MCATs? should I risk it??

[Guest xybercat]

Hi all,

as the D-Day gets closer, I am faced with a major decision: whether or not to write the MCATs. I wrote them last year, with less than impressive scores: 8V,9B,7P, M-yeah, ouch! the thing is that I haven't had much time to study for the MCATs as I did last year, yet I still feel that I'm at least at the same level I was at last year. My practice test scores are mediocre. I have a 3.55 OMSAS gpa (a 3.7wgpa). I would like to apply this coming year...but I'm not sure of the amount of damage my MCATs will cause...any thoughts?

 

thank you,

Alex

[Guest MEDCOMPSCI]

Well as you sit your MCATs will disqualify you from Western/Queens/UofT in Ontario and I am sure many other schools outside Ontario. I don't see how writing it would be a bad thing, afterall even if your score is worse, your old score did you no good anyways.

[Guest Ian Wong]

Hmm. Tough question, and I don't really have a good answer for you. Do you think that with more preparation that you can do a better job?

 

Do you realistically see yourself getting a score this August that will allow you to apply to all the schools that you want to?

 

How does your schedule shape up for writing either the April 2002 or August 2002 MCAT? Will you have adequate preparation time for either of those sittings, or will school and work/travel/volunteering/whatever also interfere there, as they might have done for this summer's August MCAT?

 

Depending on your answers, you might have your solution already. On the other hand, I don't know how the Ontario schools treat re-writes of the MCAT, and if there aren't any repercussions to doing so, the you might as well write the MCAT in the hopes that you'll get a score that allows you to apply this year.

 

Honestly, I don't have a good answer for you. I'm not familiar with how the Ontario schools work, and it's a bit late in the MCAT game to suggest ways to prepare for it. With your score, you could still apply to UBC Med, although if you aren't an in-province applicant, your chances are somewhere between slim and none.

 

Ian

UBC, Med 3

[Guest xybercat]

well, I think that the chances of me writing it next April are pretty slim, same goes for August 2002. But it all depends on what I would do in case I don't get in this time around...ie. plan B, which I have not made up yet.

 

thanks for your comments guys...

 

cheers,

Alex