The MCAT2015 Update: Are We Ready? - Oakland · PDF file• Biology • General...
Transcript of The MCAT2015 Update: Are We Ready? - Oakland · PDF file• Biology • General...
MCAT® is a program of the Association of
American Medical Colleges and related trademarks
owned by the Association includes Medical
College Admissions Test, MCAT and MCAT2015
The MCAT2015
Update:
Are We Ready?
2014 Annual Meeting of The American Physiological Society
Rebecca Rice, MSBManager, MCAT2015 Outreach and CommunicationsAssociation of American Medical Colleges
April 28, 2014
MCAT® is a program of the Association of American Medical Colleges and related trademarks owned by the Association includes
Medical College Admissions Test, MCAT and MCAT2015
Today’s topics
• Timeline for launching the new MCAT exam
• Evidence base for the exam blueprints
• Conceptual framework for the new exam
• Building blocks for the new exam
• Resources for examinees and faculty
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MCAT® is a program of the Association of American Medical Colleges and related trademarks owned by the Association includes
Medical College Admissions Test, MCAT and MCAT2015
Periodic reviews of standardized
tests are good practice
• This is the 5th review of the MCAT since 1928
• The current exam was introduced in 1991
• The new exam will stay in place through 2030
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MCAT® is a program of the Association of American Medical Colleges and related trademarks owned by the Association includes
Medical College Admissions Test, MCAT and MCAT2015
MR5 Committee evaluated the
current MCAT and made
recommendations for 2015
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MCAT® is a program of the Association of American Medical Colleges and related trademarks owned by the Association includes
Medical College Admissions Test, MCAT and MCAT2015
The blueprints for the MCAT2015
exam are evidence based
The committee did a great deal of fact finding:
• Gathered input at >90 outreach events
• Collected survey data from >2700 medical school and baccalaureate faculty, medical students, and residents
• Solicited input from blue-ribbon panels and advisory committees
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MCAT® is a program of the Association of American Medical Colleges and related trademarks owned by the Association includes
Medical College Admissions Test, MCAT and MCAT2015
• Scientific Foundations for Future Physicians Committee
• Behavioral and Social Sciences Foundations for Future Physicians
• Holistic Review Project Advisory Committee
The blueprints for the MCAT2015
exam are evidence based
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Roadmap to
Diversity:
Integrating
Holistic
Review
Practices
Behavioral and
Social Science
Foundations for
Future Physicians
Scientific
Foundations for
Future Physicians
Report
MCAT® is a program of the Association of American Medical Colleges and related trademarks owned by the Association includes
Medical College Admissions Test, MCAT and MCAT2015
Conceptual framework matches
medical schools’ shift to
competency-based curricula
• Emphasizes educational outcomes by asking examinees to apply what they’ve learned
• Increases emphasis on scientific and critical reasoning skills
• Asks examinees to think like scientists by bringing together concepts in the natural and social sciences
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MCAT® is a program of the Association of American Medical Colleges and related trademarks owned by the Association includes
Medical College Admissions Test, MCAT and MCAT2015
Conceptual framework matches
medical schools’ shift to
competency-based curricula
• And by reasoning about research designs and results and interpreting data and drawing conclusions
• Underscores the role that behavioral and sociocultural factors play in health and illness
• Organized around competencies in the expert panel reports
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MCAT® is a program of the Association of American Medical Colleges and related trademarks owned by the Association includes
Medical College Admissions Test, MCAT and MCAT2015
At many colleges in introductory:
• Biology
• General Chemistry
• Organic Chemistry
• Physics
And concepts from:
• First-semester biochemistry
• First-semester psychology and sociology
Conceptual framework targets
concepts widely taught
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Research methods and statistics concepts used in
introductory science labs, psychology, and sociology
MCAT® is a program of the Association of American Medical Colleges and related trademarks owned by the Association includes
Medical College Admissions Test, MCAT and MCAT2015
Let’s take a closer look at each
section of the exam
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MCAT® is a program of the Association of American Medical Colleges and related trademarks owned by the Association includes
Medical College Admissions Test, MCAT and MCAT2015
Tests competencies in the natural
and social sciences, and critical
analysis and reasoning skills
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MCAT® is a program of the Association of American Medical Colleges and related trademarks owned by the Association includes
Medical College Admissions Test, MCAT and MCAT2015
Scientific Inquiry and Reasoning
Skills
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Knowledge of scientific concepts & principles
Scientific reasoning and problem solving
Reasoning about the design and execution of research
Data-based and statistical reasoning
MCAT® is a program of the Association of American Medical Colleges and related trademarks owned by the Association includes
Medical College Admissions Test, MCAT and MCAT2015
Biological & Biochemical
Foundations of Living Systems
• Biomolecules have unique properties that determine how they contribute to the structure and function of cells, and how they participate in the processes necessary to maintain life.
• Highly-organized assemblies of molecules, cells, and organs interact to carry out the functions of living organisms.
• Complex systems of tissues and organs sense the internal and external environments of multicellular organisms, and through integrated functioning, maintain a stable internal environment within an ever-changing external environment.
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MCAT® is a program of the Association of American Medical Colleges and related trademarks owned by the Association includes
Medical College Admissions Test, MCAT and MCAT2015
Biological & Biochemical
Foundations of Living Systems
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Examples of Physiology content in this section of the exam include:
• Respiratory system
• Circulatory system
• Lymphatic system
• Hormonal Regulation and Integration of Metabolism
• Digestive system
• Excretory system
• Skeletal system
• Reproductive system
• Embryogenesis
• Mechanisms of Development
MCAT® is a program of the Association of American Medical Colleges and related trademarks owned by the Association includes
Medical College Admissions Test, MCAT and MCAT2015
Concept 4
• Complex living organisms transport materials, sense their environment, process signals, and respond to changes using processes that can be understood in terms of physical principles.
Concept 5
• The principles that govern chemical interactions and reactions form the basis for a broader understanding of the molecular dynamics of living systems.
Chemical & Physical Foundations of
Biological Systems
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MCAT® is a program of the Association of American Medical Colleges and related trademarks owned by the Association includes
Medical College Admissions Test, MCAT and MCAT2015
Psychological, Social, & Biological
Foundations of Behavior
Concept 6
• Psychological, sociocultural, and biological factors influence the ways that individuals perceive, think about, and react to the world.
Concept 7
• Psychological, sociocultural, and biological factors influence behavior and behavior change.
Concept 8
• Psychological, sociocultural, and biological factors influence the way we think about ourselves and others.
Concept 9
• Cultural and social differences influence well-being.
Concept 10
• Social stratification and access to resources influence well-being.
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MCAT® is a program of the Association of American Medical Colleges and related trademarks owned by the Association includes
Medical College Admissions Test, MCAT and MCAT2015
Psychological, Social, & Biological
Foundations of Behavior
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Examples of Physiology content in this section of the exam include:
Sensory perception
Sound (Audition)
Taste (Gustation) and Smell (Olfaction)
MCAT® is a program of the Association of American Medical Colleges and related trademarks owned by the Association includes
Medical College Admissions Test, MCAT and MCAT2015
Psychological, Social, & Biological
Foundations of Behavior
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Which series correctly sequences the types of cells involved in the
transmission of information from sound detection to the moment when
an individual turns his or her head in response to the sound?
A. Sensory neurons, interneurons, afferent neurons, skeletal muscle cells
B. Sensory neurons, efferent neurons, interneurons, skeletal muscle cells
C. Mechanoreceptors, sensory neurons, interneurons, motor neurons,
skeletal muscle cells
D. Mechanoreceptors, sensory neurons, interneurons, afferent neurons,
skeletal muscle cells
MCAT® is a program of the Association of American Medical Colleges and related trademarks owned by the Association includes
Medical College Admissions Test, MCAT and MCAT2015
Critical Analysis & Reasoning Skills
• Asks students to critically analyze, evaluate, and apply information presented in passages
• Tests skills necessary for medical school and the practice of medicine
• Specific content knowledge not needed
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MCAT® is a program of the Association of American Medical Colleges and related trademarks owned by the Association includes
Medical College Admissions Test, MCAT and MCAT2015
• Q-UPP e-Newsletters and webinars
• Khan Academy video tutorials
• Course-mapping tool and video tutorial
• Pre-health Collection within MedEdPORTAL’siCollaborative
• Presentation decks for students and faculty
• Informational webinars
• Sociology and Psychology textbook resource
Resources for examinees and
faculty are currently available
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www.aamc.org/mcat2015/admins
MCAT® is a program of the Association of American Medical Colleges and related trademarks owned by the Association includes
Medical College Admissions Test, MCAT and MCAT2015
Khan Academy Video Tutorials
and Questions
• Khan Academy creating video tutorials, with support from RWJF and AAMC
• Designed to help pre-med students prepare for the MCAT2015 exam
• Now have 250 videos and 350 questions
• Daily: over 25,000 views of videos, over 30,000 questions answered
• By fall 2014: 500 videos and 1,000 questions
21www.mededportal.org/icollaborative/prehealth
MCAT® is a program of the Association of American Medical Colleges and related trademarks owned by the Association includes
Medical College Admissions Test, MCAT and MCAT2015
• Free, open access resources to support undergraduate faculty, students, and institutions in teaching and learning
• New model to share innovations and resources in the curriculum as they emerge
• Online community for faculty to discuss, rate resources, and contribute content
Pre-health Collection within
MedEdPORTAL’s iCollaborative
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www.mededportal.org/icollaborative/prehealth
MCAT® is a program of the Association of American Medical Colleges and related trademarks owned by the Association includes
Medical College Admissions Test, MCAT and MCAT2015
April 29th:
• What’s on the MCAT2015 Exam? interactive tool
• New Official Guide to the MCAT® Exam
• Online practice questions
• Information about the 2015 score scales
June 2014:
• 2015 testing policies and calendar
September 2015:
• Full-length sample test
More resources in development!
Other resources are coming soon
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MCAT® is a program of the Association of American Medical Colleges and related trademarks owned by the Association includes
Medical College Admissions Test, MCAT and MCAT2015
Resources and information about the MCAT2015 Exam:
www.aamc.org/mcat2015/admins
Email us at:
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