THE DUKE MASTER OF BIOMEDICAL SCIENCES ENHANCES STUDENT

THE DUKE MASTER OF BIOMEDICAL SCIENCES ENHANCES STUDENT MCAT PERFORMANCE INTRODUCTION • Med school applicants must take a standardized aptitude exam, MCAT. • Uncertain how well MCATs predict med school performance. • Postbaccalaureate programs (PBs) may ↑ student performance on the “old MCAT. ” • The impact of PBs on the new MCAT [April 2015 on] not previously described. Duke MBS students who took the MCAT before and after MBS have statistically significant improvements! OBJECTIVE: To test our hypothesis that MBS participation is associated with MCAT improvement for at least three of the four MCAT subscales. Non-Cognitive Predictors of Student Success: A Predictive Validity Comparison Between Domestic and International Students METHODS • MCATs for students with both pre-MBS and post-MBS MCATs were compared. • All MCATs were verified through AMCAS or review of the actual score report, not by student self-report. • Differences in percentile scores between total MCAT and within the 4 subsections were used. • Analysis: The significance of the difference between scores was assessed using the paired t-test. RESULTS • 53 students took 71 pre-MBS MCATs (30 old and 41 new). • 34 students took “new MCAT” both pre and post-MBS. Non-Cognitive Predictors of Student Success: A Predictive Validity Comparison Between Domestic and International Students This is true for “overall MCAT scores and all 4 subsections. SIGNIFICANCE: • Students had statistically significant improvements in the overall MCAT and all 4 subsections following MBS. URi. M students improved more. Take a picture for more information Sandra S. Stinnett Dr PH, Melanie J. Bonner, Ph. D, Maureen D. Cullins MA, Kathryn M. Andolsek MD MPH