When determining what school you want to attend to get your degree there are a lot of choices to make. One of the fundamental items on your research list before applying should be the medical school rankings system and what schools made the cut. There are other things to consider before this as well but this will help you to make an informed decision. One thing you want to be sure of is that you have the grades to make the best school if you apply for it. The better ranked the school is the more likely chance you will need to have an immaculate GPA as well as attendance, clubs under your belt, and more.

The first thing you should take a look at is your GPA. If your grades are top of the class, straight A’s then your primed for a spot in a top ranking school. This, however, is just the first step. Joining many clubs is an important requirement because many schools will use these clubs and your participation in there as a part of their research into your character. It’s not enough to just join any club to add more points to your portfolio- the types of clubs you join are also important. You must also be active in those clubs and even your particular status in the club may prove to be important. Medical school rankings follow similar criteria when being ranked, only in the school rankings there are far more specific requirements in the curriculum of the school, the success of its teachings, student success and more.

One reason the medical school rankings are so successful at showing what schools are of the utmost quality, meaning they produce the most phenomenal doctors, is that they are incredibly detailed, and not taken lightly. Many things go into this ranking system and nothing is left out. It is a very complex system that puts the schools to the test and this is a lot of pressure to the schools due to this creating the potential of being funded by private organizations that want to fund only the best institutes. Due to this imperative, the schools in turn waste no time making sure the students they accept will make them look good, will do the work involved and are cut from the right cloth to attend their institution. Part of the ranking system is the students themselves, their success, and the ability for the teachers to bring their medical degrees into fruition. You should seriously consider starting your medical career training at the very latest in the first year of high school!

The Medical College Admissions Test, or MCAT, is a computerized exam that plays an important role in medical school admissions decisions. The exam tests knowledge in three substantive areas: the physical sciences, the biological sciences, and verbal reasoning. The exam includes multiple-choice sections testing those subjects, along with two writing sections. This article explains MCAT scoring, including the average MCAT score for leading medical schools.

The multiple-choice sections have reported scores on a 15-point scale. The higher the actual score of the section, the closer the reported score will be to 15 points. Only correct answers are scored; there is no scoring penalty for incorrect or blank answers.

The exam’s writing sections are each read twice. One human reader and a computerized scoring program reads each writing sample. Therefore, the writing portion of each exam receives four scores – the scores are combined into the ultimate written grade that is reported. The highest grade is a T and the lowest grade is a J.

The MCAT score that is reported to the examinee and to the various medical schools is a combination of those multiple-choice scores and the score from writing samples. A score would look something like 30P.

The Association of American Medical Colleges releases scoring statistics annually. The most recent statistics, released for 2009, report an average score of 25.1. The Association reports writing sample percentages. For 2009, the 75th percentile was a Q, the 50th percentile was an O, and the 25th percentile was an M. The Association also provided averages for each individual subject: physical sciences – 8.3, biological sciences – 8.7, and verbal reasoning – 8.1.

Noteworthy medical colleges have released the following average scores: Boston University – 10.7Q; Georgetown University – 10.3Q; Stanford University – 11.7Q; UCLA – 11Q; UC San Francisco – 11.7Q; University of Illinois – 10.3P; University of Michigan – 11.7Q; and Yale University – 11.7Q. (The numerical portion averages the three multiple-choice section scores.)

Potential medical students must take a number of courses as undergraduates to have the required foundational knowledge for the MCAT. The relevant subjects are reading and writing, general and organic chemistry, biology, physics, and calculus. Intensely studying these subjects will help MCAT examinees achieve their best score.

For most pre-medical students, just taking the above courses isn’t sufficient to prepare for the MCAT. Many students seek out professional MCAT preparation courses. These courses help students review the relevant undergraduate coursework, while learning the important strategic approaches to succeed on the MCAT.

It’s important to note that the MCAT isn’t the only consideration for admissions officers at medical colleges. Comparing your score to the average MCAT score isn’t the only admissions consideration. GPAs are also considered. They also look the applicant’s faculty recommendations, personal statements, and their work in student activities and civic engagement.