Should I take the GRE for schools that dont require it?

[silverlion]

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So I just got my MCAT score and I have a 34Q (12 PS, 11 Verbal, 11 BS). I had taken it last year and had a 28S( 7PS, 9 Verbal and 12 BS) but am happy with what I have now and am applying to the MD PhD programs at quite a few schools... I read the other thread that talks about the schools that absolutely require a GRE score for some of their streams and was wondering if it would be a good idea to take the GRE and report a score to the schools that dont require it as well......

I've been working at the NIH as a postbacc for the past one year and will be here for another year. I have research experience from other places as well...My extracurriculars look ok and I have some physician shadowing experience...I'm also applying for a red cross volunteer opportunity at the Naval medical Center and will start there in about a month from now... If the GRE thing looks good I'll submit it to the schools but if it doesnt turn out to be great then I'll just forget about it...

I was just looking for opinions on whether it would actually be advantageous...If the grad schools look at a good score would that give the impression that I am more serious about the PhD aspect of the program and therefore would be a good candidate? Are there any drawbacks here that I'm missing?

 

[Neuronix]

was wondering if it would be a good idea to take the GRE and report a score to the schools that dont require it as well......

IMO, that would be a waste of time and money. The score will be ignored by almost every MD/PhD adcom. The MCAT score is what they care about. PhD programs give or have almost no say in most MD/PhD admissions, except if they really do or don't like someone, which is quite rare. MD/PhD applicants are so much better qualified on average than PhD applicants, that PhD adcoms just say whoever the MD/PhD committee likes is fine by them.

 

[dmblue]

Don't even think about it. Neuronix is completely right.

The only piece of information the GRE will give adcoms is how many vocabulary words you know. They don't care (unless they require it).