Global Health Education

All prospective doctors will encounter standardized tests on their way to their destination careers. Like the ACT or SAT, the purpose of these exams is to test students from a number of different schools and backgrounds on similar questions. However, while the ACT and SAT test on general knowledge across a variety of topics, standardized tests for medical school students are focused more on derivative topics and subjects that will be useful in the careers of medical doctors. Here is a look at the two exams that future medical doctors are most likely to have to take:

MCAT (Medical College Admissions Test): The MCAT is the test that each student must take in order to get into US medical schools. It is required for US medical school admission and taken into consideration at most foreign medical schools with US approval or accreditation. While this test does not deal specifically with medical issues, it does deal with more abstract concepts that are deemed to be directly applicable to a career as a doctor. These concepts include problem solving, critical thinking, communication (writing) skills, basic science knowledge, et al. One does not have to think too hard on how being strong in these areas are necessary to being a successful medical doctor. The exam is separated into four different sections, with each one being timed to the point that the entire exam takes somewhere in the neighborhood of 4 to 5 hours… and that is much shorter than it used to be! The biggest aspect of the MCAT is the role that it plays in students getting into medical school. It typically operates on a sliding scale with other factors such as GPA and core courses completed. The better an MCAT score, the more leeway allowed in these other areas and vice versa. Continue reading »