Getting Into Medical School part 1: Taking the MCAT
As a junior in college, it was time to decide. I’d considered plenty of other career options, but at 20 years old, I decided to go to medical school. The only thing left to do was apply. This meant: Build my research portfolio. Publish something. Join a medical club. Write a personal statement without the cliché “I want to help people”. Oh, and one other thing. That thing most people think of when considering medical school: Take the MCAT
Yep, like every other step along the path to being a doctor, there was an exam. At the time, this one seemed simple enough. There were only three sections (back then, there’s more now), and all of those were based on stuff I already knew! Courses I did well on. The MCAT looked easy.
That was my first issue…and there would be many more to follow. All together a test I initially thought would be easy became daunting, a major point of stress on my path to becoming a doctor. One that I remember clearly so many years later. In retrospect it shouldn’t have been that way, and I don’t want it to be that way for you. That’s why I’d like to share my MCAT story.
My MCAT Story:
My MCAT was originally scheduled in May of my Junior year. That made it early enough to take the test and get my applications in on the first day. In addition, I had done well in biochem, physics, biology, AND chemistry, so I felt ready. That is, until a week before the MCAT when I took a practice test. Turns out I wasn’t ready. So I figured I’d give myself more time to study, and the next test day in my area was in July. At that point I spoke to my advisor…
“You’ll never get into medical school!”
That’s what he told me. This was the same advisor who offered me the combined undergrad/med school degree only one year earlier. Here he was now saying that if I pushed back my test at all, my application would be too late and I would never get accepted. It seemed a bit intense at the time, but he was the expert. So I took his advice.
Since I wouldn’t get in anyway, and I couldn’t take the test now, I pushed the test back even more. This time to the following year. A huge relief!
Now I had plenty of time to prepare for the MCAT and build a great application! Of course, I also got to watch my friends take their MCAT exams and get accepted into med school while I waited. Not the worst thing, but I did develop a bit of jealousy. Along with jealousy, it made me want to become a doctor even more, so I used that time wisely.
Well, despite having a year to study for the MCAT and feeling as ready as I could, sometimes shit just happens. The morning I was supposed to take my test, I was told that the computers decided not to connect to the testing server and the problem couldn’t be fixed in time. My MCAT was cancelled!
Well f**k. Here I go again, right?
This time I was stressed. I’d already taken a year off for a delayed test date. I put in the time. I studied. Now I was ready. But if I had to reschedule, my application would be late again. Waiting another year? At this rate my advisor was right and I’d never get in.
That morning I called the testing company, and after a few hours and some back and forth, they rescheduled my MCAT for the following week in Montreal, Quebec. Just a quick trip to Canada and I’m taking the MCAT, and my application will be on time. Just had to find my passport. This seemed…ok, I guess.
Once I was no longer doomed, I figured no harm going to the testing center to find out what happened, maybe find out who to blame. I was a bit riled up at the time and as it just. so. turns. out…They fixed the issue! The test worked and people were already there taking it. But I had no idea! Suddenly, I was given a choice. Take the MCAT now after spending the entire morning rescheduling the thing or take it a week later in Montreal.
I’d already waited a year for this. I took it now.
That’s when I learned the importance of having a good test-day morning. I clearly remember sitting down for the first section and leaving 6+ questions unanswered! I was rattled, and It took me a little while longer to get back into the test taking flow. Still, I took the MCAT and I passed with a pretty good score. And most importantly, I got into med school.
What I learned from my MCAT experience:
Looking back at my MCAT experience, I realize that there are a few things I could have done differently. At first I was far too overconfident and didn’t think I’d need to study, and that led to this whole mess. But after that I had a plan. I found the best MCAT prep books, followed my study schedule, and I was ready. Still, despite that, unfortunate things happened and I learned some valuable lessons.
Lesson #1: Don’t be overconfident
If there’s one thing that defines a career in medicine, it’s tests. So many tests that at a certain point they start to blend together. In large part that’s because they build on each other. They’re based on things that you already know. The lesson, though, is that these tests are a beast of their own. Each one takes individual consideration and preparation. If you’re like I was initially, overconfident and unprepared, you end up like me and lose a year.
Lesson #2: Register for the MCAT early
It’s the early bird who gets the worm, right? It’s also the early applicant who gets accepted, and the early MCAT score that gets submitted. Throughout my career, whether applying to undergrad, med school, residency, or even jobs, there’s always been a clear advantage to having your shit together and applying early.
Lesson #3: Find an advisor who’s motivated to help you.
I eventually found out that my advisor firmly believed it was his job to “weed people out” of medical school. Apparently I wasn’t the only one he had discouraged. In retrospect, I know it would have been much better if I had an advisor whose goal was to help me get in. Maybe then I would have taken the MCAT that first year and become a doctor a whole year sooner! (Of course I’m glad with how things ended up.) Since the MCAT, I have had advisors who are genuinely interested in my success. The difference they make is invaluable. If you’re in the same position I was in, find an advisor in your program who wants to help you.
Lesson #4: Stuff happens. Don’t Panic!
The more I remember my MCAT story, the less severe the situation seems. Still, I’m writing about it because it stands out. It stands out because at the time, I panicked. I panicked a bit when I pushed the test back the first time, and I panicked more when I did take the test and left those questions blank. Somehow I had developed test anxiety, and it didn’t go away for a while. After the MCAT, I felt that “life changing test” panic once again when I was studying for USMLE Step 1. Funny thing is, panicking never helped me. Being prepared and feeling confident, however, always did.
Closing Thoughts
It’s been fun looking back at my MCAT test day. I’m pretty far removed from it now, but I still wonder…why didn’t they call me when it started working again? Should I have taken the MCAT in Quebec? Would I have still left those answers blank if it never got cancelled in the first place? Well, it doesn’t really matter.
At the time I was 21 and stressed out. Stressed out about taking a year off and afraid that delaying the MCAT again would mean taking another year off. Of course, I didn’t know that the average age of entering medical students is 24, so I was still ahead of the curve! I also didn’t know that some of my med school classmates also took a gap year and some of them were in their 30s on the first day of school. I realize now that I was young and a bit naive.
Plus, taking that year off did wonders for me and gave me an even stronger desire to go into medicine. What exactly I did during my year off is a topic for another post, but it turns out spending some time in the real world, away from school, can be a real eye opener. In the end, it turns out that taking the time I needed to really get ready for the MCAT wasn’t so bad. Though I still haven’t been to Quebec.
Thank you for reading this far. If you’re enjoying this content, please leave a comment and feel free to follow me on twitter where you’ll be the first to be notified of any new posts.
