Prehealth

Newsletter

April 24, 2020

Welcome!

Dear Readers,

There have been a lot of updates announced today, and we wanted to pass them along in this special edition. We will continue to endeavor to keep you updated on changes/updates that might affect your application.

MCAT Updates from AAMC

Dear Examinee,
We know how greatly your life has been disrupted by the COVID-19 pandemic, and to say that this is a frustrating and challenging time is an understatement. Preparing for the MCAT exam and applying to medical school takes sustained effort and careful planning over several years. The challenges of COVID-19 have regrettably made it difficult to provide more information to you sooner as you make plans to take the MCAT exam. We thank you for your patience and are glad to share these updates that will help you move forward with your plans for taking the MCAT exam and applying to medical school.

1.) Registration for the updated 2020 MCAT Testing Calendar (Links to an external site.) will open on May 7, 2020. Please visit our website (Links to an external site.) for more information.
2.) We are increasing the number of test appointments in an attempt to provide enough seats for everyone who wants to test in 2020 and to allow for safe social distancing practices in the test centers.
• Three new dates will be added to the testing calendar (June 28, September 27, and September 28).
• Exams will be held three times per day on all test dates for the remainder of 2020. Standard start times will be 6:30 a.m., 12:15 p.m., and 6:00 p.m. each day. There may be some variations by test center. More information about start times, including start times for examinees who currently have 8:00 a.m. appointments, will be provided prior to registration opening.
3.) We are temporarily shortening the exam to 5 hours and 45 minutes for the remainder of 2020 test dates to accommodate the number of appointments offered per day at each test center.
• Some of the field test questions in each section have been removed, and some administrative items, such as the tutorial and the end-of-day survey, have been reduced or removed to shorten the length of the exam.
• We encourage you to use the online “Practice with MCAT Exam Features” tool to familiarize yourself with the exam functionality prior to test day in lieu of the tutorial. Visit the free resources section of the MCAT Official Prep Hub (Links to an external site.).
• The exam will not be easier or harder than the full-length exam. You will still be tested on all four sections of the exam and are responsible for knowing the same concepts and skills covered on the full-length exam.
• Scores are not changing. You will receive five scores from the exam: one from each of the four sections and one combined total score, just like examinees who took the full-length test.
• Please visit our website (Links to an external site.) to learn more about the shortened exam and access helpful FAQs.
4.) Scores will be reported within approximately two weeks for exams held from June 19 through August 1. MCAT scores from other test dates will be reported to examinees and medical schools in the typical time frame, which is about four weeks.
5.) Decisions will be made next week about the status of the May 29 exams and will be communicated by email. We will continue to follow local and state health guidance to determine which locations will be affected. At this time we anticipate testing in some centers, but not all.
6.) Please keep in mind that as the spread of COVID-19 continues to be volatile, and testing may be affected in specific locations, according to the local health guidance. The health and safety of every examinee is our priority, and it is possible examinees may need to reschedule their exam for another date if conditions are deemed unsafe by local authorities. Social distancing and health and safety measures will be in place at test centers when testing resumes. Please visit the Pearson VUE website (Links to an external site.) to learn more.
7.) All rescheduling fees have been waived for all exam dates for the 2020 MCAT testing year until further notice.
8.) The AAMC has been working closely with medical school admissions officers since the start of this pandemic, and they are very aware of the impact of COVID-19 on the admissions process and the delay of MCAT scores in students’ applications. AMCAS (Links to an external site.) has also delayed transmitting applicant data to medical schools by two weeks (moving from June 26 to July 10) to give applicants more time to complete their applications. Medical schools will be flexible with their application deadlines and make their review processes as fair and equitable as possible during this unprecedented admissions cycle.

Please visit our MCAT Coronavirus Page (Links to an external site.) for more information and FAQs as well as other ways the AAMC can support you through the application process this year.
We are wishing you and your loved ones good health during this truly difficult time for our nation. As the next generation of physicians, you are needed now more than ever, and the AAMC is proud to support you at every step throughout your medical school journey.

Sincerely,
The MCAT Program

Robust health and safety measures (Links to an external site.) will also be in place at the test centers when testing resumes.

Impact of coronavirus on 2020 AAMC Fee Assistance Program Eligibility

The AAMC strongly believes that the various costs associated with applying to medical school should not be a barrier. We are especially committed to helping aspiring physicians navigate the process during these especially challenging times.

Due to these unprecedented times, the AAMC has adjusted the eligibility criteria for our Fee Assistance Program. In 2020, applicants will be awarded Fee Assistance Program benefits if each household reported on their application has a 2019 total family income that is 400 percent or less than the 2019 national poverty level for that family size (previously set at 300 percent or less).

We have communicated with previously denied Fee Assistance Program applicants who may now be eligible for benefits under the new criteria. Additionally, there are new procedures in place which may assist applicants experiencing financial hardship due to the coronavirus pandemic. Learn more:

• Coronavirus (COVID-19) and the Fee Assistance Program (Links to an external site.)
• Who Is Eligible to Participate in the Fee Assistance Program? (Links to an external site.)

AMCAS Updates from AAMC

The AAMC, with input and feedback from the admissions community, has decided to delay transmitting AMCAS applicant data to medical schools by two weeks.

At this time, we intend to open the AMCAS application as planned on May 4, and this transmission delay – moving from June 26 to July 10 – will give applicants additional time to complete their applications during this rapidly changing situation due to coronavirus (COVID-19). We do not expect this two-week delay to impact AMCAS operations, including application processing and verification.

Many schools are updating their policies and timelines daily. Please check Medical School Admission Requirement (MSAR) for those changes to ensure your advisees have the latest information.

Please visit the AAMC Services Coronavirus page and AMCAS Coronavirus FAQs for more information and regular updates.

Thank you for your support during this challenging time. Please stay safe and be well.

Sincerely,

AAMC

CASPA Updates

As we quickly approach the April 30 launch date for the 2020-21 CASPA application cycle, I wanted to provide two quick but important updates to the application that have come as a result of COVID-19.   

First, for those applicants who are unable to obtain official transcripts, CASPA will grant an exception and allow them to upload unofficial transcripts instead. Applicants will be shown on-screen text that provides detailed instructions for how to take advantage of the new Transcript Hardship option. This exemption should only be pursued if applicants are unable to have their official transcripts sent to CASPA from any regionally accredited, post-secondary college or university they attended. Furthermore, this exception should not be used to circumvent any administrative holds that have been placed on student accounts that prevent the distribution of official transcripts. More information about this process is available in the CASPA Applicant Help Center (Links to an external site.).   

Second, PAEA has added a COVID-19 hardship essay to the CASPA application which will allow applicants to express how the pandemic has impacted their pathway to becoming a PA. This essay is optional, will be up to 2500 characters in length, and PAEA will continue to have the essay in CASPA for at least the next 5 application cycles.

Please continue reading below for some more lighthearted news—many schools and associations are taking their activities online and there are still opportunities to engage with fellow students, admissions representatives, and current med/dent/PA students!

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