Writing MCAT multiple times to achieve a 41R...

[Midwestern Blot]

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Guys give OP a brake. He had a goal and worked very hard to achieve it and ended up being very close to his goal. I really respect the fact that he was so dedicated to get admitted to medical school.

And now to answer OP’s question, I think you should just contact all the school you want to apply to and ask your question to them.

Good job on getting such a great MCAT score and I hope you get into your first choice school. 👍👍

 

[wagmanager]

Writing the MCAT = What the American Association of Medical Colleges does when they make up the questions.

Taking/Sitting for/Completing/Finishing the MCAT=what students do when they pay $240 and answer questions.

Biggest pet peeve, right up there with taking your MCATS!!!!!

Well thank God you don't hear" I gave my exam", When did you give your exam ? etc,etc

 

[MtnRescue]

Since every person who logged onto SDN today replied to this one, I will too..

My problem isn't that someone with a 38 would retake because they thought that they could do better, whether that's a 41 or a 45. Whatever.

What I would consider an incredible problem with rational thought is that someone who made a 24 on their first crack at it (we'll consider this one a paid diagnostic, one he didn't prepare for at all), and then studied a bit and made a 27 thought they had a chance study enough to then make a 45. If you studied AT ALL and made a 27, then a 45 is not possible. Not even a little bit. Not even if you could write out, word for word, the entire BR/EK/PR study prep literature from memory. Someone who scores a 27 doesn't possess the test-taking ability to score a 45. The fact that you took a year off from any EC's to dedicate to studying, trying to achieve something that some people, obviously, consider delusional, will be a huge red flag. If you do get interviews, explaining that year off studying will be the first and possibly only thing that interviewers will want to know about you. The answer "I studied for that entire year because I wanted to make a 45T" better not be your answer. Think long and hard about that.

 

[Moosecakes]

 

[MiniMoo]

Psh. This is soooooo 18 posts ago. 🙄

 

[addo]

The fact that you took a year off from any EC's to dedicate to studying, trying to achieve something that some people, obviously, consider delusional, will be a huge red flag.

Good point. I dont see how anybody, in their right mind, would believe they can improve their score by 18 points, on their third attempt.
The 11 point increase on the 3rd try was not bad, but it came at a huge price- still, i believe he could make a case for it
4th and 5th attempts are pretty much unexplainable.

 

[rafflecopter]

Well thank God you don't hear" I gave my exam", When did you give your exam ? etc,etc

Lol, well giving the exam is something left for Prometric 😛.

In all honesty, in all of the vernacular I've heard in college, pop culture, literature, books, and anything of prominence I've never heard of taking a test as "writing" it. Maybe this is region-specific, but in California I've never heard of this.

Is there anyone whose heard this phrase in common usage where one can write a test? And if so, what region are you from?

in other places, the correct vernacular is "writing" the mcat. for some reason, people say they "take" a lot of things when they actually don't. when you take the mcat, are you leaving the center with the mcat physically in your hands?

Does one take trips? or take orders? Or take their time? The word take is established in this context throughout the English language. "Writing" is not, which is why I find it a peculiar saying. Especially since nothing about taking the MCAT meets the traditional definitions of the word (creating a work, or the act of typing) except for the actual writing section.

 

[The Poet Sings]

Lol, well giving the exam is something left for Prometric 😛.

In all honesty, in all of the vernacular I've heard in college, pop culture, literature, books, and anything of prominence I've never heard of taking a test as "writing" it. Maybe this is region-specific, but in California I've never heard of this.

Is there anyone whose heard this phrase in common usage where one can write a test? And if so, what region are you from?

Does one take trips? or take orders? Or take their time? The word take is established in this context throughout the English language. "Writing" is not, which is why I find it a peculiar saying. Especially since nothing about taking the MCAT meets the traditional definitions of the word (creating a work, or the act of typing) except for the actual writing section.

I wish I could give you more information, but I've always heard it from people who are from other countries. Perhaps where they are from, "writing" is well established in the "test" context. The English you speak of is really only the American English. I'm Jamaican, and in the English we speak, we say "zed" for "zee" (the letter) and "full stop" for "period" (at the end of a sentence), and I believe this is how the British do it as well. Different strokes for different folks, right? Just because it is peculiar (and I commend you for using that word) to you, doesn't mean it is wrong (as some have suggested).

PS: All of the examples you gave (taking a trip etc) are exactly my point. In someone else's version of English, that may not be a well established colloquial saying. I honestly don't know. Plus I think you meant to have the bolded word say "writing" 😉.

 

[MisterVeil]

Lol, well giving the exam is something left for Prometric 😛.

In all honesty, in all of the vernacular I've heard in college, pop culture, literature, books, and anything of prominence I've never heard of taking a test as "writing" it. Maybe this is region-specific, but in California I've never heard of this.

Is there anyone whose heard this phrase in common usage where one can write a test? And if so, what region are you from?

Does one take trips? or take orders? Or take their time? The word take is established in this context throughout the English language. "Writing" is not, which is why I find it a peculiar saying. Especially since nothing about taking the MCAT meets the traditional definitions of the word (creating a work, or the act of typing) except for the actual writing section.

It's pretty frequently used in a lot of countries other than the US.

It does sound silly, though.


Also, this thread is legendary.

 

[rafflecopter]

Back to the OP, I think everyone while preparing for the MCAT has had dreams and ambitions of getting a 45. I did too, and studying I told myself I could do it. Got 40+ on my practice tests, ended up with a 36 on the real deal. I was disappointed in my score, not because the score was bad, but because I had done much better previously and felt I could do better.

Did I ever consider re-taking the test? No way. Once you have a score that makes you competitive at every school in the country there's no point in re-taking.

You need to figure out your goals. If your goal is to become a doctor, then you've gotten a score good enough to allow you to do that. If your goal is to prove you're the smartest, bestest person in the whole world, by all means shell out another $250 and take the test again, and with it any hopes of ever becoming a doctor. You've only successfully proved to admissions committees that your desire for recognition and to be the best has reached an almost pathological level.

It's important to realize that as these people have posted here you've made a rather big mistake in taking the test multiple times even after achieving excellent scores. Yes, many schools average the scores together, but they will still be able to see that 38 and that 41 and that's still a feat, even if you've taken it several times.

However, whether this was a result of bad advice or not is irrelevant, you'll need to explain your reasoning for taking it multiple times should you get any interviews. Things to keep in mind: blaming an advisor will likely backfire as it will imply you were unable to procure the proper information (ie knowing that a 38 is a high enough score for any school in the country) for yourself. Also, saying you "knew you were capable of getting a 45 and wanted to prove it" has the effect of giving you an Ahab-like obsession and will likely get you a quick rejection, so consider other possible explanations for your actions. I wish you luck, it would be a shame to get a rejection with such high scores.

 

[ScronCron]

It probably wasn't right of me to poke fun earlier, and I apologize to the OP.

As a forum of future doctors, should we not be concerned with the OP's mental state? There seems to be evidence that something is wrong. The OP has been fixated on the MCAT for years and dedicated an entire year studying day and night. He took the test 5 times! This is not a single stupid decision. This is a long-term obsession that may be indicative of a serious problem. (If the OP is making up this story, it could indicate other emotional and/or behavioral problems.)

I think we're treading a fine line making fun of the OP's behavior and relating it to suicidal medical students. This is not right. If something is indeed wrong, we should not shame and ridicule the OP. We should encourage the OP to seek help.

Moderators, please take note.

 

[PreMedder]

There seems to be evidence that something is wrong.

There seems to be evidence that something is wrong with you if you haven't realized by now the OP is a troll. C'mon now, seriously. Posters still genuinely feeding their wisdom/analysis to this one is making me question SDN's - dare I say it - intelligence.

 

[mechanictodr]

If the OP actually took a whole year to do nothing but study the MCAT then he has to be one of the most lame people on this planet. Seriously, a whole year to take an entry exam. Seriously lame.

 

[auburnO5]

This troll brought the lulz.

Congrats, I deem you one of the more successful trolls of the year to date. And not just for your content, but also for the large haul you brought in.

 

[auburnO5]

.

 

[schrizto]

Lol, well giving the exam is something left for Prometric 😛.

In all honesty, in all of the vernacular I've heard in college, pop culture, literature, books, and anything of prominence I've never heard of taking a test as "writing" it. Maybe this is region-specific, but in California I've never heard of this.

Is there anyone whose heard this phrase in common usage where one can write a test? And if so, what region are you from?

Does one take trips? or take orders? Or take their time? The word take is established in this context throughout the English language. "Writing" is not, which is why I find it a peculiar saying. Especially since nothing about taking the MCAT meets the traditional definitions of the word (creating a work, or the act of typing) except for the actual writing section.

I don't know why everyone's so hung up on the usage of the word "writing" for taking a test. It's used all the time in other English speaking countries, such as Canada, England, and Australia. Even visit the official websites of the standardized exams of those countries, they call it "writing". You guys need to become more worldly.

 

[Hoody]

I don't know why everyone's so hung up on the usage of the word "writing" for taking a test. You guys need to become more worldly.

Agreed. I also hear people say that they are "sitting" for a test.

 

[Hoody]

Successful troll is successful!

redundant posts are redundant.

 

[Gabby]

Lol, well giving the exam is something left for Prometric 😛.

In all honesty, in all of the vernacular I've heard in college, pop culture, literature, books, and anything of prominence I've never heard of taking a test as "writing" it. Maybe this is region-specific, but in California I've never heard of this.

Is there anyone whose heard this phrase in common usage where one can write a test? And if so, what region are you from?

Some Canadians say "writing" a test.

 

[rockaction]

redundant posts are redundant.

pointless posts are pointless.

 

[RogueUnicorn]

pointless posts are pointless.

overused memes are overused

 

[shepardsun]

You're right. I was off in saying that a 38 is 99.9th percentile, it's ~ 99th. I saw that you got into UVa and that's awesome, congrats... it's a good school and I'm very well acquainted with it. If you genuinely think anything *above* a 38 would have helped your app... well, I think you're kidding yourself... and I also think virtually anyone (on SDN or off) would agree with me. The differences in MCAT scores become neglible at a point and 38 is pretty much that point.

You correcting my 99.9th percentile ballpark to 99th percentile - like it makes any kind of difference at all regarding my point -is scaring me a tad. You're needlessly nitpicky, dude(tte).

Chill.

It's interesting to me that, out of the people who I know with the highest MCAT scores (41 and 42), both *opted* to go to a smaller, "less prestigious," homier school in our area - even with several offers to "top tiers."

It's funny you say that, I turned down schools like Mayo and Wash U for a smaller, less prestigious homier school in my area 🙂 And I guarantee everyone that I would have gotten in to those schools if my score had been a little lower, like around the 38 area. A school like Wash U that cares much more about scores than most will be perfectly happy with a 38, and I know people with 35s, 34s who have gotten in by being incredibly well rounded and personable. I guarantee that there is not one person out there who was ever rejected from any school SOLELY because the ADCOM sat debating their MCAT score and finally muttered "well, we'd admit this poor bastard if he had a three point higher score, 38 just isn't going to cut it."

 

[ClaudioAbbado]

Thanks everyone for the feedback.

I guess I will just have to tell the adcom the truth; that I had planned this past year to work and study, but could not find any employment, so I studied.

Mods, please close this thread, I have received enough advice.

 

[rafflecopter]

I don't know why everyone's so hung up on the usage of the word "writing" for taking a test. It's used all the time in other English speaking countries, such as Canada, England, and Australia. Even visit the official websites of the standardized exams of those countries, they call it "writing". You guys need to become more worldly.

I don't spend all my time viewing websites of standardized tests in countries I'm not from, sorry. And if you had read my post at all, I said I was curious as to the usage and its origin not "hung up on it."

 

[Bernoull]

OP yes it's true that schools average ur scores and ur stellar year's work may be averaged out, which is painful...

I'll suggest 3-4 more retakes where u score >40, this will accomplish 2 things..

1. Higher average
2. U could get ur dream score of 45T




















BTW, i love neurotic premeds...

 

[STAT EKG]

I don't know why everyone's so hung up on the usage of the word "writing" for taking a test. It's used all the time in other English speaking countries, such as Canada, England, and Australia. Even visit the official websites of the standardized exams of those countries, they call it "writing". You guys need to become more worldly.

Haha, I was the one to first comment on the OP's usage of "writing" two pages ago... didn't know it would become such a big talking point, lol.

The reason I thought the usage was odd was because OP stated (s)he is from Nebraska (and a Nebraska in-stater, meaning... been there a while). It made the OP that much more trollish to me, that's why I brought it up. While I wouldn't see it as the least bit odd if a Canadian, Brit, or Aussie used "Writing" to describe taking a test, it is a tad weird to me for an in-state Nebraskan to use that term - maybe not otherworldly weird, but at least a little weird.

For whatever reason, I imagined the OP as Pip from South Park when I read "writing the MCAT." It just sounds like something Pip might say (not that there's anything wrong with that).

 

[Midwestern Blot]

I don't know why everyone's so hung up on the usage of the word "writing" for taking a test. It's used all the time in other English speaking countries, such as Canada, England, and Australia. Even visit the official websites of the standardized exams of those countries, they call it "writing". You guys need to become more worldly.

It's not that people are hung up on it, it's just an awkward phrase that is moderately amusing to hear.

 

[Ischemic]

Thank God, the USMLE only lets people take it once as long as you don't fail it. The score you get is the score you get. Saves us from having this ridiculous discussion.

"Damn, I wanted a 260 to do Derm. I only got a 245."
"That 235 is an average so people get in with lower..."
"I'm going to retake it anyway."
"Rotations start in about a week and your score's fine"
"I'm going to take a year off and study all day and night to get a 260"
"Wow, you're a loser."

 

[Gabby]

Haha, I was the one to first comment on the OP's usage of "writing" two pages ago... didn't know it would become such a big talking point, lol.

The reason I thought the usage was odd was because OP stated (s)he is from Nebraska (and a Nebraska in-stater, meaning... been there a while). It made the OP that much more trollish to me, that's why I brought it up. While I wouldn't see it as the least bit odd if a Canadian, Brit, or Aussie used "Writing" to describe taking a test, it is a tad weird to me for an in-state Nebraskan to use that term - maybe not otherworldly weird, but at least a little weird.

For whatever reason, I imagined the OP as Pip from South Park when I read "writing the MCAT." It just sounds like something Pip might say (not that there's anything wrong with that).

http://forums.studentdoctor.net/showthread.php?t=737458

 

[ThaliaNox]

Thank God, the USMLE only lets people take it once as long as you don't fail it. The score you get is the score you get. Saves us from having this ridiculous discussion.

"Damn, I wanted a 260 to do Derm. I only got a 245."
"That 235 is an average so people get in with lower..."
"I'm going to retake it anyway."
"Rotations start in about a week and your score's fine"
"I'm going to take a year off and study all day and night to get a 260"
"Wow, you're a loser."

THIS! I think any score 30+ should be unretakeable. Even the playing ground a little. Not everyone has whole years and thousands of dollars to devote to one test.

Hee hee, I remember at a med school class meeting when someone in my class asked if they could retake the USMLE if they weren't happy with their score. When the presenter said no, not if they passed, they actually argued with him. Amusing as hell. Take notes, there sits a gunner!

 

[schrizto]

I don't spend all my time viewing websites of standardized tests in countries I'm not from, sorry. And if you had read my post at all, I said I was curious as to the usage and its origin not "hung up on it."

You sound easily offended. And if you had read my post at all, I used "hung up" to refer to the general attitude towards the word in this thread, not you specifically.

 

[TheRadiologist]

Some schools will only use your last score. Call as many med schools as you have time for and find a list of schools that will just take your last score. Concentrate your efforts on those schools and you should have no problem.