Your replies would be MUCH appreciated. Should I retake the MCAT or not? Scheduled for May 18th.
The skinny on me:
- 3.62 cum GPA, 3.5 sGPA from a very large, top 20 public institution
- 28S MCAT (9,9,10) - though this is from a 2nd attempt (1st was a 8,7,10) -- had a very poor test experience, computer literally shut off in middle of VR.
- EMT for 2.5 years, as well as volunteering, lots of clinical/shadowing, the works ..
- 2 semesters of research, no pubs or anything though
- Just accepted a full-time Research Assistant position at Vanderbilt Univ.
- In addition to my 40 hr./week job, I will be taking graduate coursework at Vanderbilt, in biology (immunology, upper-level physio, etc.) I plan to take 3-4 courses within the next year.
- I am a 23 yo, white male. I will be 24 for my hopeful start of medical school in 2014
I have already spoken with UT faculty about residency requirements and been told personally that with my new job, I will be deemed a Tennessee resident. Via my close friend that is an MS1 there and in addition to looking at the MSAR, I know that TN residency is a huge advantage (his roommate, a TN resident, got in off the WL with a 26)
I know that UT's mean or median (not sure which one) scores are (10,10,10). Because I'm so close to those scores, I'm really wrestling with assessing the risk of retaking the MCAT.
However, this will be my third application cycle. In the first, my MCAT was way too low and in the second, I applied too late. Collectively, I have received 2 MD interviews and 2 DO interviews (though the DO invites came AFTER the Vandy job, so I did not attend them). I had to take my opportunity at the time, as nothing else was on my schedule, so I signed a lease and committed to living in Nashville for a year.
I really would like to go to MD school, and I know that my scores and numbers are right on the fringe. I think that the upper range of my ability on the MCAT is probably a 32 or 33, but it would require studying time that I'm just not sure that I have. However, I am obviously very familiar with MCAT material. Considering both my Tennessee residency but also the fact that this is my third time in the game and that I am really not trying to do this again, what are your thoughts?
What do you think my chances are of being outright accepted to UTHSC? I obviously plan to apply to many other schools (as well as DO schools), but my new Tennessee residency helps immensely with UT specifically, so this is the nature of my specific question.
The skinny on me:
- 3.62 cum GPA, 3.5 sGPA from a very large, top 20 public institution
- 28S MCAT (9,9,10) - though this is from a 2nd attempt (1st was a 8,7,10) -- had a very poor test experience, computer literally shut off in middle of VR.
- EMT for 2.5 years, as well as volunteering, lots of clinical/shadowing, the works ..
- 2 semesters of research, no pubs or anything though
- Just accepted a full-time Research Assistant position at Vanderbilt Univ.
- In addition to my 40 hr./week job, I will be taking graduate coursework at Vanderbilt, in biology (immunology, upper-level physio, etc.) I plan to take 3-4 courses within the next year.
- I am a 23 yo, white male. I will be 24 for my hopeful start of medical school in 2014
I have already spoken with UT faculty about residency requirements and been told personally that with my new job, I will be deemed a Tennessee resident. Via my close friend that is an MS1 there and in addition to looking at the MSAR, I know that TN residency is a huge advantage (his roommate, a TN resident, got in off the WL with a 26)
I know that UT's mean or median (not sure which one) scores are (10,10,10). Because I'm so close to those scores, I'm really wrestling with assessing the risk of retaking the MCAT.
However, this will be my third application cycle. In the first, my MCAT was way too low and in the second, I applied too late. Collectively, I have received 2 MD interviews and 2 DO interviews (though the DO invites came AFTER the Vandy job, so I did not attend them). I had to take my opportunity at the time, as nothing else was on my schedule, so I signed a lease and committed to living in Nashville for a year.
I really would like to go to MD school, and I know that my scores and numbers are right on the fringe. I think that the upper range of my ability on the MCAT is probably a 32 or 33, but it would require studying time that I'm just not sure that I have. However, I am obviously very familiar with MCAT material. Considering both my Tennessee residency but also the fact that this is my third time in the game and that I am really not trying to do this again, what are your thoughts?
What do you think my chances are of being outright accepted to UTHSC? I obviously plan to apply to many other schools (as well as DO schools), but my new Tennessee residency helps immensely with UT specifically, so this is the nature of my specific question.