The Great Wait is over for spring MCAT takers 2020-2021

[Maimonides1]

The Great Wait is over for all MCAT takers 2020-2021

As Covid19 epidemiological curve is making a downward turn in the majority of country and is expected to come to lowest plateau by the end of May and as more states are declaring more plans for reopening there economies and lifting stay home orders and the ability of Pearson to maintain social distancing rules easily this summer, I believe the wait is over and soon AAMC will announce its new reschedule dates mostly in months of June and July as they have canceled 8 out of 30 dates in a regular cycle and they have plenty of time to accommodate that before the absolute deadline agreed on with the Medical schools of September 30, 2020!

Looking for your comments and answer your questions

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[star.buck]

This assuming the curve will not spike again as states reopen. We still don’t have a cure, known effective treatment, or sufficient testing.

 

[openstage]

In our house we're talking about the people begging to reopen things and what the impact of that will be. It feels like it's turning into a Red state vs Blue State debate.

 

[Maimonides1]

This assuming the curve will not spike again as states reopen. We still don’t have a cure, known effective treatment, or sufficient testing.

Agreed, but that were extensive testing, isolating cases and contact tracing comes handy while we are working on bridge therapies to get to vaccines!
Life have to resume in any way close to normality in post Covid-19 era..!

 

[Maimonides1]

In our house we're talking about the people begging to reopen things and what the impact of that will be. It feels like it's turning into a Red state vs Blue State debate.

It’s unfortunate to politicize the process in an election year in the midst of so much human suffering and tragedies!

 

[openstage]

Yes - but politics "broadcasts" to the philosophy of different Americans. I know it's not this simple an argument, but at times it boils down to what's more important: My personal freedoms and Income vs caring for the health and well being of others.

 

[Maimonides1]

Yes - but politics "broadcasts" to the philosophy of different Americans. I know it's not this simple an argument, but at times it boils down to what's more important: My personal freedoms and Income vs caring for the health and well being of others.

The great debate of two closely related concepts that can be stretched apart frequently in politics where an individual can place himself ahead of party or society or vice versa.., where these are inseparable in time of public health crisis and pandemics.., even though history showed us the best and the worst in human behaviors when their survival to be tested..!

 

[la flame]

What happens when some states or regions across America are still in "Phase 1" while others are higher? Do you think Pearson will allow their tests to be taken at certain states only or will it have to be universal? I'm guessing states like Nebraska & Minnesota will open way quicker than New York and Jersey. I mean yeah they cancelled only 8 dates out of 30, but those dates were literally the most important dates for people applying early a.k.a " on time". No one would bat an eye if July/August/September dates shut down instead.

 

[Maimonides1]

What happens when some states or regions across America are still in "Phase 1" while others are higher? Do you think Pearson will allow their tests to be taken at certain states only or will it have to be universal? I'm guessing states like Nebraska & Minnesota will open way quicker than New York and Jersey. I mean yeah they cancelled only 8 dates out of 30, but those dates were literally the most important dates for people applying early a.k.a " on time". No one would bat an eye if July/August/September dates shut down instead.

I agree with you about the loss of critical dates in March thru May.

I think if most of the nation achieve Phase 1 in terms of number of new cases, mass testing and containment effort by end of May, it will be ago on the side of the business (Pearson) as long they continue weeding out spots with social distancing in their centers and thermal screening..etc,

They have cancelled centers selectively before in March !? I am not sure how they will move forward this time..
as we have a patchwork rules in different states and counties which did not stop people from moving around and interstate regardless of Covid19 spread risk!!

 

[Maimonides1]

After all AAMC accommodations so far to applicants for the medical school cycle 2020-2021 during Covid19 pandemic:

- AMCAS transmission delay to July 10, 2020.

- MCAT test has been shortened to 5:45

- MCAT tests calendar: in a typical cycle of 30 tests: 4 was given, 8 cancelled, 3 were added and multiplied the remaining test of 21 by three to 63 planned tests to accommodate social distancing this summer!

I would like to get your feedback on this approach, if this will be enough to satisfy the fairness principal to equalize between all disadvantaged applicants, or this strategy is going to backfire and open a flood gate for heavy application cycle to complicate already unpredictable calendar for most medical schools this year..?!

 

[MoTheGreatish]

After all AAMC accommodations so far to applicants for the medical school cycle 2020-2021 during Covid19 pandemic:

- AMCAS transmission delay to July 10, 2020.

- MCAT test has been shortened to 5:45

- MCAT tests calendar: in a typical cycle of 30 tests: 4 was given, 8 cancelled, 3 were added and multiplied the remaining test of 21 by three to 63 planned tests to accommodate social distancing this summer!

I would like to get your feedback on this approach, if this will be enough to satisfy the fairness principal to equalize between all disadvantaged applicants, or this strategy is going to backfire and open a flood gate for heavy application cycle to complicate already unpredictable calendar for most medical schools this year..?!

That bolded statement combined with the fact that MCAT scores will now be released in two weeks instead of four is definitely going to ease the anxiety concerning applications. IMO, good accommodations.

 

[Maimonides1]

That bolded statement combined with the fact that MCAT scores will now be released in two weeks instead of four is definitely going to ease the anxiety concerning applications. IMO, good accommodations.

Expedited score release is only for Tests between June 19- August 1.

 

[Maimonides1]

Upon reviewing Pearson instructions to MCAT Examinees at their website:

I have problem with their first category of Covid-19 cautionary measures..,
as this might apply to 20-30% of population as we are establishing the “Herd Immunity” one way or the other.. and that might exclude large chunk of applicants unless they change it to positive PCR test and allow those who are IgG positive to take the exam!?

Obviously, this will only apply if we get to some level of mass testing in the nation by May 29!

 

[Maimonides1]

The Big Short.., The New MCAT Dilemma

We are all aware of the recent AAMC accommodations for year 2020-2021 application cycle to medical schools during the Covid-19 pandemic including the modified MCAT test that is planned to be administered 63 times between May 29 and September 28, 2020.

That is simply said, is equal to more than two years of testing normally done by the AAMC, getting finished in less than 4 months!!

Despite the new test is 38 questions slimmer and 66 minutes shorter, it’s still significantly longer than prior to 2015 old MCAT test, and AAMC still claims that it will be equal to the current standard MCAT test in terms of academic weigh and scoring reliability.

They claim that they have accomplished this by cutting administrative time and by removing the so called field “discrete” questions that is usually used in the standardization of any exam.
I don’t believe AMCAS is inserting close to 19% of the questions as psychometric statistical questions in any standard version of the test, there must be some of the meat and bone parts of the original test which got trimmed along the way to come up with this new shortened version.
And even if the AAMC did remove some of these trial questions, that will only render the new test to be less reliable statistically from other prior given tests!

We know the MCAT test is normalized rather than curved in order to keep a reliable statistical reproducibility to satisfy the needs of medical schools for “equalizing ruler” to measure their future students across large pool of applicants over the years.

If this new device is made hastily out of the need to accommodate a large number of disadvantaged applicants due to Covid-19 pandemic, then the AAMC ought to:

⁃ Exclude this cohort of short tests from the lager pool used for the purpose of standardization of the test in general.

⁃ Try to create enough test contents to allow adequate variability in this 2020 heavy testing summer season.

⁃ Disallow test retakes and make it as “once in lifetime” policy to take this short version test in order to maintain the integrity of the test.

⁃ Allow an adjustment factor into the performance variance between the different administration times of the day.

⁃ Institute a reliable recalibration measures before the expedited release of these scores.

⁃ Use this as a pilot study for future online 360 proctored exam with less breaks and disruption in the post Covid-19 era.

I believe if the AAMC succeed in carrying out this trial run successfully, it might be able to bridge over its current testing MCAT methodology to the new format of professional testing in the future.