Anyone else concerned about 2015/16 changes? Adding preparation time...

[Gauss44]

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So, MCAT is changing in 2015. Course prerequisites might follow suit. After researching this, I'm not sure if most medical schools are going to change their prerequisite classes to include psychology, sociology, and other good stuff in 2015, 2016, or never? ...Or if medical schools will accept a 2014 MCAT score in 2015 or 2016?

Has anyone had any luck researching any of this? I don't want bad surprises at my old age.

If I have NOT taken psychology or sociology, hopefully I can still take the 2014 MCAT and apply in 2014 or 2015 (without psych and soc)?

If schools are going to require psychology and sociology, I hope that I can still use my 2014 MCAT (not the new MCAT), then take psych and soc, then apply?

 

[edgerock24]

For the most part, schools currently accept MCAT scores ~2 years old. So, theoretically, this should remain the same and you will be able to apply in 2015 with scores from 2013 and 2014.

Honestly, things are still a bit "up in the air" regarding the 2015 MCAT. However, I believe that since Biochemistry, Intro to Sociology and Intro to Psych are going to be tested on the MCAT, then schools will naturally add these three courses as formal prerequisites in 2015.

Intro to Soc/Psych are not difficult classes. You could likely knock them out on the side while taking a couple science courses. Personally, I enjoyed pysch but found sociology real boring.

 

[Five0tomed68]

MCV (or VCU School of Medicine) advertises the additional pre-req requirements for the 2016 class 🙁.

http://www.medschool.vcu.edu/admissions/md/prerequisites.html

 

[Gauss44]

I teach psych for a living, which is why I'm petrified of the 2015 changes. If for some reason I don't get in on this or the next cycle, I'm going to have to unlearn all the useful psych I know and relearn it the MCAT way. 😛

Done well, a psych class can be relaxing and useful. It can be a fair bit of memorizing, though. Be warned.

I might know what you mean. I was a journalism major and then a paralegal and journalist for my first career. Verbal reasoning was an uphill battle for me. No matter how much I tried to see things AAMC's way, I just kept getting annoyed with their wording and logic.

 

[Gauss44]

MCV (or VCU School of Medicine) advertises the additional pre-req requirements for the 2016 class 🙁.

http://www.medschool.vcu.edu/admissions/md/prerequisites.html

2016 is at least better than 2015.

Thinking of the application cycle, if you apply in 2015, you will matriculate in 2016.

 

[shezadeh]

I'm planning to take it and apply next year. I don't want to deal with the new test unless I have to..

 

[futuremddo]

I might know what you mean. I was a journalism major and then a paralegal and journalist for my first career. Verbal reasoning was an uphill battle for me. No matter how much I tried to see things AAMC's way, I just kept getting annoyed with their wording and logic.

Glad to hear somebody else is having the same problem! (Well, not glad, but relieved to hear that I'm not alone.) I double majored in Bio and English in undergrad, before I was pre-med. Am a voracious reader, have been since childhood, aced all of my English classes but cannot cannot cannot seem to think AAMC's way for MCAT practice. I keep wanting to argue with the test. I continually remind myself that the test is always right; it's my thinking that needs to change. But it's sure frustrating!