State

GWU

Geisinger

Quinnipac

Loyola

WMed

Albany

Indiana

SLU

Oakland

Wake Forest

Vermont

UCLA

DARTMOTH

Tulane

Virginia Commonwealth

Temple

Drexel

USC

UCSD

Tufts

Minnesotta

Southern Illinois

Creighton

Emory

Sidney Kimmel

Georgetown

PS: Did not apply DO this cycle because I knew if I got an DO acceptance I would have to attend, but would always be disappointed in not having a proper application cycle with MD schools. I will apply to both MD and DO schools this upcoming cycle.

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[Faha]

Schools such as Loyola. Creighton, Georgetown and Tulane are looking for applicants with many hundreds of hours of non clinical volunteering. you also applied to several schools that were unrealistic with MCAT scores of 504 and 509.
You could retake the MCAT but schools often average scores. If you reapply, I suggest these MD schools:
Illinois
Southern Illinois
Rosalind Franklin
Medical College Wisconsin
Oakland Beaumont
Wayne State
TCU
Alice Walton
Belmont
NOVA MD
Wake Forest
Virginia Commonwealth
Eastern Virginia
George Washington
Drexel
Temple
Penn State
Albany
Vermont
Quinnipiac
Roseman
Methodist (when it opens)
For DO schools I suggest these:
CCOM
DMU-COM
ATSU-KCOM
KCU-COM
MU-COM
AZCOM
TUNCOM
PCOM
CUSOM
WVSOM
NYITCOM
Touro-NY

 

[Mr.Smile12]

I agree that you can roll the dice on a retake, but schools will often average MCAT scores for screening applications. With two MCAT scores on the books, you need to push +10 above your higher score (meaning 519). Most of us expect +3 as the best one can do as a reapplicant, especially once you hit the 510s (because of the way scaled scores and percentiles are related here); it's easier to gain 3 in the 500's, so good for you for +5.

What comes through with your description is your interest in serving others through your artistic interest/photography. How should this insight inform us about your vision as a future physician? Why should your classmates look up to you? Do you have an answer?

 

[pleaseaccept]

I agree that you can roll the dice on a retake, but schools will often average MCAT scores for screening applications. With two MCAT scores on the books, you need to push +10 above your higher score (meaning 519). Most of us expect +3 as the best one can do as a reapplicant, especially once you hit the 510s (because of the way scaled scores and percentiles are related here); it's easier to gain 3 in the 500's, so good for you for +5.

What comes through with your description is your interest in serving others through your artistic interest/photography. How should this insight inform us about your vision as a future physician? Why should your classmates look up to you? Do you have an answer?

Thank you very much for your reply! The artistic interest (which was not photography) was more along the lines of an extracurricular and an otherwise small part of my application. The major topics which I discussed were my childhood experiences, clinical volunteering, CNA job, and research.

 

[candbgirl]

Thank you very much for your reply! The artistic interest (which was not photography) was more along the lines of an extracurricular and an otherwise small part of my application. The major topics which I discussed were my childhood experiences, clinical volunteering, CNA job, and research.

In your WAMC post, you specifically said/mentioned photography in your nonclinical entry. In @Mr.Smile12 stated “What comes through with your description is your interest in serving others through your artistic interest/photography. How should this insight inform us about your vision as a future physician? Why should your classmates look up to you? Do you have an answer?”.

So he was correct in mentioning photography as your stated means of serving others.

 

[Mr.Smile12]

In your WAMC post, you specifically said/mentioned photography in your nonclinical entry. In @Mr.Smile12 stated “What comes through with your description is your interest in serving others through your artistic interest/photography. How should this insight inform us about your vision as a future physician? Why should your classmates look up to you? Do you have an answer?”.

So he was correct in mentioning photography as your stated means of serving others.

Just adding for OP: You also say you earned 20+ awards and "international recognition" for artistic endeavors. You have mentioned art more than just once, so if it's a hobby... great. I want to know if there is more meaning to it that would be germane to becoming a student in the class.

 

[pleaseaccept]

Just adding for OP: You also say you earned 20+ awards and "international recognition" for artistic endeavors. You have mentioned art more than just once, so if it's a hobby... great. I want to know if there is more meaning to it that would be germane to becoming a student in the class.

Thank you both for your comments, and I now understand Mr. Smile's comment . I will try to incorporate this more into my application this time around. Initially I had a hard time tying together the artistic endeavor and medicine, and I felt like I should simply keep it as a hobby/extracurricular.

 

[Mr.Smile12]

Thank you both for your comments, and I now understand Mr. Smile's comment . I will try to incorporate this more into my application this time around. Initially I had a hard time tying together the artistic endeavor and medicine, and I felt like I should simply keep it as a hobby/extracurricular.

This would be a great opportunity to sandbox this. How were you trying to do this originally?