The decision to attend medical school is one that many students have made before they’ve even had their first day of college classes. And it’s no wonder-with rigid standards and requirements, every aspect of your college career may be evaluated to determine whether or not you are a good fit for a particular medical school. With freshman and sophomore year out of the way, your major established and your plan laid out with the help of a counselor, it’s time to start thinking about the application deadline for medical school. Starting sometime during your junior year of college and often lasting until graduation, the medical school application process is time consuming and involved.
The MCAT
No medical school application would be complete without the MCAT, the Medical College Admissions Test. Typically, preparation for the MCAT begins during the junior year of college, including studying, preparatory classes, and signing up for your test date. According to the AAMC Application and Admissions Timeline, most students begin preparations for the test during their fall semester of junior year, and take the MCAT during the spring semester or early in the summer between junior and senior year. Earlier test dates leave applicants more room to re-take the test, if they are unhappy with their scores, however, all of your scores will still be available for medical schools to view. In addition, note that MCAT scores will not be considered valid by most medical schools after more than two years has lapsed.
The Primary Application: AMCAS
Princeton Review notes that most medical schools in the United States use the AMCAS application process for their initial screening. Your general information, as well as your MCAT scores, will be available for viewing by medical schools using this application. According to the AMCAS website, the early decision deadline for applications into the AMCAS system is August 1st. Regular applications deadlines vary by medical school (typically, between October 1st and December 15th of your senior year). You’ll need to provide official transcripts, as well as your MCAT scores and a list of schools who you would like your application sent to. AAMC suggests that your registration with the AMCAS begin no later than the spring of your junior year, and be completed during the summer between junior and senior year.
The Secondary Application
Once medical schools have received your primary application via AMCAS, they will contact you if they are interested in gathering more information. This typically occurs during the fall semester of your senior year, but can vary depending on when you’ve submitted your application. AAMC notes that a secondary application usually consists of essays.
Interviews
Interviews are the final stage of the medical school application process. If a medical school has been pleased with your test scores, transcripts, and essays, they will invite you to campus for an interview. Decisions are made after the interview process. Interviews take place during the spring of your senior year (though, if you’ve applied for early admission, may occur sooner).
Of course, the application process and timeline will vary slightly depending on the medical schools that you are applying to. However, the basics of the process (the MCAT, AMCAS, secondary application and interviews) remain consistent from year to year.
Resources:
AAMC; Application and Admission Timeline; http://www.aamc.org/students/considering/timeline.htm
AMCAS; American Medical College Application Service; http://www.aamc.org/students/amcas/start.htm
AAMC; MCAT; http://www.aamc.org/students/mcat/start.htm
Princeton Review; Medical School Applications; http://www.princetonreview.com/medical/medical-school-applications.aspx
