I'm wondering if there's a relationship between MCAT score and success in medical school. Has anyone heard of such a thing? I'm a hardworking student but I can't seem to get a firm grasp on the MCAT. I feel like my performance is not an accurate indication of how I would fair in med school but, then again, I can't be too sure. I majored in psychology and have almost enough biology credits to double major. I struggled in my pre-med classes yet I aced every psychology and upper-level biology class I've taken. Maybe someone can shed some light on this topic. I tried searching for a similar thread but was not successful.
MCAT score in comparison to performance in medical school
- Thread starter EgyptianDoc
- Start date
I searched a little more and came across a study by the AAMC back in 2000 that compared the MCAT score and GPA to future success on the USMLE's. If anyone is interested the article is attached. Never give up!
Last edited:
- Joined
- Jan 30, 2009
- Messages
- 4,218
- Reaction score
- 14
- Points
- 4,621
Interesting, didn't think a study would have been done/released. Good find.
I remember reading somewhere that MCAT scores were weakly correlated with Step 1 scores, but how you did in your 1st/2nd year medical classes had a stronger correlation. I could be wrong. Feel free to correct me. ^^
Members do not see ads. Register today.
- Joined
- Jun 8, 2008
- Messages
- 1,170
- Reaction score
- 6
- Points
- 4,551
- Location
- Somewhere in SE Wisconsin
- Medical Student
This comes from FirstAid 2009: "undergraduate science GPAs as well as MCAT scores are strong predictors of performance on the Step 1 scores." They cite a study by Basco, Way, Gilbert, and Hudson called Undergraduate Institutional MCAT Scores as Predictors of USMLE Step 1 Performance from Academic Medicine, vol 77 (2002). So if you're really bored, there's some great bedtime reading there...
I haven't read the study, but I have heard this sentiment before. I feel like a lot of things that go into a good MCAT score are also key for performance in medical school. The kinds of information you need to absorb are similar to the types of information you need in medical school. More importantly, good test taking skills are going to help you again and again and again in med school.
But I wouldn't worry too much that a weak MCAT is going to doom you to a lifetime of struggles through all the years that follow. It's just a correlation, after all. People get better at tests, and anyone can have a bad test day.
I haven't read the study, but I have heard this sentiment before. I feel like a lot of things that go into a good MCAT score are also key for performance in medical school. The kinds of information you need to absorb are similar to the types of information you need in medical school. More importantly, good test taking skills are going to help you again and again and again in med school.
But I wouldn't worry too much that a weak MCAT is going to doom you to a lifetime of struggles through all the years that follow. It's just a correlation, after all. People get better at tests, and anyone can have a bad test day.
This is actually a whole field in Academic medicine. You'll find tons of studies about the application process itself, what are the factors that are important, and especially about the MCAT and uGPA as predictors of medical school performance.
Parting shot: Of course you'd expect the group of students that does well on one standardized test to do well on another. 😛
Parting shot: Of course you'd expect the group of students that does well on one standardized test to do well on another. 😛
