LOW MCAT... there's hope - accepted!

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drdave2be

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Here's my MCAT stats:
23M
8p 6v 9b

First of all, don't hate, cuz I am putting myself out there by revealing my stats. I am not proud of my MCAT scores or of the fact that I took the test three times to get such a low score. The first two tests were above 20.

Second, my case is rare. Don't expect to get into medical school with a sub-par application.

Third, I will not answer any questions as to where I am accepted or that will reveal my identity. Again, I am not proud of my MCAT score.

Lastly, I received 4 interview requests (I will not tell you where, but they are osteopathic schools and all US schools).

The point of this post is to raise hope for those of you who are struggling with your MCAT. If you truly want to become a physician, do NOT GIVE UP!!! I took the MCAT three years in a row (ughh), and it was a brutal experience each time. My low score still baffles me. I took all 8 AAMC practice tests and a Kaplan review course ($1700). I scored 26-32 on the practice tests and took 75 timed VR tests (purchased as many as I could find and took many of them more than once – my VR scores eventually showed a positive trend, but I attribute that in part to repeated tests). I was discouraged and defeated after each test result came through. I felt it probably would never happen for me, but I did get into medical school.

Here's what I think I did right to get 4 interviews and an acceptance:
Sci gpa 3.6, 7 strong letters of rec, 5000 clinical hours, teaching experience in anatomy and kinesiology labs, excellent interpersonal communication skills that helped a ton at the interview.

Furthermore, I feel that some luck was on my side: my background and personality are a perfect fit for my school and my interview went extremely well - I was 100% real, and not nervous. I simply put myself out there and had no expectations. I may have gotten lucky.

If I were to take the MCAT again, here's what I would do differently:
Wait to take a review course until I had re-learned the material. I was out of school for 6 years before taking the review course. It had been 8 years since physics, and 9 years since gchem. Also, I had not taken genetics or biochem until after my third attempt. Those courses would have helped a ton. If I had taken the prep course last, I might have done much better.

I hope this post gives some hope to those of you who are struggling. This post is for you. If you have anything negative to say, please save your time - I'm sure you possess the right combination of skills to do well on the test and your negative post will not help anyone who is looking for some inspiration. Again, this post if for the hopefuls that feel defeated.

Don’t ever give up. You may have to take the test more than once. Most importantly, please don’t take the test until you are scoring in your desired score range for the AAMC tests (save yourself some grief). Lastly, realize that very few people even attempt to take the MCAT to try to get into medical school. You should be proud of your accomplishments J

Best wishes to all of you on your MCAT!

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I got a similar score like yours in Sept.

Agree that interviews, volunteer history ... are very important.

Thank you for the experience sharing.
 
while doing interviews i met someone with a 23 got in Michigan state and umdnj yes you are right there is hope if you can balance your app. with other stuff. i am not asahamed yes i took it three times 22 23 27 and I got into MD and DO I am turning interviews away now SO KEEP HOPE ALIVE
 
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Here's my MCAT stats:
23M
8p 6v 9b

First of all, don't hate, cuz I am putting myself out there by revealing my stats. I am not proud of my MCAT scores or of the fact that I took the test three times to get such a low score. The first two tests were above 20.

Second, my case is rare. Don't expect to get into medical school with a sub-par application.

Third, I will not answer any questions as to where I am accepted or that will reveal my identity. Again, I am not proud of my MCAT score.

Lastly, I received 4 interview requests (I will not tell you where, but they are osteopathic schools and all US schools).

The point of this post is to raise hope for those of you who are struggling with your MCAT. If you truly want to become a physician, do NOT GIVE UP!!! I took the MCAT three years in a row (ughh), and it was a brutal experience each time. My low score still baffles me. I took all 8 AAMC practice tests and a Kaplan review course ($1700). I scored 26-32 on the practice tests and took 75 timed VR tests (purchased as many as I could find and took many of them more than once – my VR scores eventually showed a positive trend, but I attribute that in part to repeated tests). I was discouraged and defeated after each test result came through. I felt it probably would never happen for me, but I did get into medical school.

Here's what I think I did right to get 4 interviews and an acceptance:
Sci gpa 3.6, 7 strong letters of rec, 5000 clinical hours, teaching experience in anatomy and kinesiology labs, excellent interpersonal communication skills that helped a ton at the interview.

Furthermore, I feel that some luck was on my side: my background and personality are a perfect fit for my school and my interview went extremely well - I was 100% real, and not nervous. I simply put myself out there and had no expectations. I may have gotten lucky.

If I were to take the MCAT again, here's what I would do differently:
Wait to take a review course until I had re-learned the material. I was out of school for 6 years before taking the review course. It had been 8 years since physics, and 9 years since gchem. Also, I had not taken genetics or biochem until after my third attempt. Those courses would have helped a ton. If I had taken the prep course last, I might have done much better.

I hope this post gives some hope to those of you who are struggling. This post is for you. If you have anything negative to say, please save your time - I'm sure you possess the right combination of skills to do well on the test and your negative post will not help anyone who is looking for some inspiration. Again, this post if for the hopefuls that feel defeated.

Don’t ever give up. You may have to take the test more than once. Most importantly, please don’t take the test until you are scoring in your desired score range for the AAMC tests (save yourself some grief). Lastly, realize that very few people even attempt to take the MCAT to try to get into medical school. You should be proud of your accomplishments J

Best wishes to all of you on your MCAT!

Good job. Glad to see you succeed!
:clap:
 
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while doing interviews i met someone with a 23 got in Michigan state and umdnj yes you are right there is hope if you can balance your app. with other stuff. i am not asahamed yes i took it three times 22 23 27 and I got into MD and DO I am turning interviews away now SO KEEP HOPE ALIVE

27 and MD too! I did everything else right!!

I still hate physics...:smuggrin:
 
No offense, but if you could only get a 23 on the MCAT how do you plan on passing Step 1 and 2?

This is an excellent point. Honestly, I appreciate your point of view. I don't have a good answer to this, however, after finishing the MCAT I have aced biochem, immunology, parasitology and genetics. I must be doing something right. Furthermore, I am no longer far removed from my coursework. As I mentioned before, my prereqs were more than 6 years old when I took the MCAT. Hopefully, with enough hard work I will pass Step 1 and 2. I am treating this like the opportunity of a lifetime, I will continue to give it all I can. What else can I do? Quit? No chance! OP, as a medical student, I know you are facing USMLE or COMLEX. I wish you the best!
 
Yeah, the STEP 1 is right after youve taken the two years of basic sciences. Everyone will be taking that test with you, so you'll be preparing for it. Regardless, the MCAT score represents a pre medical accomplishment, and the STEP is a medical accomplishment. I wouldn't lump them together as similar tests. I'm sure you will do fine on it, so long as you have done well in your basic sciences during medical school.

Live it.
 
The MCAT and Step 1 exam have many similarities. I wasn't making this point to put you down, though. Instead, I was pointing out that since you didn't do very well on the MCAT you should take an honest look at how you prepared for it. You will probably need to make some changes for the Step 1 exam and it is better that you realize it now rather than figure it out after it is too late.
 
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I got a low MCAT as well and this was my first time taking it (10 PS, 7 VR, 10 BS) and I have a low GPA (3.46) but I do have great ECs. I want to apply but I fear I am only wasting money. But I am also hesitant to retake the mcat because I fear that my score might drop. Is there any advice you can give me? I would really appreciate it! I want this more than anything and it is scary to think that being a doctor might not be in my future.
 
So it has been a while since I first posted this thread. Thought it deserved an update. It's 11:40pm on a friday night, and I am about to call it on yet another day of endless studying.

How is a 23M MCAT person doing after almost a year in medical school?
I'm in the top half of my class and I work my tail off each and every day.
The average MCAT score for my class was 28.

I have realized that medical school is all about HARD WORK!

Don't give up on your dreams! Live them!
 
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So it has been a while since I first posted this thread. Thought it deserved an update. It's 11:40pm on a friday night, and I am about to call it on yet another day of endless studying.

How is a 23M MCAT person doing after almost a year in medical school?
I'm in the top half of my class and I work my tail off each and every day.
The average MCAT score for my class was 28.

I have realized that medical school is all about HARD WORK!

Don't give up on your dreams! Live them!

Awesome, everything seems to be going well for you. Congrats!
 
No offense, but if you could only get a 23 on the MCAT how do you plan on passing Step 1 and 2?

This person had not taken these courses for 8 -9 years. I would bet there will be little correlation to Step 1/2 test scores. Using my own experience with the DAT - I scored very mediocre 18-19's and very easily passed both dental boards in the 95th percentile.

Similarly, I took the MCAT after being out of undergrad since 1998 and scored slightly better 25 M and I feel that this will not reflect my board scores at all.
 
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No offense, but if you could only get a 23 on the MCAT how do you plan on passing Step 1 and 2?

They may be similar tests, but an MCAT score does not correlate how well you will do on the Step 1 and 2. I've heard doctors say that the Step tests are easier. On the MCAT, there is a bit more strategy involved and in many cases, students have taken the prereqs a few years before the MCAT so they have forgotten a lot of the material. For the Step 1 and 2, you're constantly studying the subjects in med school and like others have said, it's a much more direct form of testing (plus, there is no verbal section).
 
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So it has been a while since I first posted this thread. Thought it deserved an update. It's 11:40pm on a friday night, and I am about to call it on yet another day of endless studying.

How is a 23M MCAT person doing after almost a year in medical school?
I'm in the top half of my class and I work my tail off each and every day.
The average MCAT score for my class was 28.

I have realized that medical school is all about HARD WORK!

Don't give up on your dreams! Live them!

This is awesome. Good for you, Dave :thumbup:
 
So it has been a while since I first posted this thread. Thought it deserved an update. It's 11:40pm on a friday night, and I am about to call it on yet another day of endless studying.

How is a 23M MCAT person doing after almost a year in medical school?
I'm in the top half of my class and I work my tail off each and every day.
The average MCAT score for my class was 28.

I have realized that medical school is all about HARD WORK!

Don't give up on your dreams! Live them!

Thank for updating your story. I'm a little worried about the HARD WORK in Medical School. Is it about "working hard" or "hard work"? :D
 
I got a low MCAT as well and this was my first time taking it (10 PS, 7 VR, 10 BS) and I have a low GPA (3.46) but I do have great ECs. I want to apply but I fear I am only wasting money. But I am also hesitant to retake the mcat because I fear that my score might drop. Is there any advice you can give me? I would really appreciate it! I want this more than anything and it is scary to think that being a doctor might not be in my future.

That's a fitting screen name if I ever saw one.
 
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From what little I know about the step 1, it seems more rote memorization than problem solving, no?

I've had a very successful doctor tell me he did poorly on the MCAT but was top of med class. He's a radiologist at a prestigious hospital now.
 
Here's my MCAT stats:
23M
8p 6v 9b

First of all, don't hate, cuz I am putting myself out there by revealing my stats. I am not proud of my MCAT scores or of the fact that I took the test three times to get such a low score. The first two tests were above 20.

Second, my case is rare. Don't expect to get into medical school with a sub-par application.

Third, I will not answer any questions as to where I am accepted or that will reveal my identity. Again, I am not proud of my MCAT score.

Lastly, I received 4 interview requests (I will not tell you where, but they are osteopathic schools and all US schools).

The point of this post is to raise hope for those of you who are struggling with your MCAT. If you truly want to become a physician, do NOT GIVE UP!!! I took the MCAT three years in a row (ughh), and it was a brutal experience each time. My low score still baffles me. I took all 8 AAMC practice tests and a Kaplan review course ($1700). I scored 26-32 on the practice tests and took 75 timed VR tests (purchased as many as I could find and took many of them more than once – my VR scores eventually showed a positive trend, but I attribute that in part to repeated tests). I was discouraged and defeated after each test result came through. I felt it probably would never happen for me, but I did get into medical school.

Here's what I think I did right to get 4 interviews and an acceptance:
Sci gpa 3.6, 7 strong letters of rec, 5000 clinical hours, teaching experience in anatomy and kinesiology labs, excellent interpersonal communication skills that helped a ton at the interview.

Furthermore, I feel that some luck was on my side: my background and personality are a perfect fit for my school and my interview went extremely well - I was 100% real, and not nervous. I simply put myself out there and had no expectations. I may have gotten lucky.

If I were to take the MCAT again, here's what I would do differently:
Wait to take a review course until I had re-learned the material. I was out of school for 6 years before taking the review course. It had been 8 years since physics, and 9 years since gchem. Also, I had not taken genetics or biochem until after my third attempt. Those courses would have helped a ton. If I had taken the prep course last, I might have done much better.

I hope this post gives some hope to those of you who are struggling. This post is for you. If you have anything negative to say, please save your time - I'm sure you possess the right combination of skills to do well on the test and your negative post will not help anyone who is looking for some inspiration. Again, this post if for the hopefuls that feel defeated.

Don’t ever give up. You may have to take the test more than once. Most importantly, please don’t take the test until you are scoring in your desired score range for the AAMC tests (save yourself some grief). Lastly, realize that very few people even attempt to take the MCAT to try to get into medical school. You should be proud of your accomplishments J

Best wishes to all of you on your MCAT!

I read your post about 3 weeks ago when I was worried about whether I would get an interview or not. I have a 23M mcat score too, I took it three years in a row as well and took the Kaplan prep course. My cum gpa 3.35 and scgpa is 3.3. A week after reading your post I received two interviews. Thank you for your post.
 
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I read your post about 3 weeks ago when I was worried about whether I would get an interview or not. I have a 23M mcat score too, I took it three years in a row as well and took the Kaplan prep course. My cum gpa 3.35 and scgpa is 3.3. A week after reading your post I received two interviews. Thank you for your post.

Congrats Ziggstar.
 
I read your post about 3 weeks ago when I was worried about whether I would get an interview or not. I have a 23M mcat score too, I took it three years in a row as well and took the Kaplan prep course. My cum gpa 3.35 and scgpa is 3.3. A week after reading your post I received two interviews. Thank you for your post.

congrats! are those interviews MD or DO?
 
Not too crazy if that was a full time job for a while. I've logged around 1500 over the past 18 months working part time.

Agreed. I'll have well over 3500+ hours by the time I apply. 2 years of part time job + other experiences and it adds up fast. I'm not an hour hound or anything, but 25 hours/week is the least I can do and still eat.
 
Awesome to hear! Buckle up though. Step 1 is going to be rouuuuggghhhhh for you.
 
Agreed. I'll have well over 3500+ hours by the time I apply. 2 years of part time job + other experiences and it adds up fast. I'm not an hour hound or anything, but 25 hours/week is the least I can do and still eat.

15,000+ here. Or just a little over 8 years :)
 
congrats! are those interviews MD or DO?

Thanks! appreciate it, but I am really posting my situation to help boost others confidence. Just like the guy who started this thread. Much respect to all of you who are still striving for your dream.
 
Hey I have a 23 mcat and I've been pretty down on myself about it.
Thanks for posting your story, It's given me a little confidence to apply this coming cycle and see what happens.
i'm glad to see people haven't been dragged down by this score and were able to achieve their dream.
 
You think you got a low MCAT.... XD..... I got a 15 on it... And I got accepted... the day I got accepted was unbelievable... I even got a 1 on one of the sections!!

I had to explain the 1 I got... I just told them that "that's the whole reason I didn't apply to law school"
 
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You think you got a low MCAT.... XD..... I got a 15 on it... And I got accepted... the day I got accepted was unbelievable... I even got a 1 on one of the sections!!

I had to explain the 1 I got... I just told them that "that's the whole reason I didn't apply to law school"

-seems-legit_20120403113616.jpg
 
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Awesome to hear! Buckle up though. Step 1 is going to be rouuuuggghhhhh for you.

MCAT scores are very little indicators of how one will do on Step 1. I am impressed though that you know the poster's studying habits and work ethic to come to that conclusion.

Seriously though, these posts make me sick. Get off of your high horses, people.
 
I know for a fact of one case where an applicant with a 16 got accepted to a US MD school.

But was it a balanced 16?

:naughty:





MCAT scores are very little indicators of how one will do on Step 1. I am impressed though that you know the poster's studying habits and work ethic to come to that conclusion.

Seriously though, these posts make me sick. Get off of your high horses, people.

The correlation certainly isn't zero.
 
The correlation certainly isn't zero.

I know it may not be zero, but the correlation is very little...I'm a second year and I don't know about you, but I've gained some great test-taking strategies and knowledge over the past year. And now that my school has switched over to NBME exams, I feel like I'm getting even more practice for the Step. I'm so far along from my MCAT test-taking strategies that I don't think my score from 2 years ago will reflect on how well I will perform.

Anyway, I'm just astonished as to how someone could actually say that to someone else. Very douchey. OP didn't do great on his MCAT, why would you discourage him about an exam that he has to take in 2+ years? That's plenty of time for growth and preparation.
 
Anyway, I'm just astonished as to how someone could actually say that to someone else. Very douchey. OP didn't do great on his MCAT, why would you discourage him about an exam that he has to take in 2+ years? That's plenty of time for growth and preparation.

Perhaps you should be a bit more thorough with your reading. ;)

The person also said:

The MCAT and Step 1 exam have many similarities. I wasn't making this point to put you down, though. Instead, I was pointing out that since you didn't do very well on the MCAT you should take an honest look at how you prepared for it. You will probably need to make some changes for the Step 1 exam and it is better that you realize it now rather than figure it out after it is too late.

He wasn't discouraging OP nor was he trying to put him down for the sake of being a douche. If anything, he wants to encourage OP to be more prepared.
 
Perhaps you should be a bit more thorough with your reading. ;)

The person also said:



He wasn't discouraging OP nor was he trying to put him down for the sake of being a douche. If anything, he wants to encourage OP to be more prepared.

Sorry, overlooked his second post. Wrath: ended.
 
Awesome to hear! Buckle up though. Step 1 is going to be rouuuuggghhhhh for you.


My first question is what makes you qualified both in your personal success and in your knowledge of this person to make such a bold statement? Secondly, even if you were the Chuck Norris of medical masterminds this is an incredibly douchey and stupid thing to say. Lastly, low MCAT scores do not mean someone will have low STEP scores. One of my best friend's older brothers could not score above a 25 on the mcat to save his life yet was one of the top in his med school class and blew the STEPS out the water. He is doing an ortho surgery residency at Harvard now. Shame on you for polluting these forums with negativity and discouraging comments like this.
 
I find your post honest, realistic, and truly motivating. While I do have a good MCAT score, your post even helps to renew my hope in my peers. I want classmates who are honest, realistic, and want to encourage others, of all levels, in a HUMBLE way. IMO, it is very important for people like you to share your story. I think it helps others become comfortable with who they are. It also sends the message that it's okay to speak up if your stats aren't nearly perfect, that everyone's stats aren't nearly perfect, and it serves as an example for those with the lowest self esteem that there is no need to pretend to be better than you are. It's okay to be yourself and to be honest about your situation. It's often times a struggle in life that teaches people that their friends and loved ones will still be there even if they are not perfect, that imperfect and less intelligent people matter (sometimes learned by being on the other side), and that there are more important things than being, "the best" (life isn't a competition).

Now before someone jumps in and says, "If you were dying, wouldn't you want your doctor to be the best?" I would respond, "The best what?" Ideally, my doctor would be highly skilled at BOTH medicine, and also at understanding the importance of love and value of imperfect people. Both are ideal, not one or the other.

Your post struck a chord with me that the posts about, "how I did so good and here's my story for you to replicate," just couldn't strike. Thank you for sharing.

PS/Edit: I think your brand of honesty is particularly important in this day and age. On that note, I will once again (for the 2nd time on SDN), refer to my favorite article of late: http://www.huffingtonpost.com/wait-but-why/generation-y-unhappy_b_3930620.html I am also in generation y, and can relate to a good part of this.


Here's my MCAT stats:
23M
8p 6v 9b

First of all, don't hate, cuz I am putting myself out there by revealing my stats. I am not proud of my MCAT scores or of the fact that I took the test three times to get such a low score. The first two tests were above 20.

Second, my case is rare. Don't expect to get into medical school with a sub-par application.

Third, I will not answer any questions as to where I am accepted or that will reveal my identity. Again, I am not proud of my MCAT score.

Lastly, I received 4 interview requests (I will not tell you where, but they are osteopathic schools and all US schools).

The point of this post is to raise hope for those of you who are struggling with your MCAT. If you truly want to become a physician, do NOT GIVE UP!!! I took the MCAT three years in a row (ughh), and it was a brutal experience each time. My low score still baffles me. I took all 8 AAMC practice tests and a Kaplan review course ($1700). I scored 26-32 on the practice tests and took 75 timed VR tests (purchased as many as I could find and took many of them more than once – my VR scores eventually showed a positive trend, but I attribute that in part to repeated tests). I was discouraged and defeated after each test result came through. I felt it probably would never happen for me, but I did get into medical school.

Here's what I think I did right to get 4 interviews and an acceptance:
Sci gpa 3.6, 7 strong letters of rec, 5000 clinical hours, teaching experience in anatomy and kinesiology labs, excellent interpersonal communication skills that helped a ton at the interview.

Furthermore, I feel that some luck was on my side: my background and personality are a perfect fit for my school and my interview went extremely well - I was 100% real, and not nervous. I simply put myself out there and had no expectations. I may have gotten lucky.

If I were to take the MCAT again, here's what I would do differently:
Wait to take a review course until I had re-learned the material. I was out of school for 6 years before taking the review course. It had been 8 years since physics, and 9 years since gchem. Also, I had not taken genetics or biochem until after my third attempt. Those courses would have helped a ton. If I had taken the prep course last, I might have done much better.

I hope this post gives some hope to those of you who are struggling. This post is for you. If you have anything negative to say, please save your time - I'm sure you possess the right combination of skills to do well on the test and your negative post will not help anyone who is looking for some inspiration. Again, this post if for the hopefuls that feel defeated.

Don’t ever give up. You may have to take the test more than once. Most importantly, please don’t take the test until you are scoring in your desired score range for the AAMC tests (save yourself some grief). Lastly, realize that very few people even attempt to take the MCAT to try to get into medical school. You should be proud of your accomplishments J

Best wishes to all of you on your MCAT!
 
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I find your post honest, realistic, and truly motivating. While I do have a good MCAT score, your post even helps to renew my hope in my peers. I want classmates who are honest, realistic, and want to encourage others, of all levels, in a HUMBLE way. IMO, it is very important for people like you to share your story. I think it helps others become comfortable with who they are. It also sends the message that it's okay to speak up if your stats aren't nearly perfect, that everyone's stats aren't nearly perfect, and it serves as an example for those with the lowest self esteem that there is no need to pretend to be better than you are. It's okay to be yourself and to be honest about your situation. It's often times a struggle in life that teaches people that their friends and loved ones will still be there even if they are not perfect, that imperfect and less intelligent people matter (sometimes learned by being on the other side), and that there are more important things than being, "the best" (life isn't a competition).

Now before someone jumps in and says, "If you were dying, wouldn't you want your doctor to be the best?" I would respond, "The best what?" Ideally, my doctor would be highly skilled at BOTH medicine, and also at understanding the importance of love and value of imperfect people. Both are ideal, not one or the other.

Your post struck a chord with me that the posts about, "how I did so good and here's my story for you to replicate," just couldn't strike. Thank you for sharing.

PS/Edit: I think your brand of honesty is particularly important in this day and age. On that note, I will once again (for the 2nd time on SDN), refer to my favorite article of late: http://www.huffingtonpost.com/wait-but-why/generation-y-unhappy_b_3930620.html I am also in generation y, and can relate to a good part of this.


This is a great post Gauss44.
 
My first question is what makes you qualified both in your personal success and in your knowledge of this person to make such a bold statement? Secondly, even if you were the Chuck Norris of medical masterminds this is an incredibly douchey and stupid thing to say. Lastly, low MCAT scores do not mean someone will have low STEP scores. One of my best friend's older brothers could not score above a 25 on the mcat to save his life yet was one of the top in his med school class and blew the STEPS out the water. He is doing an ortho surgery residency at Harvard now. Shame on you for polluting these forums with negativity and discouraging comments like this.

I know you are not quoting me, but I just wanted to chime in here.

There are several people in this thread stating that results on the MCAT don't correlate well to the Step exams. Whether or not that is true, that is not the way the admissions committees see things. Sorry to burst your bubble, but it's just not.

Bottom line:

1) Ad coms see the MCAT are a big standardized test that takes a lot of hard work to do well on.

Med school requires a lot of hard work. They want to see evidence that you can handle it. The MCAT may not be the best evidence, but it is the best they have. While I'm sure everyone knows a story of a student with a low MCAT score getting accepted to a MD school, this is the exception rather than the rule and it does not mean that the MCAT isn't important (or shouldn't be important).

2) "I'm a bad test taker, but I can still be a great doctor and the ad coms should accept me."

What it means to be a "good test taker" is a whole different debate, but in medical school and throughout your whole career as a doctor you will constantly be taking standardized tests. Step 1, Step 2, Step 3, in service exams, shelf exams, board exams, board recertifications, etc. Med school is competititive. There are many people out there would you be just as good of a doctor as you and are also good test takers. Ad coms want those people.
 
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I know you are not quoting me, but I just wanted to chime in here.

There are several people in this thread stating that results on the MCAT don't correlate well to the Step exams. Whether or not that is true, that is not the way the admissions committees see things. Sorry to burst your bubble, but it's just not.

Bottom line:

1) Ad coms see the MCAT are a big standardized test that takes a lot of hard work to do well on.

Med school requires a lot of hard work. They want to see evidence that you can handle it. The MCAT may not be the best evidence, but it is the best they have. While I'm sure everyone knows a story of a student with a low MCAT score getting accepted to a MD school, this is the exception rather than the rule and it does not mean that the MCAT isn't important (or shouldn't be important).

2) "I'm a bad test taker, but I can still be a great doctor and the ad coms should accept me."

What it means to be a "good test taker" is a whole different debate, but in medical school and throughout your whole career as a doctor you will constantly be taking standardized tests. Step 1, Step 2, Step 3, in service exams, shelf exams, board exams, board recertifications, etc. Med school is competititive. There are many people out there would you be just as good of a doctor as you and are also good test takers. Ad coms want those people.


I was not implying that their isn't a relationship, just that low mcat scores don't mean you are doomed for a lifetime of failure in testing. I posted this in reply to the statement that "STEPS are going to be rooough for you" which is simply demeaning and of no constructive value. I agree with you about adcoms.
 
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