MCAT Preparatory Course Policy

The Combined BA/MD Degree Program requires that all students complete a Kaplan MCAT preparatory course during the Spring or Summer of their 3rd year in the Program. The purpose of the MCAT prep course is to both assist in preparing students for the Medical College Admission Test (MCAT) in content review and standardized test taking strategy. The MCAT prep course also provides valuable help in preparing for standardized tests, principally the MCAT, but these strategies will also be useful for Step 1 and Step 2 in medical school. As such, the Program requires that all students take the preparatory course. All students are required to register, via the BA/MD advisors, to take a MCAT prep course by the last Friday of October in their 3rd year.

The Program requires students to choose from either a “regularly offered” Kaplan MCAT prep course offered in the Spring (start in December after fall finals and end in mid-April) or Summer intensive (start in May after spring finals and end in late June) Kaplan MCAT prep course.

If the spring course is chosen, students must have completed or be concurrently enrolled in all SOM admission pre‐med course pre‐requisites (with exception to Biochemistry 423 and Biology 440). If the summer course is chosen, students must have completed all SOM admission pre‐med course pre‐requisites (with exception to Biochemistry 423 and Biology 440).

Students must attend all Medical College Admission Test (MCAT) preparatory classes and practice exams, with no more than two absences for any reason. Any missed classes and/or exams should be made up. Students are expected to complete the assigned homework online each week.

The course is paid for by the BA/MD Program. The BA/MD Program will only pay for one MCAT preparatory course. If a student does not complete the prep course requirements as defined below, they will receive a professionalism violation and be responsible for repaying the cost of the prep course to the Program.

• • Complete in full the pre-test/baseline diagnostic exam prior to starting MCAT prep course
  • Attend a minimum of 12 of 14 classes
  • Complete 100% of one of the following options: (does not include pre-test/baseline diagnostic exam and in-person required mock MCAT)
    • Option I: Complete a minimum of 5 full-length practice tests
    • Option II: 
      • Complete a minimum of 3 full-length practice tests
      • Complete 1 additional in-person program offered mock MCAT
      • Complete 6 section exams in one subsection of MCAT (i.e. Biology & Biochemistry, Chemistry and Physics, CARS or Psych/Sociological subsections)
  • Complete the MCAT prep course and in-person program required mock MCAT before taking the MCAT on their registration date

 MCAT Preparatory course policy regarding petitioning out:

The deadline for signing up for the MCAT preparatory course is last Friday of October in their 3rd year.

Students may petition to place out of the MCAT prep course if they have achieved the minimum score required by the UNM School of Medicine Committee on Admissions by last Friday of October in their 3rd year.

MCAT Testing and Score Policy:

The BA/MD Program follows the testing cycle policy of the Association of American Medical Colleges (AAMC) who administers the MCAT. The policy allows students to take the MCAT up to 3 times per annual testing cycle, 4 times in two consecutive years, and 7 times in a lifetime.

Students must earn a score on the Medical College Admission Test (MCAT) consistent with the minimum acceptable threshold for admission into the MD Program at the UNM School of Medicine in their seventh regular semester (fall semester of fourth/final undergraduate academic year) due by October 15th.

Be advised that a student taking the MCAT early (before the minimum acceptable threshold is set for the year of their admission) will still need to meet the new minimum acceptable threshold for that year.

Upon completion of their eighth regular semester in the Program, students who fail to earn a score on the MCAT consistent with the minimum acceptable threshold for admission to UNM SOM will be released from the Program.