The AAMC launched the current MCAT exam in April 2015. Last revised in 1991, the exam has been updated to reflect the changes in medicine and science and to test examinees on not only what they know but how well they use what they know.
Here is why the exam is a better test for tomorrow’s doctors and what the changes mean for you as an aspiring medical student.
A new world for health care
Today’s medical students are entering a health care system that has undergone enormous change since the MCAT exam was last revised. There has been an explosion of medical research and scientific knowledge, an increase in the diversity and life span of patients, and ongoing delivery system reforms.
Redefining what makes a good doctor
Medical education is continually being updated to keep better pace with these changes. Medical school curricula includes earlier exposure to clinical settings, more competency-based learning, and coursework that focuses on important knowledge and skills, such as inter-professional training, communication, and the social determinants of health.
What these changes mean for you
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Building a Better Physician: The Case for the New MCAT—This short article in the New England Journal of Medicine describes how the changes to the new exam reflect the kind of doctors the country needs.
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Redesigning the MCAT Exam: Balancing Multiple Perspectives—Academic Medicine, May 2013