Could SDN/MDApps be partly responsible for the trend in higher MCAT scores?

[XVivo]

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I know that this is a far-fetched notion but the recent increase in average MCAT scores for MD and DO schools is a very sharp one. Taken from the thread http://forums.studentdoctor.net/showthread.php?t=530370, Vihsadas wrote,

"You can see that the average MCAT score for matriculants since 1996 is:

1996: 29.4P
1997: 29.5P
1998: 29.6P
1999: 29.7P
2000: 29.7P
2001: 29.6P
2002: 29.7P
2003: 29.6P
2004: 29.9P
2005: 30.1P
2006: 30.4P
2007: 30.8P

So yeah, MCAT scores for matriculants have been going up lately...In addition, GPAs have also gone up steadily from 3.54 in 1996 to 3.65 in 2007. 🙁"

I know SDN has been around for a while, but it seems to have increased in popularity substantially over recent years. Every place that I interviewed at mentioned it at least once and I know that many of my classmates in undergrad would talk about it as well. Obviously there are other factors to consider but I believe that as more applicants are catching wind of this site they become more aware of the expectations which med schools have for them, I know I certainly did. What do you guys think?

 

[auburnO5]

No.

 

[Drrrrrr. Celty]

SDN came on the scene in 1998. If you had some data from before 1996 at least 10 years of it. Then there could be a conclusion which proves a relation.
But as you can see mcat scores have been going up much earlier then 1998. Which show's there's almost no relation between these two factors.

Though the .3 point jump is very interesting.

 

[Healer of Ills]

My guess is that competition is increasing amongst pre-meds to get into medical schools. The whole process of applying and getting accepted into a school is not what is used to be 10 years ago.

Standards of acceptance into medical school are changing due to competition and changing society. Medical schools must be selective one way if they receive 4000 applicants and selective in a completely different way if they receive 7000 applicants

 

[anfleisch]

No.

 

[Narmerguy]

No.

On the whole, I agree. However, I'm willing to believe that SDN and MDApps has changed the game a bit for the stats of students attending top 20 schools. I'm a much more competitive applicant than I ever would have been without SDN and I imagine the same is true for many applicants on here that have ambitions for top schools. Everyone sees the bar that is being set at these schools and wishes to exceed that to better their chances.

 

[ThaliaNox]

I think the real factor for increasing MCAT scores lately is the introduction of the electronically based test. Now students can take the MCAT multiple times in one application period, making the likelihood that they get a higher score more probable.In the past the score you got one year was what you applied with, or decided not to apply with, whatever the decision might be. A June, July or August retake was not an option.

The increase in GPA can be directly associated with grade inflation at schools. I'm not talking about the "top school grade inflation" some people complain about, but simply the fact that the average graduating GPA for schools across the country, top and bottom tier, has increase a TON in the last 15-20 years.

The idea that SDN has had an impact is a bit ridiculous. Posters here highly overestimate the number of students who use it. Heck, I didn't find it until October of my application year and all it really did was make me paranoid.

 

[auburnO5]

On the whole, I agree. However, I'm willing to believe that SDN and MDApps has changed the game a bit for the stats of students attending top 20 schools. I'm a much more competitive applicant than I ever would have been without SDN and I imagine the same is true for many applicants on here that have ambitions for top schools. Everyone sees the bar that is being set at these schools and wishes to exceed that to better their chances.

All medical schools are very competitive. The ultra-competitive schools (say top 20 or so) have always been, and always will be very hard to get into. I'm really not understanding your logic on how this correlates with SDN. Sure, it has made you more competitive, but there are many applicants who are just as competitive and have probably never heard of SDN.

 

[NickNaylor]

Yes, MDApps and SDN are wholly responsible.

 

[brooklynblunder]

change in the # of applicants >>> change in the # of medical school spots

 

[45408]

I'd blame test prep companies more than SDN.

 

[boaz]

I'd blame test prep companies more than SDN.

👍 Beat me to it. My impression (tho totally uneducated) is that the prep material got much better over the last 10 years.

 

[wanderer]

Keep in mind that SDN users are more informed about the proper test materials (like using Nova for physics, EK for verbal, and so on), but I doubt it makes a significant difference. It might make more of a difference in terms of ECs, as now people could get a clue as to the quality and quantity of ECs necessary to get admitted.

 

[Don Draper]

Yes, MDApps and SDN are wholly responsible.

lol, nice.

On the whole, I agree. However, I'm willing to believe that SDN and MDApps has changed the game a bit for the stats of students attending top 20 schools. I'm a much more competitive applicant than I ever would have been without SDN and I imagine the same is true for many applicants on here that have ambitions for top schools. Everyone sees the bar that is being set at these schools and wishes to exceed that to better their chances.

There is so truth to this idea.

I think it is more general than people are realizing though. By creating a community where people can share ideas and communicate obviously will lead to advancements. As we use the internet we become a larger community and getting top students learning from other top students successes and failures will obviously help.

SO, did SDN improve the quality of applicants? Well, the internet did. And having a place where people meet to discuss ideas did.

SDN just happens to be the place where aspiring physicians meet up. As I see websites like KhanAcademy and other educational tools (hell, even wikipedia), I can imagine that for a student to learn a subject like physics or organic chemistry today (or even a few years from now) compared to 20 years ago would be insane. There are so many more resources and there is more collaboration.

Also MD apps can help some people. Again, this is learning from others mistakes or successes. If someone had a similar profile to yours and got rejected from everywhere stating, "All my schools rejected me and told me to get some more XXX." Well, that person is going to get some "XXX" in their app and not repeat the same mistake.

I couldn't imagine having to take upper division science courses without the internet...

 

[mvenus929]

I think the real factor for increasing MCAT scores lately is the introduction of the electronically based test. Now students can take the MCAT multiple times in one application period, making the likelihood that they get a higher score more probable.In the past the score you got one year was what you applied with, or decided not to apply with, whatever the decision might be. A June, July or August retake was not an option.

You'd have to see a jump from 2007 to 2008 and late years (more than what was seen in previous years), since the EBTs weren't offered to a substantial part of the population until 2007.

Also, keep in mind that these are matriculants, not applicants. There was some degree of self-selecting before the introduction of the EBT (i.e. if you got a bad score one year, you decided not to apply or applied late by taking the August MCAT, thus the overall chance of you getting accepted was much lower).

 

[morning]

I can see how SDN could improve admissions stats but not how it could improve GPA and MCAT scores. I've learned a LOT from SDN about the intangibles (LOR tactics, applying early, etc) but homework/test help? Not so much.