mcat score

[Futuremedstudent?]

I already wrote the MCAT after 2nd year. I got a 30 O ( 9 VR 9 BS 12 PS). I applied for Dal med already and had an interview. I won't know for awhile if I"ll get in. I'm debating on whether or not to rewrite the MCAT to improve myself for the 2nd time around if I get rejected. My cumulative undergrad average was ~3.7 and have no plans to do more courses to raise that up. As the year goes on my extracurriculars will obviously increase with time.

 

What are your thoughts, is a 30 O good enough or should I study a little harder this time around and rewrite it? It's a lot of time and effort as you all know but I'm prepared to bite the bullet if it is my best option to improve my application. Also, I didn't take a course the first time around. Is it a good idea to take one the second time? I'm a pretty good self directed learner so my main benefit from a course is the course materials not the lectures. Are there ways to just get the course materials???

 

Thanks for the help!

[Thejuice]

While it is not the most preferable thing to rewrite it. I think that you should. Unfortunately a 30 is just enough to fly with the admission committees, but I wouldn't leave yourself with a knife-edge grade.

 

Go back and rewrite it while you still have the material fresh in your head. It's much more preferable than having to go back at a much later date to have to re-write it.

 

It can't hurt you and helps bring the strongest candidate forward.

[kwasko@dal.ca]

Unless it just recently changed, I believe that Dal treats the MCAT as a sort of pass/fail. If you meet the cut-offs you're through the gate and if you don't then your application doesn't go any further. If you make it through the gate your MCAT is not looked at again. Someone can correct me if I'm wrong on this and this has changed.

 

As such, writing the MCAT again would not improve your chances at Dal if you are already making the cut-offs. However, it would improve your chances of being accepted to Ontario schools. You would have to bring each section up to 10 and writing up to R I believe to have a shot at the Ontario schools that require the MCAT.

 

Having an amazing MCAT score could also bode well if applying as an out of province applicant to U of C and U of M as well.

 

In any case, I'd wait to see if you got in come May and THEN register for a summer sitting of the MCAT. Why go through all that toil and suffering if you don't have to?

[Microbiodude]

Out of curiosity are you applying to Dal as an out of province student? My stats are pretty much the same as yours and I'm pretty much losing hope for med school as an undergrad.

[Futuremedstudent?]

I'm considered an inprovince student for this round. Though I might not be so lucky next year as I just moved to BC

[doc2B]

Although Dal does have specific cut-offs for MCAT scores, below which your file will not be considered, the MCAT IS actually used in scoring the candidate when it comes to making a decision post interview.

 

The scores (at least last year) were 30 pts for academic, 30 pts for supplementary, 25 pts for interview and 15 pts for references for a total of 100 pts. They say that the average over that past number of years for accepted candidates is 84, but people have told me that this number may have decrease for last years class.

 

As for the academics (30 pts) it is divided into 13 pts for GPA, it is in the Dalhousie section in a thread previously I don't remember the exact numbers but you are given a number out of 13 based on your GPA which must also be above the cutoffs 3.3 for in province 3.7 for out of province. I believe a 3.7 ~ 9/13. There are also 12 pts for the MCAT. 24 which is the minimum for in province (30 is minimum for out of province and has been the average over the past number of years for the accepted class). A 24 would give you 1/12, 25=2/12, 26=3/12, etc... 30=7/12 and I've heard but I don't know if this is true that you may get an extra point if you have an R, S, or T on the writing, otherwise the writing is not considered. There is also another 5 pts within the academic section for "academic discretion" points. I think these are for stellar students, or people who have done something extra, like published papers, a lot of research, graduate degrees, etc.

 

I personally might not re-write with a 30 if I'm only trying to get into Dal. You have a decent shot in-province with that score, however Dal allows you to select which MCAT you would like them to consider, so if you decide to re-write even if you don't do any better or do worse it shouldn't hurt you. Be aware though that schools can see all of your MCAT scores since about 3 years ago onwards.

 

I'm a little confused at why you are considered in-pronvince currently but may be considered out of province next time? Where is your permanent residency, i.e. where does your family live. I know some people gain residency status by working full-time in an area for greater than 1 year or something (I don't know what exactly constitutes permanent residency status), but I'm willing to bet if you're family is here, even if you move away to work for a year that you would still be considered a maritime province candidate.

 

As for taking an MCAT prep course I found it to be a great help to me, although I liked the structure of the course. It helped me organize my study time better. I think the most important part of the course though was the online tools... the subject tests and quizes and even more important the full-length practice tests. You can buy the books second hand from people... and you can purchase full-length practice tests through AAMC online but the other online tools you won't get unless you take the course. You can take the online course at least through Kaplan and you get everything except the lectures I believe (I think its the same price) but you get an online version of the lectures instead of the in-class version.

 

Good luck with everything. It sounds like your academics are at about the average mark for Dal. I think that as long as you have great extra-curriculars (good supplemental section), great references and had a great interview you should have no problem being accepted with the academics you have. You should try to be optimistic.

[Futuremedstudent?]

Thanks for the help! I'm from Nova Scotia. My parents still live there but I went to university in Ontario (though came home to work each summer) and recently moved to BC for an internship as a Clinical Trial Coordinator. According to Dal's new residency criteria they want you to be living in NS 24 months straight before applying. I have a feeling my application will have to be looked at separately if I have to reapply next year since I still want to be considered as a Maritime applicant. If I'm not it will be really frustrating because I won't be able to consider myself a BC applicant either. I think I"ll wait to see what my score is in each area if I get rejected before I make a decision on this MCAT rewrite idea. Do you know where you can get second hand Kaplan material??? I think the books would be very helpful but I don't like the idea of paying so much for a course especially when I learn better by myself then I do in a classroom.