THE RELATIONSHIP OF MINORITY-STUDENTS MCAT SCORES AND GRADE-POINT AVERAGES TO THEIR ACCEPTANCE INTO MEDICAL-SCHOOL

The authors identified relationships between quantitative academic variables—specifically, grade-point averages (GPAs) and Medical College Admission Test (MCAT) scores— and the admission decisions of 58 students from minority groups underrepresented in medicine. These students had participated in a summer enrichment program at the University of Virginia School of Medicine and had applied to medical school. A total of 49 of the students were offered admission, and ultimately enrolled in 17 different medical schools. Results of a stepwise multiple regression analysis indicated that scores on the Skills Analysis: Quantitative Subtest of the MCAT explained the greatest percentage of the variance related to medical school admission (26%); scores on the Skills Analysis: Reading Subtest contributed an additional 7% to the explained variance, and scores on the Physics Knowledge Subtest, another 5%. The overall GPAs did not contribute significantly to the explanation of the variance in admission decisions. These results differ from published findings based on data from minorities’ admissions to individual institutions. Caution must therefore be exercised when using GPAs and MCATs as medical school admission predictors for students from minority groups. © 1990 Association of American Medical Colleges.