According to Kaplan Test Prep’s 2011 survey of medical school admissions officers at 69 of the 135 Association of American Medical Colleges-accredited schools across the United States – including many of the top ranked – 73% say the 2015 recommended changes to the MCAT, which include the addition of behavioral and social sciences, advanced science content, and expanded critical thinking, will better prepare students for the medical school experience. However, two-thirds (67%) of medical school admissions officers surveyed also say it’s necessary for colleges to revise their pre-med curricula to cover the exam’s additional content to adequately prepare test takers – and only a narrow majority think they have enough time to make the necessary course revisions before the first round of new MCATs in 2015.
To view a press release with a summary of our survey results, click here. For more complete results in PDF format, click on the following: Kaplan Test Prep’s 2011 Survey of Medical School Admissions Officers. Below are some highlights:
Based on what you know, do you support the recommended changes to the MCAT set for 2015?
- Completely yes: 18%
- Generally yes: 52%
- Generally no: 3%
- Completely no: 0%
- Not sure: 27%
Do you think the changes to the test will better prepare students for medical school?
- Completely yes: 11%
- Generally yes: 62%
- Generally no: 9%
- Completely no: 0%
- Not sure: 17%
Should pre-med programs revise their curricula in order to sufficiently prepare students for the new MCAT?
- Yes: 67%
- No: 5%
- Not sure: 29%
- Refused to answer: 8%
- MCAT score: 43%
- Undergraduate GPA: 28%
- Relevant experience: 19%
- Interview: 9%
- Letters of recommendation: 2%
- Personal statement: 0%
