Journal article
Association between the Medical College Admission Test scores and Alpha Omega Alpha Medical Honors Society membership
Advances in medical education and practice, Vol.8, pp.627-632
2017
DOI: 10.2147/AMEP.S145839
PMCID: PMC5608086
PMID: 28979178
Abstract
Medical schools worldwide are faced with the challenge of selecting from among many qualified applicants. One factor that might help admissions committees identify future exceptional medical students is scores on standardized entrance exams. The purpose of this study was to determine the association between scores on the most commonly used standardized medical school entrance exam in the USA, the Medical College Admission Test (MCAT), and election to the US medical honors society, Alpha Omega Alpha (AOA).
MCAT scores and AOA membership data were analyzed for all the students pursuing Doctor of Medicine degrees at the University of Minnesota Medical School and who graduated between 2012-2016 (n=1,309).
An independent-samples
-test found a significant difference (t=6.132,
<0.001) in MCAT scores between those who were elected to AOA (n=179) and those who were not (n=1,130). On average, students who were elected to AOA had composite MCAT scores of 1.65 points higher than those who were not. Percentages of students elected to AOA gradually but inconsistently increased with MCAT score. No student who scored <27 on the MCAT was elected to AOA. Among students with MCAT scores at the 99th percentile or above (scores of ≥38), 13 of 48 (27.1%) were elected to AOA.
Election to AOA during medical school was significantly associated with higher MCAT scores. Admissions committees should carefully consider the role of standardized entrance exam scores, in the context of a holistic review, when selecting for exceptional medical students.
Details
- Title: Subtitle
- Association between the Medical College Admission Test scores and Alpha Omega Alpha Medical Honors Society membership
- Creators
- Jacqueline L Gauer - Office of Medical EducationJ Brooks Jackson - Department of Laboratory Medicine and Pathology, Medical School, University of Minnesota, Minneapolis, MN, USA
- Resource Type
- Journal article
- Publication Details
- Advances in medical education and practice, Vol.8, pp.627-632
- DOI
- 10.2147/AMEP.S145839
- PMID
- 28979178
- PMCID
- PMC5608086
- NLM abbreviation
- Adv Med Educ Pract
- ISSN
- 1179-7258
- eISSN
- 1179-7258
- Publisher
- New Zealand
- Language
- English
- Date published
- 2017
- Academic Unit
- Pathology; VPMA - Administration
- Record Identifier
- 9984047777202771
Metrics
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