the MCAT is killing my chances! :( anyone else?

[dre2011]

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it's so frustrating! after working hard for 3 years at UVA I have a 3.7 GPA, good ECs, leadership, clinical exposure, etc. but the it comes time to take the MCAT and I simply cannot do it. i dont know why I'm so bad at it, but it's killing any chance I have at getting into med school and i dont know what to do about it!

anyone in/has been in a similar situation?!

 

[cfx]

it's so frustrating! after working hard for 3 years at UVA I have a 3.7 GPA, good ECs, leadership, clinical exposure, etc. but the it comes time to take the MCAT and I simply cannot do it. i dont know why I'm so bad at it, but it's killing any chance I have at getting into med school and i dont know what to do about it!

anyone in/has been in a similar situation?!

What have you done to study? What practice tests have you taken and what were your scores?

Maybe it's just a matter of putting in a bit more time and practice...

 

[marble30]

It really depends on what you consider to be a "bad" MCAT score. Contrary to what SDN shows, not everyone gets over a 30 but a decent amount of them still manage to make it into med school.

 

[dre2011]

on my practice tests ive been getting low to mid-20s. i just took the real thing last weeks and did not feel good about it...but you're right, i think i'll put in more time and hopefully be able to re-take them in a few months and raise the score

 

[Drrrrrr. Celty]

Consider going to the mcat prep section. It's a good place to learn methods of how to improve your mcat.

 

[Nessy]

deleted

 

[AlexB]

how long have you studied for the MCAT? The MCAT is designed to crush you if your not ready for it....

 

[GTstormin]

First off, its definitely not uncommon to feel horrible about the MCAT after taking it. Every time I took that awful test, 4 times, I thought I did horrible and luckily this last time I was finally wrong (not to say my scores before were too bad but with my stats, they weren't high enough).

My best advice would be 1. retake it if you MUST, 2. take a course.

My main problem was not studying for the TEST. Knowing all the material might work for some people but for me I needed to study how to apply it. I finally improved my score by 7 points after having a course help me view the test that way.

 

[MBHockey]

My main problem was not studying for the TEST. Knowing all the material might work for some people but for me I needed to study how to apply it. I finally improved my score by 7 points after having a course help me view the test that way.

While I don't think anyone needs to take an MCAT course, this is great advice. I realized halfway through my self-studying that studying for the test was just as important, if not more, than knowing the content.

I really liked the Berkeley Review books. I studied for 6 weeks with them (along with some others) and had good results.

 

[Swagster]

I keep reading that most people get a score on the real MCAT that is close to your practice test scores. Can you wait a year to improve your practice tests before taing the MCAT again?

I plan to take a prep course. I figure t can't hurt and they can teach you tricks to do well. Maybe that could help you.

 

[abmd]

Another option is the examkrackers series. they are really good

 

[Amadelphous]

I keep reading that most people get a score on the real MCAT that is close to your practice test scores. Can you wait a year to improve your practice tests before taing the MCAT again?

I plan to take a prep course. I figure t can't hurt and they can teach you tricks to do well. Maybe that could help you.

^This. Prep courses are valuable not only for the tricks but the numerous practice tests that they provide access to. Save some money and invest in a class. Unlike a GPA an MCAT score is something that can be drastically improved in a relatively short amount of time. Good Luck! Don't let one test stand in your way.

 

[jadealer]

I feel your pain. I am very frustrated my inability to beat the MCAT. I took it twice so far with another one planned for August. I have a 3.8 cGPA and 3.73 sGPA with a two BS degrees and a minor and 190.5 credits total. I graduated Rutgers in Jan 2007, which is pretty good state school. Its really frustrating, but I am hoping maybe the third time will be the charm.

2006 (Yes the wretched 8 hr one plus my best friend died two weeks before my exam): 24 P (B8 V9 P7)
2009: 29 P (B11 V10 P8) Damn you newtonian physics. 😡

Keep up hope!

 

[DanErd414]

it's so frustrating! after working hard for 3 years at UVA I have a 3.7 GPA, good ECs, leadership, clinical exposure, etc. but the it comes time to take the MCAT and I simply cannot do it. i dont know why I'm so bad at it, but it's killing any chance I have at getting into med school and i dont know what to do about it!

anyone in/has been in a similar situation?!

I took the MCAT test four times so I can definitely relate. My lowest was a 23 and highest a 32. I definitely recommend taking a prep course. The course will teach you all the basic concepts that you need to know and most importantly, it will teach you test taking skills. After doing so many practice tests and sitting through actual MCAT exams I realize that writers of MCAT try to confuse people by making the passages really complicated and difficult to intimidate people. However, the MCAT questions only test you on basic concepts. The course will highlight these basic concepts and all you need to do is master them and nothing else. When you take practice tests, make sure you go over every single question you missed and ask yourself why you missed it. If you realize you are weak on a concept (ie. thermodynamics or genetics), go over that topic and try to master everything about that topic. I took the Princeton Review prep course and used the exam kracker review books on my own. One of my actual MCAT question was actually on one of the exam kracker review books. The review courses are expensive but I think it's definitely worth the investment.

 

[wairzmymind]

I feel your pain. I am very frustrated my inability to beat the MCAT. I took it twice so far with another one planned for August. I have a 3.8 cGPA and 3.73 sGPA with a two BS degrees and a minor and 190.5 credits total. I graduated Rutgers in Jan 2007, which is pretty good state school. Its really frustrating, but I am hoping maybe the third time will be the charm.

2006 (Yes the wretched 8 hr one plus my best friend died two weeks before my exam): 24 P (B8 V9 P7)
2009: 29 P (B11 V10 P8) Damn you newtonian physics. 😡

Keep up hope!

OP see what happens. This will be you in a few months. All pissed off for nothing. Instead face the music. Take your mcat, accept your lowish score and move on. UVA - prestige means nothing. This dude here has spent three years moping over the MCAT. Is this who you want to be? No. Maybe your test anxiety is impeding you from studying effectively. I for one know that if I had some benzos back in March I'd've been in a better place on May 1st. It's tricky to get it right. Not all of it is in having memorized facts. **** it. All you need is 10 practice exams under your belt and you'll be fine. This pplies to anyone with a brain

 

[NickNaylor]

The only reason (in my opinion) you should take a prep course is 1) you actually need to be taught the material again, or 2) you're not disciplined enough to study on your own. Prep courses don't give you magical pixie dust that give you great MCAT scores. I understand that many people learn better from the courses, but don't grant them holy status and simply expect your scores to improve just by attending class.

 

[Grobe57214]

Some people just require more practice than others. Study.

 

[orthomyxo]

Check this out: http://forums.studentdoctor.net/showthread.php?t=623898

 

[jadealer]

OP see what happens. This will be you in a few months. All pissed off for nothing. Instead face the music. Take your mcat, accept your lowish score and move on. UVA - prestige means nothing. This dude here has spent three years moping over the MCAT. Is this who you want to be? No. Maybe your test anxiety is impeding you from studying effectively. I for one know that if I had some benzos back in March I'd've been in a better place on May 1st. It's tricky to get it right. Not all of it is in having memorized facts. **** it. All you need is 10 practice exams under your belt and you'll be fine. This pplies to anyone with a brain

Um.. actually I did not spend three years moping over the mcat, I had some personal situations that arose which had nothing to do with the MCAt so I waited until my personal life was in a more positive state to pursue my medical school dream. Don't be such an arrogant ***hole assuming that I was "moping over the MCAT." You're an idiot. That's really offensive that you assume I moped for three years over the MCAT. Yes, I am a little frustrated that my second test didn't go so well, but I am working on improving my Physical sciences so I can do well on my third attempt. I know where I fell short so now I am trying to improve. I didn't retake my MCAt earlier because I had gotten medical school interviews and thought I might gain an acceptance after being placed on three waitlists.

 

[Azrie]

If you're having trouble studying and have some money saved up, I'd suggest a prep course..
Yes, it's expensive. However, keeping up with the "homework" and in class will force you to review the material. Also, the teacher(s) in the course often give tips and tricks such as for answering certain types of questions, etc. And of course, you get access to a TON of practice exams both AAMC and those created for the course, and even misc practice questions. Practice exams will definitely get you adjusted enough to the test so that you don't stress QUITE as much when you finally take it again.

Anyway, it's a matter of choice. If you can force yourself to keep to a good study schedule for a few months without the course, go ahead and do so..

Oh! And there's free study material available for the MCAT, like the "WikiPreMed MCAT Course." No clue how useful it is, but some of the stuff looked good.

Good Luck!

 

[CougarMD]

Some people just require more practice than others. Study.

I think this is a really great observation, and inherent in the statement is this: we do not all have the same tools. Even if we had taken all of the same classes at exactly the same school, this does not change. And it is not simply a matter of "X person is not as disciplined as Y person". That is a gross oversimplification and ignores the idea that everyone thinks differently and that no matter what you say, there are biases in a standardized test.

It is OK to struggle with the MCAT. It is ok to fight with it for awhile. It is also ok to make your peace with it and realize, like I believe the second poster said, it is only one factor; you have good grades, went to a good school, and are (hopefully) smart and motivated. There are a lot of other ways to manipulate this process besides a stellar MCAT.

Why do people place so much emphasis on the MCAT? Well, besides being something that is easy to point to, it is the catchall for the douchebags. The people who won't ever interview well, don't have social skills, and NEED a good MCAT to get in.

Make peace with the fact that you need to take it and make friends with it. For me, the prep class was exactly that: it helped me become friends with the test. It made me appreciate how they were going to trick me and instead of looking for correct answers (of which there are only 25%), it taught me to look for common wrong ones. And after "moping" over the test for two years, I took it officially once and did well.

Don't let The Man (or SDN) get you down. You can do this.

 

[dre2011]

thanks everyone...this has been super helpful/encouraging for me! good luck to everyone! 🙂

 

[sml5t]

thanks everyone...this has been super helpful/encouraging for me! good luck to everyone! 🙂

Hey dre, I'm a UVa student with the same GPA and I was able to pull off a 34..so you can do it too! And don't freak out too much, everyone feels crappy after their MCAT (I sure did..)

 

[Quaero]

Hey dre, I'm a UVa student with the same GPA and I was able to pull off a 34..so you can do it too! And don't freak out too much, everyone feels crappy after their MCAT (I sure did..)

MCAT is the worst test I've taken. I thought I failed it. If you got lower than a 30, and are not satisfied with it. I'm sure you can study and get a better score. Keep trying. If the guy next to you can do it, so can you!

It may take you longer than other people. You might not be the best test taker. But those things don't mean a thing if you keep trying. 😀