What to Do?

[jimjoneskufi]

Long story short: my GPA is not great (about 3.2) and my first MCAT stunk- 500. I'm trying to plan for a really but I'm trying to get some perspective. I've had friends tell me that a high MCAT would be sufficient (515+) and other people tell me that I need both a new MCAT and SMP. In addition, I have many Ws on my transcript due to medical illness but they're not marked as such (i.e. I can see why medical schools would be hesitant to accept me).

I recently got a job as a scribe and I'm studying for the MCAT but I'm still unsure of what to do after I take the MCAT. Should I seek out SMPs and if so, which ones? If my MCAT is high enough, should I just reapply (keeping in mind I didn't study for my first exam)? I tend to worry about the future and this is driving me nuts.

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[ucsfstudents]

One thing that stands out is that you mentioned you didn't study for your first MCAT exam. This suggests you did not take the exam seriously, and did not allot enough time to prepare for the test. No matter how you proceed, I would recommend making sure you fully dedicate yourself to preparing for the MCAT, and develop the habit of preparing well for exams. You will have multiple national board exams while in medical school, and several during residency. The sooner you develop the habit of fully committing to doing well on the exams you take, the better off you'll be. You can no longer afford to just wing it when it comes to these exams.

Good luck!