All aspiring medical students know the importance of the Medical College Admission Test (MCAT), the test you need to get into medical school. As all students know, MCAT can be a tough nut to crack, and may require months and months of prepping to ace. And even after all those weeks of study, one cannot guarantee a great score. Even the most brilliant students may have test-related anxieties and sadly their test results fail to reflect the skills they need to get into their preferred medical school. It is no wonder that many students would prefer to get into medical school without wandering this meandering path!
Does the mere thought of writing the MCAT ties your stomach in knots too? Are you stressing over seeking admission in a credible medical school with a low MCAT score? You are not alone, in fact a vast majority of medical students dread the MCAT for its complex material, long hours, and the weight it carries in their medical school applications. Especially, if you don’t have a science background, the prospect of going through MCAT biology passages or MCAT physics equations may be even more daunting. Therefore, it does not come as a surprise that as many as 24% of all test takers have to retake the MCAT to get better scores. However, what if we tell you that you can skip the MCAT altogether and still get into a medical school? Sounds too good to be true? Well, it is entirely possible!
While the MCAT tops the list of medical school requirements in the US and Canada and is used as one of the indicators of your academic and intellectual prowess, for most accredited Caribbean medical schools, the MCAT is not the only thing that admissions panels consider when going over a prospective student’s credentials. The best part is that these programs offer the same level of education in prestige and are virtually identical to standard programs. Here are some of the benefits of steering clear of the MCAT entirely:
Cost-saving
The MCAT can set you back hundreds of dollars. While you may only be considering the hefty administrative fees you pay to actually take the exam, you cannot possibly ignore the costs associated with the MCAT test prep. You may have to bear the cost of hiring a MCAT tutor to help you ace the various modules, or even if you are studying on your own, you will still need to purchase MCAT prep books, practice tests or even sign up for online MCAT prep courses. Even if you are willing to work on a shoe string budget and skip professional help, let us remind you that the cost of retaking the MCAT or reapplying to medical school because of a bad MCAT can weight heavier on your pockets. Every time you fail, you have to pay the fees all over again. Most Caribbean medical universities, such as the Windsor University School of Medicine, are not only much less expensive than their American counterparts, they also help you save a lot more by allowing you to skip the MCAT and escape the vicious student debt trap.
Play on your other Skills
Most students spend years getting good grades, year after year, and maintain a stellar academic record. Med schools that don’t require MCAT, apply weightage to the student’s GPA, Statements of Purpose, references, shadowing experience, and Interviews, as basis for selection. This puts the ball in your court, especially if you are not a good exam-taker. While even with the best of prep, you can end up screwing up your MCAT due to exam-related stress or other factors, but Caribbean medical schools that do not require an MCAT score for admission, look at your profile on the whole. This gives you more areas to improve and enhances your chance of gaining admission in a credible medical school.
Less Stress
For most students looking to pursue a career in medicine, the MCAT is a big part of getting their foot in the door. This is why students set such a score by MCAT and end up burning themselves up over MCAT prep. Doing so takes away their focus from school and puts unnecessary pressure on their shoulders. On the other hand, when students are alleviated of having to fret endlessly over the arduous syllabus of MCAT, they can get good grades at school and enjoy a thriving social life.
