What to do

[medasez]

I'm a Canadian Non-US citizen, applying to both Canadian and US medical schools. It's not that I can't afford going to US medical schools (though I can't and will probably finance it through 90% loans), but I really want to improve my CARS score to get in Canada, which have high CARS cutoffs for many of its school (some require 129+), easing my financial burden and future place to be a doctor. I took the MCAT so far three times (Sep 2018 506 128/122/128/128, June 2019 510 129/124/131/126, and July 2019 513 129/125/129/130) but everyone I talk to in person say I should definitely take the MCAT the fourth time. I am planning on applying for Wayne State EDP this upcoming cycle, and same time, take the MCAT either late summer or Jan 2021. If it's late summer, I can maybe apply to Canada next cycle too if all goes well.

My cGPA/sGPA is 3.94/3.93, and my ECs are diverse (with the exception of having no publications).
Finishing a gap year, looking to do a masters in Sep 2020 for the experience and research productivity.

I believe I can get a higher MCAT score, but do you think it is worth it to take the chance and do a fourth take to get a 129+ CARS? Multiple retakes don't matter for Canadian schools but it does for the US. It would definitely open up more schools for me in Canada, but how risky would it be for me to get in US low/mid tier schools 1-2 years down the line?

---

Members don't see this ad.

 

[GreenDuck12]

I'm a Canadian Non-US citizen, applying to both Canadian and US medical schools. It's not that I can't afford going to US medical schools (though I can't and will probably finance it through 90% loans), but I really want to improve my CARS score to get in Canada, which have high CARS cutoffs for many of its school (some require 129+), easing my financial burden and future place to be a doctor. I took the MCAT so far three times (Sep 2018 506 128/122/128/128, June 2019 510 129/124/131/126, and July 2019 513 129/125/129/130) but everyone I talk to in person say I should definitely take the MCAT the fourth time. I am planning on applying for Wayne State EDP this upcoming cycle, and same time, take the MCAT either late summer or Jan 2021. If it's late summer, I can maybe apply to Canada next cycle too if all goes well.

My cGPA/sGPA is 3.94/3.93, and my ECs are diverse (with the exception of having no publications).
Finishing a gap year, looking to do a masters in Sep 2020 for the experience and research productivity.

I believe I can get a higher MCAT score, but do you think it is worth it to take the chance and do a fourth take to get a 129+ CARS? Multiple retakes don't matter for Canadian schools but it does for the US. It would definitely open up more schools for me in Canada, but how risky would it be for me to get in US low/mid tier schools 1-2 years down the line?

I don’t know anything about Canadian medical school admissions but what have you identified as the problem holding you back in CARS and how will you approach a 4th exam differently to ensure a higher score? Looking at the data you provided, your score history is a 122 = 25th percentile, 124 = 49th percentile, and a 125 =62nd percentile. I don’t ask this question to be harsh but what causes you to believe you can make the jump from the 62nd percentile to the 95th percent (129) on the next attempt?

 

[medasez]

I don’t know anything about Canadian medical school admissions but what have you identified as the problem holding you back in CARS and how will you approach a 4th exam differently to ensure a higher score? Looking at the data you provided, your score history is a 122 = 25th percentile, 124 = 49th percentile, and a 125 =62nd percentile. I don’t ask this question to be harsh but what causes you to believe you can make the jump from the 62nd percentile to the 95th percent (129) on the next attempt?

No worries, totally valid question. Here are my 3 reasons, hopefully its convincing enough.

1. The recent MCAT where I got a 125 CARS in, I left two questions blank.
2. I mostly self studied, so now I may get professional help improving CARS.
3. I was working full time summer jobs while taking those MCATs. Although I am still also full time working now, its much less stressful and I can take a breather studying compared to last times.

 

[GreenDuck12]

No worries, totally valid question. Here are my 3 reasons, hopefully its convincing enough.

1. The recent MCAT where I got a 125 CARS in, I left two questions blank.
2. I mostly self studied, so now I may get professional help improving CARS.
3. I was working full time summer jobs while taking those MCATs. Although I am still also full time working now, its much less stressful and I can take a breather studying compared to last times.

You definitely don’t have to convince me or anyone else. I’m glad to hear you have a plan of action for doing things differently. Two thoughts I will share for US admissions:
1. The value of retakes diminishes as the number of attempts increases. As you take the exam more times there is an expectation that your score will rise. That’s why most folks recommend only retaking the exam if a 6 or 7 point gain can be achieved. A small gain does not inspire a lot of confidence. Right now your average is a 509.3. That’s below the median score for US MD matriculants which is a 511. The good news is each score has increased.
2. The dates of your MCAT attempts are curious. You had a nice gap between attempts 1 and 2. But your third attempt likely came only weeks after receiving your second score. This screams questionable/poor judgement. It’s not as bad as it could be because your score increased but only by 3 points. Be sure to avoid these kinds of timing issues in future. Remember, MD admissions is a buyers market.

Check out @Cornfed101 advice for cars. Best of luck to you.