Top This Story And I'll Send You $100! Please Help!

[0192837465]

I took the MCAT in August and scored a 16M. Yes, I know it is low! Obviously, I need a lot of work to bring that up.

HERE'S THE STORY...

I'm graduating this fall from one of the top four-year state colleges (I'm almost positive that it is, according to US News, Princeton Review, etc.) in the Southeast (I'd like to remain anonymous..this is why I have not stated the school). My own opinion of what I should do in this situation was to hold off on applying, study for the MCAT during the spring, fall and summer, and either do research or work as a CNA (Certified Nursing Assistant) at the same time so it doesn't look like I'm "taking a break" during that time. I would retake the MCAT with enough time to apply by JUNE 1ST of next year. According to another post I have on SDN, that route was by far the most agreed upon also.

HERE'S THE DRAMA/PROBLEM/CLIMAX... (Honestly guys, this is very hard on me, as I'm sure you can understand, so please be mature with your comments)...

After taking the MCAT, my dad, an MD, asked me what I made (remember, this was back in August)... I was so ashamed of myself for such a low score, that at first I told him that I couldn't tell him. He insisted that I tell him...and I really didn't want to let him down...or myself!!!....so I told him I made a 25. To be honest, (please don't take this offensively if you've scored a 25...obviously, I would do anything just to have that score!) I thought that a 25 was still low enough to be upset about, or at least nervous about when applying.

The problem is, my dad is now INSISTING that I apply (and it's already SOOO LATE) to at least the schools that are my number one choices, plus a few Caribbean schools. THIS IS STRESSING ME OUT BEYOND MY LIMITS!!! I AM SO ASHAMED OF MYSELF, AND I STILL CAN'T HONESTLY SAY THAT I WOULD BE HAPPIER IF I TOLD HIM THE TRUTH! Please try to really put yourself in my shoes and imagine how you would tell your excited parents a score like that!
---------
Time is running out for me to decide what I should do, but I am still firm on my decision to not apply, and NEVER let my parents know this score. IF YOU HAVE ANY SUGGESTIONS, PLEASE OFFER YOUR TIME! IT WOULD BE UNBELIEVABLY APPRECIATED! TRULY!

ONE LAST COMMENT....I AM NOT A QUITTER AND WILL DISREGARD ANY COMMENTS SUGGESTING THAT I PURSUE A DIFFERENT CAREER PATH. I HAVE ALWAYS ENJOYED MEDICINE, AND I'D BET THERE WOULD BE A LOT MORE DOCTORS IN THE WORLD TODAY IF QUITTING WAS PERMITTED. BECOMING A DOCTOR IS HARD, QUITTING IS EASY!

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[armybound]

I dunno, I always prefer to just tell the truth. So.. that might be a good place to start.

 

[el aye]

There's no sense in continuing the lie if you don't want to apply now. I would just tell him about the score and your plan.

 

[blargh]

take it again. pay for the test with your own money (or borrow from a friend), study hard, and take it in a couple months. just tell your dad you're not ready to start med school and you want to work in the real world for a year.

 

[pinkblue]

Tell your dad the truth. I'm sure your dad would MUCH rather you tell him the truth than waste time/money applying this year.

 

[jochi1543]

I dunno, I always prefer to just tell the truth. So.. that might be a good place to start.

Yeah, daddy might explode for a day or two, but in the long run, you'll save yourself a lot of stress by not having to uphold your lie.

 

[Rainums]

Be honest. Let the cat out of the bag.
Don't take the MCAT again until you are making the score you want on practice tests. Start studying ASAP.

 

[IntoTheWild]

Tell the truth and then work your A** off. If you are capable (which it seems you are) it will be clear that a score of 16 was a product of being unprepared for the exam. It is not like a 25 is going to give you a good change at med school (MD) anyway. What's worse:

Lie, spend a lot of money and time on apps, don't get it, work hard, reapply

or

Lie, swallow your pride, don't get in, work hard, reapply

 

[michigator04]

Be honest. Let the cat out of the bag.
Don't take the MCAT again until you are making the score you want on practice tests. Start studying ASAP.

Doesn't it seem kind of cruel to put a cat in a bag in the first place?

But seriously, tell daddy the truth. If you waste his money it will only make the problem a lot worse.

 

[patrickd223]

Just explain to your dad what you explained here. That you were ashamed to tell him your real score. The great thing about parents is that they will love you even if you dropout of high school and smoke weed all day.

 

[Maxprime]

This is not supposed to be mean, it's just giving the truth.

You probably need to grow up before thinking about medical school. If you prepared so poorly for the MCAT that you got a 16, medical school is going to eat you alive. A score that low is not a problem of intelligence, it's a problem of effort and maturity. At the same time, you can't be honest with or stand up to a parent that is managing your life in your second decade on this Earth. Your "most dramatic story ever" is absolutely ridiculous. In my senior year of college, my fiance tried to kill herself in my apartment from undiagnosed late-onset schizophrenia, I'll take my $100 now.

I'd be honest with your dad - you screwed up, you'll fix it, this is all your responsibility and not his. Time to grow up now, before you have to tend to the lives of others.

 

[Flopotomist]

I'D BET THERE WOULD BE A LOT MORE DOCTORS IN THE WORLD TODAY IF QUITTING WAS PERMITTED.

I am so confused by this statement. Please clarify.

 

[Dawno]

I agree. I think that this will probably end up being a great learning experience for you. Either way, you are going to have to stand up to your father. Good luck!

 

[LizzyM]

Tell your dad you are not very good at math
and that in looking at the score again, you realize that it isn't a 25 but a 16 (it's that damn "carry 1").

Tell him that there is no chance that any med school will take you and suggest that the money that would have been spent for a primary application be spent on giving you the time and help you need to study for your second MCAT.

 

[Jolie South]

i hate to say this. ..

life is hard. you have to suck it up and tell your father. whether or not you do, your test score will remain the same, and it will be easier to study and apply without having to maintain the lie.

 

[DrAife]

lying to your father about something this important is the worst thing you could possibly be ashamed about.
my dad's an md/phd my moms been in medical research her entire career and im an only child...I had a lot of pressure on me since I was a zygote to equal my parent's brains quota and i had my screwups too but i never lied to them about anything no matter what, because when it comes down to it think how your father would feel if he found out you were willing to hide the truth from him rather than admit it, he would think he was a bad parent.

 

[Pinkertinkle]

Tell your father you are an adult and you've made the decision to apply NEXT year.

 

[jochi1543]

Tell your father you are an adult and you've made the decision to apply NEXT year.

Yeah, what if he bombs the rewrite, too, though. Even a 10-point improvement from a score of 16 is not going to be competitive.

 

[Jacks Mannequin]

Yeah, the solution is pretty simple: tell him the truth and apply next year after taking the MCAT again. You are not in that bad of a situation...

 

[Jolie South]

Also, how could you even apply this year if you wanted to? If you're AMCAS is not already submitted, you're SOL.

 

[45408]

Tell your dad you are not very good at math
and that in looking at the score again, you realize that it isn't a 25 but a 16 (it's that damn "carry 1").

Tell him that there is no chance that any med school will take you and suggest that the money that would have been spent for a primary application be spent on giving you the time and help you need to study for your second MCAT.

You heard it from the adcom member.

 

[limpkitty]

lying to your father about something this important is the worst thing you could possibly be ashamed about.
my dad's an md/phd my moms been in medical research her entire career and im an only child...I had a lot of pressure on me since I was a zygote to equal my parent's brains quota and i had my screwups too but i never lied to them about anything no matter what, because when it comes down to it think how your father would feel if he found out you were willing to hide the truth from him rather than admit it, he would think he was a bad parent.

Oh, it must be so hard to be you! Seriously, with all that pressure on you, I'm surprised you didn't end up a drug addict while still in the womb. I mean, it's hard to deal with stress when you're still a fetus!

OP, tell you're dad you've spoken to admissions counslers and that you have no chance to get into a med school in the states and that you refuse to go to the caribbean.

 

[WiscDoc]

Oh, it must be so hard to be you! Seriously, with all that pressure on you, I'm surprised you didn't end up a drug addict while still in the womb. I mean, it's hard to deal with stress when you're still a fetus!

OP, tell you're dad you've spoken to admissions counslers and that you have no chance to get into a med school in the states and that you refuse to go to the caribbean.

Maybe add that applying a second time (next year) is more complicated (usually requiring additional essays, and proving that you used this year wisely). Tell your dad you want to apply when you feel like you have a godd shot at it, to prevent a harder 2nd time around next year. Good luck.

P.S. forget the whole "tell the truth B.S." I understand how parents can be. Most others don't. As an adult, you don't anybody an explanation, and you should go with the lesser of two evils: keep your parents out of the loop!

 

[sawood]

The problem is, my dad is now INSISTING that I apply (and it's already SOOO LATE) to at least the schools that are my number one choices, plus a few Caribbean schools. THIS IS STRESSING ME OUT BEYOND MY LIMITS!!! I AM SO ASHAMED OF MYSELF, AND I STILL CAN'T HONESTLY SAY THAT I WOULD BE HAPPIER IF I TOLD HIM THE TRUTH! Please try to really put yourself in my shoes and imagine how you would tell your excited parents a score like that!


ONE LAST COMMENT....I AM NOT A QUITTER AND WILL DISREGARD ANY COMMENTS SUGGESTING THAT I PURSUE A DIFFERENT CAREER PATH. I HAVE ALWAYS ENJOYED MEDICINE, AND I'D BET THERE WOULD BE A LOT MORE DOCTORS IN THE WORLD TODAY IF QUITTING WAS PERMITTED. BECOMING A DOCTOR IS HARD, QUITTING IS EASY!

What worries me about this is if you are going to be a doctor, you have to be able to do what is right even if it will disappoint people. That’s part of growing up and maturing, but its especially important if you enter a field where people’s lives and well-being are on the line.

You even admit to not completely regretting the lie, only that it didn’t work and your dad didn’t back off.

My personal opinion is that you should not apply to med school until you have the balls to face your parents like an adult and tell the truth and stop making excuses.

I’m not saying this to be mean. But seriously, if you can’t face your parents, then how are you going to be able to face med school? Do you think it will be easier?

I would also take a hard look at the fact you got a 16M….ask yourself if you really prepared like you knew you should have. My guess is the answer to that is no. I would recommend holding off on taking the MCAT until you figure out why you didn’t prepare adequately for an exam that, according to you, would mean soooo much to you and your father.

If becomming a doctor is hard and quiting is easy, the same can be said for telling the truth vs. lying.

 

[sawood]

P.S. forget the whole "tell the truth B.S." I understand how parents can be. Most others don't. As an adult, you don't anybody an explanation, and you should go with the lesser of two evils: keep your parents out of the loop!

I would agree with this except the OP appears to desperately need mom and dad's approval.......didn't keep them out of the loop...just flat out lied out of fear.

And I think most of us on here know what its like to have parents.

 

[drizzt3117]

So to sum up your story, you scored in the bottom 10 percentile on the MCAT, then lied to your parents about it.

First of all, since you're beyond the AMCAS submission date, you're probably off the hook at least for US medical schools. Second of all, explaining the situation to your parents is probably the least of your worries, IMO. Scoring a 16M means that 90-95% of people that took the MCAT scored better than you on each section, which is the equivalent of failing every section, including verbal. If you're a native English speaker (which seems likely from your post), that's inexcusable, and even if you're not, it's not very palatable. I would be much more concerned with learning the basic sciences then deciding how to get out of the situation you put yourself in by lying.

 

[Dave501]

Dont mean to be harsh. But you need to become your own person. You should apply to medical school when you want to, not because your parents want you to. Become a man.

 

[DrAife]

Oh, it must be so hard to be you! Seriously, with all that pressure on you, I'm surprised you didn't end up a drug addict while still in the womb. I mean, it's hard to deal with stress when you're still a fetus!

you've never heard of a metaphor?

 

[Old Grunt]

I took the MCAT in August and scored a 16M. Yes, I know it is low! Obviously, I need a lot of work to bring that up.

HERE'S THE STORY...

I'm graduating this fall from one of the top four-year state colleges (I'm almost positive that it is, according to US News, Princeton Review, etc.) in the Southeast (I'd like to remain anonymous..this is why I have not stated the school). My own opinion of what I should do in this situation was to hold off on applying, study for the MCAT during the spring, fall and summer, and either do research or work as a CNA (Certified Nursing Assistant) at the same time so it doesn't look like I'm "taking a break" during that time. I would retake the MCAT with enough time to apply by JUNE 1ST of next year. According to another post I have on SDN, that route was by far the most agreed upon also.

HERE'S THE DRAMA/PROBLEM/CLIMAX... (Honestly guys, this is very hard on me, as I'm sure you can understand, so please be mature with your comments)...

After taking the MCAT, my dad, an MD, asked me what I made (remember, this was back in August)... I was so ashamed of myself for such a low score, that at first I told him that I couldn't tell him. He insisted that I tell him...and I really didn't want to let him down...or myself!!!....so I told him I made a 25. To be honest, (please don't take this offensively if you've scored a 25...obviously, I would do anything just to have that score!) I thought that a 25 was still low enough to be upset about, or at least nervous about when applying.

The problem is, my dad is now INSISTING that I apply (and it's already SOOO LATE) to at least the schools that are my number one choices, plus a few Caribbean schools. THIS IS STRESSING ME OUT BEYOND MY LIMITS!!! I AM SO ASHAMED OF MYSELF, AND I STILL CAN'T HONESTLY SAY THAT I WOULD BE HAPPIER IF I TOLD HIM THE TRUTH! Please try to really put yourself in my shoes and imagine how you would tell your excited parents a score like that!
---------
Time is running out for me to decide what I should do, but I am still firm on my decision to not apply, and NEVER let my parents know this score. IF YOU HAVE ANY SUGGESTIONS, PLEASE OFFER YOUR TIME! IT WOULD BE UNBELIEVABLY APPRECIATED! TRULY!

ONE LAST COMMENT....I AM NOT A QUITTER AND WILL DISREGARD ANY COMMENTS SUGGESTING THAT I PURSUE A DIFFERENT CAREER PATH. I HAVE ALWAYS ENJOYED MEDICINE, AND I'D BET THERE WOULD BE A LOT MORE DOCTORS IN THE WORLD TODAY IF QUITTING WAS PERMITTED. BECOMING A DOCTOR IS HARD, QUITTING IS EASY!

You should come clean to your father first. If you are resolved to stand firm behind a lie, that indicates an ethical shortcoming on your part that is really more serious than a two digit score on a standardized test. Be an adult, own up to your mistakes, learn from them and move on.

You should honestly assess your motivations for going to medical school second.

I only say that because it sounds like there is a lot of pressure on you to go to medical school. Is that what you really want to do? If so, why didn't you do the leg work on the MCAT? You could have answered every one of the discreets, which require little test taking skills, and done better than that.

Even if you nug it out and work your way into Med School, are you really going to be happy doing that? If not, why put yourself through that, when there might be something else that your would rather do?

 

[DocMTL]

This response will appear redundant, since most SDNers have somewhat expressed what I will voice shortly.

The disapointment that you dread will eventually surface! The fact of the matter is, you are going to waste your resources and stress yourself tremendously in the next 8 months for no good reason. Do yourself the favor, and take yourself out of this misery and tell him the truth. People make mistakes all the time!You can redeem yourself. You must show some integrity and suck up your pride (or whatever it is that is witholding you to be an adult).The matter will only worsten as you perpetuate this lie that will OBVIOUSLY come out of the closet. This experience will only build your character if you come of this bottomless pit and tell the truth. I don't know what kind of relationship you have with your father, but it is clear that his profession and opinion is pressuring you to act rather...hum...foolishly. I am curious to know, if you are truly passionate about pursuing medicine, or if you are only doing this because of your father?

Please check yourself, before you wreck yourself... ( as my father would say it) and I say this in the nicest way possible...

 

[emttim]

I would agree with this except the OP appears to desperately need mom and dad's approval.......didn't keep them out of the loop...just flat out lied out of fear.

And I think most of us on here know what its like to have parents.

I don't. I was hatched out of an egg with a taste for jack daniels and a pension to chew up metal (with my teeth mind you) in my spare time just for the hell of it.

What are these parent critters you speak of?

 

[Orbo]

Not trying to be mean...just realistic here:

You ought to have backup plans that don't involve med school this year or the next.

 

[Gospe1]

Tell him that you want to go to a highly ranked medical school and that you need a year off to collect your thoughts and study to get a 35. Act disappointed in yourself and tell him that you are not satisfied with a 25.

 

[Textuality]

So, as child to stereotypically scary and overbearing chinese parents, I feel your pain. They mean well, but in reality, all they end up doing is tearing you down and making your life hell in the name of "your future". That being said, you should still just tell the truth and be honest and preface it with a lot of "please don't be mad". lol.

And then, not ONLY will you save a lot of money, a lot of guilt, and probably a lot of stress. You can also write about in a secondary essay if you so choose I know people will laugh at me for this, but I actually did write one essay about confronting my parents (it's a long story centered around them being homophobic) because it's hard, it's something everybody can relate to, and it's necessary for a lot of us at some point. I mean, they ruled our lives for like 18 years, it's not like standing up to your boss or your teachers who are transitory people in your lives. So yeah, I get why this is such a big deal for you, and I empathize, so I wish you the best of luck. But I"d say to keep in mind that you probably aren't giving your folks enough credit in their support of you. I don't think telling the truth will be as scary as you think.

Good luck.

 

[MassTransport]

How did you end up with a 16? Did you study for the test or did you take it cold?

 

[PreMD86]

So to sum up your story, you scored in the bottom 10 percentile on the MCAT, then lied to your parents about it.

First of all, since you're beyond the AMCAS submission date, you're probably off the hook at least for US medical schools. Second of all, explaining the situation to your parents is probably the least of your worries, IMO. Scoring a 16M means that 90-95% of people that took the MCAT scored better than you on each section, which is the equivalent of failing every section, including verbal. If you're a native English speaker (which seems likely from your post), that's inexcusable, and even if you're not, it's not very palatable. I would be much more concerned with learning the basic sciences then deciding how to get out of the situation you put yourself in by lying.

OP could have theoretically scored a 14 on their verbal. No need to stereotype him/her because of the overall score.

 

[RadJon]

"Secrets secrets are no fun, secrets secrets hurt someone"
-Stripper's advice to Michael Scott

 

[FloridaSun]

I think I'm going to save the OP a lot of time and say that YOU ARE MOST LIKELY NOT GOING TO GET ANY ADVICE THAT YOU WANT TO HEAR ON THIS FORUM.

Just my 1.5 cents.

-V

 

[sawood]

Is the OP still out there?

Even though a lot of this may be stuff you don't want to hear, the advice given here will help. Telling you "lying is okay" and "don't worry about the MCAT" wouldn't get you anywhere. Hopefully you are taking some of it in and hearing the "tough love" behind it.

 

[nycfella]

I think I'm going to save the OP a lot of time and say that YOU ARE MOST LIKELY NOT GOING TO GET ANY ADVICE THAT YOU WANT TO HEAR ON THIS FORUM.

Just my 1.5 cents.

-V

...the most productive post I've seen on SDN. Well done.
As for the OP, he's too soft. Just my 1.5 cents.

 

[limpkitty]

So, as child to stereotypically scary and overbearing chinese parents, I feel your pain. They mean well, but in reality, all they end up doing is tearing you down and making your life hell in the name of "your future". That being said, you should still just tell the truth and be honest and preface it with a lot of "please don't be mad". lol.

And then, not ONLY will you save a lot of money, a lot of guilt, and probably a lot of stress. You can also write about in a secondary essay if you so choose I know people will laugh at me for this, but I actually did write one essay about confronting my parents (it's a long story centered around them being homophobic) because it's hard, it's something everybody can relate to, and it's necessary for a lot of us at some point. I mean, they ruled our lives for like 18 years, it's not like standing up to your boss or your teachers who are transitory people in your lives. So yeah, I get why this is such a big deal for you, and I empathize, so I wish you the best of luck. But I"d say to keep in mind that you probably aren't giving your folks enough credit in their support of you. I don't think telling the truth will be as scary as you think.

Good luck.

Actually, I don't think that most people can relate to coming out to their parents.

 

[limpkitty]

Is the OP still out there?

Even though a lot of this may be stuff you don't want to hear, the advice given here will help. Telling you "lying is okay" and "don't worry about the MCAT" wouldn't get you anywhere. Hopefully you are taking some of it in and hearing the "tough love" behind it.

I don't think anyone has said not to worry about the mcat, obviously anyone with half a brain (ie: smart enough to score above a 16) can see the op isn't getting into med school. However, lying in this situation, and many others, is most definately a-okay.

 

[Old Grunt]

I don't think anyone has said not to worry about the mcat, obviously anyone with half a brain (ie: smart enough to score above a 16) can see the op isn't getting into med school. However, lying in this situation, and many others, is most definately a-okay.

Lying simply because the truth is painful and embarassing is permissable?

I disagree.

Pressue doesn't build character, it reveals it.

 

[Old Grunt]

3. A 16 MCAT = An incompetent physician's dead patient

Really?

So they give you the MCAT again at the end of Medical School to see if you are competent enough to be a physican?

How many dead people does a sub-30 MCAT equal?

 

[BrokenGlass]

The OP is offering $100 to those who can top his story and yet there are no takers. Amazing!

 

[lisichka]

it is really a difficult situation for u, especially with an MD father uhhh

i really don;t know what to say here, maybe you should realize that parental love is unconditional. and ur father will still love you regardless of ur score. this is what parents and close friends are for. i cannot give u any specific advise (i am not very good at that, lol), but do what u feel is right. if u need more time, and don;t want to tell ur dad now, this is perfectly ok.

maybe no one will be able to top ur specific situation here, but i bet every one of us was in deep sh@#%t at one point or the other, and each have overcome some huuuge problem, and here we are, trying to top you, lol. good luck , and remember, good parents should love their babies regardless of... here i said it.

 

[cyclingmo]

We obviously don't know your parents. Good thing would be to tell them and have them support you to do better. If you know they will not understand, lie again and tell them you already applied. Simple as that.

 

[ZagDoc]

3. A 16 MCAT = An incompetent physician's dead patient

That's a pretty ridiculous statement IMHO. Nothing on the MCAT correlates at all to saving lives. I know my fair share of people who never really put the book smarts together but are incredible on the wards and quicker on their toes in an emergency then most. That being said, I would echo the sentiments here that a 16 is pretty disconcerting. There's a very clear lack of study skills, effort, or focus with a score that low. That isn't "just not getting it."

 

[EM_Rebuilder]

Take home lessons:

Dont lie..

Where did a 'top notch fancy shmancy school' get you? Save you money, go to a four year state school....you probably would have done better had you went to a normal school...

 

[Old Grunt]

Take home lessons:

Dont lie..

Where did a 'top notch fancy shmancy school' get you? Save you money, go to a four year state school....you probably would have done better had you went to a normal school...

IMO, and I am nowhere near an adcom, the lie is a bigger deal than the MCAT.

It's too bad that admissions committees don't have a magical machine to see how applicants perform under stress and under what degree they start to consider compromising their own ethics.