MCAT a good predictor?

[golfmontpoker]

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Does the MCAT score one recieves a good predictor on how well one will do in med school? Kinda curious what some of you folks think!

 

[djnels01]

Does the MCAT score one recieves a good predictor on how well one will do in med school? Kinda curious what some of you folks think!

No. It is a good indicator of how well you took that particular test on that particular day. You only have 8 hours to do well on that test, but you have 2 full didactic years, plus 2 clinical years, to "do well" in med school.

Just get a good enough score to get in somewhere (preferably where you actually want to go) and work your tail off when you get there...

 

[Inquiringmind24]

I think it's supposed to correlate with performance on the USMLE Step I. Other than that, I really think it is used to weed out candidates. Honestly, if you performed very well on the MCAT, I would imagine that you would do fine in med school given you weren't really lazy. For someone who didn't do that well, I would guess that they could do fine as well, but would probably require more study time. Take a student like me who scored a 27 (pretty mediocre), and did pretty darn well my first year, but I had to study my *ss off to do well. Just my opinion so take it for what it's worth.

 

[Azcomstud]

I was told in one of my med. school interviews that I would not do well on my boards nor in school because I did so crappy on the MCAT (mid 20s). Well I am now a 4th year student in the top 5% of my class, 652(95%) & 670 (~98%) on comlex step 1 and 2, and 227 (92) USMLE on both step 1 and step. Enough said.

I know one person in my class that got a 35 on the MCAT and struggled in some of the classes during our first 2 years.

 

[Old_Mil]

It's a pretty good predictor of how you'll do in the thinking classes like Physiology. As far as the intellectual bulemia goes, all bets are off.

 

[Red Beard]

It's a pretty good predictor of how you'll do in the thinking classes like Physiology. As far as the intellectual bulemia goes, all bets are off.

Agreed...although I just started a month ago, so I have a bit of time before I can offer a valuable opinion. 😀

You do have to remember a lot of stuff to do well on the MCAT, but its really a problem solving test. From what I hear, and from what I am experiencing now, a lot of the pre-clinical coursework in med school is straight up memorization...so yeah, you could do great on the MCAT and still struggle to stuff things into your memory (me), or do so-so on the MCAT and feel its easy to memorize the name and origin of every nerve in the body.

 

[DD214_DOC]

It's a pretty good predictor of how you'll do in the thinking classes like Physiology. As far as the intellectual bulemia goes, all bets are off.

I can agree with this.

I was going to add, for the test itself the MCAT isn't a predictor of anything. It's a measurement of how much you learned in your BCPM classes and how much you studied for the thing. Your study habits and intellectual ability are predictors of how you will do in school and on the boards. I'm not aware of any solid correlation between MCAT and school performance/board scores. Some people mature in school, change their study habits, study more because of interest, etc. I would think it's pretty variable.

 

[CatsandCradles]

I think it's supposed to correlate with performance on the USMLE Step I. Other than that, I really think it is used to weed out candidates. Honestly, if you performed very well on the MCAT, I would imagine that you would do fine in med school given you weren't really lazy. For someone who didn't do that well, I would guess that they could do fine as well, but would probably require more study time. Take a student like me who scored a 27 (pretty mediocre), and did pretty darn well my first year, but I had to study my *ss off to do well. Just my opinion so take it for what it's worth.

You have a really neat avatar

 

[Inquiringmind24]

You have a really neat avatar

Well, ya know all of this med school stuff does cost a heck of alot....

 

[Northerner]

I can agree with this.

I was going to add, for the test itself the MCAT isn't a predictor of anything. It's a measurement of how much you learned in your BCPM classes and how much you studied for the thing. Your study habits and intellectual ability are predictors of how you will do in school and on the boards. I'm not aware of any solid correlation between MCAT and school performance/board scores. Some people mature in school, change their study habits, study more because of interest, etc. I would think it's pretty variable.

http://www.aamc.org/students/mcat/research/bibliography/basco001.htm

Just because you're not aware of it doesn't mean there isn't one. It does predict academic performance in medical school.

 

[olliemctuffy]

Studies have been done on this, and most have shown a direct correlation between MCAT and board scores. Here's an example:

Relation between variables of preadmission, medical school performance, and COMLEX-USA levels 1 and 2 performance.
J Am Osteopath Assoc. 2004 Aug;104(8):332-6.

Of course, this doesn't mean people can't buck the trend, just that most will do about the same on the boards as they did on the MCAT.

 

[Northerner]

...Nevermind.

No, you don't have to be exceptional. You can be as mediocre as possible and still get in. You can do it! That will be your shining moment - getting a lot for a little, in the face of common sense and fairness to your fellow applicants! Also, I have some lotto tickets if you're interested. I already scratched them off and it doesn't look like they are winners, but you never know!

 

[drchris33]

I too agree that the MCAT has no indication on how you will do in medical school or on boards. I got in the low 20s on my MCAT; got accepted into medical school. I was right in the middle as far as class rank goes. I scored above national average on Step 1 and Step 2 of the COMLEX. I have excellent letters of recommendation for residency.......I'm a fourth year pursuing a career in surgery.

Everyone is different. I think for the most part you just need to learn what works for you and stick with it. Don't compare yourself to others.....different people learn in different ways.

 

[dctrgreen]

i have known people who scored high on the MCAT and struggled in med school and people who did ok on the MCAT and then graduated at the top of their class. i think different learning styles affect how well people do in different situations. just work your a__ off when you get in and you will do fine. i would hate to think that one's ability to solve a phsyics problem has anything to do with what kind of doctor they will be.

 

[Northerner]

i would hate to think that one's ability to solve a phsyics problem has anything to do with what kind of doctor they will be.

It does. MCAT correlates to USMLE Step I score, USMLE Step I score correlates to choice of residency. You can't blame medical schools for filtering out people based on historically predictive exam scores. It's nothing personal, and it's not like they don't think you'd be a great doctor. But like someone said - they want people who will perform well on their licensing exams and therefore will generate 4th year students who match well.

It's stupid to spend time and effort arguing why the MCAT doesn't determine whether you'll be a good doctor. Every person submitting an application is 100% convinced they're going to be the best doctor XYZ School of Medicine has ever produced, and promises to work night and day to make it true. They can't just take your word for it. And whoever said this is a pre-allo question is right - it should be moved.

 

[AmoryBlaine]

I too agree that the MCAT has no indication on how you will do in medical school or on boards. I got in the low 20s on my MCAT; got accepted into medical school. I was right in the middle as far as class rank goes. I scored above national average on Step 1 and Step 2 of the COMLEX. I have excellent letters of recommendation for residency.......I'm a fourth year pursuing a career in surgery.

Everyone is different. I think for the most part you just need to learn what works for you and stick with it. Don't compare yourself to others.....different people learn in different ways.

I think it's hilarious that whenever this topic comes up people invariably post there own experience as proof that the MCAT predicts nothing. Take your n=1 study to the NEJM and see if they'll publish it!

I for one did well on the MCAT, got good grades M1/2, and did well on Step1 - therefore the MCAT must predict success well!

 

[It'sElectric]

I think the overall take home message for all of this is do NOT get caught up and lost in statistics. Statistics can only tell you so much and the fact of the matter is that you can pretty much "prove" anything by presenting statistics in a particular way.

I hate when people ask this question, because despite what correlates with what, there is always an incredible amount of variation. Work hard, perform to the best of your ability, and let the cards fall where they may. The fact of the matter is that many people won't perform well on the Boards (and other related tests), even more people will perform somewhere around average, and then others will perform exceptionally well. People succeed or fail for a multitude of reasons, and a person's success/failure can never be traced back to 1 particular thing.