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How did you get into medical school without taking the mcat?
When it comes time to study for step 1, there are tons of threads on how t prepare, I recommend first aid, highly rated review books for problem subjects (lippincott's illustrated biochem, micro made simple, etc), and a good qbank like USMLEWorld. Good luck to you!
I'm aware of that. I simply disagree with your conclusion 🙂
I have just started medical school. I am not a good standardize test taker what so ever. I did not write the MCAT. I am very very nervous about Step 1. My entire life i have scored subpar or average, not SDN average, but national average. I am a hard worker and that is why I am in med school. Any advice as I go through years 1 and 2? Specifically year 1.
We have an integrated curriculum. next semester we have micro, neuro anat, immuno, and ID.
Ditto....(and, in case you are no aware of this, the MCAT scores are somewhat correlated with Step 1 scores, but not very strongly)...
If the pass rate on Step 1 isn't significantly different between the two groups, then can't you say with some level of confidence that the MCAT doesn't matter?
I don't think Step 1 scores predict anything about the competence of a person as a prospective doctor. (And I will continue to think this until someone shows me reliable statistics to prove otherwise).
G) It is unjust and contrary to the ethical tenants of beneficence and non-maleficence to allow admission to medical school without taking the MCAT, as you are allowing some people to waste a large amount of resources when that person could have easily been warned against doing so.
It's "tenets." "Tenants" are people who rent property.
And the rest of your post was ridiculous, especially since the MCAT is a poor predictor of Step I score, and Step I in turn does not predict clinical performance at all.
As usual, Monica Lewinsky was correct.
Sadly, that's what I'm doing with pathology. 🙁.......... You can't use review books before you learn the info ..........
Nicely put. 👍If you read through SDN for a while you'll find a treasure-trove of stories about being average before Step 1 & creaming Step 1. Your score on Step 1 is almost entirely a function of three things:
1) How hard you studied the material for coursework
2) Whether you used the "must-use" review materials well (FA, USMLEWorld, BRS or RR path)
3) Your work ethic during the 6 months preceding the exam
Note there's nothing in there about being particularly smart or having a track record of doing well on standardized exams or starting Step 1 prep earlier than everyone else.
I don't think Step 1 scores predict anything about the competence of a person as a prospective doctor. (And I will continue to think this until someone shows me reliable statistics to prove otherwise).
That's what I meant.So do you think it's just a coincidence that all of the people who match into derm, ent, radonc, etc who have 250 board scores also seem to be the same people who honor all of their 3rd year rotations? Because isn't the latter the best predictor or prospective doctoring ability?
I don't believe a 250+ score guarantees anything. But it is certainly easier to excel when you have a good knowledge background and quick thinking ability to build upon.
However, my post isn't ridiculous. You just didn't pay attention to what I was saying, because your above (poorly developed) counter-argument does not even address my point.
Yes, your post was totally ridiculous. Your claim that it is "unjust" to admit people to medical school without the MCAT is so absurd it really doesn't merit serious discussion, especially when you concede the MCAT's lack of predictive power in the same post. The part that was so over the top that I had to respond was when you named specific ethical principles (beneficence and non-maleficence) in reference to the MCAT. I laughed heartily when I read that.
Ok I'll admit it was over the top, although it was meant to be overly formal to make a point. And you ARE missing my point. I'm not saying that a high MCAT score predicts a high Step 1 score. What I'm saying is that a LOW MCAT score could be a symptom of a critical deficiency in the ability to succeed on standardized-style tests.
For right now, just continue to study hard and make sure you learn everything correctly the first time through. That's the most important preparation for boards at this stage.I have just started medical school. I am not a good standardize test taker what so ever. I did not write the MCAT. I am very very nervous about Step 1. My entire life i have scored subpar or average, not SDN average, but national average. I am a hard worker and that is why I am in med school. Any advice as I go through years 1 and 2? Specifically year 1.