Students across the nation and in Massachusetts inspired by the heroic actions of health care workers during the coronavirus pandemic are registering for the Medical College Admission Test at record rates so they can serve on the front lines.
“You just see all these doctors out there, no matter what their specialty is helping people, it really lit the flame inside me,” said Mary Grace Kelley, 23, of Natick.
Kelley will be attending Boston University in the fall to earn a master’s degree in medical science. She currently has a job as a medical assistant at Newton-Wellesley Hospital and has a goal of working in sports medicine.
Earning a high score on the MCAT is a key part of landing a seat at a good medical school, and registrations for the exam went up by 463% on May 7 — the highest ever on opening day of registration — according to the Association of American Medical Colleges.
The increase is partially attributed to many testing centers shutting down as non-essential business, but also to renewed interest in careers in the medical field.
“I knew I could crush the MCAT, I knew I just had to hunker down and do it, so what better than the pandemic to do that?” said Kelley, adding, “The best thing that I can do to better myself to then hopefully help people later in life would be to study.”
Dr. Sahil Mehta, a Boston physician and founder of the tutoring company MedSchoolCoach, has also been feeling the inspiring impacts of the pandemic on his business.
In the first two weeks of June, his company saw a 354% increase in tutoring for the MCAT, an exam he said 30-50% of students end up retaking due to its difficulty.
“When COVID hit, I think for the first time in a long time physicians were kind of seen in the spotlight,” said Mehta.
He said he expects the increased interest in medical school will last for years to come, along with an increased interest in public health and epidemiology.
Competition will be tough, though. Mehta said there will always be more applicants then there are spots to fill, and about 60% of students don’t get into medical school already, a percentage that could increase in coming years.
“Med school seats have grown for the last several years with new medical schools and expanding classes, but it has not kept up with the growth of interest,” said Mehta.
Ryan Chahal, a Boston University graduate student and candidate for medical school admission said he’s aware of the tight competition for coveted spots at top medical schools, but the pandemic has reaffirmed his desire to be a physician.
“I remember listening to interviews on the news with physicians and I remember feeling proud I’m going to be in the same profession,” said Chahal, who hopes to work in family medicine or palliative care.
Chahal said, “I think there is this deep national appreciation for medical workers.”
Both Chahal and Kelley didn’t shy away from the challenge of entering medical school with a new influx of competition, but rather expressed excitement about the prospect of having more passionate physicians in the workforce.
“This pandemic might wake people up to the physician shortage and help put the funding where it needs to go to make sure that shortage goes away and make sure we are prepared for the next pandemic,” said Chahal.
Kelley said, “It’s a scary thing to think what can happen in the future but it’s a great motivating force to want to learn more and hopefully prevent these things in the future.”
