Important MCAT Revisions for 2007

When you apply to medical school, your score on the Medical College Admissions Test (MCAT) is just as important as your GPA. A number of AMCAS schools conduct a preliminary screening based entirely on GPA and MCAT scores. These schools only invite secondary applicants who exceed certain minimum scores. Even if a secondary applicant is accepted later, most medical schools select applicants for interviews using a combination of GPA and MCAT scores. In other words, we can hardly overemphasize the importance of your MCAT score. Average MCAT scores for the 2006 entering classes at both USC School of Medicine and the Medical University of South Carolina are between 9.3 and 9.7 in each in each numerically scored subtest.

The MCAT is administered many times a year during the months of January, April, May, June, July, August, and September. To register, you must go through the AAMC website (see address near the end of this booklet) to pick a preferred testing center, time and date. AAMC guarantees you a seat in a test center within 100 miles of the site that you request, provided that you register at least 60 days in advance. Seats are filled on a first-come, first-served basis, so complete your registration as soon as possible.

You may register for only one testing session at a time and take the test no more than 3 times a year. However, there is no defined waiting time between tests. You should plan to take the MCAT no later than September approximately one year before you expect to matriculate in medical school. However, you are urged to not to wait until the fall of your senior year. Plan to take the MCAT in the spring, almost 18 months before your expected time of matriculation.

All applicants must present MCAT scores as a required part of the supporting material for admission to most US medical schools. Considerable misinformation exists about strategies to employ in taking this test. Many students have been advised to take it “just for practice” the first time, and then come back and prepare for the exam during a second and perhaps third test. This is generally very poor advice. Even if you suppress your scores, most schools will still inquire about them. Your two most recent MCAT scores will accompany all applications, and all other scores are available to the schools. Taking the MCAT is very expensive, and the cost usually increases every year. This is another excellent reason to prepare well and take the test only once.

The MCAT is described in detail in the MCAT Student Manual, a booklet published by the Association of the American Medical Colleges that also contains a practice MCAT. Several months before taking the MCAT, you should obtain a copy of this manual and carefully read the test description. See Appendix A for order information or purchase the manual in the University Bookstore. The MCAT Student Manual presents the most accurate and reliable description of the MCAT available, describing in detail every topic covered by the test. We have included some general MCAT information below.

The current MCAT has four sections: biological sciences, physical sciences, verbal reasoning, and a writing sample. The AAMC believes that this format enhances the MCAT’s predictive value and encourages students interested in medicine to pursue broad undergraduate study in the social sciences and humanities as well as the traditional natural sciences. The MCAT assesses ability to comprehend, reason, and think critically, along with expertise and knowledge in these disciplines. The writing test consists of two 30-minute essays, neither of which will be scientific in orientation. Each of the first three sections will be assigned a numerical grade of one-to-fifteen (with eight as a mean), but a letter grade, with a range from J to T, will be assigned to the essay. For more information, we encourage you to obtain a copy of the MCAT info sheet from our office.

We offer a few suggestions about commercial review courses. Such a course may have value in that the problems and material are designed to improve test-taking skills, and the practice tests used may provide students valuable experience. The primary disadvantage of commercial review courses is that they are very expensive, generally several hundred dollars. Some students may determine that a course is worth this cost. Be aware, however, that commercial review courses may utilize instructors who are inadequately prepared. Note especially that in most cases, crash courses that have been designed to be completed in only a few days have not been shown to increase MCAT scores. Often, students taking a full course load do not have time to utilize the material available in a commercial review course. Ultimately, you are the best determiner of whether or not a commercial review course is worth the cost for you and your unique situation.

Registration forms for the MCAT may be obtained from the Office of Pre-Professional Advising, on-line at www.aamc.org, or by writing MCAT Program Office, PO Box 4056, Iowa City, Iowa 52243. Be sure to mail all registration material well before the deadline. If there is a mix-up, such as failure to sign the application, enclose the registration fee, or provide a picture, the form will be returned. The registration deadline is 30 days before the test. You may extend the deadline by fifteen days by paying an extra fee ($50 as of 9/06), but there are no walk-in provisions for taking the test without pre-registration. You must file a complete registration form, including a check or money order, before a test admission ticket will be sent. Students with extreme financial limitations may qualify for a fee reduction program. You can find details about this program in the MCAT registration packet.

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