Why admission should be based only on MCAT scores

[gofer]

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The paper says
- One of the most fundamental observations is that people interviewed on rainy days tend to receive lower ratings than people interviewed on sunny days.
- People who interview on sunny days tend to be accepted while those who interview on rainly days tend to be rejected.

http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/19969588

 

[SouthernSurgeon]

Not to burst your bubble...but that is from the "Holiday review"

http://www.cmaj.ca/misc/holidayreview.dtl

Research with a twist, humorous reflections, witty rants, culturally current missives

These are often tongue-in-cheek or light-fare.

 

[gofer]

Not to burst your bubble too badly...but that is from the "Holiday review"

http://www.cmaj.ca/misc/holidayreview.dtl



These are often tongue-in-cheek or light-fare.

I know.

 

[Ischemic]

Basing admissions just only on the MCATs is an even worse idea than letting in people via their rainy/sunny day interviews. MCAT just lets you know if they're smart, smart =/= being a good doctor.

 

[Cramster]

Have you started prepping for the MCAT yet? Lol what if you like so many other people can't break 30?

You remind me of this one guy at my Uni who proclaimed [without taking a single diagnostic exam] that since he has a low gpa he would "just get a 42 on the MCAT" and that "Med Schools should just focus on this sole criteria"

Lol he was a nontrad too... oh the arrogance

 

[gofer]

Have you started prepping for the MCAT yet? Lol what if you like so many other people can't break 30?

You remind me of this one guy at my Uni who proclaimed [without taking a single diagnostic exam] that since he has a low gpa he would "just get a 42 on the MCAT" and that "Med Schools should just focus on this sole criteria"

This thread was supposed to be a joke. You're taking it way to seriously.

 

[Cramster]

This thread was supposed to be a joke. You're taking it way to seriously.

Ok fair enough. lol

 

[venacontracta]

I think basing medical school entrance solely or almost solely on a single entrance exam wouldn't be a bad idea. Some European countries do it and it works out for them.

 

[metallica81788]

The paper says
- One of the most fundamental observations is that people interviewed on rainy days tend to receive lower ratings than people interviewed on sunny days.
- People who interview on sunny days tend to be accepted while those who interview on rainly days tend to be rejected.

http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/19969588

I've had mixed results from this.

Sunny interviews - 1 acceptance, 1 rejection, 1 waitlist that led to rejection
Rainy interviews - 1 acceptance, 1 rejection, 1 non-response/rejection

 

[bold text]

I think basing medical school entrance solely or almost solely on a single entrance exam wouldn't be a bad idea. Some European countries do it and it works out for them.

What about the people with ridiculous test anxiety that end up with scores that don't reflect their intelligence? Do they not deserve to be doctors too?

 

[Slack3r]

What about the people with ridiculous test anxiety that end up with scores that don't reflect their intelligence? Do they not deserve to be doctors too?

If you have anxiety during a test, what makes you think you wouldn't have anxiety when a patient starts crashing or something of the sort?

 

[metallica81788]

If you have anxiety during a test, what makes you think you wouldn't have anxiety when a patient starts crashing or something of the sort?

Oh no, you just pulled the "you'll be a bad doctor" card.

 

[bold text]

If you have anxiety during a test, what makes you think you wouldn't have anxiety when a patient starts crashing or something of the sort?

I would expect anybody to have some degree of anxiety during a crash or other emergency. The difference is a doctor has the experience and the knowledge base to handle to crash without freaking out to the point of incapacitation.

 

[morning]

If you have anxiety during a test, what makes you think you wouldn't have anxiety when a patient starts crashing or something of the sort?

You'll probably have anxiety then, too.

Doctors aren't machines.

 

[ownage]

I think they do something like this in India. They give some test like this to every high school senior and only top 3 % get to go to med school.

 

[chman]

You'll probably have anxiety then, too.

Doctors aren't machines.

That's not what I heard..

 

[bold text]

why does it always have to be a little old white lady on the floor? they're not the only ones who fall down and break body parts 🙄

 

[chman]

why does it always have to be a little old white lady on the floor? they're not the only ones who fall down and break body parts 🙄

Then why are there so many old people with broken bones on the rehab floor I volunteer at?

 

[bold text]

Then why are there so many old people with broken bones on the rehab floor I volunteer at?

because they party too hard. mosh pits aren't for everyone.

 

[Slack3r]

Oh no, you just pulled the "you'll be a bad doctor" card.

I was joking. But I do think "I have test anxiety" is an idiotic excuse.

 

[Perrotfish]

What about the people with ridiculous test anxiety that end up with scores that don't reflect their intelligence? Do they not deserve to be doctors too?

Those people are screwed for medical school in any event. You have three steps of the USMLE to get through before you're done.

 

[Electronegative]

We had the dean of admissions from University of Maryland som in our school's pre-med club speak about this topic.
His exact words were "if admissions process was based on numbers only then every medical schools would be full of nerds and geeks who can't communicate with patienst or colleagues"


EN

 

[jeff0106]

We had the dean of admissions from University of Maryland som in our school's pre-med club speak about this topic.
His exact words were "if admissions process was based on numbers only then every medical schools would be full of nerds and geeks who can't communicate with patienst or colleagues"


EN

Definitely makes sense, but as long as you can get the important information out to make a correct diagnoses (House, yes I know it's not real, but I had a pediatrician who was just like him and was considered one of the best in Georgia), then who really cares about personality skills. You are there to do a job and that is to save people.

Should numbers be the only factor? I tend to think not, but they should have a much heavier weight than LOR, EC's (other than medical related), and Personal Statement. And Interview is crap in my opinion.

 

[Electronegative]

I agree jeff, but if I were patient and had a choice between a social and friendly doctor and a doctor who just thinks of me as another case I would choose the friendly one.


EN

 

[marshds]

And Interview is crap in my opinion.

I don't agree. The interview reflects an applicant's ability to think in a high stress situation, similar to the MCAT. Granted, it is not the exact same thing, but I think the interview is an important part of the application process for good reason. Do you think during your medical education and/or as a physician you won't have to think on your feet in front of people you have never met and under extreme pressure?

 

[LittleRichard]

I don't agree. The interview reflects an applicant's ability to think in a high stress situation, similar to the MCAT. Granted, it is not the exact same thing, but I think the interview is an important part of the application process for good reason. Do you think during your medical education and/or as a physician you won't have to think on your feet in front of people you have never met and under extreme pressure?

Extreme pressure? Where did you interview?

 

[E27]

I agree with marshds.

Jeff, why do you think an interview is crap? It's an opportunity to expand portions of your application and actually show that you are (hopefully) personable. Some doctors have horrible bedside manner. I definitely think it's important to be personable, along with being able to make a proper diagnosis for their patients. I hate to think that some people believe all a doctor needs to be able to do is diagnose a patient's condition; being a doctor is more than that!

 

[mdbound1987]

Obviously a low mcat score does not mean that someone can't be a great physician since med schools admit people with low scores. I love how people think they know better than med school adcoms on who can make it through med school and become a great physician. Med school is such a huge investment, so would adcoms waste time admitting someone with a low score if they were just going to fail out of school? Hell no.

 

[marshds]

Extreme pressure? Where did you interview?

Where I wanted to be accepted, so the pressure was "extreme." Admittedly, a little melodramatic.

 

[drizzt3117]

I think the general trend is towards taking qualitative info more into account, not less. At our school, we'd used a point system in admissions for at least 15-20 years but are working towards a more qualitative system simply because events have shown that people with high stats don't necessarily make the best medical students or physicians.

 

[Asyouwereatrio]

I have to agree with everyone here that said high MCAT doesn't necessarily translate to great clinical experience. I know a physician who graduated from Brown University, and she is obviously very intelligent. Unfortunately, she has no bedside manner, so much show that a large percentage of her patients at the conclusion of their visit ask the receptionist to switch to another physician in her clinic.

Granted, I'm not bashing Brown, the admissions process, or people with high MCAT scores...I'm just saying...high stats doesn't mean they'll be a good physician (iin a general sense of the term--kindness, a true heart, and reasonable command of the knowledge required for their field).

 

[mspeedwagon]

You realize you can have awful MCAT scores and get into Brown right? If you are in the PLME program at Brown (which is there BS/MD program) you are guaranteed a spot at Brown based on your GPA REGARDLESS of MCAT.

I have to agree with everyone here that said high MCAT doesn't necessarily translate to great clinical experience. I know a physician who graduated from Brown University, and she is obviously very intelligent. Unfortunately, she has no bedside manner, so much show that a large percentage of her patients at the conclusion of their visit ask the receptionist to switch to another physician in her clinic.

Granted, I'm not bashing Brown, the admissions process, or people with high MCAT scores...I'm just saying...high stats doesn't mean they'll be a good physician (iin a general sense of the term--kindness, a true heart, and reasonable command of the knowledge required for their field).

 

[Asyouwereatrio]

You realize you can have awful MCAT scores and get into Brown right? If you are in the PLME program at Brown (which is there BS/MD program) you are guaranteed a spot at Brown based on your GPA REGARDLESS of MCAT.

That was not the case for this physician.

 

[Ischemic]

What a lot of you premeds are not considering is that the interview and other interpersonal skill assessments also function to determine this basic question: do I want to work with this person? Using the House analogy someone already brought up above, would you rather work with House or Wilson? Although House is a genius -- probably aced his MCAT and USMLEs -- House is also abrasive, manipulative, egotistical and generally makes a horrible work environment. Wilson is caring, thoughtful, friendly and will generally go out of his way to help you. Really, which one would you pick if you were an adcom and an interviewer reported something like House vs Wilson. Personally, I'd admit 13 in a heartbeat ...who wouldn't want to go to work and see that everyday?

Granted these are 2 extremes but people do come off as entitled, assholish, god complex, liar etc during their interviews so that's why people care about interviews and LORs.

This is also why some people with not so great scores end up in really competitive specialties. Because they did an away rotation there and made a good impression work ethic-wise and jelled personally with the people there.

 

[FlowRate]

why does it always have to be a little old white lady on the floor? they're not the only ones who fall down and break body parts 🙄

LOL in NAD, MI

that, or GOMERS GO TO GROUND


//I just finished reading House of God last week hahaha//

 

[Slack3r]

Personally, I'd admit 13 in a heartbeat ...who wouldn't want to go to work and see that everyday?

OMG yes. Olivia Wilde 😍

 

[jj6vcb]

You realize you can have awful MCAT scores and get into Brown right? If you are in the PLME program at Brown (which is there BS/MD program) you are guaranteed a spot at Brown based on your GPA REGARDLESS of MCAT.

I thought everyone at Brown hat a 4.0