Final MCAT recommendations Feb 16, 2012

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"The final MCAT recommendations were approved by AAMC’s leadership on February 16, 2012." https://www.aamc.org/download/273766/data/finalmr5recommendations.pdf

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[ppfizenm]

I think we lucked out not having to take this. There is an entire other section added plus verbal is boosted from 40 to 60 questions.

 

[GS Mikami]

I think we lucked out not having to take this. There is an entire other section added plus verbal is boosted from 40 to 60 questions.

and the writing a.k.a "break" section is gone

 

[nmed20]

I think we lucked out not having to take this. There is an entire other section added plus verbal is boosted from 40 to 60 questions.

Agreed! And each section increases in time to 90-95 minutes... that's 6.25 hours of testing, not including breaks.

 

[DocGodfather]

I still don't understand the change to the current MCAT. Glad I don't have to take it when it is changed in 2015.

 

[yellowperil]

Well, suck for those who are taking it in 2015
Glad im planning on taking it in 2013.

 

[EBTrailRunner]

I wonder how long before all these test prep companies start to rewrite their books and restructure their classes.

 

[bigdogrob4284]

This looks brutal.

 

[aSagacious]

Moving to the MCAT discussion forum.

 

[JohnSnow]

I think we lucked out not having to take this. There is an entire other section added plus verbal is boosted from 40 to 60 questions.

OMG. We dodged a huge bullet. You know AAMC is going to make the new sections as hard as they possibly can. Just like when you first hear about verbal reasoning I think everyone's initial reaction is "oh. can't be that bad. I speak English and have been doing it for the last 20 years" WRONG, it is THAT bad.

60 verbal is brutal. I think the old paper tests had 62 questions.

40 is more than enough. I have a hard enough time keeping my attention focused for that long.

 

[IncognitoGuy]

Holy cow, this new one looks absolutely brutal compared to what we already have.

Might want to start selling those used prep books soon

 

[Lunasly]

[YOUTUBE]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Y2adQ-5WDPA[/YOUTUBE]

 

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Holy cow, this new one looks absolutely brutal compared to what we already have.

Personally I believe all these frills like recommendation letters are excuses to select internal candidates - those recommended by deans, politicians, college donors, etc. That being said, I am so glad they are making the MCAT brutal. I also hope that doctor salaries plunge drastically - and indeed they are plunging quite severely. A doctor in my area has started a car wash because his practice isn't doing as well as expected. A brutal MCAT and plunging financial incentives will ensure only those who really want to serve patients will go into medicine.

 

[notbobtrustme]

Personally I believe all these frills like recommendation letters are excuses to select internal candidates - those recommended by deans, politicians, college donors, etc. That being said, I am so glad they are making the MCAT brutal. I also hope that doctor salaries plunge drastically - and indeed they are plunging quite severely. A doctor in my area has started a car wash because his practice isn't doing as well as expected. A brutal MCAT and plunging financial incentives will ensure only those who really want to serve patients will go into medicine.

All that does is force the best and brightest to go do something more financially rewarding, stress our system even more and do nothing to solve the healthcare crisis in America. Doctor pay is one of the great incentives of medical training in the US. It attracts highly qualified individuals into a demanding field. Elsewise, these individuals will go into finance/business/law and we definitely do not need more of these people.

If anything, doctor compensation should go up, not down. One of the biggest causes of the PCP shortage is the lack of compensation for PCPs vs specalists. Financial motivation is the biggest reason why PCPs stop seeing Medicaid/Medicare patients. Your views would basically doom the American healthcare system because few would want to go into massive debt, spend a decade of their life in intense training and then receive little compensation for their efforts.

It's naive to think that people go into medicine solely for altruistic reasons. 10+ years of (very expensive) training + massive lifestyle changes necessitates a generous compensation. It's how the world works.

 

[MrNeuro]

ouuucchhh schools of biological sciences are probably going to require even more sociology based classes....OOOOOUUUUCCCHHHHHHHHHHHH

better do well now....thanks for the motivation.

and the ceo of the AAMC (guy in the video) rubs me the wrong way