Wright State offers cost-effective MCAT prep

The deadline to register for Wright State’s Medical College Admission Test rep course is January 6.

Wright State University is offering prospective medical students a more cost-effective way to prepare for the Medical College Admission Test (MCAT), which is a crucial part of getting into medical school.

Unfortunately, many commercial preparation courses can range from $2,000 to $3,000, an expense that can be a significant hindrance to many students.

Wright State’s Pre-Professional Health Program offers an MCAT prep course to Wright State students and students from other local colleges and universities. The course, which costs $650, provides a structured group-study setting that includes instruction and mentorship by medical and pre-med students.

Students must register for Wright State’s 2023 MCAT prep course by Jan. 6.

The prep course provides a structured format for the review of basic science concepts. Each student is responsible for reviewing each MCAT concept and chapter reading listed on the syllabus before class.

The course is designed to help students understand how to approach MCAT questions and reviews MCAT exam content to help identify students’ areas of weakness, providing direction for independent study.

“Academic performance, including the MCAT, is the most critical factor in getting an interview invite to medical schools,” said Rob Cowles, prep course manager and coordinator of Wright State’s Pre-Professional Health Program, adding that the MCAT ranks behind only cumulative science grade point average and cumulative grade point average in importance. “Students must dedicate time and energy to this critical portion of the application.”

Since the program’s inception, 29 students on average have registered for the course yearly. Nearly half of them register for and complete the MCAT, with 80% of that group going on to apply to medical school and 65% being accepted, a number that greatly exceeds the 42% national average.

The course is held each spring semester on Mondays and Fridays from 6 to 9 p.m. and requires a minimum of 15 registered students for the course to run.

The registration fee includes three full-length AAMC MCAT practice exams and nearly 70 hours of instruction covering the MCAT exam’s six sections. Boonshoft School of Medicine students and current undergraduate pre-med students lead the MCAT Prep Course instruction.

The funds from the course are used to purchase resources for pre-professional health students, such as practice tests, study books, chemistry kits and review sessions. The funds are also used to support the annual Path to Health Professions event, a day of informational forums exposing students to the health professions.