After doing research on the process of going to medical school, you’ve likely read about American Medical College Application Service (AMCS). You know it is important to the process but “What is AMCAS?”

AMCS is a centralized medical school application processing service that allows students to apply to a range of medical schools and different Doctor of Medicine (MD) programs all in one place.

There are several elements that are collected in the AMCS application including:

• Personal information
• Coursework / Transcripts
• Letters of recommendation
• Personal statement
• MCAT scores
• Work and activities
• Medical school selection

Completing the AMCAS primary application is one of the first steps toward becoming a physician, so you’ll want to put your best foot forward to catch the eye of medical school admissions teams. The following AMCAS application advice can help you do just that.

6 AMCAS tips for pre-med students

The AMCAS system is designed to streamline the medical school application process. The materials you’ll submit through this platform will give admissions committees a clear idea of whether you meet their qualifications before they extend an interview invitation.

According to the Association of American Medical Colleges (AAMC) who manages the application AMCS applicationshttps://students-residents.aamc.org/how-apply-medical-school-amcas/monitoring-your-application can take up to 8 weeks to process after all materials have been submitted.

As you prepare to complete your AMCAS primary application, be sure keep the following advice in mind.

1. Create an application strategy

Many pre-med students are concerned with how many medical schools they should apply to. While there’s no specific limit, it’s helpful to be strategic when choosing where to apply.
Because you want to be successful in the pursuit of your MD, you want to be sure you end up at a school that will be a good fit. Although you might have done some preliminary research, it’s worth putting in extra effort to find a school that prioritizes elements of medical education that are important to you.

You may have a few dream schools you’ve long planned to apply to, but you should still make a point to evaluate additional options. Explore different curricula, locations, and areas of specialization, and only apply to schools you would truly want to attend.

2. Find ways to demonstrate your experience

Medical schools will certainly be looking into an applicant’s GPA and MCAT scores, but another element included in the holistic review of AMCAS applications is applicable experience for candidates. If you’ve participated in any notable research efforts, been involved with community service projects, or had some clinical exposure, those are all factors that could help you stand out.

Admissions teams are looking for pre-med students who have demonstrated their interest in the medical field. If you plan to take time off between completing your undergraduate degree and applying to medical school, make a point to use that time productively. When your application cycle rolls around, you’ll be able to find ways to show how that time off still contributed to your development as a future physician.

Even if you haven’t garnered that much experience in clinical settings, it’s still worth highlighting how your non-medical jobs and volunteer experiences pushed you to pursue medicine or helped you grow in ways that will benefit you as a medical practitioner.

3. Make it personal

Submitting application materials like your transcripts, GPA, and MCAT score will be pretty straightforward. And when it comes down to it, many applicants will be sending in applications that boast similar academic achievements. You can use your personal statement to provide admissions committees with some information about you that may not be reflected in those scores and statistics.

Think of this as your opportunity to convey your personal passion for pursuing medicine in your AMCS application. You can do this by briefly sharing some of the experiences that influenced your decision to become a physician, discussing your long-term goals, and/or outlining the kind of medical practitioner you hope to become.

When crafting your personal statement, it’s helpful to start by simply exploring your answer to the question “Why do I want to be a doctor?” Try to avoid generic statements about your aspirations and instead focus on your specific motivations by reflecting on your personal experiences.

Your other AMCAS primary application materials will highlight your qualifications and experience, but your personal statement presents an opportunity to demonstrate what you’ve learned from that journey and what you envision for yourself moving forward. A well-written statement with a compelling and memorable message could be the differentiator that will help you stand out in a pool of highly qualified medical school candidates.

4. Review your AMCS application materials carefully

No matter if you’re applying to medical school, a residency position, or a job as a physician, things like proofreading will always be important. While it’s advantageous to get everything submitted quickly, don’t rush the process so much that the quality of your application suffers.

Standards for getting into medical school are high, so you can count on the fact that admissions officers will notice any grammar or spelling mistakes. Be sure to review each component of your application several times with this in mind.

On top of proofing your application for any obvious errors, it’s also smart to enlist someone familiar with the medical school application process to review your materials as a whole.

5. Apply early

You’ve likely already looked into the upcoming application deadlines with your own journey toward medical school in mind. It’s helpful to note that you don’t have to wait until the AMCAS application cycle opens to begin filling out your application. Inputting some of your information beforehand can help relieve any potential stress as the application date nears.

The application cycle lasts several months, so there’s no need to feel too rushed. But the AMCAS processing time can take several weeks, and many medical schools extend interview invitations on a rolling basis. So if you wait until the end of the application cycle to submit everything, available spots at your top programs may be limited.

6. Don’t give up if you’re not accepted

Every pre-med student inevitably wonders what will happen if they don’t get accepted into medical school the first time they apply. It’s no secret that the medical school admissions process is competitive, and there are a number of potential reasons you may not receive the acceptance letters you’re hoping for.

Some students find that they weren’t strategic enough in choosing where to apply. Others maybe didn’t apply early enough to score an interview with their programs of choice. And there are even applicants who find they could benefit from heading back to the classroom to complete additional coursework and increase their eligibility.

There are many different strategies you can use if you choose to reapply to medical school, but one rule of thumb the AAMC highlights when applying again is to ensure you’re doing something differently than you did the first time around.

It can help to ask professors and mentors to review your application and help you strengthen it. In some cases, you can even reach out to a program you applied to and request feedback about your application.

Prepare for a successful medical school journey

While the process of applying to medical school can feel long and arduous, it’s also laced with the excitement of knowing that you’re taking the first step toward your future as a physician. Be sure to consider this AMCAS application advice as you begin to assemble your application materials.

Once your medical school applications are submitted, admissions committees will evaluate applicants and begin to extend interview invitations. Your medical school interviews will be an important part of the process, as they present an opportunity for you to learn more about an MD program while its team learns more about you.

Find out more about what you can expect by reviewing our article “How to Prepare for Medical School Interview: Steps for Success.”

Find out more about what you can expect by reviewing our article “How to Prepare for Medical School Interview: Steps for Success.”

*This article was originally published in 2022. It has since been updated to include information relevant to 2024.