MCAT 2015 What is New and What is Old HPAP Information Session Fall 2014 Presented by Prof. Bill Church

Objectives for this evening Introduction to “Competencies” for Medical Education Changes in the MCAT to measure “Competencies” Introduction to current resources available for MCAT 2015 preparation.

“Competency is the habitual and judicious use of communication, knowledge, technical skills, clinical reasoning, emotions, values, and reflection in daily practice for the benefit of the individual and the community being served.” What is Competency?

4 Factual knowledge is only part of what makes a skilled physician Personal characteristics, experiences and attributes are equally important Emerging Consensus

Scientific Foundations for Future Physicians (SFFP)

Consider the means and consequences of establishing the concept of “science competency” (learner performance), rather than academic courses, as the basis for assessing the preparation of medical school applicants and the proficiency of medical school graduates. Scientific Foundations for Future Physicians (SFFP) Committee

Behavioral and Social Science Foundations for Future Physicians (BSSFFP)

MCAT 2015 – Competencies in Scientific Foundations of Future Physicians Report (SFFP) – Scientific inquiry, reasoning, research methods and statistics skills – Foundational concepts in social and behavioral sciences.

MCAT 2015 Preserves Testing Of: Natural sciences concepts medical school faculty want entrants to know Critical analysis and reasoning skills needed for success in medical school Eliminates: Under-utilized writing sample section in 2013

MCAT 2015 – 4 Sections, 4 Scores Biological & Biochemical Foundations of Living Systems Chemical & Physical Foundations of Biological Systems Psychological, Social, & Biological Foundations of Behavior Critical Analysis & Reasoning Skills

current MCAT # of Test Items Testing Time (minutes) MCAT 2015 # of Test Items Testing Time (minutes) Biological Sciences 5270 Biological & Biochemical Foundations of Living Systems 6595 Physical Sciences 5270 Chemical & Physical Foundations of Biological Systems 6595 Lunch Break Verbal Reasoning 4060 Critical Analysis & Reasoning Skills 6090 Writing Sample2 Essays60 Psychological, Social, & Biological Foundations of Behavior 6595 Total Content Time 4 hours, 20 min Total Content Time 6 hours, 15 min

Scientific Inquiry & Reasoning Skills (SIRS) Knowledge of Scientific Concepts & Principles Scientific Reasoning & Evidence-based Problem Solving Reasoning About the Design and Execution of Research Data-based and Statistical Reasoning

Biological & Biochemical Foundations of Living Systems What it tests? Combine knowledge of foundational concepts in the biological and biochemical sciences with your scientific inquiry, reasoning, and research and statistics skills to solve problems that demonstrate readiness for medical school.

Biological & Biochemical Foundations of Living Systems Concept 1 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. Concept 2 Highly-organized assemblies of molecules, cells, and organs interact to carry out the functions of living organisms. Concept 3 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.

Biological & Biochemical Foundations of Living Systems Exam content in this section typically taught in: Introductory biology Introductory general chemistry Introductory organic chemistry First semester biochemistry

Chemical & Physical Foundations of Biological Systems What it tests? Combine your knowledge of foundational concepts in the chemical and physical sciences with your scientific inquiry, reasoning, and research and statistics skills to solve problems that demonstrate readiness for medical school.

Concept 4 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. Concept 5 The principles that govern chemical interactions and reactions form the basis for a broader understanding of the molecular dynamics of living systems. Chemical & Physical Foundations of Biological Systems

Exam content in this section typically taught in: Introductory biology Introductory general chemistry Introductory organic chemistry Introductory physics First semester biochemistry

Psychological, Social, & Biological Foundations of Behavior What it tests? Knowledge and use of the concepts in psychology, sociology, biology, research methods, and statistics that provide a solid foundation for learning in medical school about the behavioral and socio-cultural determinants of health and health outcomes.

Psychological, Social, & Biological Foundations of Behavior Concept 6 Biological, psychological, and socio- cultural factors influence the ways that individuals perceive, think about, and react to the world. Concept 7 Biological, psychological, and socio- cultural factors influence behavior and behavior change. Concept 8 Psychological, socio-cultural, and biological factors influence the way we think about ourselves and others. Concept 9 Cultural and social differences influence well- being. Concept 10 Social stratification and access to resources influence well- being.

Psychological, Social, & Biological Foundations of Behavior Exam content in this section typically taught in: Introductory psychology Introductory sociology Introductory biology

Critical Analysis & Reasoning Skills What it tests? This section asks you to critically analyze, evaluate, and apply information presented in a passage.

Critical Analysis & Reasoning Skills Application Incorporation of Information Evaluation Comprehension Skills tested:

Critical Analysis & Reasoning Skills *Specific knowledge of these disciplines is not required for this section Passages from humanities & social sciences: Ethics Philosophy Cross-cultural studies Population health

Critical Analysis & Reasoning Skills The section asks students to critically analyze, evaluate, and apply information presented in passages. Tests skills necessary for medical school and the practice of medicine. Students do NOT need specific content knowledge to perform well.

Critical Analysis & Reasoning Skills Questions relate to a reading passage that: Consists of multiple paragraphs Is relatively short, between 500 – 600 words Is a complex, thought-provoking piece of writing Often contains sophisticated vocabulary and writing styles. "Memory believes before knowing remembers. Believes longer than recollects, longer than knowing even wonders. Knows remembers believes a corridor in a big long garbled cold building..."(119). the-most-confusing-quote-ever-encountered.html

Critical Analysis & Reasoning Skills Reasoning Beyond the Text (40%) Reasoning Within the Text (30%) Foundations of Comprehension (30%)

Critical Analysis & Reasoning Skills Foundations of Comprehension Foundations of comprehension skills are: Skill 1: Understand the basic components of the text Skill 2: Make assumptions based on the author’s inferences, the use of language or figures of speech, word choice, and the text structure.

Critical Analysis & Reasoning Skills Foundations of Comprehension To demonstrate Foundations of Comprehension skills, questions may ask examinees to: Identify the author’s main point or theme of the passage Identify portions of the passage where the author digresses from the theme of the passage Explain paradoxes or a highlighted word or phrase Identify points of view

Critical Analysis & Reasoning Skills Reasoning Within the Text The reasoning within the text skill is: Integrating different components of the text to increase comprehension

Critical Analysis & Reasoning Skills Reasoning within the Text To demonstrate the reasoning within the text skill, examinees may be asked to: Direct their attention to an argument, claim or theme Judge its contribution to the text on a number of criteria: how a statement affects an argument differentiating between fact and opinion assess the relationship between points of view presented in the text Understand and evaluate to what purpose an author introduces an example or piece of evidence or to assess the author’s intentions and credibility, as well as other evaluations

Critical Analysis & Reasoning Skills Reasoning Beyond the Text Reasoning beyond the text skills are: Skill 1: Applying or extrapolating ideas from the passage to new contexts Skill 2: Assessing the impact of introducing new factors, information, or conditions to ideas from the passage

Critical Analysis & Reasoning Skills Reasoning Beyond the Text To demonstrate reasoning beyond the text skills, questions may ask examinees to: Take a set of facts or beliefs and combine them in new ways that solve a problem outside of the specific content of the passage. Consider new information presented in a question, integrating this new information into the passage content and then assessing the potential impact of introducing the new elements into the actual passage.

S o o o o o … How To Prepare? READ Seek Advice from HPAC Advisors Start NOW! Practice, Practice, Practice

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