Matriculating 2016 is difficult

[Charj123]

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Hey guys,

I wish I had more of a discussion question or constructive criticism. But like most people here at SDN, I just come to complain (lol). I am a junior at a private liberal arts school studying neuroscience and biology.

I just wanted to say that the structure of the change of the 2015 MCAT has made this application process very difficult for me. I wasn't sure about medicine entering college; I was leaning towards research/academia. Then, I worked at an eye clinic the summer after my sophomore year and really found my love for patient care. I began volunteering, I began shadowing, and I realized this was right for me.

Unfortunately, my degree did not require biochemistry and so I did not register for it for the fall of my junior year. It has set me back on studying for the MCAT, and now, as I register for fall of my senior year, I realize that there is a required general education class that meets at the same time as the biochemistry class. I do not think I will be able to take biochem. Which, as of 2016, many more schools will be requiring. Ugh.

 

[deleted407021]

Yeah, for some reason - after a few decades of having the same exam - the AAMC decided that hydrogen bonding was super important and now we have a much longer test. Woohoo...

That's a bummer but you pretty much have to have it for the MCAT as, despite my joke, there is a lot of info to cover. Plan accordingly, I guess.

 

[deleted577188]

posted twice, see below.

 

[deleted577188]

Self study biochemistry. They can't test you on a whole semester worth of material. Grab some MCAT prep books and teach yourself what's important, and then teach yourself a little bit more. I'm sure you're not the first person who has never had biochem before the MCAT. Study and take MCAT this summer. Take pre-req for biochem in fall, then biochem the spring semester before matriculating.
Or you can take it easy and do a gap year sort of thing where you graduate in a year and then do the biochem.

 

[palatopharyngeus]

Unfortunately, my degree did not require biochemistry and so I did not register for it for the fall of my junior year. It has set me back on studying for the MCAT, and now, as I register for fall of my senior year, I realize that there is a required general education class that meets at the same time as the biochemistry class. I do not think I will be able to take biochem. Which, as of 2016, many more schools will be requiring. Ugh.

 

[AFNI_User]

Summer school?

 

[cactus8910]

Self-study biochem for the MCAT, then take the class during your application/gap year if the schools you end up applying to actually require the class.

You really only have one option for the gen ed?

 

[MightBeACylon439]

Luckily for you, every single applicant who is as old as you is in a similar position. Many will adapt, overcome and make it into med school. Who is to say you can't?

 

[Doug Underhill]

Thing is, every single applicant is not in a similar position for the 2015-2016 application season. The people who have MCAT scores already are at a noticeable advantage in several ways:

1) the people who have April/May scores won't have their scores released until several days after the application season opens, which is undesirable to people who want to be a "Day 1" applicant. Furthermore, they have to wait longer, and we all know how much fun waiting for a MCAT score is
2) the people who will be taking the first few MCATs (a must to be an early applicant) won't have accurate test prep material or AAMC practice exams, as none of the test prep companies have had their test takers take the exam yet
3) there will probably be some subconcious bias towards old scores, as a 33 is much more meaningful to adcoms than a 510
4) the new test is generally regarded as being harder than the old test, and is twice as long as the old test

For all these reasons, I'm glad I took the 2014 one

 

[cactus8910]

Thing is, every single applicant is not in a similar position for the 2015-2016 application season. The people who have MCAT scores already are at a noticeable advantage in several ways:

1) the people who have April/May scores won't have their scores released until several days after the application season opens, which is undesirable to people who want to be a "Day 1" applicant. Furthermore, they have to wait longer, and we all know how much fun waiting for a MCAT score is
2) the people who will be taking the first few MCATs (a must to be an early applicant) won't have accurate test prep material or AAMC practice exams, as none of the test prep companies have had their test takers take the exam yet
3) there will probably be some subconcious bias towards old scores, as a 33 is much more meaningful to adcoms than a 510
4) the new test is generally regarded as being harder than the old test, and is twice as long as the old test

For all these reasons, I'm glad I took the 2014 one

1) Applications won't be released until the April/May MCAT scores are back, so no.
3) Adcoms are't stupid. They can look at percentiles.

 

[MightBeACylon439]

Thing is, every single applicant is not in a similar position for the 2015-2016 application season. The people who have MCAT scores already are at a noticeable advantage in several ways:

1) the people who have April/May scores won't have their scores released until several days after the application season opens, which is undesirable to people who want to be a "Day 1" applicant. Furthermore, they have to wait longer, and we all know how much fun waiting for a MCAT score is
2) the people who will be taking the first few MCATs (a must to be an early applicant) won't have accurate test prep material or AAMC practice exams, as none of the test prep companies have had their test takers take the exam yet
3) there will probably be some subconcious bias towards old scores, as a 33 is much more meaningful to adcoms than a 510
4) the new test is generally regarded as being harder than the old test, and is twice as long as the old test

For all these reasons, I'm glad I took the 2014 one

You are right. Gee, becoming a doc sure is tough. There is nothing about becoming a doctor that should require overcoming adversity or being better than the challenge ahead of you. God knows medical school is easy, and once you reach residency its a cake walk. Anyone who has to take the 2015 MCAT best just quit because there's no point anyway.

 

[WingedOx]

Yeah, for some reason - after a few decades of having the same exam - the AAMC decided that hydrogen bonding was super important and now we have a much longer test. Woohoo...

That's a bummer but you pretty much have to have it for the MCAT as, despite my joke, there is a lot of info to cover. Plan accordingly, I guess.

If you want to be totally honest about it, they're more or less returning the test to the length it was before the switch to Prometric in 2007. I was always kinda shocked at how quickly the MCATers were getting in and outwhen I was taking my steps.

Plus none of you have to worry about trying to craft a useless writing section while worrying that your handwriting is legible.

 

[Microglia]

You are right. Gee, becoming a doc sure is tough. There is nothing about becoming a doctor that should require overcoming adversity or being better than the challenge ahead of you. God knows medical school is easy, and once you reach residency its a cake walk. Anyone who has to take the 2015 MCAT best just quit because there's no point anyway.

You know what, I'm about to take Step and I still have sympathy for the people who have to take the 2015 MCAT. Having a whole section on social sciences would have driven me bonkers, at least in med school I enjoy the subject material, makes studying all day every day way more bearable. Not to mention there's always inherent problems when a new system is implemented, be it a test or a curriculum. The scores won't reflect ability as accurately as the old test for a while. In time, perhaps they will be better, but for now applicants kind of get screwed.

 

[SufiPoet]

Thing is, every single applicant is not in a similar position for the 2015-2016 application season. The people who have MCAT scores already are at a noticeable advantage in several ways:

1) the people who have April/May scores won't have their scores released until several days after the application season opens, which is undesirable to people who want to be a "Day 1" applicant. Furthermore, they have to wait longer, and we all know how much fun waiting for a MCAT score is
2) the people who will be taking the first few MCATs (a must to be an early applicant) won't have accurate test prep material or AAMC practice exams, as none of the test prep companies have had their test takers take the exam yet
3) there will probably be some subconcious bias towards old scores, as a 33 is much more meaningful to adcoms than a 510
4) the new test is generally regarded as being harder than the old test, and is twice as long as the old test

For all these reasons, I'm glad I took the 2014 one

Never heard that one before. Also, kind of a douchy thing to say at the end.

 

[SufiPoet]

You know what, I'm about to take Step and I still have sympathy for the people who have to take the 2015 MCAT. Having a whole section on social sciences would have driven me bonkers, at least in med school I enjoy the subject material, makes studying all day every day way more bearable. Not to mention there's always inherent problems when a new system is implemented, be it a test or a curriculum. The scores won't reflect ability as accurately as the old test for a while. In time, perhaps they will be better, but for now applicants kind of get screwed.

I really enjoy the social sciences section

 

[mwsstandc]

They can't test you on a whole semester worth of material.