u/FormalZealousideal61

Hi! So I got an R from UBC and my MCAT score was a 509, so I’m planning to retake it. My breakdown was 129/123/128/128, and my main weakness was definitely CARS. I’m considering taking the Jack Westin course where, over 2 months, there are 2 classes weekly with 2 hours of instruction and a guaranteed 5+ point increase, which would hopefully bring my CARS to at least a 128. If my other sections stayed the same, that would put me at around a 514 overall which I would be happy with.

Last year I really struggled to improve CARS despite putting in a lot of effort and doing a ton of AAMC and free JW CARS practice. The course is $1,499, which isn’t a huge issue since my parents are willing to support me, but we’re not super wealthy so I also don’t want to waste money if it’s not worth it.

Do you guys think the course would be worth buying? Has anyone bought it and improved significantly with it? Would it be better to take the 515+ guarantee course that is $3,499? Or should I do 1-on-1 tutoring?

I didn’t receive an interview invite from SFU Med this year (did get a UBC invite), and I’ve been debating whether I even want to apply again next year. The process feels very subjective, especially since it depends so heavily on how well you can write your application. With thousands of applications, I also wonder how reviewers can fairly assess ~10 references along with personal essays without personal bias influencing decisions. On top of that, outcomes can depend a lot on how strongly someone else writes your reference letters.

I understand that stats aren’t perfect predictors of success in medical school, but there is still a fairly strong correlation. I’m not saying admissions should rely solely on stats, but I do think they should play more of a role beyond just serving as a cutoff.