Retaking MCAT after acceptance

[lyss_get_lost]

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Alright, I know I'm going to get **** for this but I'll admit I'm being a brat. So I have applied this round and have been accepted to 1 MD school and 3 DO schools . I have been waitlisted at my top choice school, which is MD. I think I want to go into a competitive specialty (but this could always change) and would prefer to go to an MD school, however the school I was accepted to is not super reputable and is located in an awful place. I have been considering holding my acceptance here while studying to retake the MCAT, as I believe that is my biggest weakness. I have a 3.85 gpa and 507 MCAT. I don't want to screw up my acceptance at the MD school until I know what my new MCAT score would be..... so be honest. Am I insane for even considering this?

 

[outkast1]

Yes you are insane. This is one of the stupidest things I've ever read on this forum. Your post is the entire reason people label pre-meds as "neurotic". Dude, you have an MD acceptance. You can match into a competitive speciality. Don't be stupid and just enjoy these last few months before med school stars.

 

[mydogmolly]

I'm fairly certain now that you're accepted, you're locked in. Even if you retake for a 525, you are dead in the water come next cycle because every school will know that you turned down an MD acceptance, so they won't even look at your app.

I would just relax for the next 5 months before you go through the educational equivalent of Navy SEAL training.

 

[tarheelpenner]

And what will you say next year if you get interviews? There is just no good way to explain this. Also, this might be a dumb question, but why would you apply someplace you didnt want to go? Unless you only decided that after.

EDIT: If they will interview you at all

 

[Zoey 101 was dope]

I don't think you're insane at all. I can understand where you are coming from. Still though, I barely know anything about you so I cannot really recommend anything because much of the decisive factors are all unknown to me. If you can afford to take a year off, and think you could get a *significantly* better MCAT (at least above 514+ ish for it to make any significant difference) you could reapply and take a gap year doing something productive working in the medical field in some capacity. Again, your prerogative after all, but just my 2 cents.

 

[tarheelpenner]

I don't think you're insane at all. I can understand where you are coming from. Still though, I barely know anything about you so I cannot really recommend anything because much of the decisive factors are all unknown to me. If you can afford to take a year off, and think you could get a *significantly* better MCAT (at least above 514+ ish for it to make any significant difference) you could reapply and take a gap year doing something productive working in the medical field in some capacity. Again, your prerogative after all, but just my 2 cents.

I don't think any school will even interview him/her though. I'm fairly certain they can see if you've been accepted before (not 100% on this)

 

[outkast1]

I don't think you're insane at all. I can understand where you are coming from. Still though, I barely know anything about you so I cannot really recommend anything because much of the decisive factors are all unknown to me. If you can afford to take a year off, and think you could get a *significantly* better MCAT (at least above 514+ ish for it to make any significant difference) you could reapply and take a gap year doing something productive working in the medical field in some capacity. Again, your prerogative after all, but just my 2 cents.

How will OP explain turning down an MD acceptance? You're pretty much black balled if you turn one down just to re-apply and get into a "better" school. There's no guarantee OP even does significantly better on the MCAT. Is OP trying to take the MCAT, get the scores back this cycle and send it in as an update to the school he/she is waitlisted at? If so I'm not even sure that'll work, as I don't think MCAT scores can just be sent in as updates, you generally send in new scores for a new cycle.

 

[DokterMom]

US MD that is not super reputable? Can only think of one that might be described that way (for profit), but it's not in a place most would call "awful" --

Never mind - figured it out. That school is NOT less than perfectly reputable. Go there. Be a doctor.

 

[mydogmolly]

I don't think you're insane at all. I can understand where you are coming from. Still though, I barely know anything about you so I cannot really recommend anything because much of the decisive factors are all unknown to me. If you can afford to take a year off, and think you could get a *significantly* better MCAT (at least above 514+ ish for it to make any significant difference) you could reapply and take a gap year doing something productive working in the medical field in some capacity. Again, your prerogative after all, but just my 2 cents.

I'm like 95% sure that MD adcoms ask/can see if you've ever turned down a MD acceptance, and DO adcoms with DO acceptances. And if a school sees that someone rejected a medical school because it "wasn't good enough," why would they ever entertain that application?

 

[Zoey 101 was dope]

How will OP explain turning down an MD acceptance? You're pretty much black balled if you turn one down just to re-apply and get into a "better" school. There's no guarantee OP even does significantly better on the MCAT. Is OP trying to take the MCAT, get the scores back this cycle and send it in as an update to the school he/she is waitlisted at? If so I'm not even sure that'll work, as I don't think MCAT scores can just be sent in as updates, you generally send in new scores for a new cycle.

OP, there are too many unknowns here, just think long and hard about your decision.

 

[lyss_get_lost]

Thank you everyone, I really do appreciate the feedback.

 

[kaim10]

This would be a bad move, in my opinion. The secondary applications almost all ask if you've ever been admitted to an MD school before. So if/when you mark "yes" when reapplying, this will look pretty terrible and I'd be surprised if you got any interviews.

Not to mention, even if you DO retake the mcat and DO get a significantly higher score, there are still NO guarantees. I have several friends who scored 518+ on the MCAT and received no (or only one) acceptance. Truly, there are no guarantees. Setting you sights on only one specific school is not smart, because statistically, you are bound to be let down.

I would just be happy with what you have, work incredibly hard in med school, and get a great step score. You can still go into a competitive residency.

 

[lmp123]

A classmate of mine did give up an acceptance to a pretty good school to reapply again the next cycle ( or maybe it was 2 cycles after) in hopes of getting into schools that he thought were better and in the state that he wanted to stay in. He did end up getting into one of his top choices which was a pretty competitive school to get into. However, I think he improved his app in more ways than just a higher MCAT score, I think he gained more work experience, better LOR and such.To him it was worth the risk because he said he would have felt miserable at the other school. I would suggest against taking the risk if its only because of the reasons you listed. Who knows, maybe you will end up liking the area the school is in. I think you could still match into a a great residency at that school if you work towards it BUT if you think you would be so absolutely miserable for the four years at the school to the point where you can't excel enough to do so, then maybe you have a valid reason for considering this.

 

[NeuResurgens]

Please, just no. So much no.

 

[Luka75]

I Kinda wanna see what happens though. Go ahead OP, turn it down... for science. 😏

That way, in the future, we'll be able to refer others wondering about the same thing to your case.

 

[SoppyElk]

Yea this is the dumbest thing I've ever read on here. No joke. There are hundreds of applicants out there that would kill to have 4 acceptances like you do. Don't be that person....

 

[Lawpy]

Alright, I know I'm going to get **** for this but I'll admit I'm being a brat. So I have applied this round and have been accepted to 1 MD school and 3 DO schools . I have been waitlisted at my top choice school, which is MD. I think I want to go into a competitive specialty (but this could always change) and would prefer to go to an MD school, however the school I was accepted to is not super reputable and is located in an awful place. I have been considering holding my acceptance here while studying to retake the MCAT, as I believe that is my biggest weakness. I have a 3.85 gpa and 507 MCAT. I don't want to screw up my acceptance at the MD school until I know what my new MCAT score would be..... so be honest. Am I insane for even considering this?

 

[Lucca]

Do not do this. Do not turn down an acceptance. Do not retake the MCAT. Do not pass go. Do not collect 200$.

This is an extremely risky proposition. 1. Schools will know that you have applied and been accepted before - this will get you blackballed at many places right away for obvious reasons. 2. There is no guarantee your next mcat score will be significantly better than the first.

Take the acceptance now, 95% chance of becoming a doctor. Defer and retake for no reason other than your own ego and those chances plummet again.

 

[pseud0]

lmao at turning down an acceptance to The Commonwealth Medical College (check her post history) for a literally miniscule chance of getting into Penn State instead, while risking not getting in anywhere again because you turned down MD.

Please stopppppppppppp

 

[NotYou20]

Honestly I think you're going to struggle to be happy with that attitude regardless of what you do. You're stepping intro a career with plenty of ways to do a bunch of **** you don't have to for prestige too.

 

[ChiefBlackhawk714]

you've been criticized enough already, so I'd like to offer alternative insight. You've been accepted to an MD program in the US (that's huge), and you may not like the location of the school or be unsure of its reputation. You're going to be studying a lot regardless the location if you want to go into a competitive specialty. That aside, lets say you do decide to retake the MCAT and you score 95th+ percentile. If you truly have the ability to buckle down, study hard, and do that well, then there's no reason why you can't do the same at the MD school you've been accepted at and on the USMLEs. A reputation of a school doesn't give you that significant leg up as far as residency applications go. It's just one factor (not make or break) mixed in with so many other factors that you alone can overcompensate for by doing well at your institution both academically and during rotations. If you begin to narrow down on a specialty, you can try and find research at a more reputable program during the summer between M1 or M2 or do away rotations at some outside institutions. Your talents can show and not only make a good impression of yourself but also help improve the reputation of your school at the same time.

 

[hubbsbubbs]

To be fair, I know a med student that got 5 acceptances and turned them all down because none of them were prestigious enough. He applied again the following year and got another 5 acceptances, went to Yale. n=1 tho

 

[Frogger27]

If this was not mentioned above, the two schools in question are The commonwealth and Penn State.... The outlook for residencies is no different coming from either of these schools.

 

[LibBum]

Say hello and wave goodbye to the $200-300k lost by forgoing your acceptance. Don't walk through life blindly.

 

[all things possible]

First world problems lol

 

[mistafab]

LOL best of luck OP.

 

[hrastio24]

.

 

[hubbsbubbs]

why would anyone who only wanted a prestigious school apply to so many less prestigious schools, get accepted to so many, then reapply and get accepted to another slew of presumably less prestigious as no one gets accepted to that many top schools. You story sounds more like a Trump news briefing than a plausible scenario

Not saying that I support his intention. That's just what he told me. Didn't seem like he had a reason to lie

 

[pseud0]

If this was not mentioned above, the two schools in question are The commonwealth and Penn State.... The outlook for residencies is no different coming from either of these schools.

On that startclass rankings site (not a good resource at all but bear with me) commonwealth is ranked like 93rd and penn state is 105. Commonwealth also has way better reviews posted.

Obviously the site isnt scientfic in any way but i find it difficult to imagine the actual rank difference between them is more than say 20 places

Can someone check the more reputable ranking lists for these two schools

 

[doctorleospaceman]

I dont know if I feel worse for you or for your future classmates at TCMC...

Take your acceptance and run.

 

[hrastio24]

Story doesnt make sense. Just under half of all matriculating medical students get accepted to a single school. Getting accepted to three is alot. Someone who is such a superstar and gets accepted to 5 schools but not to a sufficiently prestigious one begs incredulity. If he/she wanted prestige, why would they apply to so many lesser schools. So lets assume he turns them all down and reapplies, presumably to prestigious schools and gets accepted to 5 more?

The more I think of this tale, the less I find it believable

This is a completely plausible scenario. You can easily get accepted to 5 low tier schools but no prestigious schools if you are a low tier candidate. High tier schools rarely interview weak candidates and low tier schools try not to interview too many strong candidates (google yield protection before you hop on your soapbox).

If someone reapplies after receiving 5 low tier acceptances, and he has improved his application considerably, he can get accepted to 5 mid to high tier schools, including one super school like Yale. Sorry, but you are really not as smart as you think you are.

 

[doctorleospaceman]

This is a completely plausible scenario. You can easily get accepted to 5 low tier schools but no prestigious schools if you are a low tier candidate. High tier schools rarely interview weak candidates and low tier schools try not to interview too many strong candidates (google yield protection before you hop on your soapbox).

If someone reapplies after receiving 5 low tier acceptances, and he has improved his application considerably, he can get accepted to 5 mid to high tier schools, including one super school like Yale. Sorry, but you are really not as smart as you think you are.

You're using "completely plausible" very loosely. The key thing here is that they are a reapplicant (already not a good thing) with a turned down acceptance (huge red flag).

 

[TXMED_1695]

Yeah.... You must enjoy punishment, or you really have not taken the exam yet. I thought about, studied, and spent 4 years grueling over the MCAT. I've rarely cried in my life, but after getting my score back, and knowing the MCAT is finally behind me - I cried some (in secret).

 

[TXMED_1695]

If this is even real - I am wondering, what did you score in CARS?