<p>Hot off the (virtual) presses! I just heard about this from my school. I figured this affects some current pre-meds, so I thought it’d be good to share.</p>
<p>From [AAMC</a> Launches review of MCAT Exam - February 2009 - AAMC Reporter](<a href=“http://www.aamc.org/newsroom/reporter/feb09/mcat.htm]AAMC ”>http://www.aamc.org/newsroom/reporter/feb09/mcat.htm ) :</p>
<p>
</p>
<p>
Although any idea or suggestion remains purely theoretical as the MR5 committee gathers information, MR5 Committee Chair Steven G. Gabbe, M.D., senior vice president for health sciences and CEO of the Ohio State University Medical Center, said the committee is generally interested in making the exam more sensitive to certain attributes that have emerged recently as keys to success, both in training and in practice, for prospective doctors.
</p>
<p>
At a fundamental level, the key knowledge base of a medical school applicant may be shifting away from pure biology to incorporate new branches of science.</p>
<p>“There are questions about whether we should focus on biochemistry, genetics, and biostatistics as areas for increased emphasis in the exam,” Gabbe said.</p>
<p>With bedside manner a chief concern among today’s patients, an applicant’s communication skills and sense of community service are receiving heavier consideration in admissions offices. The essay-writing portion of the MCAT exam, committee members said, could be used to better gauge these skills.
</p>
<p>I recommend reading the whole thing. It’s interesting to think about what the test might look like if all these ideas make it through.</p>
<p>Bedside manner potential used to be tested on the MCAT, it was removed for a reason.</p>