IQ v. MCAT

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RobbingReality

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This is just to fulfill my own interest, but I was wondering about individuals IQ levels compared to their MCAT scores.

Please list your IQ (only if you know it for sure), and your MCAT score (average if taken more than once).
:wow:

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This is a topic I would be fascinated to look at (and I do have both numbers), but I wouldn't reveal those numbers on SDN. If I had an asbestos suit, perhaps... but I don't. :)
 
I am curious to see If the MCAT has any bases on how smart you are, or if it has to do with your test taking ability. I have known people who were geniuses and scored a 24, and on the other hand I known people with average IQ's to score in the mid 30's. If you don't want to tell me the exact numbers give me a range, my range is from 130-138 IQ with a 28-31 on the MCAT. Maybe using a range helps, so people don't feel like they are being called out.
 
What they tell me

MENSA
165

AAMC
....pending (although the practice exams have been hovering around 35-38.....but since the freaking exam had no resemblance towards the revised editions, my only comment is "MOTHER FUDGE!!" - check you later!)


- anyone interested in the revised editions of the practice exams ....pm me- it'll be worth your while!
 
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I don't think it is possible to compare MCAT scores with IQ... People spend months and even years preparing for the MCAT, but you don't study for an IQ test...

I studyied only a couple of weeks for the MCAT, and my highest score on the aamc practice tests was a 27 on 6R (I'm just praying that I had better luck on the april MCAT!)... My IQ is 140. But if I woulda studied more for the MCAT I know I coulda done much better, because in just 2 weeks I went from a 22 to a 27...
I took about 5 IQ tests in my life and I always scored between 135 and 145... It hasn't changed since I was like 12! If I woulda take the MCAT at 12, I doubt that I would have even gotten a 4 on each section!
 
IQ tests are designed to stay consistent throughout life (even when very young-- with WWPSI) barring alzheimers or something like that.

I dont think IQ and mcat are related, I think SAT and MCAT are.
I think that some people are "better" at standardized tests than others. Of course no test will ever be a good judge of intellegence.
i.e. I have known some very intellegent mechanics that scored 900's on SAT's
 
The mcat has to be related to IQ in one form or another. If it were just a memorization exam then IQ would play less of a part in the mcat score. I don't think you can say mcat score X equals IQ of Y but I bet that there would be a reasonable coorelation between higher IQs and higher mcat scores. Someone should start a poll in the lounge were there are lots of people to see what the results look like.
 
I agree that IQ can't not be directly associated with the MCAT, because there are to many variables. However, The IQ test uses your ability to gather infromation and find the right answer, sort of like a passasge. You are always told from all the prep courses that you don't need all the detailed information to do well on the MCAT, just the basics. Why, because the passages tell you the answer or allow you to derive at an answer just like an IQ test. Then from that information you can fit the data and tell if there is a + or - correlation, if any at all.

I believe it is a fair assessment to relate within a few degrees that the higher the IQ the higher the MCAT. I know there are other factors but that is why I wanted a range.
 
IQ: 138
MCAT: 32

Information recall and retention is very different than IQ. There are plenty of people with good GPAs b/c they can remember enough pointless facts to spit it back on class exam and score well but struggle in problem solving situations and do poorly on the MCAT. This where the role of IQ shows up on the MCAT.
 
Originally posted by NE_Cornhusker1
IQ: 138
MCAT: 32

Information recall and retention is very different than IQ. There are plenty of people with good GPAs b/c they can remember enough pointless facts to spit it back on class exam and score well but struggle in problem solving situations and do poorly on the MCAT. This where the role of IQ shows up on the MCAT.

Word up. There are people who get 4.0 gpa's but can't think their way out of a sleeping bag.
 
Hey , I took that emode test, pretty fun actually

IQ: 138
MCAT: 33R

I would argue that we should maybe ask to compare the verbal reasoning only, since that is something that really can't be studied. The correlation might be higher there.
VERBal: 11
 
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Originally posted by indo
Nobody really cares what you think after that thread about you finding another bathroom. There's no recovery from that. You should get a new name and start over.

He may of found another bathroom but how do we know he didn't just end up p!sssing all over himself? Peace.
 
Originally posted by daffy726
I don't think it is possible to compare MCAT scores with IQ... People spend months and even years preparing for the MCAT, but you don't study for an IQ test...

Good point.:)
 
IQ 170 MCAT 22

Yes, they are real numbers. I'm a non-trad and haven't taken all those college classes for years. Doesn't matter, I'm gonna be a nurse practitioner anyway.
 
Originally posted by lloydchristmas
IQ 170 MCAT 22

Yes, they are real numbers. I'm a non-trad and haven't taken all those college classes for years. Doesn't matter, I'm gonna be a nurse practitioner anyway.

Holy CRAP! With an IQ of 170, I am REALLY surprised that you only got a 22 on the MCAT.

An IQ of 170 is on the order of 1 in 100,000 rarity. :eek: :eek:

http://members.shaw.ca/delajara/criteria.html

Just out of curiosity, are you still able to get 170 on online IQ tests like emode.com etc etc? Also, what were your SAT scores? If you took the SAT before April, 1995, you should have gotten somewhere around 1580-1600...

ttac

p.s. if your IQ is really 170, then I think it's my duty to keep you from being an NP. You could be so much more.
 
The NP just proves how smart he is; no call, shift work only, no high insurance premiums, no 80 hr/week residencies.
 
Either the IQ scores being reported are highly inaccurate or people are lying about their IQs. There is NO WAY a person with a TRUE IQ of 140+ should score less than 30 on the MCAT(assuming a minimum one month study and no unusual events on test day). I am a member of a few high IQ societies more selective than MENSA (TOPS, Triple Nine, Glia etc) and many of the members in these IQ societies understand theories like General Relativity and String theories with little effort.
For those of you who do not understand the IQ scale, a few numbers will put things in perspective.

An average person has an IQ of 100
An average College grad has an IQ of 120
An average doctor, Lawyer, Engineer etc has an IQ of 125
An average Ph.D has an IQ of 130
An average Ph.D in Mathematics or Physics at MIT has an IQ of 150
An average science Nobel Prize winner has an IQ of 155
Most of the leaders of demanding acadamic fields such as philosophy, mathematics, physics and architecture have IQs in the 150-170 range. Guys in the Mega Society like Chris Langan with IQs of 176+ solve problems that most scientists in TOP universities can't solve and they do it with marginal formal education.

I can't tell you how correlated the MCAT is to IQ but my guess will be around .6 (and probably higher for the verbal subsection). This is reasonable since the MCAT is passage based and STRESSES reading comprehension and integrated thinking. A high IQ will not always mean a high MCAT score since the MCAT is also knowledge based but to have an IQ of 150+ and score in the 20's on the MCAT (with some review) is absurd. There will always be exceptions due to the influences of other variables but this should be rare.

P.S. the IQ numbers used are Stanford-Binet, which is the accepted standard in Psychometrics. Also, online IQ tests are highly inaccurate since they are not supervised, properly "g loaded" or appropriately normalized. IQ tests are difficult to write since they require good populations to be tested and statistically analyzed. Proper tests are RARELY free. The only good tests online are the Hoeflin tests(Mega, Titan, Ultra and Power) and they are VERY DIFFICULT. These are also the same tests needed to join the Mega Society (1 in a million) and other VERY selective high IQ societies.Those who claim 145+ IQs should try them and see how they do. A link to these tests was provided earlier in this thread.
 
http://www.highiqsociety.org/noflash/nonmembers/iqtests.htm

What the heck is the deal with charging you $60+ if you qualify to be accepted as a member???

I've read 3-5 books on chess strategy and I have a couple of chess programs, so I would be very interested in participating in their chess tourneys and trying to get into the chess HOF, but there's no way I'm paying money to join an INTERNET highiq society.

Are there any real benefits to joining?

BTW, I was 130+ for each iq test, under 30 for MCAT, and 1560 for SAT. At the end of the highiq test, they had correlations to the SAT I, and I scored slightly below the predicted iq score.
 
Originally posted by ttac
Holy CRAP! With an IQ of 170, I am REALLY surprised that you only got a 22 on the MCAT.

An IQ of 170 is on the order of 1 in 100,000 rarity. :eek: :eek:

http://members.shaw.ca/delajara/criteria.html

Just out of curiosity, are you still able to get 170 on online IQ tests like emode.com etc etc? Also, what were your SAT scores? If you took the SAT before April, 1995, you should have gotten somewhere around 1580-1600...

ttac

p.s. if your IQ is really 170, then I think it's my duty to keep you from being an NP. You could be so much more.

Thanks... and yes, it's really 170, according to 3 separate IQ tests. Mean = 170, range = 6 (167, 170, 173).

It's my duty not to become a doctor because I don't want all the BS that comes with it. I like my social life too much. And I'm not so smart that I'm some anti-social weirdo who thinks so hard he pisses himself either.
 
Originally posted by lloydchristmas
Thanks... and yes, it's really 170, according to 3 separate IQ tests. Mean = 170, range = 6 (167, 170, 173).

It's my duty not to become a doctor because I don't want all the BS that comes with it. I like my social life too much. And I'm not so smart that I'm some anti-social weirdo who thinks so hard he pisses himself either.

Well, if it truly is 170, then forgive me for doubting you. I've just met waaaaayyy too many people who claimed IQ's that were ridiculously high, then later were proven to have been mistaken.

It's not that I feel insecure that if you have a 170, you are smarter than me... Lord knows that there were enough people at MIT who were smarter on their worst days than I would ever be... However, I just find it almost outside the realm of comprehension how you could POSSIBLY score a 22 on the MCAT. I mean, I took the Kaplan course, and I scored a 28 on the practice test they give you before you even start studying for the MCAT. I would hope that someone who was smarter than 99,999 people out of 100,000 could get AT LEAST a 30 after having studied for the MCAT. As far as the old SAT goes (you took it, right?) you should have easily gotten 1500, and probably 1580+, even if you had a bad day, so just out of curiosity, what did you get?

ttac
p.s. I also realize that within a community of 15,000+ individuals, most of whom are going to be more intelligent than the average person, it is highly likely (probably certain) that there will be at least a few people with IQ's in the range you claim. You just may be one of them.
 
Alright, I don't feel like it's bragging any more since there are people on this thread who have IQ's and MCAT's higher than mine. So here goes:

IQ in 2nd grade: 151
IQ on 3 different online tests: 152,154,156

SAT (old) 1470 (710V, 760M) (equivalent score on 'new' SATI = 1590)
(predicted IQ from SAT: 151 or 154)
http://members.shaw.ca/delajara/oldSATIQ.html

MCAT: 10V, 13P, 14B, R
Score on AP-US History Exam: 2 :p
Score on my second organic chemistry exam freshman year: 12% :p

ttac
 
So far the only consistent numbers I have seen regarding IQ and the MCAT is ttac's. Also, Ramsestiger's IQ and SAT numbers are quite consistent. And you are right ttac, an IQ of 170 is AMAZING. I can't speak to the veracity of other people's numbers but like height and penile size people tend to exaggerate.
 
I'm not doubting that there are probably a bunch of people on SDN, and probably people lurking on this thread who have IQ's significantly over 160. If I had to guess, the smartest person I knew in hs/and before he went to Harvard/HST had a 41-43 on the MCAT, and I believe about a 1550 on the old SAT. I would estimate his IQ at somewhere around 160-165. One might think that he 'only' had 15 points on me IQ-wise, but I could definitely tell that he was significantly smarter than I was.

Another guy I knew in HS took 13 AP tests in hs and got 12 '5''s and a '4'. I don't even know what his IQ was but he was undoubtedly smarter than me (skipped 2 grades, etc)

My point is that I (and if I may be so bold, Gbemi) am fine with people being smarter than me. I knew many people like that at MIT. It's just that I also knew alot of people who overestimated their intelligence. It may not have even been their fault...

Not to delve too deeply into the whole IQ-testing field, but:

Assume that you design an IQ test to estimate IQ's between 70 and 130. This is probably like alot of IQ tests out there. You probably have some kind of time component to give extra IQ points for finishing early. Now what happens when someone with an IQ of 145 takes the test. Well, he will probably be bumping his head on the ceiling of the test so to speak, where 1 or 2 more questions might make a huge difference in his IQ score. The test wasn't really designed to give accurate estimates above 130, and therefore he (or she) shouldn't be taking that test as a reliable indicator of IQ.

He or she should be taking a harder test, designed to maybe test the difference between IQ's of 130 and 180, such as the Titan test.

http://www.eskimo.com/~miyaguch/titandata/gradynorm.html

So, in summary, an IQ of 170 is absolutely extraordinary. I would estimate that I might have known maybe less than 5 people at MIT out of a class of 1000 with an IQ that high, and these were people that were winning international physics olympiads/putnam competitions, etc either before, or while they were at MIT.

So, as you know, extraordinary claims require extraordinary evidence. I'm not ruling out the IQ 170 claim just yet, but I've got to admit that I have my doubts...

ttac
 
I've noticed (in my many web-surfing travails) that Gary Kasparov has an estimated IQ of 190. It doesn't surprise me that Bobby Fischer had an estimated IQ of 187. But although everyone is entitled to do what they want with their life, it almost seems like, had they decided to focus on, say, cancer research rather than chess, they could have made incredible discoveries that us lesser mortals might not have ever made.

Here's a link to estimated IQ's of the greatest geniuses of all time. Lloydchristmas, I didn't mean to insult you by saying that you could have been 'so much more'. It's just that if you look at the company you are in with your 170 IQ (and the people that you are even smarter than), you will see what I mean.

http://www.surfonby.com/iq.html

Note: Your 170 IQ puts you 10 points higher than Albert Einstein and Ben Franklin, 5 points above Charles Darwin, and on par with Plato :eek: :eek:

ttac
p.s. It's interesting to note that Marilyn V.S. has been 'downgraded' from an IQ of 227? to 186. Also, betcha didn't know that Dolph Lundgren (of Universal Soldier fame) has a Masters degree in chem E from MIT, was offered a Fulbright scholarship to study at MIT, and has an IQ of 160 :eek:
 
ttac I have to agree with Paul Coojiman's (founder of the Giga society) that the estimated IQs of historical geniuses are bogus. The only way to KNOW one's IQ is to test it. Also Flynn's work on the generational increase in IQs show that many of the so-called historical geniuses would probably not score higher than 160 on modern IQ tests. To say that Goethe and Leibniz had more powerful minds than the likes of Paul Erdos, Von Neumann, Wittgenstein or Witten is preposterous to me. Also, creativity is not measured on IQ tests. These men are mostly remembered for extraordinary creativity. Einstein was a notoriously slow thinker and terrible at sophisticated mathematics. He probably couldn't score higher than 150 on modern IQ tests. What made him great was his depth of thought and creative insights into difficult problems over a period of time. At any rate, these estimations are just for fun and no serious psychometrician can scientifically justify them. It suffices to say that most of these men were far ahead of their time.

You are also right about most IQ tests having low ceilings. Ron Hoflins' tests (Mega, Titan etc) are quite difficult. I tried my hands at his best test (the power test) and was humbled. I was able to solve 23 out of 36 in a MONTH.
 
Originally posted by Gbemi24

You are also right about most IQ tests having low ceilings. Ron Hoflins' tests (Mega, Titan etc) are quite difficult. I tried my hands at his best test (the power test) and was humbled. I was able to solve 23 out of 36 in a MONTH.

I don't know about others, but I find IQ tests incredibly boring. They just don't hold my attention span and I am rarely motivated to really figure them out. I probably have an IQ around 130-135, based on online and paper tests. They're pretty consistent. I took mcats without studying for it and I got a 28 (with 11 in v). Anyway, accomplishment is only loosely based on IQ. Mostly it's motivation after a certain baseline IQ (130 I think). If you're above the baseline IQ, what you can accomplish is only limited by your passion and motivation (and creativity).
 
>>I don't know about others, but I find IQ tests incredibly boring. They just don't hold my attention span and I am rarely motivated to really figure them out. I probably have an IQ around 130-135, based on online and paper tests<<

Koma,
You should try your hands at Hoeflin's Power Test . I can guarantee you that you will not be bored. If you really have an IQ of 130-135 then you should be able to solve about 3 to 5 problems in a month with no outside help(that is assuming you spend an hour a day on the problems like I did). You should be done in less than a month if you spend much more time on it a day. They are very tricky and do not show much of an educational bias.
 
Originally posted by Gbemi24
So far the only consistent numbers I have seen regarding IQ and the MCAT is ttac's. Also, Ramsestiger's IQ and SAT numbers are quite consistent. And you are right ttac, an IQ of 170 is AMAZING. I can't speak to the veracity of other people's numbers but like height and penile size people tend to exaggerate.

Well, I'm 6'5"... and ummmmm... you can't have the other information. I have to leave something for my wife (and plenty of it lol)
 
Originally posted by ttac
I'm not doubting that there are probably a bunch of people on SDN, and probably people lurking on this thread who have IQ's significantly over 160. If I had to guess, the smartest person I knew in hs/and before he went to Harvard/HST had a 41-43 on the MCAT, and I believe about a 1550 on the old SAT. I would estimate his IQ at somewhere around 160-165. One might think that he 'only' had 15 points on me IQ-wise, but I could definitely tell that he was significantly smarter than I was.

Another guy I knew in HS took 13 AP tests in hs and got 12 '5''s and a '4'. I don't even know what his IQ was but he was undoubtedly smarter than me (skipped 2 grades, etc)

My point is that I (and if I may be so bold, Gbemi) am fine with people being smarter than me. I knew many people like that at MIT. It's just that I also knew alot of people who overestimated their intelligence. It may not have even been their fault...

Not to delve too deeply into the whole IQ-testing field, but:

Assume that you design an IQ test to estimate IQ's between 70 and 130. This is probably like alot of IQ tests out there. You probably have some kind of time component to give extra IQ points for finishing early. Now what happens when someone with an IQ of 145 takes the test. Well, he will probably be bumping his head on the ceiling of the test so to speak, where 1 or 2 more questions might make a huge difference in his IQ score. The test wasn't really designed to give accurate estimates above 130, and therefore he (or she) shouldn't be taking that test as a reliable indicator of IQ.

He or she should be taking a harder test, designed to maybe test the difference between IQ's of 130 and 180, such as the Titan test.

http://www.eskimo.com/~miyaguch/titandata/gradynorm.html

So, in summary, an IQ of 170 is absolutely extraordinary. I would estimate that I might have known maybe less than 5 people at MIT out of a class of 1000 with an IQ that high, and these were people that were winning international physics olympiads/putnam competitions, etc either before, or while they were at MIT.

So, as you know, extraordinary claims require extraordinary evidence. I'm not ruling out the IQ 170 claim just yet, but I've got to admit that I have my doubts...

ttac

You must realize before you start doubting my IQ that I might be incredibly bored by the concept of the intellectual pyramid that man has created (with physicians being one of the highest tiers). I have never conformed to human nature because I usually see the results of the actions before they are taken. It's not a narcissistic futility, it's just the truth. It's something that I live with. I'd rather be dumb, it would make life so much easier. I see people on a daily basis that I envy, because they don't have the capacity to see the problems that I see. I don't even like saying this because it sounds so arrogant.

I will be a nurse practitioner because I genuinely like to help people and I want to practice medicine, but I don't want to conform to the residency issue (it's just a personal thing). I think that residencies are BS and I don't feel like explaining why right now.

FYI No I did not take the SAT. I took the ACT (33). I took an entrance exam to NP school called the California Critical Thinking Test. It's based on scores submitted throughout the nation by many different kinds of students (engineering, NP, etc). My class average was in the 53rd percentile. I scored in the 99 percentile (I didn't get to see the results of the individual problems on the test, but I didn't think I missed any). I just want to make a living and have plenty of time for stuff that I like to do.
 
Originally posted by lloydchristmas
You must realize before you start doubting my IQ that I might be incredibly bored by the concept of the intellectual pyramid that man has created (with physicians being one of the highest tiers). I have never conformed to human nature because I usually see the results of the actions before they are taken. It's not a narcissistic futility, it's just the truth. It's something that I live with. I'd rather be dumb, it would make life so much easier. I see people on a daily basis that I envy, because they don't have the capacity to see the problems that I see. I don't even like saying this because it sounds so arrogant.

I will be a nurse practitioner because I genuinely like to help people and I want to practice medicine, but I don't want to conform to the residency issue (it's just a personal thing). I think that residencies are BS and I don't feel like explaining why right now.

FYI No I did not take the SAT. I took the ACT (33). I took an entrance exam to NP school called the California Critical Thinking Test. It's based on scores submitted throughout the nation by many different kinds of students (engineering, NP, etc). My class average was in the 53rd percentile. I scored in the 99 percentile (I didn't get to see the results of the individual problems on the test, but I didn't think I missed any). I just want to make a living and have plenty of time for stuff that I like to do.

Thanks for refraining from getting too indignant...

A few things:

1. I don't think any less of you because you want to go into nursing. I actually envy you in a way, b/c when I am dealing with the ridiculously long hours of some sort of surgery residency, you'll be much better off financially, _and_ will have more free time. So you do have valid reasons not to want to go into medicine, and I respect that.

2. It's not your choice of career that I take issue to. I just wanted to point out that if you _were_ as gifted as you claim (let me tell you, a 170 IQ is absolutely phenomenal, as I and Gbemi24 pointed out earlier) you have the potential to make earth-shattering discoveries, and pretty much make a huge mark on this world. Not that you have too... google-search "Chris Langan IQ" and you'll see what I mean.

3. What I do find a little inconsistent, however, is your estimated IQ. I think Gbemi24 is right about a 170 IQ being hard to swallow with an MCAT < 30, assuming that you studied. The average IQ of med students is probably 125. (Do a search for my previous IQ thread that I posted) The average MCAT score of accepted med students is 30. Ergo, an IQ of 125 probably correlates fairly well with an MCAT of 30. Your IQ is supposedly FAR higher than 125, yet your MCAT is far below average. To borrow from the classic TV series "Lost in Space", something does not compute here.

4. Your ACT was 33, which correlates with an SATI of 1470.
http://www.ccsd.edu/south/Guidance/satconversion.htm

This correlates with an IQ of ~145, which is a heck of alot more reasonable than 170.
http://members.shaw.ca/delajara/SATIQ.html

Let me tell you, from personal experience, there is a HUGE difference between an IQ of 170 and 145.

I'm still surprised you only got an MCAT of 22, even with an IQ of 145, but that is only somewhat unreasonable. Maybe you had a bad day. Maybe you didn't study for the MCAT enough. Whatever. I think I feel fairly confident in estimating your IQ at 145 +/- 5 points.

ttac
 
Originally posted by Gbemi24
Eistein was a notoriously slow thinker and terrible at sophisticated mathematics. He probably couldn't score higher than 150 on modern IQ tests. What made him great was his depth of thought and creative insights into difficult problems over a period of time.

It's interesting that Einstein might have had Asperger's syndrome... What do you think about that?

http://rarediseases.about.com/cs/aspergersyndrome/a/041003.htm
http://users.joplin.com/~dkvander/asperger.html
http://www.ananova.com/news/story/sm_775626.html?menu=

ttac
 
Very interesting. Geniuses almost always seem to have social issues. Perhaps the level of motivation and perseverance needed to attain such great intellectual heights require a healthy dose of social dysfunction. As an Applied Mathematics and Computer Science major who took a healthy dose of Physics courses as technical electives, there is no doubt in my mind that Einstein was the GREATEST thinker of the last 100 years and top 5 all time. From cosmology through statistical mechanics to epistemology and metaphysics, Einstein left his imprints on nearly every avenue of natural philosophy. It is funny when people like Marylin vos Savant claim to be the smartest homo sapiens alive and crow about the fact that they don't get enough recognition from academia. It is the productivity of a mind that makes a genius not its statistical capacity to produce.

As the great philosopher Bertrand Russell aptly put it, "General Relativity is the greatest synthetic achievement of the human intellect."
 
Originally posted by ttac
Thanks for refraining from getting too indignant...

A few things:

1. I don't think any less of you because you want to go into nursing. I actually envy you in a way, b/c when I am dealing with the ridiculously long hours of some sort of surgery residency, you'll be much better off financially, _and_ will have more free time. So you do have valid reasons not to want to go into medicine, and I respect that.

2. It's not your choice of career that I take issue to. I just wanted to point out that if you _were_ as gifted as you claim (let me tell you, a 170 IQ is absolutely phenomenal, as I and Gbemi24 pointed out earlier) you have the potential to make earth-shattering discoveries, and pretty much make a huge mark on this world. Not that you have too... google-search "Chris Langan IQ" and you'll see what I mean.

3. What I do find a little inconsistent, however, is your estimated IQ. I think Gbemi24 is right about a 170 IQ being hard to swallow with an MCAT < 30, assuming that you studied. The average IQ of med students is probably 125. (Do a search for my previous IQ thread that I posted) The average MCAT score of accepted med students is 30. Ergo, an IQ of 125 probably correlates fairly well with an MCAT of 30. Your IQ is supposedly FAR higher than 125, yet your MCAT is far below average. To borrow from the classic TV series "Lost in Space", something does not compute here.

4. Your ACT was 33, which correlates with an SATI of 1470.
http://www.ccsd.edu/south/Guidance/satconversion.htm

This correlates with an IQ of ~145, which is a heck of alot more reasonable than 170.
http://members.shaw.ca/delajara/SATIQ.html

Let me tell you, from personal experience, there is a HUGE difference between an IQ of 170 and 145.

I'm still surprised you only got an MCAT of 22, even with an IQ of 145, but that is only somewhat unreasonable. Maybe you had a bad day. Maybe you didn't study for the MCAT enough. Whatever. I think I feel fairly confident in estimating your IQ at 145 +/- 5 points.

ttac

I do have one confession to make ttac; but it's not what you're thinking. My MCAT score of 22 was 4 years after I took all the sciences in undergrad, and it wasn't a 'real' MCAT... it was an AMCAS practice. But, I decided to be a NP before the next real MCAT came around, so I never studied for it. But, I did not lie about the IQ scores. If I'm lying, then so are the numbers, because that's what they reported after I finished the tests. Frankly, I don't care what the tests showed. All I care about right now is getting the IV started and blood drawn with one stick on a 1 year old sitting behind me in an ER room with a nasty case of varicella.

You are definitely hung on the numbers, with all the correlations you've posted (nothing wrong with that). I used to be involved with all the numbers too. I just found out my lovely wife is pregnant with our first child, and I've kinda forgot about all the other stuff right now. *tear*

Good luck all you pre docs. Maybe I'll collaborate with you someday, somewhere. If so, we'll be the best damn doctor/NP team in the nation.
 
First and most importantly, CONGRATULATIONS! on becoming a father. You're right. That is far more important than anything typed out on a message board. :clap: :clap:

You know, to be honest, I don't think you're lying. If you wanted to, you could make up any IQ test score, MCAT, ACT, GRE, penis length, penis girth, or whatever and nobody would be able to question that (except maybe your wife :laugh: :laugh: )

So I believe you about your stats. But realize that it would be possible for you to take an IQ test with a low ceiling and score 170 on it, when it was only really meant to show an IQ of 130.

Re: the MCAT. I admit that this whole time I thought that you studied for it. That was the whole point that Gbemi and I were making: If you have a 150+ IQ and you STUDIED for the MCAT, you would easily get a 30. Now I'm just curious why you didn't say anything to the contrary, despite it being clear that we thought you had studied for it. Maybe you were just trying to push buttons or get a rise out of us? Hmm... in that case, I gotta say that that isn't all that mature for a future father :rolleyes:

Re: being hung up on numbers/status... If you knew me, I think you wouldn't say that... I've been an MS1 here at Drexel for nearly 8 months now, and not once have I ever worn anything with an MIT logo on it, put an MIT bumper sticker on my car, or even told people I went there. Most people didn't even know until I ran for adcom rep for our class and put it in my election speech (and then, only because it was relevant to the fact that I served on the interviewing committee at MIT and interviewed applicants)...but yes, from my posts it would seem like I'm hung up on numbers.

But then again, the whole point of having this discussion is to reference statistics, correlations, and other studies that people have done. Would you rather that I argue with boatloads of links, statistics, and correlations as I did (given that this IS an IQ vs. MCAT thread) or would you rather I blow random claims and gut feelings past my external anal sphincter? I tailor my posts to suit the thread at hand, and in this case, I felt it was impossible to make my arguments without seeming like I'm hung up on numbers. Oh well...

I only assail your claims of 170 because an IQ that high is (yes, once again)... EXTRAORDINARY. I've have had the good fortune of personally knowing a few people like that, and until one does, I don't think he or she realizes how incredibly smart someone with a true IQ of 170 is. That being said, I would tend to weight the 145 estimate based on a ridiculously standardized, proctored test (the ACT) much more strongly than 3 online IQ tests. Oh well. I guess I really got into this thread because I have noticed a trend among friends overestimating their IQ, and it is a sore spot with me. Unfortunately, sometimes, they also tend to be a bit arrogant about their supposed IQ, and I must say that you did fit the bill with this quote:

I'd rather be dumb, it would make life so much easier. I see people on a daily basis that I envy, because they don't have the capacity to see the problems that I see. I don't even like saying this because it sounds so arrogant.

But in the end, that is neither here nor there. Who really cares what your IQ is, what I _think_ your IQ is, or what profession you go into. What is more important is that you go into a profession that you want to, and that you enjoy doing it.

Congratulations on becoming a father, and I honestly wish you all the best.

ttac
 
Originally posted by ttac
First and most importantly, CONGRATULATIONS! on becoming a father. You're right. That is far more important than anything typed out on a message board. :clap: :clap:

You know, to be honest, I don't think you're lying. If you wanted to, you could make up any IQ test score, MCAT, ACT, GRE, penis length, penis girth, or whatever and nobody would be able to question that (except maybe your wife :laugh: :laugh: )

So I believe you about your stats. But realize that it would be possible for you to take an IQ test with a low ceiling and score 170 on it, when it was only really meant to show an IQ of 130.

Re: the MCAT. I admit that this whole time I thought that you studied for it. That was the whole point that Gbemi and I were making: If you have a 150+ IQ and you STUDIED for the MCAT, you would easily get a 30. Now I'm just curious why you didn't say anything to the contrary, despite it being clear that we thought you had studied for it. Maybe you were just trying to push buttons or get a rise out of us? Hmm... in that case, I gotta say that that isn't all that mature for a future father :rolleyes:

Re: being hung up on numbers/status... If you knew me, I think you wouldn't say that... I've been an MS1 here at Drexel for nearly 8 months now, and not once have I ever worn anything with an MIT logo on it, put an MIT bumper sticker on my car, or even told people I went there. Most people didn't even know until I ran for adcom rep for our class and put it in my election speech (and then, only because it was relevant to the fact that I served on the interviewing committee at MIT and interviewed applicants)...but yes, from my posts it would seem like I'm hung up on numbers.

But then again, the whole point of having this discussion is to reference statistics, correlations, and other studies that people have done. Would you rather that I argue with boatloads of links, statistics, and correlations as I did (given that this IS an IQ vs. MCAT thread) or would you rather I blow random claims and gut feelings past my external anal sphincter? I tailor my posts to suit the thread at hand, and in this case, I felt it was impossible to make my arguments without seeming like I'm hung up on numbers. Oh well...

I only assail your claims of 170 because an IQ that high is (yes, once again)... EXTRAORDINARY. I've have had the good fortune of personally knowing a few people like that, and until one does, I don't think he or she realizes how incredibly smart someone with a true IQ of 170 is. That being said, I would tend to weight the 145 estimate based on a ridiculously standardized, proctored test (the ACT) much more strongly than 3 online IQ tests. Oh well. I guess I really got into this thread because I have noticed a trend among friends overestimating their IQ, and it is a sore spot with me. Unfortunately, sometimes, they also tend to be a bit arrogant about their supposed IQ, and I must say that you did fit the bill with this quote:

I'd rather be dumb, it would make life so much easier. I see people on a daily basis that I envy, because they don't have the capacity to see the problems that I see. I don't even like saying this because it sounds so arrogant.

But in the end, that is neither here nor there. Who really cares what your IQ is, what I _think_ your IQ is, or what profession you go into. What is more important is that you go into a profession that you want to, and that you enjoy doing it.

Congratulations on becoming a father, and I honestly wish you all the best.

ttac

Well, thanks for the congrats. And to give you even more to think about with your correlations... the ACT score was after I messed it up (didn't finish a section quick enough, then went back after whipping through the math section and read all the questions I didn't get to, then on the answer sheet, I changed the wrong section!!!)

And... "immature"??? Anyone that's ever called someone immature is just that. I didn't tell you about the lack of studying because I never cared about it. And, you didn't make it clear that you thought I studied for it, you just assumed I did (unless I just missed it because, again, it was an arbitrary point to me). Even if I was trying to get a rise out of you, I hesitate to call that immature. That's just having a personality that is more active than molecules at 0 degrees Kelvin. I have 85 year old men/women make comments to me in the ER while I'm working on them say "oh, I was just trying to get a rise out of you". If they're immature, then I guess everyone is.
 
Originally posted by lloydchristmas
I didn't tell you about the lack of studying because I never cared about it. And, you didn't make it clear that you thought I studied for it, you just assumed I did

I think it was clear (even to someone with an IQ of 100) that I assumed that you studied for the MCAT. Here are some excerpts that I and Gbemi posted...

Gbemi24 posts:

There is NO WAY a person with a TRUE IQ of 140+ should score less than 30 on the MCAT(assuming a minimum one month study and no unusual events on test day).

...you did not correct him.

later in this post (clearly referring to you) he adds:

but to have an IQ of 150+ and score in the 20's on the MCAT (with some review) is absurd.

...you did not correct him.

I post:

However, I just find it almost outside the realm of comprehension how you could POSSIBLY score a 22 on the MCAT. I mean, I took the Kaplan course, and I scored a 28 on the practice test they give you before you even start studying for the MCAT. I would hope that someone who was smarter than 99,999 people out of 100,000 could get AT LEAST a 30 after having studied for the MCAT.

...you did not correct me.

Finally, I post:

I'm still surprised you only got an MCAT of 22, even with an IQ of 145, but that is only somewhat unreasonable. Maybe you had a bad day. Maybe you didn't study for the MCAT enough. Whatever.

and you admit:

I do have one confession to make ttac...you didn't make it clear that you thought I studied for it, you just assumed I did...

I beg to disagree. It was clear from the start that Gbemi and I assumed that you studied for the MCAT, yet you did not deny this...so, knowing full well that our IQ/MCAT correlation claims were based on STUDYING for the MCAT, you still pretended like you had studied for it. Now either you were just trying to get a rise out of us (behavior which I feel justified in calling "immature") or you must have gotten a 2 on the VR section of the MCAT.

Take your pick.

ttac
 
Originally posted by ttac
I think it was clear (even to someone with an IQ of 100) that I assumed that you studied for the MCAT. Here are some excerpts that I and Gbemi posted...

Gbemi24 posts:

There is NO WAY a person with a TRUE IQ of 140+ should score less than 30 on the MCAT(assuming a minimum one month study and no unusual events on test day).

...you did not correct him.

later in this post (clearly referring to you) he adds:

but to have an IQ of 150+ and score in the 20's on the MCAT (with some review) is absurd.

...you did not correct him.

I post:

However, I just find it almost outside the realm of comprehension how you could POSSIBLY score a 22 on the MCAT. I mean, I took the Kaplan course, and I scored a 28 on the practice test they give you before you even start studying for the MCAT. I would hope that someone who was smarter than 99,999 people out of 100,000 could get AT LEAST a 30 after having studied for the MCAT.

...you did not correct me.

Finally, I post:

I'm still surprised you only got an MCAT of 22, even with an IQ of 145, but that is only somewhat unreasonable. Maybe you had a bad day. Maybe you didn't study for the MCAT enough. Whatever.

and you admit:

I do have one confession to make ttac...you didn't make it clear that you thought I studied for it, you just assumed I did...

I beg to disagree. It was clear from the start that Gbemi and I assumed that you studied for the MCAT, yet you did not deny this...so, knowing full well that our IQ/MCAT correlation claims were based on STUDYING for the MCAT, you still pretended like you had studied for it. Now either you were just trying to get a rise out of us (behavior which I feel justified in calling "immature") or you must have gotten a 2 on the VR section of the MCAT.

Take your pick.

ttac

Okay, now you're getting nasty with me. I don't care what you said or what you thought I thought you thought I thought you thought I thought. I am done posting here. You just blew your chance to learn from me. I go.
 
Originally posted by lloydchristmas
Okay, now you're getting nasty with me. I don't care what you said or what you thought I thought you thought I thought you thought I thought. I am done posting here. You just blew your chance to learn from me. I go.

Noooooooooo!!!!! Please continue to grace me (and everyone else in this forum) with your presence :rolleyes:

I am but a mere mental midget among intellectual giants such as yourself. I take it back :rolleyes: :rolleyes: :rolleyes:

I swear I'll play nice from now on :laugh: :laugh: :laugh:

ttac
 
Originally posted by ttac
Noooooooooo!!!!! Please continue to grace me (and everyone else in this forum) with your presence :rolleyes:

I am but a mere mental midget among intellectual giants such as yourself. I take it back :rolleyes: :rolleyes: :rolleyes:

I swear I'll play nice from now on :laugh: :laugh: :laugh:

ttac

*sigh*

Kids
 
Come on kids, play nice or you'll both go to timeout.

I think one of the big problems in relating IQ scores to MCAT scores is that every IQ test that I've ever taken tends rely heavily on math concepts such as prime numbers which are possible to figure out (sort of) if you don't know what prime numbers are but the problems are a whole lot easier to solve if you do. All of us know that math is a minor point on the MCAT but value of logic and problem solving is huge.

I couldn't find any sort of literature on it but it would be interesting if the MCAT folks would give a short 40 question IQ test at the end of the test (and not disclose results to medical achools of course) to see just how much variation in the scores can be explained by IQ alone. I would venture to guess it would fall between 65-75% with other variation arising due to not having the proper coursework done before the test, length, style, and intensity of test prep, what's your native/first language, etc.

Y'all's thoughts would be good? Also what about the people who always whine about "I don't do well on standardized tests." Personally I think it's crap but it will be a good discussion. Peace.
 
I scored 200 on an IQ test and 3 on the mcat. See the problem was that on the iq test I only had to recognize patterns of shapes and numbers but on the mcat I had to know how to read...which I didn't. I wonder if I can get in at hopkins with a 3.00, 200, and 1/1/1 x on the mcat
 
Originally posted by indo
I scored 200 on an IQ test and 3 on the mcat. See the problem was that on the iq test I only had to recognize patterns of shapes and numbers but on the mcat I had to know how to read...which I didn't. I wonder if I can get in at hopkins with a 3.00, 200, and 1/1/1 x on the mcat

What are your ECs and PS like? ;)
 
Originally posted by NE_Cornhusker1
What are your ECs and PS like? ;)

Well, I basically just like cartoons.


My personal statement was "I wipe my own ass!".
 
Originally posted by lloydchristmas
*sigh*

Kids

Hehe. I thought you "go" :p

Looks like I didn't "blow my chance to learn from you" just yet...

Go, on...drop some more pearls of wisdom, gramps. You know you want to :laugh: :laugh:

ttac
 
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