The Official 3/23/13 MCAT Thread

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Figured I'd start this one out. I'll be registering for the MCAT first thing tomorrow. Who else is taking it on this date? How do you all plan on studying over the school year?
 
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NatG said:
I'm actually doing all of their problems which are organized by topics but I am paying extra attention to gchem since that's what I realized killed my PS section. How's your prep going?
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Well my love, I already set up my 2 month study schedule. I'm gonna use a combination of my TBR and TPRH passages which will begin April 24 for a June 20 retake.

I'm only really taking the exam again if I score less than a 27. (I'm applying DO).
 
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How we doing 3/23? I think I've decided to wait until after my final to check. I'll be rooting for you all in the afternoon though!
 
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OncoMD said:
Well my love, I already set up my 2 month study schedule. I'm gonna use a combination of my TBR and TPRH passages which will begin April 24 for a June 20 retake.

I'm only really taking the exam again if I score less than a 27. (I'm applying DO).
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I'm applying to DO as we'll. Depending on my mood tomorrow, I may or may not take the June 20th exam with my brother. May 11th is just too close for comfort. If we need to take it again (just saying that makes me twitch a bit), we will make it through together!
 
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NatG said:
I'm applying to DO as we'll. Depending on my mood tomorrow, I may or may not take the June 20th exam with my brother. May 11th is just too close for comfort. If we need to take it again (just saying that makes me twitch a bit), we will make it through together!
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Well*** sorry
 
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Going crazy.:scared: This day cannot go fast enough. 😴

Please let it be 40+ :naughty:
The fat cats in San Francisco need to interview me this time 🙁
 
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NatG said:
I'm applying to DO as we'll. Depending on my mood tomorrow, I may or may not take the June 20th exam with my brother. May 11th is just too close for comfort. If we need to take it again (just saying that makes me twitch a bit), we will make it through together!
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What were your averages?
 
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Could you all please expand upon these posts? I (we) are having some confusion over in the 4/26 thread. The experimental questions will be included within the 52 questions in PS/BS and the 40 VR? They are not graded and will not be included within our score? So we are potentially scored on less than 52/40 questions per section?


gettheleadout said:
For the record guys, there are always experimental questions on the test. The added experimental section is testing questions for topics that haven't been tested before, but the typical stuff (that we're actually tested on now) will still be in the 2015 MCAT, so they still need more questions as constantly as they always have.
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Captain Sisko said:
I was under the impression that it's always a possibility but never a certainty. Where did you hear/see that there are experimental questions on every mcat? Or did I just misinterpret what you're saying?
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gettheleadout said:
I can find the excerpt for you later but I'm pretty sure it says so outright in the Official Guide to the MCAT or in Essentials.
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Originally Posted by The Official Guide to the MCAT Exam said:
Please note that each multiple-choice section (PS, VR, and BS) will include some try-out items that do not count toward your score.
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Back 5 said:
Could you all please expand upon these posts? I (we) are having some confusion over in the 4/26 thread. The experimental questions will be included within the 52 questions in PS/BS and the 40 VR? They are not graded and will not be included within our score? So we are potentially scored on less than 52/40 questions per section?
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Correct. So for example, if you had 2 experimental questions in PS, you'd be graded out of 50 and the curve would be adjusted accordingly. GTLO, does that jive with what you know?
 
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Captain Sisko said:
Correct. So for example, if you had 2 experimental questions in PS, you'd be graded out of 50 and the curve would be adjusted accordingly. GTLO, does that jive with what you know?
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Yes, that's correct. You won't be administered more than 52 or 40 questions for the given section, and since one or more will not count toward your score, the scale would account for questions correct out of the total minus the number of uncounted questions.
 
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Awesome! I appreciate your prompt replies. Best wishes for all of you finding out your scores tomorrow!
 
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NatG said:
Definitely! I wish they would release it at midnight at least so we could just sleep on it and wake up with a plan...
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I would get zero sleep if that was the case... especially if I didn't get a good score. Do we know what time they'll release the scores, or even if they'll release it tomorrow and not between days 31-35?
 
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MTHFR said:
I would get zero sleep if that was the case... especially if I didn't get a good score. Do we know what time they'll release the scores, or even if they'll release it tomorrow and not between days 31-35?
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1700 Eastern is what the AAMC site still says (Tentative.)
 
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carboxylase said:
AAMC will tweet when the score is released:
https://twitter.com/AAMC_MCAT

I'm not sure the exact time. Going back to the tweet announcing the January scores says just before 9 AM. Someone could check the January threads to see when "Scores posted" in big bold writing was first posted. My post times/timezones are all out of whack on SDN (correct timezone selected in settings) so I cannot do that myself.

EDIT: Nope, my settings were wrong. Give me a sec. to go sift through the thread.
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Thank you! I have my notifications set so I will know when they tweet. I'm ready to see if pop up on my phone now!
 
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abvthe3 said:
Thank you! I have my notifications set so I will know when they tweet. I'm ready to see if pop up on my phone now!
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See updated post. The one you quoted is "old".

Also, be sure to post to SDN when the scores are released. It's easier to check SDN than to keeping logging in to AAMC (I'm not sure how long it takes for them to automatically log you out after no activity). I will probably just refresh the twitter thread but I'm sure many will look here first.
 
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carboxylase said:
See updated post. The one you quoted is "old".

Also, be sure to post to SDN when the scores are released. It's easier to check SDN than to keeping logging in to AAMC (I'm not sure how long it takes for them to automatically log you out after no activity). I will probably just refresh the twitter thread but I'm sure many will look here first.
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I feel like a little kid on Christmas Eve.
 
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Anybody else lurking on old exam sites for "predicted vs actual" scores looking for some sort of hope?
 
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OncoMD said:
Mine is 26-27 lol.

I'm hoping for a 27. I swear it's not too much to ask for...granted I went into that room with only 30min of sleep...:scared::scared::scared:
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Oh man, with a 27 I would cry from happiness! That PS section is all I've been thinking about for a month!
 
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NatG said:
Oh man, with a 27 I would cry from happiness! That PS section is all I've been thinking about for a month!
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Really?! Everyone has been saying that the PS section was harder than AAMC 11 and the BS easier than AAMC 11.

Personally, this was my opinion, and it might've been influenced because I took AAMC 11 a few hours before my exam, and because I am not a Biology major and only took the intro courses...lmao.

PS: It was at the level of AAMC 11, not harder and not easier with SLIGHTLY SLIGHTLY less calculations than AAMC 11.

VR: It was at the level of AAMC 11, except that each passage was like a paragraph longer, and the question bodies were also longer. Just so much to read! The passage that could be categorized under "science" based on AAMC's list of categories for VR, I felt was the hardest to read.

BS: I felt it was at the level of AAMC 11 with like 2 experiment-based passages that I felt were tough. I did not think it was easier than AAMC 11 but not harder than it either.

I felt this exam was exactly on par with AAMC 11. The discretes for both PS/BS were also tough in my opinion. Very few "easy" questions for both sections though.
 
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PS: def a little harder than practice.
V: agreed...long. Too long.
BS: cake. Only hard part were random stand alone questions...but good for them. Great way to separate 13-14-15.

Praying and hoping and wishing so hard. Good luck everyone!!! I'm definitely very drunk right now...
 
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Singingdoctor said:
PS: def a little harder than practice.
V: agreed...long. Too long.
BS: cake. Only hard part were random stand alone questions...but good for them. Great way to separate 13-14-15.

Praying and hoping and wishing so hard. Good luck everyone!!! I'm definitely very drunk right now...
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Really?! Aside from the Organic passage which was indeed easy, you didn't think at least 1 or 2 of the BS experiments were tough?

I can't see our BS being easier than AAMC 11... :scared:
 
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Broke my promise to stay away because I was going to go to sleep late and wake up at late expecting to see my scores but now I know that's not guaranteed.


I checked the Twitter times and they're all around 4:30 but all my friends and I receive them at around 2 here in MI. Any later than 5 will be torture because I;ll have to go places knowing my MCAT is sitting in Thx.
 
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SuperDhooper19 said:
Broke my promise to stay away because I was going to go to sleep late and wake up at late expecting to see my scores but now I know that's not guaranteed.


I checked the Twitter times and they're all around 4:30 but all my friends and I receive them at around 2 here in MI. Any later than 5 will be torture because I;ll have to go places knowing my MCAT is sitting in Thx.
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I'm looking at the January MCAT scores were released at 8:12AM...I'm in the Eastern time zone
 
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OncoMD said:
Mine is 26-27 lol.

I'm hoping for a 27. I swear it's not too much to ask for...granted I went into that room with only 30min of sleep...:scared::scared::scared:
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I'm not judging but just curious...you're on SDN and I'm sure you're extremely nervous to get your score back. Why did you walk in with 30 mins of sleep to take the test? To nervous to sleep? Neurotic studying the last day?? I don't how people do this...


kk, here's my final stuff for those thread watchers.

AAMC 7: practice for first attempt
PS: 11
VR: 7
BS: 11


AAMC 9: Practice for 1st attempt
PS: 10
VR: 8
BS: 10

AAMC 10: BEFORE STUDYING
PS: 8
VR: 7
BS: 9

AAMC 11: practice for 1st attempt
PS: 10
VR: 7
BS: 9

Actual MCAT (First take)

PS: 10
VR: 8
BS: 10
Wr: S or T can't remember (I don't think T exists actually so S)


AAMC 8: Only test left to practice for retake so most recent
PS: 10
VR: 9
BS: 11

AAMC Average: (n=5; diag AAMC 10 not included)

PS: 10.2
VR: 7.8
BS: 10.2

=28.2 AAMC Average (kind of skewed because only one test came after I studied for a retake)

technically my AAMC average after retake is 30 (n=1).

My prediction:

PS: 10 (plz plz plz)
VR: 9 (plz plz plz)
BS: 11 (plz plz plz)



Today's Actual Results:
 
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30min because I couldn't sleep whatsoever. I didn't even need coffee. I felt so naturally wired when taking the exam. My hands were slightly shaking on some points.
 
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OncoMD said:
Really?! Aside from the Organic passage which was indeed easy, you didn't think at least 1 or 2 of the BS experiments were tough?

I can't see our BS being easier than AAMC 11... :scared:
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In comparison to PS...it was cake..but was it "easy"...you're right. Definitely challenging, but not impossible. I remember looking at some of the solution chemistry and thinking...what in the hell are they talking about!?!

But can we just agree that everything difficult was experimental and didn't involve our actual score...one can dream!!!

I am eating my drunken mcdonalds meal in honor of all the MCAT survivors out there!!! This chicken nugget is for you!!! 34's for all!!!
 
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Singingdoctor said:
In comparison to PS...it was cake..but was it "easy"...you're right. Definitely challenging, but not impossible. I remember looking at some of the solution chemistry and thinking...what in the hell are they talking about!?!

But can we just agree that everything difficult was experimental and didn't involve our actual score...one can dream!!!

I am eating my drunken mcdonalds meal in honor of all the MCAT survivors out there!!! This chicken nugget is for you!!! 34's for all!!!
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I completely agree....that last physics passage that involved the physics of an "object" was out of control....it was shooting numbers left to right and I said to myself "how in this world do you want me to calculate this, if you gave me a bunch of numbers without ANY guidance.

Yeah thats what I mean. Compared to PS, BS was definitely slightly easier. I just hope they are lenient. AAMCs are *****holes but please...just this once. Our careers is in your hands, just help us out...
 
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OncoMD said:
I completely agree....that last physics passage that involved the physics of an "object" was out of control....it was shooting numbers left to right and I said to myself "how in this world do you want me to calculate this, if you gave me a bunch of numbers without ANY guidance.

Yeah thats what I mean. Compared to PS, BS was definitely slightly easier. I just hope they are lenient. AAMCs are *****holes but please...just this once. Our careers is in your hands, just help us out...
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YES...please please please let it be good news! We worked so hard. It has to work out for us, right!?! 12 hours...
 
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Hi everyone. I've been on this site for the past couple weeks and finally decided to create an account. First of all, best of luck to everyone-- hoping you all get good news.

I took this exam, this was my second time taking it-- I took the mcat back in 2009 so it had expired. Long story short, I've always wanted to be a practicing sports medicine doctor and in my senior year of college I took some baller physiology courses and wanted to get a masters in exercise physiology and work in that field before going into the grind of brute med school curriculum. The fact that I was only accepted at one medical school-- out of 10 :-0 -- and it wasn't the best fit as far as location made that decision a bit easier. Obviously my old mcat is no longer valid so I had to retake as I am wrapping up grad school in the winter.

When I took the exam in '09 I scored a 37 and that was with about 5 months of not having a life studying, but as far as I can remember, this one was far more difficult. Maybe it's b/c I'm a couple of years out of the relevant coursework, but I noticed a lot of you found it to be on the harder side which is a bit reassuring.

I guess the main reason I'm writing is to reinforce what all of you already know... this is not even close to the end-all-be-all in your dream to become a doctor. As I said, I had the GPA and the MCAT but got punched in the stomach one after the other with rejections, while peers of mine with sub-30's and sub-3.6 gpa's were getting in to their first choices b/c they kept focus on maximizing themselves in their applications and interviews. I was 80/20 % sure that I wanted to get my master's first and perhaps that showed in my applications.

Feeling too down if you don't like what you see on THX shouldn't deter your big picture goal(s). No matter what you get, keep that white coat in mind throughout the process.

Again, best of luck and cheers!
 
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