Does anyone really believe med schools care about anything but GPA and MCAT ?

[MilwaukeeMike28]

---

Members do not see this ad.

I dont believe that for a second. They want to push their average numbers as high as possible to get a better rank on US News and World Report. If they really cared about making great docs wouldnt they let in a few well intentioned people with 3.0 GPAs who did great on the MCAT ? That never happens. Nor do they make an allowence for an engineering student with a 3.3 versus a history major with a 3.7 ! They just want the numbers !

 

[Psycho Doctor]

I dont believe that for a second. They want to push their average numbers as high as possible to get a better rank on US News and World Report. If they really cared about making great docs wouldnt they let in a few well intentioned people with 3.0 GPAs who did great on the MCAT ? That never happens. Nor do they make an allowence for an engineering student with a 3.3 versus a history major with a 3.7 ! They just want the numbers !

they also want people who had unique experiences and would will make a contribution to their school

 

[MilwaukeeMike28]

as long as they also have a 3.8 and a 34

 

[Napoleon1801]

It really just depends on how numbers oriented your med school of choice is. There are of course plenty of glory hog schools out there looking for the best of the best scores. Really, the only concrete thing a school as in evaluating who gets an interview or place in the class are you scores, since other data collected about a person is more subjective in its nature.

 

[constructor]

I dont believe that for a second. They want to push their average numbers as high as possible to get a better rank on US News and World Report. If they really cared about making great docs wouldnt they let in a few well intentioned people with 3.0 GPAs who did great on the MCAT ? That never happens. Nor do they make an allowence for an engineering student with a 3.3 versus a history major with a 3.7 ! They just want the numbers !

when i read the title of your post, i wasn't sure i would agree with you... but the two examples you mention do happen ALL the time and i think in those cases numbers do mean a lot to almost every school... if you're a 3.3 in engineering you're probably about average for your major... if you're a 3.8 psychology, you're probably about average for your major. but they don't care whether you're engineering or psychology, they'll take the 3.8 in a heartbeat 99.9% of the time.

 

[Rippey]

If they really cared about making great docs wouldnt they let in a few well intentioned people with 3.0 GPAs who did great on the MCAT ? That never happens.

Even if someone is well-intentioned, they still need to demonstrate a good work ethic exemplified by a good gpa. How would you survive med school w/o one?

You have to realize that there are a ton of applicants with high #'s who appear just as well-intentioned as those applicants with low #'s. So the question is, why take the latter?

 

[constructor]

Even if someone is well-intentioned, they still need to demonstrate a good work ethic exemplified by a good gpa. How would you survive med school w/o one?

You have to realize that there are a ton of applicants with high #'s who appear just as well-intentioned as those applicants with low #'s. So the question is, why take the latter?

but rippey, a 3.3 in engineering demonstrates as impressive a work ethic as a 3.8 in psychology (at least at my school). the point is, the gpa alone doesn't reliably indicate something about a person's work ethic in these cases.

the applicants with highest #'s get automatic interviews at many schools although their numbers don't say very much about how good they'll be as doctors someday (especially compared to those with above-average, but not the highest numbers). the truth is, however, a lot of applications with low numbers do get thrown out even without being looked at. it's not the best system but i don't know if they can really do any better given the logistics of handling such a huge number of applications. in the end, i don't think they select the best group of students they could have selected and a lot of people who would be great doctors miss out.

 

[Rippey]

but rippey, a 3.3 in engineering demonstrates as impressive a work ethic as a 3.8 in psychology (at least at my school). the point is, the gpa alone doesn't reliably indicate something about a person's work ethic in these cases.

I was talking more in general... not specifically about the OP's situation. I agree a 3.3 in engineering is as or more impressive than a 3.8 in a slam-dunk major like psychology 😛

A comparison of class-standing would obviously be much better than gpa; unfortunately (or fortunately), the majority of applicants apply well before they graduate.

 

[nuclearrabbit77]

they take a look at your picture on the file, then only give interviews to the girls who are wolf-ugly. take a look around in your class and you'll know that i speaketh the truth.
oh wait, this is pre-allo. you poor chaps will see for yourself next year!

 

[Peterock]

I was talking more in general... not specifically about the OP's situation. I agree a 3.3 in engineering is as or more impressive than a 3.8 in a slam-dunk major like psychology 😛

A comparison of class-standing would obviously be much better than gpa; unfortunately (or fortunately), the majority of applicants apply well before they graduate.

Yup, getting that 3.3 in engineering is harder than that 3.8 in psych (the relative number of people who major in certain subjects is also inidicative of how difficult the major. If engineering didn't have the lure of getting people hired for jobs w/o connections, I'm sure the number of people taking it would drop by 75%... psychology doesn't have that excuse.

Of course, I'm sure Yale engineering beats Idaho State engineering in terms of difficulty as well and talent of student. Yet none of these things really matter to med schools - which means people try to insinuate that a 3.9/29 person from idaho state is really better than a 3.2/32 person from Yale etc solely b/c of medical schools corrupt game.

I guess I understand though, the better their numbers, the more applications they get b/c they move up in the rankings, the better the students who apply (the more research grants they can get etc). Not to mention that there are plenty of people with 23mcats and 2.8 gpa's who get in (yes they are mostly urm or alumni but not all) and they all make it through medical school as well. So all of this numbers stuff, though unfair to students, is pretty much a waste.

 

[IndyZX]

Good lord, Peterock... Don't you know that all the cool posters stay off the threads started by trolls?

 

[echinoderm]

they take a look at your picture on the file, then only give interviews to the girls who are wolf-ugly. take a look around in your class and you'll know that i speaketh the truth.
oh wait, this is pre-allo. you poor chaps will see for yourself next year!

hahahaha "wolf-ugly"... hilarious!

 

[hot_lunch_69]

This thread is a load of bull crap.

Seriously.

 

[EvoDevo]

Closing. I've had enough the the BS. Thanks for playing, all. 🙂