Applying to Medical School
Overview and Timeline of the Application Process
Many students have wanted to be a doctor since childhood; others arrive at the decision to pursue medicine in their college years or later. A common element for all these individuals is a sincere desire to help their fellow man. In addition to the opportunity to be of service, becoming a doctor offers an intellectually stimulating career and generous financial compensation. It also encompasses a large number of career options from family practice to emergency medicine to research. It is easy to see why so many people want to pursue this career. However, it is not an easy task to get accepted into medical school. Over 50,000 people take the MCAT each year, approximately 35,000 applications are submitted to US Medical Schools and around 16,500 acceptances are granted. Medical school is one of the most competitive professional schools to get into. Applying to medical school is a complicated, financially costly and time-consuming process and the serious applicant needs to start early and maintain their focus throughout the application process.
Time Commitment
Students desiring to enter medical school need to be aware of the time commitment involved in the application process. From the time you begin preparing for the Medical College Admission Test (MCAT) to the time you actually matriculate at a medical school is 18-20 months. Generally students begin preparing for the MCAT in January of their Junior year. After completion of the test you must complete a comprehensive primary application usually submitted in June or July. Next secondary applications from individual medical schools are completed. Depending on how many schools you applied to you could easily receive 7-10 secondary applications. If all goes well and you are staying on top of things you could be granted one or more interviews. With the exception of the Early Decision Program (see below), the earliest interviews are scheduled in mid-September and can be scheduled throughout the following spring. Most interviews are completed during the winter months. After the interview, schools will notify you if you have been accepted, wait listed or rejected. Most schools have made their decisions of acceptance by May 15 th and then begin offering any remaining openings to wait listed candidates. Schools have been known to call applicants one week before fall classes begin and offer them acceptance.
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Expense
The application process takes money, sometimes thousands of dollars. The costs begin with the MCAT. The fee for this test is getting close to $200.00. The next big expense is the American Medical College Application Service (AMCAS) application. There is an upfront application fee for the first school you apply to and additional fees for subsequent schools. If you apply to the recommended 10 schools you can expect to spend in the neighborhood of $450.00. Hopefully you will get secondary applications from several schools. These applications all have associated fees that range anywhere from $35.00 to $100.00 depending on the school. If you have exceptional financial need, the Association of American Medical Colleges (AAMC) has a Fee Assistance Program (FAP) that reduces the MCAT registration fee and allows you to apply to up to 10 schools at no cost. Most medical schools will reduce or waive the secondary fee if you are approved for the AAMC Fee Assistance Program. For more information on the FAP visit www.aamc.org/students/applying/fap/start.htm.
The interview process is where things really start to get expensive. Nearly all medical schools require that you travel to their school to interview. Travel in and out of Missoula is costly. Take these costs into consideration before you apply and budget for them. If you are enrolled in classes during the time interviews are scheduled, you will probably want to fly to your destination so that you will not miss too much classroom time.
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Start Early
Each year thousands of students successfully complete the application process and matriculate into medical schools in the United States. Students from The University of Montana have been accepted at medical colleges across the country. The task is not impossible but it is complicated. Start early, stay informed and stay on top of things. Keep in touch with the pre-medical sciences advisor from the beginning.
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