I Failed the MCAT, Retook It, and Got Into Multiple Medical Schools
An AMA Reflection for Premeds Who Feel Behind
I hosted an Ask Me Anything (AMA) on Reddit for premed students, and one theme came up again and again:
"What do you do when you fail... and still want to be a doctor?"
So I wanted to turn those questions into a single resource—especially for premeds who feel like one exam, one score, or one bad day has already decided their future.
Here's the truth:
I failed the MCAT.
My first score was around a 475.
I retook it.
I scored a 505.
And I still got into multiple medical schools.
Now, I am a Medical Doctor and Chief Psychiatry Resident for Medical Student Education.
This is what that journey actually looked like.
Q: What Do I Mean When I Say I "Failed" the MCAT?
A: When people hear "failed the MCAT," they often assume I mean that I received a score I simply wasn't happy with.
No.
I mean I truly failed.
This was about a decade ago, but I'm fairly sure my first MCAT score was around a 475, which was an extremely low score.
I had a panic attack during the examination and didn't finish any of the sections on time.
It wasn't a knowledge issue.
It wasn't a motivation issue.
For me, untreated testing anxiety, an undiagnosed disability, and having no accommodations significantly affected my ability to complete the exam.
At the time, though, all I saw was:
Failure.
Q: How Long Did I Wait to Retake the MCAT?
A: I retook the MCAT approximately one year later during a gap year.
That year gave me time to rethink how I was studying and how I approached standardized testing.
One of the biggest changes was developing a structured study schedule and doing TONS OF PRACTICE QUESTIONS.
The biggest thing I recommend is taking full-length practice tests:
TIMED
Under realistic testing conditions
And for the full length of the examination day
You want your brain and body to become accustomed to what the real exam will feel like.
Most importantly:
ONLY take the MCAT when your practice scores are consistently within the range you want.
If your goal is above 500, you should ideally be demonstrating that on multiple timed practice examinations before sitting for the real test.
I later used many of these same lessons when I had to overcome USMLE Step 1 failures during medical school.
Here is my blog post about what I learned from failing and eventually passing Step 1.
Q: Did You Take an MCAT Course?
A: My partner and I could not afford an expensive MCAT course for both of us.
Instead, we purchased used Kaplan books from a bookstore and built our own study plan.
There are MANY MCAT preparation courses available today.
Not every resource will work equally well for every person.
Choose resources that fit:
Your learning style
Your finances
Your schedule
Your academic weaknesses
And the amount of structure you need
The most important thing is not owning every possible study resource.
It is actually USING the resources you choose consistently.
UWorld MCAT Preparation
I HIGHLY recommend prioritizing practice questions.
I personally like UWorld because question-based learning became a major part of how I studied throughout medical school and residency.
I've used UWorld throughout my medical training, and I wish an MCAT-specific resource like this had been available to me when I was a premed.
UWorld now offers MCAT preparation.
Use code STEPH50 for $50 off a 180-day or 360-day UWorld MCAT prep course.
Q: What Pre-Med Courses Best Prepare You for the MCAT?
A: Your pre-med coursework creates the academic foundation for the exam.
Important areas include:
General Chemistry
Organic Chemistry
Physics
Biology
Biochemistry
Psychology
Sociology
And reading-intensive courses that strengthen comprehension and analysis for CARS
But coursework alone is not enough.
You also need to PRACTICE answering MCAT-style questions.
Practice the Way You Will Be Tested
One of the biggest lessons I learned from both the MCAT and my later USMLE experiences was:
You should eventually practice under conditions that resemble the REAL EXAM.
That means doing questions:
TIMED
In full blocks
Without constantly stopping
And eventually completing full-length practice examinations
The MCAT includes several long sections requiring sustained concentration.
You aren't only testing whether you know chemistry, biology, psychology, or physics.
You are also testing whether you can retrieve and apply that knowledge while mentally fatigued and under time pressure.
MCAT Exam Sections
The MCAT includes four major sections:
Chemical and Physical Foundations of Biological Systems (CPBS)
59 multiple-choice questions in 95 minutes
Content includes areas such as:
General chemistry
Organic chemistry
Physics
Biochemistry
Critical Analysis and Reasoning Skills (CARS)
53 multiple-choice questions in 90 minutes
This section focuses heavily on comprehension, interpretation, and analysis of passages from the humanities and social sciences.
Biological and Biochemical Foundations of Living Systems (BBLS)
59 multiple-choice questions in 95 minutes
Content includes areas such as:
Biology
Biochemistry
Organic chemistry
Psychological, Social, and Biological Foundations of Behavior (PSBB)
59 multiple-choice questions in 95 minutes
Content includes areas such as:
Psychology
Sociology
Biology
The biggest point:
PRACTICE QUESTIONS.
And practice them under realistic timing conditions.
Q: When Should I Take the MCAT?
A: ONLY take the MCAT when your practice exams show that you are ready.
Do not take it simply because:
You already scheduled it
Your friends are taking it
You think you "should" be done studying
You are tired of studying
Or you feel pressured to apply immediately
Your timed practice examinations should consistently demonstrate the score range you want before you sit for the actual exam.
The MCAT is required for U.S. MD and DO applications, but application timelines and expectations vary by medical school.
Always check the requirements of the individual programs you are considering.
There is no single "correct" timeline.
Q: How Did You Re-Study for the MCAT the Second Time?
A: This part sounds simple, but it was uncomfortable.
I stopped spending so much time doing things that FELT productive—like endlessly watching videos and lectures—and started spending more time doing what was actually improving my testing:
QUESTIONS.
I began focusing on:
Doing practice questions
Reviewing why I got questions wrong
Identifying patterns in my mistakes
Identifying specific content weaknesses
Understanding how I approached questions
Practicing under timed conditions
And adjusting HOW I learned rather than simply increasing the number of hours I studied
For me, some of my most difficult areas included physics and CARS.
Instead of simply telling myself:
"I need to study more."
I started asking:
WHY did I get this question wrong?
Q: How Should You Analyze Questions You Get Wrong?
When reviewing practice questions, ask yourself:
Did I not know the content?
Did I misunderstand the question?
Did I miss an important word?
Did I run out of time?
Did I change from the correct answer to the wrong answer?
Did I understand the passage?
Did anxiety affect my reasoning?
Was I mentally fatigued?
Did I fall for a common distractor?
Was there a pattern across multiple questions?
The goal is not simply to know:
"I got 60% correct."
You want to know WHY you got the other 40% wrong.
That information tells you what actually needs to change.
Progress didn't come from simply grinding harder.
It came from learning differently.
Q: Did Medical Schools Question Your MCAT Failure or Retake?
A: I honestly don't remember being questioned extensively about it.
One thing applicants sometimes forget is that the people interviewing you may not always be approaching the interview with the same information or priorities as the admissions committee reviewing the complete application.
Admissions committees evaluate your academic metrics and overall application.
Interviewers are also evaluating YOU as a person.
They want to understand things such as:
How you communicate
How you reflect
Why you want to become a physician
What you learned from your experiences
How you respond to adversity
And whether you can thoughtfully discuss your journey
If a "red flag" does come up, your response should focus less on defending yourself and more on demonstrating reflection and growth.
How to Talk About an MCAT Failure in an Interview
If someone asks about your MCAT score or retake, consider explaining:
What happened
What you learned
What you changed
How your performance improved
And why the experience will make you better prepared for future challenges
Growth matters far more than pretending that everything went perfectly.
Here is my video about practicing how to discuss application "red flags."
You can also read my blog post on preparing for medical school interviews and discussing topics such as:
Failures
Gap years
Academic challenges
And other difficult parts of your application
If you want to practice answering these questions, you can also sign up for a Mock Interview with me.
I've experienced difficult interviews as an applicant AND participated in the interview process from the other side.
Q: How Did You Mentally Recover From Failing?
A: Exam failure doesn't only hurt academically.
It can attack your identity.
Thoughts like these can start appearing:
"Maybe I'm not smart enough."
"Maybe I don't belong in medicine."
"Maybe everyone else was right."
"Maybe I should give up."
I didn't magically bounce back.
It took time.
Therapy.
Support.
Reflection.
And healing.
Separating Failure From Identity
One of the most important things I eventually had to learn was the difference between:
"I failed an exam."
And:
"I am a failure."
Those are NOT the same thing.
That reframing took YEARS.
And unfortunately, I had to confront the same emotions again when I later failed USMLE Step 1 during medical school.
Failure did not disappear simply because I got accepted to medical school.
But neither did my resilience.
Check out my video on navigating the emotional impact of exam failure.
I also have an associated blog post discussing how failure can affect your identity.
Q: How Did You Retake the MCAT While Working?
A: One of my favorite questions came from a non-traditional student with a family who was working full-time:
"How did you juggle MCAT studying while working and just living life?"
The answer:
STRUCTURE and COMMUNICATION.
I sat down and mapped out my schedule.
I needed to account for:
Work
Studying
Practice exams
Sleep
Meals
Rest
Relationship time
And normal life responsibilities
My partner was also a pre-med working full-time.
We intentionally tried to align our schedules.
When possible:
We worked at the same time.
We studied at the same time.
We took breaks together.
We protected time for our relationship.
It wasn't perfect.
But it was intentional.
And that made it much more sustainable.
If you want to learn more about how we continued navigating work-life balance during medical school, check out my blog post from our first year of medical school.
Q: What Do Testing Accommodations Look Like for the MCAT vs. STEP Exams?
A: I was asked about testing accommodations frequently during the AMA, especially by students trying to plan ahead.
Through my own experiences and through helping premed and medical students, I have learned that requesting accommodations for major standardized medical examinations requires careful documentation and preparation.
My own experience also taught me how significant accessibility can be.
I did not receive testing accommodations early in my educational journey.
Looking back, that cost me:
Time
Confidence
And a significant amount of unnecessary emotional distress
Helping other students understand testing accommodations has since become one of the most meaningful parts of my work.
Preparing a Testing Accommodations Application
Your application may involve documentation explaining:
Your diagnosis
Your functional limitations
Your academic history
Your standardized testing history
Previous difficulties
And why specific accommodations are necessary
Check out my video on Preparing Your Testing Accommodations Application.
The video was originally created for medical students, but many of the general concepts are also relevant for premed students.
I also created a full blog post with advice for applying for testing accommodations.
If you would like help with your MCAT testing accommodations:
Check out my Accommodations Workbook
OR
Sign up for an Advising Appointment
Q: Did You Struggle Later in Medical School?
A: Yes.
Getting into medical school did not suddenly mean standardized testing became easy for me.
I later failed USMLE Step 1 twice.
I took a Leave of Absence.
I eventually received testing accommodations.
And I ultimately passed.
Those experiences forced me to learn even more about:
How I study
How my health affects learning
Testing anxiety
Accessibility
Practice questions
Testing endurance
And asking for help
Q: Did You Still Match Into Residency?
A: YES.
Despite:
Failing the MCAT
Retaking the MCAT
Failing Step 1 twice
Taking a Leave of Absence
Needing testing accommodations
And having a non-traditional academic journey
I still matched into residency.
And I became a physician.
Setbacks didn't disqualify me.
They changed how I advocate, mentor, teach, and show up for other students experiencing similar challenges.
Check out my video and associated blog post for a more complete overview of my journey from medical school challenges to matching into residency.
What Failure Eventually Taught Me
When I first saw my MCAT score, all I could see was proof that I wasn't good enough.
Years later, I see that experience very differently.
Failure forced me to learn:
How I actually study
How anxiety affects my performance
How important realistic practice is
How to analyze my mistakes
When to ask for help
When to take more time
How accommodations can create access
How to advocate for myself
And how to keep going when my original plan falls apart
I would never tell someone that failure is necessary.
But if failure has already happened, you CAN learn from it.
Final Thoughts for Premeds Reading This
If you take nothing else from this post, let it be this:
A failed MCAT does not define your intelligence.
A low score does not erase your potential.
A retake does not mean you cannot get into medical school.
A non-traditional path is not a weakness.
Accommodations are not cheating—they are access.
You deserve the opportunity to demonstrate your best.
You are allowed to need support.
You are allowed to take more time.
You are allowed to change your study strategy.
And you are allowed to keep going.
Your story isn't over—even if this chapter hurts.
MCAT Resources
UWorld MCAT Prep Course
Use code STEPH50 for $50 off a 180-day or 360-day MCAT prep course.
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