MCAT Scores
The Medical College Admission Test (MCAT) is a
lengthy, standardized, multiple-choice
examination that is given twice each year. It is
designed to determine your skills in prob-
lem solving in the natural and biological
sciences, your verbal reasoning ability, and your
written expository aptitude. The MCAT is an
indicator of your academic potential. The
test is designed in such a manner that the value
of memorization is deemphasized, while
analysis and synthetic intellectual capabilities
are tested. This clearly implies that one of
the major goals in college should be to develop
"thinking" skills in exactly these areas.
This can best be done over an extended period
of time rather than by cramming for a few
weeks or even months, and/or depending on
commercial MCAT preparation programs.
The MCAT score is particularly important
because it provides a quantitative mea-
surement that easily lends itself, together
with your GPA (and science average), to a
screening formula. Because of the large volume
of applications, such formulas are used
by some medical schools as a rapid preliminary
evaluation technique. The formula base-
line figure, which can be adjusted during the
admission season, can determine if your
application deserves more careful examination.
This may involve reviewing your rec-
ommendations, essay, and extracurricular
activities to determine the possibility of an
invitation for an interview. The MCAT score by
itself will also be used to assess the
validity of your academic record. This is
especially true when the problem of grade
inflation exists and when the academic caliber
of a school is unknown or uncertain.
The MCAT is therefore an admission obstacle
that must be overcome by all premed-
ical students because almost all schools
require this examination (for exceptions, see for
example, the University of Rochester or Johns
Hopkins profile, Chapter 6). This exami-
nation should not be looked upon as a major
admission barrier, but rather, from a positive
perspective, as a potential asset that can
enhance your admission potential. Therefore, if
you have a high GPA, good MCAT scores will
confirm your status as an attractive appli-
cant and thus speed processing your application
toward the interview stage. On the other
hand, if you are a borderline or weak
applicant, impressive MCAT scores can signifi-
cantly strengthen the chance of having your
application reviewed more thoroughly. It is
at this point that your letters of
recommendation will have a special influence in deter-
mining your true intellectual
potential.
Letters of Recommendation
Letters of recommendation supplement the
quantitative data provided by transcripts and
MCAT scores. They add a positive or negative
tone to the overall impression that your
college work and aptitude test have
established. All medical schools expect recommen-
dations, preferably from your Health
Professions Advisory Committee or from several
natural science and other faculty members at
your school.
Personal Attributes
Aside from your academic achievements and
intellectual potential, a number of personal
attributes can have an impact of varying degree
on your admission chances. These
attributes can be placed into categories, which
will be discussed below.
Extracurricular and Summer
Activities
See discussion in Chapter 3, page
48.
Exposure to Medicine
This factor was, in part, discussed in Chapter
3, Extracurricular and Summer Activities.
It should be noted that in addition to
unstructured observation and service opportunities
as a hospital volunteer, some institutions
offer formal premedical observation programs
on a group basis. In the course of such a
program, premedical students, like medical
interns, rotate through various departments and
may even be given lectures by attending
physicians on the staff. Some programs provide
a small stipend. These types of programs
can provide an invaluable opportunity for
prospective medical students, by permitting
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