Lowest MCAT Score

[Jason110]

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My friend wanted to know (and I'm kinda curious too),
What is the lowest MCAT score (disregarding GPA, ECs, LORs, etc.) by which you think you would be able to get an acceptance at an MD-granting medical school in the United States? 27? 26? 25? 20?

I want to hear some ideas.

I have heard of students with 20s or 21s get accepted. Is that just my imagination?

Jason

 

[exmike]

depnds. DO school average are around 24. so there should be a large amount (well, obviously 50%) at 24 or below, with some i'm sure in the teens. Those probably had good grades.

 

[sgilani]

check mdapplicants.com

 

[Optimist]

Apparently some 18s have gotten in. 😉

 

[Rippey]

What is the lowest MCAT score (disregarding GPA, ECs, LORs, etc.) by which you think you would be able to get an acceptance at an MD-granting medical school in the United States? 27? 26? 25? 20?

Remember: distribution is also very important.

For example: a 27 MCAT (9,9,9) will give you a fair/good chance at a M.D. school with a decent GPA; however, a 27 MCAT (6VR, 10PS, 11BS) will be a far greater challenge even with a stellar GPA.

 

[Megalofyia]

I know someone who got into an MD school in Texas with a 19.

 

[TTSD]

Originally posted by Megalofyia
I know someone who got into an MD school in Texas with a 19.

Curse you parents! Why must we be California residents!! :-D

 

[lane]

UT San Antonio's dean told us they accepted someone with a 17 MCAT score...and he's their valedictorian right now😱

 

[drlexygoat]

I know plenty of folks who got into MD schools with mid to low 20s. Granted, all of them had good ECs and excellent GPAs, but it's possible to do!

 

[bigdan]

OP-
I've posted a couple of times on issues like this in the past; Binghamton Univ. released numbers that I've since deleted from my email; I believe someone entered UMDNJ with an 18. There were numerous accpetances with scores below 24...

dc

 

[g3pro]

i knew someone who had a 15 MCAT, 1.8 GPA, but volunteered at a hospital for 3 hours every day, was president of his pre-med club, and tutored quadriplegic navajo children and got accepted to JHU. 🙄

 

[lastbastion]

thats a load of crock

 

[premed]

Race is a big factor that you guys seem to neglect. But I doubt that even a URM could get into Hopkins with those stats...it might be possible if he was of Navajo descent.

 

[g3pro]

i was just kidding around, guys. (look at the 🙄 )

GPA + MCAT probably count for 90% of your application, so i doubt that low MCAT scores and low GPA but plenty of ECs helped some of those students above get accepted. most likely they were legacies. 🙄

 

[acab]

I've heard of quite a few people getting into a top 10 with 18-23, but they were URMs.

 

[Megalofyia]

Oh I'm sure those low MCAT people, like the 17 at UTHSCSA, had sky high GPAs. There's no way they got in with a low GPA AND low MCAT. But I do think some schools care more about undergrad GPA than other schools, and thus the MCAT scores might be lower.

 

[g3pro]

as is stated in the policies of many med schools: where there is a discrepancy between GPA and MCAT scores, the MCAT scores are favored more in selection.

in other words, if you have an MCAT score of 12, with a GPA of 4.0, you ain't getting in. however, if you have a GPA of 1.8 and an MCAT score of 45, you ARE getting in.

that's the whole point of standardized tests, by the way: to offset a school's grading policy.

 

[Megalofyia]

Originally posted by g3pro
as is stated in the policies of many med schools: where there is a discrepancy between GPA and MCAT scores, the MCAT scores are favored more in selection.

in other words, if you have an MCAT score of 12, with a GPA of 4.0, you ain't getting in. however, if you have a GPA of 1.8 and an MCAT score of 45, you ARE getting in.

that's the whole point of standardized tests, by the way: to offset a school's grading policy.

That's stated in many schools ... not ALL schools. There are a couple that look more at undergrad GPA .

 

[g3pro]

Originally posted by Megalofyia
That's stated in many schools ... not ALL schools. There are a couple that look more at undergrad GPA .

like Hollywood Upstairs Medical College?

 

[Megalofyia]

No .. not like Hollywood Upstairs Medical College... like schools that exist.

 

[Ernham]

Originally posted by Jason110
My friend wanted to know (and I'm kinda curious too),
What is the lowest MCAT score (disregarding GPA, ECs, LORs, etc.) by which you think you would be able to get an acceptance at an MD-granting medical school in the United States? 27? 26? 25? 20?

I want to hear some ideas.

I have heard of students with 20s or 21s get accepted. Is that just my imagination?

Jason

All depends on the color of the applicant.

 

[gschl1234]

Originally posted by Megalofyia
Oh I'm sure those low MCAT people, like the 17 at UTHSCSA, had sky high GPAs. There's no way they got in with a low GPA AND low MCAT. But I do think some schools care more about undergrad GPA than other schools, and thus the MCAT scores might be lower.

This brings an interesting question to mind: what actually matters more during the first 2 years of med school? Is MCAT a better predictor or is GPA? Has AAMC done a study on this already?

My vote is GPA (provided you went to an institution that didn't grade-inflate) is a better predictor. As an undergrad, I didn't study much by pre-med standards (didn't study every weekday and hardly ever on weekends) because I majored in chemistry so as long as you understood the basic principles and applied them, you didn't need to spend hours and hours. On the other hand, I'm starting to take some upper-level biology/zoology and there's no way to get an A unless you spend many tedious hours pouring over lots of information. You have to study every single day (which I was initially shocked by but am glad I'm getting used to it). None of it is difficult on its own but there are just so many details to remember. It definitely takes a lot of will power. In short, since so many pre-meds take a bunch of biology/zoology courses, I think their GPAs reflect will power while their MCATs reflect problem-solving skills. From what I can tell, during the first 2 years of med shcool, you definitley need more will power than problem-solving skills.

 

[LP1CW]

tons of studies have been conducted on the predictive power of the MCAT. Apparently, according a BU study, above an 18 and you have like a 92% chance of completing the first two years of medical school.

 

[Gbemi24]

Originally posted by gschl1234
This brings an interesting question to mind: what actually matters more during the first 2 years of med school? Is MCAT a better predictor or is GPA? Has AAMC done a study on this already?

There are plenty of studies on the AAMC site that show that the MCAT is a better predictor of success during the first 2 years of medical school than GPA. Together they are a better predictor than each one taken alone. The reasons for this are fairly obvious.

 

[zepplinfan]

Originally posted by g3pro
as is stated in the policies of many med schools: where there is a discrepancy between GPA and MCAT scores, the MCAT scores are favored more in selection.

in other words, if you have an MCAT score of 12, with a GPA of 4.0, you ain't getting in. however, if you have a GPA of 1.8 and an MCAT score of 45, you ARE getting in.

that's the whole point of standardized tests, by the way: to offset a school's grading policy.

Aside from the 1.8 GPA, and you look through these threads and from people I have known personally, even with a 40+ MCAT, it's still not assured you will even get an interview/acceptance. Honestly, from what I've seen and heard (friends + SDN), a lot of med schools are afraid of a candidate that has around a 3.0 GPA and scores something like a 40+. They just don't know what to make of them!!........Clearly, the potential is there; however, the GPA shows they just didn't care and they will just drop out.

The worst part of this is that most med school's don't give a rat's a$$ what field of studyu chose as an undergrad. It could be a difficult school, all engineering, and 3.0 would be a "good" GPA; but in the world of inflated Pre-med grades, this doens't mean a thing.

I really think that a 3.0 GPA & 40+ MCAT doesn't stand the same chance as someone with a 3.5 and a 32 given that all rest is the same (EC's, LOR's, volunteer etc.)

Just my 2 cents.

 

[premed]

A physician on the UCLA adcom told me that they look at MCATs more than GPA because MCAT scores correlate with board scores. Since most med schools want higher board scores...they emphasize MCATs over GPA. However, I'm pretty sure med schools want both. There are enough applicants each year to fill up all US med school spots that have high GPA and high MCATs.

BTW, even with a 45T, you will NOT get into medical school with a 1.8 GPA.

 

[gschl1234]

Originally posted by premed
BTW, even with a 45T, you will NOT get into medical school with a 1.8 GPA.

Seriously, with a 1.8, wouldn't the student have been thrown out of school for poor academic standing already before being allowed to graduate? I had a roomate who said she was on academic probation (2.7, I think) and she would be thrown out of school at the end of the semester if she didn't raise it. I don't know by how much she needed to raise it though.

 

[Luwi25]

All med schools have a minimum GPA requirement of 2.7 (I think). So a 1.8 GPA wouldn't even be considered! But the trend these days with ADCOMS is well-rounded. The applicant that does decently in all areas has the best chance of admission.

 

[MeganRose]

Originally posted by Ernham
All depends on the color of the applicant.

And who their parents are

 

[Disenchanted 1]

Originally posted by MeganRose
And who their parents are

And how much money they have

 

[Jason110]

Originally posted by gschl1234
This brings an interesting question to mind: what actually matters more during the first 2 years of med school? Is MCAT a better predictor or is GPA? Has AAMC done a study on this already?

Ahhh, yes. There's the age-old question: GPA or MCAT? Here are some recent studies on the admissions process. I have linked to a PubMed description for your convenience (click on the underlined portion). I want to hear what you guys think about the outcomes of these.

Basco, W.T., Jr., Way, D.P., Gilbert, G.E., & Hudson, A. (2002). Undergraduate Institutional MCAT Scores as Predictors of USMLE Step 1 Performance . Academic Medicine , 77, S13-S16.

Elam, C.L., Stratton, T.D. Wilson, J.F. & Scott, K.L. (2002). .How Admission Committees Decide: Influence of Committee Members' Experience and Applicants' Academic Characteristics . Academic Medicine , 77, S26-S28.

Blue, A.V., Gilbert, G.E., Elam, C.L., & Basco, W.T., Jr. (2000). Does Institutional Selectivity Aid in the Prediction of Medical School Performance? Academic Medicine , 75, S31-S33.

There's tons more Medical School admissions studies at: http://www.aamc.org/students/mcat/research/bibliography/start.htm

Jason

 

[jlee9531]

Originally posted by zepplinfan
a lot of med schools are afraid of a candidate that has around a 3.0 GPA and scores something like a 40+. They just don't know what to make of them!!........Clearly, the potential is there; however, the GPA shows they just didn't care and they will just drop out.

I really think that a 3.0 GPA & 40+ MCAT doesn't stand the same chance as someone with a 3.5 and a 32 given that all rest is the same (EC's, LOR's, volunteer etc.)

Just my 2 cents.

med schools arent afraid of a person that got a 3.0 and a 40+. lazy? didnt care? then why do well on a test?
they could have come from a more rigorous institution, they could have been been working full-time trying to support a family, maybe they had other time committments that were a bit more important than just class.

the 40+ most likely negates the advantage the other applicant with the 3.5 had gpa wise because if he did better in school then why not on the mcat? i would think that the 3.5 32 guy would get passed over in this case. who gets 40+ these days? not many. of course this is going to pique some interest in this applicant and many schools will take a chance at interviewing him...more so than the "common" 3.5 32 applicant.

the mcat is the equalizer. its for this reason many people percieve the low gpa higher mcat to be more favorable than the higher gpa lower mcat situation.

 

[LP1CW]

Acad Med. 1995 Jun;70(6):532-6. Related Articles, Links

Influence of medical school applicants' demographic and cognitive characteristics on interviewers' ratings of noncognitive traits.

Shaw DL, Martz DM, Lancaster CJ, Sade RM.

Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, Medical University of South Carolina, College of Medicine (MUSCCM), Charleston 29425-0742, USA.

"CONCLUSION. If the goal of the medical school admission interview is to assess noncognitive traits independently from academic skills, the authors recommend that MCAT and GPA data not be available to interviewers during interviews. The authors also found that gender and race influenced interview ratings in accordance with affirmative-action goals. Finally, the authors found that interview scores were only moderately reliable across different interviewers. They discuss ways to increase their reliability."

The key that I found interesting, not suprising, but interesting was the fact that face and gender played an influence on rating. They don't say what that means, but it was in accordance with affirmative action. So, this must mean that they favored certain individuals solely based on race and gender, i.e., a hispanic female is graded differently.

 

[fuzzylogic]

17 - if your dad were the surgeon general!!

 

[Nke26]

ha ha ha... thats really funny!!!

 

[riceman04]

why was this thread revived!!!

take it back to the graveyard