Should I give up?

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akerstet2002

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I am sure everyone knows we recieved our MCAT scores. Well I did horrible. I got 5 biological science 5 physical science M writing and 3 verbal reasoning. I have a 3.3 gpa. What should I do?
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You need to retake the MCATs.

How did you prepare for the MCAT? You may want to take Kaplan or Princeton Review to assist you the second time around.
 
Thanks Wasabi. I am going to have to retake. However, I am going to have to prepare on my own since I don't have the money to pay for the review classes. Thanks again. Any other ideas are welcome!
 
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If you can afford it, buy the Columbia Review, Princeton Review, and the Kaplan Review books. Do each and every question in all of them. Take every practice test you can get, even if you have to swipe a few. ;)

I think if you take loads and loads of practice questions, and go over them carefully checking why you got the wrong ones wrong as well as why you got the right ones right, you will see so much information, as well as learn a great deal of it. If you do this many passages, the MCAT can't surprise you that much.

That's definitely what I'd do if I were going to retake the MCAT. Good luck in whatever you do.
 
I don't know about your school, but my undergrad career center had study books for the MCAT and some of them included the Kaplan review books. You might check with them to see if your school has something similar. Also, ask around, someone might sell you their used books. The Kaplan review books are comprehensive and you wouldn't need to study anything else. The only other advice I have is TAKE LOTS OF FULL-LENGTH PRACTICE TESTS!!! I took about 8 practice tests (some with Kaplan and some independently) and it greatly improved my scores. Best of luck- don't give up!! :)
 
Thank you so much to all of you. It really makes me feel better to know that other people care and are rooting for me!! Thanks for the advice, I will do all I can. Any more suggestions are apprecitated!
 
If you truly have the desire to become a doctor, don't give up. Everybody has given you some great advice so know that you have people that are behind you and cheering you on.

You might also want to check into post bac programs at some of the med schools.

Good luck and I'm praying for you. :p
 
apple638, Thank you!!! its great to know someone is cheering for me!! I will look into that!
 
Aker:

You are not alone. I too did horrible on the MCATs this April which I attribute to just not having enough time to prepare. I improved from the beginning of my prep. to the end, just not enough to do well. The attitude you need to entrench into your brain is that its not "Can I do it?", its "When can I do it?". In other words, its just a matter of persistence and a decision that you WILL do what you have to to get past this horrible monstrosity no matter how long it takes. If you think that way, you will eventually beat it and become a physician.

Good luck.

Chris :cool:
 
Here's another idea. Personality plays a role in how we learn, i.e. process information. There are some people who process information in such a way that they test lower than their actual knowledge on multiple choice tests like the mcat. This is based on the studies which have come out using the Myers-Briggs Personality Inventory. This does not connote any learning disability or lack of intellegence. But if you are a person that does better on written tests than MC tests, check out this web site: http://www.ttuhsc.edu/success/
The medical professor that hosts this site has come up with a method to help peole do better on MC tests like the mcat and the medical boards. Check out the book: Success Types for Medical Students (also can be found at the web site). You've got nothing to lose and alot to gain! Good luck!
 
Thank you so much. I really appreciate all the comments and suggestions. I am just going to have to put my mind and dedication to it...my heart is already there. I have already started preparing. Thanks for rooting for me. I will be rooting for all of you. Thanks.
 
There's really no excuse for doing so poorly at this level in the game. I realize that you plan on retaking the exam, but still! I can understand someone doing poorly on the SATs or freshman year of Ugrad, but by now you should've developed better study habits. If you had extenuating circumstances, you shouldn't have taken the April MCAT! Adcoms will NOT overlook your first score. I would definitely consider other career options. I'm not saying to give up completely, but you might want to start looking into other fields.

I concede that MCAT scores are not necessarily an indicator of success in medical school, but to get a 13 really says a lot about study skills. If you do in fact have a problem with taking standardized tests, the USMLE is not any easier.
 
Dude,

Its time to punt if you're getting a 3 on the verbal reasoning.

Good Luck
 
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You are at quite a crossroads. I am all for encouragement and cheerleading, but you also need to be realistic about the strength of your application and your prospects for admission anywhere. You must take an inventory of what you are able and willing to do at this point to improve your scores, and unfortunately you get no help with your sub-par GPA. Is the price you are going to have to pay worth it?

The schools to which you apply will see these scores. Some schools will average your scores together, others will "take" your best scores. If you take a good hard (painful) look at your performance, you scored a 5 where the average for acceptance is a 10. 50% is a really rough performance any way you look at it (and 30% on VR!). You've been weeded out completely from this year's application season and this blemish will not go away.

I also think that you should look into other dreams for your career as well. Not everyone can/will be a doctor and there are many very rewarding ways to spend your life. Then again, you very well may become a truly inspiring success story proving wrong the naysayers (like me) at which time you need to write the obligatory book and do a few inspirational speeches. I would be happy to be wrong on this point, but your chances may not survive this blow.

Good luck in your decision.
 
man dont listen to any of theses guys who are trying to discourage you... if you didnt study for the mcat, you're gonna get screwed.... however if you do study...u can turn those 5's to at least 8's and raise that 3 up a few pts...(verbal sucks)and u got about 2 months so make sure u get ur ass in gear and study at least 3 hrs a day and give it another shot...
 
Originally posted by Halaljello:
•man dont listen to any of theses guys who are trying to discourage you... if you didnt study for the mcat, you're gonna get screwed.... however if you do study...u can turn those 5's to at least 8's and raise that 3 up a few pts...(verbal sucks)and u got about 2 months so make sure u get ur ass in gear and study at least 3 hrs a day and give it another shot...•
Click to expand...

Hmmm.....I don't think these types of replies are helpful at all. Halajello, what happened to your request of no sweet talk? :confused: Even with a 22 (8,8,and 6), that is still considered a very low score -- especially with a 3.3 GPA. Why is it that many pre-meds on this forum feel that the only posts that are helpful are the ones that encourage someone to persevere despite practically insurmountable odds? I would consider it helpful to give someone an honest assessment of their chances so they aren't wasting their time and money -- especially if they are the ones asking the question to begin with.
 
sure...22 isnt all that good either...but my point is that from what i've always heard on this message board... is that nothing is impossible... if this guy truly wants to practice medicine, he can take a year off to study for his mcats (like many have),...he can do a post bacc,... and beef up his health related experiences or whatever... you could do a lot in a year that can help your app significantly... its better to wait a year, than to throw away a dream just cuz things didnt go so well on a standardized test.... what if you were taking the step 1 or 2 of your board exams and failed one of them? would u drop out of medschool and change your career? of course not because u worked so hard to get where u are....so why should he quit?
 
Don't ever, EVER quit on a dream.
IMHO, this says it all:

nevergiveup.gif
 
Originally posted by Halaljello:
•sure...22 isnt all that good either...but my point is that from what i've always heard on this message board... is that nothing is impossible... if this guy truly wants to practice medicine, he can take a year off to study for his mcats (like many have),...he can do a post bacc,... and beef up his health related experiences or whatever... you could do a lot in a year that can help your app significantly... its better to wait a year, than to throw away a dream just cuz things didnt go so well on a standardized test.... what if you were taking the step 1 or 2 of your board exams and failed one of them? would u drop out of medschool and change your career? of course not because u worked so hard to get where u are....so why should he quit?•
Click to expand...


Dtreese - That's a pretty hilarious picture.

Halajello - What if I were to say that I am a 5 "9" Taiwanese intern whose dream is to play in the NBA? I don't want to pursue other career options because I want nothing more than to win the NBA Championship. I know I am only 5 "9", but I've heard of shorter people who have made it to the NBA. If this is my dream should I give up on it? In order to hone my skills, I need to put other career options on hold until I make it.

Let's face it, the odds of someone getting in after getting a 13 on the first try is probably akin to the odds of me playing in the NBA. I think you need perseverance to get into medical school, but you also need to be realistic too. If I couldn't play ball before, there's no reason to think that I will suddenly be draining threes like DK (Derek Fisher) no matter how much I practice. If he/she wasn't performing through the first three years of college, I highly doubt that suddenly he/she will get a 3.9 in a good post-bacc and get a 33+ on the MCAT.

I think the only people who seem to think that a MCAT score well below the mean is acceptable is another pre-med who needs to validate his/her chances. I think it is absurd to tell someone that he/she still has a chance at medical school with a 3.3 and a 13 on his/her record. Also, I think their is a misconception that a post-bacc is some magic answer to a crappy GPA and MCAT score. Many good post-bacc programs won't even take you unless you have a certain GPA and MCAT score.

The USMLE scenario you gave is completely different. By the time you've taken the USMLE, you've aleady gotten into medical school and passed your first two years of medical school!!!!

By the way, I wouldn't use what is said on this message board to respresent the way things really are. If your pre-medical advisor and/or members of an Adcomm (which I used to be) tell you something different, please share.
 
why in the hell are you comparing that to an mcat score? your height is somthing u dont really have control of...ur mcat score is somthing different... look tofu....swallow your ego and let this guy give it all he's got...if he doesnt get it...it would be better than living the rest of his life wondering if he could
 
Screw that man, nothing is impossible as long as you keep trying. I rather die trying then to give up and never know what could've happened. I know of a person who got denied from getting into a University of California. We all know how hard the UC's are to get into for undergrad to say the least. And with a 2.8 GPA. Suffered through a junior college for 2 years, transfered to a UC. Attained a GPA of 3.9. Now doing research at their school of medicine, attained hours upon hours of volunteer time at UCD Med Center. Majoring in Biochemistry, and to say the least befriended many great faculty members at the school of medicine(helpful maybe not, but inspiring?... yes!)

You might ask who this person is? A friend, a family member? Nope.....ITS ME! If you keep trying you'll get somewhere. Don't give me this crap about this and that. If you truely want to be an DO, or an MD, you'll do it. Its just a matter of when that day will come. If you ask me, i'll be trying till the day hell freezes over to get into a med school.

I'll probably still suffer from past mistakes yes, but i'll get in. Sure a 3 on the VR is bad, but........hey......more reason to take it again and study harder than ever before. Don't let this set back discourage you, just suck it up, get back up and take it on again.
 
I tend to be an optimist, but I am learning toward Stinky's arguement on this one. There's a time for optimism, and there's also a time for sober realistic evaluation of one's chances. But it is up to the original poster to decide which time it is for themself. We cannot tell you that.

And remember, the physician is only one part of the healthcare team. Have you evaluated the other oportunities that exist? Good Luck to you.
 
I agree with ya there, its all up to the original poster.

However, as i said before, i'd keep trying. Even if it means taking a year off to reevaluate on what things i did wrong and what things i need to do to win this thing.
 
Originally posted by Stinky Tofu:
•There's really no excuse for doing so poorly at this level in the game. I realize that you plan on retaking the exam, but still! I can understand someone doing poorly on the SATs or freshman year of Ugrad, but by now you should've developed better study habits. If you had extenuating circumstances, you shouldn't have taken the April MCAT! Adcoms will NOT overlook your first score. I would definitely consider other career options. I'm not saying to give up completely, but you might want to start looking into other fields.

I concede that MCAT scores are not necessarily an indicator of success in medical school, but to get a 13 really says a lot about study skills. If you do in fact have a problem with taking standardized tests, the USMLE is not any easier.•
Click to expand...

Originally posted by Halaljello:
•man dont listen to any of theses guys who are trying to discourage you... if you didnt study for the mcat, you're gonna get screwed.... however if you do study...u can turn those 5's to at least 8's and raise that 3 up a few pts...(verbal sucks)and u got about 2 months so make sure u get ur ass in gear and study at least 3 hrs a day and give it another shot...•
Click to expand...


The NBA scenario was meant to be sarcastic --I guess some of you didn't get it. :( My point was that it is silly to use anecdotal evidence as the basis upon which you make your decisions. I realize that it is not my height that will keep me out of the NBA -- even if there are shorter players who have made it. Citing short players who have made it is just as silly as citing Student X who you heard made it with a 18 on the MCAT.

If you read my original post, you would see that I never told him to give up. I said that he should begin to consider some other career options. I never told him not to take the MCAT again, only that his chances were very slim. Statistically, people do not score that much higher than their original score. Even if he were to score ten points higher, his chances would still be very slim. My original message may have been diluted by the fact that I was trying to address the problem you had with me giving him an honest assessment.
 
Halaljello, Thanks. I am going to try one more time and study my butt off. A lot of you don't know my personal situation so don't judge a book by its cover. Thanks for any comments.
 
Halaljello, Thanks. I am going to try one more time and study my butt off. A lot of you don't know my personal situation so don't judge a book by its cover. Thanks for any comments.
 
Originally posted by akerstet2002:
•I am sure everyone knows we recieved our MCAT scores. Well I did horrible. I got 5 biological science 5 physical science M writing and 3 verbal reasoning. I have a 3.3 gpa. What should I do?•
Click to expand...

What are your reasons for your lackluster performance on the last MCAT? Did you panic while you were taking the exam? What materials did you use to prepare for the MCAT? Do you believe that you were well-prepared for the exam?

What you need to do is answer these questions and think realistically about your chances of improving. If you really believe that you can achieve a higher score, then go for it and try your best. Another thing that might be helpful for improving your scores is taking a test prep course such as Kaplan or Princeton Review. Although I believe that the lessons are kind of useless, I still encourage you to take the courses because they offer a lot of motivation and plenty of sample exams to help you achieve your best.
 
Originally posted by Stinky Tofu:
•
The NBA scenario was meant to be sarcastic --I guess some of you didn't get it.•
Click to expand...

If it helps Stinky, I got the sarcasm. :)

I agree with whoever said that there does come a time, regretfully, that one must honestly weigh their options. Medicine is not always among these. I think positively, though, so I would at least consider trying the MCAT again.
 
Originally posted by akerstet2002:
•I am sure everyone knows we recieved our MCAT scores. Well I did horrible. I got 5 biological science 5 physical science M writing and 3 verbal reasoning. I have a 3.3 gpa. What should I do?•
Click to expand...


That is the perfect score needed for DO schools. Don't waste your time retaking the MCAT, just go for it! Don't listen to these elitest MD people. They make me sick :( I am a non-URM, and got into DO school with a 3.2 and 11 on the MCAT (NOVA).

owcc16
 
Halaljello is right. Don't listen to any of this crab, especially Stinky_tuuf :rolleyes:.
You just need more time, and alot of practice on the MCAT prep Exams. I always say to my selfe If Stink did it,anyone..I mean anyone can DO BETTER ON MCAT :D
No hard feelings Stinky ;)
good luck and don't give up.
 
Originally posted by owcc16:
• I am a non-URM, and got into DO school with a 3.2 and 11 on the MCAT (NOVA). •
Click to expand...

How did you pull that off? There must have been something else in your application that got you in, because the average composite for DO schools is around 8 or 9 (9, 10, or 11 for MD schools). You got in with a composite of about 3 or 4. You had to have something else going for you.
 
dont listen to that fool...u cant even get into podiatry school with an 11. he's lying through his teeth...i remember he got bitched at by everyone cuz he was mocking osteopaths a couple months ago... the stupid ass didnt learn his lesson...i cant believe that loser wants to become a doctor.
 
I find it very sad that someone takes pleasure mocking DO schools. It is not easy to get accepted into a DO school at all. I freaked out the first time I took the MCAT and developed a migraine. I wasn't able to finish the test and was not surprised when I received my low scores (eventhough I still cried). I continued to work hard and gain hands on experience in healthcare. When I retested, I went up 5 points and was finally accepted into school 3 years later.

After my first test, I was very discouraged and I had to take time off to discover if being a doctor was really what I wanted to become. It took me awhile but I knew deep down that being a physician was my purpose in life and I was never going to give up on my dream no matter what anybody said and in the fall of 2001, I'll start my medical career at LECOM. :D
 
Congrats, apple. Thank you to all for your kind advice. I am going to work harder for my goal.
 
Originally posted by owcc16:
•
That is the perfect score needed for DO schools. Don't waste your time retaking the MCAT, just go for it! Don't listen to these elitest MD people. They make me sick :( I am a non-URM, and got into DO school with a 3.2 and 11 on the MCAT (NOVA).

owcc16•
Click to expand...

WRONG!!! The average for D.O. is 3.4 and 26 MCAT. I am almost inclined to think you are fibbing about your acceptance with an 11 MCAT!! and not being a URM. Either you are fibbing, you are a VERY URM, you bribed the adcom with more cash than my career will see, or you are dilusional and need medical treatment.

I am all for positivity and perserverence, but pessimism is also needed at times. There is a reason for scoring so low. I am all for trying harder and seeing what comes of it, but he definately needs to explore other career options as well. There is no benefit form diluding oneself to believing their chances are better than they really are.
So: study hard and see if you do have what it takes. See if your desire is strong enough to bring your scores up to where thay need to be..BUT, explore other options, just in case they are not. Some people here may give you pep talks, go go go speaches, and make you feel better, others like stinky give it to you straight. One thing I know for sure, the adcom will give it to you straight, and their opinion is the one that matters. They need proof of your aptitude and desire, both of which you seem to lack judging by your scores(remember, you ASKED to be judged). So, either prove to them you want and deserve to practice medicine, or find another profession!
 
Hey, Thanks for any advice given. I have one more question. I am in a research program at the osteopathic school of my choice and I am offered a guarenteed interview because of this program. I have to fill out a secondary application and the whole nine yards. I am questioning whether I should take advantage of this interview (for practice, and possibly alternate list) or just throw in the towel and try again later this year after August. So what do you think? :confused:
 
I did poorly on the April MCAT. I wanted at least a 27, but unfortuntly didn't get close. I had taken Kaplan and feel it did not do a good job in preparing me. At least not $1200 worth of prep. Most of their instructors were terrible. I am going to do lots of practice tests and the big comprehensive book put out by Kaplan (found in book stores), as well as looking through my Kaplan material.
I was wondering how many people got an M on the writing. I am always praised for my writing and I also was given an M. I know I wrote much better than an M and feel like I was cheated. My premed advisor said don't worry about it, just worry about the science test part, but I still feel cheated. Any Thoughts?
 
If this non URM guy says he got in with an 11 mcat, then he shouldn't mind giving us his name so that we can check with Nova and see if he is really accepted there. If he won't give it up, then ignore him.

Also, the ratio of appliants to accepted students for allopathic schools is 1:3 and for osteopathic schools is 1:5. That should tell you which is more selective.
 
If you haven't begun to study for the August exam it might be too late. I took the april test in 2000 and didn't do that well either. However, the mcat is a test that measures how well you interpret information and apply the passages to the knowledge that you aquired during your pre-med studies. you need ALOT of time to do this. i talked to a guy who got a 32 and i asked him how long he studied. he began in december for the april exam and studied around 30hrs a week. he took every possible practice test that he could find. i am taking a kaplan review course right now and would highly recommend it. i know that money can sometimes be a serious concern but take a loan out. you can do it on your own but with your scores i wouldn't recommend it. i would give yourself a reasonable amount of time (approx 3-4 months) to study for the exam and then take it again. if you honestly study and learn how to approach the test on your terms, you should do better. however, if you do poorly a second time after putting in the effort, it should be clear that you might consider other options. you at least owe it to yourself to give it your best shot. good luck.
 
Hippuppy,
Hi. yeah. I have been studying since before I got my scores, just in case. So hopefully, I will do better. I have been taking practice tests. So I will try my best. Thanks for the advice.
 
Hey - akerstet2002. I have some of the practice Books (Kaplan, Columbia, etc.) You can have them if you want. All you would have to do would be to reimburse me for the cost of having to mail them to you (5 bucks?). They have been written in but very sloppily so you can't even read what I wrote in them. All in all there are about 10 practice exams. This, i feel is the key;taking as many practice exams, under real conditions, as possible. Let me know if you want them.
Good luck.
 
AP has a very good point. You MUST take as many practice test as you can. You should set aside several sat. and take the exam with the same time restraints and conditions as the real thing. don't kid yourself about this exam. it is one tough cookie and it should be respected. i learned the hard way as well. good luck.
 
Hey Amy Beth,

Have your scores regraded!!!! Almost always there is an increase in the score. There is a small fee, but much cheaper than retaking! Look in the original MCAT book( the one that comes with the registration packet) The best of luck, and keep your chin up !
 
I just want to say one thing. I am sickened by the folks on this site who have the audacity to suggest that akerstedt should consider another profession based on one email posting by someone with a decent GPA and a one set of bad MCAT scores. That is such bogus advice. There are thousands (dare I say millions) of people out there who have been caught off guard or unprepared by the MCAT who learned how to study for it and subsequently did well on the exam. "No excuse" for doing that poorly?? Give me a break, sorry that he's human and didn't jam it the first time, guys!! Who the hell on this site has the right to suggest that this person should consider another profession based on the information provided. If he had taken the MCAT three times, did a prep course, retook physics, orgo, and chem, then maybe it might be appropriate to suggest an alternate medical profession, but not when he has taken it one time.

Sorry to have gone off, but that kind of stuff really ticks me off, its just not right.

Chris
 
I have to agree with CVPA.

Two years ago I was told that I didn't have what it takes to get into medical school. I didn't have the grades, the research experience, or even the desire.

Now, I am sending out a solid application (if AACOMAS would fix their fee payment errors!).

Anyway, my point is this: If you really want it, then you need to work your ass off. Your first score was terrible, and it won't be discounted no matter what you score on the retake. BUT, you can make up for it. You would probably need to more than double the first score to look good. Nothing below an 8 on any section.

Someone commented on the writing. About 18% of people recieve an M, or at least they did on this April's test. That's in the 14-32 percentile.

I say go for the MCAT again. Another score like the first, consider something else. A greatly improved score with renewed confidence in yourself, take the chance.

I also understand the money issue. I was in the same situation. I did eventually cough up the dough for Princeton Review. It was the reason I did as well as I did on the MCAT. That and a great study partner.

Best of luck to you.
 
Thank you everyone for the advice. I have been studying quite extensively and will be taking the test in August. Who knows from there???!!!
 
Don't dispair...The following is not an urban legend but a true story. One of my dearest friends was accepted to not just one but two schools (two of the best DO schools) with a 12 (3,3,6) on their MCATs.

If my friend can do it so can you. Take the test again, I am certain you will do better. And when you do, your 13 will be blown away by you new "pretty" score! :)
 
beakerbetty,
Hi. May i ask which schools?

Everyone,
thanks for the advice. i will be taking the test in august. i have been studying constantly so hopefully everything works out for the best
Thanks. :rolleyes:
 
I think you can do it. But, you do need a backup plan just in case. Everybody on this forum as well as my mentor and advisor has told me that you always need a backup plan. You never know what could happen. I hope you make it to med school. Do not give up, but be ready in case it does not happen.
 
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