TOP 5 FAQ: #4 What are the Components of the Medical School Application? 🤔 Part 1 of 2

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The medical school application is a lot like a growing embryo, undergoing several stages of development before achieving its final form.  

The first step is the primary application. If you’re applying to allopathic (M.D.) medical schools in the U.S., you’ll complete the AMCAS application. If applying to osteopathic (D.O.) schools, you’ll complete the AACOMAS application. Some schools in Texas utilize the TMDSAS application exclusively. While these applications have slightly different formats, they serve the same function—enabling you to show admissions committees who you are, what you have accomplished, and why medicine is the right profession for you.  

In addition to collecting objective information about you (basic biographical information, contact information, and grades, etc), these primary applications all require a core personal statement, activities descriptions, and letters of recommendation. Your MCAT scores and transcripts will also be transmitted to schools as part of your primary application package.

The personal statement asks you to describe why you’re interested in a career in medicine, what has inspired you to pursue this pathway in life, and the personal characteristics and perspectives you possess that will make you a good doctor. You are also able to address challenges you’ve overcome in your journey.

The activities descriptions enable you to highlight clinical work, community service, research, awards/honors, extracurriculars, employment, hobbies/talents, cultural experiences, and other endeavors that have shaped who you are and/or led to your decision to become a physician. 

The letters of recommendation lend further support to your application and should be written by professors or supervisors who know you well and can vouch for your intellectual abilities, interpersonal skills, and fitness for medicine.

In my next post, I will discuss the secondary application process and how it works.

How do you handle your primary applications? Do you have any tips to share? Feel free to comment below.