I don't intend to write too much about the Medical College Admissions Test, because it is a monster of its own that could spawn its very own blog on the topic, but it certainly deserves to be mentioned. To start, an introduction to what the whole MCAT is.
The gist of all the cursory information you will find about the test is this:
- The MCAT is a very long, very difficult test.
- It is unique in that it does its best to attempt to test your ability to think critically, rather than simply memorize and regurgitate facts and bits of information. I actually think this is a pretty cool idea, but it means you have to study differently for the MCAT than what is typical for other tests.
- It is totally worth it to take a prep course.
Scoring
Each of three sections is worth a maximum of 15 points, so the best you can get is a 45. The general idea is that if you get over 30, you've got a score that will contribute to a strong application. The choice of words there is very intentional, because score-mongering is a waste of time. Every pre-med forum I've ever seen has hordes of people asking various derivatives of these questions:
"If I get THIS SCORE, will I get into Medical School??????? What if I got THIS SCORE instead?????? Has anyone ever gotten THIS SCORE and still made it into Medical School?????????? Does THIS SCORE mean I'll grow up to make loads of money??????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????"
Your MCAT is just one piece of your application puzzle, and while it is undoubtedly one of the most important parts, no one score is going to be a free pass to acceptance. The MCAT is a (relatively) objective test that provides evidence that you can think critically under pressure. That being said, if you get something like 21 (the score I achieved on my first practice exam), it's probably a good idea to take it again or make good friends with admissions councils in Puerto Rico. Not that they're bad schools! They're just a lot less selective.
Taking the test again
On that note, I have heard many varying reports on whether or not it's "okay" to take the MCAT more than once. I've heard that regardless of whether or not you improve, admissions councils will consider whatever your first score is. The idea there is that it's assumed that you're going to improve on the second go-around, and how hard you tried the first time is more evident of your character/hard work/blah blah blah.
Whaaaatever.
The facts are that medical schools will see all your MCAT scores from the past three years (some five), and that statistically, scores don't change more than 1-2 points between multiple attempts. Therefore, if your score is probably not going to change considerably, paying another $235 for the test plus the stress of re-studying is probably not worth it. And of course, you run the risk of doing worse, which would certainly be bad.
How it went for me
I took my prep course with Kaplan, and they were absolutely awesome. Really expensive, roughly $2,000, but I have no doubt that without them I would not be in any position to be applying to medical schools right now. They were super great: practice tests, weekly lessons, workbooks, awesome stuff.
I ended up taking the MCAT right after my Kaplan class ended, a few days after spring semester started. I registered later than as soon as it was humanly possible to do so, so all the California testing locations for my intended date were full. What to do? Take it in Portland. Which is what I did! I flew to Portland, Oregon to take the MCAT. I was there for two nights, and Portland was fantastic. It's one of the reasons I applied to their medical school. But anyway, taking your MCAT out of state is ridiculous, and you, wayward internet-cruising pre-med, should register as sooooon as you can for your intended date. Also, in hindsight, I would have preferred to take at least a little self-study time between the end of my Kaplan course and my test date. Your scores show up about a month after you take the test and then on with the adventure!
No comments:
Post a Comment