Applying to Medical School
The AMCAS and non-AMCAS application
Most medical schools in the United States participate in the American Medical College Application Service (AMCAS). AMCAS is a non-profit, centralized service designed to facilitate the application process for both the applicant and the medical school. The application is completed on-line (www.aamc.org /students/amcas/start.htm) and transcripts are forwarded directly to AMCAS. AMCAS reviews and verifies the information submitted on the application and transmits the information electronically to designated schools.
If you are applying to a medical school that does not participate in AMCAS, or you are applying for a joint degree such as MD/PhD, you need to contact the school directly for application instructions.
A listing of participating AMCAS schools can be found at www.aamc.org/students/amcas/start.htm or information about individual schools is available in the Medical School Admission Requirements (MSAR). Non-AMCAS schools are also identified in the MSAR or can be found through the MCAT section of the AAMC web page ( www.aamc.org/students/mcat/start.htm).
The AMCAS Application
Completing the AMCAS application is a time consuming process. An application worksheet and instruction booklet is available through AAMC (www.aamc.org /students/amcas/start.htm) and should be printed out as a first step in completing the application. Read the instructions carefully. The application is comprehensive and requires biographical information and information regarding your academic performance, employment history, volunteer experiences, extracurricular activities, any honors or awards you may have received and a personal statement.
Begin the process early so that you can submit your application as soon as AMCAS is ready to receive it, usually early in June. AMCAS generally takes 4 – 6 weeks to verify the information on the application and submit it to the designated schools.
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Transcripts
Arrange to have official copies of your transcripts from all colleges or universities you have attended sent to AMCAS before you send in your application and request unofficial copies for your personal use as you will need these to complete the application. Use the AMCAS transcript request form, which has your AAMC ID number, when requesting your official transcripts. These forms are available as part of the on-line application and must accompany the official transcript. You will also have to have official transcripts sent to each non-AMCAS school you apply to.
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Personal Statement
The personal statement is probably the most difficult part of the AMCAS application. The essay can be no longer than 5300 characters, approximately one page, and should contain information about you that is not found elsewhere in the application. This statement is your opportunity to personalize your application, to describe the special strengths you bring to the practice of medicine and to present yourself as an applicant who deserves a closer look. The AMCAS application worksheet recommends you consider the following questions when drafting your statement:
Why have you selected the field of medicine?
What motivates you to learn more about medicine?
What do you want medical schools to know about you that has not been disclosed in another section of the application?
Are there any special hardships, challenges or obstacles that may have influenced your educational pursuits?
Do you wish to include commentary on significant fluctuations in your academic record that are not explained elsewhere in the application?
Make the essay interesting and be honest. Anecdotal events are often an effective way of illustrating your interest and motivation. Avoid in your statement, generalizations or third-person comments, gush and mush, making excuses, slang, antagonizing statements, clichés, and repeating information that appears elsewhere in your application. Have parents, friends, professors and the pre-medical advisor read the statement and make suggestions and corrections. It is important that your personal statement be grammatically and typographically correct. The essay may be prepared in a word processing program and then copied and pasted into the application. A spell check can not be run in the AMCAS application program and no changes can be made to your essay after you have submitted your application. Many medical schools reject applicants if their personal statements contain grammatical or spelling errors.
Medical school admissions committees place significant weight on the personal statement, so you will want to spend considerable time on this section of the application. Start early – many students spend several months revising and polishing their statements.
Helpful sites:
University of Kansas http://www.medadvising.ku.edu/essaytips.html
Essay Edge http://www.essayedge.com/medical/
Geocities essay tips http://www.geocities.com/premedsource/amcas.html
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Record Keeping
It is important to keep accurate records of the dates that materials are sent and received. It is your responsibility to make sure that your file is complete. Applications will not be reviewed until all required information has been received. Keep photocopies of your application and all correspondence for future reference.
AAMC is developing a web-based service that will allow students to check on the status of their applications on-line. When this service will be available is not clear, but look for future updates on their web site.
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