As you may have already learned, a low MCAT score you may achieve while still getting admitted into medical school depends on a variety of criteria.
But getting a handle on these aspects is essential if you want to calculate your odds. You see, what’s considered a low MCAT score for one student might not be for another!
Don’t you find it confusing? Don’t be concerned; it’s not.
This article will explain all of the elements that influence your low MCAT score in MCAT exam, helping you to determine what test score do you need and how low your MCAT score can be before you are admitted into medical school. You will learn about the lowest possible MCAT Score accepted, and how to deal with a low test score you are not happy with. You may also find out what is the top 1 MCAT test prep course to score better.
What is the Lowest MCAT Score Accepted into Med School?
Most people, especially students, would be surprised to learn that the gap between getting accepted and getting rejected might be so small. Read more about Altius MCAT prep programs to have a better understanding on importance of having the minimum score accepted to be in medical school.
In the range from 472 to 528, the MCAT score distribution is unimodal. The result of this exercise is a list of all the music items that encompass a single theme, as well as individual parts of each theme, with each section’s score ranging from 118 to 132.
The median MCAT score you should be aiming for to put you in the 50th percentile is around 500, or 125 on each part. But even then, people who score in the 50th percentile are deemed to be below average MCAT score.
Anything below a cumulative MCAT score of 510 is borderline, and the standard used to evaluate your results is your cumulative MCAT score. It is above the 50th percentile, however medical schools who are seeking to maintain their competitiveness would like to go with pupils who have a better score in MCAT exam. 510 is on the brink of being a good MCAT score, so it may be anywhere between decent and good, depending on the medical school you’re applying to.
What’s Considered a “Low” MCAT Score?
On the average MCAT score, for MD programs, anything below a 507 is considered to be a low or bad MCAT score. In the view of medical school admissions boards, the three-point difference appears to be trivial, but in reality, it’s enormous.
While there is a high likelihood of getting into a competitive medical school if you have a 507, there is a low probability of getting into a Caribbean medical school if you have a 507. It’s still conceivable if your application is noteworthy enough to get the attention of the general public. If your MCAT score below 507 on your application, though, you might not even get a chance to send it to the school of medicine you applied to.
But What About DO Programs?
Allopathic medical schools grant the standard MD and all of the information above pertains to that class of medical schools. However, what about all of the osteopathic schools that grant a DO?
Although the best schools of medicine are sometimes more lenient with regards to a low MCAT score, poor MCAT scores in and of itself are not sufficient for entry. They tend to take a broader look at a student’s achievements and will consider upward grading trends when making a decision.
While you may not need to score as high as 500 on your MCAT to get into a DO program, it will generally be possible as long as you have obtained a MCAT score of at least 500. Click here to view how to get into medical school with a low GPA requirements.
Getting admitted into a DO or MD program obviously doesn’t matter; the greatest score you can achieve is always ideal regardless of whether your aims are to get into a DO or MD program. A better MCAT score makes it more likely that you will be accepted into your medical school of choice, as well as opens up the possibility of other schools to which you may be admitted.
There are, on average, 502 possible questions in a competitive application, and as a general rule, you should go for a score of 505 if you’re applying to a DO program. To put it simply, if you score higher than 505, you will be in a quite good situation.
Is It Possible To Get Accepted With Even Lower Scores?
According to recent studies, there have definitely been occasions where students get accepted into both MD and DO schools despite sub-500 GMAT/GPA scores.
However, that is quite uncommon.
Even when the MCAT exam score is lower than 500, it’s difficult to be accepted into medical school. On the other hand, while many of these kids needed additional aid to receive acceptance, most have to go through immense struggles just to achieve entry.
How Your State of Residency Factors In
In the above statement, we have already listed some important variables that the school of medicine would take into consideration while making admissions decisions. It could come as a surprise, but one of the major contributing factors is your residency status.
You have a greater chance of getting into a school of medicine inside your state if you go to a state med school first. That is because the goal of schools is to get its pupils to stay in the area after they graduate. They are interested in making a better healthcare system for the state.
If you have previously established residency in the state before matriculation, there is a significant possibility that you will continue to reside in the state following matriculation. This gives you an advantage, since schools will view your application more favorably because of your family ties and/or your long-term residency in the state. In-state students who receive MCAT scores that are lower than average MCAT score may be favored over out-of-state students with higher scores.
Obviously, you’re not assured admission, but having a solid average GPA and MCAT SAT/ACT scores definitely puts you ahead of the competition. It is evident that states with numerous educational institutions and significant student populations have a better shot of receiving a low MCAT score than states that only have a few schools.
While it may not matter if you live in a place like California where the number of candidates is through the sky, in other states where the applicant pool is more moderate, the benefits of an endorsement will help you in your search.
A significant number of applications arrive at certain schools in comparison to others. These are those highly coveted educational schools that everyone aspires to enter. As a result, the criteria MCAT candidates need to meet to be considered by these prestigious organizations often tends to be higher.
When it comes to GPA and MCAT scores, all of the MCAT applicants have remarkable qualifications. Consequently, getting in with a low MCAT score is extremely difficult.
The Influence Of Your GPA
Admissions teams place the greatest weight on your MCAT, but they will also consider your GPA. Now, here is where the story will take an unusual turn. Students who get high GPAs and who have sufficiently low MCAT scores are both able to get into medical school. Medical school with low acceptance rates will be one of the easiest medical schools to get into if you gave a low GPA score.
A school of medicine knows that children have terrible days, so they accommodate them in other ways, for example, through flexible scheduling. Based on your GPA, you demonstrate that you can handle the coursework and have an excellent understanding of the material. This means that they may be ready to accept a low MCAT score.
A poor GPA can potentially be a hindrance, but it’s not a guarantee.
To provide a more concrete example, let’s say you’re applying to medical school. MD programs are quite competitive, and applicants need to have a strong GPA and strong MCAT score. If you have a poor MCAT with an average MCAT score GPA of 3.7, you will face difficulties getting into medical school.
The Correlation Between Low MCAT Score And Success in Medical School
While it is quite uncommon to get into medical school with a low MCAT score, that doesn’t always mean that the rest of your application will be a cakewalk.
It is vital to keep in mind that your score is merely an indication of your potential, while a low MCAT score can most likely suggest that you will need to brush up on some of your medical knowledge.
A med school utilizes the MCAT to measure your understanding of the subject material. Success is usually determined by your score on the test. A higher score indicates that there is a very good possibility that you will be able to pass the United States Medical Licensing Examination, or USMLE.
Most medical schools want their students to do well. They are hoping to pick medical students who are good students, and then those students will grow to become competent doctors. By expanding, it has a positive impact on their statistical averages as well as the overall healthcare system.
When looking for admission to medical school when choosing medical students, your MCAT scores are critical. As a general rule, if you manage to get into a medical school with a low test score, that will be seen as a positive indicator that you need to get more educated.
In most circumstances, students who have a score that falls at the lower end of the spectrum have a greater likelihood of being academically excluded.
There is no need to be afraid of this, but be truthful with yourself. Your apparent decline in performance is generally a warning that you’ll have to work a bit harder to catch up.
How To Make Up For A Low or Bad MCAT Score
If you are having difficulty achieving the MCAT score you desire, you will have to work a bit more to make your application stand out to get the highest MCAT score possible. Even while the MCAT is very significant when applying to medical schools, it is not the final word on whether or not one will get in.
If you have low MCAT test scores, there are various things you may do to make up for that. For example, get a next step Blueprint MCAT books if you are in the program of Blueprint prep course. The objective is to demonstrate that you are ready for the difficult task ahead. You want to convey to the admissions panel that you are willing to accept the challenge and will excel both while you are in a school of medicine and after you have graduated.
Gain Additional Clinical Experience
By working as a hospital or clinic intern, you can receive invaluable clinical experience that helps you in your job search. It takes schools a while to realize who among their pupils is doing well outside of the classroom, so they tend to take it into consideration when placing pupils.
Nonetheless, clinical experience is vital to increasing your application’s chances of acceptance.
Volunteer work will get you work experience while paid ones will provide you professional experience. That facet doesn’t play much of a role in your application. That’s important, but what is even more important is the jobs you do and how consistently you are working.
There are numerous possibilities out there for you to increase your experience. It is possible to observe a physician so you may learn more about what they perform on a daily basis. Another option is to volunteer at your local hospital where you can do a wide range of tasks.
It doesn’t matter, as you’ll be working in your field anyway. Not only that, but you’ll be dealing with people of all levels of expertise on a daily basis. Those contacts you create could prove to be a great asset when it comes time to obtain letters of recommendation.
When learning a new task, attempt to do it in as many different locations as feasible. To be genuinely competitive, you need to not only follow a doctor about, but also conduct experiments, assess patients, discover medical facts, and more. Search to see if you can uncover possibilities that allow you to interact with patients on a personal level. People who want to give of their time can volunteer at a local hospital or work as an interpreter.
Both of those cases gives you the opportunity to contact with patients, which is an immense benefit.
A second key thing to strive for is to have prominent leadership responsibilities. Leaders in the field, doctors, can also be defined as leaders. When it comes to teamwork, leadership is key. If you can demonstrate your ability to lead a team to their goals, your application will get attention.
As a volunteer, you have many ways to become a lead volunteer, assuming you do not already hold the title. One possibility is to get training for new volunteers at a local hospital. Also, you can become an event volunteer, or plan a health event. No matter what the case may be, work hard to accumulate as much clinical experience in as many areas as possible.
Do A Post-Bacc Or Special Master’s Program
If you have low MCAT scores for your preferred school of medicine, you can find a way to supplement your education and show that you’re ready for the challenge of medical school. After receiving a post-baccalaureate and/or special master’s degree, many medical school applicants choose for the post-baccalaureate and/or special master’s track rather than being accepted right away.
These programs focus on providing extensive training in various critical subjects. This encompasses both biological science, as well as biochemical and biomedical science.
As often as not, the coursework is similar to what first-year medical students are learning! There is also a vast majority of these courses taught by experienced medical school instructors, providing you with a high-quality educational experience.
There are numerous programs offered by many medical schools with a focus on preparing their students for their particular degree. With a post-baccalaureate or special master’s program, there is a very specific concentration, which means they are extremely specialized. Schools typically construct the coursework to mirror that of medical school, and, so, emulate the medical school experience.
You’ll help yourself in getting into the school of medicine of your choice if you join the program at the institution where you want to enroll. During this opportunity, you will be provided with the ability to show off your expertise, while furthermore learning more to better your chances of success. It’s mutually beneficial.
Perform Well In Extra Classes
There are also effective strategies for remedying a low MCAT score, including succeeding in demanding courses. Even if you are in a pre-medical program, you can still take extra classes to help you overcome those hurdles on the examination such as MCAT exam.
Another example is, if you scored low on the Biological and Biochemical Foundations of the Living Systems portion, you could say that you had done poorly on the course. It is possible that this portion might have decreased your final score.
You can enroll in a biology and biochemistry course as an elective to make up for your bad score in that subject. Offering two separate advantages, this could be perfect for you.
To begin, doing well in those classes shows that you comprehend the topic. It could indicate that the poor score was just a fluke. While scores in those classes might also be used to show that you had realized your faults and were actively working to rectify them, the higher total is also indicative of proficiency. Medical school admissions panels look for a favorable upward trend in your application.
The other benefit of taking those classes is that it can aid you if you are accepted. It’s a great opportunity to focus on areas in your education you may want to improve before beginning your studies in medical school. It is useful to learn about those classes since they will be highly important to your success in medical school.
Should You Retake The MCAT Exam if Current MCAT Score Is Low?
It is a discreet step to retake MCAT. Before you decide, carefully evaluate whether the rest of your application can compensate for the low score. Also, do some research on the medical schools on the requirement of MCAT to see if you will be a good fit. If the decision is hard, you may seek help from MCAT prep experts.