How Modern Medicine Influenced The 2015 (new) MCAT

I would not say I am an expert at the MCAT by any stretch of the imagination, however, here are my opinions of it.

The reality of modern medicine is not as chivalrous and noble as it used to be. From my past and present experiences as a scribe, both in the emergency room and in private practice, physicians are part healers and part businessmen. To deny that would be foolish.

Maybe it is a mix of the aging baby boomer, population growth in general, public access to google & medical-related-self-diangosing-websites along with the increasing cost of healthcare that drove physicians to their current state… for lack of a better word, lack of empathy, and as a result, perceived patient care and quality suffers. The physician becomes a scientist who sees a patient as a medical record number, a lab result, a diagnosis… and nothing more.


According to AAMC, the new subjects on the 2015 MCAT aims to test "basic behavioral and social science" knowledge in efforts to prepare pre-medical and medical students for the future of medicine, which is to "mature" into sensitive healthcare providers who understands not only their patient's disease but also their psychosocial needs, such as anxiety and fear. There are many primary articles relating to the validity of the Jefferson Scale of Empathy (JSE). This scale was developed by researchers to quantify the level of empathy in physicians and other healthcare providers. In one study, primary care physicians with a high JSE score had patients that had a significantly (statistically) lower rate of acute diabetic complications such as diabetic ketoacidosis, hyperosmolar state and coma (Del Canales et al. 2012).

In my opinion, this change is a double-edged sword.

• Duration: The 2015 MCAT will be approximately 8 hours long, versus the traditional 5.5 hours (or 4.5 hours for the 2013 and 2014 MCAT since the 1 hour writing section was omitted). I have taken the MCAT with and without the writing section, and experienced mental fatigue in both versions, even after taking all of the AAMC practice MCATs and then some. 
• Pre-Med Requirements: The new MCAT is adding biochemistry (one semester worth), psychology and sociology. This means that if your pre-med or undergraduate major advisor isn't up to date with pre-med world, you best be signing up for these classes! I have taken the trial 2015 section and I must say that without these classes, I would NOT have been able to score in the 75% percentile. 
• Understand Human Behavior (or attempt to): Because of these new requirements, you may have to delay your tentative test date or even year, however, I believe that taking psychology and sociology are pertinent for some… even though they may seem like common sense to others. 

Many entities in this nation are unhappy with the status quo of modern medicine and I feel like this is one of the ways they are trying to change it. Having an interest in human biology and medicine is no longer sufficient to enter medical school. One needs to be or be perceived as a well-rounded individual who cares about patients and their respective cultures.

I feel that this discussion about physician empathy warrants another discussion regarding patient satisfaction in healthcare - in another post. I will end this post with a message from the AAMC President to pre-med students.