The 5/27/08 MCAT Club

[DrMattOglesby]

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I wanted to start a thread for those taking the MCAT on May 27, 2008.
I wanted to see if we could get discussions going on how to schedule a game plan to tackle this test in three months time.

I have Kaplan review books and I am going to have to use them cause I dont have anything else.

I will eventually have a regimen on my own personal plan of attack and stick it out here so I can hear your criticisms =]

come on guys, lets shoot for 30+ scores!!!!

-matt

 

[Barfalamule]

If I remember the first question correctly it asked what was the thesis of the passage. So I'm guessing Leodino guessed on that one. I remember flying through that passage because I only had 6 mins. left. Pretty much guessed on a couple of those too. Luckily the passage was fairly straight-forward. Verbal always makes me nervous.

 

[Fp02c]

just curious.. who on this forum has already signed up for another mcat. If you have can you tell me how it works? If I do ok on this mcat and decide not to retake how much of a refund can I get. Also.... what do you think are the chances of being able to sign up for an aug mcat on june 26th

 

[DrMattOglesby]

i signed up for a second MCAT to be taken on July 18th.
If my scores are decent, I will request a refund within 14 days of the scheduled test date to receive 50% ($105) of what i paid to reserve the seat.
This gives me just enough time to get the scores back from this may 27th MCAT and decide if I should sit for another round or not.
I picked up the information from:

http://www.aamc.org/students/mcat/mcatessentials.pdf

Its on the top of page 9

Truth is though...since my MCAT scores will already be submitted to the medical schools, I have no harm in taking the test again, in fact, I think I can score a little bit higher too. But no reason to update them if its the same score or lower...or even if its only 1 point higher. So i think if i score two points higher on July 18th, then I'll send updated MCAT scores.

it shouldnt be hard to reserve a seat for August. I picked one up for July 18th without a problem...i had lots of choices open.
Good Luck to you!!
matt

 

[supafield]

Mr.Matt.... I sincerely wish you do well this time around... no one wants to have to write twice.... but if for whatever reason you need to rewrite in july.... you'd be a great addition to the July 18th thread lol

 

[tweaked17]

Has everyone submitted their AMCAS or AACOMAS app already or what?

 

[GemelloMD]

naaa. i still have to write my PS and have a transcript updated. Hopefully I can submit by Friday though.

 

[tweaked17]

I'm waiting for a damn reply from them about a technical issue. I have my PS done and I'm pretty sure I have no more work/activities to add..

Has anyone ever been a teaching assistant or something similar, but for no credit (thus, it does not appear on your transcript)? I was a 3rd-semester TA for a class and we're only allowed to TA for a department twice, so I just put "no record" and indicated that it was taken for zero credit hours. I'm sure it's fine, but I'm afraid because of the warnings about delaying your app or having it sent back because of filling it out improperly.

 

[RySerr21]

Has everyone submitted their AMCAS or AACOMAS app already or what?

hopefully i'll be submitting AACOMAS sometime today!!!!!!

 

[DrMattOglesby]

congrats Rysser!
I am waiting for my transcripts to get posted. I guess I can submit anytime though, but in reality it wont be processed until those transcripts are in.
anyways, what DO schools are you shooting for?
I am going after 2 in CA, 2 in FL, 2 in AZ, 1 in GA and 1 in NV.

 

[RySerr21]

congrats Rysser!
I am waiting for my transcripts to get posted. I guess I can submit anytime though, but in reality it wont be processed until those transcripts are in.
anyways, what DO schools are you shooting for?
I am going after 2 in CA, 2 in FL, 2 in AZ, 1 in GA and 1 in NV.

touro-CA, western, AZCOM, PCOM, DMU, UMDNJ, UNE-COM, LECOM-B, CCOM.

i think thats it for me!! my top choices right now are DMU, Western, and AZCOM!

 

[tweaked17]

Damn, the AACOMAS application is annoying. Everything is shorter than AMCAS so I have to chop a bunch out of my descriptions and my PS.

I'm tired of applying already

 

[RySerr21]

Damn, the AACOMAS application is annoying. Everything is shorter than AMCAS so I have to chop a bunch out of my descriptions and my PS.

I'm tired of applying already

haha. i chose to fill out the AACOMAS application first. that way i can just fill out one and copy and paste into the other....i dont need to worry about modifying anything b/c I know it will fit! 😀

 

[tweaked17]

haha. i chose to fill out the AACOMAS application first. that way i can just fill out one and copy and paste into the other....i dont need to worry about modifying anything b/c I know it will fit! 😀

Freaking annoying man.. I keep reducing it to 749 or 750 characters and it gives me the error every time I try to submit it.

AMCAS is just as annoying though - chops off the end of your writing if you go over the limit.

 

[DrMattOglesby]

Rysser,
you didnt alter your Personal Statement for AMCAS? If i recall correctly, there are an additional 800 characters to use.
I am having a tough time squeezing in another paragraph of information into the PS i already wrote for AACOMAS. Its really hard to do so without interrupting the flow.
I do have time though and I have about 5 sample paragraphs I am looking at that I can substitute into the essay...but I don't know which one to choose quite yet.
It's almost a good thing that I sent in my transcripts a bit late--so by the time they arrive, I will have hopefully decided what to do.

 

[RySerr21]

Rysser,
you didnt alter your Personal Statement for AMCAS? If i recall correctly, there are an additional 800 characters to use.
I am having a tough time squeezing in another paragraph of information into the PS i already wrote for AACOMAS. Its really hard to do so without interrupting the flow.
I do have time though and I have about 5 sample paragraphs I am looking at that I can substitute into the essay...but I don't know which one to choose quite yet.
It's almost a good thing that I sent in my transcripts a bit late--so by the time they arrive, I will have hopefully decided what to do.

yea right now i am debating whether or not i should add the 800 characters. i'm having the same trouble you are. the way i look at it is I think my AACOMAS statement is great, and i dont think it will matter if i don't take the AMCAS PS all the way to the limit. Its a maximum, not a minimum, you know??

I'm not sure waht the consensus is about not filling up as much space as possible, but if if'm havin trouble fittin in a paragraph w/o messin up the flow (like you mentioned) i am just gonna leave it as is. what do you think?

 

[DrMattOglesby]

Personally...I am going to try my damndest to squeeze in more info.
I loved how my PS read for AACOMAS though, so its going to be a hard task.
I am trying to use the 800 characters to speak about red flags on my application. And speaking up about red flags is a touchy subject!
but again, I am VERY tempted to leave it be--but I just don't think thats going to happen. I guess I am a glutton for punishment...aka a premed student.

 

[RySerr21]

Personally...I am going to try my damndest to squeeze in more info.
I loved how my PS read for AACOMAS though, so its going to be a hard task.
I am trying to use the 800 characters to speak about red flags on my application. And speaking up about red flags is a touchy subject!
but again, I am VERY tempted to leave it be--but I just don't think thats going to happen. I guess I am a glutton for punishment...aka a premed student.

yea...its tough man. its all good tho, i'm sure it will all work out and you'll have some tough decision to make regarding schools to attend! 👍

 

[Vihsadas]

Brevity and clarity will definitely be looked upon as refreshing. Think about how many apps they have to read! If you can say it in less words, do so!

 

[bruinhd]

I'm originally from Canada and I've lived in Los Angeles for 6 years.

YES

Canadians "write" tests and Americans "take" tests. Americans love to point out how "writing" a test sounds stupid but they don't realize how "taking" a test is much more ******ed. Did you take the test and run home with it? It makes NO SENSE.

When you "write" a test, you are filling out the answers....with WRITING.

Just one of the little quirks that are different North and South of the border.

 

[RySerr21]

I'm originally from Canada and I've lived in Los Angeles for 6 years.

YES

Canadians "write" tests and Americans "take" tests. Americans love to point out how "writing" a test sounds stupid but they don't realize how "taking" a test is much more ******ed. Did you take the test and run home with it? It makes NO SENSE.

When you "write" a test, you are filling out the answers....with WRITING.

Just one of the little quirks that are different North and South of the border.

No, I didnt take test and run home with it. I took the test from the professor and filled it out appropriately. i have no idea if that is how it was originally used but for the sake my argument its the best i could come up with. haha.

interesting rant b/c the first person i heard use the term "wrote" is definitnely not canadian.

i think youll have to agree that now that the test is computer based and comprised of clicking letters on a screen....to use the phrase "i wrote the MCAT" is just as, if not more, "******ed." and yes i realize that its been said like that for X amount of years so its not going to change, but still, in the present context it makes no sense 😉

 

[tweaked17]

When you "write" a test, you are filling out the answers....with WRITING.

What about multiple choice? Or how about the fact that the MCAT is not electronic and you are now clicking and typing rather than bubbling and writing.

Seems like the "American" terminology still applies. Writing an electronically administered test seems pretty nonsensical to me.

Anyway, it probably comes from the idea that the people who administer your test "give" you the test, and thus you "take" it. The word take has many more definitions and connotations than you implied in your post: http://wordnet.princeton.edu/perl/webwn?s=take 😛

And with that I would like to say: "AMERICA - **** YEAH!" 😀

That was a productive use of my time!

 

[DrMattOglesby]

...And with that I would like to say: "AMERICA - **** YEAH!" 😀

That was a productive use of my time!

This thread is taking all kinds of cool directions, its quite entertaining. Anything to keep busy during the waiting period, right?!
speaking of, do you guys ever get your non-premed friends asking you about medical conditions? Just this evening my friend basically asked me if lactose was contraindicated with alcohol ingestion...ie, "Can I drink milk if im drunk?"
I didn't know the answer, and still dont. Do you all have any special pubmed type sites that you frequent which are free of charge?

 

[tncekm]

I constantly have to remind my friends that I'm not a physician, and I'm not even in medical school so I have no flippin' clue

 

[RySerr21]

This thread is taking all kinds of cool directions, its quite entertaining. Anything to keep busy during the waiting period, right?!
speaking of, do you guys ever get your non-premed friends asking you about medical conditions? Just this evening my friend basically asked me if lactose was contraindicated with alcohol ingestion...ie, "Can I drink milk if im drunk?"
I didn't know the answer, and still dont. Do you all have any special pubmed type sites that you frequent which are free of charge?

HAHA my friends totally do that. my friend called me over the phone and was like "dude my throat is swollen, what do you think i have?" i was like "Wtf you expect me to diagnose you over the phone before i have taken any type of medical school course? your throat could be swollen for a billion reasons, of which i only know like 1"

 

[pingouin]

Matt, I think that's definitely a case where you can say "You know, I don't know. Try it and let me know how it works out." 👍 😀

 

[Davjc2009]

Matt, I think that's definitely a case where you can say "You know, I don't know. Try it and let me know how it works out." 👍 😀

Ya'll obviously don't know how to stop that and have fun at the same time. I always try to mess with my friends saying that they will probably need complex surgeries or amputations or they have some very rare deadly infection. They stop asking after a while. 😀

 

[tncekm]

Ya'll obviously don't know how to stop that and have fun at the same time. I always try to mess with my friends saying that they will probably need complex surgeries or amputations or they have some very rare deadly infection. They stop asking after a while. 😀

Yeah, I do this, too, but primarily just to my annoying hypochondriac friend.

 

[Fp02c]

hmm seems like people from the 5/10 group did better than expected.. but not as good as they wanted to...

 

[tncekm]

hmm seems like people from the 5/10 group did better than expected.. but not as good as they wanted to...

Yeah, more SDNers whining about not getting a 46. But, aside from the whining, it was great to read that (again) the AAMC's were good predictors overall and post-test feeling was not 🙂 Best of luck to you all!

 

[RySerr21]

hmm seems like people from the 5/10 group did better than expected.. but not as good as they wanted to...

by that you mean something that looks like this " I'm SOO pissed, i think i am gonna have to retake. I took all AAMC tests and my range was 39-44...I got a 39!!!! WTF"

I think now is a good time for me to please ask this of my fellow 5/27'ers.

please please please please do not complain about getting a 35+, no matter how high your practice range was. to be honest its disrespectful and a huge slap in the face to the people who worked their *ss off to get a 27. it happens on almosmt every "mcat club" thread when the scores finally come out. I know it may be a little dissapointing to score at the bottom of your practice score range, but keep in mind the score is still in the top 90-95% of test takers and almost everyone else who didn't get that score would trade their left leg for it.

okay, that being said, the 5/27 club is by the far the coolest of all the clubs and i dont expect to read any of the before mentioned posts. if i do, i will hack into the system, make myself a mod, and ban you from the world. yes thats right. the world.

 

[DrMattOglesby]

haah kudos rysser!
i was reading through their scores too.
i mean, if there is anything we can say about them...they're good test takers!
at least the ones who posted that is 😉

 

[wedogogirl]

.

 

[tncekm]

hahaa! Ryserr, I am right there with you...Here is the MOST obnoxious post I have seen regarding MCAT scores.....I made a 42P, and I have a 4.0 GPA. Do you think that I should retake to improve that P in the writing section? Do you think most medical schools will still consider me competitive with a P? That individual needs to be slapped. LOL. I promise not to be that SDNer when our 5/27 scores are released. LOL

Yeah, but you have to consider that many people are full of crap and/or trolls. I can't imagine that anybody with a 42P would want to retake 😛

 

[RySerr21]

haha okay. so i was browsing CNN and I came across this article that I had to share with my fellow 5/27'ers. its too funny. Below is the exerpt i find so amusing and the link to the full article is also below.

"Rep. Dan Boren, Oklahoma's lone Democrat in Congress, told the Associated Press Obama is "the most liberal senator," and said he has to listen to the wishes of his own constituents."

http://politicalticker.blogs.cnn.com/

damn that stupid word. i will never be able to escape it!

 

[Fp02c]

I just found the most demoralizing thread on the preDO forum. A kid who was averaging 32-37 on his practice tests got a 20 on the real thing. On the bright side it seems like he is taking it again and set on destroying it.

 

[tncekm]

There have been a few events like this, but I think its pretty anomalous. Don't worry about it 🙂

 

[RySerr21]

I just found the most demoralizing thread on the preDO forum. A kid who was averaging 32-37 on his practice tests got a 20 on the real thing. On the bright side it seems like he is taking it again and set on destroying it.

yea but he KNEW he did poorly. he tried to void but made a mistake. its not like he thought he got a 37 but in reality got a 20. how do you tthink you did? if you think you did fine, then dont sweat it. most of the time your gut feeling is right, which is exactly what happen with this dudes case.

 

[Fp02c]

it doesnt really seem to me that people leave the mcat knowing the did good. In fact , alteast from this forum, most people leave feeling like they did not do so great.

 

[RySerr21]

it doesnt really seem to me that people leave the mcat knowing the did good. In fact , alteast from this forum, most people leave feeling like they did not do so great.

there is a huge difference between "oh crap that was pretty hard, i might not have done as well as i had liked (aka low end of practice raneg" and "i KNOW 100% i could not have gotten higher than a 20, i should probably be void." he wasnt surprised by his results, he was surprised that he GOT them because he thought he voided.

the dude you are referring too was the latter.

 

[Raryn]

there is a huge difference between "oh crap that was pretty hard, i might not have done as well as i had liked (aka low end of practice raneg" and "i KNOW 100% i could not have gotten higher than a 20, i should probably be void." he wasnt surprised by his results, he was surprised that he GOT them because he thought he voided.

the dude you are referring too was the latter.

I personally don't think that guy is legit anyway. He is surprised to have gotten results... but you *dont* get your results. You go to the website and check them by hand.

 

[tourniquet1963]

I personally don't think that guy is legit anyway. He is surprised to have gotten results... but you *dont* get your results. You go to the website and check them by hand.

yep.. my thoughts exactly.. if you void.. or at least think you void.. you dont go to THx to check the scores.. AND if he wasnt sure that he voided.. why wait till he got his score to see if he can call aamc to cancel the score.. he should have done that as soon as he left the test center. He's full of BS.

 

[pingouin]

by that you mean something that looks like this " I'm SOO pissed, i think i am gonna have to retake. I took all AAMC tests and my range was 39-44...I got a 39!!!! WTF"

I think now is a good time for me to please ask this of my fellow 5/27'ers.

please please please please do not complain about getting a 35+, no matter how high your practice range was. to be honest its disrespectful and a huge slap in the face to the people who worked their *ss off to get a 27. it happens on almosmt every "mcat club" thread when the scores finally come out. I know it may be a little dissapointing to score at the bottom of your practice score range, but keep in mind the score is still in the top 90-95% of test takers and almost everyone else who didn't get that score would trade their left leg for it.

okay, that being said, the 5/27 club is by the far the coolest of all the clubs and i dont expect to read any of the before mentioned posts. if i do, i will hack into the system, make myself a mod, and ban you from the world. yes thats right. the world.

It's not necessary to go through all that work when the mods are easily bribed with chocolate chip cookies.

That said, great post. 👍

(oh, and you can say "ass" now. See? 😀 )

 

[Suaveness]

2 weeks fellas....getting nervous?

 

[RySerr21]

It's not necessary to go through all that work when the mods are easily bribed with chocolate chip cookies.

That said, great post. 👍

(oh, and you can say "ass" now. See? 😀 )

chocolate chip? its all about the oatmeal raisin!

 

[RySerr21]

2 weeks fellas....getting nervous?

ask me that question on the 26th. although i dont think nervous is the right word. anxious is more appropriate. theres not really reason to be nervous.

 

[doctordodo]

someones a little cocky eh??!?! well I'm nervous.

 

[tncekm]

chocolate chip? its all about the oatmeal raisin!

No, its definitely all about the Little Debbie Cream Filled Oatmeal cookies. MmmMmMMmmMmmmm 😀

 

[olemissbabydoc]

Another mod vote for chocolate chip! 🙂

 

[hope86]

Hey everyone

I am writing my first post.

I was just wondering if you guys get those almost panic moments when u think u did horribly and just really wanna see the score.

Also, do u think our exam was harder than average? Especially the PS?

 

[copperfrog09]

I had a mcat nightmare.. The other night I got a 21. Yikes.. Hope the 26th comes quickly!
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