Advice for Non-traditional

[Zenabi90]

Hi everyone,

I know there's a lot of stress going on with the last few exam dates but I was hoping to get some advice.

Background: graduated 2012 with a 3.1 (wrong priorities), long story short I'm finally getting serious about medicine. I haven't done any review and despite SN2ed saying diagnostics are bad, I took the AAMC Sample Exam to get a feel of the questions and to try and see just where I stand before I do some intense review. All I've done so far is skimmed over TBR 2016 Physics I book.

Question: Should I try to squeeze in an MCAT this year or just wait for January next year? Are these projections just wrong? Target score is 520 to offset my GPA a little (going to also do some kind of post-bac), but I would be happy with 515+

AAMC Sample Exam Scores
C/P: 46/59 - 78%
CARS: 51/53 - 96%
BB: 50/59 - 85%
P/S 47/59 - 80%

There's an AAMC MCAT Predictor Revised spreadsheet floating around reddit (1yr ago, posted by jimmypod) and n=45 so take it with a spoonful of salt for low sample size and of course, reddit bias, but putting in my scores into his calculator, I get:
129/131/128/128-518 with a Likely range of 515-518 and Definitely range of 511-522.

Another spreadsheet from reddit gives me: 128/132/129/126-515
No idea how accurate these are. My biggest fear is that they are so inflated, and then on test day I get <510 and while my parents are very supportive of my goal, I don't want to waste $300+ if its a fool's errand because of these silly spreadsheets.

Notes: I have serious deficiencies in amino acid structure and properties, but that can be fixed in 2-3 weeks. I did guess on about 2-3 questions per section (I wrote them down as I did the sample exam).

I would really appreciate the time and effort anyone would give in a constructive response.

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[pms_testosterone]

No need to worry. The sample test is decently accurate, and you're on track to do very well on your MCAT, especially if these are your scores before memorizing the amino acids.

The only problem with your logic is that a good MCAT score can't really make up for a bad GPA in the way you seem to be suggesting it does. Oh wait, now I see you're going to do a post-bacc. So my question is, why not write your MCAT at the end of your post-bacc? The post-bacc will be a good science review.

 

[Zenabi90]

No need to worry. The sample test is decently accurate, and you're on track to do very well on your MCAT, especially if these are your scores before memorizing the amino acids.

The only problem with your logic is that a good MCAT score can't really make up for a bad GPA in the way you seem to be suggesting it does. Oh wait, now I see you're going to do a post-bacc. So my question is, why not write your MCAT at the end of your post-bacc? The post-bacc will be a good science review.

No idea, that's a great point. No better time than the present? Post bacc is a great science review, but AMCAS doesn't allow score substitution for pre-reqs right? So I was thinking I'd be focusing on science classes beyond the scope of the prerequisites anyways, if I was going the DIY route. I'd be waiting another year for the post-bacc anyways, so I wanted to fill that time constructively.

 

[pms_testosterone]

I was thinking I'd be focusing on science classes beyond the scope of the prerequisites anyways

Ok, that's logical.

Sounds like you have tons of time on your hands before your post-bacc, so I would spend the suggested 3-4 months preparing for your MCAT. You'd probably do fine if you wrote it next month, but there's no actual benefit to writing next month, so why not take time to prepare?

 

[theonlytycrane]

Solid sample score if you didn't study at all, though the sample test is easier than the scored practice tests or the real thing so forget about the converters. I would study for a few months to fully prepare and crush it. You have time if you're applying next cycle.


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[shinny]

n=1, I scored a 30 then 32 summer after junior year of undergrad (sept/dec 2014). then did an SMP. at the end of the second year of my program, i retook and scored a 521 (june 2017). make of it as you will - though to be fair i think a lot of my improvement was from gaining research experience during senior year of undergrad and from working full-time for a year in clinical research

 

[DSM_302.0]

Hi everyone,

I know there's a lot of stress going on with the last few exam dates but I was hoping to get some advice.

Background: graduated 2012 with a 3.1 (wrong priorities), long story short I'm finally getting serious about medicine. I haven't done any review and despite SN2ed saying diagnostics are bad, I took the AAMC Sample Exam to get a feel of the questions and to try and see just where I stand before I do some intense review. All I've done so far is skimmed over TBR 2016 Physics I book.

Question: Should I try to squeeze in an MCAT this year or just wait for January next year? Are these projections just wrong? Target score is 520 to offset my GPA a little (going to also do some kind of post-bac), but I would be happy with 515+

AAMC Sample Exam Scores
C/P: 46/59 - 78%
CARS: 51/53 - 96%
BB: 50/59 - 85%
P/S 47/59 - 80%

There's an AAMC MCAT Predictor Revised spreadsheet floating around reddit (1yr ago, posted by jimmypod) and n=45 so take it with a spoonful of salt for low sample size and of course, reddit bias, but putting in my scores into his calculator, I get:
129/131/128/128-518 with a Likely range of 515-518 and Definitely range of 511-522.

Another spreadsheet from reddit gives me: 128/132/129/126-515
No idea how accurate these are. My biggest fear is that they are so inflated, and then on test day I get <510 and while my parents are very supportive of my goal, I don't want to waste $300+ if its a fool's errand because of these silly spreadsheets.

Notes: I have serious deficiencies in amino acid structure and properties, but that can be fixed in 2-3 weeks. I did guess on about 2-3 questions per section (I wrote them down as I did the sample exam).

I would really appreciate the time and effort anyone would give in a constructive response.

Where did you end up?