Man Ovens, Shoring Up Weaknesses, and Ditching the MCAT

Last Updated on June 24, 2022 by Laura Turner

Should you fix a bad grade, or concentrate on making your strengths even stronger?

Activia (not her actual name, though it probably should be. Feel free to take that name, anonymous caller) emailed us at [email protected] to ask whether she should retake her physics classes (which she took while coping with other unfortunate life-related stuff) or concentrate on getting great grades in other courses. In addition, she wanted to know if admissions committees REALLY take into account extenuating circumstances?

Well, you’re in luck, Activia! We’ve got answers from non-traditional first-year students Kyle Kinder, Nick Lind, and Emma Barr; and our friendly admissions staff Dan and Amy chime in, too.

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We also play a game of Psych! while Dave tries to use their performance to make judgments about their personalities. Can he do it? No, he can’t, though he notes with concern Kyle’s suspicious ideas about male anatomical structures and function. Too late, Admissions, you said yes!

This Week in Medical News

Facebook has become known as a place where you can find any number of suspicious ideas, but it seems ready to judge so-called alternative health pages as unworthy of its platform. And we discuss an article that argues the MCAT should no longer be used because of a legal concept called “disparate impact.”

And in case you missed last week’s episode, check it out here: Owning a Visible Disability during Med School Interviews

On The Short Coat Podcast, medical students from the University of Iowa and their co-host Dave Etler discuss news, fresh views, helpful clues, and interviews. Hear new episodes on iTunes and the Short Coat Podcast website every Thursday, republished Fridays on the Student Doctor Network.