The AMCAS Application

Almost all U.S. medical schools use the AMCAS application form as their main application. AMCAS stands for American Medical College Application Service. The benefit of this form for the applicant is that you probably need to fill out only one application for all the medical schools to which you’re applying. Most schools will also require you to submit an additional smaller application specific to that school in addition to the AMCAS form.

Most of the AMCAS application is simple and self-explanatory. You must provide all the standard information you’d expect to see on a med school application—extra-curricular activities, honors, work experience, etc. The most time-consuming and crucial part of the application is the personal statement, an essay not to exceed 1,000 words. This is probably the most important essay you’ll ever write, as it may make the difference between getting into med school and finding an alternate career. Spend the amount of time and effort on the personal statement as you think your future may be worth.

The personal statement serves several purposes. It brings your personality to everything you say about yourself throughout the rest of the application. It tells the admissions committee what you’ve done to increase your chances of success in medical school. It explains why you want to be a medical professional. And it states your case for why you’ll be a good doctor.

Start thinking about your personal statement and preparing some ideas for it as early as the spring of your junior year. A good personal statement will keep the reader focused on you. It will illustrate how all the other information on the rest of your application works together to make you a strong candidate for the school. It ties your entire application together to paint a picture of someone the medical school wants to invite for admission.