MCAT/COVID-19 Accommodations 2020 AMCAS Application

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Sneaky Sloth

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Hi all,

I haven't seen a thread on here about this yet, so I wanted to start it and give us all an opportunity to learn new information.

With the April MCAT examinations cancelled, and May most likely cancelled as well, it is safe to say that there will be some accommodations for applicants this year who have not taken the MCAT yet. What is less certain right now is what these exact accommodations will be as schools are unsure as well. I hope to utilize this thread as a resource for students to post what they know and share with the rest of the community. I know of two schools so far, so I will share them below.

UCSF:
"UCSF will accept applications from individuals who were unable to take the MCAT due to COVID-related test cancellations. For these candidates, we will base secondary application decisions on the information that is available to us at the time of the application. Assuming that MCAT testing resumes prior to October, we will require applicants to have taken the MCAT before we make admissions decisions for the Class of 2025. If MCAT testing does not resume by October, we will reconsider the requirement. In any case, applicants should not delay applying simply because an MCAT score is not yet available."
Admissions: MD Program | UCSF Medical Education

UCSD:
"The MCAT is REQUIRED to be considered for admission to the UCSD School of Medicine. We do not plan to waive this requirement.

We are aware that the perception of many applicants is that if you don't apply very early in the cycle, you are hurting your chances for admission. This is not true and in fact has never been true for UCSD. We do have "rolling" admissions. But, what rolling admissions means from our perspective is that we plan to make a small number of offers spread throughout the year...but it does NOT mean that we make all of our offers in October and November and reject any applicants that happen to be reviewed later.
It is very much in our interest to try to form the best possible incoming class, and thus we do not make any decisions based on how early or how late we receive or review an application. We leave plenty of room for strong applicants that apply later in the cycle.The situation is fluid, as the need for social-distancing and other impacts of COVID-19 may extend and force additional MCAT cancellations. We are not yet able to determine how this will impact our process overall, so we ask for your patience as we don't have all the answers yet and may need to adapt our policy to fit the situation to ensure an equitable review process for all applicants."

https://medschool.ucsd.edu/admissions/Pages/default.aspx


Please feel free to share what you know about any other schools and how they are handling this unprecedented situation in the thread below.

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Hi, thanks for sharing and contributing!

I found some more information on the University of North Carolina School of Medicine that I'll add.

UNC:
"The latest MCAT considered for cycle 2021 will now be September 12, 2020.

We recognize the challenge faced by students during the COVID-19 crisis. We will accept P/NC grades and online courses taken during the semesters impacted by COVID-19. This will include the Spring 2020 semester and summer coursework, as applicable."

In my opinion, this doesn't seem like much. I believe most schools already had a September deadline in the past years, and of course with rolling admissions, this may be a leg up for other students. Especially with their "514 minimum out-of-state MCAT score requirement."
 
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Hi, thanks for sharing and contributing!

I found some more information on the University of North Carolina School of Medicine that I'll add.

UNC:
"The latest MCAT considered for cycle 2021 will now be September 12, 2020.

We recognize the challenge faced by students during the COVID-19 crisis. We will accept P/NC grades and online courses taken during the semesters impacted by COVID-19. This will include the Spring 2020 semester and summer coursework, as applicable."

In my opinion, this doesn't seem like much. I believe most schools already had a September deadline in the past years, and of course with rolling admissions, this may be a leg up for other students. Especially with their "514 minimum out-of-state MCAT score requirement."

UNC is disappointing. September 2020 has always been the last MCAT test date of the cycle per AMCAS. Even if AMCAS offers additional, later test dates this cycle due to COVID-19 cancellations, UNC will not accept them. Thanks for nothing UNC!
 
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Joint Statement from the Admissions Deans of California Medical Schools Regarding Academic Work and MCAT Tests that are Affected by the COVID-19 Outbreak



The purpose of this message is to address concerns from prospective applicants who are experiencing unprecedented educational upheaval during the COVID-19 pandemic. Applicants for the upcoming application cycle can count on our common commitment to the following principles:



Pass/Fail Grades – Our schools will accept pass/fail grades, without prejudice, for courses taken during the COVID-19 pandemic. It has always been our practice to consider grades in the context of numerous other aspects of the application, and an international crisis certainly provides a unique and compelling context. In making this statement, we are cognizant of the fact that some undergraduate schools are providing an option for students to take courses either for grades or on a Pass/Fail basis. We therefore want to be explicit that applicants should not feel pressured by us to choose the graded option. Students and their families are facing many challenges at the moment – maybe even life and death challenges. The pressure for grades need not be one of them.



MCAT Tests – We will accept applications from individuals who were unable to take the MCAT due to COVID-related test cancellations. For these candidates, we will base secondary application decisions on the information that is available to us at the time of the application. Assuming that MCAT testing resumes prior to October, we will require applicants to have taken the MCAT before we make admissions decisions for the Class of 2025. Accordingly, applicants should not delay applying simply because an MCAT score is not yet available.



Raquel Arias, MD John Balmes, MD

Associate Dean of Admissions Director, Joint Medical Program

Keck School of Medicine at USC UC Berkeley/UC San Francisco



Clarence Braddock III, MD, MPH Daphne Calmes, MD

Vice Dean for Education Associate Dean for Medical Education

David Geffen School of Medicine at UCLA Charles R. Drew University of Medicine



Iris C. Gibbs, MD Kama Guluma, MD

Associate Dean of MD Admissions Associate Dean of Admissions

Stanford University School of Medicine and Student Affairs

UC San Diego School of Medicine

Mark Henderson, MD

Associate Dean for Admissions Megan Osborn, MD, MHPE

University of California Davis Associate Dean for Students

University of California Irvine

Sarah Roddy, MD

Associate Dean for Admissions Emma M. Simmons, MD, MPH

Loma Linda University School of Medicine Senior Associate Dean, Student Affairs

University of California Riverside

Lindia Willies-Jacobo, MD

Associate Dean for Admissions David Wofsy, MD

Kaiser Permanente Bernard J. Tyson Associate Dean for Admissions

School of Medicine University of California San Francisco
 
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Joint Statement from the Admissions Deans of California Medical Schools Regarding Academic Work and MCAT Tests that are Affected by the COVID-19 Outbreak



The purpose of this message is to address concerns from prospective applicants who are experiencing unprecedented educational upheaval during the COVID-19 pandemic. Applicants for the upcoming application cycle can count on our common commitment to the following principles:



Pass/Fail Grades – Our schools will accept pass/fail grades, without prejudice, for courses taken during the COVID-19 pandemic. It has always been our practice to consider grades in the context of numerous other aspects of the application, and an international crisis certainly provides a unique and compelling context. In making this statement, we are cognizant of the fact that some undergraduate schools are providing an option for students to take courses either for grades or on a Pass/Fail basis. We therefore want to be explicit that applicants should not feel pressured by us to choose the graded option. Students and their families are facing many challenges at the moment – maybe even life and death challenges. The pressure for grades need not be one of them.



MCAT Tests – We will accept applications from individuals who were unable to take the MCAT due to COVID-related test cancellations. For these candidates, we will base secondary application decisions on the information that is available to us at the time of the application. Assuming that MCAT testing resumes prior to October, we will require applicants to have taken the MCAT before we make admissions decisions for the Class of 2025. Accordingly, applicants should not delay applying simply because an MCAT score is not yet available.



Raquel Arias, MD John Balmes, MD

Associate Dean of Admissions Director, Joint Medical Program

Keck School of Medicine at USC UC Berkeley/UC San Francisco



Clarence Braddock III, MD, MPH Daphne Calmes, MD

Vice Dean for Education Associate Dean for Medical Education

David Geffen School of Medicine at UCLA Charles R. Drew University of Medicine



Iris C. Gibbs, MD Kama Guluma, MD

Associate Dean of MD Admissions Associate Dean of Admissions

Stanford University School of Medicine and Student Affairs

UC San Diego School of Medicine

Mark Henderson, MD

Associate Dean for Admissions Megan Osborn, MD, MHPE

University of California Davis Associate Dean for Students

University of California Irvine

Sarah Roddy, MD

Associate Dean for Admissions Emma M. Simmons, MD, MPH

Loma Linda University School of Medicine Senior Associate Dean, Student Affairs

University of California Riverside

Lindia Willies-Jacobo, MD

Associate Dean for Admissions David Wofsy, MD

Kaiser Permanente Bernard J. Tyson Associate Dean for Admissions

School of Medicine University of California San Francisco
Can you post the link to that statement please? Thanks!
 
Hi all!

Just wanted to share a tweet from the AAMC. Basically says that they encouraged schools to update their MSAR profile to include their accommodations for this cycle.

 
Just to confirm, for these schools that stated they will take later MCAT dates, will we still be able to submit our application early like in June without our MCAT score?
 
Just to confirm, for these schools that stated they will take later MCAT dates, will we still be able to submit our application early like in June without our MCAT score?
Yes, you are allowed to submit your AMCAS application without an MCAT score. It seems like most schools will evaluate your application based on the information that they have at the time.
 
Also, most of the May tests have been cancelled. More test dates will be announced April 17th.
Hopefully we will get more information on the accommodation process in the next few weeks.
 
I was getting hopeful my May 16th mcat exam date wasn't going to get cancelled, but, unfortunately, it did. Praying that when I reschedule to a new date that the new one won't also get canceled. :xf:
 
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I was getting hopeful my May 16th mcat exam date wasn't going to get cancelled, but, unfortunately, it did. Praying that when I reschedule to a new date that the new one won't also get canceled. :xf:
I feel ya on that one. I was also registered for May 16th but I pushed it to July 7th. Are you waiting to see what dates will be announced on April 17th?
 
UNC is disappointing. September 2020 has always been the last MCAT test date of the cycle per AMCAS. Even if AMCAS offers additional, later test dates this cycle due to COVID-19 cancellations, UNC will not accept them. Thanks for nothing UNC!

I'm applying to Chapel Hill's MSTP program so it may be a bit different for just MD, but they are making COVID-19 accommodation decisions on a case by case basis (pass fails classes, online labs, MCAT, volunteer hours, ect.) and ask that you include your statement as an experience under your activities section (per Amber Brosius, MSW, MD-PhD Program Specialist, 04/10/2020)
 
I'm applying to Chapel Hill's MSTP program so it may be a bit different for just MD, but they are making COVID-19 accommodation decisions on a case by case basis (pass fails classes, online labs, MCAT, volunteer hours, ect.) and ask that you include your statement as an experience under your activities section (per Amber Brosius, MSW, MD-PhD Program Specialist, 04/10/2020)
Hi! Can you please clarify what you mean by including our statement as an experience in the activities section? Thanks
 
I feel ya on that one. I was also registered for May 16th but I pushed it to July 7th. Are you waiting to see what dates will be announced on April 17th?

Yes, I will have to wait. Scheduling on the system is unavailable until the new exam availabilities are posted. Got to wait for Friday to roll around. :sorry:
 
Hi all!

So a few updates on the MCAT situation from the AAMC today (April 17th):

1) Registration is not opening today (they were expecting it to be available today). They are still preparing the calendar. When exactly it will be available was not mentioned.

2) Only 3 new test dates will be added to 2020. Not sure when yet. There will also be added test on days that already have a scheduled test, just in the evening. For example, the test day July 7th may have a test starting at 8am and another starting in the afternoon.

3) MCAT scores will be expedited for some test dates to decrease the possible effects of rolling admissions.

4) There will not be an online/at-home proctored MCAT exam.

Link to AAMC MCAT/COVID-19 Page
 
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