What MCAT score is needed/likely for MD/PhD?

[brainfoodaddict]

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Hello, all. I'm new to the forum, although, I've been lurking here for awhile. I was wondering if anyone could tell me what MCAT score I would need to get into a good MD/PHD program. I am 24 years old with a second-year 4.0 GPA. I have always gotten good grades but have been bad at taking timed tests. Evidence of this fact is that I graduated in the top of my high school class but only scored an 1110 on the SAT. For some reason, I just freak out, and my nervousness is all I'm able to focus on during the test. I plan on taking the MCAT in April 08. (Anyone else taking it then?) I'm starting to prepare myself now, but I'm still afraid I won't score high enough. Any advice? Is a 35-40 too high to shoot for?

 

[DrMidlife]

You'll need the best score you can get. The MCAT forum can help you get it. Best of luck to you.

 

[oxeye]

I don't think it's ever a bad idea to shoot for a high goal - but keep in mind that 35-40 on the MCAT is more or less 95-99th+ percentile.

The average MCAT score for accepted students is 29 I believe.

 

[RxnMan]

...Is a 35-40 too high to shoot for?

So, thinking about the reverse, if you weren't going for a MD/PhD, you wouldn't try your hardest and you wouldn't shoot for a 35-40? 🙄 You can understand why questions like these are kinda silly.

Do as best you can (I found that Kaplan and the sample exams on the AAMC website were good prep,) and when you have a score, come back and we'll talk about competitiveness of said score.

 

[Neuronix]

The average at the MD/PhD programs that publish this info is ~36, though admitted student scores range from there (i.e. there's no one cutoff score). Around 29.5 is the average for MD programs. Obviously, aim for as high as you can and take the exam only when you feel you are fully ready for it.

I had a 1220 on the SAT and scored a 37 on the MCAT FWIW. I always recommend taking a review course (I took TPR) and as a part of that you take alot of timed practice exams in an exam-like setting. That should hopefully help you get over your anxiety. Doing well on standardized exams is important, because the MCAT is just another in a long string of standardized exams you must do well on to become a doctor.

 

[brainfoodaddict]

So, thinking about the reverse, if you weren't going for a MD/PhD, you wouldn't try your hardest and you wouldn't shoot for a 35-40? 🙄 You can understand why questions like these are kinda silly.

RxnMan, I think you misunderstood my post. Or maybe I wasn't clear. I asked the question so that experienced members could help me find a reallistic aim based on my history - since I am terrible at test taking but good with my grades. Basically, could a person who scored so low on the SAT get a 35-40 on the MCAT if she has 16 months to prepare, or is that too unrealistic? Of course I'm going to shoot for the highest score possible.

Thanks for the advice, everyone.

 

[QofQuimica]

RxnMan, I think you misunderstood my post. Or maybe I wasn't clear. I asked the question so that experienced members could help me find a reallistic aim based on my history - since I am terrible at test taking but good with my grades. Basically, could a person who scored so low on the SAT get a 35-40 on the MCAT if she has 16 months to prepare, or is that too unrealistic? Of course I'm going to shoot for the highest score possible.

Thanks for the advice, everyone.

I don't think there's a very tight correlation between SAT and MCAT scores, mainly because most people don't study at all for the SAT, but most people study like crazy for the MCAT. Or at least that's what I did. 😉 I wound up scoring way higher on the MCAT than anyone would have ever predicted based on my SAT score, and I think that's the main reason why. This will shock and amaze you all, but it turns out that I do better on tests when I STUDY for them.

As for you, my best advice is that you take all the pre-reqs if you haven't already, learn the material well and get top grades, and take a lot of practice exams (5+) on a computer under timed conditions. You can get an idea of where you'll be on the real test based on the average of several practice test scores. But the only way you'll know what you're actually capable of is to take the darn thing for real. My practice test scores were all clustered really close together, but I wound up scoring four points higher than my average and two points higher than the top of my range on the real test. I have no explanation for that, but I'm not complainin'. 😎

 

[brainfoodaddict]

Q, thanks for the advice. I read some of your posts before I became a member and saw you got a 42 on the MCAT (or 43?) and got acceptance to an ungodly number of schools. Those are the kinds of results pre-meds dream of but rarely achieve. Nonetheless, it's good to hope. And to study your butt off. I'm using official AAMC study topics material in congruence with my pre reqs to get the most out of all my courses, so hopefully over the next 16 months my classes will supply me with all the study material I will need. I may even do the flashcard thing as others in the forum have suggested. And as it gets closer to test time - 3 months or so before - I'll start taking the timed practice tests. A 42 may not be in my future, but I'll prepare like it is. 😀

 

[QofQuimica]

Q, thanks for the advice. I read some of your posts before I became a member and saw you got a 42 on the MCAT (or 43?) and got acceptance to an ungodly number of schools. Those are the kinds of results pre-meds dream of but rarely achieve. Nonetheless, it's good to hope. And to study your butt off. I'm using official AAMC study topics material in congruence with my pre reqs to get the most out of all my courses, so hopefully over the next 16 months my classes will supply me with all the study material I will need. I may even do the flashcard thing as others in the forum have suggested. And as it gets closer to test time - 3 months or so before - I'll start taking the timed practice tests. A 42 may not be in my future, but I'll prepare like it is. 😀

Two things:

1) You don't need a 43 on the MCAT to get into medical school. Try to score 30+, and you will be reasonably competitive at most schools if the rest of your app is also strong.
2) The necessary number of acceptances for you to become a physician scientist is exactly one.

Best of luck to you. 🙂