If you are applying to a medical school, there is a chance that you might use AMCAS. The steps may be arduous, but they should not be that hard if you have the requirements and know the application process.
This article will guide you through the AMCAS application. If you want to make your med school application smooth and straightforward, please stay on this page and keep reading.
What is AMCAS?
The AMCAS med school application is a centralized service administered by the Association of American Medical Colleges (AAMC).
You will submit your grades, MCAT scores, descriptions of your work experience and extracurricular activities, personal statement, and letters of recommendation through AMCAS. AMCAS is the Common Application for MD programs.
AMCAS (The American Medical College Application Service®) is widely used by allopathic medical schools in the United States, so it is vital to comprehend how it functions and how to complete it correctly. But we will walk you through each stage of the procedure so that you can complete it correctly.
AMCAS Application Dates and Deadlines
AMCAS is typically available in the first week of May. Then, students can submit their applications in late May or early June.
AMCAS application deadlines are determined by the institutions you are applying to; each school sets its deadline.
On AAMC's website, you can locate a list of AMCAS-participating medical schools and their application deadlines.
While you can submit an AMCAS application at any time during the application cycle, it is recommended that you do so as early as possible because seats fill up quickly.
The closer you submit your medical school application to the end of May or the early part of June, the more likely you will stand out. This is because seats are limited, and most medical institutions have rolling admissions. This means that institutions evaluate applications as they are received.
Therefore, submitting your application after the deadline may reduce your chances of acceptance.
Your application must be submitted (not processed) by 11:59 p.m. ET on the ultimate AMCAS application date for the institution.
How Do You Apply to Medical Schools Using AMCAS?
As stated, if you familiarize yourself with the AMCAS application process and gather the necessary information, your medical school application should be easy.
Here is the step-by-step procedure for applying to medical schools using the AMCAS application system.
Before Applying with AMCAS
AMCAS Applicant Guide
Reading the AMCAS Applicant Guide will give you an advantage and make it much simpler to complete your AMCAS application.
In addition, you must attest that you have read the AMCAS Applicant Guide before submitting your application.
Payment
For the 2024 cycle, the AMCAS processing fee is USD 175 and includes one medical school designation.
Each additional school designation costs USD 45. This fee may differ from year to year.
The AAMC Fee Assistance Program assists individuals who, without financial aid, would not be able to take the MCAT or apply to medical institutions that use the AMCAS application.
The poverty level guidelines of the US Department of Health and Human Services govern Fee Assistance Program eligibility determinations.
AAMC Username and Password
Source: AAMC Official Website
Please be advised that AMCAS is not liable for delays resulting from inaccurate registration information or the entry of fraudulent details (which will result in an investigation).
Section 1 of Applying with AMCAS: Identifying Information
This section of the application requires you to provide your name, gender, date of birth, any ID numbers that may appear on transcripts from any institutions you have attended.
Section 2 of Applying with AMCAS: Schools Attended
Here, you will provide details regarding the high institution you graduated from.
The AMCAS Applicant Guide contains specific instructions for applicants who obtained a GED, were homeschooled, or attended high school in a foreign country.
You must also identify every post-secondary institution where you enrolled in at least one course, regardless of whether credits were transferred, earned, or withdrawn.
This section also requires you to provide information about any institutional actions resulting from unacceptable academic performance or a conduct violation.
Even if such actions did not interrupt your enrollment, need you to withdraw, or are not stated on your official transcripts due to institutional policy or a personal petition, you must include them.
Section 3 of Applying with AMCAS: Biographic Information
In the Biographic Information section, you must list your contact information, citizenship, legal residence, spoken languages, ethnicity and race, parents or guardian(s), siblings, military service, military discharge, and criminal convictions.
Email is the primary method of correspondence between AMCAS, medical institutions, and applicants.
Whenever your contact information changes, be careful to update the application accordingly.
You must notify each medical school admissions office if you are convicted of, plead guilty to, or enter a no-contest plea for a felony or misdemeanor. This notification must be written to each medical institution within ten business days of the conviction.
Section 4 of Applying with AMCAS: Coursework
Take your time when filling out the application's Coursework section. Omitting coursework, grades, or credits or providing incorrect grades could affect your AMCAS GPA and impede the processing of your application, leading to missed deadlines.
Have a copy of your transcript/s (official) with you as you complete this section to ensure that all your information is accurate and complete.
When filling up the coursework section, you must include details and corresponding grades for every course you have enrolled in, regardless of whether you earned credit.
This includes withdrawals, repeats, failures, incompletes, and upcoming coursework. In addition, include systems removed from your transcripts or GPA due to academic bankruptcy, absolution, or similar institutional policies.
Section 5 of Applying with AMCAS: Work and Activities
Your work and activities will appear chronologically on your application, and you cannot rearrange them. Include only significant experiences; medical institutions are more concerned with quality than quantity.
Consider the work experience, extracurricular activities, awards, honors, and publications you would like medical institutions to know about. You may input 15 experiences, with a maximum of four occurrences per experience.
You may select up to three of the most significant experiences in your life.
Take note of the nature of the experience, the impact you had while engaging in the activity, and the personal development you experienced due to your participation when writing your response.
Draft your experience description in plain text, preferably in text-only word processing software such as Microsoft Notepad or Mac TextEdit, if you intend to copy and paste it into the application.
However, remember that copying formatted text into the application may result in formatting errors that cannot be edited after submission.
Section 6 of Applying with AMCAS: Letters of Evaluation
In this section, you will list your letter writers, the letter types sent to AMCAS, and the institutions receiving each letter.
Print the Letter Request Form from the application's Main Menu within the Evaluation Letters section.
The Letter Request Form is a PDF generated in AMCAS for your designated letter writers.
This form contains your mailing address, AAMC ID, Letter ID, and information regarding AMCAS letter submission. The Letter ID is a unique seven-digit number designated to each letter entry on your AMCAS application.
Each letter writer must provide this number to match their letter with the access you created properly.
AMCAS does not require your evaluation letters to corroborate your application. Therefore, you can submit your application even if your recommendation letters have not reached AMCAS.
After verifying your application, medical institutions will have access to your application and letters.
After processing your application, AMCAS will distribute letters to institutions on a rolling basis.
Section 7 of Applying with AMCAS: Medical Schools
Here, you will list all medical institutions you intend to apply to. We advise you to review the most recent edition of Medical School Admissions Requirements and seek advice from a pre-health advisor when selecting institutions.
Here are the different types of medical school programs:
Regular MD
This refers to the standard Medical Degree program at the chosen institution.
Combined Medical Degree-PhD
Selecting this program type notifies the MD program at this institution that you intend to apply to one of their Combined Medical Degree-PhD programs, either alone or in conjunction with the Regular MD Program.
After making this selection, you will be prompted to specify the specific combined program(s) you are interested in. Designating this program type is distinct from registering for this program and may necessitate a separate application. Contact the medical school directly for further details.
Combined Bachelor/Medical Degree
You may not select this program type without the medical school's prior sanction. Designating this program type is distinct from registering for this program and may necessitate a separate application.
Contact the medical school directly for further details.
Choosing this program notifies the MD program at the institution that you are interested in applying to one of their Medical Degree/Combined Graduate programs, either alone or in combination with their Regular MD program.
After making this selection, you will be prompted to specify the specific combined program(s) you are interested in.
Deferred/Delayed Matriculation
Suppose you were admitted and granted a deferral to a medical school in a prior application year. In that case, you will need prior approval from the medical school.
Other Special Programs (OSP)
An OSP is typically a medical school's special study program. It would help if you referred to the MSAR website or the medical school's website for information on the institution's programs.
This option is made available to medical schools if they offer a program in addition to those already enumerated.
Section 8 of Applying with AMCAS: Application Essays
Every applicant must submit an essay titled Personal Comments.
The available space for this essay is approximately one page, or 5,300 characters (including spaces). If you exceed the open space, an error message will be generated.
We recommend typing your essay directly into the AMCAS application instead of copying and pasting it from another program to avoid formatting issues.
Alternatively, compose your essay(s) in a text-only word processor, such as Microsoft Notepad or Mac TextEdit, and then copy and paste them into the application. Copying formatted text into the application may cause formatting errors that cannot be edited once the application has been submitted.
Proofread thoroughly.
There is no "spell checker" in the AMCAS application; this section cannot be edited after submitting the application.
Section 9 of Applying with AMCAS: Standardized Tests
If you have received your MCAT score, the AAMC will automatically enter it in the concluding section of the application.
If you have yet to receive it, you can inform them of any upcoming reservations you have made.
Include only the MCAT exams you have taken when you submit your AMCAS application and receive certification.
Do not include assessments that you canceled at the time they were administered. You are not required to submit evaluations that have yet to be submitted to the AAMC.
Most medical colleges require MCAT scores to be at most three years. Consult the admissions offices of the institutions you are applying to ensure that you meet their requirements.
Certifying and Submitting Your Application
To submit your application, you must consent to a series of statements found in the AMCAS Applicant Guide. Before submitting your application, be sure to proofread it thoroughly.
This certification serves instead of your legal signature and is legally binding. When you certify (electronically sign) your application, you indicate that you have read this information and all other instructions contained within the application.
You must provide payment for any applicable fees upon submission. You can pay online with a Visa, MasterCard, American Express, Discover credit card, or Fee Assistance Program.
AMCAS does not accept offline payments, such as checks, money orders, or credit card information sent via mail, fax, or phone.
Monitoring Your Application
After signing and submitting your application and AMCAS has received all requisite transcripts, your application will enter the processing queue.
AMCAS staff will review your application and ensure that the coursework information you entered corresponds accurately with your official transcript.
After they have verified your application, they will return it to you. You are responsible for reviewing it for any mistakes that may have occurred during the verification process.
After your initial submission, you must select the Resubmit Application button on the application's main menu to update and save any subsequent changes.
You must formally resubmit the application to ensure your modifications are preserved.
Processing Times
The AMCAS personnel make every effort to process your application promptly.
During the peak season, the verification procedure can take up to eight weeks and only commences once all materials (including all official transcripts required to support your application) have been received.
Checking the Status of Your Application
You are responsible for monitoring the status of your application at regular intervals throughout the application procedure.
To view the status of your application, select the Details link on the application's Main Menu.
Withdrawal
To withdraw your AMCAS application, you must do so online by selecting to withdraw the application from the primary menu's right-hand side.
This option is only accessible after submission when the following application statuses are met.
The initial USD 175 application fee is non-refundable.
Still, you will receive a refund for each institution whose application deadline has not yet to pass.
Please note that your application withdrawal is irrevocable. You can no longer apply for the current application year after doing so.
Suppose you need to withdraw your application from consideration after AMCAS has processed your application. In that case, you must contact the medical institutions directly. In this case, you are not eligible for an AMCAS refund.
Additional FAQs – Guide to AMCAS Application
How Much is the AMCAS Application Fee?
For the 2024 AMCAS application cycle, the price is USD 175 for one medical school designation and USD 45 for each additional designation.
Can I Add a Medical School or Designation After Applying to AMCAS?
There will be a charge for medical school additions.
On the deadline day, you must recertify, officially revise your application, and pay any additional fees for added designations by 11:59 p.m. Eastern Time (ET). Re-certification and official application updates will not result in processing delays.
Does AMCAS Require MCAT?
However, your AMCAS application can be submitted and verified before receiving your official MCAT score.