An excellent grade-point average in the required undergraduate science courses is mandatory. Expect to complete a minimum of one year each in biology, physics, English, calculus, and two years in chemistry, including organic chemistry. These courses form the basis of your Science GPA, evaluated by admissions. Candidates with weak scores can jeopardize further consideration. Become familiar with the admissions requirements and prerequisites for each school on your short list by studying the Medical School Admission Requirements (MSAR) book. Published annually, this resource details acceptable premed science coursework and other admissions criteria for medical schools.
More than 70,000 students sit for the Medical College Admission Test each year. Administered in April and August by the Association of American Medical Colleges, the exam has four sections: Physical Sciences, Verbal Reasoning, Biological Sciences and a Writing Sample. The exam is 5 hours, 25 minutes long and there is a $165 application fee. Download and review the official MCAT exam policy guide. It is required reading before you register for the exam and you will need to certify you understand the policies and procedures outlined. The guide has an overview of each section, the number of test questions and the allotted time for each. The AAMC recommends candidates register for the exam 60 days in advance.
Medical schools generally require at least three letters of recommendation. These must be submitted on your behalf from the premedical evaluation committee at your undergraduate college. The letters can be from science professors, an administrator from a hospital where you volunteered, or the leader of a research project to which you contributed time and ideas. The American Medical College Application Service has a distribution program for authors to submit the letters of evaluation to participating colleges through a central portal rather than forwarding them to each school one at a time.
This is a two-step process and two different essays are necessary. The first personal statement is included in the American Medical College Application and is sent to every school you apply to through the service. The second essay, known as the Secondary Application Essay, is requested directly from a school's medical admissions committee. This is one of the most nerve-wracking projects for candidates. Applicants are either seriously considered or unceremoniously cut. Realistically appraise your ability to manage multiple submissions. For example, if you're applying to ten schools, you'll need to write ten strong, targeted letters specific to each medical school's profile. The objective is to convince them you're a match and secure an interview. Remember that the admissions committee reads literally hundreds of personal statements. They have witnessed every cliche found in those popular "sample" essays littering the web.
The American Medical College Application Service is a software program used to apply to medical schools. The application has sections for you to list academic information, awards you've received and your personal statement. After you create an account, you can apply to 90 percent of the medical schools in the U.S. through the online platform. AMCAS charges $35 for each application, so if you apply to ten schools, it will cost $350 dollars. In addition, each medical school will send you a "secondary application" to be completed. These processing fees can run between $50 and $100 for each school.