Updating AMCAs MCAT scores

[BABSstudent]

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I had a question about applying to medical school. I am a senior (but I will be taking an extra semester to finish off two degrees) and am going to apply in June 2012. My question has more to do with the application procedure.

Since this is my first post, I feel like I have to tell you all about myself. If you want to skip my stats and just see the question it is the last three paragraphs.

I know things matter more than just a good MCAT score so I have tried to be well rounded and I am extremely glad I did all my experiences.

First, I am getting my B.A. in Spanish and a B.S. in Zoology. I love speaking Spanish and I only regret not taking classes in high school. My GPA is a 3.6 and my science GPA is like a 3.5. My GPA is brought down because of a one bad semester where I got a 3.23 (thank you C+ in Organic Chemistry! This class was my worst grade ever but it was the first challenging class I had and it showed me I needed to study in college, so it was a bad thing that turned out to be a great thing).

I studied abroad in Ecuador and had an internship in a health clinic over the summer. I loved interacting with the kids and the doctors there (all in Spanish of course). I had classes in regular Spanish, medical Spanish, and even a few classes in the medical school there. I worked for 120 hours and this involved talking to patients and doing vision tests, heights, and weights on school children.

I volunteered in the ER in the states for 132 hours doing things like taking vitals, cleaning wounds, checking up on patients, following doctors and nurses in the rooms to talk to patients, and just helping whenever a doctor or nurse asked me to. I loved going in and talking to everyone.

I shadowed a cardiologist for 40 hours and I got to help read tests and also go in the OR. This was amazing and I am hoping to shadow him some more and he has asked me to return.

I also did community service with AmeriCorps for two summers and worked closed to 930 hours (I received scholarships at the end of them so they don't count as volunteer). I am also in a few clubs (an officer in one) and do community service and food drives through them. I am involved in a lab with research right now (E coli and apples!). I am also an SA in anatomy and will be a TA next year in the gross anatomy lab. But I feel like these last things didn't change me as much as the above experiences did so I tend to not make a big deal out of them. However, I am glad I have done everything I said because I feel like I am a much better person for doing it all.

Here is my problem area. I have already taken my MCAT, but I would like to improve my score. I took the test and had a bad experience (I had to travel 300 miles to the testing facility and I left to study abroad the next day) and only got a 28Q when I was averaging a 32 on the pretests. Broken down, the score I got is a 10P, 10B, and 8VR and I know that I can do better. As such I think I want to retake, but I also want to send out my application as soon as possible.

The main question: can I submit the AMCAS application with my 28Q and then update the score if I chose to retake the test after I submit? Or if I submit is it forever out of my control?

Has anyone had a similar experience that they could share with me? Maybe if it worked out for them or if they wished they would have done things differently?

 

[glasshalfMD]

Why don't you sign up to take the MCAT in March, April, May, etc.? Then, when you submit the application June 1 (that's the earliest you will be able to), you'll already have your updated score.

Your MCAT score gets automatically attached to your app based on identifying information. If you take it again, whether before or after your app gets submitted, the score will get attached to it. ALL of your scores will be visible to the schools to which you are applying. Hope this helps.

 

[BABSstudent]

Why don't you sign up to take the MCAT in March, April, May, etc.? Then, when you submit the application June 1 (that's the earliest you will be able to), you'll already have your updated score.

I only want to take the MCAT one more time. If I do retake I would chose a late June testing date since my school finishes in the beginning of May. That way I could study during the semester a little and then do two intense months of studying and practice tests before the real thing. However, that would put me at receiving my scores in late July early August.

 

[Isoprop]

I'm almost sure that your score gets automatically updated to AMCAS.

 

[glasshalfMD]

I only want to take the MCAT one more time. If I do retake I would chose a late June testing date since my school finishes in the beginning of May. That way I could study during the semester a little and then do two intense months of studying and practice tests before the real thing. However, that would put me at receiving my scores in late July early August.

If this is what you choose to do, your strategy would look something like this:
-apply initially to schools that seem reasonable with a 28/3.6 (so maybe avg MCAT of 27-31)
-when you get your scores (I highly recommend NOT waiting past mid-late June so that you can get your scores mid-late July), add schools that fit into your new stat range. for example, if you get a 33 on attempt two, you can add some schools in the 32-35 range
-GET YOUR SECONDARIES IN ASAP - don't wait to send them in for those you applied to earlier. your updated score will still be sent to those schools, and if you get nervous about them getting there, you can always send an update letter saying "oh hey btw, brought my score up, this is what it is now, love your school, interview me, kthanks." once you apply to those higher stat range schools (assuming you improve your score more than 1-2 points), send THOSE secondaries in as soon as you get them, too.

do all those things, and you should be okay. just my two cents, though.

 

[BABSstudent]

If this is what you choose to do, your strategy would look something like this:
-apply initially to schools that seem reasonable with a 28/3.6 (so maybe avg MCAT of 27-31)
-when you get your scores (I highly recommend NOT waiting past mid-late June so that you can get your scores mid-late July), add schools that fit into your new stat range. for example, if you get a 33 on attempt two, you can add some schools in the 32-35 range
-GET YOUR SECONDARIES IN ASAP - don't wait to send them in for those you applied to earlier. your updated score will still be sent to those schools, and if you get nervous about them getting there, you can always send an update letter saying "oh hey btw, brought my score up, this is what it is now, love your school, interview me, kthanks." once you apply to those higher stat range schools (assuming you improve your score more than 1-2 points), send THOSE secondaries in as soon as you get them, too.

do all those things, and you should be okay. just my two cents, though.

I didn't know I could do that! That sounds like a great idea! Any other suggestions?