Why is there a stigma against retaking?

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Earl Simmons

Earl Simmons

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I called about 8 medical schools admissions offices to ask how a MCAT retake would be used in an application and if the first/lower score influences anything and was told by all the schools that either the highest overall score is used or the most recent score is used and that whatever the other score is doesn't influence things.

That being said, why do people say that retaking is bad because both scores are used/it's an average of the two/the lowest is used/it doesn't look good or some other argument when that doesn't seem to be the case?
 
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milski said:
Yes, that's just strange. Gettheleadout, for better or worse, I imagine you as the pink cartoon dude. I probably will be disappointed if you don't look like him in real life. 🙂
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So I'm dumb and can't figure out how to multi-quote... Anyway, yes that's Patrick Star! Haha of course. My current avatar is just an homage to the doge meme.
 
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gettheleadout said:
So I'm dumb and can't figure out how to multi-quote... Anyway, yes that's Patrick Star! Haha of course. My current avatar is just an homage to the doge meme.
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gettheleadout said:
1) Vulgar signature
2) Sweeping, offensive generalizations
3) Says "Lib-*****"
4) Overly/overtly confident
5) Says "MCATS"

We won't hold our breath.
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Click on the blue Reply link in the bottom right corner of the posts that you want to quote. At every click, the quote is pasted in the bottom edit, where you can click Post Reply, once you meet your quoting quota. 😉
 
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inycepoo said:
Good luck. You'll need it.
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Vulgar signature???Why because I'm not ashamed female anatomy that offends you? And I won't need any luck cuz I'll outwork you little chumps. Where are all the real men who aren't scared of a strong woman?
 
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312312312 said:
Vulgar signature???Why because I'm not ashamed female anatomy that offends you? And I won't need any luck cuz I'll outwork you little chumps. Where are all the real men who aren't scared of a strong woman?
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Lmfao.
 
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Since no one seems to be interested in giving helpful feedback in this thread, I will give my input. I took the MCAT three times and received interviews from all of the schools I applied to almost immediately after they started sending out invites and this is my first time applying. Granted, I did not apply to the most competitive MD schools in the country. Most people I know that went to medical school did not finish their MCAT on the first try either and in fact I was shocked the first time I read through the SDN forums. I cannot say with certainty that retakes don't hurt your chances of acceptance(especially in top tier schools) but I CAN say that there is no gold standard concerning how retakes hurt your chances. Many adcoms will say it says more about applicants when they have failed, learned from their mistakes, and pushed forward rather than someone who for example was just intelligent enough to get through everything on the first try(no offense to anyone haha). Obviously there are limits here but keep in mind that numbers are not everything. Adcoms look for people that will make good doctors and showing the perseverance to retake the MCAT however many times and improving is not a bad indication. Of course, the best idea would be to prepare adequately and take the damn thing once. Like someone posted above, in the operating room you don't get second chances. If you did poorly on your first try don't let it get you down. Learn from your mistakes and do everything you can to nail the test on your next attempt. Also remember that the MCAT is only part of the app. A solid extracurricular resume can do wonders.
 
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312312312 said:
Vulgar signature???Why because I'm not ashamed female anatomy that offends you? And I won't need any luck cuz I'll outwork you little chumps. Where are all the real men who aren't scared of a strong woman?
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Doesn't even quote the right post in a reply post lolzzzzzzzzzzzzz
 
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RC4L said:
Since no one seems to be interested in giving helpful feedback in this thread, I will give my input. *gives good input*
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Sorry, bro, but we're past that topic already. We have moved on to more interesting discussions! 😀😀😀 (That was good advice, though.)
 
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Is this thread really necessary?
I saw many helpful comments. However, it was sad to see how negative and narrow minded some people are. It would be unfortunate to be under the medical care of the narrow minded ones.

ultimately, do what you want people. Whatever you dream you can achieve, no test, interviewing committee, sdn user or circumstance can hold you back.
 
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lilqu said:
ultimately, do what you want people. Whatever you dream you can achieve, no test, interviewing committee, sdn user or circumstance can hold you back.
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lol u 4 real brah?

Classic SDN blind optimism. It would be unfortunate to under the medical care of a blind optimist. (Medical analogy to "your dream will come true no matter what:" "Don't worry, you'll live forever no matter what!")

News flash: bomb the MCAT (a test) multiple times (on retakes, the subject ITT), and your goal to be a doctor (a dream) will be dashed because you won't get in (a committee's decisions). This thread is necessary

That's not narrow-minded. That's reality. Get real. Wake up.

Welcome to the admissions game.
 
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inycepoo said:
lol u 4 real brah?

Classic SDN blind optimism. News flash: bomb the MCAT (a test) multiple times (on retakes, the subject ITT), and your goal to be a doctor (a dream) will be dashed because you won't get in (a committee's decisions).

That's not narrow-minded. That's reality. Get real. Wake up.
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You don't seem to have enough life experience. You see everything in black and white and as a result your judgment is tainted and your foresight is misty.
The interviewinh committees are not composed of arbitrary robots. They take alot into account. Medical schools want a humanistic persevering character.
Optimism is a powerful tool that successful people exploited and continue to exploit in order to become successful.
 
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lilqu said:
You don't seem to have enough life experience. You see everything in black and white and as a result your judgment is tainted and your foresight is misty.
The interviewinh committees are not composed of arbitrary robots. They take alot into account. Medical schools want a humanistic persevering character.
Optimism is a powerful tool that successful people exploited and continue to exploit in order to become successful.
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Straw man. You're changing the topic. That's a different argument you're making now. One that I agree with.

You said that nothing can hold you back. That's not true. Why you get accepted and what they saw in you is a different story, but you CAN be held back by an admissions committee.

Your idea that people can "do why they want" and will all end up in med school is ridiculous. Just ask the tens of thousands who don't make it every year if they think it's true. Admissions is black and white, unlike the broad sweep of "achieving your dream" you used before. You either get in or you don't. There's no sliding scale of satisfaction.

Sure, one's life is not to be defined by how adcoms would view your app, and I follow this mantra to heart. But you either get in, or you don't. That doesn't come with "doing whatever you want" all the time. The rhetoric needs to be toned down.
 
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This is why I rarely frequent this forum. Most people need the mental assurance from ppl who are just as clueless. Anyhow, sticking to the topic - retakes will not hurt you as long as you improve. The achieving your dream aspect still stands, you can go to med school if you like, and the formula is easy. The question is do you want more than the next guy ( we assume that those who keep retaking sense the call to become a physician and so we expect them to have that driving passion)
 
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lilqu said:
This is why I rarely frequent this forum. Most people need the mental assurance from ppl who are just as clueless. Anyhow, sticking to the topic - retakes will not hurt you as long as you improve. The achieving your dream aspect still stands, you can go to med school if you like, and the formula is easy. The question is do you want more than the next guy ( we assume that those who keep retaking sense the call to become a physician and so we expect them to have that driving passion)
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Good job sidestepping all the counterarguments with zero explanation. Classic SDN.
 
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312312312 said:
You say Teaparty like it's a bad thing. Yeah I voted for Mitt Romney, I support the NRA and USCCA, and will ace my MCATS.
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I lol'd at this(I too supported Romney((only because Ron Paul didn't have a chance))and fully support NRA/USCCA).

Geeze guys. If I may... Lilqu I really like your quote "the formula is easy, the question is do you want it more than the next guy." That idea is the one bit of advice regarding admissions that is uniformly correct. "Wanting it more" is however anything but black and white and will mean different things for different people. Inycepoo, you are a grade A dick and I am pretty sure we all know Lilqu did not literally mean that you can do whatever you want and get an acceptance. That being said you are a very intelligent dick and you raise many good points, none of which involve calling new SDNers noobs. There absolutely is a black and white formula for getting an acceptance and you surely cannot do anything you want in the process. That formula can be manipulated in many different ways, none of which is technically "better" than the other. The diversity of acceptable applicants is about equal to the diversity of opinions SDN'ers have to offer on the subject. That is what is great about this site! Different perspectives can be a great tool in understanding where you stand/where you need to go. There will be adcoms that consist of holistic compassionate figures as well antagonistic pricks. Both are vital to the process and applicants need to be prepared for both. For example, in the same interview you may be complimented for showing the perseverance to take the mcat multiple times yet bashed for not being able to finish it on the first try. I have a friend who got destroyed in her interview for multiple MCAT attempts yet she got an acceptance within a week.
 
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The stigma is there because you didn't do well the first time, isn't that obvious? Now you guys can continue with your circle-jerk.
 
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lilqu said:
This is why I rarely frequent this forum. Most people need the mental assurance from ppl who are just as clueless. Anyhow, sticking to the topic - retakes will not hurt you as long as you improve. The achieving your dream aspect still stands, you can go to med school if you like, and the formula is easy. The question is do you want more than the next guy ( we assume that those who keep retaking sense the call to become a physician and so we expect them to have that driving passion)
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BEAUTIFULLY SAID! Agreed 100%
 
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Oh joy, a cat fight.

Anyway, I think if you prepare adequately (meaning 1-2 months of fulltime study) for the retake, you are likely to see the score go up considerably. Mine went from 34R to 40T, so I naturally think that retakes are worth it.
 
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312312312 said:
You say Teaparty like it's a bad thing. Yeah I voted for Mitt Romney, I support the NRA and USCCA, and will ace my MCATS.
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The teaparty IS a bad thing. I don't know any normal people that support those freak-a-leaks. Also, why do you call it the MCATs? Are you taking more than one standardized exam? I am also 100% certain the avatar in the picture is NOT you...at least I hope not haha 😛
 
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inycepoo said:
Blind confidence and arrogance is stupidity. Stupidity is clueless.

I think we're done here.
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KnuxNole said:
The teaparty IS a bad thing. I don't know any normal people that support those freak-a-leaks. Also, why do you call it the MCATs? Are you taking more than one standardized exam? I am also 100% certain the avatar in the picture is NOT you...at least I hope not haha 😛
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Okay guys it's Tea Party. "teaparty" is almost as bad and egregious as "MCATS."
 
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