Will the new MCAT cut down on applicants?

[meetsub]

I feel like many people will opt out of pre-med due to the unneeded stress of the new exam. I took the old one and that was torturous itself.

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[seizurecrow]

If premeds are willing to opt out of medicine because of a modified entrance exam, medicine probably wasn't right for them to begin with. You'll face challenges in medical school that are more difficult than the mcat.

 

[user12]

I don't know. I feel like this new mcat is overhyped. it will probably take some getting used to, but I bet in like a year or two once a sufficient amount of practice material is produced and people are used to psych/sociology/biochemistry, it's not going to be THAT bad.

 

[allantois]

I find this to be good news.

 

[freemontie]

No, I don't think that's how it works. People choose pre-med, invest 2+ semesters starting to take pre-med courses, and then look into the MCAT. By then they've already made up their minds and will go full stride.

The effect the MCAT will have though is lowered (absolute) scores as people have more material they have to study/review (it's hard to master so many topics). I think this would give gunners greater room to shine.

 

[Make Or Break]

No, I don't think that's how it works. People choose pre-med, invest 2+ semesters starting to take pre-med courses, and then look into the MCAT. By then they've already made up their minds and will go full stride.

The effect the MCAT will have though is lowered (absolute) scores as people have more material they have to study/review (it's hard to master so many topics). I think this would give gunners greater room to shine.

Exactly! I don't think people remember the exam is SCALED.

 

[Lucca]

Exactly! I don't think people remember the exam is SCALED.

God Bless the Bell Curve

 

[Ismet]

I feel like many people will opt out of pre-med due to the unneeded stress of the new exam. I took the old one and that was torturous itself.

1) If people opt out of pre-med because the MCAT added a new section, they shouldn't have been pre-med in the first place

2) Get ready for a whole new level of torture with the standardized exams waiting for you in med school.

 

[Gauss44]

If premeds are willing to opt out of medicine because of a modified entrance exam, medicine probably wasn't right for them to begin with. You'll face challenges in medical school that are more difficult than the mcat.

"Probably" is a good word. Some people are very intelligent, very capable, have a wide variety of interests, and could be good at almost anything. For a person like that, the new MCAT could be a tie breaker between medicine and another enticing career.

Response to title: Yes, the new MCAT will knock some older applicants out of the race and some of the poorer students. Not exactly what the OP is about, yet I assure you that some of the 30 or 40-somethings are NOT going to be too keen about learning a whole new MCAT.

To be fair to AAMC, I do think that including psychology and sociology requirements is an excellent change. I wish that AAMC would offer both exams for a while, given that this exam often requires such a huge investment in time, money, etc.

 

[DielsAlder]

I feel like many people will opt out of pre-med due to the unneeded stress of the new exam. I took the old one and that was torturous itself.

I disagree, the AAMC could make this exam last an entire month (knock on wood) and I believe people would still line up to take it. The only difference I think it is making is that this current application year would see way more applicants than ever expected, with people from all over going out of their way to take MCAT 2014 and apply now before the new exam goes into effect. I might be wrong, but I heard many schools will start to prefer the newer MCAT next cycle.

 

[Flashfan]

Very few people will feel that they are affected by the new test. In a few years, it is simply "the MCAT". It is not uncommon for people to take biochemistry already, and psych and sociology will simply cover most general education requirements. The biggest disadvantage will be how the adcoms will compare the scores of the old MCAT (and the applicants access to multiple test prep materials) to the new applicants with 2 sample tests for prep material.

 

[Strudel19]

As someone who is taking the pre-2015 MCAT, this is what I'm curious about too.

 

[zzxxzz]

It'll have no impact. They're cutting down on physics which is what kills a lot of people.

 

[Evisju7]

I feel like many people will opt out of pre-med due to the unneeded stress of the new exam. I took the old one and that was torturous itself.

Hahaha. Bring it

 

[Aerus]

I might be wrong, but I heard many schools will start to prefer the newer MCAT next cycle.

Unless you found official proof, I'm going to say that it's a false rumor. There's no reason for med schools to prefer their applicants take a test that's only been offered for a couple months. They would be discriminating against MANY, GREAT applicants that way, since the vast majority of their applicants next cycle will have taken the old MCAT.

I doubt most schools even know what they're going to do about the new and old MCAT mix as of now.

 

[raiderette]

There is a spreadsheet floating around that states what schools will require/prefer the MCAT for next cycle. There were a few in the beginning of this year that wanted the new MCAT for next time, but I think most have backed off. One school, IU, has stated that they will only take the new MCAT for the app cycle that starts in 2016. Of course, they may change their minds again.

https://docs.google.com/spreadsheets/d/1h_uzDPUSaQhNJ8bkv2iF66OgsGWpVNKErKvMiD9zlJc/edit?pli=1#gid=0

 

[Aerus]

There is a spreadsheet floating around that states what schools will require/prefer the MCAT for next cycle. There were a few in the beginning of this year that wanted the new MCAT for next time, but I think most have backed off. One school, IU, has stated that they will only take the new MCAT for the app cycle that starts in 2016. Of course, they may change their minds again.

Probably because they realize how stupid it is to require/prefer the new MCAT immediately after it comes out.

 

[Elizabethx89]

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[Aerus]

Speaking as a career changer posbacc, it'll affect my "type." I'm crunching hardcore to try to take the current MCAT, not because my life is just ruined by the prospect of learning more subjects, but because my school won't let me take biochem until I've completed organic 2. That means I would have to add on an entire additional semester to my post-bacc plan for the sake of taking that ONE class...and due to timing, it would push me back an entire application cycle. That's the most frustrating component of the prereqs for me. The dang chemistries have to be taken in sequence. Had biochem not been included as an addition to the new exam, I would have been thrilled to take the new one; I was a psychology minor and also took some sociology classes as an undergrad, after all.

Organic Chemistry 2 is part of the old MCAT though. You're avoiding the new MCAT because it requires you to take a class that is required by a class required by the old MCAT?

 

[Elizabethx89]

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[Aerus]

Noo. I'm avoiding it because of biochem, which my school will not allow me to take until I have completed organic 2. So I have to wait until the following semester to take biochem and add another semester onto my overall post-bacc.

Ah okay. Gotcha. Best of luck!

 

[Captain Toad]

1) If people opt out of pre-med because the MCAT added a new section, they shouldn't have been pre-med in the first place

2) Get ready for a whole new level of torture with the standardized exams waiting for you in med school.

I lol'ed pretty loudly when I saw #2