Applying to Medical School

1
Applying to Medical School

• What you really need to know

2
What are Primary Applications?

• Common Application sent to ALL of the medical
  schools to which you apply.
• You fill out the Primary Application only
  once.one for MD schools (AMCAS) one for DO
  schools (AACOMAS)
• Both available starting in early May, but cant
  submit until around June 1st. Check Internet!
• GET AN EARLY START Its all online and you
  can save it as you go along.

3
Primary Applications May through December

• M.D. Schools Use AMCAS (American Medical
  College Application Service)http//www.aamc.org/a
  udienceamcas.htm
• D.O. Schools Use AACOMAS (American Association
  of Colleges of Osteopathic Medicine Application
  Service)https//aacomas.aacom.org/

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What is Included?

• Identifying Information
• Schools Attended
• Biographical information
• Course Work / Grades
• Work / Activities / Shadowing / Volunteering
• Personal Statement
• Standardized Test Scores
• All Medical Schools that you want to apply to

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Filling it out

• Much information is already in your HPEC
  materials, so just use the same information
  (maybe revise / update it first).
• Make sure the e-mail address and permanent
  address you list are ones that you check VERY
  frequently as ALL future mailings from schools
  will be sent to these addresses.
• ALL college course-work (even courses transferred
  in) must be entered by hand. To save money, use
  your unofficial transcript.
• Fine-tune your personal statement because ALL
  schools will receive it exactly as you enter it
  into the form. Proofread!!!

6
What about MCAT scores?

• You get scores back about a month after you take
  the CBT MCAT. Thus, you could technically submit
  your Primary Application before you actually
  receive your scores.
• HOWEVER, most people wait to submit their
  Primaries until after they have their scores
  ideally in early summer.
• There doesnt seem to be any real benefit to
  submitting your Primaries before you have your
  scores unless you are taking the MCAT in the
  late summer / early fall.

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Secondary Applications July December

• Sent to you by most medical school specific for
  each school. Almost all are now available
  online.
• Usually consist of one or more essays and a
  request for more information (such as family
  ties)
• Some schools are selective when sending out
  secondaries, some are not, but a charge is always
  associated (will be discussed later)
• Send these in ASAP after you have received the
  request (ideally within 2 weeks)
• Will also request letters of recommendation go
  to Pauline and release your HPEC file!
• Most schools will send a confirmation of
  receipt- If you dont hear from them within a
  few weeks, call. Its better to be safe than
  sorry!

8
Sending out HPEC packets

• HPEC will not release your file until Dr. Engel
  has a copy of your completed and dated Primary
  Application. Thus, as soon as you finish the
  Primary, print a copy and mail it to Dr. Engel.
  Alternatively, you can save your Primary as a
  .pdf file and e-mail it to her.
• HPEC Release Forms can be picked up in STT office
  from Pauline. This form will release all of your
  letters of recommendation, including clinical
  letters.
• New - with one form, you can release your file to
  more than one school.
• HPEC almost always covers the recommendation
  requirements for schools, but please
  double-check.
• Fill out the HPEC form CLEARLY or Pauline will be
  very very very very angry!!!!!
• Make sure that you have the correct name and
  address for each medical school.

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Interviews September April-ish

• Requested by the school via mail/e-mail.
• Almost always during the week professors will
  understand when you have to miss class
• Dress in a suit!
• Know information about the school do some
  research so you can ask questions about the
  school (They WILL ask you if you have questions!)
• Decisions will come within a few weeks (for
  schools with rolling admissions) or in March-ish
  (for those with a set acceptance date)

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Questions and youll have them!

• Professional School Application Discussion Board
  Link on the HPO website Sign up for this, and
  do it NOW http//academic.uofs.edu/organization/h
  po
• Applying students post questions and current
  medical school students (Scranton grads) respond
  both questions and responses are sent to
  everyone on the email list daily.
• Everyone has the same basic questions, so chances
  are you can find an answer by checking out
  previous responses.

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Questions Continued

• Ask your HPO officers their e-mail addresses
  are on the HPO site.- Please use us before
  approaching Pauline or Dr. Engel (chances are
  that the discussion board and/or we have the
  answers that you need)
• You can also use Student Doctor Network forums,
  but be cautious.

12
Costs

• 1 applications AMCAS charges 160 to send to
  the first school and 30 for each subsequent
  school. AACOMAS is similar.
• 2 applications Costs range from 50-150 for
  each application.
• Take-home point be somewhat selective when
  choosing schools because it will cost you a
  decent amount of money each time.
• Be realistic about the schools you apply to.
• Most students apply to 10-15 schools

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Timeline

• May-June Fill out 1 application
• June-July Submit 1 application
• July-December Receive and submit 2 applications
• September-March Interview at schools
• October 15 August (2008) Receive school final
  decisions