What did you find to be more nerve-wracking: the MCAT or the interview?

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Which one?

  • MCAT

    Votes: 82 67.2%

  • Interview

    Votes: 40 32.8%
  • Total voters
    122
I've never applied, but I think I'd find the MCAT more nerve-wrecking. Ultimately much more important.
 
The MCAT is definitely more nerve wracking. You can think of interviews as just going to hang out with a really interesting person and talking about yourself.
 
To me, there was nothing nervous about the interview - I had a lot of fun with them. MCAT was awful, especially the days counting down to receiving my score.
 
Interviews were fun for the most part (except for that MMI). I did a few mock interviews before my first real interview, so I wasn't too nervous. MCAT was definitely more nerve-wracking, both the 30 minutes before and the 30 day wait after!
 
I think there will always be people who enjoy interviews, but I can't imagine anyone enjoying the MCAT, even if you're well prepared for it.
 
MCAT for sure. Interviews, for the most part follow a certain convention that you can expect. And also for the most part, most schools aren't out to get you so there's a lot more freedom of expression/preparation for them. Not to mention the SDN Interview Feedback page and such - there are so many avenues to pursue when preparing.

The MCAT, on the other hand is an enigma until you sit down on test day - test prep only goes so far. Don't also forget that it's very much a marathon for your brain. There's a reason why the MCAT is a major hurdle for so many pre-meds out there.
 
For me it was the interview. Sure I found the MCAT nerve racking, but after putting all that work into doing well in school for four years so I could ultimately do well on the MCAT, with the interview I still had one more chance to screw everything up! (I didn't)
 
I'd imagine the wait for II and for acceptances are the most nerve-wracking... I haven't had any interview so I can't really say anything about it, but MCAT really wasn't too bad. The preparation was intense but writing it was not too bad. Most people know what score range they are at before writing anyway.
 
I was waaay more nervous waiting for my MCAT score than I was taking the MCAT. But that probably has to do with me not being a morning person and having to get to the testing center at 7:30...can't be nervous when you are unconscious :laugh:
 
I haven't interviewed yet, but extrapolating from job interviews....the interview, for sure. The MCAT is just a test among many that have been and will be required to be a doctor.

Interviews involve people...much less predictable 😉
 
I was way more nervous for interviews
I went to my MCAT expecting to do bad so I didn't give a ****. No jitters at all
Interviews on the other hand... I wake up in the middle of the night with panic attacks and my heart pounding out of my chest thinking about them
 
Radon XP said:
I've never applied, but I think I'd find the MCAT more nerve-wrecking. Ultimately much more important.
Click to expand...

False. If you're at the interview stage its the interview that separates applicants now, not the mcat. Most interviewers dont have the gpa and mcat scores, they're seeing who would be a good fit which is ultimately most important if you're that far along.

Personally, sure the mcat sucked. But no matter how nervous you are, you had months of preparation to back you up. There are a lot of curve ball interview questions I've gotten in mock interviews that throw me off.

More nervous before interview since it matters more at the interview stage, but fine once its going. Hardest part of mcat is just sleeping the night before and not freaking out which is easy since you have preparation behind you.
 
Interview for sure. I feel like the interview stage heavily favors the more extroverted people. And I am definitely more on the introverted side, so that always weighs in the back of my mind. I'm not good at "directing" conversations so I always tend to give shorter answers and it probably hurt me last cycle.

MCAT is scary as hell, don't get me wrong. But with the interview, you are SO close to getting accepted, and you could have the perfect application, but if you mess up...IT'S OVA.
 
MCAT hands down...too much depends on it. If you **** up an interview, then only one application suffers. If you **** up the MCAT, all of them suffer. That, and pretty much all the interview days I went to were pretty fun, and the interviews themselves were pretty low-key and laid-back.
 
chillaxbro said:
I was way more nervous for interviews
I went to my MCAT expecting to do bad so I didn't give a ****. No jitters at all
Interviews on the other hand... I wake up in the middle of the night with panic attacks and my heart pounding out of my chest thinking about them
Click to expand...

Chillaxbro 😉
 
The cynical part of me wanted to ask if this was a real question, but you're serious...but yeah I've got to think that the MCAT is worse.
 
I took the MCAT twice so maybe the first time I was super nervous, but the second time I knew how to calm myself down. Same with interviews, the first one I thought I was going to vomit the day before. As each went by though, I just wanted to get them over with.

So, in short, um... I don't know lol both?
 
For me, my waitlist position was the worst...followed closely by waiting for my MCAT score. The interview thing was pretty easy.
 
My ranking of the relative anxiety level at each stage of the application cycle, top one being the least anxiety inducing

LOW STRESS
Waiting for verification... (who thinks this is stressful?)
Later interviews when you realize there isn't anything to worry about...
Submitting AMCAS and secondaries
That first interview...
Waiting for interview invitations...
The thirty minutes before the MCAT
Waiting to hear from the waitlist...
Waiting for decisions...
Waiting for those MCAT Scores (... it sucked)
Getting waitlisted everywhere... and realizing you probably should've worried a little more about interviews
HIGH STRESS

ah.. so much waiting...
 
I enjoyed the majority of my interviews. The 30 minutes before the MCAT and 30 minutes before I know scores were being released were by FAR the most nerve wracking I've ever been in my life.
 
geebeejay said:
mcat hands down...too much depends on it. If you **** up an interview, then only one application suffers. If you **** up the mcat, all of them suffer. That, and pretty much all the interview days i went to were pretty fun, and the interviews themselves were pretty low-key and laid-back.
Click to expand...

+1
 
Interview for sure. I knew I would destroy the mcat given my practice tests, 40+. It was just another practice test. Just the confidence going in knowing you'd probably score higher than 99% of your peers. I enjoyed studying for it and reveled in the fact I was different in this regard to my peers. The proctor even told me he had never seen a student who chatted with him during the breaks and seemed so calm, ha. I was also deep in my prayer and spiritual life at this time and was excited to see what the Holy Spirit had in store for me. I was only slightly nervous a sudden migraine would hit me (which actually happened during verbal, luckily still pulled the 13).

But I was pretty nervous for any questions. I get slightly nervous in high pressure situations and have difficulty with confrontation, preferring silence. I hate interviews. I was not in tune with my spiritual life at this time either and my separation from God was taking its toll.
 
Last edited:
Wait For It said:
My ranking of the relative anxiety level at each stage of the application cycle, top one being the least anxiety inducing

LOW STRESS
Waiting for verification... (who thinks this is stressful?)
Later interviews when you realize there isn't anything to worry about...
Submitting AMCAS and secondaries
That first interview...
Waiting for interview invitations...
The thirty minutes before the MCAT
Waiting to hear from the waitlist...
Waiting for decisions...
Waiting for those MCAT Scores (... it sucked)
Getting waitlisted everywhere... and realizing you probably should've worried a little more about interviews
HIGH STRESS

ah.. so much waiting...
Click to expand...

This is pretty good lol
 
I would never have thought the MCAT would run away with this poll. SDN is apparently full of extroverts.
 
Ismet said:
Interviews were fun for the most part (except for that MMI). I did a few mock interviews before my first real interview, so I wasn't too nervous. MCAT was definitely more nerve-wracking, both the 30 minutes before and the 30 day wait after!
Click to expand...

Don't you receive your score right after the test nowadays?
 
MCAT. Studying for it was a nightmare. I've never been more angry and disgusted in my entire life. The exam itself was terrible, too. Most of it was unlike any of my practice materials.

I think the worst part about interviews will be getting to them. I get anxious whenever I have to travel. I hate wandering around unfamiliar cities and unfamiliar buildings, feeling constantly lost. I'm not too nervous about the actual interviews.
 
The Kraken said:
False. If you're at the interview stage its the interview that separates applicants now, not the mcat. Most interviewers dont have the gpa and mcat scores, they're seeing who would be a good fit which is ultimately most important if you're that far along.
Click to expand...

Interviews might be closed-file, but that single interviewer isn't going to make a decision. His comments on your interview are going to be forwarded to a committee where the final decision will be made, and I'm pretty sure they'll be looking at your primary and secondary applications, along with your GPA and MCAT.
 
ur2l8 said:
Interview for sure. I knew I would destroy the mcat given my practice tests, 40+. It was just another practice test. Just the confidence going in knowing you'd probably score higher than 99% of your peers. I enjoyed studying for it and reveled in the fact I was different in this regard to my peers. The proctor even told me he had never seen a student who chatted with him during the breaks and seemed so calm, ha. I was also deep in my prayer and spiritual life at this time and was excited to see what the Holy Spirit had in store for me. I was only slightly nervous a sudden migraine would hit me (which actually happened during verbal, luckily still pulled the 13).

But I was pretty nervous for any questions. I get slightly nervous in high pressure situations and have difficulty with confrontation, preferring silence. I hate interviews. I was not in tune with my spiritual life at this time either and my separation from God was taking its toll.
Click to expand...

What was your MCAT score?
 
With proper preparation, neither =P
 
MCAT was far worse than interviews, in my opinion. I took the MCAT three times; the second time I had a true panic attack, voided my exam, and ran out of the testing center sobbing. Nothing was that horrible in my interviews (save for one exception at an unmentionable university), so I vote MCAT.

I'm dreading Step 1. :scared:
 
Geebeejay said:
MCAT hands down...too much depends on it. If you **** up an interview, then only one application suffers. If you **** up the MCAT, all of them suffer. That, and pretty much all the interview days I went to were pretty fun, and the interviews themselves were pretty low-key and laid-back.
Click to expand...

Well said. The stakes were much higher for the MCAT... Especially since I had already sent out primaries to schools before taking the test/receiving the score. :scared:😱
 
miss chievous said:
30 minutes leading up to your interview vs. 30 minutes leading up to the MCAT. Which were you more nervous about (or which do you think would be worse)?
Click to expand...

Well, if you get destroyed on the MCAT, you'll never get an interview. So...
 
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