St. Thomas students planning to take the Medical College Admission Test in 2015 or after may want to add a few more social science classes to their college schedule.

The Association of American Medical Colleges announced this month that a new version of the MCAT will include a sociology and psychology section. The changes are designed to reflect a more well-rounded student.

“It (the change) will start in 2015 with this next group of incoming pre-health students. We will try to do more targeted advising, telling them what sort of classes they should take,” Psychology professor Roxanne Prichard said. “They should take maybe more psychology, sociology, maybe some neuroscience classes. And many of them do that already.”

Sophomore Luis Ortega, a neuroscience major, plans on taking the test either in 2014 or 2015 and said the changes are headed in a positive direction.

“I think it’s only natural that they (revise the test) because right now the way it’s spaced is it’s basically biological sciences and physical sciences and a writing portion. I think if they add a sociology and psychology (section), that’s going to make a more well-rounded medical school applicant,” Ortega said.

Prichard said the test revision, however, brings a lot of concerns about curriculum changes and financial issues.

“I just have a lot of concern about whether it will further alienate students who can’t afford to take extra classes. And also whether it will really show you what you’re intending to show,” Prichard said. “It’s not necessarily going to be a measure of your compassion or your empathy, which I think they (test makers) were trying to get that indirectly.”

The new version of the test, which includes changes to all of the exam’s four areas, would be the fifth revision since the MCAT originated in 1928, but the first in the last 20 years. The two natural science sections of the MCAT would be revised to reflect the changing face of science and the verbal section would be replaced by a critical analysis and reasoning section.

The writing sample would be eliminated, and a behavioral and social sciences section would be introduced in its place.

Ortega said he strongly believes that eliminating the writing portion was necessary.

“I can understand (eliminating the writing portion) because if you spend all your time doing science, you’re not going to be much of a writer,” Ortega said.

Additionally, the added social sciences section will increase testing time by 90 minutes; increasing the former five and a half hour exam to seven hours.

However, senior Mikhail Klimstra, who took the MCAT exam last May, said the added time should not be a problem for students.

“I don’t think it will bother anyone because we already are spending months to prepare for it (MCAT exam),” Klimstra said.

Senior biochemistry major Andrea Hogan said that the revisions are a positive step for students applying for medical school.

“The plans to incorporate sociology and psychology are a good way to show the importance of considering a person as a whole in medicine. Among the piles of biology and chemistry in pre-med coursework, the interpersonal aspect of medicine can get lost, so I think this is a step in the right direction,” Hogan said.

Sara Kovach can be reached at kova7636@stthomas.edu.