FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS
To help you better understand how the MCAT fits into medical school requirements, the American University of the Caribbean School of Medicine (AUC) Office of Admissions has compiled a list of some of the most frequently asked questions about the MCAT. Check out the FAQs, and the answers, below.
Reputable Caribbean medical school admissions committees, such as AUC’s, look very closely at an applicant’s MCAT scores when evaluating that person’s readiness for medical school. That’s not necessarily because we think that your MCAT score defines you—it doesn’t. Rather, it’s because studies show that a student’s MCAT performance can be directly correlated to that individual’s future medical school performance.
AUC takes a holistic approach when we’re considering you for our program—the MCAT is just one piece of your overall profile, along with your undergraduate performance and adherence to personal attributes that AUC looks for in a candidate, like volunteerism and social maturity.
Many schools, AUC included, offer merit-based scholarships that take your MCAT score into account along with your other qualifications.
See the schedule below of MCAT Test Dates in 2021 and when you need to take the MCAT to enroll at AUC. The registration opening for the July-September test dates will be held on April 21 and 22, 2021
MCAT TEST DATES 2021
| MCAT Test Dates 2021 |
|---|
| September 10, 2021 |
| September 11, 2021 |
Take a look at the MCAT Section Breakdown for a detailed breakdown of what you can expect on the MCAT, including descriptions of each section.
All told, you will encounter four sections on test day:
- Biological and Biochemical Foundations of Living Systems
- Chemical and Physical Foundations of Biological Systems
- Psychological, Social, and Biological Foundations of Behavior
- Critical Analysis and Reasoning Skills
The first three sections will test your overall knowledge of foundational concepts, not just facts. At the same time, they will challenge you to integrate and analyze information from multiple disciplines and to apply that information to new situations. For these sections, you’ll need to be demonstrating knowledge of scientific concepts and principles; scientific reasoning and problem-solving; reasoning about the design and execution of research; and data-based and statistical reasoning.
Reaching for your energy drink yet? The fourth section will ask you to read and think about passages from a wide range of disciplines in the social sciences and humanities and answer questions that test your ability to comprehend, analyze, and reason about anything from Horatio to Hollywood.
Wondering how the exam will be scored? The AAMC has released information detailing the scoring scale and what your MCAT score report will look like.
AUC takes a holistic approach when we’re considering you for our program—the MCAT is just one piece of your overall profile, along with your undergraduate performance and adherence to personal attributes that AUC looks for in a candidate, like volunteerism and social maturity.
A good MCAT score is the average score for your targeted medical school. For some medical schools like AUC, applications are reviewed holistically, which means they look at more than just your MCAT score.