The Preprofessional Peer Advisors present a brief presentation on the changes to the MCAT for 2015.

1. 2015 MCAT Changes
By Tarah Miller and Meg Riley

2. The Changes
- 7 hour exam
- longer sections with more questions
- 4 sections:
- Biology and Biochemistry
- Physics, General Chemistry and Organic
Chemistry
- Psychology and Sociology
- Critical Analysis and Reasoning Skills
- New scoring scale
- New style of questions
- different types and skills
- More of a medical approach

3. Why is it changing?
- Healthcare is continuously changing
- Medical education must also change to keep up
- Better in determining who is prepared for medical school
- Addition of new sections important for future physicians
- Psychological, Social, and Biological Foundations of Behavior
- Understanding people is important for medicine
- Critical Analysis and Reasoning Skills
- Important for future physicians to think critically and solve problems in clinical setting

4. Exam Breakdown
- Chemical and Physical Foundations of Biological Systems : 59 questions/ 95 minutes
- 10 passages, 15 independent questions
- Critical Analysis and Reasoning Skills : 53 questions/ 90 minutes
- 9 passages
- Similar to the verbal section on previous MCAT
- Biological and Biochemical Foundations of Living Systems : 59 questions/ 95 minutes
- 10 passages, 15 independent questions
- Psychological, Social, and Biological Foundations of Behavior : 59 questions/ 95 minutes
- 10 passages, 15 independent questions
Examination time: approx 7.5 hours

5. Scoring
- Each section is scored from 118-132
- The total score is 472-528
- The midpoint is estimated to be 500

6. Foundational Concept 1
Biological and Biochemical Foundations of Living
Systems Section
- Biomolecules have unique properties that determine how they contribute to
the structure and function of cells, and how they participate in the
processes necessary to maintain life.

7. Foundational Concept 2
Biological and Biochemical Foundations of Living
Systems Section
- Highly-organized assemblies of molecules, cells, and organs interact to
carry out the functions of living organisms.

8. Foundational Concept 3
Biological and Biochemical Foundations of Living
Systems Section
- Complex systems of tissues and organs sense the internal and external
environments of multicellular organisms, and through integrated
functioning, maintain a stable internal environment within an ever-changing
external environment.

9. Foundational Concept 4
Chemical and Physical Foundations of Biological
Systems Section
- Complex living organisms transport materials, sense their environment,
process signals, and respond to changes using processes that can be
understood in terms of physical principles.

10. Foundational Concept 5
Chemical and Physical Foundations of Biological
Systems Section
- The principles that govern chemical interactions and reactions form the
basis for a broader understanding of the molecular dynamics of living
systems.

11. Foundational Concept 6
Psychological, Social, and Biological Foundations of
Behavior Section
-Biological, psychological, and sociocultural factors influence the ways that
individuals perceive, think about, and react to the world.

12. Foundational Concept 7
Psychological, Social, and Biological Foundations of
Behavior Section
- Biological, psychological, and sociocultural factors influence behavior and
behavior change.

13. Foundational Concept 8
Psychological, Social, and Biological Foundations of
Behavior Section
- Psychological, sociocultural, and biological factors influence the way we
think about ourselves and others, as well as how we interact with others.

14. Foundational Concept 9
Psychological, Social, and Biological Foundations of
Behavior Section
- Cultural and social differences influence well-being.

15. Foundational Concept 10
Psychological, Social, and Biological Foundations of
Behavior Section
- Social stratification and access to resources influence well-being

16. Which MSU classes have
me covered?
Math: MTH 124 and STT 201
Chemistry: CEM 141, CEM 161, CEM 142, CEM 162, CEM 251, CEM 252,
CEM 255
Biology: BS 161, BS 171, BS 162, BS 172
Physics: PHY 231, PHY 251, PHY 232, PHY 252
Sociology/Psychology: Discuss with advisor
Other: MMG 301, BMB 401, ANTR 350, and PSL 310

17. What do I need to bring on
test day?
- Current form of identification
- drivers license, passport, etc.
- Lunch, snacks and drinks recommended
- food and drinks is not allowed in the testing room, but you are able to
eat on breaks
- 7 hours is a long test, need to refuel!
- Phones and study materials to be left outside of testing center
- Storage available for personal items such as purses or backpacks

18. A student’s perspective