The MCAT2015 Update: Are We Ready? - Oakland · PDF file• Biology • General Chemistry ... • Digestive system • Excretory system

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

2



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

3



MR5 Committee evaluated the

current MCAT and made

recommendations for 2015

4



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

5



• 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

6

Roadmap to

Diversity:

Integrating

Holistic

Review

Practices

Behavioral and

Social Science

Foundations for

Future Physicians

Scientific

Foundations for

Future Physicians

Report



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

7



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

8



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

9

Research methods and statistics concepts used in

introductory science labs, psychology, and sociology



Let’s take a closer look at each

section of the exam

10



Tests competencies in the natural

and social sciences, and critical

analysis and reasoning skills

11



Scientific Inquiry and Reasoning

Skills

12

Knowledge of scientific concepts & principles

Scientific reasoning and problem solving

Reasoning about the design and execution of research

Data-based and statistical reasoning



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.

13



Biological & Biochemical

Foundations of Living Systems

14

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



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

15



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.

16





17

Examples of Physiology content in this section of the exam include:

Sensory perception

Sound (Audition)

Taste (Gustation) and Smell (Olfaction)





18

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



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

19



• 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

20

www.aamc.org/mcat2015/admins



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



• 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

22

www.mededportal.org/icollaborative/prehealth



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

23



Resources and information about the MCAT2015 Exam:

www.aamc.org/mcat2015/admins

Email us at:

[email protected]

24

http://www.aamc.org/mcat2015

mailto:[email protected]

©

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The MCAT2015 Update: Are We Ready? - Oakland · PDF file• Biology • General Chemistry ... • Digestive system • Excretory system