I Have an IQ of 101... Am I Smart Enough to Become a Doctor?

Question

I took an online IQ test that is supposed to be highly accurate. ( www.iqtest.dk ) and received a score of 101. Now, be honest, I can study and "try" all I want to succeed in medical school (or even getting in), but is it even physiologically possible for a person with an utterly "average" IQ to handle the intellectual rigor of med-school? Or am I destined to be an "Average Joe" (or since I am female, "Average Jane")? I'm not trying to increase my level of self-esteem, I'm trying to get some honest, and REALISTIC answers.

While many people claim that IQ tests are fallible, and aren't a reflection of one's true potential, you can't deny the correlation between doctors/engineers and high IQ scores.

Strangely enough, I am a senior in high school. I'm maintaining B's in all Advanced Placement courses.

My SAT score was 1800 out of 2400 (but I didn't study AT ALL since I didn't feel that taking the SAT was necessary). Took it once.

Answer 1

A score of 100 is the average in IQ tests, however, anything you take online cannot be accurate. IQ tests have to be given by trained professionals, under certain conditions, with specific wording, etc.
A graduate entry exam (the MCAT) might give you a better idea about your potential for medical school.

Answer 2

The text of your question and other questions re: SF/NYC, Nausea, Mole, etc. reveal structure and logic that stretches the credulity of a 101 IQ, unless the Verbal IQ (VIQ) is statistically significantly higher than your Performance IQ (PIQ), the two sections that are joined in deriving at your Full IQ. If so, then the PIQ could be pulling down the FIQ. Your interest in health subjects almost requires you to make a good decision on your future without relying on an unexplained, lacking-in-integrity test.
If your VIQ and your PIQ are similar, then 101 will not get you through med school.. The variations in the splintered sections in your IQ, once you have it professionally assessed, can answer your question.

Answer 3

Reality? I think you are destined to be average. But you have to know a few things about IQ tests.

1. They are biased. There hasn't been a successful one made yet.

- Some are regionally biased (if they ask you what color a school bus is, most of the world will say yellow....but if you grew up on a military base you'd say olive green).

- Some are spatially biased (males tend to do better on spatial questions versus females).

There are tons of examples

2. IQ may measure some imaginary thing called an "intellegence quota". But it doesn't account for outliers. Example, if you can draw extremely well (have talent) and make a career in graphic design, who gives a dang what your IQ is?

Desire & determination will get you there. IQ is merely a number. I just think that you'll give up too easily and blame it on IQ because you bothered to figure out this useless number.

Answer 4

They learned that IQ tests were 'for the birds,' decades ago. First of all, IQ tests are normally multiple choice questions. When people don't know the answer, they guess--and have a 25% chance of being correct.

I scored very highly on an IQ test back in grammar school--many years ago. Because of that, my teachers and parents constantly told me that I was not working up to my potential. I was--the test was just a joke.

If you want to be a doctor, just be sure to keep getting B and higher grades in related courses. You can do anything you set your mind to. Good luck--you can do it.

Answer 5

first of all, i would never trust an online IQ test. second of all, even if your IQ really is 101, i would think it would be possible to be a doctor if that's something you are really really interested in, and if you excel in science but are not quite as good in other areas. it would take a hell of a lot of work though, then again it takes a lot of work for people with really high iq's too.

Answer 6

I will graduate med school in a few months, so I think I know a little about this topic. Believe me, anyone who says it takes a special level of "intelligence" to get through it, has not been to medical school. Ignore all the snobs who say "no" to you outright ... they are a sad group of individuals and I feel sorry for them.

There was once the theory that XYY individuals were inherently criminal because there is a high proportion of that population in prison ... then later is was hypothesized that they are just less intelligent and thus more likely to be cought. The fact is that one cannot predict these things and I know of at least one case of an XYY graduating cumlaude from Stanford.

OK, that was a digression as you are clearly not XYY (as you are female :)) ... but it is one example of how foolish it is to ever try to predict the potential of another human being. Intelligence cannot be measured in any meaningful way- there are things that come easily to some and things that are harder ... and yes there are some who find almost everything "easy" - I can see how one would extrapolate this and say "well then let's measure how 'easy' it is for others and come up with a scale." But no scale is sufficient to do this and the stanford-binet is referenced a lot because people use it a lot ... not because it is reliable or valid. For example people use the "ranson criteria" as a prognostic scale for pancreatitis- but study after study has proven it to be a poor scale compared to others (apache I and II for example) ... but it is still used. Why? Because people use it and know it- therefore one doctor can communicate with another regarding this with a ranson score. But it is not used BECAUSE it is particularly good.

As for medical school, more than anything it takes PERSISTENCE ... not inherent intelligence. You need to work hard and really want it- but put aside any notion of "not being good enough" early on. If you don't feel you are good enough, then work harder until you are.
One of my professors once said to us "there are some students who go through med school with ease and don't need to try hard ... this is rare, but it happens ... these people are very smart, but usually do not make good doctors. Those that need to work hard to get through med school make better doctors."
I believe this fully and it makes sense to me as someone who has experienced it. For the most part we all need to work hard in med school and it is a challenge. But anyone who has gone through it and says to another person "you are not smart enough" truly does not have what it takes to be a decent physician.

As for the person who said you would not be able to handle micro ... I do not know where she is getting that from. Micro is one of the few topics that is all about working hard and having interest in the subject- there is nothing at all hard to grasp on that subject. I think that responder has her own issues to work out, if she thinks micro was complex. What a sad story for her.

The bottom line is IGNORE meaningless scales that try to measure your potential- your potential is inside you... and you can make it as strong as you will it.

Good luck to you :)

Answer 7

101 isn't great. It takes a high level of intelligence to become a doctor. The unfortunate truth is that becoming a doctor is out of the reach of most people.

Answer 8

i see it all the time in my students. effort counts for more than smarts 9 times out of 10, but the real question is can you handle the course load that will get you to med school. I've seen some really smart kids change their major because they can't handle organic chemistry.

Answer 9

Short answer? Yes! If medicine is your calling, great... your cognitive skills are a different thing, the content that lies within the medical profession is infinite. The ability to grow and serve your patients, is a different matter....

Answer 10

I would think so but if ur determined and work very hard you can suceed in anything. Ur IQ is not the only thing that will determine if u make it or not