- January 2015 will be the last administration of the current MCAT exam. The new exam will launch spring 2015. If you plan to take the current MCAT, you should anticipate a high demand for the late 2014 and January 2015 exam dates and plan to register EARLY.
- The new exam has 4 sections: 1) Biological & Biochemical Foundations of Living Systems; 2) Chemical & Physical Foundations of Biological Systems; 3) Psychological , Social, & Biological Foundations of Behavior; and 4) Critical Analysis & Reasoning Skills.
- We heard from all 3 Kentucky medical schools and it does not appear that the required prerequisite courses will change for medical school. HOWEVER, I do not believe you will be successful on the new MCAT just taking the basic pre-med courses.
- Current require pre-requisite courses are: 2 semesters of English; 1 semester of Calculus OR 2 semesters of other college Math; 2 semesters of Biology with Lab; 2 semesters of Inorganic Chemistry with Lab; 2 semesters of Organic Chemistry with Lab; 2 Semesters of Physics with Lab. You can read this in detail from the ULSOM website.
- With the new MCAT, you should have all of these completed along with the following HIGHLY RECOMMENDED COURSES (the exam will cover content in these courses) before you take the exam: 1 semester of Cellular Biology; 1 semester of Biochemistry; 1 semester of Psychology; 1 semester of Sociology.
- Questions from the Critical Analysis and Reasoning Skills section do not require specific coursework. However, the passages will come from humanities and social sciences including: ethics, philosophy, cross-cultural studies, and population health. Students should try to read more in these areas.
- AAMC has put out the "MCAT 2015 Preview Guide" which describes the 4 sections of the new MCAT. This will give you a better idea on the content covered and the level of knowledge they will be looking for on these concepts. There are also videos that explain the new MCAT.
- Although we do not know the cost of the new MCAT, it is anticipated that the testing fee will increase (current cost of MCAT exam is $235). The Fee Assistance Program (FAP) will still be available for those who qualify.
- Test preparation for the new exam. As of today, there is very little information regarding exam preparation for the 2015 MCAT. AAMC has indicated that by 2014 there will be one free online practice test (but it will not be scored). By 2015, there will be a second practice test and possibly additional sets of items and a question bank.
Monday, October 29, 2012
More Information on the 2015 MCAT
The "new" MCAT exam has been somewhat shrouded in mystery, which is quite frustrating for current college pre-med freshmen since they will be the first cohort of students to take the new 7.5 hour exam. While attending the Kentucky Premedical Advisors meeting over the weekend, I received a little more information on the 2015 MCAT. While there are still many unanswered questions, I'm sharing with you all that I know and hope that this provides some guidance. Here is what I know:
Wednesday, July 18, 2012
PEPP 2012
Whew! What a great summer. Here's a video the 2012 students put together regarding their PEPP experience!
Monday, June 18, 2012
PEPP 2012 up and running!
We've made it through the first weekend of the summer! Twenty-four students from across the state arrived on Friday for what will surely be a life-changing four weeks. The students were at University Hospital first thing Saturday morning receiving shadowing orientation and participating in the first Health Care 101 seminar (the students will be BLS certified by the end of this course). Our wonderful SDA's planned some exciting activities for the students over the weekend. Today is our first "full" day. So far, the students have completed their math and biology pre-tests, had their first 2 hour math lecture, learned about professionalism, and took care of other orientation business. But the day isn't over just yet! Later this afternoon we will hear from Dr. Frank Miller on his experiences working as a physician internationally in undeveloped areas. Finally, this evening we will meet with the 15 PEPP alumni who are on campus in other summer programs sponsored by the Office of Minority and Rural Affairs. This will provide students an opportunity to learn from others just how important the PEPP experience can be as well as tips for success during the freshman year of college. PEPP students will then have the opportunity to connect with PEPP alumni who are attending their respective undergraduate institutions. All in all, we're very busy in Louisville!
Tuesday, May 8, 2012
A Word About Finances
During a conversation with a student yesterday, I was reminded how the financial burdens of medical and dental school are sometimes quickly brushed over when presented to pre-health students. Let me first clearly state that ANYONE can meet the financial obligations to go to medical, dental, or another health profession school if that is their dream. However, it helps to understand what the costs are and how to plan for this.
Medical and dental schools are expensive, as it takes a lot of resources to train the future health care workforce. In-state tuition, fees, and living expenses generally total above $50,000 per year of professional school. This is a lot of money, but you must remember that you are investing in a future career that will provide a high level of income. Most students (~90%) receive some form of financial aid (mostly loans) to finance their education (there are very few scholarships for professional school and those that exist are generally in small amounts). While this may seem like you are entering into an insurmountable amount of debt, you will make enough money as a doctor to make your loan payments (trust us!!).
However, it is important to plan for this debt while in undergrad. If you can avoid taking out student loans (and other loans) while in college please do so. You do not want to go into professional school already thousands of dollars in debt. In addition, when you take out loans for professional school, they will be in your name (and under your credit). Be responsible during college and do not rack up credit card debt!
One area that you should save for is the application process. Yes, it is also expensive to apply to medical and dental school. You will have to take an entrance exam (generally sometime during your junior year) in order to apply. These exams are difficult and expensive. First, you must prepare for the exam. The Office of Minority and Rural Affairs offers a FREE MCAT-DAT Review Summer Workshop. A free program would be my recommendation, but there is limited space in the review (apply early). Other formal reviews include Kaplan, Princeton, and ExamKrackers, which all cost around $2,000. You can also purchase books (~$200) for you to review on your own, but a formal program is recommended for these exams- you want to adequately prepare and only take them once if possible.
Also, the exams are quite expensive as well. The MCAT currently costs $235 and the DAT $360. Medical school applicants may apply for AAMC's fee assistance program which, if granted will reduce the price of the MCAT to $85 and will allow you to apply to up to 14 medical schools for free. Without fee assistance, AMCAS (medical school) application service processing fee is $160 and includes one (1) medical school designation. Additional school designations are $34 each.
Partial fee waivers for the DAT are available to examinees in cases of severe financial hardship. The waiver is 50% of the DAT fee and includes the fee for the test and the official score reports requested at the time of application. Fee waivers must be requested in writing by the examinee using a financial information form and paper application. You may request the forms at datexam@ada.org or by calling DTS (800.232.2162). Submit the financial information form, the paper application, and your educational institution financial aid award letter. The DTS will review all fee waiver requests and make the final decision regarding the fee waiver. There are only a limited number of DAT fee waivers, so apply very early (practically a year before you plan to take the exam). The cost of the AADSAS (dental school application service) is $235 for the first school and $75 for each additional school. AADSAS does offer a fee assistance program which includes a fee waiver for the first dental school designation (there is no assistance for additional school designations).
After applying through the application services, your applications will be sent to the schools you designated. Almost all schools require a secondary application. Those fees typically range from $25 to $100, so you will need to save for that as well. In addition, it is important to consider the costs associated with interviewing at schools. If you are selected for an interview you are typically responsible for all associated costs (travel, lodging, food, etc). You will also need to have a suit for your interview. Purchase this ahead of time so that you may find something that fits well (and look for sales!).
While this may seem overwhelming, remember that all pre-health students face these financial burdens. Give yourself an advantage by planning!
Medical and dental schools are expensive, as it takes a lot of resources to train the future health care workforce. In-state tuition, fees, and living expenses generally total above $50,000 per year of professional school. This is a lot of money, but you must remember that you are investing in a future career that will provide a high level of income. Most students (~90%) receive some form of financial aid (mostly loans) to finance their education (there are very few scholarships for professional school and those that exist are generally in small amounts). While this may seem like you are entering into an insurmountable amount of debt, you will make enough money as a doctor to make your loan payments (trust us!!).
However, it is important to plan for this debt while in undergrad. If you can avoid taking out student loans (and other loans) while in college please do so. You do not want to go into professional school already thousands of dollars in debt. In addition, when you take out loans for professional school, they will be in your name (and under your credit). Be responsible during college and do not rack up credit card debt!
One area that you should save for is the application process. Yes, it is also expensive to apply to medical and dental school. You will have to take an entrance exam (generally sometime during your junior year) in order to apply. These exams are difficult and expensive. First, you must prepare for the exam. The Office of Minority and Rural Affairs offers a FREE MCAT-DAT Review Summer Workshop. A free program would be my recommendation, but there is limited space in the review (apply early). Other formal reviews include Kaplan, Princeton, and ExamKrackers, which all cost around $2,000. You can also purchase books (~$200) for you to review on your own, but a formal program is recommended for these exams- you want to adequately prepare and only take them once if possible.
Also, the exams are quite expensive as well. The MCAT currently costs $235 and the DAT $360. Medical school applicants may apply for AAMC's fee assistance program which, if granted will reduce the price of the MCAT to $85 and will allow you to apply to up to 14 medical schools for free. Without fee assistance, AMCAS (medical school) application service processing fee is $160 and includes one (1) medical school designation. Additional school designations are $34 each.
Partial fee waivers for the DAT are available to examinees in cases of severe financial hardship. The waiver is 50% of the DAT fee and includes the fee for the test and the official score reports requested at the time of application. Fee waivers must be requested in writing by the examinee using a financial information form and paper application. You may request the forms at datexam@ada.org or by calling DTS (800.232.2162). Submit the financial information form, the paper application, and your educational institution financial aid award letter. The DTS will review all fee waiver requests and make the final decision regarding the fee waiver. There are only a limited number of DAT fee waivers, so apply very early (practically a year before you plan to take the exam). The cost of the AADSAS (dental school application service) is $235 for the first school and $75 for each additional school. AADSAS does offer a fee assistance program which includes a fee waiver for the first dental school designation (there is no assistance for additional school designations).
After applying through the application services, your applications will be sent to the schools you designated. Almost all schools require a secondary application. Those fees typically range from $25 to $100, so you will need to save for that as well. In addition, it is important to consider the costs associated with interviewing at schools. If you are selected for an interview you are typically responsible for all associated costs (travel, lodging, food, etc). You will also need to have a suit for your interview. Purchase this ahead of time so that you may find something that fits well (and look for sales!).
While this may seem overwhelming, remember that all pre-health students face these financial burdens. Give yourself an advantage by planning!
Thursday, April 26, 2012
Summer 2012 Connections to PEPP Alumni
It's been said that PEPP is much more that just a 4 week summer program. As a participant in the program, you become a part of the "PEPP family". We continue to work with our alumni throughout undergrad and even into professional school. Brandon McGeorge (PEPP 2009) shares his PEPP story and how the program impacted his life (below). He spent the past three summers in ULSOM Minority and Rural Affairs Programs (SMDEP 2010; MCAT-DAT 2011). When it came time to decide what to do during break this year, he chose to come back to Louisville and serve as a Student Development Assistant for the 2012 PEPP program.
Speaking of family, we often have siblings participate in PEPP across the years. Last summer, PEPP 2007 alumni Ben Cocanougher served as a Student Development Assistant. This summer we're glad to have his sister Sarah as a participant in the program! Ben is finishing his first year of medical school at the University of Rochester School of Medicine. Here's Ben's story below.
Speaking of family, we often have siblings participate in PEPP across the years. Last summer, PEPP 2007 alumni Ben Cocanougher served as a Student Development Assistant. This summer we're glad to have his sister Sarah as a participant in the program! Ben is finishing his first year of medical school at the University of Rochester School of Medicine. Here's Ben's story below.
Wednesday, April 18, 2012
2012 PEPP Schedule (tentative)
Want to know just what we will be doing this summer? Here is the (tentative) schedule for summer 2012!
Thursday, April 12, 2012
PEPP Success Story- Jessica Wood
Here is another video from PEPP 2007 alumni Jessica Wood. Jessica is currently a first year at the University of Louisville School of Medicine. She's remained in close contact with our office over the years, and we know she will make a fine physician one day! Jessica was also selected to the Trover Rural Track program, where she will spend years 3 and 4 of medical school training in Madisonville, KY. Learn how PEPP helped Jessica achieve her dream of becoming a rural physician.
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