Not sure where to begin with preparing for the AMCAS application process? Being a pre-medical student involves asking a lot of questions. Unfortunately, finding answers isn’t always easy. To help you out, we went ahead and rounded up a few of the most commonly asked med school admissions questions—along with their answers and links to some handy resources. 1. When should I apply? The med school admissions timeline starts with AMCAS opening in May. This is when you will start entering in your application information. Once your primary application is submitted, then come secondary applications and the interview process. 2. How will admissions officers evaluate me? The most important quantitative variables factored into medical school admission are the MCAT and your GPA. These metrics are frequently used in the admissions process as a screening threshold for sending you a secondary application. To maximize the quantitative factors of your candidacy, you have to first understand how they’re built. Your GPA is set over the course of your entire undergraduate career, whereas your MCAT is an aspect that you can actively focus on improving in a shorter period of time. 3. What courses do I need to take? There are certain courses—such as biology, chemistry, and physics—that are prerequisite for all medical schools. There are many other courses, however, that are either required by specific schools or are simply beneficial (but not required) for med school admissions. To learn more about what you’ll need to take before applying to your target programs, check out the Medical School Admissions Requirements database. 4. Are extracurricular activities important? extracurricular activities run the gamut—from sports, to volunteering, to shadowing in clinics, to myriad other ways to spend your time. The most important activities to include in your AMCAS application are obviously ones that show your interest in medical school. That said, your application should also show some diversity of interests outside of medicine. 5. Who should I ask to write my letters of recommendation? Deciding who to ask when trying to secure letters of recommendation is an important step in piecing together your application. While you want to make sure that you choose letter writers who will be able to speak highly of you, it’s also ideal that they have known you long enough to write a letter that doesn’t come off as superficial or generic. Source
