Once one is accepted are they all set?

[DoctorFeelGood]

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Hello, as you all know it's the time of the year that medical school admissions is going on. OK, my question is this: I am a URM with mildly low MCAT scores and 3.6 science with a 3.7 overall g.p.a. Now I recently got into my state school. But I was wondering, Once I'm in medical school am I all set? As long as I study and keep up my work and stay focused am I guaranteed to become a doctor?I know once you pass your classes, but I mean , does the MCAT have any corrilation with one's performace in medical school? Does it determine one's performace in medical school?


Also, once one's gotten in, is the MCAT a long memory?

Thanks!

[This message has been edited by DoctorFeelGood (edited 10-20-2000).]

 

[Becket]

Congratulations on getting accepted. And yes, as long as you study and stay focused, you're pretty much guaranteed of becoming a doctor. Pretty nice! And forget about the MCAT now that it's over. It's just another hurdle that you've had to overcome. Nothing you do from now on will depend on it.

Good luck

 

[MTY]

what does URM mean?

 

[WingZero]

MTY - URM = Underrepresented minority - aka African Americans, Hispanics, and Native American Indians.

DoctorFeelGood - When you say "set", it is true that the overwhelming majority of students will graduate from medical school and get into a residency. The administration will do everything in their power to help you get through school since dropouts are the last thing they want. As the old saying goes, P=MD (pass equals doctor). HOWEVER, this says nothing about what kind of doctor and what kind of residency/practice. A simple pass does NOT equal an ENT, Neurosurgery, Dermatology, Ophthalmology, Orthopedics, Urology, General Surgery, or Radiation Oncology residency and it does NOT mean you will be able to practice in New York City or LA (or some other major metropolitan area). Congratulations on getting into a medical school, but do not think that it is coasting from here on in, unless you are happy with settling for any residency that will take you in whatever field happens to be in high demand. On the contrary, the workload and the demands placed on you will only increase as you enter medical school and residency.

MCAT scores do correlate better than GPA with regard to performance in medical school and no, it is not a long memory once you get in. If you plan on applying for research fellowships or internships during medical school (especially for the summer after first year), they will most likely require your undergraduate record and MCAT scores since you haven't built up much of a medical school record yet (most schools are P/F at for at least the first year).