Great GPA Low MCAT

[84meddreamer84]

Hello people,
I need an advise on applying to med schools and I really appreciate your help.

I'm applying to med school for the third year. I applied before to 25 MD and 13 DO American schools but I got rejected from all. Now I'm planning to apply again plus to the carribeans.

I have a BA degree in biology, minor in anthropology, more than 148 credits (including Genetics, Molecular and Cell Biology). GPA is 3.8, Science GPA is 3.65. I have research background, tutoring experience, volunteered for more than 300 hours, worked full time as a phlebotomist is a hospital, and gained many scholarships and awards (Phi Beta Kappa ..etc)

However my mcat scres are low, for 2005 VR: 5 PS:6 BS:8
for 2006 vr:3 ps:4 bs 6 (I've gone thru a bad time)

if I apply this week to Saint George and AUC, will I have a chance? What do you guys think (keep in mind that I was a little late when I applied to the american schools, which might've affected the committee's decision)

if I don't have a chance, were would I? bearing in mind that I need financia aid too. Thanks a lot!!!!!

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[Ludacris]

I'm really no expert man... I'm taking the MCAT this summer.

But I would study hard and retake the MCAT. If you get at least a mid 20... you'll have an amazing **** for the top 4 schools. Even US schools will give you a look (I think).

 

[awdc]

Take a year off if you can, take a MCAT review course, and apply early. Good luck with everything.

 

[IWant2BeADoctor]

Why is are your MCAT scores so low given your high GPA? Did you not study enough?

 

[McGillGrad]

Why is are your MCAT scores so low given your high GPA? Did you not study enough?

Have you even taken the MCAT? If you have then you should know that the MCAT is all about your prerequisites, so if someone has a high GPA and low MCAT then they either cheated, went to a college with crazy grade inflation or bubbled in random answers on the MCAT.

It is virtually impossible to get less than a 6 on verbal if you can read at a grade school level.

 

[bwells46]

Hello people,
I need an advise on applying to med schools and I really appreciate your help.

I'm applying to med school for the third year. I applied before to 25 MD and 13 DO American schools but I got rejected from all. Now I'm planning to apply again plus to the carribeans.

I have a BA degree in biology, minor in anthropology, more than 148 credits (including Genetics, Molecular and Cell Biology). GPA is 3.8, Science GPA is 3.65. I have research background, tutoring experience, volunteered for more than 300 hours, worked full time as a phlebotomist is a hospital, and gained many scholarships and awards (Phi Beta Kappa ..etc)

However my mcat scres are low, for 2005 VR: 5 PS:6 BS:8
for 2006 vr:3 ps:4 bs 6 (I've gone thru a bad time)

if I apply this week to Saint George and AUC, will I have a chance? What do you guys think (keep in mind that I was a little late when I applied to the american schools, which might've affected the committee's decision)

if I don't have a chance, were would I? bearing in mind that I need financia aid too. Thanks a lot!!!!!

Sorry, but I don't think you're competitive for SGU. Their average MCAT is 26 so I'm guessing you're probably >= 2 standard deviations below the mean. Also, even if you applied this week for SGU, SGU is full for August 2007. You'll need to apply for January or later.

However, if you really study and do well (28+ for you given your GPA), then I'll bet you'll be holding a US med school acceptance instead of thinking about the Caribbean.

 

[berkeleyboy]

Have you even taken the MCAT? If you have then you should know that the MCAT is all about your prerequisites, so if someone has a high GPA and low MCAT then they either cheated, went to a college with crazy grade inflation or bubbled in random answers on the MCAT.

It is virtually impossible to get less than a 6 on verbal if you can read at a grade school level.

Honestly man, why is it always you trying to look down on people on this forum? Does it really make you feel better about yourself? I browse these forums from time to time, especially this carib forum since I have gone through the caribbean track myself.... and while I do see you try to give some sound advice, a lot of it is superfluous....you have an arrogant attitude and look down on those who are struggling. It is my understanding that you're a pre-med and not even in medical school shooting your mouth off about various schools, the admissions process, and advice about residency. and at 1200+ posts, man you really don't have anything better to do with your time.

And on a side note, I would not take any advice from anyone who has NOT gone through the medical school process and medical school for that matter. Their advice is irrelevant and more likely than not just plain arbitrary.

 

[84meddreamer84]

Have you even taken the MCAT? If you have then you should know that the MCAT is all about your prerequisites, so if someone has a high GPA and low MCAT then they either cheated, went to a college with crazy grade inflation or bubbled in random answers on the MCAT.

It is virtually impossible to get less than a 6 on verbal if you can read at a grade school level.

With all do respect, I believe you have a great desire to humiliate people, man. If you don't have a good piece of advice, then thanks, do not say anything. I'm seeking help from those who can provide it. I'm not looking for discouraging statements like yours, and who are you to say that? Do you think you are a MD/PhD? You are just like us dreaming of med school, and I believe that many of us are much better than you.

Well, to answer your question, I'm not a cheater and I didn't randomly fill the bubbles. Everyone has strengths and weaknesses. I'm excellent at academics. I study really well and I get rewarded for that. My weaknesses are scoring high on time-limited exams, and English is my third language! Not to mention that I did run thru a very bad situation on my second MCAT, and I didn't give up but went and took it anyway. I'm sure if you had been in my situation you wouldv'e scored 0 at the most. Nevertheless, I believe I 've got much more than you do, and if you don't believe me, you are welcome to talk to me in 3 years and let's see where you and I are going at that time! Thanks anyway for you discouragement that I don't really care for!

 

[McGillGrad]

Before I begin, I love that avatar. It is one of those rare things that keep your attention for hours on end. It is cute and freaky all at the same time.

Okay, back to business.

Why is it that people always assume that I am arrogant or belittling people? Generally speaking, when one person is threatened by another, they attribute narcissistic characteristics to them in order to reassure their fragile ego that they are on the moral high ground while feeling an awkward sense of envy.

It is always dangerous to assume that you know facts about people. Why would I tell people where I go to med school? If I wanted people to know where I do my residency, I would post my face instead of just a hilariously unintentionally homoerotic picture of my upper torso in my profile.

The only thing is worse than spending too much time on a forum giving out harsh advice is complaining about it.

Honestly man, why is it always you trying to look down on people on this forum? Does it really make you feel better about yourself? I browse these forums from time to time, especially this carib forum since I have gone through the caribbean track myself.... and while I do see you try to give some sound advice, a lot of it is superfluous....you have an arrogant attitude and look down on those who are struggling. It is my understanding that you're a pre-med and not even in medical school shooting your mouth off about various schools, the admissions process, and advice about residency. and at 1200+ posts, man you really don't have anything better to do with your time.

And on a side note, I would not take any advice from anyone who has NOT gone through the medical school process and medical school for that matter. Their advice is irrelevant and more likely than not just plain arbitrary.

 

[McGillGrad]

Do you think you are a MD/PhD?

How do you know I am not?

I'm excellent at academics. I study really well and I get rewarded for that. My weaknesses are scoring high on time-limited exams, and English is my third language!

Give me a break. You took timed tests all through university.

BTW- English is my third language, too. That is not an excuse.

Not to mention that I did run thru a very bad situation on my second MCAT, and I didn't give up but went and took it anyway.

If you had any sense you would have voided the exam. Only a fool would have it graded when they know they got almost every question wrong. TWICE!

 

[IWant2BeADoctor]

Have you even taken the MCAT? If you have then you should know that the MCAT is all about your prerequisites, so if someone has a high GPA and low MCAT then they either cheated, went to a college with crazy grade inflation or bubbled in random answers on the MCAT.

It is virtually impossible to get less than a 6 on verbal if you can read at a grade school level.

Not yet but I've done some MCAT practice tests on AAMC. So far I've not gotten anything lower than a 10 on any of the three sections. That's with a 3.3 GPA.
I'd bet your average High School kid from Mexico could scorer higher than a 3 verbal on the MCAT.

How do you know I am not?









Give me a break. You took timed tests all through university.



BTW- English is my third language, too. That is not an excuse.











If you had any sense you would have voided the exam. Only a fool would have it graded when they know they got almost every question wrong. TWICE!

I don't think its a good exuse either. Heck one of my room mates from last year who came from China during High School barely speaking English got a 35 on his MCAT with a 11 verbal score.

 

[McGillGrad]

Not yet but I've done some MCAT practice tests on AAMC. So far I've not gotten anything lower than a 10 on any of the three sections. That's with a 3.3 GPA.
I'd bet your average High School kid from Mexico could scorer higher than a 3 verbal on the MCAT.

Exactly, if you did decently well on your prereqs then you should get a baseline of about 7-8 on each section. It is not rocket science and it gets progressively harder the higher you score... so 7-9 are not that hard but 10-14 gets difficult because you have to get more right to progress to a higher digit.

 

[Mspersistent]

If y'all dont have any good advice for 84dreamer84, why not just be quiet. People come on her for advice and not to be criticized. If you are so intelligent why didnt you get a 45 on the MCAT

 

[drJane23]

If y'all dont have any good advice for 84dreamer84, why not just be quiet. People come on her for advice and not to be criticized. If you are so intelligent why didnt you get a 45 on the MCAT

Totally agree with Mspersistent!! people come on to these forums to seek help and advice. we shouldnt be criticizing them!!!
anyways, 84dreamer84....it doesnt hurt to apply to caribb schools...its $75 for most of them to apply. you have a great gpa overall as well science gpa....i'm not going to lie but your MCAT score is extremely low especially in the US. I think that's why US med schools are turning you down...due to an extremely low MCAT. your gpa in general i think is fantastic so i dont think that is whats hurting you. if i were you...i would apply and if I dont get into any caribb schools especially the top 4...then retake your mcat exam. one way to higher your score is to maybe take the kaplan prep course. its very helpful and it teaches you diff strategies on how to tackle that mcat exam. your goal is to at least raise it to mid 20's for caribb schools! but hey if get a 30+ you better apply to US med schools because you have the grades just not the mcat exam. well honestly i wish you the best. keep working hard and reaching for the stars. you can do it!!! don't let people put you down or make you feel like your nothing or simply that you dont have what it takes to become a doctor. you def have it you just need some work on pumping that mcat of yours.

GOODLUCK!!! kick ASS!!!!

 

[drJane23]

Have you even taken the MCAT? If you have then you should know that the MCAT is all about your prerequisites, so if someone has a high GPA and low MCAT then they either cheated, went to a college with crazy grade inflation or bubbled in random answers on the MCAT.

It is virtually impossible to get less than a 6 on verbal if you can read at a grade school level.

No offense McGill Grad but you truly are an ASS! give advice dont criticize people...and that statement of yours is simply not true...just because you have a bad ass gpa and low mcat does not mean you cheated in college *****. the mcat is challenging and maybe some people arent that great in standardized tests. that doesnt make them stupid. i honestly think you should leave these forums and dont give anyone advice anymore...because all you do is simply put down people. dont get me wrong put in your input on what you think they should do and their chances and so forth....but it seems you can't even do that all you do is CRITICIZE everyone. i truly dislike people like you...thinking your better than everyone! your such a negative person!

 

[McGillGrad]

I love it when people start a sentence with "no offence" and then go on to offend. By the way, sweetie, you are a hypocrite for criticizing me after telling me not to criticize people. No wonder you didn't make it to a US med school. You're not that bright.

No offense McGill Grad but you truly are an ASS! give advice dont criticize people...

 

[nima123]

Have you even taken the MCAT? If you have then you should know that the MCAT is all about your prerequisites, so if someone has a high GPA and low MCAT then they either cheated, went to a college with crazy grade inflation or bubbled in random answers on the MCAT.

It is virtually impossible to get less than a 6 on verbal if you can read at a grade school level.

McGill Grad, I went to McGill for my undergrad and graduated with 3.90 GPA from physiology, but got a 6 on MCAT Verbal (pretty depressing, the only other time I scored that low was on my first practice MCAT). But the point is, it is not impossible for a good student to screw up on the MCAT. MCAT is an unusual test. I do agree that stats reported above are very low (at least I got 31R overall). But the point is, if someone has a hight GPA and low MCAT, it doesn't necessarily mean "they either cheated, went to a college with crazy grade inflation or bubbled in random answers on the MCAT."

 

[bwells46]

UF Rules! All praise to the Gator Nation!

 

[nima123]

Advice for the poor kid who posted here:

I don't know about the US, but some Canadian schools don't even look at your MCAT scores. These include McMaster and University of Ottawa (both good schools). I don't know if they accept any international students, though.
If you happen to be fluent in French, you can apply to any of the three francophone schools in Quebec (U of Montreal, U Laval, U of Sherbrooke) which don't care about the MCAT at all and do accept international applicants.

 

[drJane23]

I love it when people start a sentence with "no offence" and then go on to offend. By the way, sweetie, you are a hypocrite for criticizing me after telling me not to criticize people. No wonder you didn't make it to a US med school. You're not that bright.

As a matter of fact you shmuck, I never even bothered to apply to US med schools because I had a low mcat score of 27 and science gpa of 3.4
I knew I had a better chance getting into the top 4 caribbean medical schools compared to the US. ( who knows maybe if I tried applying to US there could have been a possibility of acceptance but i guess i didnt care where to go to medical school as long as started as soon as possible and not waste time.) I didnt even want to waste my time to retake the mcat or go do an accelerated biomedical science program to boost up my science gpa. i just think its a waste of money when i can simply start med school at the age of 21 at a caribbean school. anyways, i still think your a dumb ass. ps. by the way what med school did you get into smart ass???? haha none right!!!! LMAO


....GO GATORS.....

 

[bwells46]

As a matter of fact you shmuck, I never even bothered to apply to US med schools because I had a low mcat score of 27 and science gpa of 3.4
I knew I had a better chance getting into the top 4 caribbean medical schools compared to the US. ( who knows maybe if I tried applying to US there could have been a possibility of acceptance but i guess i didnt care where to go to medical school as long as started as soon as possible and not waste time.) I didnt even want to waste my time to retake the mcat or go do an accelerated biomedical science program to boost up my science gpa. i just think its a waste of money when i can simply start med school at the age of 21 at a caribbean school. anyways, i still think your a dumb ass. ps. by the way what med school did you get into smart ass???? haha none right!!!! LMAO


....GO GATORS.....

You're a UF student in Miami?

 

[drJane23]

You're a UF student in Miami?

heyhey!! well i graduated from UF this past december of 2006. i was born in miami and i'm living here before i start med school in the caribbean. did u go to UF as well?? if you did...how about them GaToRs....two time national champs back to back in basketball and national champs in football i loved UF and the ville' overall...i really miss it!!!

 

[McGillGrad]

Sure thing, sweety. And I have a 4.0 and a 40 MCAT and decided to study Caribbean medicine in the Caribbean.

You are lying, just like everyone else does on the internet. My ability to make you angry shows that I can control your emotions. The more you try to insult me, the more I control your behavior.

Maybe I am G-D!

As a matter of fact you shmuck, I never even bothered to apply to US med schools because I had a low mcat score of 27 and science gpa of 3.4
I knew I had a better chance getting into the top 4 caribbean medical schools compared to the US. ( who knows maybe if I tried applying to US there could have been a possibility of acceptance but i guess i didnt care where to go to medical school as long as started as soon as possible and not waste time.) I didnt even want to waste my time to retake the mcat or go do an accelerated biomedical science program to boost up my science gpa. i just think its a waste of money when i can simply start med school at the age of 21 at a caribbean school. anyways, i still think your a dumb ass. ps. by the way what med school did you get into smart ass???? haha none right!!!! LMAO


....GO GATORS.....

 

[McGillGrad]

McGill Grad, I went to McGill for my undergrad and graduated with 3.90 GPA from physiology, but got a 6 on MCAT Verbal (pretty depressing, the only other time I scored that low was on my first practice MCAT). But the point is, it is not impossible for a good student to screw up on the MCAT. MCAT is an unusual test. I do agree that stats reported above are very low (at least I got 31R overall). But the point is, if someone has a hight GPA and low MCAT, it doesn't necessarily mean "they either cheated, went to a college with crazy grade inflation or bubbled in random answers on the MCAT."

I have a great friend with a 6 verbal but a 30 overall and he is kicking arse in medical school. Some people are good at verbal and others are not but you can get at least a 6 if you try twice! This kid not only scored less than 6 on verbal, twice, he also scored VERY low on the sciences. That is the problem.

As for your GPA... GREAT WORK!! I know how difficult it is to get high marks in McGill sciences.

 

[84meddreamer84]

I have a great friend with a 6 verbal but a 30 overall and he is kicking arse in medical school. Some people are good at verbal and others are not but you can get at least a 6 if you try twice! This kid not only scored less than 6 on verbal, twice, he also scored VERY low on the sciences. That is the problem.

As for your GPA... GREAT WORK!! I know how difficult it is to get high marks in McGill sciences.

McGillGrad,
First of all, if you want to lie, don't exaggerate too much. Saying that you scored 30 on the MCAT is a believable lie. And may be you scored higher than I did on the MCAT. Still, I will not bother listen to people like you because, to tell you the truth, keeping your mouth closed is much valuable, and, in fact, is a great honor to you than expressing your nonsense to others. You know? I work at different positions at my local hospital, and I get involved in many situations with several doctors and patients on daily basis. I encounter friendly and mean physicians all the time. So, take my advice: If you luck happens (I hope not) and you get in med school, you will not be a good doctor at the end at all. You will be one of the doctors that other employees call “devils”. I believe you will be the worst doctor at any hospital or clinic that hires you. You will be reason number one why they will shut down. I assure you, you will kill patients by your ultimate arrogance, unusual ignorance, extremely poor verbal skills and nonprofessional speech. The good news is that is just a possibility because you need to get in med school first. But the bottom line is that you can help people much better by not going to med school. Anyway, I’m not going to waste more time talking about you and your funny ideas because they are stinky trash and unnecessary to human beings. This is the last time I bother myself read your jokes. So feel free, my friend, to write anything you want from now and on. I’ll never read your BS. I’ll leave the space for those professionals who are already in med schools and those who graduated!

 

[84meddreamer84]

Many thanks and appreciation to Mspersistent, bwells46, drJane23, nima123 and all the other supporters. I will retake the MCAT this year. I have high motivation and I'm sure I will be much more prepared. I promise you that my scores will be significantly higher and more competitive than the last time. Thanks again!

 

[McGillGrad]

Anger is not conducive to a long life. You should not allow anonymous people to control you emotions enough to write down angry words.

Not everyone is smart enough to be a doctor. Maybe you should try another profession. Maybe a police officer. There is no verbal exam for that

McGillGrad,
First of all, if you want to lie, don't exaggerate too much. Saying that you scored 30 on the MCAT is a believable lie. And may be you scored higher than I did on the MCAT. Still, I will not bother listen to people like you because, to tell you the truth, keeping your mouth closed is much valuable, and, in fact, is a great honor to you than expressing your nonsense to others. You know? I work at different positions at my local hospital, and I get involved in many situations with several doctors and patients on daily basis. I encounter friendly and mean physicians all the time. So, take my advice: If you luck happens (I hope not) and you get in med school, you will not be a good doctor at the end at all. You will be one of the doctors that other employees call “devils”. I believe you will be the worst doctor at any hospital or clinic that hires you. You will be reason number one why they will shut down. I assure you, you will kill patients by your ultimate arrogance, unusual ignorance, extremely poor verbal skills and nonprofessional speech. The good news is that is just a possibility because you need to get in med school first. But the bottom line is that you can help people much better by not going to med school. Anyway, I’m not going to waste more time talking about you and your funny ideas because they are stinky trash and unnecessary to human beings. This is the last time I bother myself read your jokes. So feel free, my friend, to write anything you want from now and on. I’ll never read your BS. I’ll leave the space for those professionals who are already in med schools and those who graduated!

 

[McGillGrad]

I have high motivation and I'm sure I will be much more prepared. I promise you that my scores will be significantly higher and more competitive than the last time. Thanks again! .[/COLOR]

It shouldn't be too hard. You can get a higher score this time by just writing down your name...lol

Hopefully you will hit 20 this time. I am praying for you

 

[bwells46]

heyhey!! well i graduated from UF this past december of 2006. i was born in miami and i'm living here before i start med school in the caribbean. did u go to UF as well?? if you did...how about them GaToRs....two time national champs back to back in basketball and national champs in football i loved UF and the ville' overall...i really miss it!!!

Yes - UF alumni for undergrad and graduate school. Gators rule and all praise to Donovan and Meyer!

BTW, are you a URM by any chance? If so, then you would have a great chance at getting into US schoosl with a 27 and 3.4. I have a friend that applied as Puerto Rican and got in with a 3.3 and 28.

 

[bwells46]

Many thanks and appreciation to Mspersistent, bwells46, drJane23, nima123 and all the other supporters. I will retake the MCAT this year. I have high motivation and I'm sure I will be much more prepared. I promise you that my scores will be significantly higher and more competitive than the last time. Thanks again!

Good luck! I would trade my 30 MCAT for your 3.8 GPA any day! I could always retake the MCAT - bringing up a 3.4 undergrad GPA would take a lot longer

 

[drJane23]

Yes - UF alumni for undergrad and graduate school. Gators rule and all praise to Donovan and Meyer!

BTW, are you a URM by any chance? If so, then you would have a great chance at getting into US schoosl with a 27 and 3.4. I have a friend that applied as Puerto Rican and got in with a 3.3 and 28.

well i'm actually cuban american(i guess i am a minority and would fall into this category). the thing is that i also called many medical schools in the US and they said not to apply because I need a 30+ to be highly competitive. also, it doesnt help either because in my mcat I received a low verbal as well. for some reason, the verbal section is more challenging for me...when i took the mcat i had to guess in two verbal passages because of time( i never had time to finish it completely so therefore i tend to always score low) this also happened to me when i took practice exams while taking the kaplan review.
Mcat:
11 Biological
10 Physical
6 verbal

that 6 destroyed me in verbal. so its either retaking the mcat(and hoping i higher my verbal but at the same time i dont want to lower my biological and physical science score.) so i didnt even bother applying to medical school because i had a friend with a higher gpa than me and 28 on the mcat and still didn't get accepted. so now he's getting his masters and then reapplying to med schools. I could of done that but i just dont want to waste time and money. I was accepted into the 1 year accelerated program in barry university in miami but i declined it because i was accepted for med school in the caribbean and would rather start med school as soon as possible. i dont know i guess i could try harder to get into the US but honestly i can careless...it doesnt matter where i go...i'm just going to study hard core and get good grades and most of all pass the USLME with a high score. i believe in myself and i know i have what it takes. and nothings going to stop me!
so thats my reason for applying to caribbean medical schools...i guess i'm not competitive for US med schools and i know that but thats not going to bring me down...my lifelong dream is to become a doctor and trust me i'm going to be one.
anyways, go gators!!!
IT'S GREAT TO BE A FLORIDA GATOR

goodluck with everything bwells46 wish you the best fellow GATOR!!!

 

[spartanwarrior]

hey McGill..anger is not conducive, but so is sarcasim. Since you must have scored so high on verbal and you have such a way with encouraging people to do better and overcome obstacles, why don't you consider working as a career counselor for pre-med students!! I'm sure you would without a doubt perform spendidly!!

 

[bwells46]

well i'm actually cuban american(i guess i am a minority and would fall into this category). the thing is that i also called many medical schools in the US and they said not to apply because I need a 30+ to be highly competitive. also, it doesnt help either because in my mcat I received a low verbal as well. for some reason, the verbal section is more challenging for me...when i took the mcat i had to guess in two verbal passages because of time( i never had time to finish it completely so therefore i tend to always score low) this also happened to me when i took practice exams while taking the kaplan review.
Mcat:
11 Biological
10 Physical
6 verbal

that 6 destroyed me in verbal. so its either retaking the mcat(and hoping i higher my verbal but at the same time i dont want to lower my biological and physical science score.) so i didnt even bother applying to medical school because i had a friend with a higher gpa than me and 28 on the mcat and still didn't get accepted. so now he's getting his masters and then reapplying to med schools. I could of done that but i just dont want to waste time and money. I was accepted into the 1 year accelerated program in barry university in miami but i declined it because i was accepted for med school in the caribbean and would rather start med school as soon as possible. i dont know i guess i could try harder to get into the US but honestly i can careless...it doesnt matter where i go...i'm just going to study hard core and get good grades and most of all pass the USLME with a high score. i believe in myself and i know i have what it takes. and nothings going to stop me!
so thats my reason for applying to caribbean medical schools...i guess i'm not competitive for US med schools and i know that but thats not going to bring me down...my lifelong dream is to become a doctor and trust me i'm going to be one.
anyways, go gators!!!
IT'S GREAT TO BE A FLORIDA GATOR

goodluck with everything bwells46 wish you the best fellow GATOR!!!

Did you apply to any DO schools? They're typically easier to get into than MD schools.

 

[84meddreamer84]

What ideas do you guys have about the best strategies of preparing for the MCAT? Do you think flashcards help?

 

[IWant2BeADoctor]

What ideas do you guys have about the best strategies of preparing for the MCAT? Do you think flashcards help?

Go to AAMC www.aamc.org/students/mcat/practicetests.htm and take their practice MCATS. They cost 35 Dollars each but are worth it. If you don't score over a 20 Hell will freeze over before you get into Medical School.

 

[Top Gun]

Try a Kaplan course. Its expensive as hell, but they offer lectures and lots of practice questions.

 

[McGillGrad]

Try a Kaplan course. Its expensive as hell, but they offer lectures and lots of practice questions.

I agree, but it is something you need to commit to and follow up on in order to truly get the most out of it.

 

[Booter008]

84meddreamer84,

I'm not quite sure why you scored so low the first time you took your MCAT. A lot of people on this thread recommended taking the Kaplan course. I thought I would try and save you a lot of money and instead recommend buying the AAMC practice tests 3-10 (3 is free ). Also, a good combination with these exams are Examkrackers study books. Their verbal strategies and 101 passages will definitely raise your verbal score tremendously. Examkrackers Biology book and 1001 Questions would also help. For physics, try Nova's comprehensive review. You can get these books used on Amazon.com cheap. Also, check out the thread for 30+ MCAT scores, really great advice on there for strategies and time management skills. Good luck and don't give up.

 

[MusicalDoc]

So far, I've just been quietly reading, but I feel a pull to chime in now...

McGillGrad -- assuming that you're currently in med school and will go on to become a practicing physician, I shudder at the thought of anyone going into your office to seek your professional advice in their time of most dire need, only to receive sarcastic and/or critical remarks rather than constructive ones... I should hope you learn to master your bedside manner before they put you out there into the real world where real patients with real medical issues seeking real sound medical advice - why not practice it here and now?

84meddreamer84 -- don't be discouraged by what others say, and just move forward. I have to agree with some of the others that your MCAT is on the low side, but I've been told time and time again that the range of accepted scores is much wider than at the US allo/osteo schools, so I think you have a fair chance of getting admitted somewhere in the Caribbean. If not the so-called "the Big 4" then try looking into other schools (there are many out there - check out www.valuemd.com) that don't require the MCATs. Also, you should mention in your Personal Statement the rough patch you went through (and don't forget to mention what you learned from it to make you a better person to have gone through it), and it should only be counted in your favor (and not against).

In any case, 84meddreamer84, good luck and don't lose hope!

 

[84meddreamer84]

so basically! I should buy the examkrackers and do the passages? More reading is what will raise my score?

p.s: Thank you MusicalDoc. I wish you good luck too!

 

[Booter008]

When are you retaking your MCAT 84meddreamer84?

 

[peppy6]

so basically! I should buy the examkrackers and do the passages? More reading is what will raise my score?

p.s: Thank you MusicalDoc. I wish you good luck too!

Yeah I think most people really like the ExamKrackers materials. I think that most important thing is just practice practice practice-- do passages, do questions, and from those decide what areas you need to review more. Doing practice questions/tests really helps you narrow down your weak areas. I'm a big flashcard user so it always helps me to write down information or questions and just go over them, especially for things like hormones and stuff that you should probably know. Good luck!

 

[84meddreamer84]

I'm doing ExamKracker passages now. I do not think there is a specific strategy to strengthen my verbal skills. Does anyone have an idea how to approach the questions and answers and learn from that? I don't know but all I sense is just more practice might help! What do you guys think?

 

[herbalist]

Have you even taken the MCAT? If you have then you should know that the MCAT is all about your prerequisites, so if someone has a high GPA and low MCAT then they either cheated, went to a college with crazy grade inflation or bubbled in random answers on the MCAT.

It is virtually impossible to get less than a 6 on verbal if you can read at a grade school level.

You have such a "nasty attitude", stop degrading people for your own ugly pleasure.

 

[McGillGrad]

You have such a "nasty attitude", stop degrading people for your own ugly pleasure.

Why did you put the words 'nasty attitude' in parentheses? That makes no sense grammatically...

You people crack me up

 

[AngryBaby]

Why did you put the words 'nasty attitude' in parentheses? That makes no sense grammatically...

You people crack me up

Uhhh...quotation marks...

 

[oldpro]

I'm doing ExamKracker passages now. I do not think there is a specific strategy to strengthen my verbal skills. Does anyone have an idea how to approach the questions and answers and learn from that? I don't know but all I sense is just more practice might help! What do you guys think?

My thoughts:

RED FLAGS RED FLAGS, You are going to have to explain the 2 low scores before

Getting into medical school is not a "CHECK OFF LIST" as some make it appear:

There is more then numbers.

There is more then extracurriculars and Research

You still may not get accepted in the US with a MCAT higher unless its above
30 this time.

The Caribbean may be your only shot even with the good GPA

Look, do not give up do not give in but realize there is a lot more then numbers and a "List".

 

[McGillGrad]

Uhhh...quotation marks...

OMG, are you serious?

I guess you did not get the joke.

 

[SoFlaKnight]

This thread is Hi-larious Glad to see fellow Floridians here, and my condolences for you 2 who had to live in G'ville for at least 4 years-it smells like yaz...

 

[McGillGrad]

This thread is Hi-larious Glad to see fellow Floridians here, and my condolences for you 2 who had to live in G'ville for at least 4 years-it smells like yaz...

Yeah, but I bet you wouldn't mind matching at Shands after medical school.