The Faculty of Nursing and Health Sciences at NDU-Shouf Campus hosted Mr. Hisham Kharroub, Kaplan Certified Education Provider at Test Prep Institute and holder of a BS in Biology and an MA in English Literature, on Tuesday, December 13, 2016.
Mr. Kharroub, delivered a lecture entitled MCAT Exam Overview. He mentioned that Test Prep Institute is the only certified Kaplan education provider in Lebanon. Its comprehensive courses are research-based and are specifically designed to help medical students gain a thorough understanding of the test.
Mr. Kharroub focused on the test structure and noted that it is revised over the years. He presented statistics that highlighted the role of the MCAT scores in admissions decisions; Before MCAT was introduced, 20% of medical students dropped out in their first year. After only 12 years of using the test to evaluate applicants that number had been cut in half, and today it has dropped to less than 2%. Similarly, a strong MCAT score has been shown to correlate strongly to success on both the USMLE Step 1 and Step 2 exams.
When medical schools look at an applicant’s MCAT score, they use that information to understand how the applicant would stand up to the rigorous academic load of a med student.
MCAT, then, Mr. Kharroub emphasized was not about getting a student into medical school as much as it was about making sure they would be able to stay in school if admitted and ultimately make it through to residency.
Mr. Kharroub discussed the graphical representation of the science content on the MCAT 2015 exam, and stressed that the questions within each section of a given test mainly cover biochemistry and psychology topics. Each of the 4 sections on the MCAT are scored from 118-132, with a total combined score range of 472-528.
He listed some sample test questions and concluded with tips and fundamental truths about preparing for the MCAT exam.
The attendees, including students from different backgrounds, staff and faculty, were given a chance to ask questions. This gave way to interesting discussions.
A certificate of appreciation was offered to Mr. Hisham Kharroub for his valuable presentation along with a bouquet of flowers in appreciation.