This isn't a short yap so thanks for staying if you do.
First post here. Been lurking for a while and I need advice. No premed friends and first gen so I don't have anyone to talk to who gets it... Keep getting hit with: just apply (financial constraints and lots of external pressure)
Stats:
- ORM, disadvantaged (AAMC), SC resident
- 3.78 cGPA / 3.68 sGPA (upward trend)
- 1300 clinical (CNA/MA/immunizer)
- 2500 non-clinical pharmacy tech (some clinical overlap post-immunizer cert.)
- ~1100 research (2nd author pub, 1st author in progress, 3 posters, 1 presentation was a 1st place poster award, scholarship recipient for research summer abroad at international lab in Brazil)
- Strong LORs
- ~105 volunteer hours via clinical/nonclinical/ and mission trip abroad (hours inconsistent because of work/ weak point)
MCAT story:
- Void → 491 (July 2025) (was being pressured out of a gap year by multiple outside influences so I retested the same summer to try and get a better score, only like a month in-between. I didn't know the implications like I do now)
- Retake plan in January: content + heavy UWorld + AAMC
- FLs (this year): 497 → 495 → 499 → 501 → now just scored 497 again (5/4). Got the 501 exactly 2 weeks out and thought if I just locked in, I could probably get at least a 505+....
- Half of SB done, almost half of UWorld done (49% avg, heavy review but the review would take hours and I feel like I was getting lost in the sauce. I also feel like I do better at UWorld logic than AAMC??)
- Test is in 3 days, completely burnt out
I’ve been grinding for months while working full-time and I’m honestly exhausted. I understand more, started spamming UWorld and did like 800 questions in a month and that's when I broke 500... Thought I could grind for a 505 but burnt myself out instead. Finally found what works but out of time and pushed too hard ;-;
Questions:
Am I actually out of sub-500 jail, upward trending, and is it worth taking the test one more time in the fall? Or call it?
If I land around 500-ish on this attempt, do I:
- Apply DO this cycle where I'm able (don't have a DO letter but found a list of schools that don't require)
- Or take another gap year and try again (even though I’m burnt, broke, and tired of this exam.. I feel like something is finally working but I'm tired.. to my own defense I did see a 10 point increase?)
I feel like the rest of my app is strong enough to not waste, especially since I'm obviously research heavy and starting to lean clinical heavy too with multiple roles/ experience ongoing, but my MCAT is holding everything back.
Would really appreciate honest advice from people who’ve been here. I know the obvious answer is take another lap but I'm broke, will continue to be broke since I'll have to renew resources, maintaining part-time instead of full-time... also, my rec letters will be a little dusty if I take another year and I know they're astounding rec letters but I feel bad asking them to polish again considering it'll be two years since graduating if I do take another lap. I just feel like my life has stalled because of this exam.