Applying to Medical School with AMCAS: The Definitive Guide (2021) (2023)

Part 1: Introduction

If you're applying to medical school, chances are you've heard a lot of terms (like AMCAS) that you don't understand. As in any field, there is a lot of jargon that becomes normal for those who are used to it. But if you're just starting your journey, it might get confusing.

learn these terms

• AMCAS / Primary Application
  – AMCAS means theAmerican Medical College Enrollment Service. AMCAS is another name for its core application. They are the same.
• Work and Activities Section
  – You will see this mentioned in some of our guides. This refers to the Work and Activities section that is in the AMCAS application. We discuss this later in this article.
• personal statement
  – Although commonly referred to as your personal statement, it is called yourpersonal comment essayin the app
• Secondary Application
  Your secondary application is the application that you submit directly to each medical school. Medical schools will send you the link to their sub-applications after they receive your AMCAS application.

  It is important to note that some medical schools automatically send sub-applications to all applicants. Other medical schools selectively send them. So if you don't get one, it usually means you didn't make the cut. It is similar to job interviews in that sense.

Part 2: The Definitive Guide

In today's ultimate guide, we'll walk you through theAMCAS. while we haveI played this before, we will guide you step by step through the application process. Many prospective students find the application process intimidating, and that's a notion we want to break. It's only intimidating if you don't understand how it works.

main application

The American Medical College Application Service is for all prospective medical students. As we mentioned in the "Terms to learn" section, it is known as yourmain application. Each medical school you apply to will receive a copy.

Secondary Application

They aresecondary appIt is the one that will be sent directly to each medical school. Secondary applications are unique to each school and usually involve essays. If you need help writing your side essays, check out ourlist of guidesto enter medical school. We cover topics like diversity, adversity, and being a non-traditional student.

Now that you understand thedifference between parent and child apps, let's dive into AMCAS. We will review each step of the application process. After reading this entire guide, you'll be ready to complete your application.

creating your account

The first step to using the AMCAS system iscreating an account. There are three steps to creating your account.

1. Personal information
   This section includes the standard information requested by most forms. The only out-of-the-ordinary question is what your postnominal suffix is. If you have a bachelor's degree, you can put "BA" or "BS" in this place. Or you can leave it blank as it is optional.
2. initial questions
   This section asks where you are in the application process. You are a future medical student. You may still be in your undergraduate years or have completed your bachelor's degree. Just select wherever you are.

   They will check if you already have an account.

3. Account Settings
   You'll create a username and password, answer security questions, and verify your email.

You will be taken to a page that shows the different AMCAS cycles. This can be confusing.You will want to choose the current AMCAS cycle. The past cycle should not show anything and the future cycle will not have opened yet. click on thepurple barto start your application.

create your profile

Once your account is set up, you will be redirected to your profile page where you will be given your AAMC ID. AAMC stands for Association of American Medical Colleges. The AAMC is the organization that hosts AMCAS and administers theMCAT.

After setting up your profile, the site will redirect you to your dashboard.

You'll start on the right side where it saysApplication - Not sent to AMCAS. You will see the following list.

• identifying information
• attended schools
• biographical information
• course work
• work activities
• recommendation letters

Work through these sections one at a time, starting with your identifying information.

identifying information

This includes your:

• Cool name
  This is usually the name on your driver's license.
• preferred name
  If your name is Abigail, but your name is Abby, this is the place to specify it.
• alternate name
  If you were married or divorced, or if you changed your name for any other reason, please list them here. This ensures that AMCAS is profiled and applied correctly.
• identification numbers
  If you took the MCAT, provide your ID here. The same goes for any evidence that comes with an ID.
• birth and sex
  AAMC needs to know the sex you were assigned at birthyWhat gender do you identify with now? They also want to know what pronouns you use. If you tell AMCAS that your name is Abby, but your pronoun issheoheThey will respect that.

attended schools

This section covers your high school and college education.

Secondary school

Transcripts are not required for your secondary education. All the AAMC needs to know is where you went to high school and what year you graduated.

faculties

You will need to be very specific about the colleges you attended. Be sure to include the following information.

• High School Double Credit Courses
• military education
• Non-foreign study programs

List all the courses you took at each institution. Don't leave anything out.

Upon entering your university, you will be asked if you had a major or a major. If you don't have any, selectNone. You will not be able to continue to the next section until you make this selection.

transcripts

Transcripts are required for your AMCAS application. AMCAS will not accept transcripts that you submit yourself. They must be sent by the registry office of each institution you attended.

biographical information

The questions included in this section are as follows.

• preferred address
  This is the address you prefer your correspondence to be sent to.
• Permanent Address
  Your permanent address is where you legally reside.
• Alternative contact (optional)
  A trusted parent, spouse, or friend can be a good alternate contact if AMCAS needs to reach you but is unable to.
• Citizenship
  Wherever you legally reside is where you are a citizen.
• legal residence
  If you are a college student in a state other than your home state, you will need to review the requirements for becoming a legal resident of that state. You will likely want to include the state you lived in with your parents or legal guardians before attending college.
• self identification
  This is optional. Please do not identify yourself if you live in the European Union.
• Languages
  You must list all the languages ​​you speak, no matter how fluent you are. List the language your family primarily spoke first, followed by any secondary languages ​​you learned or are familiar with. Basic knowledge must be included. The more languages ​​the better, but speaking only one language doesn't disqualify you.
• Childhood Information
  This includes demographic information and questions about your family income while you were growing up.
• Military service
  If you served in the United States Armed Forces, there are programs to help you get your education at a more affordable cost. Complete the information in this section according to your circumstances.
• felony or misdemeanor
  Pay close attention here to whatnoneeds to be reported. Also, remember that reporting a felony or misdemeanor conviction does not disqualify you from medical school. There are medical schools in the United States that accept students with backgrounds.

  Do not include a felony if...
  – They didn't charge you.
  – Charges dropped.
  – A judge or jury found you not guilty.
  - His conviction was overturned on appeal.
  – You received an executive pardon.

• disadvantaged state
  If you feel that you were disadvantaged and that this significantly affected your life, you have the opportunity to explain how. selectSim, and space will appear to explain your circumstances.
• Parents and guardians, siblings, dependents
  If you are a single parent, you will want to include your children as your dependents.

Courses

AMCAS provides the following videos to help you learn how to enter your course.

• Basic course tutorial
• AP course tutorial
• Current and future course work
• study abroad courses

Work and Activities

If you've been reading our blog for a while, you've probably seen us referring to this section. The Work and Activities section is your opportunity to list extracurricular activities, such as student debate team, chess club, or newspaper. You have 15 openings, so list your experiences in order of importance. (By the way, good for you if you have more than 15 experiences to list!)

Evaluation/recommendation letters

AAMC provides the following videos to help you send your letters correctly.

• add letters
• Add and combine letters

There are several things to remember about appraisal letters.

1. You may submit your application without the evaluation letters if you have not already received them. The letterssonHowever, it is necessary, so don't forget about them!
2. Due dates for evaluation letters are set by medical schools, not AMCAS. Be sure to submit your letters before the due dates listed for each school, or your application will be rejected as incomplete.
3. If your appraiser sends the letter directly to AMCAS, you will not be able to read it.
4. If you are a second-year applicant, you will need to resubmit your letters. They will not automatically appear on your freshman applications.
5. AMCAS does not forward letters. Therefore, if your school does not participate in AMCAS, you will need to follow that school's submission guidelines. They will likely ask you to upload it through a portal on their website.

medical schools

This section is perhaps the most interesting part of the AMCAS application. This is where you select the medical schools you want to apply to. It's self-explanatory. You can type in the name of the school you are looking for or you can scroll through the list. Add here all the schools you are applying to. Don't skip any, or they won't have access to your AMCAS application.

essay

personal comment essay

This is also known as yourpersonal statement.Do not hurrythis section. Medical schools that do not automatically submit subapplicationsnosend him a request if they don't like what he writes here. You tooI can'tPlease go back and edit this essay after submitting it. Therefore, we recommend using a tool likegrammaticallyoHemingwayto edit your personal comment essay before submitting it. Both tools have basic versions that arebookand easy to use.

You have 5,300 characters in your personal comment essay to discuss why you want to go to medical school.

Here is an example:

I come from a family of doctors. I grew up seeing my parents in aprons, switching between 24-hour shifts and making sure I had a babysitter when they were both on night duty. My father lived in his mantle. I saw my mother more often. He spent every spare second he had with me, doing whatever he could to positively influence me. Sometimes it bothered me so much that my parents were gone, but it made me appreciate the time I spent with them more. He knew when they were on duty and when they weren't. So I knew when to expect interruptions and when to have them all to myself. But honestly, the highlight of my childhood was all the time I spent with my grandmother. He moved out when I was 10.

Although both my parents were doctors, it was my grandmother who first inspired me with stories about her OB/GYN. My grandmother was 35 when she found out she was pregnant with my mother. She was scared of having another child because she thought she was too old. She had smooth deliveries with her other children, but because of her age, she had an irrational fear of dying from complications in childbirth. My grandma's anxiety was so bad that her OB/GYN saw her once a week throughout her pregnancy, even though she wasn't high risk. Seeing her lab work return to normal and hearing Mom's heartbeat on the ultrasound helped my grandmother get through the pregnancy. My grandmother used this story as an example of how to be kind to others. He talked about using my skills to help others and make a difference in their lives.

My parents rolled their eyes every time Grandma told that story because they'd heard it a million times before. But my parents also told stories over and over again, just different ones. Although it was my grandmother who caught my attention with her stories, I was also positively influenced by my parents' stories. My father is an anesthesiologist. He would talk to his patients before putting them to sleep. He once put a celebrity to sleep for surgery, but he couldn't tell me who it was due to confidentiality concerns. He has also assisted a United States Senator and a County Commissioner. But his favorite stories to tell were about families. He loved helping families because they reminded him of us. At the end of the day, Dad was a doctor so he could come home to Mom and me.

Mom was a pediatrician. Her stories weren't as much fun when I was young, but I appreciate them more now. Her days consisted of prescribing inhalers for young children suffering from asthma. She gave antibiotics to children with strep throats and comforted young children with colds who just needed to rest until they got better.

It might not come as a surprise that he wants to go to medical school. Between my grandmother's gratitude for her OB/GYN, to my parents taking care of their patients, becoming a doctor is pretty much all I decided on. I thought about it countless times and decided to become an obstetrician/gynecologist. As I researched, I realized that I wanted to specialize in a specific area of ​​medicine, like my mother, only I wanted to specialize even more. An eighteen-year treatment period is too long for me. I wanted to be part of a specific phase of life. My decision to become an OB/GYN stems from the female body's ability to bring new life into this world. I think it's amazing and almost miraculous, and it's an experience I want to be a part of again and again.

I think I know exactly how I can help any woman who walks into my office. By studying OB/GYN, I will be prepared to advise women on topics such as hormones, birth control and pregnancy. I will help newlyweds enjoy their wedded bliss until they are ready to raise their family. I will be there for future mothers, from the first visit to my office until the moment of delivery. I hope my patients trust me because I want to alleviate their anxiety as much as I can. After all, bringing new life into this world already causes anxiety.

My grandmother passed away, but her story stays with me. And my parents are retired, so now it's my turn to carry on my family's legacy. I want to be a doctor for several reasons. Without a doubt, my family influenced my decision. But my desire to be a doctor is because I want to help patients. I hope that my desire along with my education and qualifications will be enough for me to be accepted to at least one medical school so that I can fulfill my dreams.

This essay is 807 characters long, so it is within the 5300 character limit. If you're convinced you need to type exactly 5300 characters, don't worry. The word limit is designed to keep the essays at a reasonable size for the admissions committee, as they receive a lot of submissions. It is also designed to ensure that the essay is long enough to answer the question.

This prospective student did well in her response to writing personal comments. She chose to speak from a personal experience. She knew she wanted to be a doctor, but it took her a while to decide which area she wanted to study. And while she cites her grandmother as an inspiration, she also has her own reasons for choosing the OB/GYN field. This essay meets all requirements and presents a student well prepared for admissions committees.

standardized tests

This is where you will report your test scores including MCAT, GRE andCASPer. Be sure to include the following information:

• what test did you take
• The date you took the test
• test section
• your score

Here is an example:

• Test taken: GRE
• Date: January 11, 2020
• Section: Mathematics Section
• Score: 610

Once you've submitted all of your test scores, you've completed your AMCAS application! Let's not deny that it's a lot to fill. that's why wehighly recommendedStarting your app as soon as it opens and working diligently until it's done. However, do not rush. It takes, on average, one month to complete the order.

AMCAS Quick Links

AMCAS provides the following tools to help prospective students as they prepare to submit their applications.

• AAMC Fee Assistance Program
• AMCAS Participating Medical Schools and Schedules
• Tools and tutorials page
• Medical college admission requirements

My document status

You can control your assessment letters and transcripts from your dashboard. This saves you the hassle of logging into the app to see what's there.

International Medical Assistance

The American Medical College Application Service is here to make your college application process a little easier through its centralized system. If you find that you need help with this,International Medical Assistanceis here for you. We offer comprehensive consulting services.

We can…

• Review your primary and/or secondary applications.
• Read your essays for your sub-applications and provide suggestions for improvements.
• Take a mock interview to help prepare you for the real deal.

If you're still wondering if medicine is right for you, consider taking an international trip with you. We take students with us to South America, East Africa and Haiti. You will be able to provide medical assistance to underserved populations that are in need of medical assistance. if you decide medicineesthe right field for you, you will have experiences to write about for your secondary applications!

Lastly, if you're wondering which medical schools to apply to, check out our comprehensive guides to various schools. We update our blog regularly, so check back often to see which schools we have listed.

• School of Medicine at the University of St. George
• George Washington University School of Medicine
• Vanderbilt University School of Medicine
• Lake Erie College of Osteopathic Medicine na Pensilvânia
• Thomas Jefferson University Sidney Kimmel School of Medicine
• Wake Forest University School of Medicine
• Drexel University School of Medicine
• Western University of Health Sciences in California
• Loyola University Chicago Stritch School of Medicine
• Georgetown University School of Medicine
• Yale School of Medicine
• Perelman School of Medicine
• UCLA School of Medicine
• New York University School of Medicine
• Washington University School of Medicine
• Johns Hopkins School of Medicine
• brown medical school

We wish you the best of luck on your journey to medical school! Remember, International Medical Aid is here for you. It will be an honor to help you, wherever you are on your journey. You can contact us through oursite webat any time. We look forward to working with you!