the more bizarre situation to be in- read and you will gasp

[nassir]

I need some major input on what to do. I took the August 2005 MCAT and got a 25 (10 PS, 6 VR, 9 BS WS P). The April MCAT was my 2nd time taking the test and my VR score dropped BIG TIME (12 PS, 4 VR, 10 BS, WS Q)---my 15 practice test scores ranged between 30-36, an avg of 32. I mailed a regrade request to mcat today bc i know that the only way to score that low is if you did something wrong or did not try. the funny thing is that i felt pretty good about section when i left so i know something happened. however, med schools will see that number and think i'm illiterate...

Some background:
The first time I had a low verbal reasoning score b/c I did not complete the exam--i did 7/9 passages and bubbled D for 13 questions. Second time, I cannot figure out what happened and everytime I try to figure it out, all I end up doing is crying. The only explanation I can come up with is misbubbling. In any event, I know there isn't anything I can do to change that score---I just have to accept it and move on.

However, it is very difficult bc I know it doesn't represent my abilities in any shape or form. My GPA: 4.00, major: history (critical thinking and reading is my strong point!), PS: I had a lot of people read it and they all said it is very strong, EC: TONS of stuff (medical, non-medical, work experience, ECs like writing for the school paper, tons of tutoring both sci and writing labs (which show that I can READ/WRITE!! in fact, i do it all the time, and lots of awards both comm service related and academic related), letters: EXTREMELY strong (all my intructors said they would put it in clear words that the VR score is not a reflection of what I am capable of and for med schools to ignore it. both sci and nonsci instructors know I can read and write and have seen my work and could not believe what happened the second MCAT. they said they would emphasize not only my sholastic achievement in the sciences but my critical thinking skills in the liberal arts in the letter).

PLEASE ADVISE ME ON WHAT I SHOULD DO! I feel burned out to take the Aug MCAT bc I physically feel drained and saddened. I think I need some time to rebound. If I still have a shot at MD schools with everything else going for me, I will try. Here are the options:

a) Apply with everything I have going for me, praying for some miracle. My entire application is ready, I can technically send it today. See what happens. If I get rejected, I obviosly know that the VR score is the problem and will have no choice but to retake the MCAT in Jan or April. Reapply the following year.
b) Apply this year still but retake Aug MCAT study my butt off starting July. i probably don't have to work super hard since my sci scores are already solid. i probably will not review the material, but just straight up take practice tests/passages with timing myself. this is how i prepared for April and I obviosly did good in the sci. i KNOW if i retake, I will not score a 4 again on VR...there is no way.
c) Give myself a break bc it's been hard (healthwise and mentally). Take time off. Regroup myself. Retake next Jan or April MCAT. Apply for the following cycle. (Downside: i will have to take it on the computer-i studied for the prev 2 exams in paper/pencil so will have to modify the way in which I prepare)
d) Apply to DO school, forget MD schools since they are anal about numbers

Someone plz steer me in the right direction....NEVER IN MY WILDEST DREAMS would I think this would happen. It's been a nightmare. ANY WORDS OF WISDOM WILL BE APPRECIATED

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[DocFox]

I need some major input on what to do. I took the August 2005 MCAT and got a 25 (10 PS, 6 VR, 9 BS WS P). The April MCAT was my 2nd time taking the test and my VR score dropped BIG TIME (12 PS, 4 VR, 10 BS, WS Q)---my 15 practice test scores ranged between 30-36, an avg of 32. I mailed a regrade request to mcat today bc i know that the only way to score that low is if you did something wrong or did not try. the funny thing is that i felt pretty good about section when i left so i know something happened. however, med schools will see that number and think i'm illiterate...

Some background:
The first time I had a low verbal reasoning score b/c I did not complete the exam--i did 7/9 passages and bubbled D for 13 questions. Second time, I cannot figure out what happened and everytime I try to figure it out, all I end up doing is crying. The only explanation I can come up with is misbubbling. In any event, I know there isn't anything I can do to change that score---I just have to accept it and move on.

However, it is very difficult bc I know it doesn't represent my abilities in any shape or form. My GPA: 4.00, major: history (critical thinking and reading is my strong point!), PS: I had a lot of people read it and they all said it is very strong, EC: TONS of stuff (medical, non-medical, work experience, ECs like writing for the school paper, tons of tutoring both sci and writing labs (which show that I can READ/WRITE!! in fact, i do it all the time, and lots of awards both comm service related and academic related), letters: EXTREMELY strong (all my intructors said they would put it in clear words that the VR score is not a reflection of what I am capable of and for med schools to ignore it. both sci and nonsci instructors know I can read and write and have seen my work and could not believe what happened the second MCAT. they said they would emphasize not only my sholastic achievement in the sciences but my critical thinking skills in the liberal arts in the letter).

PLEASE ADVISE ME ON WHAT I SHOULD DO! I feel burned out to take the Aug MCAT bc I physically feel drained and saddened. I think I need some time to rebound. If I still have a shot at MD schools with everything else going for me, I will try. Here are the options:

a) Apply with everything I have going for me, praying for some miracle. My entire application is ready, I can technically send it today. See what happens. If I get rejected, I obviosly know that the VR score is the problem and will have no choice but to retake the MCAT in Jan or April. Reapply the following year.
b) Apply this year still but retake Aug MCAT study my butt off starting July. i probably don't have to work super hard since my sci scores are already solid. i probably will not review the material, but just straight up take practice tests/passages with timing myself. this is how i prepared for April and I obviosly did good in the sci. i KNOW if i retake, I will not score a 4 again on VR...there is no way.
c) Give myself a break bc it's been hard (healthwise and mentally). Take time off. Regroup myself. Retake next Jan or April MCAT. Apply for the following cycle. (Downside: i will have to take it on the computer-i studied for the prev 2 exams in paper/pencil so will have to modify the way in which I prepare)
d) Apply to DO school, forget MD schools since they are anal about numbers

Someone plz steer me in the right direction....NEVER IN MY WILDEST DREAMS would I think this would happen. It's been a nightmare. ANY WORDS OF WISDOM WILL BE APPRECIATED

I'm sorry to hear how upset you are but I feel like I am in a similar situation. I also got a 25 on my MCAT (8PS, 9VR, 8BS) and was expecting something closer to a 29. The night I received my score I registered for the August MCAT and began studying again (I already submitted my AMCAS June 5th) but I also feel so drained and disappointed I think my score could possibly go down!

My friend who is also applying at this time keeps telling me to just forget re-taking the MCAT and that I have a good chance at a DO school. I honestly don't care MD/DO but I think I want to go into EM which is somewhat competitive. I am still planning on taking the August MCAT but am slowly leaning towards not taking it. Hopefully you willfeel a little better knowing that someone is in a similar situation (but with not nearly as good a GPA). My question to you is what type of medicine do you think you would like to practice? Sure, it is hard to get into specialties and DOs are at a slight disadvantage, but it is not impossible.

I would apply right now to any DO school you would honestly attend (the more the better!), see if you have it in you to study for the August MCAT, then go from there. If you improve your MCAT, then apply to allopathic schools, if not, you might already have some osteopathic interviews by then (I think this is what I'm going to do). Good luck.

 

[Kuba]

I honestly don't care MD/DO but I think I want to go into EM which is somewhat competitive.

tons of DO's are EM docs. the ER I work in has 5 DO residents.

 

[It'sElectric]

And the award for most overly dramatic thread title ever goes to............

nassir! Congratulations!

 

[AmyO]

I am going to agree with the above poster who said that a D.O. degree will not hold you back from matching Emergency Medicine. Emergency Medicine is somewhat competitive, but anesthesiology and orthopedic surgery are even more competitive and DOs match well into these programs also. Now if you bomb your boards, don't do well in your clinical rotations (especially your ER rotation) and have below average grades - that's what's gonna hold ya back not the D.O. Since you're confident that you can't do any worse on the MCAT, then I would take it in August. If you don't, especially since you're dissatisfied with your score, admissions committees are going to ask you why you didn't retake it. Good luck!

 

[n0chi]

guys.. retake it!
especially if u guys just need am improvement in one section, buckle down do lots of practice and whoop some mcat glutes!!!

 

[DocFox]

I never said being a DO would hold one back from being an EM doctor. But, based on trusted advice from the chief resident here at UCSF-Fresno who happens to be a DO, he recommended to me allopathic schools over osteopathic if at all possible (barring international schools). He loved his osteopathic school and everything but the fact is, according to him, that osteopathic graduates will have a little more trouble matching at an EM residency in California because of the competitiveness. I don't want to start an MD vs DO discussion or talk about DO discrimination or any of that crap. That is simply what my viewpoint is. MD or DO, one should want to maximize/exploit any advantage they could have for getting into their top choice residency.

 

[chopstick1]

did you take a reading course before the 2nd mcat? I took the kaplan to prep for my 2nd mcat, everything went up but the VR dropped in half!!! something about the way kaplan taught you how to skim, read, recheck...etc just didn't work with me. I studied again, without kaplan VR help, it went back up on 3rd attempt. I'd apply and see where it goes while studying for the aug. if it goes up then you can submit w/ your secondaries. good luck!

 

[scpod]

I mailed a regrade request to mcat today bc i know that the only way to score that low is if you did something wrong or did not try... med schools will see that number and think i'm illiterate... I know it doesn't represent my abilities in any shape or form...

Retake it, but look at it from a different perspective. I'm not perfect at VR, but it was my best section; I got a 13. I think that the biggest mistake most people make is that they are trying to understand the passage. Maybe that's the reason why ESL students have such a hard time. The passages are intentionally obcure, so reading for understanding is not the way to do it. You should be reading with a couple of things in mind.

1) Read it for information only, paying attention to the details and not trying to understand it. Look for the evidence. The problem with understanding comes in, I think, when you are determining what is implied and stated. There are always questions like that.
2) Look for the main idea. There's always at least one question about that.
3) Follow the author's logic even if you think it sucks. You have to be able to say what can be inferred reasonably, based solely on the Author's logic, not your own.
4) Make sure that you don't misinterpret the Author's point of view. It's really easy to do.

Remember, they really aren't assesing your ability to understand the argument. They are assesing your ability to pick relevant pieces of information from the argument and analyze them.