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Doctors Ask Medical Schools to Drop MCAT Tests During Pandemic

VOA Student Union

   A professional society of 163,000 physicians, trainees and fellows of
   internal medicine in the United States is asking medical schools to
   waive the entrance exam because the COVID-19 pandemic has made testing
   unmanageable. COVID-19 is the disease caused by the coronavirus.

   The American College of Physicians (ACP) suggests the schools look at
   applicants holistically -- considering factors including grades and
   experience -- and dispense with the Medical College Admission Test --
   [1]known as the MCAT - for entrance year 2021.

   "Applicants have experienced disruptions in taking the MCAT
   examination, whether due to personal health and safety concerns,
   vendor-initiated scheduling changes, or difficulties in accessing
   testing centers," the ACP stated.

   "Furthermore, applicants of color and those from lower socioeconomic
   groups are disproportionately impacted by factors such as venue changes
   to distant testing centers. The ACP is concerned that mandatory MCAT
   testing in the midst of the current public health emergency will
   increase disparities in career opportunity among people of color and
   those of lower socioeconomic status," it added.

   COVID-19 has made standardized testing for college entrance exams
   difficult, at best, because arranging for large groups of students to
   sit for exams in person increases the odds the disease will be shared.
   The germs are spread through droplets emitted during breathing,
   sneezing and coughing. It can also be contracted by touching a surface
   on which it has landed and then touching one's face, where it makes its
   way to the eyes, nose or mouth.

   Several universities, including most of the top schools in the U.S.,
   have waived the testing requirement for standard entrance exams during
   the pandemic.

References

   1. https://www.acponline.org/acp_policy/policies/mcat_position_statement_2020.pdf

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