How do you honestly know if you are smart enough for med school?

[mahnster13]

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As I mention in every single one of my posts, becoming a doctor has been a life long dream.
The only thing that ever deters me from that is self-doubt. I really don't know if I am smart enough for it. I just graduated high school with a 3.86 GPA, had a 2060 on the SAT, and wasn't even top 10 in my class :/
I know none of that matters for med school, but I just want to know if anybody else has ever experienced the same doubts that I am facing right now?
I have tried researching other possible career paths, but every single time I ALWAYS come back to medicine. I want to help people, and I want to do it directly and actually see the results of my help. I love science, it has always been my favorite subject because I ask a lot of questions, and science provides me answers that I find fascinating and believable. I don't care about the money, I would gladly take $20K a year as long as it meant I got to help somebody fight cancer, give a 9-year-old burn victim renewed self confidence by giving him new skin, make a diagnosis by MRI that could potentially save someone's life, or help a patient get safely through surgery by providing anesthetics and monitoring them during and after the surgery. I can't explain it all here without taking too much room, but suffice it to say that I have researched a LOT of possible other career paths, and I have NOT found a single one that interests me as much or that I think would be even close to rewarding as I think medicine will be.
Like I said, I just have no way of knowing if I am actually smart enough to pursue that goal :/

 

[TooMuchResearch]

Your high school GPA >> my high school GPA.

You're fine 🙂

 

[BTC]

2.4 high school GPA here. Relax and try to enjoy your next four years.

 

[thedoctor8706]

I second that. Your GPA + test scores are higher than mine were in high school...

I had a hard time adjusting to college when I discovered how much different it is, but once I adapted to new study techniques, I started getting respectable grades and am now on my way to med school (if I can get a good MCAT score!) It all depends on how serious you are. You have to have that drive and passion that pushes you to continue studying even when you couldn't care less. In my opinion, almost anyone could get into med school if they were determined enough.

Go for it!

 

[itsalovestory]

As I mention in every single one of my posts, becoming a doctor has been a life long dream.
The only thing that ever deters me from that is self-doubt. I really don't know if I am smart enough for it. I just graduated high school with a 3.86 GPA, had a 2060 on the SAT, and wasn't even top 10 in my class :/
I know none of that matters for med school, but I just want to know if anybody else has ever experienced the same doubts that I am facing right now?
I have tried researching other possible career paths, but every single time I ALWAYS come back to medicine. I want to help people, and I want to do it directly and actually see the results of my help. I love science, it has always been my favorite subject because I ask a lot of questions, and science provides me answers that I find fascinating and believable. I don't care about the money, I would gladly take $20K a year as long as it meant I got to help somebody fight cancer, give a 9-year-old burn victim renewed self confidence by giving him new skin, make a diagnosis by MRI that could potentially save someone's life, or help a patient get safely through surgery by providing anesthetics and monitoring them during and after the surgery. I can't explain it all here without taking too much room, but suffice it to say that I have researched a LOT of possible other career paths, and I have NOT found a single one that interests me as much or that I think would be even close to rewarding as I think medicine will be.
Like I said, I just have no way of knowing if I am actually smart enough to pursue that goal :/

come to college and you'll realize that smartness doesn't really get anyone anywhere. it's the people who work hard that get what they want. it seems to me that you truly want this, and if you do, then put your best into it. intelligence won't matter... and for what it's worth, i'm only three years out of high school and i can't remember my SAT score for the life in me. no one in the world cares about my hsGPA either!

 

[Excelsius]

come to college and you'll realize that smartness doesn't really get anyone anywhere. it's the people who work hard that get what they want. it seems to me that you truly want this, and if you do, then put your best into it. intelligence won't matter... and for what it's worth, i'm only three years out of high school and i can't remember my SAT score for the life in me. no one in the world cares about my hsGPA either!

Generally agree that hard work is the most important path to success, but I disagree that intelligence won't matter. If you are trying to accomplish something tough, it is both hard work and intelligence that are needed.

One very important aspect of success is the connection with other people and their perception of your intelligence. Usually people in academia have a good sense of intuition about the intelligence level of their students and colleagues. There are probably a small number of people here on SDN who command a lot of respect from some of their professors because of how their perform on some of the most difficult problems (unrelated to GPA or grades). In undergrad, when a professor himself tries to get to know you better and is betting that you're a medschool applicant without even knowing anything about you, you know that you're going to get a great LOR. This positive bias also results in slightly higher grades because the professor "knows" that you know. This maybe doesn't have that a high of an impact. But now let's transfer the same situation to your clinical rotations in medschool. If you catch the eye of the right attending who thinks you belong in some of the best available programs, this will be an important accomplishment because a lot of doors will open for you. I mean if you're trying to get a coveted residency spot at UCSF, you want to make sure that the PD there definitely remembers your work come match time.

 

[DrSno]

come to college and you'll realize that smartness doesn't really get anyone anywhere. it's the people who work hard that get what they want. it seems to me that you truly want this, and if you do, then put your best into it. intelligence won't matter... and for what it's worth, i'm only three years out of high school and i can't remember my SAT score for the life in me. no one in the world cares about my hsGPA either!

These statements in bold are false. Intelligence makes college and the whole pre-med process much easier. I rarely studied in college and graduated summa cum laude. I also did not study for the MCAT and got a score I was happy with and that got me into medical school. Intelligence does matter in intellectual and academic endeavors (which I can't believe even has to be said). Very few people who enter college as "premeds" have what it takes to end up getting into an American allopathic medical school.

 

[Excelsius]

These statements in bold are false. Intelligence makes college and the whole pre-med process much easier. I rarely studied in college and graduated summa cum laude. I also did not study for the MCAT and got a score I was happy with and that got me into medical school. Intelligence does matter in intellectual and academic endeavors (which I can't believe even has to be said). Very few people who enter college as "premeds" have what it takes to end up getting into an American allopathic medical school.

I think what she meant about college was that even if you are smart, you still won't get good grades if you don't work for them. I've had some very smart friends in the physics department and these guys had a pretty low GPA. They just spent their time doing what they wanted, instead of worrying about all the little points here and there.

Also, if you are intelligent and you use that aspect only to do as little work as possible, then you really won't have that much of an advantage over someone who is not as bright but works very hard. You'd need to make some extra effort to stand out. I am not talking about grades, but more intangible aspects like research solution approaches, teacher collaboration, etc.

 

[DeadCactus]

These statements in bold are false. Intelligence makes college and the whole pre-med process much easier. I rarely studied in college and graduated summa cum laude. I also did not study for the MCAT and got a score I was happy with and that got me into medical school. Intelligence does matter in intellectual and academic endeavors (which I can't believe even has to be said). Very few people who enter college as "premeds" have what it takes to end up getting into an American allopathic medical school.

I welcome you to show that what they lack is ability rather than desire...

 

[IndianVercetti]

These statements in bold are false. Intelligence makes college and the whole pre-med process much easier. I rarely studied in college and graduated summa cum laude. I also did not study for the MCAT and got a score I was happy with and that got me into medical school. Intelligence does matter in intellectual and academic endeavors (which I can't believe even has to be said). Very few people who enter college as "premeds" have what it takes to end up getting into an American allopathic medical school.

What you say is true, but just as the poster above me said, I feel that an individual who truly has to work for even a decent grade is better off in the long run, than a person, who according to you, can cruise to an A with minimal effort. If indeed a person is so gifted to absorb the required material quickly, he/she shouldn't be off slacking in their free time. Utilize that extra time to pursue other areas of interest - more courses, research, a more in-depth study, etc.

As I have said, I feel the pre-medical process itself isn't to "learn" information that could prove vital as a physician, but it is to ingrain a certain work ethic that is imperative for the health profession. Trust me, no matter if you absorb material or not by choosing to study a few hours more, you are disciplining yourself as a student, which will only help you in your future pursuits.

Bottom line, even the world's dumbest student, if they truly learn to develop the mental discipline to put in the hours, day in and day out, of sheer boredom to simply sit down at a desk with a book and desk lamp, can achieve sufficient grades to enter medical school. What separates a physician from any other profession is the need to constantly increase knowledge base.

 

[teachmed27]

"Whether you think you can or can't, you're right." - Henry Ford

Your numbers look good and motivations genuine. Why all the self-doubt? Just because you weren't in the top 10 of your class? If you are willing to work your butt off and do whatever you have to do to achieve your goal, then you will get there. Don't smother your potential by dwelling over whether or not you are smart enough. Concentrate on the task before you and get the job done! Good luck!

 

[CoolWhipp]

Nothing you have said really negates the possibility that you may one day become a doctor. I wouldn't be so quick to say you do not care about the money. Residency will probably change that, but I admire the youthful outlook on your future. It is the beauty of being young. High school grades are hardly a reflection of your ability as a future physician. Congratulations on graduating high school, you will soon see that those four years will be just faint memory. The first year of college you will be taking general education courses, in this time period you will be able to talk to advisors/pre-med counselors/professors/graduate students. Talk to as many people as you can, its easy. People like talking about themselves, and you will learn a lot from their life stories. Hopefully, with all the information you obtained you will be able to decide which path you may or may not want to pursue.

Good luck.

 

[nick_carraway]

I agree so much with the value of a good work ethic, rather than the requirement of being naturally brilliant.

OP, you're still young and will likely stumble on the way to your dream. You'll realize along the way that most of the people you meet aren't exceptionally intelligent, but the ones you look up usually just work extremely hard. There are always those gifted few, but those aren't the ones you're competing against.

Whenever you don't want to do something or find it easier to take a break, just remember how badly you want this and how much regret you'll have a decade from now when you could've worked a bit harder to reach your goal.

I have faith that most people have the smarts to get into med school. Some (read: most) just have to work hard to get there. Life rewards the hungriest people out there.

 

[DrSno]

As I have said, I feel the pre-medical process itself isn't to "learn" information that could prove vital as a physician, but it is to ingrain a certain work ethic that is imperative for the health profession.

And that is what has me a little nervous about med school. If it's the first time I have to put effort into something, I hope I have the discipline to do so.

Bottom line, even the world's dumbest student, if they truly learn to develop the mental discipline to put in the hours, day in and day out, of sheer boredom to simply sit down at a desk with a book and desk lamp, can achieve sufficient grades to enter medical school. What separates a physician from any other profession is the need to constantly increase knowledge base.

I suppose that could be true in theory, but from the research into the subject I've seen, doctors have the highest intelligence (measured by IQ) of careers, closely followed by research scientists and attorneys. With so many more people trying to get into med school than seats available, it's just obvious the smartest ones will tend to make it (and luckily so, as I've said I think people take doctors being intelligent for granted). I know that truly upsets the egalitarians, but such is life.

 

[Excelsius]

... from the research into the subject I've seen, doctors have the highest intelligence (measured by IQ) of careers, closely followed by research scientists and attorneys. With so many more people trying to get into med school than seats available, it's just obvious the smartest ones will tend to make it (and luckily so, as I've said I think people take doctors being intelligent for granted). I know that truly upsets the egalitarians, but such is life.

Doctors are not the smartest. Are you kidding? If we were to look at the toughest field it would be physics (not engineering). The data that I have looked at has enough variation in the field of professors vs doctors that they are close. Doctors are not clearly on top. Finally, if you look at the subset of physicists, they will be the smartest group. Medical schools and the preparation for it is hardly intellectually challenging. Yeah, you have to memorize a lot of things and think here and there, but it's not like physics where there is heavy thinking involved all the time. If we look at nuclear physics, quantum mechanics, etc, the IQ will go even higher. In physics, you cannot wiggle through a course by pure hard work and memorization. You actually have to think. In bio courses you can do quite well without any deep thought.

And oh yeah, when Hawking was in Cambridge, it was known that anybody who was not smart enough to go into physics would become a doctor. He himself had to make that choice. So let's not go there.

 

[IndianVercetti]

Yeah, I would have said something very similar to what Excelsius said. Anyone, with sufficient discipline can memorize, but I feel it takes true intelligence to solve elaborate physics, chemistry problems at the graduate level. I'm not by any means saying that doctors also don't have to make very analytical decisions in everyday practice, but merely suggesting that the "education" component is largely memorization-based.

Just take our word man, if you have the mindset, you can do it.

 

[DrSno]

Just take our word man, if you have the mindset, you can do it.

Just curious, what would you tell the half of applicants who don't eventually make it in?

 

[PremedIowa]

Just curious, what would you tell the half of applicants who don't eventually make it in?

Oooo...snap!

Op, have you even started college yet? You will see where you stand in your science courses during college and that will give you a very good idea of whether or not you will be capable of pursuing medicine. It's not like it's an all-or-nothing decision that has to be made right now.

 

[IndianVercetti]

Just curious, what would you tell the half of applicants who don't eventually make it in?

I think the misconception you have is that if someone doesn't "make it in" that correlates with them somehow being "inferior" to the people accepted. This is grossly not the case. I personally know many individuals who would make terrific doctors, who were not accepted, perhaps for their grades/MCAT score. But you know what? I'm willing to bet that these individuals, despite their obvious disappointment, take heart in the fact that they gave it their best shot and put in the hours. Many of these individuals have a sincere drive for the profession, despite their "lack of intelligence" as some might choose to put it. It is these individuals who reapply, and reapply, and with bit of lady luck's help, eventually get accepted.

Now, I'm also willing to bet that 75% of applicants who were rejected simply DID NOT put in the time necessary to prepare for exams/MCAT.

Instead of over-analyzing this to the bone, just realize that we're all only human. Put forth your best effort and see how things play out. There's an inherent risk in any endeavor, right?

 

[IndianVercetti]

Oooo...snap!

Op, have you even started college yet? You will see where you stand in your science courses during college and that will give you a very good idea of whether or not you will be capable of pursuing medicine. It's not like it's an all-or-nothing decision that has to be made right now.

Props on that MCAT score 😀

 

[DrSno]

I think the misconception you have is that if someone doesn't "make it in" that correlates with them somehow being "inferior" to the people accepted. This is grossly not the case. I personally know many individuals who would make terrific doctors, who were not accepted, perhaps for their grades/MCAT score. But you know what? I'm willing to bet that these individuals, despite their obvious disappointment, take heart in the fact that they gave it their best shot and put in the hours. Many of these individuals have a sincere drive for the profession, despite their "lack of intelligence" as some might choose to put it. It is these individuals who reapply, and reapply, and with bit of lady luck's help, eventually get accepted.

Now, I'm also willing to bet that 75% of applicants who were rejected simply DID NOT put in the time necessary to prepare for exams/MCAT.

Instead of over-analyzing this to the bone, just realize that we're all only human. Put forth your best effort and see how things play out. There's an inherent risk in any endeavor, right?

I just want it to be clear that it would be very false and condescending to say that most people who don't get in just didn't try hard enough. I had a friend in undergrad who really busted his ass in all of his courses and in studying for the MCAT. It was amazing to me how much devotion this guy had to going to med school. He was also obviously not very intelligent (but I am NOT saying that as a negative, he is who he is). He ended up with around a 2.8 GPA and a 13 MCAT his first try and a 14 his second try. He even took a Kaplan course before taking his first MCAT and studied for months. I would just hate to think that someone would incorrectly assume he didn't put his all into trying to reach his dream of med school.

 

[Premed Worrier]

As I mention in every single one of my posts, becoming a doctor has been a life long dream.
The only thing that ever deters me from that is self-doubt. I really don't know if I am smart enough for it. I just graduated high school with a 3.86 GPA, had a 2060 on the SAT, and wasn't even top 10 in my class :/
I know none of that matters for med school, but I just want to know if anybody else has ever experienced the same doubts that I am facing right now?
I have tried researching other possible career paths, but every single time I ALWAYS come back to medicine. I want to help people, and I want to do it directly and actually see the results of my help. I love science, it has always been my favorite subject because I ask a lot of questions, and science provides me answers that I find fascinating and believable. I don't care about the money, I would gladly take $20K a year as long as it meant I got to help somebody fight cancer, give a 9-year-old burn victim renewed self confidence by giving him new skin, make a diagnosis by MRI that could potentially save someone's life, or help a patient get safely through surgery by providing anesthetics and monitoring them during and after the surgery. I can't explain it all here without taking too much room, but suffice it to say that I have researched a LOT of possible other career paths, and I have NOT found a single one that interests me as much or that I think would be even close to rewarding as I think medicine will be.
Like I said, I just have no way of knowing if I am actually smart enough to pursue that goal :/

Umm back to this question. I have felt the whole time that I may not be intelligent enough to pursue my goal of medicine. Even now, having been accepted, I am not sure I am intelligent enough. Like mentioned previously I know that I have the capacity to work as hard as anyone which will obviously assist me. Two other things that keep me motivated: 1. I keep in mind that if the schools thought there was any chance of me not completing it they would not have accepted me. 2. Thousands and Thousands of people have done it before me, so why can't I do it?
These things keep me going when I am wondering about my ability (in anything really not just academics). Good Luck.

 

[image187]

Hey man, don't take everything you read on SDN to heart. Although some people may have discouraged you (because they probably feel inferior themselves), don't let anyone get you down, honestly. Your GPA, your SAT your grades in college, your MCAT score... it's all just a game. No number or letter earned on any standardized test is by any means at all a valid measure of your intelligence or future competence as a doctor. I will tell you this though: you need to have confidence in yourself. This will come with getting older, but people who have no self-confidence short-change themselves and never actually realize their full potential. If you do decide to take this plunge, you will most likely fail at something and be discouraged (this goes with anything in life). Being able to pick yourself up afterwards and persist is what gives you what you need for a career in medicine. It's nice to be smart and that helps, but determination and motivation are what separate those who get what they want in life from those who don't.

 

[IndianVercetti]

I just want it to be clear that it would be very false and condescending to say that most people who don't get in just didn't try hard enough. I had a friend in undergrad who really busted his ass in all of his courses and in studying for the MCAT. It was amazing to me how much devotion this guy had to going to med school. He was also obviously not very intelligent (but I am NOT saying that as a negative, he is who he is). He ended up with around a 2.8 GPA and a 13 MCAT his first try and a 14 his second try. He even took a Kaplan course before taking his first MCAT and studied for months. I would just hate to think that someone would incorrectly assume he didn't put his all into trying to reach his dream of med school.

I'm not being condescending in any way, and it is indeed not a stretch to say that most people who get rejected from medical school simply did not realize how much commitment and studying is required. I don't know your friend, and obviously no generalization can account for everyone. But if you are using your friend to try to argue that the MAJORITY of applicants to medical school are being rejected due to an intelligence factor, I beg to differ. Maybe this is the case for him or her, but I really don't see how you are holding your case based on this individual, when all of us witness irresponsible students partying away on weekends, when they have a exam looming on Monday.

I'm in no position to ever start evaluating someone's intelligence level. Fact of the matter is, we're all just doing what we can to get by in life - all of us have our strengths and weaknesses. I'm not denying that some people are more intelligent than others, I indicated that clearly in my original post. But, in the VAST majority of cases, if an individual puts in a disciplined, daily effort in studying, avoiding procrastination, and keeping their goals in mind, they will put themselves in a very good position in becoming a physician.

According to what you are saying, are we supposed to pretty much be telling your friend to give up in his pursuit? (since obviously he isn't intelligent enough to be a doc, right?) No, we can't do that - he has as much of a right to pursue what he deserves, as any of us do.

 

[MiSfiT2013]

I'm not being condescending in any way, and it is indeed not a stretch to say that most people who get rejected from medical school simply did not realize how much commitment and studying is required. I don't know your friend, and obviously no generalization can account for everyone. But if you are using your friend to try to argue that the MAJORITY of applicants to medical school are being rejected due to an intelligence factor, I beg to differ. Maybe this is the case for him or her, but I really don't see how you are holding your case based on this individual, when all of us witness irresponsible students partying away on weekends, when they have a exam looming on Monday.

I'm in no position to ever start evaluating someone's intelligence level. Fact of the matter is, we're all just doing what we can to get by in life - all of us have our strengths and weaknesses. I'm not denying that some people are more intelligent than others, I indicated that clearly in my original post. But, in the VAST majority of cases, if an individual puts in a disciplined, daily effort in studying, avoiding procrastination, and keeping their goals in mind, they will put themselves in a very good position in becoming a physician.

According to what you are saying, are we supposed to pretty much be telling your friend to give up in his pursuit? (since obviously he isn't intelligent enough to be a doc, right?) No, we can't do that - he has as much of a right to pursue what he deserves, as any of us do.

Although I agree with most of your post, I do believe that some people simply do not have the ability to do some certain things in life. If Sno's friend really put in as much effort as he stated in his post, then a career in medicine may not be for him. I'm not saying that he doesn't have a right to pursue his dreams, but I don't think it's right to instill false hope by telling him "if you want it bad enough you can do it."

 

[todipotent]

Let your first year or two of undergrad steer you to what you think is interesting. My girlfriend was set on pre med when she came out of high school but after she took her first year of med school prereqs she realized that biology bored her to death and she had absolutely no interest in any of the health related stuff. You might come from high school thinking you already know what your career will be but allow your mind to be open and you will find a facet to fit into.

 

[ButImLETired]

You know, I come from a country that's way more pragmatic than this one, and I actually think the American "you can do anything if you just put your mind to it!" attitude is kinda detrimental to kids here. Hell, I'd love to be a famous ballerina, but at 23 years old, with all of zero ballet training, it's not gonna happen, no matter how often I put on those slippers and how many callouses I get on my feet. There are some things we can't do- 4'10" guys can't be in the NBA, I can't be a ballerina, and some people don't have the intellect to be a doctor. It's a fact of life.

However, as much as some of the egomaniacs on SDN would like to think doctors are the smartest and most awesomest people out there, they're not that either. Sure, they're up there. You have to have a pretty high level of intelligence to get up to that level, but I don't know about you people- I didn't have to think THAT hard in college. Sure, physics problems could occasionally be tricky, and there was a chem pset or two that stumped me, but for the most part, premed was about putting in the time and playing the game well. In science, you can choose to skim the surface and memorize as much as possible, or you can truly understand the concepts and come up with individual, creative problems of your own. To do the latter, you have to be rather smart. To do the former, you just have to sit down and get it done.

So, I'd actually argue that getting into medicine is about 30% intelligence and 70% being stubborn enough and determined enough to put in the hours. My understanding of med school is that the ratio skews even more, at least in the preclinical years. People who were smart enough to barely have to study in college, now have to develop *shudder* a work ethic.

However, I sort of resent the implication that people who don't get in either weren't smart enough or didn't try hard enough. I think the latter is probably more common (the former usually gives up after chem or orgo), but I still think there's a HUGE subset of the reject population that fits into neither of those pigeon holes. Those are the people who picked the hardest major at their school, who overextended themselves doing 20 different things they loved instead of focusing on one thing they felt meh about, ones who got stuck with the worst professors in their school, or ones who went to a school that neither supported them and advised them correctly nor taught them enough to do well on the MCAT. In short, these were people who either didn't know how to play the game, didn't want to play the game, didn't care enough to try to play the game, or were never told there was a game to play in the first place.

If I had gotten rejected, it would not have been because I'm not smart enough (I'd like to think I'm basically intellectually capable of handling medicine), or because I didn't work hard enough- it would have been for one of the aforementioned reasons. And most of the people I know who got rejected fits one of those too. I have a friend who is one of the smartest people I've ever met, but he had no idea what was expected of him as a premed cause he went to some huge school without a great education, so he got decent grades, worked decently hard but not hard enough, and when it came time to take the MCAT and apply, he had to teach himself science from scratch to take the test and had no advising so he applied late. I have another friend at MIT who was brilliant, had worked her butt off, but was an aerospace engineer, and her gpa screwed her.

Anyway, sorry for the rant, but really to say that medicine is either intelligence-based or effort-based alone, or to say that to get into med school you just need one plus the other is myopic. We all know there's a game we have to play, a way we have to present ourselves and things we're supposed to do that aren't written in a book. Hell, this whole website is based on that.

 

[Lacheln]

Wait, LET, are you saying there are shades of grey that lead to the human experience?! That's just crazy talk.

OP, whether you are smart enough for med school or not is impossible to determine when you're just leaving high school, but remember that the only aspect of your destiny you have control over is how hard you work. The most satisfied people I know are the ones who take the most pride in having given their all, regardless of the outcome.

 

[redlight]

im going to disagree. a 2060 should be top 10% of all college bound students. It's not super impressive, but it shows you can take a test and do reasonably well compared to peers. that more or less validates the H.S gpa (not saying you will have this success in college though- it's a different animal). I think this shows OP is definitely smart enough to understand the material. now he just has to be diligent in studies, ECs, etc, to piece together a competitive application to get accepted somewhere.

then leave the rest up to statistics because they dont lie. if you can get into medical school, you have a great shot of completing it and passing boards. getting accepted means the school has great confidence in your ability to get the MD, ergo you are [almost assuredly] smart enough to be a doctor.

so to iterate (always wondered why iterate and reiterate mean the same thing): you are smart enough. just buckle down and do what you need to do to get accepted, which is easier said than done.
...
in terms of whether most people have the smarts to be doctors: i think a healthy chunk of college kids do, actually, it's just that most people are not willing to seriously commit to all the work you have to do to get good grades, good ECs, etc. i think most people lack the discipline or desire to put forth the effort.

 

[mbe36]

-Adcoms will determine if you are smart enough. You will determine if you are successful.

-Your work ethic and confidence in your abilities will play the greatest roles.

Good Luck!!

 

[ButImLETired]

Wait, LET, are you saying there are shades of grey that lead to the human experience?! That's just crazy talk.

OP, whether you are smart enough for med school or not is impossible to determine when you're just leaving high school, but remember that the only aspect of your destiny you have control over is how hard you work. The most satisfied people I know are the ones who take the most pride in having given their all, regardless of the outcome.

😀 I've missed you, darling.

 

[rocketbooster]

because i know lots of med students and i know they aren't smarter than me. 😀

you'd be surprised at the intelligence level of med students. many of them did not necessarily get there because they're smart but hardworking.

 

[LAman10]

I have known FAR too many people who have gone from 4.0 in high school --> 3.0 (or less) in college, and a very hefty handful who have done the opposite, so I can tell you that you shouldn't think much about it. wait till you start college; it's a COMPLETELY different ball game than high school. Granted, if you finish first year with a 2.5 gpa or something, then maybe you might want to rethink medicine. but for now, you get to start with a blank slate in college- make the most of it!

 

[Lacheln]

😀 I've missed you, darling.

Ditto, my dear! You are so wise. 🙂

I have known FAR too many people who have gone from 4.0 in high school --> 3.0 (or less) in college, and a very hefty handful who have done the opposite, so I can tell you that you shouldn't think much about it. wait till you start college; it's a COMPLETELY different ball game than high school.

Thank you, that's basically what I was getting at. Although there is some evidence of some correlation between SAT and general intelligence, that doesn't necessarily translate to science aptitude, and I won't even get into the wildly varying high school curriculums that make gpas useless as anything more than a very general indicator. Work to your potential and let the rest sort itself out, no need to ramp up the stress and self-doubt. 🙂

 

[Insulinshock]

The only thing high school will tell you is how hard you were willing to work. I got a 3.0 in HS and now have ~3.85.

I know more than a few people I went to high school with who graduated with a 4.0 whom I wouldn't trust to give me an X-ray. One of then I believe now has like a 2.4.

 

[KeyzerSoze]

Doctors are not the smartest. Are you kidding? If we were to look at the toughest field it would be physics (not engineering). The data that I have looked at has enough variation in the field of professors vs doctors that they are close. Doctors are not clearly on top. Finally, if you look at the subset of physicists, they will be the smartest group. Medical schools and the preparation for it is hardly intellectually challenging. Yeah, you have to memorize a lot of things and think here and there, but it's not like physics where there is heavy thinking involved all the time. If we look at nuclear physics, quantum mechanics, etc, the IQ will go even higher. In physics, you cannot wiggle through a course by pure hard work and memorization. You actually have to think. In bio courses you can do quite well without any deep thought.

And oh yeah, when Hawking was in Cambridge, it was known that anybody who was not smart enough to go into physics would become a doctor. He himself had to make that choice. So let's not go there.

 

[NoMoreAMCAS]

Not even top 10 in your class, lol. I don't think I was in the top few hundred.

 

[NoMoreAMCAS]

Poor janitors, living up to their rep on that graph.

 

[sarahl86]

Further evidence that doctors are in fact more intelligent than lawyers

 

[rHinO1]

Becoming a doctor may not happen for people who just want to, but it happens for people who work hard and do what it takes. Your high school Gpa and Sat show that you are an intelligent person with the intellect to be successful if you work hard. I understand your self doubt, I experienced some too. Once I got through my first semester with a 4.0 it taught me what it takes, and I knew I could do it again. I had a low high school Gpa and now I have a 3.92 cGpa over the last 3 years. My experience shows that you can be very smart, but you will never reach your potential with out a strong work ethic. Don't let your self doubt kill your motivation.

 

[majahops]

I, for one, have always just questioned my memory. I don't remember names of people I've met several times. I forget whether they told me "left turn" or "right turn" at the stop sign. I read paragraphs of text that go out of my head quicker than they got in, leaving me questioning whether I actually just read that paragraph. I forget what my boss asked me to do for the day - not just one task, but damn near every task. I walk out of the lecture with absolutely no recollection of what the professor talked about. I forget all appointments, if they aren't in my blackberry.

I've been able to compensate for a poor memory through premed by taking a lighter load of class, staying up late and studying longer, but what's going to happen when the amount of time it takes to memorize enough material to pass a test exceeds the amount of time in a day? I forget everything, it seems.

That is what scares me.

 

[Excelsius]

Thanks. I had already seen that.

 

[NoMoreAMCAS]

I, for one, have always just questioned my memory. I don't remember names of people I've met several times. I forget whether they told me "left turn" or "right turn" at the stop sign. I read paragraphs of text that go out of my head quicker than they got in, leaving me questioning whether I actually just read that paragraph. I forget what my boss asked me to do for the day - not just one task, but damn near every task. I walk out of the lecture with absolutely no recollection of what the professor talked about. I forget all appointments, if they aren't in my blackberry.

I've been able to compensate for a poor memory through premed by taking a lighter load of class, staying up late and studying longer, but what's going to happen when the amount of time it takes to memorize enough material to pass a test exceeds the amount of time in a day? I forget everything, it seems.

That is what scares me.

Also, with that much effort put into school you're quality of life could be crushed. Spending nearly every waking moment focused on school would be brutal.

 

[NoMoreAMCAS]

Doctors are not the smartest. Are you kidding? If we were to look at the toughest field it would be physics (not engineering). The data that I have looked at has enough variation in the field of professors vs doctors that they are close. Doctors are not clearly on top. Finally, if you look at the subset of physicists, they will be the smartest group. Medical schools and the preparation for it is hardly intellectually challenging. Yeah, you have to memorize a lot of things and think here and there, but it's not like physics where there is heavy thinking involved all the time. If we look at nuclear physics, quantum mechanics, etc, the IQ will go even higher. In physics, you cannot wiggle through a course by pure hard work and memorization. You actually have to think. In bio courses you can do quite well without any deep thought.

I agree. And I'm worried that, like you mentioned, medical school won't be challenging. Sure, i'll have to spend endless hours memorizing stupid lists, but really, a monkey could do that. I hope I'm wrong. I want less memorization and more thinking.

 

[Depakote]

While we're arguing about who has the higher IQ... I just want to throw in that my big brother could beat up anybody else in this thread's big brother.

 

[StarTrekJJ]

Trust me, you dont have to be that smart to get into medical school. You just have to be a hard worker, good at memorizing useless info, and be able to hype yourself up so much that people will think you are the next Mother Theresa.

PS. It doesnt hurt to go volunteer in Africa for a couple days, doing some BS task like moving boxes, and then telling schools that you are a humanitarian and want to do global health.

 

[majahops]

See, with all due respect... if you were in my physical vicinity, and said you were worried that "medical school won't be challenging," you would immediately feel the pressure of a fist infiltrating your orbital bone. Of course, this would be nothing but an expression of my jealousy and insecurity, but it would hurt nonetheless.

I agree. And I'm worried that, like you mentioned, medical school won't be challenging. Sure, i'll have to spend endless hours memorizing stupid lists, but really, a monkey could do that. I hope I'm wrong. I want less memorization and more thinking.

 

[NoMoreAMCAS]

While we're arguing about who has the higher IQ... I just want to throw in that my big brother could beat up anybody else in this thread's big brother.

My dad would stomp your big brother.

 

[NoMoreAMCAS]

See, with all due respect... if you were in my physical vicinity, and said you were worried that "medical school won't be challenging," you would immediately feel the pressure of a fist infiltrating your orbital bone. Of course, this would be nothing but an expression of my jealousy and insecurity, but it would hurt nonetheless.

Lol, I know it will be a pain in the azz memorizing a bunch of facts. But will it be a challenge in terms of actually thinking? Will i constantly be struggling to understand things? I haven't felt this in any of my undergraduate Biology courses, but have in my Physics, Chemistry and Math courses.

 

[majahops]

True, but if they combined extreme complexity with the mountain of mundane detail they currently teach, it'd be too much. In Europe and elsewhere in the world, they teach medicine using a more theoretical approach, which is much more cerebral, but according to many trainee's, just not as useful for making a great doctor.

Lol, I know it will be a pain in the azz memorizing a bunch of facts. But will it be a challenge in terms of actually thinking? Will i constantly be struggling to understand things? I haven't felt this in any of my undergraduate Biology courses, but have in my Physics, Chemistry and Math courses.