Medical College Admission Test

Medical College Admission Test
Name	Medical College Admission Test
Acronym	MCAT
Administered by	Association of American Medical Colleges
Established	1928
Purpose	Admission to medical schools in the United States, Canada, and other countries
Duration	Variable
Score range	Variable

Medical College Admission Test

The Medical College Admission Test serves as a standardized assessment for applicants to medical schools and is administered by the Association of American Medical Colleges which also interacts with institutions such as Harvard Medical School, Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, University of California, San Francisco School of Medicine, University of Toronto Faculty of Medicine, and McGill University Faculty of Medicine and Health Sciences. The examination influences admissions decisions at schools including Yale School of Medicine, Stanford University School of Medicine, Columbia University Vagelos College of Physicians and Surgeons, Perelman School of Medicine at the University of Pennsylvania, and Mayo Clinic Alix School of Medicine. As a gatekeeping instrument, it is referenced alongside credentialing bodies and institutions such as American Medical Association, Canadian Resident Matching Service, United States Medical Licensing Examination, and Liaison Committee on Medical Education.

Overview

The test was introduced by organizations linked to medical education reform and assessment such as the Association of American Medical Colleges, Graham Taylor, and entities influential during the early 20th century like Flexner Report era institutions, and it aligns applicant evaluation with curricula at schools such as Washington University School of Medicine, University of Michigan Medical School, and Duke University School of Medicine. Over time the exam's content and delivery have been revised following consultations with bodies including National Board of Medical Examiners, Educational Testing Service, Carnegie Foundation for the Advancement of Teaching, World Health Organization, and major research universities like Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Princeton University, and University of Chicago.

Format and Content

The test comprises multiple sections assessing skills analogous to coursework taken at universities such as University of California, Berkeley, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, University of Washington School of Medicine, Brown University Warren Alpert Medical School, and Vanderbilt University School of Medicine. Item types reflect passages and problems influenced by pedagogical research at institutions like Stanford Graduate School of Education, Harvard Graduate School of Education, and testing centers operated in partnership with providers that serve candidates affiliated with Columbia University Teachers College and Yale University Graduate School. Content domains reference foundational sciences and reasoning consistent with curricula from Oxford University Medical Sciences Division, Cambridge School of Clinical Medicine, Imperial College London Faculty of Medicine, King's College London GKT School of Medical Education, and University of Melbourne Medical School.

Scoring

Scores are reported on scales that admissions committees at schools such as Northwestern University Feinberg School of Medicine, Emory University School of Medicine, University of Chicago Pritzker School of Medicine, University of Southern California Keck School of Medicine, and University of Pittsburgh School of Medicine use alongside GPAs and letters from faculty at institutions like Georgetown University School of Medicine, Case Western Reserve University School of Medicine, and University of Colorado School of Medicine. Score interpretation and percentile ranks are compiled by the Association of American Medical Colleges with benchmarking data from cohorts including matriculants to Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, Baylor College of Medicine, and New York University Grossman School of Medicine.

Preparation and Resources

Applicants prepare using materials published or endorsed by organizations and publishers associated with training programs at Harvard Medical School, Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, University of Pennsylvania Perelman School of Medicine, Columbia University, and Stanford University. Commercial test-preparation firms, academic tutoring programs, and student groups connected to campuses such as University of British Columbia Faculty of Medicine, University of Alberta Faculty of Medicine & Dentistry, University of Edinburgh Medical School, Trinity College Dublin School of Medicine, and University of Otago Faculty of Medicine offer practice exams, review courses, and study guides. Many candidates consult research from education research centers at Teachers College, Columbia University, University of Michigan School of Education, and University College London Institute of Education when planning study timelines.

Administration and Eligibility

Testing windows, registration policies, and candidate verification are overseen by the Association of American Medical Colleges and coordinated with testing centers and universities including Prometric, campuses of University of California, and international partners such as British Council and IDP Education. Eligibility criteria interact with degree credentialing from institutions like Oxford University, Cambridge University, McMaster University, and University of Toronto, and with professional entry pathways recognized by bodies such as Medical Council of Canada and national licensing authorities in jurisdictions linked to Australian Health Practitioner Regulation Agency and General Medical Council.

Reception and Criticism

The exam has been subject to critique and analysis in forums involving stakeholders from Association of American Medical Colleges, advocacy groups connected to American Association of Medical Colleges Equity Task Force, policy discussions involving representatives from U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, and academic critiques appearing in journals produced by presses affiliated with Oxford University Press, Cambridge University Press, and universities like Harvard University. Debates reference admissions outcomes at institutions such as Morehouse School of Medicine, Howard University College of Medicine, Meharry Medical College, and Boston University School of Medicine, and engage civil rights advocates, student organizations, and researchers from centers like Brookings Institution, Stanford Center for Biomedical Ethics, and Yale Law School.

Category:Medical admissions tests