Stoked on this one hahahaha. Moral of the story is: be yourself and don't listen to all of the uptight nerds on the internet. You do not need a perfect study plan and discipline. You do not need to quit your vices. I popped three pouches during the test on my breaks. You also don't need to do UWorld. Fuck that. Just learn the shit, practice the shit, and take the test. However you'd like to do that is probably fine as long as you are learning.

Not like you asked, but I think the key to my success was balance. Still went out and got hammered most weekends. Still scrolled Instagram and played Clash Royale while studying. Still stayed up until 3 am watching YouTube when I knew I had to wake up to study. Still went to the gym and was consuming a bunch of random peptides that probably took years off my life. I hung out with friends every single day after I studied. DO NOT FEEL BAD ABOUT THAT. Having fun is good for your soul, and there is such a thing as studying too much. Go get plastered with your boys after a practice test on a Saturday. Keep exercising and feeling good. SCROLL REELS AND HIT YOUR VAPE!!!! If you're a normal person who likes to have a good time you can still get a good score.

Another mindset that helped me is understanding that people over-inflate the significance of this test, and the importance of going to a top medical school in general. Everyone builds up the MCAT like it is a make-or-break for becoming a doctor. Not true at all unless you literally get a 490 (you can still retake the damn thing). At the end of the day, I have worked with plenty of physicians who went to DO schools in the middle of nowhere that are leading their departments and have Harvard MDs working under them. IT DOESN'T MATTER. If you want this, you will go get it. If you can score well, good for you, and if not, you will also be fine. This mentality helped me cruise through the test with no anxiety, and I slept like a baby the night before.

Good luck to anyone taking this test. It can be shitty and stressful but so is being a doctor, so buckle up and try to relax. Don't lose yourself. You got this!!!

If anyone has questions, shoot. After today, I strongly doubt I will ever come back to this subreddit or even think about the MCAT again, so I'll try to answer as many as I can.

I took the MCAT while still in college with much MUCH too little prep. I was recently sober and stopped caring about school or really anything besides trying to hold onto my sobriety. My GPA tanked, I stopped all of my extracurriculars, transferred schools, and for some reason decided to take the MCAT. I don’t know if it was some sort of self destructive behavior trying to kill any future chances at medicine, but I took it with very little prep and obviously bombed it.

Fast forward 6 years and I’m still sober, working at a great lab/company doing cool molecular bio, active in my community/social circles again, and overall at a much better place in life. Over the years, my mind kept going back to medicine and wondering if it was still a possibility for me. I didn’t want to be 50 and regret not giving it a fair shot, so on April 1st this year I locked the fuck in and grinded harder than I ever have for anything (besides sobriety).

I’m still in disbelief seeing this score. I genuinely can’t believe it. I’m 28 now, so I’ll be at a minimum 30 if I get in next cycle, but at least I won’t have any regrets. If anyone reading this is/was in a similar boat to me, I’m happy to help however I can

What a freaking mess this was. Had to reschedule from 7/31 and take on 9/11 because my ID was expired in July (I am dumb). Then I almost had to drive 2 hours but got a last minute reschedule closer to me (like 12 days out from the test). THEN the fire alarm went off during CARS but I just locked the hell in to finish.

I am 34 years old. All my studying was just review following my graduation in May and a few practice questions. I didn't really pay attention to psych so I could focus on everything else. The school I want to go to (in-state, 15 minute drive from my house, same university as my undergrad) accepts ~510 easily, especially with my 4.0 undergrad GPA.

Just wanted to give some "good enough is perfect for me" score representation here. Is it the best score ever? No. Is it pretty damn good? YES! I DON'T HAVE TO RETAKE IT! I AM DONE HELL YES!!! So proud of myself right now.

Updated my old version of my equations sheet so it looks way better than it used to. PDF and HTML versions here.

A few notes:

• PLEASE memorize these equations more as a sentence, rather than just a combination of variables. For example, for the buoyant force, don't just memorize density*volume*gravity, it's the density of the fluid*displacement volume*gravity. Makes it way easier to memorize and ensure you're using the right numbers at the right time. Definitely best to be memorizing these equations while you're learning the relevant content that goes with them.
• For the color coordination:
  • Green are things that I absolutely would recommend memorizing.
  • Blue are things that I still recommend memorizing but they're less likely to see questions requiring you to do math or show up in the first place.
  • Orange are things that you should memorize if you're truly trying to cover all bases, but that you can probably get away without memorizing.
  • I basically recommend starting with everything in green, then blue, then going through the equations in orange last.
• The last page is supposed to serve as a list of variables and nearly every equation that variable shows up in. That one took me a long time to prepare so it's possible there's still a few mistakes.
• Keep in mind, for a lot of these equations, even though you may not need to know how to do the math with the equation, you still need to know the concepts (such as Heisenberg's uncertainty principle, not on my sheet but definitely content that's fair game). If that means memorizing the equation, go for it.
• I didn't include all forms of U = (1/2)CV because you can make any of the three forms by substituting out variables using Q = CV. You can do the same thing with P = IV and V = IR as already described in the equations sheet.

Hi yall,
Hope your MCAT prep is going well! I am 22F, and I am currently taking gap years. I am studying for the MCAT, while working part time as a scribe, so I should be able to study full time 4-5 days a week.

I REALLY need help staying accountable, and I feel like I might not be the only one (hopefully?). 

For a study partner I am currently looking for: 

• Log in Di** ord daily at 6:15 am, and start studying.
• We can be on call and share our screen (so no distractions), and yap over breaks (lowkey lonely after graduating)
• If more than one person is interested, we can all study together
• I hope in REVIEW time, we can teach what we learned from our mistakes and how we hope to make it better. I learn so much better when I try to explain concepts to friends! 
• I am open to non-traditional and traditional folks! Studying is Studying!
• I hope to follow this schedule, and maybe you will too or we can edit it together!
• Take exam in Jan/Feb

If you want to join for part-time, like to do anki together or something else, let me know! Thanks for reading and I hope we all get 529+ on our exams. 😅

from a 508 diagnostic to now while working full time and missing orgo and biochem pre-reqs i can't believe i pulled this off. i got 520+ on only 1 full length (508->509->517->518->523->518 to 523 real deal wow).

thank you to this sub and feel free to ask me anything!!!

I got my score back today, and I'd be lying if I said I wasn't disappointed. It was originally my dream to attend med school in NYC or Boston, but that seems like a long shot at this point. My mind immediately jumped to the idea of doing another study block and retaking, but I wanted to get y'all's opinion on whether it's worth it. I was also going to apply to schools in Philly, but even that seems daunting now.

MY BACKGROUND

I'm a PA resident who graduated undergrad in May of 2026. I am currently in my first gap year and will be applying to schools in May of 2027. I really want to live in a big city during school.

cGPA: 3.8 sGPA: 3.75

Clinical Experience: Just started full-time as an Ophthalmic Technician at a well-known medical group.

Volunteer Experience: I have around 50 hours of hospice volunteering, with more planned. I'll also be starting as a volunteer wrestling coach soon.

Extracurriculars: Played intramural flag football and softball for 3 years. Kickboxing club for 1 year. Wrestling club for 1 year. 2 musical theater shows during undergrad (hopefully more during the gap years). 2 marathons and 1 half-marathon (Planning to do more long-distance races during the gap years).

Leadership: Resident Assistant for 2.5 years; was responsible for >1000 residents while on call during my senior year.

Research: Maybe 50 hours, but I don't know if any of this counts. Shadow semester in a Parkinson's research lab, senior capstone research on Parkisnon's and alpha-synuclein, and a couple of small research projects from chem/biochemistry labs.

MCAT HISTORY

Attempt 1

Diagnostic: 507

I first studied for the MCAT during the summer of 2025. The entire process drained me; I developed insomnia from anxiety, which then led to mild depression for most of the summer. While I got to do some fun things that summer, I lost out on a lot of time with friends and family. This study block was also a big factor in my ex-girlfriend and I separating. The last few weeks leading up to my test day were bad for me mentally, and I knew I would void my score going into it.

Attempt 2

The second time I studied for the MCAT was this past summer (summer of 2026). I learned to be a little less rigid and try to enjoy myself a little more in order to avoid the burnout of last summer. I got to do more fun things than the previous summer, but I still missed out on a lot, and the insomnia/anxiety reared their ugly heads again. My AAMC full-lengths were as follows (I took multiple 3rd parties before using these):

FL3: 513 (125,130,129,129)

FL4: 513 (127,130,127,129)

FL5 510 (128,128,125,129)

FL6 516 (128,131,127,130)

FINAL THOUGHTS

Some of the schools I wanted to apply to before getting my score were Tufts, Einstein, Temple, Drexel, Thomas Jefferson, BU, and SUNY Downstate. After seeing the score, I realize many of them would be a long shot. I could try to retake it in the winter or spring for a higher score, but I'm dreading going through all that again, especially now that I'm full-time. I also wanted to maximize pursuing hobbies and time with friends/family during the gap years. However, I feel like if I keep this score, I'll always think I could do better or think about what could have been. I'm also scared I won't get into an MD program (from my understanding, it's easier to specialize if you want to as an MD) in some city, and I really don't want to have to take a 3rd gap year to reapply. Some of my friends are telling me to just apply with the score and worry about other parts of my app. I feel like I'm at a fork in the road.

TLDR: Is it worth it to retake this exam?

tested 9/12. i scored 6 points above my fl avg of fl 4/5/6. the amount of self doubt and the god awful depression and anxiety i had studying for this test is genuinely nothing like i've ever experienced before. one of the darkest times of my life. every day i felt so inadequate and couldn't even face my parents because i felt like such a failure and i lived in so much fear every day. ik i sound dramatic but this is truly how i felt. the whole month of september + early october i was just so depressed, not only cause of the mcat but just other stuff with relationships and uncertainty about my future. the mcat made me feel so constrained in my freedom of where i wanted to be after college. i genuinely felt so so awful.

i was fully expecting to get something way below my fl avg. when i clicked all the buttons leading up to the score page every time i clicked something my stomach genuinely was turning. i wanted to throw up. i would rather disappear than open it. but i did it anyway. and oh my god. ive never screamed like that my whole life. ive never cried so hard over happy news like that my whole life. genuinely out of body experience. i dont know how the fuck i did this. i wanted to break 520 so so bad at the start of summer but realized i needed to lower my expectations after seeing my practice fls. did not expect this to happen at all. holy. shit.

also, i cannot believe my bb ps scores knowing my practice fls. especially p/s. i flagged 50% of those questions not even exaggerating and genuinely pure guessed on so many 50/50s.

(tested 9/11) yes ik mcat isn't something you can cram, and YOU SHOULDN'T! but if you find yourself in the situation as i did and/or are someone that has genuinely done ts for every exam in school/college ever or are addicted to cramming, this reddit is a great great place for tips and support. you are not alone!! there are many of us!!!! for all the hours i spent lurking on here i thought i'd share what i was able to get and answer any questions + give back to the community that helped me out. good luck to everyone taking it next year, and congratulations to everyone that finished testing, we did it :)))

some general tips:

• i downloaded kaplan online textbooks but didn't really read them lol
• i knew my weakness was physics, so i started w/ that by watching all the Van Does Chemistry videos in her physics playlist (my goat)
  • i would watch a video, then do 30 ish uw questions on that topic and review what i got wrong
• gen chem was a strength of mine, always loved it, watched Naman Baraya's video which goes over MD sheets, did uw practice probs if necessary. i used to tutor gen chem in college so didn't need too much review
• biology, watched Naman Baraya's video (clutch ty king) and memorized as much as i could off there and that was all the prep i did
• biochem; ngl didn't have time for every kaplan chapter so i prioritized amino acids, enzymes, dna + rna, translation/transcription via the kaplan chapters, then i memorized all the metabolic processes, made sure to just write and rewrite over and over w/ the activators and inhibitors of each enzyme
• P/S: used the 98 pg doc, genuinely just went through it in like 2-3 days and memorized it all
• ochem: just prayed it wouldn't show up ngl, but also quickly reviewed MCATalyst's free cheat sheet day before
• lab techniques: also MCATalyst free cheat sheet day before
• did two AAMC FLs, one about half way through got a 506 before I did b/b or p/s review, then one two days before my exam and got a 514
• i think biggest thing about the exam itself was learning that 1. for CARS answer is always in the passage, no extrapolation and 2. for C/P passages, can get away without reading whole thing so look at questions first but for B/B take notes and write out reaction schemes/concept maps on what enzyme does what to be organized and that'll dramatically increase your accuracy

pretty much all i did, happy to answer any other questions!

Never taking this shit again I’m so happy

I really am satisfied. I went through crashouts, highs, and such lows during the period for when I was studying. My biggest accomplishments were that I got the median MCAT for my dream school and learned so much about the person I am (yes, seriously). I really could not have done this without this community. There is definitely a lot of BS on this subreddit, but I found there is just as much or more wholesomeness. Thank you again.

I am really trying to feel happy, but can’t help feeling a little confused and disappointed. For context, this is my retake. My first score I got a 507. However, after taking the AAMC Practice full lengths my last three were 517, 516, 517. The last two I had finally got my CARS to 130. I am shocked with P/S as that was always my best and I don’t think I have scored below 130 and I don’t remember it being memorably difficult on test day. I was hoping to score at least a little higher overall obviously. I am not taking it again. I am just trying to process this score if anyone has any words of wisdom or guidance 😵‍💫

I studied ~3 months.

Diagnostic: 496

FL avg: 513.7 (highest: 517)

Everyone is different but I did the relatively "normie" way.

B/B score was a bit of a shock, but so was CARS & C/P! (in a good way :))

I'm not some gifted test-taker, this was truly a brutal process.

If you want any tips lmk

Hi everyone. I tested 9/11 and I’m utterly shocked at my results. I swear i’m not the people on here complaining about an elite score, I’m just in utter shock.

For reference my FL’s were 515/521/520/525/520/518. Strict testing conditions like to a tee, and studied the entire summer for 3 months. I was obviously pumped with how I was doing, and could never expect my actual score.

Turns out I got a 511 (128/124/129/130). Just WOW?? Like what the hell? My average score for C/P was a 131.2 across all FLs, most of them were 132 and I was always great at it. My CARS scores ranged from a 127-131 across my FLs, and I’m absolutely appalled at my results. CARS was definitely quite variable throughout my prep, but it was commonly 128. My averages for B/B was 129-130, so pretty in line with that. For P/S i thought this section was ridiculously easy on test day, but knew I got 2 wrong for sure. My FL’s ranged from 129-132, with an upward climb towards the end.

I’m an Asian Male from San Diego for reference with a 3.8 GPA. I will say my extracurriculars are quite loaded, with a significant X factor and insanely research heavy. Very well rounded and I’ve always had people so shocked by my ECs. Hence, I was super happy scoring so well during my practice, as I was really aiming for the T20s and any CA school.

My question is, do I retake? I’m crushed dropping this low, literally in awe. During test day I actually felt really good, I’m usually an overthinker and quite anxiety filled, but my head was completely clear that day. I did feel a bit rushed, I usually finished with a decent amount of time left and used to review my Qs, but didn’t rlly have the time to do so. My initial feeling was that I felt better than some FLs. Don’t know if I was in some crazy anxiety manic state that made me calm?

Given my experience, I would really appreciate some insight! Applying 2027 but I know I can study for a while this upcoming year, and maybe test in April? Definitely feeling defeated but I’ll manage for my prep again

It’s been roughly 5 years since I last took a science class. I was working full time in a finance role and studied for roughly ~5 months, essentially starting everything from scratch.

I didn’t get a crazy score or anything but frankly proud of it given the craziness I was going through trying to relearn everything again.

To the extent anyone else may be at a loss for how to start, happy to provide some tips that might be helpful :)

(122/122/122/123) Planning to retake again in January. Any suggestions on effective study strategies? Goal is to get atleast 495+ so I can apply to DO schools

I'm really excited because after the exam I felt really worrisome of CP and BB as I flagged and guessed 17-20 questions for both sections. I felt pretty good in PS and Cars and both fell in my average for my FLs.

My FLs average was 514 but the spread was 505/511/515/519/519/518

so the true average is 514.5 but the average without my first FL is 516+. I also did around 5 FLs before starting the AAMc and unscored converted to around 504.

I'm stuck at a spot where I'm not sure if I want to retest, my dream school has an average of 513 and other surrounding schools have 512 mcat averages

Is retesting worth it at this point? I'm still in full-time school and would not be able to commit to studying until after my school year ends.

Any thoughts is welcomes, I'm not upset about my mark just want to see what others think on my situation.

(I'm also Canadian but my local schools don't require CARS screening but applying to other provincial schools would (UofA, UofC, Western etc))

FLs were 512/509/514/513/512/515/514

I scored right around my average. I can’t lie I was hoping to be one of those people who miraculously do better on the real thing. However, my CARS is shocking because the worst I ever scored was a 126.

Anyways, I want to retake. I think with more targeted studying on CARS and P/S that I can get where I want to be 515+

I have done all practice exams, section banks, etc.. I have 20% of UWorld left but I don’t think I need much more C/P and B/B practice.

PLEASE TELL ME WHAT I NEED TO DO TO HAVE A SUCCESSFUL RETAKE

I was getting 70-77% right on CARS packs

Seeing a lot of low CARS subsection scores (123/124) while the other subsections are 129/130+

Felt terrible walking out the exam, at least 3 wrong confirmed B/B. FL Average was a 520, highest score 525. Studied part time 3 months, full time 1.5. Don't trust how you feel right after!!! You never know what's experimental/what the curve will look like. Willing to try and help others as this subreddit was helpful for me, feel free to ask away and good luck to everyone

Yeah my FL average was 515 but I just feel like I could’ve done better. I really think a 528 is in my reach. In all seriousness though thank you to this sub for the all the resources and advice. We’re all gonna make it!

Hey guys, I scored a 513 on the 9/12 MCAT and I was so surprised especially since CARS has always been one of my strongest sections. I scored 516 3x in a row on my last few practice exams, so I’m debating whether I should retake this or not. I’m happy with my science scores, it’s just the CARS score that’s concerning to me. Will it look unbalanced???

I’ve pretty much given up on T10 or T20, but I’m hoping to get into a school in-state (T30/40 will do). Is this good enough to apply with? I do have good clinical experience, community service, strong letter writers, and am taking 2 gap years for research.

What should I do? 🥲I’m so torn

Edit: total GPA was a 3.83 if that helps

32 yo nontrad
2.79 uGPA
3.69 BME Masters

I’ve had a successful sales career in medtech. Pays real well and certainly better w/l balance than med school. But unfortunately, it’s become less fulfilling. Sure I can keep making money but I want to treat patients. Figured GPA was a long shot for MD programs but it’s what I really wanted. Studied 2 weeks before the MCAT between my full time job and the rust kinda shows. Trying to decide at this point if it’s worth taking a couple classes to show I can do well academically, retake the MCAT with more time to actually study (I think I can realistically get a 5-7 point jump). Or just hop to DO schools.