MCAT

https://youtu.be/UZnHasJGitI

Introduction to the MCAT

I want to give the MCAT its own section all together. I don’t really believe when people say that applying to medical school is a holistic process. Though I’m sure the admissions committee takes a look at your entire application as one entity, I doubt all facets receive the same love and attention.

When I was applying to medical school, I had all of my ducks in a row, so to speak. I was gearing up to finish my masters (with a 4.0 GPA), I had all of my letter of recommendations completed, all of my extracurricular activities, shadowing, volunteering, you name it I had it lined up. Part of this preparation was getting my MCAT score up from my first attempt. During my first go-around I scored an incredibly humbling score of 501 (51^st percentile). I was certain I could do better. So, I signed up for the May exam during the spring semester and gave myself about 90 days to study. I had done a little research and figured this would be ample time, plus I was absolutely killing my master’s program, so I was feeling myself.

I absolutely killed myself. I had very little social life, I skipped the “Summer Break” between Spring and Summer semester to fully devote myself to MCAT studying. I went through every section of every book of the Kaplan series. I dedicated what felt like my entire existence to studying for this exam. The End Result? I scored a 505 (65^th percentile). Did I just not study enough? Was I just not smart enough? Did getting strep the week of the exam throw me off? Perhaps, I suppose. Regardless of what piss-poor excuse I could muster, the truth is I did not live up to my potential.

Nevertheless, my advisor was adamant that I submit my primary application as soon as possible to get me a leg up on the competition regardless of my mediocre MCAT score. So, I did just that. I submitted my application late June, but not before signing up for another bout with the MCAT in late August. I knew in my heart I was capable of something far better than I had put together. Essentially, I had two months to prep to take the MCAT again. This time, being that it would be my third attempt, would be my last chance to get a better score. I say this, because I’ve been told several times that taking it more than three times is somewhat frowned upon.

Before I go into the strategy, I used to make my MCAT score jump up to a 516 (93^rd percentile), I want to finalize the point I made at the start of this chapter. When I submitted my application with a 505, I didn’t hear squat from anyone. Even after submitting my secondaries and having an otherwise comprehensive and competitive application. Yet, within 14 days of submitting my new and improved score I got an interview request. And not just from any school, but from UNC chapel Hill AKA the best school I had applied to.

I’m not saying it’s not a holistic review process, I’m sure they took a look at my entire application. I am saying, however, that your MCAT score is by far the most important thing they look at.

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