I briefly thought about putting this in the MCAT forum but thought it may be better here because of the planning aspect, not really a question about the test itself or prepping for that.
So, we all know the MCAT test is changing in 2015, and since I am just starting my Chem 101 now and will be taking the new test, I was wondering if any of the requirements will change around that time. I know most post-bac students I encounter (all of them really, and I know a lot since I work on a campus with a pretty reputable post-bac program) were humanities or social science undergrads, so there is no doubt they will have the background in psych/social science multi-culturalism needed for the test.
I was a business undergrad, with astronomy which satisfied my science requirement. On my transcript, I do have Psych 101 and Soc 101, both of which were like 20 years ago, and I have zero recollection of those topics. I was thinking instead of re-taking them, finding a free online course through Berkeley/MIT or whatever and studying myself for the MCAT. However, I’m wondering if I’ll have to have some recent class on these topics on my transcripts. I did audit a Develomental Psyc class last year, before I thought that going to med school was possible. But it’s an audit, not a grade, and I mostly took it to understand my kids (twin 3yos at the time) and make me a better parent, which is why I didn’t want to commit for credit.
Does anyone know if the course requirements will change? I just printed out the MCAT 2015 manual to read on the train tonight, and was just wondering what I’ll need to do to prepare so I don’t wind up kicking myself in 2015 when I’m really in the zone.
Im not an expert on this but will tell you what little know. I was at Barnes & Noble Bookstore this morning. There is a small book maybe like 30 pages long describing the changes for the 2015 MCAT.
In this book it details on what percentages of questions there are in relationship to like chemistry, physicis, etc. One thing I did notice, there was a high percentage of BIOCHEM.
It also had it broken down to 4 parts. One part having like 67 questions, maybe 60 and the other three I think had 60, maybe 64-67, I cant remember.
Again, maybe someone else knows more about this. But I would advise you to maybe go to Barnes & Noble and get this little book unless it’s online somewhere, which it may be.
Some schools are changing their pre-reqs to match up better with the 2015 MCAT. It varies by school, so it’s probably best for you to check with the schools that you might be interested in.
The school that I’m most interested in has posted new requirements for the class starting in 2016. They are:
2 semesters of Biology
3 semesters of Chemistry (to include Organic Chemistry and Biochemistry)
1 semester of Genetics
2 semesters of Physics
2 semesters of English
1 semester of Statistics
2 semesters of Social Sciences (Psychology and Sociology recommended)
There is no consensus among medical schools as to how their requirements will change in reaction to the 2015 MCAT. Obviously more content is required on the new MCAT so any premed student will have to prepare sufficiently in regard to stats, biochemistry, psychology, and sociology, whether taken formally in a course or learned on your own (the Khan Academy is planning to produce MCAT prep videos for free).
Some med schools will specify more courses (biochemistry, statistics, social sciences) while some will only specify the last course in a sequence (how you get to that end point is up to you). It’s best to check with the particular medical schools you might be interested in and ask if their requirements will be changing in the future.
Cheers,
Liza
FYI: Kaplan’s “MCAT 2015: What the Test Change Means for You” is free on Amazon if you have a Kindle. Even if you don’t have a Kindle, I think you can read it with a Kindle app. It may not be any more informative than the official manual, I haven’t had a chance to look through it yet, but it’s hard to beat free.