PHILADELPHIA —The American College of Physicians (ACP) issued a position statement proposing that medical schools “engage in holistic reviews of applicants in their admissions process, and waive Medical College Admission Test (MCAT) requirements” for 2021 due to the “challenges presented by the Covid-19 pandemic.”
“In the midst of the public health emergency due to the Covid-19 pandemic, traditional medical school application processes for pre-medical students have been disrupted. 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 wrote. “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.”
Jacqueline W. Fincher, MD, MACP, and ACP president, noted in a press release about the position statement: “Now more than ever, during these challenging times facing health care, we need to help reduce barriers for students who seek to continue their education and training on a path to join the physician workforce and medical community, which continues to fulfill a vital need in our country.”
Candace Hoffmann, Managing Editor, BreakingMED™
Cat ID: 589
Topic ID: 88,589,500,791,556,190,926,192,589,925
