Sorry

[colin]

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Sorry,

But I just wanted to know. What is people's obsession with GPA and their scores on tests here on this forum? I know that this means that you can get into one school or another but it doesn't make you a better person or even a better doctor. Realistically everyone here who becomes a doctor will answer to someone with a MBA or some similar degree (who probably according to statistics didn't have as high a GPA or test score). So why don't we all just go to a school and become a doctor without the entire ranking scheme?

Colin

 

[Sundarban1]

Sorry,But I just wanted to know. What is people's obsession with GPA and their scores on tests here on this forum?Colin

It's not just this forum, it's pre-medical students in general high numbers are just the name of the game. Unfortunately (some will argue vs) GPA and MCAT score are the two most significant set of numbers that medical schools use to pick their students given the competativeness of all applicants. As the number of applicant's grow each year, a lot of schools impose a "screening" system whereby if you do not have a certain GPA or MCAT score, they will not even consider you for an interview. Don't hate the players, hate the game!

 

[relentless11]

Sorry,

But I just wanted to know. What is people's obsession with GPA and their scores on tests here on this forum? I know that this means that you can get into one school or another but it doesn't make you a better person or even a better doctor. Realistically everyone here who becomes a doctor will answer to someone with a MBA or some similar degree (who probably according to statistics didn't have as high a GPA or test score). So why don't we all just go to a school and become a doctor without the entire ranking scheme?

Colin

Some med schools, like ours here in California also screen GPA and MCAT, thus you may not even get a secondary application let alone an interview if you don't meet the criteria. GPA and MCAT are the only quantifiable method to compare students. Everything else is relatively subjective in nature.🙂

I don't agree with your assumption that everyone here who becomes a doctor will answer to someone with an MBA or similar degree. For one, despite our new CEO at the hospital having a masters in accounting, she reports to our dean of the medical school, which in tern reports to the chancellor at UC Davis, and he reports to the UC Regents which include MBAs, but also many physicans, lawyers, mathematicians and so forth. So they do not collectively report to a person or group of persons with only MBAs or similar degrees.

Ultimately, ranking will never go away. Even in the pass/no pass format of most med schools, you are ranked in some way or another, especially after taking your USMLE(s), and are matched for residency. Clearly, "matching" implies some kind of ranking. To rank something, there has to be a way to quantify performance.

Also I don't agree with MBA programs being less competative. Depends on where you go. Nationally, perhaps it is less competative, but try getting into UC Berkeley. Besides, I don't mind the ranking system, it makes me want to push myself harder to match or surpass the person above me, while knowing that there will always be someone better. Perhaps its just my atheletic side talking, but there's nothing wrong with friendly competition...especially when you are competing against yourself, and using others to motivate you to do better. You are probably familiar with this aspect considering you went to West Point.😉

 

[Northerner]

Sorry,

But I just wanted to know. What is people's obsession with GPA and their scores on tests here on this forum? I know that this means that you can get into one school or another but it doesn't make you a better person or even a better doctor. Realistically everyone here who becomes a doctor will answer to someone with a MBA or some similar degree (who probably according to statistics didn't have as high a GPA or test score). So why don't we all just go to a school and become a doctor without the entire ranking scheme?

Colin

Hippy.

 

[spicedmanna]

Sorry,

But I just wanted to know. What is people's obsession with GPA and their scores on tests here on this forum? I know that this means that you can get into one school or another but it doesn't make you a better person or even a better doctor. Realistically everyone here who becomes a doctor will answer to someone with a MBA or some similar degree (who probably according to statistics didn't have as high a GPA or test score). So why don't we all just go to a school and become a doctor without the entire ranking scheme?

Colin

I don't know how the medical admissions process works where you are, but in the United States many, if not most, medical schools screen applicants at some stage of the application process by their numbers, which include GPA and MCAT scores. They are incredibly important and, as such, deserve our true attention. Although some SDNers are clearly obsessed with ranking themselves and medical schools, I'd say by in large, most applicants simply worry that their "stats" aren't good enough to get them interviews. Don't let the jerks (which are not exclusive to this forum, I might add) fool you into thinking we are all like that. My interest in my "stats" has only one purpose and that is open the door for an interview. I don't confuse my self-worth with a bunch of numbers, nor do I consider them to be the best indication of what kind of doctor somebody will make.

But the reality is that schools use numbers to judge us. So, obviously, it behooves pre-meds to get the best GPA and MCAT score they can achieve, so that there aren't any unnecessary barriers to receiving interviews. Heck, some schools won't even look at your other qualifications if you don't have the minimum numbers they are looking for (and I'm not just talking about the so-called "top-tiered" schools, either). Perhaps this is a flaw in our system, but it is what it is. I'm in no position to change this at this point in my process. I, myself, would love to not to focus so much on these numbers.