Guest Ian Wong Posted March 25, 2001 Report Share Posted March 25, 2001 Author:*Carse, Can UG4 Date:***2/6/2001 3:59 pm*PST * I am a student who applied to a few med schools this year, but I am also considering an MBA. I haven't talked to anybody who has written the MCAT and the GMAT, and since you're an MBA student applying to med school I'm assuming that you have. I'm just wondering how similar the sections are between the tests. i.e. is the GMAT verbal section very similar to the MCAT verbal reasoning, as well as the written sections. The reason I ask is because I am curious as to whether my MCAT scores on those sections would be predictive of how well I would do on the GMAT. Did you do better on one than the other? I would greatly appreciate any advice that you may have. Thanks! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Ian Wong Posted March 25, 2001 Report Share Posted March 25, 2001 Author:*Kirsteen, Can MBA Date:***2/7/2001 7:58 am*PST * Hello Carse, Were you aware that some schools offer a joint, MBA/MD programme? I believe that McGill is presently the only Canadian university which does (a few US universities, e.g., UCLA do) but also, UofT is seriously considering starting its own MBA/MD programme. If you are interested in this approach, take a look at McGill's MBA/MD website, which is useful (sorry, I don't have the address offhand, but you can easily spring to it from the McGill Faculty of Medicine site). As to the GMAT, I wrote it once, in 1997, for entry into my 1998 MBA programme at Queen's (since completed). The exam that I wrote marked the last of the traditional, paper GMATs. This format has since been superceded by the CAT (Computer-Assisted Test). Unfortunately, I am not too familiar with the CAT, although I do know that it covers the same areas as its predecessor, but unlike its predecessor and the current MCAT, it may be taken at any time (as opposed to only twice per year). Regarding subject coverage, the GMAT is far more math and English intensive than the MCAT. The exam is comprised of three sections: verbal, quantitative and essays. The verbal section is sub-divided into: sentence correction (testing grammar skills); critical thinking (similar to certain MCAT VR questions, requiring analysis of an argument); and reading comprehension (almost exactly like the MCAT VR section). The quantitative section is sub-divided into: problem-solving (math-intensive (algebra, geometry, etc.) problems of increasing difficulty) and data sufficiency (a problem is provided and you are asked simply whether adequate data exists to solve the problem). The essay section of the GMAT is similar to the MCAT in that two, 30-minute periods of time are given in which to complete two essays, but the essays differ: one prompts for analysis of an issue, and the other for analysis of an argument. The marking schemes for MCAT/GMAT essays are identical, i.e., evaluated on a scale of six points. You may be able to judge from the above, how you may fare on the GMAT. Like the MCAT, it is a standardized test, therefore, it is accompanied by similar factors that all test-takers must grapple with during such experiences: time restraints, jitters, etc. If you fare well under such conditions and the MCAT did not pose a problem for you in this regard, then your GMAT experience may be similar. However, unlike the MCAT, marks were removed for guessing, or providing incorrect responses. Again, this held true for the paper version of the GMAT, and I am unsure as to how the CAT version of the GMAT deals with this. I hear, however, that on the CAT, you respond to a bank of questions within a defined period of time; if you respond with the correct answer, the level of difficulty of the following question increases. If you respond with an incorrect answer, the level of difficulty remains the same until you do provide a correct response, or until your time for that section expires. I do not know how exactly they assess your mark for the section from this method. In response to your question as to how I fared on both exams, I can only go by my marks relative to the others who wrote the exams. In this regard, my marks for both exmas were solidly above average, although not in the top 99th percentile-above average! Think about what you'd like to achieve from your future MBA and MD degrees. On the whole, I found the skills attained from the MBA to be very constructive with respect to how I am now approaching a career in medicine. I pursued the MBA in order to flesh out some areas which were of interest and which I thought would serve me well as a physician who wished to be involved in both, clinical and administrative medical realms. (Somebody needs to get their arms in and help straighten out the shambles of a health care system that we are currently subject to!) To my surprise, during the MBA programme we covered many healthcare cases (e.g., coronary care pathways at Mass. General; Operations Management for Shouldice Hospital hernia surgeries) and many MBA tools, e.g., leadership training, and an understanding of team dynamics, rhythms and issues proved universal and invaluable. To be truthful though, prior to entering the programme, I was not the most excited student in my classroom when we began courses such as financial accounting, management accounting and operations. However, as each subject unfolded I actually came to enjoy what each course had to offer, and realized that, even to the slightest degree (e.g., that I am now fathoms more comfortable with the idea of participating in a financial-woes based, hospital board meeting) each provides an additional dimension to understanding the anatomy of medical caregiving. Good luck, Kirsteen Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Ian Wong Posted March 25, 2001 Report Share Posted March 25, 2001 Author:*Carse, Can UG4 Date:***2/7/2001 4:22 pm*PST * Hi Kirsteen, Thanks for the reply! You gave me a lot of helpful information there, and you must be doing pretty good because from what I've heard Queens has one of the more "prestigious" MBA programs around. It sure is difficult to decide what to do, and I'm planning on finishing my undergrad in a couple months, and then probably writing the GMAT. From there I can take some time off and decide whether MD, MBA, or MD/MBA is the way to go. Best of luck with the admissions this year, and thanks again! Carse Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Ian Wong Posted March 25, 2001 Report Share Posted March 25, 2001 Author:*Kirsteen, Can MBA Date:***2/9/2001 9:13 am*PST * Hello again Carse, Yes, I was very pleased with the programme and I'd highly recommend the Queen's MBA experience. If you have the science background, the MBA for Science and Technology (a full-time, one year programme) is a great way to go. Thank you for the wishes and good luck to you too, Kirsteen Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Recommended Posts
Archived
This topic is now archived and is closed to further replies.