So you decide you want to be a doctor and then the first question is: what exactly does it entail to apply to medical school? Another question going through my mind was: what can I do to set myself apart? Who am I to think I’m good enough to apply? Do I have the time for it all?
Read my blog on Application Season
I definitely learned the answers to these questions the hard way. I wasn’t sure at first and that impeded my journey. Initially, I simply told myself I couldn’t become a doctor. After some thought, I wanted to go for it. Several years later and a LOT of redirection of my goals, here we are.
The medical school application is a nightmare of data entry and giving your savings away. There are multiple levels to the primary and secondary application in addition to the ancillary requirements. I’m mainly going to be talking about the AMCAS application for MD applicants because the AACOMAS DO application is very similar. This is not a comprehensive list, but a basic overview to wrap your head around the requirements and get a sense of the time commitment and set yourself up for success by doing something up front.
I started a google spreadsheet to track everything and edit dates/descriptions/contact information and keep a count of characters since each application has its own character limits. Has anyone noticed I’m a spreadsheet fan? No? Just me? OK moving on.
Demographic Information:
Not too difficult, but a time suck. Don’t underestimate the data entry required for this application. As I work my way through the application, if there are essays to be filled out, I add something in the text box like “ESSAY REQUIRED” to prompt me later to be sure and fill these out. I work on my essays in a google doc and copy/paste when it is ready.
Course Work:
Prepare for an even bigger time committment. Entering in all of your course work since high school by listing out every item from the course name, number, year, credit, grade, and what type/category the class is. BEWARE that each application has its own rules on how to track credits and which term the course falls into. I think AACOMAS offers a service you can pay to do this for you, but I’ve heard they make mistakes and perhaps are not to be trusted. I think my Type A besties will understand this one. If you make too many mistakes, the service will send it back to you to make adjustments and cause your application processing to take even longer and you’ll get shoved to the back of the queue.
Work and Activities:
This one was a doozy. Essentially, you pick up to 15 activities (for AMCAS) and then the complete information about hours, dates, contact information, and the description. The description is where the character count really limits you. I had a hard time describing both my duties in the experience as well as what it meant to me in 600 or 700 characters. In addition to that, you pick the 3 most meaningful experiences and that is when you have the opportunity to describe your experience in more detail, up to 1300 characters. Unfortunately, this isn’t an option for the AACOMAS application.
Tip: Start tracking hours, dates and contact info EARLY. Make a (dare I say it?) spreadsheet to keep tabs and this way, when it comes time, you’ll have that information stored in one safe place.
Recommendation Letters:
This part is fairly straightforward. As long as your recommenders included everything needed in their letter, they should be able to easily upload directly into the application. Once you are ready to apply, you can direct which letters you want to go to which school. I didn’t use the AMCAS letter writer service, but instead paid for an external service, Interfolio, $50 a year to obtain, hold, manage, and send my letters. This came in handy and I definitely recommend it to anyone I know who is going through this process.
Build Your Medical School List:
In order to submit your final application, you have to select at least one school. If you are waiting on grades or MCAT scores, some students apply to one school and then wait it out. I applied to several that I knew I was going to apply to no matter what. Even after your application is submitted and verified, you can add additional schools without going back into the queue. It is $42 per school for AMCAS and then you pay a one-time application fee to use the centralized application service. The details of curating the perfect school list are complicated – I plan to do a more detailed post on how to create a school list (although, fair warning I am NOT a pro at this myself – but hey we are all doing our best out here).
Personal Statement:
THE BIG KAHUNA.
The personal statement is a central portion of your application. This is your chance to describe why you want to be a physician and perhaps mention a few unique items about you or your application. It is difficult to talk about yourself, but this is your chance to humblebrag and show your interest in medicine from your seed (your initial interest in medicine) to you now, as a fully flourished flower who is ready to take the next step to becoming a physician.
Standardized Tests:
Finally, you submit your test scores other than the MCAT, if any, and your official MCAT scores should be loaded in automatically. If you have a pending score, you simply put the test date information in and submit it. The score will be automatically added in and you can update your application upon score release. For the AACOMAS application, you have to have AAMC submit your MCAT scores to that application service manually. The MCAT is a beast of its own with its own fees, ranging from $130 to thousands depending on if you include the resources that you use to study.
FINALLY, you submit your application, and then….. wait. The hardest part is waiting, but soon enough, a secondary application for each school will arrive in your inbox. Even if you aren’t eligible for the school – you’ll probably still get a secondary invitation – which is why it’s important to be diligent and aware of the eligibility requirements of each school you apply to.
DO NOT underestimate how annoying, costly, and time-consuming the secondary applications will be. Each school has a different fee schedule ranging from $80 – $100 to submit. I think it becomes clear how expensive it is to apply – yikes! Not to mention you have to account for a situational judgment test, possible travel to interviews with nice interview attire, and an extra $80 for a background check – which was a huge surprise to me! There are fee assistance applications available for both application services, but unfortunately, eligibility is difficult to obtain for some students and still doesn’t cover a comprehensive application in its entirety.
Good luck. Take care of yourself out there!
XO Melmo
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