1. What is the AMCAS application?
AMCAS stands for the American Medical College Application Service, which is a centralized application service available through the Association of American Medical Colleges (AAMC). It allows candidates to apply to multiple allopathic (MD) medical schools using a single application. You can access the AMCAS application through the AAMC website.2. How many MD medical schools can I apply to through AMCAS?
You can apply to as many schools as you want, though we recommend refining your school list a bit and trimming it down to approximately 20 schools. You can always add a few more to your application after it has been submitted. So later, mindful additions might make sense.3. Why not send the application to as many medical schools as possible?
This is certainly a tempting strategy that we see candidates use from time to time. However, even though the schools won’t know how many programs you’re applying to, all the written material you must submit (your personal statement, activity descriptions, and three most meaningful experiences) cannot possibly establish your fit with 50 different schools at once. There are ways of refining your lineup of target programs that will eliminate any excess or unrealistic choices. Know the various schools’ rules and requirements before finalizing your list, as well as each one’s specific focus and orientation. Some programs describe the characteristics and skills of the students they seek. Some prioritize medical training to serve a demographic or region. Some favor instate applicants, while others do not.Applying to medical school is very costly and time-consuming, and the process commands your full attention. And keep in mind that once your AMCAS application has been submitted, your work is not done – not even close.
4. What information and documentation do I need to complete the AMCAS application?
The AMCAS application asks for personal and demographic information about you and your family. It requests your contact information, transcripts and academic history, reference information for your letters of recommendation, and your MCAT score. In addition, you must submit an engaging personal statement that honestly explains “why medicine?” in a manner that ultimately creates a portrait of the individual you are beyond your test scores and grades.You will detail your academic background and achievements, paid work/employment, extracurriculars, volunteer commitments, research, hobbies, and clinical experience in the Work/Activities section, which allows you to provide up to 15 entries, each with a short narrative description of 700 characters maximum (with spaces). You’ll need to then designate three of these entries as “most meaningful” and will have an additional 1,325 characters (with spaces) to elaborate on and explain why they are so significant for you.
You will be asked to provide an explanation of any Institutional Action that appears on your record. Be honest, own the situation, and explain how you grew from the experience.
You will also need to explain any criminal convictions, from misdemeanors to felonies. However, AMCAS must follow certain rules when asking about convictions. Be sure to review the AMCAS guidelines for specific information on reporting convictions. Not all convictions must be disclosed or reported. Here’s the guide: AMCAS Applicant Guide
5. What happens after I submit my AMCAS application?
All AMCAS applications undergo a verification process for accuracy and consistency. Once you have submitted your AMCAS application (preferably in June), and your application has been verified (typically a few weeks later), AMCAS will calculate a standardized GPA for you, and then you will move on to the “secondary” phase of the application process.In this secondary phase, individual schools will automatically or selectively send you requests for required supplemental essays, called secondaries. These supplemental essays are a lot of work and have relatively short deadlines (typically two to three weeks). The more schools you apply to, the more secondaries you’ll have to complete within a very tight timeline. Some secondary questions are practical, such as “Are there any moments in your academic performance that you wish to explain?” Some are experiential: “Discuss a time you experienced or witnessed social injustice.” Some secondary questions are exploratory, such as “What does leadership entail?,” or visionary, such as “What will be the biggest challenge in twenty-first century medicine?” The most important responsibility you have in answering these secondary questions is to provide precisely what the prompt is asking for via a mature answer that reflects your principles and character. Avoid at all costs the temptation to recycle a completed secondary response from one school to another without very consciously tailoring it to fit the new prompt.
All secondaries have either a word or a character limit. Some schools request answers to a variety of secondary questions, so their limits tend to be shorter. Other schools ask fewer questions but want longer answers in the form of essays. The best secondary responses are thoughtful and composed, having undergone several revisions.
A strong primary application with mindful, mature, and insightful secondaries can cinch an interview invitation. Weak secondaries can place you in limbo or even sway a rejection.
Good luck, future doctors!
This article was originally posted on blog.accepted.com.
