How important are grades and MCAT?

[rgporter]

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I was just wondering if anyone really knows how much wieght medical schools give to the numbers on your application. I have good numbers, and pretty decent ex-curric. activities, but I find that I'm always worrying about some other thing I should have done to gain experience. It is so hard, waiting for everything to go through AMCAS; wondering if I am good enough if I have done enough to impress the powers that be.
Does 90 something percentile garantee you'll get in somewhere, or is it just an invitation to interview?

 

[MDmiracle]

Originally posted by rgporter
I was just wondering if anyone really knows how much wieght medical schools give to the numbers on your application. I have good numbers, and pretty decent ex-curric. activities, but I find that I'm always worrying about some other thing I should have done to gain experience. It is so hard, waiting for everything to go through AMCAS; wondering if I am good enough if I have done enough to impress the powers that be.
Does 90 something percentile garantee you'll get in somewhere, or is it just an invitation to interview?

Nothing guarantees an acceptance, many 4.0 +30MCAT people get rejected every year because they weren't well rounded. Having said that it is very difficult to get an interview without descent grades and MCATs. Numbers do matter alot but it's no the only thing they look at.

 

[PMED99]

It all depends...

The first time you apply, Grades and MCAT have a huge bearing on when and if you get interviews. From my experience, after the interview is when you are judged on being well-rounded, but they still put weight on your grades and MCAT.

When you are a reapplicant, it seems as if grades become less of an issue. They seem to look and see if you have good enough grades, then they look at you as a person. Still a lot of weight on the two scores, but less than the first time.

If you are worried about grades, dont be. Just do the best you can and dont worry if you have to reapply and take some years off.

My 2 cents, take it or leave it.

 

[Amy B]

They must be important because a number of schools use only GPA and MCAT as screening values. If you above what they set as a minimum then you will get a chance to have your overall package looked at. However if you are below their set minimum then you won't be looked at regardless of all the other things you might have done. You will be out of the process without being able to present your other qualifications.

 

[umass rower]

If you went to a college outside the top 50, had a GPA less than 3.9, MCAT of less than 40, have never published, or have less than the full 15 extracurriculars, you will never get into any medical school. Ever. And that includes the Carribbean.

Also, all private medical schools have a special examination for their applicants-- essentially, you have to perform open-heart surgery using only a pocketknife as a surgical tool and a bottle of bourbon as anaesthetic. Rumor has it that Harvard makes you do it while keeping yourself and your patient afloat in the Charles River.

 

[Anka]

Also, all private medical schools have a special examination for their applicants-- essentially, you have to perform open-heart surgery using only a pocketknife as a surgical tool and a bottle of bourbon as anaesthetic. Rumor has it that Harvard makes you do it while keeping yourself and your patient afloat in the Charles River.

What! I thought that was Hopkins that made you do it while treading water.... gosh darn it, I'm never gonna get this whole thing. Maybe I shouldn't even be a doctor *sob* *sob* *sniffle*

 

[umass rower]

Seriously though, a lot of the process is arbitrary. Every school gets more qualified applicants than they have room for, and for the mountains of similar candidates, they look at qualititative things to separate people out. But, for example, would playing an instrument count for more than playing on a sprts team? Who knows, and who cares? Do what you want to do, and if you put in the time and effort required, it'll all work out. If your grades and MCAT are respectable, and you've done something outside the classroom while in college, and you aren't a complete waste of life (which would come out in the interview), chances are pretty good that you'll get in somewhere. And if you really want to be a doctor, getting in will probably be sufficient, even if it isn't where you wanted to go, at least it's somewhere.

Just relax a little bit, and good luck on the whole process.

 

[umass rower]

Originally posted by Anka
What! I thought that was Hopkins that made you do it while treading water.... gosh darn it, I'm never gonna get this whole thing. Maybe I shouldn't even be a doctor *sob* *sob* *sniffle*

No, but Hopkins makes you walk to your examination naked, carrying 500,000 dollars cash strapped to you, through that section of Baltimore that's right outside the campus.

 

[Anka]

I can always count on you for a good laugh.

 

[kito]

I heard that Downstate tests to see how long it takes you to assemble and then disassemble an M16 automatic rifle.

 

[pboothe]

I don't feel as if it's that MCAT scores and GPA's are reallly so important, rather I feel that it is really the only method medical schools can use. Think about it: they have to screen thousands of applicants for very few slots. They can't possibly interview everyone, so how else could they fairly screen applicants. The world is just inherently competitive (that doesn't make it right though).

I'm not saying only high GPA and high MCAT = good doctor; this is certainly not true.😕

 

[swankydude]

I think GPA is more important than MCAT scores granted your are is not too low.

 

[pboothe]

WTF????? swanky dude, read that sentence back to yourself and see if you can make any bit of sense from it????

 

[Outer Space]

Originally posted by pboothe
Think about it: they have to screen thousands of applicants for very few slots. They can't possibly interview everyone, so how else could they fairly screen applicants.

it must be really hard to choose 200 applicants out of 6000 (I can't even imagine 6000 people). I think in addition to GPA and MCAT they should ask you to pick a number between 1 and 6000, just to have another variable available.

 

[Sweet Tea]

Originally posted by Outer Space
I think in addition to GPA and MCAT they should ask you to pick a number between 1 and 6000, just to have another variable available.

but what happens if you pick the same number as someone else?? 😕


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