Residency question

[Asumi]

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Is your undergraduate GPA and MCAT scores taken into consideration when matching into a residency or do they just look at USMLE and med school grades?

 

[GreatPumpkin]

Med school and USMLE.

 

[docuw]

I have heard that some of the very tough residencies may actually look at MCAT/UGrad GPA. Just what I have read somewhere else though.

 

[GreatPumpkin]

There is no where on the application for undergrad gpa. I believe there was for MCAT, but it is so far down the list of things they would look at I wouldn't worry.

 

[kiddiedoc]

There was no place on MY ERAS application for MCAT score (nor Undergrad anything except NAME). The way I see it, MCATs are HISTORY once you get into med school

 

[Rusty]

Applicants registered for the San Francisco Match (Urology, Neurology, Neurosurgery, Ophthalmology, and ENT) who opt to use their Central Application Service will have to include undergrdauate GPA, as well as all post-secondary academic transcripts as part of the application packet. MCAT scores do not appear on this application.

 

[Winged Scapula]

Some of the integrated Plastic Surgery programs I applied to asked for both undergrad GPA and MCAT scores.

Not all residencies or programs in a certain residency use ERAS or other centralized services.

 

[kiddiedoc]

Wow, did not know this...I thought all the PRE-med stuff stayed just there (PRE)...interesting. It is like when the a member of the ADCOM at Gtown asked me about SAT scores (he said that it correlates well with med school perfomance, more so than MCAT..then why bother with the MCAT??)

 

[draper]

The SF Matching program may be different (as well as neurosurgery), but by and large, the residency application slate is wiped clean of undergraduate numbers. None of my friends in IM, surgery, ent, ortho, derm, or radiology were asked any questions about undergraduate studies except perhaps where they went to college.

In my own experience, I interviewed only at integrated/combined plastics programs and was not asked a single question about college except where I went. I went through the match in 3/00 but I don't think this has changed very much (based on talking to current interviewess and applicants). Hope this helps.

 

[Winged Scapula]

draper, as I recall, it was Stanford and Loma Linda who were interested in MCAT and undergrad gpa on their applications. I don't recall any other programs asking for this information. Just wanted to point out that it IS possible to be asked for such info.

 

[draper]

Is that right Kimberli?

I interviewed at both of those places in '00 and wasn't asked for my mcat scores. Perhaps they've changed. I do, however, remember carving an ear out of soap at loma linda-that was probably the most memorable interview I had.

The point I'm trying to make, though, is that the decision to take an applicant, at least in plastics, is made overwhelming by your medical school performance. When the attendings are in the warroom ranking applicants, I doubt they say, "well this guy got a 36 on his mcats and your guy got a 33!" I wouldn't worry too much about college once you've gotten into medical school.

 

[Winged Scapula]

draper - I don't think anyone is arguing that undergrad info is very important in the grand scheme of things when choosing a resident. If I had implied that, I apologize. I simply meant to reply to the statements that seemed to imply that MCATs and undergrad gpa were NEVER looked at. It is by no means frequent, but from my experience and those of other friends attempting to match into other competitive specialties, it does happen.