News Article

     Melissa Healy published the article "Med school admission tests change to reflect new care realities," on the Los Angeles Times website. To create future physicians with improved bedside manners, the Association of American Medical Colleges has announced changes to the Medical College Admission Test (MCATs) that would test applicants' knowledge of psychology, sociology and biology, as well as their ethical and scientific reasoning skills. Two new sections will be added: "Psychological, Sociological and Biological Foundations of Behavior" and "Critical Analysis and Reasoning Skills." The changes are being announced well ahead of their implementation so that high school and college students considering a medical career can start diversifying their course loads now (including me).
     With a patient population growing older and more ethically diverse than at any time in history, doctors must have some academic exposure to fields beyond science. In my opinion, these additions will make the doctor-patient relationship stronger and more understandable because doctors will have wider ethical and psychological knowledge. Being a doctor is a tough career but it is always better to have good relationships with patients and understand them, hence making the path of medicine easier and comfortable for both sides.