Should I delay the MCAT and wait another admission cycle?

[tluedeke]

I'm down to 10 days, and don't have a good feeling at all.

I barely looked at sociology (and can barely force myself to even glance at it - what a bunch of whiny B.S....). Psychology is OK, but has some holes in my study. I could probably do OK. Chemistry and physics is the most worrisome, because they are my weakest subjects (even though I'm an engineer). I could probably do OK. Biochem, biology, genetics, orgo is all pretty good. I usually do well at CAR, although there are always a very few passages that are just brutally incomprehensible (like the first two or three passages in the AAMC Question Pack #1).

I don't have any time to do anything but work through Anki flash cards, do question sets, and practice tests.

I'm at an impasse, because I have friends pushing me hard to take it, and if I don't do it now, I'm screwed for this admission cycle. But I know what I have to do to really smoke the test (and I think I can), and where I'm at now ain't it.

Struggling to know what to do. How bad do I hurt myself if I give it a good whack, then have to retake?

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[bee17]

Wait until next cycle. You would be quite late this cycle anyway, and a late application in addition to a weak MCAT would not work out well for you. And if the AAMC has decided sociology is important enough to put on the MCAT, you can hop down off that high horse and learn it. Ever heard of social determinants of health?

Seriously, though, psych + soc makes up a quarter of your test. It doesn't take long to learn, but you can't afford to skip it. If you also are weak in chemistry and physics, all the more reason to postpone. Would you take a test only knowing half the material?

 

[eagle311]

Are you applying MD or DO? Im taking it Sep 23rd and have avgd 65-75% but i am going the DO route with an average gpa.

 

[EverStriving]

Don't listen to your friends- they're pushing you into a bad decision. Take the MCAT only when you're ready for it. A poor score is a permanent stain on your med school applications.

 

[Ad2b]

As an engineer, you're logical. Listen to that part of your brain, not the heart or your friends.

You are already very late in this cycle with a presumable IFFY MCAT score. Late, older/non-trad, + iffy MCAT = bad. Don't be bad

Take the MCAT in January or April or May 2016 and be ready to submit your AMCAS app on June 1.

BTW, I'm older than you and I recently just no-showed my MCAT and have withdrawn my completed application for this cycle. It sucks but given my situation it is absolutely the right thing to do. (I was doing well on the practice tests but issue arose over last three weeks outside my control that sort of leveled me)