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It’s April! Spring is in the air. And the American Medical
College Application Service, or “AMCAS,” will let you start filling out your
application in less than a month. AMCAS is a centralized application processing
service for those applying to medical schools in the United States. AMCAS has
nothing to do with the admissions decisions – that’s the job of each school’s
individual admissions committee. The vast majority of medical schools use this
service. But in true Texas style, many schools in that state use another system
called TMDSAS. To make it even more confusing, some Texas schools MD-PhD
programs go through AMCAS. If you are applying to schools Texas, be sure to
check early to determine which application processing service to use. For most
up-to-date information on AMCAS participating schools, visit:
www.aamc.org/students/amcas/participatingschools.htm.
Even though the AMCAS doesn’t let you see the application
until May, you can get a head start by checking out the 2014 AMCAS instructions
manual, a free download found here
https://www.aamc.org/students/applying/amcas/how_to_apply/.
It may be a long, relatively boring read, but understanding the application is
a must!
If you are applying to DO or Canadian schools, separate
application services exist. To determine which schools accept which service and
gain a sense of each school’s competitiveness, purchase the
Medical School Admission Requirements
(MSAR). It is available in print or electronic form at:
https://www.aamc.org/students/applying/requirements/msar/.
Everyone heading to medical school should obtain and read this book.
Happy reading!
--Dr. Miller
415.939.5251
