Matters with the MCAT, if it matters, that is

Since I offered up a complaint filled entry about the nonsensical interview/acceptance phenomena, I should add to the application thoughts with a few opinions on the MCAT. Besides, I’m not actually a med student yet, so I have very little frame of reference from which to give medicine related advice. Your confidence in my ability to dole out solutions in clinical care should be akin to your confidence in a C student from Connecticut who claims to be a cowboy from Texas and scrapes by on his father’s name doling out solutions in American policy. I’m one of the few people who will advocate the use of the MCAT. I know the MCAT brings about dread and distaste. Premeds feel they have no control (you do), that a few points will cost them their hopes and dreams (they won’t), or that a bad score means you are unintelligent and incapable (it doesn’t).

2 out of the 3 major MCAT sections (I won’t talk about the writing section because it is just stupid) are directly related to how much and how well you study. The MCAT is measuring your ability to learn the information and synthesize it under different pressures against everyone else. If you aren’t putting forth the level of effort others are, you shouldn’t complain about a low score and its affect on applications. I truly believe that 90% of student can attain ~30 with good study habits and effort. This type of score paired with an average premed GPA (~3.5) will get you into school as long as you show some genuine interest in what you are doing outside of the classroom. The other 10% who have difficulties with the MCAT (and probably standardized tests in generally) have an obstacle to overcome—nothing more and nothing less. If you fall in this category, fight through the despair. Explain you test taking issues in an eloquent way in your application and on interviews. In your ECs, go out of your way to show depth of intellectual efforts in research or by impressing qualified mentors who can write a letter. Remember, the MCAT is a major portion of the application, but it is only 1 of 5 major portions. Make sure your other 4 sections, GPA, LORs, PS, ECs, are in top shape and YOU WILL FIND A SPOT.

As far as needing to score a huge number to get into the top schools, yes and no. For every 40 at a top school there is a 30. Top schools are looking for big time potential. High GPA and MCAT shows high ability for assimilating information, but this has to be complimented by showing the facility to get things done. It is much more frequent that an average MCAT with great accomplishments gets into the elite schools than a great MCAT and little else does.

Alright, I need to organize and finish this. Get after the MCAT: study, take a class if needed, study, do tons of practice question, study. Do everything you can! If you are still not satisfied with the result, step back from the ledge. Throw yourself on the things you can control, these things are just as important and often times more important than the dreaded test.