How to Prepare for the Medical College Admissions Test (MCAT) - Six Important Tips for Pre-Medical Students from Rural Areas

Sep 28, 2026

Uploaded by Logic

Provides six practical preparation tips for pre-medical students from rural areas facing limited access to affordable resources for the Medical College Admissions Test (MCAT). Explains the MCAT’s role as a critical milestone and selection factor across MD and DO admissions, and summarizes relevant context such as test revisions and debated predictive validity for medical school and board outcomes. Emphasizes barriers like cost, unavailability of courses, and uneven awareness of AAMC and free online options.

LanguageEnglish

CategoryExam

FormatPDF

Pages7

Reading Time18 min

AccessFree to download

Introduction

Planning

Tip 1: Finish the Required Coursework

[https://doi.org/10.1007/s40670-019-00823-0](https://doi.org/10.1007/s40670-019-00823-0) COMMENTARY How to Prepare for the Medical College Admissions Test (MCAT): Six ~~ ~~~~ ~~Important Tips for Pre-Medical Students from Rural Areas Kevin S. Steed 1 & Samuel Kadavakollu 1 \# International Association of Medical Science Educators 2019 Introduction By 2030, it is estimated that there will be a shortage of more than one hundred and twenty thousand physicians in the USA [1, 2]. While the general shortage will affect the whole country, rural areas are expected to be impacted the most [3–5] . To address this shortage, it is important to enhance pre-medical students’ access to available resources and effectively prepare them for the medical school admission process, especially in rural areas. Taking the Medical College Admissions Test (MCAT) is one of the milestones that every pre-medical student must reach when preparing to apply for a seat at a medical school [6]. Nearly all Osteopathic (DO) and Allopathic (MD) schools require MCAT scores as a pre-requisite for application and also use the MCAT as a selection factor during the admissions process [7, 8] . Even other selected allied health professional schools, including physician assistant and veterinary programs, will consider an applicant’s MCAT score during their admission process. Since its initial development in 1928, the MCAT has gone through six revisions, the most recent being in 2015 [9] . In each revision, the internal qualities of the test have drastically increased to assess the readiness of students for the rigors of medical school education. Addition of the psychological, social, and behavioral science subjects in the latest version tests a medical school applicant’s understanding of the importance of population health and cultural competency in attempts to reduce the health care disparities in medicine [10] . While the changes cover a broad range of topics and encourage a more diverse population of applicants, it also significantly increases the total content and has made the exam more difficult for the * Samuel Kadavakollu[skadavakollu@chsu.edu](skadavakollu@chsu.edu) Department of Biomedical Education, California Health Sciences University, 120 North Clovis Avenue, Building 65, Clovis, CA 93612, USA diverse population it sought to attract. Despite the assurance that there are no inherent biases against race or ethnicity, the Black and Latino test takers have consistently scored lower than White applicants [11] . Yet, the MCAT’s ability to compare applicants who come from diverse backgrounds in a standardized manner is what maintains its status quo as the gateway test into medical school. Despite the ubiquitous use of the MCAT for admission, it remains uncertain as to the test’s ability to predict medical school performance. Graduation from medical school and continuation into residency are dependent upon completion of either the United States Medical Licensing Examination (USMLE), for MD schools, and Comprehensive Osteopathic Medical Licensing Examination (COMLEX), for DO schools. Multiple studies have found a variety of predictive measures for success in board examinations including MCAT, undergraduate GPA, post-baccalaureate experience, preclinical experience, and medical school GPA [12] . While each of the measures carries some predictive weight, one would assume that the specialized test to enter medical school would carry the most, but that has not been found tobe the case. According to the published literature, improved board performance was only correlated with the Biological and Biochemical Foundations of Living (BBFL) systems section scores ofthe MCAT [7, 13] . Regardless of the unclear predictive value of the MCAT, it remains as a crucial measure for the admissions process for nearly all medical schools and is a major choke point for underserved and rural populations. The chronic shortage of doctors and other health care provid

FAQs

Why is the MCAT important for pre-medical students?

Most MD and DO schools require MCAT scores for application and use MCAT results during admissions. The MCAT also affects other allied health programs that consider MCAT scores.

How has the MCAT changed over time?

Since its development in 1928, the MCAT has undergone six revisions, with the most recent in 2015. The latest version added psychological, social, and behavioral science subjects to assess readiness for medical school.

What is the first preparation tip for students starting MCAT study?

Tip 1 is to finish the required coursework. The document notes that searching online can lead to paid advertisements, so students should focus on low-cost options such as those from AAMC.

Sep 28, 2026

Uploaded by Logic