Why are URM MCAT scores lower

[Theafoni]

Hopefully this doesn't turn into another urm debate. Regarding MCAT scores, why are they generally lower for URMs. My thinking was that it was due to gaps in knowledge, but some URM's have high gpas. Is it the way the test is written?

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[Lucca]

Short answer: reading and comprehension skills, english.

Long answer: Educational attainment disparities closely tied to socioeconomic status. While being a minority and having comparatively poor educational resources at all age groups are not mutually inclusive, they are strongly correlated.

 

[darkjedi]

 

[La Presse]

Why? Isn't one URM thread enough?

 

[geneexpression]

Obviously poverty isn't mutually exclusive to URMs; there are plenty of poor ORMs as well as wealthy URMs in the world. However, URMs are statistically more likely to grow up in poverty. The reality is that the path to becoming a doctor is expensive at every level. The less money you or your family has, the less money you have for things like MCAT prep courses. There are tons of wealthy pre-meds at my school whose parents are paying for them to take Kaplan courses. I will never have the opportunity to take a Kaplan course, so I'm arguably at a disadvantage when taking the MCAT solely due to my financial situation. I also spend a lot more time worrying about money than the wealthy pre-meds whose parents are paying their way through school so all they have to focus on are academics and ECs.

This is just one of many factors that plays in. Societal structuring is a complex and difficult to tackle phenomenon.

 

[Cyberdyne 101]

Hopefully this doesn't turn into another urm debate. Regarding MCAT scores, why are they generally lower for URMs. My thinking was that it was due to gaps in knowledge, but some URM's have high gpas. Is it the way the test is written?

Just begging for a sequel, aren't you?!

 

[EngineerPreMD]

This is just one of many factors that plays in. Societal structuring is a complex and difficult to tackle phenomenon.

I definitely agree. This is especially prominent in MCAT scores due to inability to pay for courses, which I've heard are actually very helpful. You won't see as high of a disparity in GPA, and if you do it may be due to the slight preference in admissions at the undergrad level, or less thorough preparation for college level courses. Also consider that there are plenty of ORM students who don't get to the point of taking the MCAT because they didn't cut it in the pre-req courses. URMs who didn't do as well in pre-reqs are more likely to be encouraged to keep going because they still have a shot at being admitted.

So instead of turning this into a borderline racist thread like many others regarding this topic, let's just all agree that it is due to a disparity in opportunities on both ends. URMs are less likely to have MCAT prep, and URMs are more likely to take the MCAT despite lower GPAs. In short, it is due to circumstantial issues within higher education, and has nothing to do with the inherent ability of one race over another.

 

[Ismet]

Moving to MCAT discussions forum.

Also, please refrain from posting gifs and memes that do not contribute to the discussion at hand. Thank you.

 

[listener23]

I really hope the thread ends here. Its so peaceful.....

 

[Cyberdyne 101]

Agree with the above posts about a lack of resources to prepare for the MCAT. I'm thinking that once a student (of any background) is in med school, they'll have more support in terms of getting through exams and boards than your average undergrad. Med schools want ALL of their students to succeed and it's in their best interest to support everyone in the best way possible. And there's no reason why a 29 MCAT cannot be translated into a 260 USMLE. I know someone that pulled that off (not a URM) and she's currently a neurosurgery resident.

And Aliens is one of the best sequels ever (obligatory off-topic comment).

 

[TXKnight]

Mcat score differences in URMs start to cook way before an mcat prep course. I addition, According to the aamc, scores between professionally preped students vs solo prep are not statistically different. Also, MCAT performance is not correlated to USMLE performance.

 

[Cyberdyne 101]

Mcat score differences in URMs start to cook way before an mcat prep course. I addition, According to the aamc, scores between professionally preped students vs solo prep are not statistically different. Also, MCAT performance is not correlated to USMLE performance.

Solo prepped students that get in already have the test taking skills so they don't bother with a course. This is only anecdotal, but the successful ones that I know received some type of test prep help at some point in their life.
Also, I didn't state that the MCAT is correlated with the boards. But it's one of the main arguments used in these discussions.
Although, this study says that there is "some" correlation (unless I'm reading it wrong).
http://internationalgme.org/Resources/Pubs/Donnon et al (2007) Acad Med.pdf

 

[23premes]

Real question, why do you care so much...like honestly. Who really cares. No one on this site will be able to give you a real accurate answer. There are way too many variables as to why urms score lower. This thread is kinda pointless.


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[UoCfin]

as a URM...let me put it like this...
High school didn't prepare me well enough for university level studies...
I worked full time + to not only nudge a bit of interest on ma school loans, but to pay everything else i needed (boarding/food/watever u can thing of besides tuition).
So this compounds the fact that my biggest worry was my GPA, but anything extra would mean not working and therefore not manageable.
I have to truthfully self study material i practically struggled with from the get go (this can be true for both ORM and URM, but u get the jist).
Lets not talk about the struggle back home ( my parents weren't facing problems of how their stocks/funds are fluctuating, but pretty much the same dilemmas i was facing compounded***money-wise**).
bottom line: it is just tough dude...

 

[Gauss44]

Hopefully this doesn't turn into another urm debate. Regarding MCAT scores, why are they generally lower for URMs. My thinking was that it was due to gaps in knowledge, but some URM's have high gpas. Is it the way the test is written?

I'm not aware of any evidence supporting this. Where did you come up with that?

 

[Amonobanji]

i was like "what's URM?" just googled URM, #1 result = Union Rescue Mission.
yeah, i'm with Gauss44, how did you arrive at that statement?

 

[TXKnight]

as a URM...let me put it like this...
High school didn't prepare me well enough for university level studies...
I worked full time + to not only nudge a bit of interest on ma school loans, but to pay everything else i needed (boarding/food/watever u can thing of besides tuition).
So this compounds the fact that my biggest worry was my GPA, but anything extra would mean not working and therefore not manageable.
I have to truthfully self study material i practically struggled with from the get go (this can be true for both ORM and URM, but u get the jist).
Lets not talk about the struggle back home ( my parents weren't facing problems of how their stocks/funds are fluctuating, but pretty much the same dilemmas i was facing compounded***money-wise**).
bottom line: it is just tough dude...

This hits close to home for me man.

 

[striker15]

Short answer: reading and comprehension skills, english.

This and nothing more. Science sections can be improved quite quickly but verbal to me seems to be stagnant due to it being something that has been building up for quite a while.

 

[listener23]

This and nothing more. Science sections can be improved quite quickly but verbal to me seems to be stagnant due to it being something that has been building up for quite a while.

If you have weak test taking skills and unfilled learning gaps that developed from attending poorly funded public high schools. Improving your science grade is easier said than done.

 

[striker15]

If you have weak testing skills and unfilled learning gaps that developed from attending poorly funded public high schools. Improving your science grade is easier said than done.

Testing skills can be learned in months as well as math and science. The only truth to your point is the unfilled learning gap that consists of reading comprehension. But yeah I've only gone to schools in Compton so what do I really know.

 

[listener23]

Testing skills can be learned in months as well as math and science. The only truth to your point is the unfilled learning gap that consists of reading comprehension. But yeah I've only gone to schools in Compton so what do I really know.

I was going to give you responses but I can already tell you want to make this nastier than it has to be....

 

[daking]

hmmm

 

[SN2ed]

Thread closed. This topic is going nowhere good.