"Scoring 35 or higher on the mcat means you will be a radiologist" -Physician

[The Kraken]

I have heard now 6 times that scoring a 35 or higher on the mcat means you're destined for radiology. Obviously the physician, 2 residents and med students are implying that radiologists have awful patient interaction and hence go into radiology. On SDN, a 35 is the threshold considered "good", while others distant from this site think apparently socially awkward introverts only achieve these scores. Thoughts? Opinions?

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[kyamh]

Well, radiologists have to be particularly thorough and detail oriented....and those are also some pretty awesome skills to take into the MCAT

 

[khrisskhoras]

I have heard now 6 times that scoring a 35 or higher on the mcat means you're destined for radiology. Obviously the physician, 2 residents and med students are implying that radiologists have awful patient interaction and hence go into radiology. On SDN, a 35 is the threshold considered "good", while others distant from this site think apparently socially awkward introverts only achieve these scores. Thoughts? Opinions?

dont listen to this, and if you do take it with a grain of salt. All you need is a high step 1, mcat correlates with step 1 somewhat but a high mcat doesn't guarantee anything.

 

[DoktorO]

On SDN, a 35 is the threshold considered "good", while others distant from this site think apparently socially awkward introverts only achieve these scores. Thoughts? Opinions?

I feel like 32 is considered the threshold for being considered good. 35 and up is basically up to the luck of the draw in the MCAT.

 

[TheWeeIceMan]

Wait, so scoring high on the MCAT makes you bad with patients?

 

[The Kraken]

Wait, so scoring high on the MCAT makes you bad with patients?

As in a socially awkward introvert, and I laughed until they looked at me weird and I realized they were serious.

 

[McRunner]

As in a socially awkward introvert, and I laughed until they looked at me weird and I realized they were serious.

That's such a stupid generalization. I have a friend with a 37, and he is way more of an extrovert and way better with people that others I know with 28s.

 

[Barcu]

I feel you are at a hospital where neither the physician nor the med students got very good MCAT scores. I wouldn't let it bother you.

Besides, high scores will better set you up for plastics, ortho, derm, which are actually residencies that require higher scores than rads.
.

 

[Narmerguy]

Just think, in a couple years a "35" on the MCAT will be meaningless (or poor) and we'll have to come up with brand new stereotypes. 👍

 

[deleted526486]

35 is ~95th percentile on the MCAT. Each year about 85,000 MCAT exams are administered. That means that ~4250 people score a 35 or above each year on the MCAT.

In comparison, there are about 900 radiology residency spots in the US each year. Something tells me that not everyone who get a 35+ is becoming a radiologist. 🙄

 

[487806]

Just think, in a couple years a "35" on the MCAT will be meaningless (or poor) and we'll have to come up with brand new stereotypes. 👍

Yup. Pretty much this.

 

[Chillbo Baggins]

But...but...I don't wanna be a radiologist!

 

[TheWeeIceMan]

Just think, in a couple years a "35" on the MCAT will be meaningless (or poor) and we'll have to come up with brand new stereotypes. 👍

👍 And maybe Rads won't even be competitive anymore.

 

[IJL]

I feel you are at a hospital where neither the physician nor the med students got very good MCAT scores. I wouldn't let it bother you.

Besides, high scores will better set you up for plastics, ortho, derm, which are actually residencies that require higher scores than rads.
.

Average Step 1 scores by specialty:

Derm: 244
Rads: 240
Ortho: 240
Plastics: 249
FM: 213 (just for teh lulz)

Radiology is extremely competitive at the top, with moderate competitiveness at community programs.

Anyways OP, I wouldn't listen to whatever physician told you that. First of all, MCAT has nothing to do with what specialty you will go in to. Nobody will care about your MCAT score once you are in medical school. It's all about step 1. But people with 250+ go in to family medicine (I guess?) and you can get in to a radiology program with a 220. Also assuming that radiologists aren't good with patients is naive.

 

[Barcu]

Average Step 1 scores by specialty:

Derm: 244
Rads: 240
Ortho: 240
Plastics: 249
FM: 213 (just for teh lulz)

Radiology is extremely competitive at the top, with moderate competitiveness at community programs.

Anyways OP, I wouldn't listen to whatever physician told you that. First of all, MCAT has nothing to do with what specialty you will go in to. Nobody will care about your MCAT score once you are in medical school. It's all about step 1. But people with 250+ go in to family medicine (I guess?) and you can get in to a radiology program with a 220. Also assuming that radiologists aren't good with patients is naive.

True. But everything is competitive at the top. The top IM programs have pretty good Step 1 scores. I wasn't really trying to dump on rads or anything. Just pointing out that good scores don't mean rads.

But that is all an unimportant aside. Your last paragraph is spot on. MCAT scores don't determine specialties, and specialties don't determine how well you interact with patients.

 

[OCDOCDOCD]

I imagine there are worse things than being destined for a specialty in which you make $400k working 40 hours a week and no emergency calls with low malpractice insurance premiums.

 

[RogueUnicorn]

I have heard now 6 times that scoring a 35 or higher on the mcat means you're destined for radiology. Obviously the physician, 2 residents and med students are implying that radiologists have awful patient interaction and hence go into radiology. On SDN, a 35 is the threshold considered "good", while others distant from this site think apparently socially awkward introverts only achieve these scores. Thoughts? Opinions?

I don't believe you've heard this 6 times.

 

[TheWeeIceMan]

I imagine there are worse things than being destined for a specialty in which you make $400k working 40 hours a week and no emergency calls with low malpractice insurance premiums.

I don't get the impression this is entirely true anymore. Of course, if you were being sarcastic, then nevermind.

 

[RogueUnicorn]

But...but...I don't wanna be a radiologist!

don't subtlebrag dude.

I imagine there are worse things than being destined for a specialty in which you make $400k working 40 hours a week and no emergency calls with low malpractice insurance premiums.

i don't think that's a realistic salary estimate esp with recent cuts

 

[Spinach Dip]

don't subtlebrag dude.

😛



So, what does it mean if you scored a 40? Are you going to be a SUPER Radiologist?

 

[TheWeeIceMan]

😛



So, what does it mean if you scored a 40? Are you going to be a SUPER Radiologist?

Yep, and it also means that you are SUPER bad with patient interaction. Any more points and you might end up a bumbling mess who can't talk to anyone.

 

[IJL]

don't subtlebrag dude.

i don't think that's a realistic salary estimate esp with recent cuts

That salary can be realistic in PP, but 40 hours a week isn't.

 

[circulus vitios]

don't subtlebrag dude.

i don't think that's a realistic salary estimate esp with recent cuts

https://www.aamc.org/download/48732/data/compensation.pdf

 

[phunky]

The **** are you talking about?

 

[SunsFun]

From what I've heard MCAT correlates well with STEP 1 only for sub 30s scores. Has anyone heard this?

 

[IJL]

From what I've heard MCAT correlates well with STEP 1 only for sub 30s scores. Has anyone heard this?

I think I scored 29 or 30 on my MCAT, but I absolutely crushed step 1. Don't worry about correlations.

 

[Goro]

Sorry to be blunt, but residency directors could give a rat's ass about MCAT scores. Think USMLE.

I have heard now 6 times that scoring a 35 or higher on the mcat means you're destined for radiology. Obviously the physician, 2 residents and med students are implying that radiologists have awful patient interaction and hence go into radiology. On SDN, a 35 is the threshold considered "good", while others distant from this site think apparently socially awkward introverts only achieve these scores. Thoughts? Opinions?

 

[pyrrion89]

Better get a 34 to show everyone how good your social skills are.

 

[The Kraken]

I don't believe you've heard this 6 times.

In fact, 1 physician, 2 residents who were friends and a clique of 3 med students all managed to each bring it up. Same hospital, same department, so this was probably discussed before I was there.

 

[487806]

In fact, 1 physician, 2 residents who were friends and a clique of 3 med students all managed to each bring it up. Same hospital, same department, so this was probably discussed before I was there.

95% chance all of them were trolling you. I'd done the same.

 

[Omppu27]

Average Step 1 scores by specialty:

Derm: 244
Rads: 240
Ortho: 240
Plastics: 249
FM: 213 (just for teh lulz)

Radiology is extremely competitive at the top, with moderate competitiveness at community programs.

Anyways OP, I wouldn't listen to whatever physician told you that. First of all, MCAT has nothing to do with what specialty you will go in to. Nobody will care about your MCAT score once you are in medical school. It's all about step 1. But people with 250+ go in to family medicine (I guess?) and you can get in to a radiology program with a 220. Also assuming that radiologists aren't good with patients is naive.

Hahahaha I honestly laughed out loud when I read this... Thank you.

 

[Arkangeloid]

Pretty soon Radiology will not be among the most selective specialties anymore.

 

[sunflower18]

I just want to clarify, because I'm hearing two different explanations as to why this is silly:

1) residency programs don't care about MCAT, so in that sense, getting a 35 does not at all matter when applying to competitive residency programs
2) the kind of person who is smart/studious/nerdy/antisocial/whatever enough to get a 35 on the MCAT is the same kind of person who is bad with patients, meaning they will end up in a field that is competitive (due to their intelligence) but does not rely on patient interaction (due to their awkwardness)

I personally feel like OP's physician friends meant explanation #2. I feel like that is a rather broad stereotype that does not hold true for nearly everyone who scores 35+ on the MCAT. I suppose it might possibly have some correlation, though I suspect it'd be an extremely weak one at best. It seems totally unfair to group a large number of people into the category of "socially awkward and incompetent with patients" just based on their ability to score well on a standardized test.

Not to mention that I'm sure the vast majority of radiologists could absolutely work with patients if need be (and some do, through sub-specialties), but they just prefer being radiologists for other reasons. I seriously doubt that all radiologists are awkward and introverted and unable to work well with people.

 

[Plue00]

I don't believe you've heard this 6 times.

👍

Thread was probably made just to get a useless discussion going.

Anyways, I would think radiologists are in the top 5 of all specialties or even top in terms of smartness. The amount of knowledge they have to know seems insane

 

[Donald Juan]

In fact, 1 physician, 2 residents who were friends and a clique of 3 med students all managed to each bring it up. Same hospital, same department, so this was probably discussed before I was there.

35+ = Rads is a true fact. Don't believe the guys here who are trying to lie to you. They are just socially awkward nerds that know they are destined to a life spent in a dark room never talking face-to-face with a patient like a real doctor. Just look at Harvard's match list last year: 70% of their class went into rads.

 

[darkjedi]

No wonder the top-tiers only produce thousands of radiologists. Its like no one ever becomes a pediatrician or internal medicine doc from there or something.

 

[Instatewaiter]

dick size = 1/(car size x mcat score)

 

[487806]

dick size = 1/(car size x mcat score)

I support the Instatewaiter Equation.

I wonder if I can combine it with the Neusu Equation: neusu score = bench score + Step 1.

 

[MedOldAge]

dick size = 1/(car size x mcat score)

I support the Instatewaiter Equation.

I wonder if I can combine it with the Neusu Equation: neusu score = bench score + Step 1.

😱😱😕😕🤣🤣

 

[WaterPog]

Maybe they were just trying to say that you have weak social skills and are destined to be a radiologist now that you have gotten a good enough MCAT to get into med school?

 

[deleted393595]

😱😱😕😕🤣🤣

See my signature for the reference

 

[BlueLabel]

dick size = 1/(car size x mcat score)

Car size measured in what? Megatons? Kilometers? Can I get a heeellllllllllllyeahhhhhh

 

[calvnandhobbs68]

I have heard now 6 times that scoring a 35 or higher on the mcat means you're destined for radiology. Obviously the physician, 2 residents and med students are implying that radiologists have awful patient interaction and hence go into radiology. On SDN, a 35 is the threshold considered "good", while others distant from this site think apparently socially awkward introverts only achieve these scores. Thoughts? Opinions?

wat

What about places like WashU where like 80% of the class has above a 35? I don't see them churning out 100 radiologists a year.

 

[csx]

I see what you're saying. Generally, students who score +35 are socially awkward and didn't get out much in college. To get a score like that either requires you to be an extremely intelligent person or some nerd who just studies all day and does a few EC's like research. Not being very people friendly as they lack social skills, naturally they drift toward radiology.

is that what you are trying to say/those 6 people were implying??

 

[487806]

Car size measured in what? Megatons? Kilometers? Can I get a heeellllllllllllyeahhhhhh

What type of car are you driving?

 

[The Kraken]

I see what you're saying. Generally, students who score +35 are socially awkward and didn't get out much in college. To get a score like that either requires you to be an extremely intelligent person or some nerd who just studies all day and does a few EC's like research. Not being very people friendly as they lack social skills, naturally they drift toward radiology.

is that what you are trying to say/those 6 people were implying??

Yup

 

[BlueLabel]

What type of car are you driving?

One that comes out to a pretty small decimal if weighed in megatons. Nevermind.

 

[Qwerty2013]

I have heard now 6 times that scoring a 35 or higher on the mcat means you're destined for radiology. Obviously the physician, 2 residents and med students are implying that radiologists have awful patient interaction and hence go into radiology. On SDN, a 35 is the threshold considered "good", while others distant from this site think apparently socially awkward introverts only achieve these scores. Thoughts? Opinions?

hahahaa.... that's pretty interesting.
this kid in my class (genius) got a 41 on the MCAT and I would def say he is one of the socially awkward types lol

 

[jw3600]

What type of car are you driving?

*whoosh*

 

[rodmichael82]

That's the biggest BS I've heard in a while but thanks op.