Virtually all medical schools in the U.S. require that you take the MCAT.  There are currently 25 administrations of the MCAT on 23 dates from January to September, most students take the test in April-June of their junior year (e.g.. May 2008 for fall 2009 admission).  The fee for the test is $210.  Students with extreme financial limitations may apply for a fee reduction to $75.  This fee assistance program (FAP) also allows you to apply to up to 13 medical schools free of charge.  Taking the test in August or September may not give the student the best opportunity to gain acceptance, as by the time scores are reported (approx. 1 month later) some med school classes may be almost half full.  Your application may not be reviewed until it is complete, i.e. your MCAT scores have been received.

Beginning in January 2007 all administrations of the MCAT were done by computer based testing (CBT). This will allow greater flexibility in scheduling as there will be 25 separate test administrations, a shorter test day (5 hours), and quicker turnaround in receiving scores (30 days). Ideally the student should schedule the test somewhere in the April-June window, but July should also be OK. On the downside, the test is no longer offered in Bowling Green. Students will have to go to Thomson Prometric Testing Centers in Lexington, Louisville, Evansville, Clarksville (TN), or Madison TN (across from Rivergate Mall).

    It is very important that the student prepare adequately for the test.  While taking a formal MCAT preparatory courses may or may not be helpful to you personally, it is important that you have finished your physics (2 semesters), chemistry (four semesters) and biology (as much as you have time for) courses before taking the MCAT.  Students will find courses in cell/molecular biology, physiology, genetics, biochemistry, and quantitative analysis very helpful.
    The test is composed of four sections that are presented here in the order they are given: 1) physical sciences (physics and inorganic chemistry) 52 questions in 70 minutes; 2) verbal reasoning, 40 questions in 60 minutes; 3) the writing sample, two essays in 60 minutes; and 4) biological sciences ( 75% biology and 25% organic chemistry) 52 questions in 70 minutes.  All except the writing sample are scored from 1-15 with a mean score of around 8 for each section.  An 11 is an excellent score representing  85-90% ile depending on the section and the test date.  The writing sample is evaluated on a letter scale between J (low) and T (high) with a median score of O.  The writing sample is judged by two people on a scale of 1-6 for each essay. If both don't agree on the score for each essay, it will be judged by a third person. The combined scores are then converted to a letter grade. If you have a 12, you will get a "T" and if you have a 2, you will get a "J", and so on in between.     

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Last Update: May 22, 2008
Author:  Kenneth M. Crawford