The Process
The medical school application process begins one year prior to the time you plan to enter medical school. For example, if you plan to attend medical school with the entering class of 2008, you would begin the application process in the summer of 2007. The procedure for submitting an application is summarized below:
- 1. Take the MCAT (Medical College Admissions Test) in either your junior year or the late summer before your senior year. The earlier exam will enable you to complete an earlier application which is important since most medical schools operate under a rolling admissions process. However, some students find they need more time to finish necessary coursework and to prepare for the exam, and thus they choose to take the test later in the summer. No matter which date you choose, extensive preparation before taking the MCAT can make a significant difference in your scores.
- 2. Apply to the schools of your choice using the American Medical College Application Service (AMCAS). The AMCAS is a non-profit application processing service for participating U.S. Medical Schools. For the 2007 entering class, 122 medical schools are participating in AMCAS. (Note: If you are applying to a medical school that does not participate in AMCAS or a joint program such as BA/MD or MD/Ph.D, you should contact the schools directly for their application instructions.) The AMCAS greatly simplifies the application processing system. You submit just one application to AMCAS via the web, and then they assemble your application file, verify it, and forward the application to your designated medical schools (including your last three years worth of MCAT scores). For further information regarding deadlines, fees, policies, and the actual application contact the AMCAS.
- 3. Once a medical school receives your initial application, they will request supplementary material such as recommendations. Most students at the University of Utah utilize the pre-med office recommendation file service.This process is as follows:
- Professor letters of recommendation: All medical schools require letters from instructors or professors with whom you have done academic work. Most med schools require at least two from professors in the sciences (biology, chemistry, physics, etc.) and many also require one non-science professor. In order to use the University's recommendation service, you must use the evaluation forms which are available in Bldg. 44. Your instructor will fill out the evaluation and return it directly to the pre-med office. There it will be kept on file until you are ready to apply to medical school. These evaluations should be confidential in order to provide the greatest support to your application. In fact, you will be required to sign a confidentiality statement for each evaluation. All evaluations received by the pre-med office will become a permanent part of your file.
- General letters of recommendation: Most medical schools will also request one to two references from supervisors, employers, or other professionals who know you extremely well. These should also be confidential and will require a pre-med evaluation form.
- Releasing your recommendations: In the late summer or fall of your senior year, as each school requests recommendations, you must notify the pre-med office and give written permission on a release form to send out your entire recommendation collection to the various schools to which you are applying. There is a user's fee ($4) per packet sent via the VirtualEval online system
Most Medical Schools require a personal interview as part of the final admissions process. These interviews take place between November and March.
Additional Information:
Pre-medical Application Checklist - Everything You Need To Know is HERE...
Self-Assessment Worksheet (Provided by the UUSOM) |
