What should I do to make my medical school application effective without an MCAT score? Are you concerned that the COVID-19 crisis might affect your medical school application this year? “So many students have already prepared or are currently preparing to take the exam and will only see it as a way to improve their application,” Clinton said. “Our internal analysis reassures us that other factors in combination can be effectively used in the holistic review process even in the absence of the MCAT.”, Equity concerns also led to Stanford’s waiving of the MCAT, Gibbs wrote: “COVID-19 contributed to existing inequities. Tips to improve your medical school application during COVID. This article has been updated to include a statement from an AAMC spokesperson on the social distancing at MCAT exams. It can also be contracted by touching a surface on which it has landed and then touching one’s face, where it makes its way to the eyes, nose or mouth. It is a two-hour examination consisting of sub-tests in general information, academic evaluation, logical reasoning, and personality tests. For the Class of 2025, the canceled MCAT is another hurdle they will have to overcome. Keep in mind that students across the country who apply to health professions schools in the next few years would have gone through the spring 2020 semester under similar hardship to you. If you do not plan to apply to medical school in summer 2020 you do not need to take the exam this summer. No. The decision has drawn applause from some members of the medical community, with concerns over health and safety during in-person examinations no longer a worry. Categories: College of Medicine. Medical schools that waive off MCAT qualification, need the applicants to enroll in a joint degree program. As a result, Ross University School of Medicine (RUSM) has elected to waive the standardized admission test requirement for impacted applicants who are applying for the September 2020 semester. The Pamantasan ng Lungsod ng Maynila (PLM) College of Medicine accepts applicants for the Medical College Admission Test (MCAT).. Last week, we told you a little bit about how Coronavirus and COVID-19, is affecting the MCAT. SUMMER 2020 MCAT . Please see the Using MCAT Data in 2021 Medical Student Selection guide for information about how to interpret and use MCAT scores in the context of holistic review. FULL TRANSCRIPT. SPECIAL NOTE FOR 2020: Things may be different this year due to the coronavirus pandemic. While submitted scores will not be used during the screening and initial review process for interview decisions, the submitted scores will be a part of the applicant’s file, according to Associate Dean of M.D. You may be surprised to know that some medical schools that don’t require … Over the past several months, COVID-19 has significantly disrupted the availability of standardized medical school admissions tests, such as MCAT. COVID-19 Related Information for 2021 Applicants. “Applicants have experienced disruptions in taking the MCAT examination, whether due to personal health and safety concerns, vendor-initiated scheduling changes, or difficulties in accessing testing centers,” the ACP stated. We're a student-run organization committed to providing hands-on experience in journalism, digital media and business for the next generation of reporters. Contact Anthony Wong at anthonytjwong ‘at’ gmail.com. With regard to the 2021 application cycle, applications may be submitted without an MCAT score taken during the COVID-19 pandemic, March 14 - September 30, 2020. Due to the COVID-19 pandemic, my lecture prerequisite course has gone to mandatory Credit/No Credit (CR/NC). We will also be accepting all MCAT test dates from 2015 for the upcoming 2020/2021 application cycle. The purpose of this message is to address concerns from prospective applicants who are experiencing unprecedented educational upheaval during the COVID-19 pandemic. Visit our FAQs for more information about score reporting and score use. If you are not … With regard to the 2021 application cycle, applications may be submitted without an MCAT score taken during the COVID-19 pandemic, March 14 - September 30, 2020. But it’s already happening. Several universities, including most of the top schools in the U.S., have waived the testing requirement for standard entrance exams during the pandemic. The Daily regrets this error. By Ali Lotfi, M.D. Answers to your questions about the impact of COVID-19 on the medical school admissions process and the start of school in the fall. For more than 90 years, the MCAT has always been a big qualifier for medical schools. Abdullahi wrote that other parts of the application process are inequitable, pointing to MCAT prep courses and admissions advising services with costs running into the thousands. , Contributor May 19, 2020 By Ali Lotfi, M.D. For the 2020 application cycle, schools with rolling admissions have filled most of their spots. This will also help students who still want to take the MCAT exam and submit scores in their 2021 applications. Medical School Admissions in the Time of COVID-19 Member-only Content This content is restricted to members of specific AAMC member groups and audiences. 1 For many aspiring medical-school applicants, there is an increased sense of stress, as carefully charted paths to medical school become so utterly disrupted. Hey, everybody. According to a poll conducted by Kaplan, most schools have made their admission process more flexible in response to the school closures, test cancelations and shutdowns that took place in the spring due to COVID-19. Effective April 1, all rescheduling fees will be automatically waived until further notice, regardless of exam date. While it recently changed formats in 2015, the MCAT has been a part of the medical school application process since 1928! Joint Statement from the Admissions Deans of California Medical Schools (April 6, 2020) Regarding Academic Work and MCAT Tests that are Affected by the COVID-19 Outbreak. All contributions are tax-deductible. Unfortunately, the MCAT is no pop quiz and takes countless hours of review and practice in order to succeed. A previous version of the article incorrectly stated that UCSF had made MCAT scores optional throughout the whole application process. COVID-19 is the disease caused by the coronavirus. “ACP supports the needs of learners as they pursue entry into medical school in the midst of the current COVID-19 public health emergency,” said Dr. Jacqueline W. Fincher, the group’s president. We did not wish for applicants to place themselves and [their] families in more harm.”, While Abdullahi wrote he thought all medical schools should waive the MCAT requirement during the pandemic, he wrote that the question of whether schools continue the use of the MCAT in post-pandemic admissions is an “interesting one.”, “I believe schools should instead focus on an applicants’ experiences and motivations for pursuing medicine instead of a three digit numerical score,” he wrote.