Wise thing to say or not? Why?

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Gauss44

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In your opinion, is pointing out that you got 12's in the science sections of the MCAT despite having ONLY taken one year or less of each science subject over 10 yeas ago, as evidence of natural talent in science, a smart move or not? (Regardless of whether it's pointed out in the personal statement, interview, etc.)

The part I'm most unsure about is whether or not emphasizing the part in bold would possibly work against an applicant. If that's a flaw, maybe stating it once on the application is better than trumpeting it again...?

The "10 years ago" part shouldn't be an issue everywhere considering that this student has since taken graduate level courses and done well.

What else, if true, (other than college grades and other than research) would be good evidence of NATURAL TALENT in science?

Quality SAT/ACT scores?
Pre-College accomplishment?
Contributing to an MCAT textbook?
Teaching?
 
My first thought is not to do it. Honestly, don't most applicants take one year or less of each subject? One year physics, one year orgo... unless I'm misunderstanding you, you aren't going to impress anyone. Also keep in mind that the MCAT is just a gatekeeper test and is by far the easiest standardized test on the way to licensure. It's great that you did well but you haven't reached any pinnacles of achievement yet.
 
They can see transcripts, so they know what courses you've taken. They can see your MCAT scores, too, so don't restate the obvious. The idea is to have more interesting things to say about yourself than repeating the obvious. A natural talent for science isn't an indicator of a natural talent for every aspect (or as many as you can muster) of medicine, and that's what needs to be evident.

There's more to the process than just your science scores for a reason. The cure for cancer might be rattling around in your brain, but that's not the point of the whole application process. It's to find out if you're an actual intelligent, compassionate human who is capable of learning the skills and knowledge and taking the responsibility for the health and welfare of others.
 
I would not point this out.

Additionally, why are you concerned about demonstrating natural talent?
 
I would absolutely not do this, it's screaming of self grandeur. They can see you scores, they know what you have done.
 
If you have to question something, then the answer is most likely no. In this case, it's a resounding no.
 
I'm not quite sure interviewers look that in depth at your transcript and scores to make that correlation. Adcoms maybe, interviewers, doubtful.

Regardless, I still wouldn't bother to point it out. People care about hearing about your positive personality traits. Unless you can weave that in, don't mention it.
 
Smacks of boasting. Do NOT do this.

I can't image anything that shows a natural talent for science without evidence of accomplishment.

Some people are good at throwing 90 MPH curve balls, and others are good standardized test takers.

Gauss44 said:
In your opinion, is pointing out that you got 12's in the science sections of the MCAT despite having ONLY taken one year or less of each science subject over 10 yeas ago, as evidence of natural talent in science, a smart move or not? (Regardless of whether it's pointed out in the personal statement, interview, etc.)

The part I'm most unsure about is whether or not emphasizing the part in bold would possibly work against an applicant. If that's a flaw, maybe stating it once on the application is better than trumpeting it again...?

The "10 years ago" part shouldn't be an issue everywhere considering that this student has since taken graduate level courses and done well.

What else, if true, (other than college grades and other than research) would be good evidence of NATURAL TALENT in science?

Quality SAT/ACT scores?
Pre-College accomplishment?
Contributing to an MCAT textbook?
Teaching?
Click to expand...


If interviewers have access to open file you can bet that they'll notice this.

Dral said:
I'm not quite sure interviewers look that in depth at your transcript and scores to make that correlation. Adcoms maybe, interviewers, doubtful.

Regardless, I still wouldn't bother to point it out. People care about hearing about your positive personality traits. Unless you can weave that in, don't mention it.
Click to expand...
 
Goro said:
Smacks of boasting. Do NOT do this.

I can't image anything that shows a natural talent for science without evidence of accomplishment.

Some people are good at throwing 90 MPH curve balls, and others are good standardized test takers.




If interviewers have access to open file you can bet that they'll notice this.
Click to expand...


So you're saying that a busy student interviewer or attending will look at OPs file, look at their MCAT score (where I think some would stop), then look back at all their coursework ( where I think a majority would stop), then make the correlation that OP took less than one year of those courses that long ago but still rocked the MCAT?

I got a 12 and 14 on my sciences 8 years after I graduated, but I just find it hard to believe that most of my interviewers would go back and sift through my courses and see if I took a year or less of science courses....like look through my courses and count up the courses I took in each of the sciences during my undergrad years and correlate that with the year and score of my MCAT. I've been through 25 or so interviews (most of them with interviews with multiple people) in the last few years and nobody has even gotten close to mentioning that type of thing to me.

I guess that doesn't mean most didn't notice.

If you say so I believe you since I've never sat on an adcom or interviewed undergrad/med students.

However, if I did interview, I would go in to files looking to pull out personality traits to talk about more so than analyzing/counting how many courses an applicant took in certain subjects and correlating that with when an exam was taken and how well they did. I would think that was something done prior to me interviewing them for them to get an II in the first place.

I would comment on a good score. I'd probably comment on the time difference. I don't think I'd make the jump with correlating those with specifics of coursework. I would assume they took the required coursework (which is what is required by schools, and I assume checked by adcoms) and did at least the minimum (the amount recommended to be be able to sit for the MCAT and at least have the necessary knowledge to take the exam).
 
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The point isn't whether or not the adcom actually makes all these connections, it's about the attitude the OP appears to carry by coming off the top rope in the manner described.
 
Well of course. But the OP wants to know if this is something interviewers will know or if they need to inform them of it.

If the interviewers aren't as likely to pick up on it and make the connections, the OP wants a way to let them know.

The consensus is to not outright tell them. However, I think that interviewers may not pick up on it and that it may be worth mentioning, just not in the direct way the OP inquired about.

Example:

Interviewer: tell me about a challenge you've faced,

OP: well, I found it tough to prepare for the MCAT. It had been 10 years since my undergrad courses. Since I majored in so-and-so, I took only the required year or in some cases less than a year of science courses. This made the science sections more difficult. However, I feel I have an amount of natural talent for the sciences, but I still studied very hard, learned and refreshed the material because doing well and getting in to medical school is important to me. My perseverance paid off and I ended up doing very well on the exam.



It's positive, not in your face, clues the interviewer in to what the OP wants to convey, and showcases that the OP got a score because of work. I don't think anyone goes in to the MCAT without studying and rocks it...well, maybe somebody does.

So if the OP presents it in this way, it's likely not being dishonest and is a way to promote a good personality trait.

So whether the interviewer is likely to make the connections ahead of time is kinda relevant. If we can advise the OP that they are likely to make those specific connections, the OP is better off using their interview time to showcase other positives. If they are not likely to make the connections, maybe the OP will want to convey it to them in a manner similar to what I mentioned.
 
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OP, this thread totally speaks for itself re: your initial questions. Focus on being more multi-dimensional. Best wishes.
 
My student interviewers take their job VERY seriously. If they see something laudable like what gauss is referring to, they'll pick up on it even before we faculty interviewers will.

Don't engage in the sin of solipsism.



Dral said:
So you're saying that a busy student interviewer or attending will look at OPs file, look at their MCAT score (where I think some would stop), then look back at all their coursework ( where I think a majority would stop), then make the correlation that OP took less than one year of those courses that long ago but still rocked the MCAT?

I got a 12 and 14 on my sciences 8 years after I graduated, but I just find it hard to believe that most of my interviewers would go back and sift through my courses and see if I took a year or less of science courses....like look through my courses and count up the courses I took in each of the sciences during my undergrad years and correlate that with the year and score of my MCAT. I've been through 25 or so interviews (most of them with interviews with multiple people) in the last few years and nobody has even gotten close to mentioning that type of thing to me.

I guess that doesn't mean most didn't notice.

If you say so I believe you since I've never sat on an adcom or interviewed undergrad/med students.

However, if I did interview, I would go in to files looking to pull out personality traits to talk about more so than analyzing/counting how many courses an applicant took in certain subjects and correlating that with when an exam was taken and how well they did. I would think that was something done prior to me interviewing them for them to get an II in the first place.

I would comment on a good score. I'd probably comment on the time difference. I don't think I'd make the jump with correlating those with specifics of coursework. I would assume they took the required coursework (which is what is required by schools, and I assume checked by adcoms) and did at least the minimum (the amount recommended to be be able to sit for the MCAT and at least have the necessary knowledge to take the exam).
Click to expand...
 
Solipsism?

I'm not sure how that applies. I had never heard of it until I looked it up.

Ok so I guess in sum, to the OP, there is likely a good chance that your interviewers will already have realized you did well with little coursework. You should probably avoid bringing up what you outlined in your original post. But if the time is right, it may be mentioned in the correct setting/manner.

The best interviewees will be those who are shameless self promoters who interview without showing the shameless part. How can you say "I rock" in the most humble way possible...that is a good general goal. The caveat being that some interviews go in a direction where that is not appropriate either...but knowing that is part of the art/skill of interviewing.

Best of luck!
 
As a student member of adcom, I personally WOULD notice that coursework was completed many years ago AND would look at the MCAT scores. However, I would neither be that impressed by this "natural talent" for science nor would I prioritize it among my selection criteria. Furthermore, if the candidate were to specifically point this out to me, I think it would negatively influence my impression of them.
 
Goro said:
My student interviewers take their job VERY seriously. If they see something laudable like what gauss is referring to, they'll pick up on it even before we faculty interviewers will.

Don't engage in the sin of solipsism.
Click to expand...

Are the people that take multiple selfies and buy selfie sticks engaging in solipsism? How about frequent picture and "outings" posters on social media? (Do we really need to know every time you go out to dinner Mr. or Ms. Solipsist? Come on. Most of us wonder? lol)

This is great. 🙂 Here is something new on SDN started by Goro :prof:: The SDN Word of the Day. Today's word is solipsism. :thinking:
 
sol·ip·sism
ˈsälipˌsizəm/
noun
  1. the view or theory that the self is all that can be known to exist.

The common usage is that "my experience in X applies everywhere and to everyone else."


jl lin said:
Are the people that take multiple selfies and buy selfie sticks engaging in solipsism? How about frequent picture and "outings" posters on social media? (Do we really need to know every time you go out to dinner Mr. or Ms. Solipsist? Come on. Most of us wonder? lol)

This is great. 🙂 Here is something new on SDN started by Goro :prof:: The SDN Word of the Day. Today's word is solipsism. :thinking:
Click to expand...
 
Doesn't that apply to like half the advice we dole out here on SDN on a daily basis?

The caveat of using a website such as this is that for a number of pieces of advice one sees, one has to keep in mind that it is based on the experience of that person, or school, or adcom, or hospital.
 
jl lin said:
Are the people that take multiple selfies and buy selfie sticks engaging in solipsism? How about frequent picture and "outings" posters on social media?
Click to expand...
No that's just good old fashioned garden-variety narcissism with a side of instant gratification thanks to Twitter and Instagram, nothing more.
 
As every other reasonable person has said, don't say that.

Consider that your PS is your opportunity to answer one question, and one question only.

"Why do you want to be a physician?" Let your stats speak for themselves. You talk about the part of you that numbers can't demonstrate... your motivations and your aspirations. Your ability needs to have proven itself through your actions, and wasting precious space to call it out cannot help you.
 
Sounds pretty douchey to say "hey guys, look at my 12 with just one year of science. I'm so smarts."
 
Sdn, the home of N=1 being the only truth
 
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