Key Takeaways:
- You can’t just wonder when do med school applications open, apply, then start shortly after. The process requires careful planning.
- The two most common types of medical schools include allopathic and osteopathic programs.
- Getting into med school takes about a year before preparing for the MCAT and applications opening.
When you want to become a doctor, a lot goes into your education.
You can’t just wonder when do med school applications open, apply, then start shortly after.
Getting into a program requires careful planning, from completing prerequisite courses to preparing for interviews.
Here’s what you need to know about the process.
Types of Medical Schools
The two most common types of medical schools include allopathic and osteopathic programs.
Allopathic medical schools confer Doctor of Medicine (MD) degrees. People who go to an osteopathic institution become a Doctor of Osteopathic Medicine (DO).
The difference comes down to their philosophical approaches to medicine, although that gap continues to narrow. Some institutions now offer each degree within a single college, rather than separate ones, while residency programs accept applicants from both tracks.
Allopathic medical schools generally represent the “traditional” programs. They emphasize evidence-based diagnosis and treatment of a disease through established interventions such as medications and surgery.
Osteopathic ones follow that same foundation but also aim to care for the whole patient. They teach aspiring physicians to consider factors such as environment and lifestyle when identifying someone’s condition.
For example, if a patient walked in with lower-back pain, an MD would take an image of the area using an MRI or X-ray then prescribe a muscle relaxant. DOs might instead evaluate their spine and joints alongside the pain then discuss preventative stretches and stress management techniques they can incorporate alongside, or in place of, medication.
One in four medical students attends an osteopathic program.
Whether they earn a DO or an MD, it takes at least a decade of education. Both types of medical schools last four years and also entail:
- Undergraduate degrees: Four years
- Residency: Three to seven years, depending on specialty
- Optional fellowship: One to three years
When Do Med School Applications Open?
Med school applications open in early May.
You submit yours to one of three services depending on what type of program you want to attend and where.
- American Medical College Application Service (AMCAS): For allopathic medical schools. Finished applications may be sent later that month and most deadlines fall between September and December. The first one costs $175 while each subsequent application runs $47 each.
- American Association of Colleges of Osteopathic Medicine Application Service (AACOMAS): Service for osteopathic programs. Accepts submissions immediately on opening day and the cycle ends in April of the following year. Fees total $198 for the first school and $60 for each additional one.
- Texas Medical and Dental Schools Application Service: For both allopathic and osteopathic medical schools within Texas. State law limits non-resident enrollment in programs to 10 percent, requiring a tailored portal. Applications must be submitted between mid-May and early October. It costs a flat $230 fee.
How to Get Into Medical School: Everything Needed for Your Primary Application
Three phases make up the medical school admissions process:
- Primary application
- Secondary application
- Interview
- Transcripts: This includes the records for your undergraduate education and any graduate work. Medical schools don’t list a minimum GPA but the average matriculant for the 2023-24 academic year held a 3.77. Admission committees pay particular attention to the grades you earned in your science courses such as biology and chemistry.
- MCAT scores: The Medical College Admission Test (MCAT) assesses your scientific knowledge, critical thinking skills, and reading comprehension. The computer-based exam consists of 230 multiple-choice questions across four sections. Scores range from 472 to 528, with the average applicant entering with a 511.
- Personal statement: This allows you to highlight your interest in and commitment to medicine in a way no resume ever could. You can also use it to explain weaknesses in your application, such as a lower GPA.
- Letters of recommendation: Programs usually request three recommendation letters. Ask people who will speak highly of you, such as a science professor and a clinical mentor, and give them at least a few weeks to write it.
- Prerequisite coursework: You can choose any undergraduate major to become a doctor as long as you complete the science and math courses mandated for medical school. Portage Learning, an accredited online institution, specializes in those prerequisites, including:
- Essential biology with lab
- General chemistry with lab
- Calculus
- English composition
- Physics with lab
- General psychology
Its self-directed format allows you to affordably learn anytime from anywhere.
“I took biochemistry to help get into medical school, and it was excellent,” says Charlotte Campbell, a former student. “The course material was clearly laid out, the professor answered any and all questions I had, and I ended up with an A+ when I thought I would get a B at best.” - List of extracurricular activities: Programs want to ensure you understand the realities of healthcare. Throughout college, you should gain experience working with patients directly. For example, you could work as a certified nursing assistant or shadow a cardiothoracic surgeon. However, admission committees don’t want to just see medical activities. Get involved in a few organizations that personally interest you to show how you engage in community outside of work.
Medical schools review primary applications on a rolling basis, so it benefits you to submit yours as early as possible. If you wait, there may not be any spots left, forcing a program to reject you, even if you otherwise meet their admission requirements.
What Is a Secondary Application?
After reviewing your materials, medical schools decide whether to send you a secondary application, which asks questions specific to the program.
For example, it may entail you writing another essay or completing a Situational Judgment Test.
Medical schools issue them to further ensure you possess the broad range of skills needed to become an effective physician, known as the premed competencies, which include:
- Personal and professional growth
- Empathy and understanding of others
- Honesty and integrity
- Interpersonal awareness
- Effective communication
- Accountability
- Resilience
- Self-awareness
- Service orientation
- Collaboration
- Cultural and social awareness
You usually submit secondary applications in July and August.
How to Prepare for Medical School Interviews
To prepare for your medical school interview, gather as much information about it as possible and practice describing your experience.
This phase marks your final opportunity to share why you’d be a good student – and determine whether you want to study there. After all, it’s where you’ll spend the next several years.
Programs usually send their invitations in early fall. You may be asked to participate in any of the following interview formats:
- Live in-person
- Live virtual
- One-on-one
- Group
- Recorded virtual
The specific questions posed will vary among medical schools. However, they generally want to know about you and your:
- Career goals, such as what you see yourself doing in 20 years
- Interest in their program, such as why specifically you want to attend it
- Past experiences, such as the most difficult situation you encountered in college
- Reactions in hypothetical scenarios, such as how you would handle someone in a crisis
You should answer using the STAR method, where you tell a story by providing the following information:
- Situation: The circumstances surrounding your example, where it took place, and how long ago.
- Task: What you needed to accomplish.
- Action: The steps you took in the situation.
- Result: What happened? Did it align with what you wanted to achieve? Did you learn anything from the experience?
Medical schools (and employers) like this technique because it provides proof of your skill set and helps predict your future performance in their program.
On the day of your interview, arrive 10 minutes early and wear clean, professional clothes, such as a well-fitted suit. It’s OK to feel nervous but remember to make eye contact and maintain positive body language. Keep your answers focused.
What Happens After You Submit Your Medical School Application?
After submitting your applications and completing the interviews, medical schools decide whether to admit, reject, or waitlist you between October and April.
If you get into more than one program, you must choose where you want to go by May.
Classes start three months later, in August, bringing the approximately 15-month process to an end.
However, it’s OK if you don’t get into any medical schools. Repeat candidates make up about one in four applications each cycle.
You should give yourself time to process – go away for the weekend or lean on family and friends. After a few weeks, review your application. Identify the areas for improvement, then create a plan to address those gaps. You can request feedback from programs too.
Figuring Out the Best Med School for You
It takes a lot to become a doctor.
But the process starts with getting into medical school.
You need to research programs and understand their admission requirements.
Knowing information about the process helps you create a plan.
And when you can identify your next steps, it allows you to achieve your career goals.
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