hypothetical scenario

[onsager]

Greetings SDN,

If anyone out there is currently bored/procrastinating I've got a question that's been rolling around in the back of my mind and I'm curious if anyone has any strong opinions about it.

Let's say someone scores decently well on the MCAT after a poor undergrad performance- let's just say 35 MCAT and 3.3/3.2 c/s gpa, let's just say...

In the infinite wisdom of SDN, is it possible that if this student were to do a post bacc consisting of more undergrad upper level bio courses, that they would not be able to achieve a high GPA (4.0)? In other words, does a decent MCAT necessarily mean a student is capable of doing well in coursework. There's a thread where people are discussing the level of 'intelligence' necessary for MCAT success and that a high gpa does not necessarily mean you can get a high mcat, but if we reverse the question do we come to come to an analogous conclusion? Thanks!

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[7331poas]

If you were capable of doing the work and you didnt do it. Thats no different than someone who was incapable of doing the work and failed.

 

[Reckoner]

Greetings SDN,

If anyone out there is currently bored/procrastinating I've got a question that's been rolling around in the back of my mind and I'm curious if anyone has any strong opinions about it.

Let's say someone scores decently well on the MCAT after a poor undergrad performance- let's just say 35 MCAT and 3.3/3.2 c/s gpa, let's just say...

In the infinite wisdom of SDN, is it possible that if this student were to do a post bacc consisting of more undergrad upper level bio courses, that they would not be able to achieve a high GPA (4.0)? In other words, does a decent MCAT necessarily mean a student is capable of doing well in coursework. There's a thread where people are discussing the level of 'intelligence' necessary for MCAT success and that a high gpa does not necessarily mean you can get a high mcat, but if we reverse the question do we come to come to an analogous conclusion? Thanks!

To get a high score on the MCAT you need critical thinking skills. Of course critical thinking helps in the classroom, but getting consistently high grades means putting in a certain level of work. That high-scoring student is definitely capable of doing well in a postbac, but that doesn't make it likely. The strongest predictor of future performance is past performance, after all

 

[onsager]

If you were capable of doing the work and you didnt do it. Thats no different than someone who was incapable of doing the work and failed.

I agree completely, but I should have been a little more clear with my question- I'm also assuming this person has a work ethic they may not have had before. So if this person is putting in 100% now, does a decent MCAT necessarily suggest a high GPA

 

[DokterMom]

Anything is possible. Some schools favor strong GPAs over strong MCATS because they consider the GPA a better indicator of sustained performance and work ethic. I've known some positively brilliant people who could easily score a 35, but who can't seen to get their act together life-wise. So yeah, totally possible.

 

[osckey]

Greetings SDN,

If anyone out there is currently bored/procrastinating I've got a question that's been rolling around in the back of my mind and I'm curious if anyone has any strong opinions about it.

Let's say someone scores decently well on the MCAT after a poor undergrad performance- let's just say 35 MCAT and 3.3/3.2 c/s gpa, let's just say...

In the infinite wisdom of SDN, is it possible that if this student were to do a post bacc consisting of more undergrad upper level bio courses, that they would not be able to achieve a high GPA (4.0)? In other words, does a decent MCAT necessarily mean a student is capable of doing well in coursework. There's a thread where people are discussing the level of 'intelligence' necessary for MCAT success and that a high gpa does not necessarily mean you can get a high mcat, but if we reverse the question do we come to come to an analogous conclusion? Thanks!

I had the same situation and had a nice upward curve with the last three years of my coursework with a solid MCAT. Given this, I've got 2 DO acceptances and am preparing for my 2 MD interviews right now. I know several people with my story who did well enough to gain multiple acceptances from MD schools. My point with that information is to underline that people with your stats can make it in.

Now concerning intelligence for the MCAT, I believe that you absolutely need to refine your logic and reasoning skills for the exam. I don't know anything about how IQ relates to the MCAT or if you can tell your buddies that you have a high IQ if you do well on the MCAT. It's a exam designed to test your aptitude (or so I've heard). Also, take into account that the MCAT is a one time snapshot of how well you can do and, as with all tests, you may get lucky and score higher than your honest abilities. In the end, I think that if you can do well on the MCAT it merely shows that you can do well to prepare for a difficult challenge that is analogous to your undergraduate experience as Step 1 is to your medical school experience.

 

[Goro]

Usually, but taking standardized test is a skill (like throwing a curveball) and some people are good at pattern recognition and so might simply be good at tests like MCAT.

But I'm more inclined to think the low GPA/high MCAT disconnect is more due to laziness.

The MCAT is NOT an intelligence test, but rather, like Boards, one of competency.

In the infinite wisdom of SDN, is it possible that if this student were to do a post bacc consisting of more undergrad upper level bio courses, that they would not be able to achieve a high GPA (4.0)? In other words, does a decent MCAT necessarily mean a student is capable of doing well in coursework. There's a thread where people are discussing the level of 'intelligence' necessary for MCAT success and that a high gpa does not necessarily mean you can get a high mcat, but if we reverse the question do we come to come to an analogous conclusion? Thanks!