The MCAT will change

Photo by David Reece

Before I talk about the changes, I would like to digress for a little bit. Although the MCAT season is almost over, quite a few of my good friends have either just recently come back from AAMC-land or will be going there soon. With so much MCAT in my life this summer, despite my strong desire to erase the memories of my own test taking, I felt a post about the elephant in the room was appropriate. I am sure that either you or somebody around exclaimed at least once "This MCAT is stupid! It tests all those little things. Why on Earth would I need to know the Krebs cycle or Heisenberg's uncertainty principle? If this is the case, the following article would soothe your mind and clear your conscience if you had spent time studying for it.
This Science publication discusses the capacity of the MCAT to assess thinking abilities versus rote learning and minute details. As my recent poll indicated, not all of you have access to online journals, thus I will provide the gist of it. The authors use a neat classification system to compare the biology sections of MCAT, standard undergrad tests, first year medical tests, the GRE and the AP biology on their ability to test critical thinking skills or higher psychological learning levels. As you might have guessed

 The MCAT also has the lowest percentage of knowledge-level questions [...] and the highest average raw question rating of any of [...] five exam sources

(ASSESSMENT: Application of Bloom's Taxonomy Debunks the "MCAT Myth". Alex Y. Zheng, Janessa K. Lawhorn, Thomas Lumley, and Scott Freeman (25 January 2008). Science 319 (5862), 414.)

Next time somebody tells you the MCAT is a dumb test for antisocial high IQ outcasts, tell them Bloom knows better.

Now, to the actual topic of the post. The MCAT had recently changed, yet this is only the beginning. In January 2007, the AAMC turned the pre-med world upside down. The eager and tenacious cohort of students taking the test ended up with a shorter, computerized, version given more frequently, with faster results communication. Some content changed, but the changes were relatively insignificant. Well, that was two and a half years ago.

According to a recent article in Science (I love Science!), there is a discrepancy between how medical schools determine the applicants' aptitude for success in medicine compared to how current medical students at those same institutions are tested. Although I'd strongly recommend reading the article, but I will again provide the main message here: the MCAT might soon be testing competencies, as opposed to the traditional premedical undergraduate curriculum. (Science for Future Physicians. Sharon Long and Robert Alpern (5 June 2009). Science 324 (5932), 1241.).

If you thought "What does Science know! They are not the ones making the MCAT", you were absolutely right. Right? Actually, not quite. The AAMC is currently conducting a study geared to address the growing concern about the inadequacy of current focus on courses instead of competencies. Sounds familiar? According to AAMC's document, a new MCAT will be announced no earlier than 2013. The Fifth Comprehensive MCAT review or the MR5, as the AAMC lovingly calls it, will establish what kind of changes future premeds will face. If you would like a glimpse at this competencies idea, scroll about halfway through the following document (Scientific Foundations for Future Physicians). For a time-line and general interest, read this one as well (Overview of the MCAT project).

For the time being, this will be my last post about the MCAT. Stay tuned for the continuation of the admissions process tips. Just in time for the new applications cycle.