MCAT to be changed, will be longer with new sections

Big changes are to come for the exam that measures the readiness of undergrads for medical school, including a more diverse range of studies and a longer testing day for the doctors of tomorrow.

Recommendations for the 2015 Medical College Admission Test were finalized this November and are to be voted upon by the Association of American Colleges' Board of Directors in Feb. 2012.

"The MCAT is evolving to be more relevant for the next generation of doctors, which impacts thousands of current college freshmen and sophomores who plan to take the exam in 2015 and beyond," said Amjed Saffarini, Kaplan Test Prep executive director of pre-health programs in a recent press release.

Kaplan Test Prep Director of Pre-Health Programs Jeff Koetje said that while the changes have yet to be etched in stone, the company has an overall understanding of what the future MCAT will look like.

The proposal includes the implementation of more upper level sciences in the exam, such as biochemistry, cell biology, molecular biology, genetics, and statistics and research methods.

The committee that formulated the proposal is also recommending the creation of a completely new section of the MCAT, which revolves around the student's understanding of psychology and sociological basis for behavior.

"Patients are now being appreciated for the diversity they represent; their socioeconomic standing, culture and geography," Koetje said. "The complexity of patients requires an equally complex understanding from the physician in order to work with patients in a partnering relationship."

The writing section of the MCAT will be removed in 2013, as AAMC research indicated that most colleges did not use the section when evaluating applicants.

If the recommendations are approved by the AAMC, the exam will be 115 minutes longer than it currently is, making for a 7-hour long test day.

Koetje said that while prospective med-school students may not be pleased by the MCAT's increased time-length, he doesn't expect the changes to lead to fewer test-takers.

"Premed students are used to a rigorous workload," Koetje said.

To prepare students for the exam, universities with premed programs are expected to make curricular changes. Students will be encouraged to take more humanities and social sciences courses, as some of the new MCAT questions will relate to those areas of study.

Due to the tentative nature of the MCAT alterations, UCF College of Medicine Dean Deborah German was unable to comment on curricular changes that might be made at the school.

According to a Kaplan survey that included opinions of 69 of the 135 accredited AAMC schools, 73 percent of medical school admissions officers believe that the 2015 MCAT will expand critical thinking and "better prepare students for the medical school experience."

UCF junior biology major and premed student Ryan Silverstein said that she understands the overall goal of the new MCAT.

"I like the idea of having more well-rounded med students and that they want us to have more of a background in the humanities," Silverstein said. "But I feel like it's going to make the test a lot more intense and difficult, and I don't think people are going to be happy with that."

Jonathan Littell, junior molecular biology and microbiology major, had a different opinion.

"I don't think they should add those sections, because as of right now I think the MCAT shows a good base-line understanding of the person," Littell said. "If they make the test harder, it will just make people want to study more. Admissions should be more about the person as a whole than how they did on a particular test."

The review process began in 2008 when the MR5 committee, which put together the proposal, began consulting practicing physicians, deans and directors of medical schools, pre-health advisors and undergraduate biology professors in order to get an accurate depiction of what subject-area knowledge the doctors of today should be equipped with.

Koetje said Kaplan Test Prep is currently developing resources to address the proposed content and sections of the 2015 MCAT. The new material will not need to be reviewed with students, however, until they are preparing for the exam in 2014.