“We’re reaching a point where that’s basic information, basic content that is essential to the practice of medicine nowadays,” he said. “These haven’t been really looked at in any detail in previ- ous exams and they are the fundamental courses for understanding the scientific basis of the practice of medicine.” Dr. Mitchell says a recent report by
a group called the Scientific Founda- tion for Future Physicians Committee, cosponsored by AAMC and the Howard Hughes Medical Institute, also found that potential medical students need more exposure to biochemistry and cel- lular and molecular biology “because those two fields have exploded in recent years in terms of their relevance to medi- cal science.”
The human side But while the hard science may be in- creasingly important, so too is a physi- cian’s ability to communicate and under- stand human behaviors that affect health and disease. Dr. Mitchell says the new exam will introduce material on cross- cultural studies, ethics and philosophy, population health, and more. “I think it speaks to the national con- versation and to the findings of a num- ber of blue ribbon panels about the im- portance of behavior in health outcomes and sociological issues in health that have to do with family, neighborhood, nutrition, and so on. And, obviously, the population is changing demographically, so these issues are important to address. Manuel Schydlower, MD, associate dean for admissions and professor of pediatrics at the Texas Tech University Health Sciences Center’s Paul L. Foster School of Medicine in El Paso, says the emphasis on behavior and cultural is- sues is important in evaluating the “per- sonal characteristics” of potential medi- cal students. “I think that’s important because that will help identify individuals who will not only look at patients as disease pro- cesses but also look at them as persons.” That fits well with the Foster school’s
approach to analyzing applicants that goes beyond looking at MCAT scores and grade point averages, Dr. Schyd- lower says. “While we look at all aspects
July 2011 TEXAS MEDICINE 49
of the applicant to include academic cre- dentials and capabilities in the sciences, we’re also very interested in learning about critical thinking skills, problem- solving skills, the personal characteris- tics that make the complete doctor, the type of doctor that you or I would want for ourselves.”
The challenge ahead The MR5 Committee will seek opinions about its proposal from several differ- ent groups through this summer and fall, including medical school admissions of- ficers, educational affairs officers, diver- sity affairs officers, faculty, and students. Final recommendations will be consid- ered during the AAMC annual meeting in November. Then the AAMC Board of Directors must vote on the recommen- dations in February 2012. Once adopted, the new test would be implemented in 2015 after the new sections are devel- oped and field-tested, Dr. Mitchell says.
If adopted, the new test will present some challenges for undergraduate pre- medical programs, Dr. Lieberman says. “Premedical programs will not only want to review their science courses, but will also need to be sure the new behavioral and social science content of the exam is addressed in their cur- ricula,” he said.
MR5 Committee member Robert Hil-
born, PhD, professor of physics and chair of the Science and Mathematics Educa- tion Department at UT Dallas, says the committee looked at the potential im- pact on undergraduate programs and the counseling that advisors will need to give premedical students. He says there may not be as big an impact on premedi- cal students as some believe. “We don’t see a major shift in the course-taking patterns for most premed students as a result of these changes,” Dr. Hilborn said. In fact, Dr. Mitchell says it appears
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