Anxiety Level: Step 1 Vs Mcat

[fahimaz7]

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Scored well on both and would say the MCAT was much more stressful.

Step 1 has a WAY more forgiving curve and is a longer exam -- you don't have to worry about dropping 10 percentile points because you had one bad section in verbal reasoning. MCAT tends to test your ability to read critically and reason, whereas 99% of Step 1 is pure memorization.

For many people, the stress associated with Step 1 is associated with the pursuit of lifestyle specialties and a loss of perspective that many med students suffer from-- Do I get to do that derm residency in San Diego or do I have to do internal medicine in Ohio (end of the world scenario)?? Compare this to the very real possibility of not being able to become a physician at all due to failing the MCAT..

You mean I would have to do something else with my life? Oh noes, what ever would I have done?

Step 1 >>>>>> MCAT.

:0

 

[TheNextLevel]

To each his own-- I go to a school with a condensed curriculum (1 year pre-clinical, 1 year clinical, then take step 1) and I can honestly say the month I spent studying for step 1 was the most relaxed and chill period of med school for me. Shelf exams were far more stressful -- you have to do that studying under the duress of being in the hospital 80-100hrs/week. During my step 1 month, I slept in til 9 or so and worked out every day. You reach the point of diminishing returns pretty quickly because the level of depth tested on step 1 is so low. I know quite a few people in my class feel the same way. I'd much rather answer a question that pertains to why it's a bad idea to give a person with asthma propanolol than be responsible for digesting a passage on Dostoevsky and answering random-ass questions on it, but to each his own.

I can't help but wonder if this step 1 >> MCAT trend is really more about most medical students liking to think like they've been "through the ringer" because the had to memorize high volumes of some pretty conceptually simple stuff. It's difficult to admit the admissions test has a more challenging structure than Step 1 for people /w this perspective.

 

[kgpremed11]

Scored well on both and would say the MCAT was much more stressful.

Step 1 has a WAY more forgiving curve and is a longer exam -- you don't have to worry about dropping 10 percentile points because you had one bad section in verbal reasoning. MCAT tends to test your ability to read critically and reason, whereas 99% of Step 1 is pure memorization.

For many people, the stress associated with Step 1 is associated with the pursuit of lifestyle specialties and a loss of perspective that many med students suffer from-- Do I get to do that derm residency in San Diego or do I have to do internal medicine in Ohio (end of the world scenario)?? Compare this to the very real possibility of not being able to become a physician at all due to failing the MCAT..

Yeah I would rather be limited by step1 than the MCAT. MCAT performance = life as a doctor or a fry cook. Step 1 performance = Family med or Derm. The second senario isn't that bad.

 

[calvnandhobbs68]

Yeah I would rather be limited by step1 than the MCAT. MCAT performance = life as a doctor or a fry cook. Step 1 performance = Family med or Derm. The second senario isn't that bad.

Yeah I see what you're saying pre-med. All people who score badly on the MCAT become fry cooks. Also, you know, you can't take it more than once or anything.

 

[calvnandhobbs68]

To each his own-- I go to a school with a condensed curriculum (1 year pre-clinical, 1 year clinical, then take step 1) and I can honestly say the month I spent studying for step 1 was the most relaxed and chill period of med school for me. Shelf exams were far more stressful -- you have to do that studying under the duress of being in the hospital 80-100hrs/week. During my step 1 month, I slept in til 9 or so and worked out every day. You reach the point of diminishing returns pretty quickly because the level of depth tested on step 1 is so low. I know quite a few people in my class feel the same way. I'd much rather answer a question that pertains to why it's a bad idea to give a person with asthma propanolol than be responsible for digesting a passage on Dostoevsky and answering random-ass questions on it, but to each his own.

I can't help but wonder if this step 1 >> MCAT trend is really more about most medical students liking to think like they've been "through the ringer" because the had to memorize high volumes of some pretty conceptually simple stuff. It's difficult to admit the admissions test has a more challenging structure than Step 1 for people /w this perspective.

Or some people are better at thinking through problems than memorizing a crapload of facts? I mean I could say the same thing about the MCAT...I studied for it in 3 weeks and got a 37. Different people are going to find different types of test hard.

The more "stressful" part about step 1 comes from the fact that one bad test day can alter your field prospects in a large way. I think people are genuinely more stressed out about Step1 because there is no "oh I can just retake it if I don't get the score I want".

 

[kgpremed11]

Yeah I see what you're saying pre-med. All people who score badly on the MCAT become fry cooks. Also, you know, you can't take it more than once or anything.

The point is with just a bachelors, your options are very limited. Some people retake more than twice and still fail miserably. I really doubt you studied for 3 weeks and got a 37.

 

[link2swim06]

Scored well on both and would say the MCAT was much more stressful.

Step 1 has a WAY more forgiving curve and is a longer exam -- you don't have to worry about dropping 10 percentile points because you had one bad section in verbal reasoning. MCAT tends to test your ability to read critically and reason, whereas 99% of Step 1 is pure memorization.

For many people, the stress associated with Step 1 is associated with the pursuit of lifestyle specialties and a loss of perspective that many med students suffer from-- Do I get to do that derm residency in San Diego or do I have to do internal medicine in Ohio (end of the world scenario)?? Compare this to the very real possibility of not being able to become a physician at all due to failing the MCAT..

Which is people give two different answers.

If you have great reasoning skills/test taking skills you could almost walk into the MCAT w/o any studying. For these people Step 1 is wayyyy harder.

If you are crappy at reasoning then you probably bust your ass for the MCAT w/o getting a great score. Meanwhile you memorized everything for step 1 and thought it was much easier.

Disclaimer: Step 1 is application, not regurgitation...but MCAT has tougher application/reasoning imo.

 

[calvnandhobbs68]

The point is with just a bachelors, your options are very limited. Some people retake more than twice and still fail miserably. I really doubt you studied for 3 weeks and got a 37.

Haha believe what you want bro. There's a reason different people find the different types of tests difficult. For perspective I feel like jumping off the roof every time I open up first aid right now so different strokes for different folks.

Most people get jobs with only a bachelors degree...ever been to a job fair at your school? Wonder why they're recruiting kids with bachelors degrees if they're not going to hire them. Even if you didn't you could still take another year or two to get some masters degree if you wanted. This is the problem with people immersed in the pre-med world, you think your options are get into med school or die.

 

[FIREitUP]

Haha believe what you want bro. There's a reason different people find the different types of tests difficult. For perspective I feel like jumping off the roof every time I open up first aid right now so different strokes for different folks.

Most people get jobs with only a bachelors degree...ever been to a job fair at your school? Wonder why they're recruiting kids with bachelors degrees if they're not going to hire them. Even if you didn't you could still take another year or two to get some masters degree if you wanted. This is the problem with people immersed in the pre-med world, you think your options are get into med school or die.

lets be realistic, with the current job market, getting a good job is quite difficult and would most likely require additional schooling (maybe not engineering, but even then it helps). Just because there is recruiting, it doesn't necessarily mean those jobs are high quality.

Oh, and the MCAT was the dumbest test I ever took. Read 14 passages about art collection and irrelevant BS. Even the science passages were dumb, IMO. At least Step 1 tests clinical reasoning and problem solving.

 

[calvnandhobbs68]

lets be realistic, with the current job market, getting a good job is quite difficult and would most likely require additional schooling (maybe not engineering, but even then it helps). Just because there is recruiting, it doesn't necessarily mean those jobs are high quality.

Oh, and the MCAT was the dumbest test I ever took. Read 14 passages about art collection and irrelevant BS. Even the science passages were dumb, IMO. At least Step 1 tests clinical reasoning and problem solving.

Thats cool but the question is about which test is more stressful not which is more dumb.

Besides, clinical reasoning and problem solving? You must be joking man. Realistically Step 1 tests your ability to memorize a bunch of information and then pick that information out. No matter how many levels of information you have to memorize there is very little "problem solving involved". The questions that are "patient X comes in with Y symptoms what are the side effects of the drug you give him" are still just 3 levels of memorization (typical presentation of whatever, typical drug you use to treat, side effects of that drug).

 

[deleted307836]

Oh, and the MCAT was the dumbest test I ever took. Read 14 passages about art collection and irrelevant BS. Even the science passages were dumb, IMO. At least Step 1 tests clinical reasoning and problem solving.

It sounds like the new MCAT in 2015 won't be as irrelevant, and the time it takes will be much more analogous to Step 1. I wonder how that will change this equation in the future.

 

[FIREitUP]

Thats cool but the question is about which test is more stressful not which is more dumb.

Besides, clinical reasoning and problem solving? You must be joking man. Realistically Step 1 tests your ability to memorize a bunch of information and then pick that information out. No matter how many levels of information you have to memorize there is very little "problem solving involved". The questions that are "patient X comes in with Y symptoms what are the side effects of the drug you give him" are still just 3 levels of memorization (typical presentation of whatever, typical drug you use to treat, side effects of that drug).

that is cool, thanks. Actually, I implicitly answered that question. I felt the MCAT was very stressful because I was a non-science major and my job prospects without med school were pretty bad. Neither of us can actually answer the question fully yet because we haven't taken Step 1 yet. There is undoubtedly a lot of memorization required for Step 1, but many questions actually require a good amount of integration from different topics and a depth of understanding of pathophysiology.

 

[Etorphine]

If you have great reasoning skills/test taking skills you could almost walk into the MCAT w/o any studying. For these people Step 1 is wayyyy harder.

If you are crappy at reasoning then you probably bust your ass for the MCAT w/o getting a great score. Meanwhile you memorized everything for step 1 and thought it was much easier.

now you're just talking out your #$@. Even with genius reasoning skills you cannot just walk into the MCAT and expect a decent score....just not going to happen.

 

[kgpremed11]

lets be realistic, with the current job market, getting a good job is quite difficult and would most likely require additional schooling (maybe not engineering, but even then it helps). Just because there is recruiting, it doesn't necessarily mean those jobs are high quality.

Oh, and the MCAT was the dumbest test I ever took. Read 14 passages about art collection and irrelevant BS. Even the science passages were dumb, IMO. At least Step 1 tests clinical reasoning and problem solving.

👍👍

Haha believe what you want bro. There's a reason different people find the different types of tests difficult. For perspective I feel like jumping off the roof every time I open up first aid right now so different strokes for different folks.

Most people get jobs with only a bachelors degree...ever been to a job fair at your school? Wonder why they're recruiting kids with bachelors degrees if they're not going to hire them. Even if you didn't you could still take another year or two to get some masters degree if you wanted. This is the problem with people immersed in the pre-med world, you think your options are get into med school or die.

For most people it is. Teaching HS biology would be worse than death. But even teaching jobs are hard to get. The current economy is the biggest bottleneck I have ever seen, with only those at the very very top being able to make a decent living for themselves.

 

[link2swim06]

now you're just talking out your #$@. Even with genius reasoning skills you cannot just walk into the MCAT and expect a decent score....just not going to happen.

A girl in our lab in undergrad took the MCAT for 'fun' to see what she would get when her other friends went to take it. She got a 32 and never studied one second for the test.

I am guessing she had taken all the covered subjects, but things like physical science and verbal reasoning are really based on a handful of equations and basic logic.

The only subject which required 'knowing a lot' was biology, but even that is dismal about of volume compared to Step 1.

 

[kgpremed11]

A girl in our lab in undergrad took the MCAT for 'fun' to see what she would get when her other friends went to take it. She got a 32 and never studied one second for the test.

I am guessing she had taken all the covered subjects, but things like physical science and verbal reasoning are really based on a handful of equations and basic logic.

The only subject which required 'knowing a lot' was biology, but even that is dismal about of volume compared to Step 1.

Someone taking the test for fun? At the expense of $250 ? Trust me people like this study their ass off behind the scenes. It requires practice to even get your timing right for verbal. And all these people with the "yeah I just studied for 2 weeks before the MCAT strolled in and made a 40" want people to think they are way smarter than they actually are. The same type of people that tell you they were an all state quaterback in HS, because it's too much trouble to confirm what they say.

 

[link2swim06]

Someone taking the test for fun? At the expense of $250 ? Trust me people like this study their ass off behind the scenes. It requires practice to even get your timing right for verbal. And all these people with the "yeah I just studied for 2 weeks before the MCAT strolled in and made a 40" want people to think they are way smarter than they actually are. The same type of people that tell you they were an all state quaterback in HS, because it's too much trouble to confirm what they say.

I don't think the test cost $250 when it was a paper test. This girl took it maybe 10+ years ago and she was starting he PhD with no interest in med school (hence why she didn't study). The point is some people are just wired for tests like those. Most people can improve their score but that doesn't mean some people can get a decent score w/o studying.

 

[calvnandhobbs68]

Someone taking the test for fun? At the expense of $250 ? Trust me people like this study their ass off behind the scenes. It requires practice to even get your timing right for verbal. And all these people with the "yeah I just studied for 2 weeks before the MCAT strolled in and made a 40" want people to think they are way smarter than they actually are. The same type of people that tell you they were an all state quaterback in HS, because it's too much trouble to confirm what they say.

If you have solid undergrad classes the amount of actual studying you have to do for the MCAT is minimal. I had just come off of taking physics, was a biology major and basically didnt study orgo because I knew they weren't emphasizing it anymore (which ended up being a great bet). I basically just took practice tests for 3 weeks and studied up on the stuff I missed. You also can't really "study" for the verbal...you're either good at it or you do a bunch of practice tests to get good at it.

I didn't say I didn't study at all but I've said this exact same thing to people on the MCAT prep forums. If you know the sciences fairly well ahead of time, there's not much studying you have to actually do for the MCAT. You can just do practice questions, figure out what you're weak in and learn it.

 

[calvnandhobbs68]

that is cool, thanks. Actually, I implicitly answered that question. I felt the MCAT was very stressful because I was a non-science major and my job prospects without med school were pretty bad. Neither of us can actually answer the question fully yet because we haven't taken Step 1 yet. There is undoubtedly a lot of memorization required for Step 1, but many questions actually require a good amount of integration from different topics and a depth of understanding of pathophysiology.

3 levels of memorization doesn't equal "clinical reasoning".

http://library.med.utah.edu/WebPath/TUTORIAL/REASON/REASON04.html

That is clinical reasoning. If you're telling me Step1 tests the ability to do that you're crazy.

 

[cuculici1]

To be honest I'm sure they both suck. I'm studying for the MCAT almost full time now for a few months, and I'm sure Step 1 will be 6 weeks of hell prior to the exam. Unfortunately, pretty much any curved standardized test is a pain in the ***.

The only exception to this was the SAT, but that's because I could study 15 hours for it and get a good score. Can't do that with Step 1 or MCAT, as there's a lot more information that you have to review. Also for the SAT I had a tutor holding my hand through the entire process, for the MCAT I wasn't interested in paying a tutor 6 grand.

 

[cuculici1]

Also, there are most definitely people out there that can score above a 30 on the MCAT without studying. Generally these are the type of people who score around a 40 if they study diligently. One good example is NickNaylor, I think he got something like a 34 on AAMC 3 prior to MCAT prep, and ended up with a 41 on the real thing. That being said, people like this are far from the norm though and most pre-meds will have to study hard for the MCAT just to break 30.

 

[JFK90787]

Also, there are most definitely people out there that can score above a 30 on the MCAT without studying. Generally these are the type of people who score around a 40 if they study diligently. One good example is NickNaylor, I think he got something like a 34 on AAMC 3 prior to MCAT prep, and ended up with a 41 on the real thing. That being said, people like this are far from the norm though and most pre-meds will have to study hard for the MCAT just to break 30.

His mdapp also showed he got a 15 for VR on the real thing. I'm sure he is a very intelligent guy, but that is just absurd luck.

 

[link2swim06]

Also, there are most definitely people out there that can score above a 30 on the MCAT without studying. Generally these are the type of people who score around a 40 if they study diligently. One good example is NickNaylor, I think he got something like a 34 on AAMC 3 prior to MCAT prep, and ended up with a 41 on the real thing. That being said, people like this are far from the norm though and most pre-meds will have to study hard for the MCAT just to break 30.

And with all due respect, 90% of pre-meds have no clue what 'hard studying' is...

After you go through the first 2 years of med school and step 1 you will realize how relatively easier undergrad/MCAT was for most of us.

The stress of step 1 is great. If you cant pass it you essentially have thrown away 100K+ and two years of your 20s. If you fail the MCAT, you lost maybe a month or two of your life and a couple hundred dollars?

I have taken both tests...Step 1>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>MCAT>>>>>>>ACT/SAT

 

[kgpremed11]

And with all due respect, 90% of pre-meds have no clue what 'hard studying' is...

After you go through the first 2 years of med school and step 1 you will realize how relatively easier undergrad/MCAT was for most of us.

The stress of step 1 is great. If you cant pass it you essentially have thrown away 100K+ and two years of your 20s. If you fail the MCAT, you lost maybe a month or two of your life and a couple hundred dollars?

I have taken both tests...Step 1>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>MCAT>>>>>>>ACT/SAT

If you can't get into med school, you have lost 4, 5, or maybe 6 years of your life. Most who commit to pursing medicine long enough to take the MCAT can't see themselves doing anything else. And you can retake Step 1 if you fail it, so you don't lose 2 years and 100k, you may not get derm, surg, or rads, but at least you get to be a doctor and not a HS biology teacher or unemployed.

 

[link2swim06]

If you can't get into med school, you have lost 4, 5, or maybe 6 years of your life. Most who commit to pursing medicine long enough to take the MCAT can't see themselves doing anything else. And you can retake Step 1 if you fail it, so you don't lose 2 years and 100k, you may not get derm, surg, or rads, but at least you get to be a doctor and not a HS biology teacher or unemployed.

But if you bomb the MCAT you will still get an undergrad degree...that isn't time wasted. You might not get your choice profession, but at least that degree can be a stepping stone to apply to other careers (physical therapy, PA, nursing, etc). Plus half of college isn't even core major classes...you would be taking a lot of the same classes regardless if you were bio major or english major.

If you don't can't get pass step 1 you are screwed because you have a massive amount of debt which is only manageable with a high paying career (i.e. physician). Plus there is zero application for the first two years of med school if you can't finish and get a degree.

 

[cuculici1]

But if you bomb the MCAT you will still get an undergrad degree...that isn't time wasted. You might not get your choice profession, but at least that degree can be a stepping stone to apply to other careers (physical therapy, PA, nursing, etc). Plus half of college isn't even core major classes...you would be taking a lot of the same classes regardless if you were bio major or english major.

If you don't can't get pass step 1 you are screwed because you have a massive amount of debt which is only manageable with a high paying career (i.e. physician). Plus there is zero application for the first two years of med school if you can't finish and get a degree.

Isn't the step 1 pass rate for U.S. allopathic students something like 94%? I'm pretty sure that statistic is for first time takers too. For the MCAT, a 30 is around the 80th percentile, meaning only the top 20% or so of test takers will achieve a score competitive for MD admissions.

I understand that they are different pools of test takers, but strictly from a probability standpoint, you have a much higher chance of passing step 1 than getting a 30+ on the MCAT. I think this may contribute a bit to the anxiety level surrounding the MCAT, even though passing step 1 may be "harder" than getting a 30+. And keep in mind I am just talking about passing with a sub 200 step 1, not trying to get a 240+.

 

[NickNaylor]

Isn't the step 1 pass rate for U.S. allopathic students something like 94%? I'm pretty sure that statistic is for first time takers too. For the MCAT, a 30 is around the 80th percentile, meaning only the top 20% or so of test takers will achieve a score competitive for MD admissions.

I understand that they are different pools of test takers, but strictly from a probability standpoint, you have a much higher chance of passing step 1 than getting a 30+ on the MCAT. I think this may contribute a bit to the anxiety level surrounding the MCAT, even though passing step 1 may be "harder" than getting a 30+. And keep in mind I am just talking about passing with a sub 200 step 1, not trying to get a 240+.

Simply passing step 1 will not make you competitive for anything.

 

[armybound]

Yeah I would rather be limited by step1 than the MCAT. MCAT performance = life as a doctor or a fry cook. Step 1 performance = Family med or Derm. The second senario isn't that bad.

it would be awesome if they let you retake the MCAT so you wouldn't have to resort to fast food...

 

[greg1184]

Step 1 is an admissions exam disguised as a licensing exam. I would say it would give me more anxiety.... on the long run if you are not happy with the score.

 

[normtheniner]

And with all due respect, 90% of pre-meds have no clue what 'hard studying' is...

After you go through the first 2 years of med school and step 1 you will realize how relatively easier undergrad/MCAT was for most of us.

The stress of step 1 is great. If you cant pass it you essentially have thrown away 100K+ and two years of your 20s. If you fail the MCAT, you lost maybe a month or two of your life and a couple hundred dollars?

I have taken both tests...Step 1>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>MCAT>>>>>>>ACT/SAT

Amen! I think the proof of this at my school is seeing the M1's freak when they took their first exam. Most of the didn't really learn how much time it takes to do well in med school until toward the end of this past semester.

 

[yehhhboiii]

It's nice to see people who haven't taken either Step 1 or the MCAT offering an opinion on both.

 

[armybound]

It's nice to see people who haven't taken either Step 1 or the MCAT offering an opinion on both.

just the latest installment of Pre-Med Knows Best

because being a pre-med is the hardest thing known to man. but med students don't know that.

 

[NickNaylor]

just the latest installment of Pre-Med Knows Best

because being a pre-med is the hardest thing known to man. but med students don't know that.

Just don't forget to pre-study before you matriculate and everything will be fine.

 

[greg1184]

Scored well on both and would say the MCAT was much more stressful.

Step 1 has a WAY more forgiving curve and is a longer exam -- you don't have to worry about dropping 10 percentile points because you had one bad section in verbal reasoning. MCAT tends to test your ability to read critically and reason, whereas 99% of Step 1 is pure memorization.

For many people, the stress associated with Step 1 is associated with the pursuit of lifestyle specialties and a loss of perspective that many med students suffer from-- Do I get to do that derm residency in San Diego or do I have to do internal medicine in Ohio (end of the world scenario)?? Compare this to the very real possibility of not being able to become a physician at all due to failing the MCAT..

Failing the MCAT? There is no such thing as "failing the MCAT". The MCAT is a real admissions test, they give you a standardized score with no pass or fail designation. If you are not happy with the score you can take it again. I did it myself and improved by 6 points.

Step 1 on the other hand is a so-called "licensing" exam. It is supposed to be pass/fail, with a three-digit score that is mysteriously generated from so-called "statistics". They supposedly set the pass score to the amount of knowledge required to be a competent doctor. As a result, once you pass, you can never take it again. Ironically, it is used as an admissions test for residencies to easily compare applicants. I have even heard from people in this forum that Step 1 is an IQ test.

It wasn't always like that, however. I spoke to a returning MD/PhD student that told me you used to be able to take it multiple times. I wonder what entity (PDs?) decided to change that? 🙄

 

[fahimaz7]

If you can't get into med school, you have lost 4, 5, or maybe 6 years of your life. Most who commit to pursing medicine long enough to take the MCAT can't see themselves doing anything else. And you can retake Step 1 if you fail it, so you don't lose 2 years and 100k, you may not get derm, surg, or rads, but at least you get to be a doctor and not a HS biology teacher or unemployed.

Man you need to grow up. This isn't an interview where the right answer is "I'll keep applying until you either let me in or I die of natural causes." There is life outside of medicine. Medical school is cool and all, but it's not the end all be all and it's not the holy grail. Quite arguing over which test is more difficult or more anxiety inducing. You haven't even started medical school, much less faced the reality that you are now competing against a much smarter group of test takers and that regardless of how well you have performed in class your step 1 score will determine your ability to match into a residency of your choosing.

There is life outside of medicine. If you can't find it, you need to take time off before coming to school to discover the fact that plenty of people are happy (arguably happier than doctors) with a variety of different fields and interests.

 

[sylvanthus]

Step 1 is by far more stressful. You cant just retake it to boost your score.

 

[cuculici1]

Failing the MCAT? There is no such thing as "failing the MCAT". The MCAT is a real admissions test, they give you a standardized score with no pass or fail designation. If you are not happy with the score you can take it again. I did it myself and improved by 6 points.

Step 1 on the other hand is a so-called "licensing" exam. It is supposed to be pass/fail, with a three-digit score that is mysteriously generated from so-called "statistics". They supposedly set the pass score to the amount of knowledge required to be a competent doctor. As a result, once you pass, you can never take it again. Ironically, it is used as an admissions test for residencies to easily compare applicants. I have even heard from people in this forum that Step 1 is an IQ test.

It wasn't always like that, however. I spoke to a returning MD/PhD student that told me you used to be able to take it multiple times. I wonder what entity (PDs?) decided to change that? 🙄

Correct, but let me ask you a question. What would be more stressful to you, worrying about getting drafted into the NBA and working towards that, or worrying about being an all-star vs. a normal NBA player once you're already in the league? I think it's a tough question to answer, however for me I would worry more about getting in to the league in the first place.

 

[fahimaz7]

Correct, but let me ask you a question. What would be more stressful to you, worrying about getting drafted into the NBA and working towards that, or worrying about being an all-star vs. a normal NBA player once you're already in the league? I think it's a tough question to answer, however for me I would worry more about getting in to the league in the first place.

Since the vast majority of high school and college-level athletes will NEVER make it to the professional level, I would prepare for an alternative plan if I was trying to go into the NBA, MLB, etc.

Stress builds with each step of the process, which is something that you won't understand until you get there. If you really want to do the anxiety thing it's....

step 1 >> applying for residency > applying for jobs > Step 2 > medical school tests > MCAT > Organic chemistry tests > SAT > AP level tests.

And that's with a good step 1 score. I can't imagine or appreciate the level of stress that my classmates are experiencing with below average board scores and # of interviews for their respective fields of choice.

 

[greg1184]

Correct, but let me ask you a question. What would be more stressful to you, worrying about getting drafted into the NBA and working towards that, or worrying about being an all-star vs. a normal NBA player once you're already in the league? I think it's a tough question to answer, however for me I would worry more about getting in to the league in the first place.

The big difference is that a) you can now take the MCAT multiple times within a cycle. and b) if you don't get into medical school, you can easily reapply after your senior year. The AAMCAS cycle is standardized and the same every year. I was a reapplicant.. I improved my MCAT by 6 points and added some additional classes with another major.

In the case of applying to residency: If you don't match, things can get complicated... especially if you apply to an advanced program. If you get accepted into a preliminary program but not to the advanced program... you can only scramble into advanced programs. If you fail to scramble, then you will have to reapply for the next match year. If you reapply to an advanced program and match... you have to take a year "off" because it is a pgy-2 position. These complications are compounded since the NRMP now has the all-in policy. You can't simply just find a position outside of the match.

Additionally, it is more difficult to improve your credentials.... you cannot simply retake Step 1 or improve with post-bac work. Reapplying to residency puts you at a more serious disadvantage compared to reapplying to medical school.


Being a reapplicant to medical school myself, I can tell you with no uncertainty that failing to match would be more stressful.

 

[NickNaylor]

Since the vast majority of high school and college-level athletes will NEVER make it to the professional level, I would prepare for an alternative plan if I was trying to go into the NBA, MLB, etc.

Stress builds with each step of the process, which is something that you won't understand until you get there. If you really want to do the anxiety thing it's....

step 1 >> applying for residency > applying for jobs > Step 2 > medical school tests > MCAT > Organic chemistry tests > SAT > AP level tests.

And that's with a good step 1 score. I can't imagine or appreciate the level of stress that my classmates are experiencing with below average board scores and # of interviews for their respective fields of choice.

It's somewhat comforting that step 1 is one of the biggest, if not the biggest, hurdles of the process.

 

[Brachyury]

This may sound weird, but I felt Step 1 was less stressful.

In med school, my only job has been to study, however, when I was studying for the MCAT, I was also working and studying for other classes. That being said, I felt 10X more confident in the material on Step 1 than on the MCAT (I hate physics), so that may be a major reasons why I feel the way I do. I also did a lot better on Step 1 than the MCAT (relatively), so I might be remembering things with rose-colored glasses

Anyhow, just remember that these tests, while important, will only be as stressful as you make them

 

[bigman225]

Both were hard!

 

[greg1184]

So you admit to doing poorly enough on the MCAT to require a retake and yet argue that the exam is easier than Step 1?

No where in my post did I say that the MCAT was harder or easier than step 1. That was not the question asked.

 

[Bacchus]

Step 1. It singlehandedly chooses your future career options. You invested much more of your time and money as a medical student than as a sophomore or junior in college taking the MCAT. As a college student, you still have a "ton" of options if you don't make it into medical school. Not so much if you're a dimissed 2nd or 3rd year who got the boot because of step failures.

 

[Temperature101]

A cardiologist that I talked to who went to ROSS said he could not break a 27 after taking the mcat twice. He got 240+ in step one... He said that there are more stuff to learn for step one; however, the mcat is more difficult because it's more conceptual... Most people would agree that conceptual tests are more challenging than tests that require pure memorization.

Edit.. I have an anectode. My friend whose highest score for the mcat was 17 after 3 attempts score 220+ in step one. He went to med school in the caribbean.

 

[armybound]

A cardiologist that I talked to who went to ROSS said he could not break a 27 after taking the mcat twice. He got 240+ in step one... He said that there are more stuff to learn for step one; however, the mcat is more difficult because it's more conceptual... Most people would agree that conceptual tests are more challenging than tests that require pure memorization.

Edit.. I have an anectode. My friend whose highest score for the mcat was 17 after 3 attempts score 220+ in step one. He went to med school in the caribbean.

do you think those guys were anxious about Step given their history of poor test performance and the understanding that if they wanted to do a residency in the US they'd have to do better than average on Step because they're at a disadvantage due to where they went to medical school?

or do you think it wasn't a big deal?

I performed statistically much better on Step 1 (and Step 2) than the MCAT, but that doesn't mean it was a less stressful test.

 

[NickNaylor]

do you think those guys were anxious about Step given their history of poor test performance and the understanding that if they wanted to do a residency in the US they'd have to do better than average on Step because they're at a disadvantage due to where they went to medical school?

or do you think it wasn't a big deal?

I performed statistically much better on Step 1 (and Step 2) than the MCAT, but that doesn't mean it was a less stressful test.

I also think the two tests are very different, though. The MCAT is much more of a critical thinking, use-the-data-and-think-about-it-to-answer-questions kind of test. I haven't taken step 1 yet, but based on practice questions it seems to be much less of that and much more of "did you remember this little detail about ____?" On the MCAT it was possible to make a reasonable guess on many questions, especially the passage-based ones. On step 1, if you don't know that detail they're asking about you have to make a blind guess out of maybe 2-3 possible choices.

It wouldn't surprise me at all to see people do well on one and not-so-well on the other.

 

[Temperature101]

do you think those guys were anxious about Step given their history of poor test performance and the understanding that if they wanted to do a residency in the US they'd have to do better than average on Step because they're at a disadvantage due to where they went to medical school?

or do you think it wasn't a big deal?

I performed statistically much better on Step 1 (and Step 2) than the MCAT, but that doesn't mean it was a less stressful test.

I am not sure but I know my friend wanted to stay in the US. He even hired private tutor to help him. I took gen chem with him back then and I know he is more confortable in memorizing things without trying to understand what are behind them.

 

[kgpremed11]

I am not sure but I know my friend wanted to stay in the US. He even hired private tutor to help him. I took gen chem with him back then and I know he is more confortable in memorizing things without trying to understand what are behind them.

This is how I am. I was a bio major, and my bio GPA was 3.9ish, but my science GPA was 3.5 mostly because of low scores in physics , math, and chem. Give me a ton of memorization and im cool. Trying to figure out some obscure formula from an awkwardly written passage about electromagnetism is hell for me. Plus bio and biochem are fun and interesting to study. I almost hung myself in physics. Most physics is irrelevant to anything in medicine.

 

[MCAT guy]

This is how I am. I was a bio major, and my bio GPA was 3.9ish, but my science GPA was 3.5 mostly because of low scores in physics , math, and chem. Give me a ton of memorization and im cool. Trying to figure out some obscure formula from an awkwardly written passage about electromagnetism is hell for me. Plus bio and biochem are fun and interesting to study. I almost hung myself in physics. Most physics is irrelevant to anything in medicine.

Physics are important in many parts of medicine. Radiogists even take physics courses during residency. Cardiogy uses lots of physics also. Not sure where you got that idea.

Are you a premed?