Pre-Medicine: Entering 2011 Medical School Application Outline

1. Medical College Admission Test (MCAT). The MCAT is computerized, and offered on 26 dates between January 29th and September 11th. For information, see www.medadvising.ku.edu/medicine/medMCAT.shtml.

2. Application Meeting. Beginning in February, 2010, you can call 864-3500 to schedule an application meeting with Paul Crosby to talk through the whole application process.

3. American Medical College Application Service (AMCAS). Most medical schools, including the KU School of Medicine, require candidates to first apply through AMCAS. In May, you'll be able to start an application at www.aamc.org/students/amcas/start.htm, and AMCAS will begin accepting applications in June. 

For early decision, the deadline is August 1st, and July 1st is encouraged. For regular decision, the deadline for the KU School of Medicine is October 15th, and September 1st is encouraged.

For Texas public medical schools, you first apply through TMDSAS at www.utsystem.edu/tmdsas.

For most osteopathic (D.O.) medical schools, you first apply through AACOMAS at https://aacomas.aacom.org.

You can find information about MD medical schools in the AAMC's Medical School Admission Requirements guide on reserve in the Anschutz Science Library, and DO medical schools online at www.aacom.org/resources/bookstore/cib/Pages/default.aspx.

For tips on writing a personal statement, see www.medadvising.ku.edu/essaytips.shtml. After you finish a draft, call 864-3500 to schedule an essay review.

4. Supplemental Applications. The KU School of Medicine's early decision deadline for all supplemental application materials, including evaluation letters, will be in late August. Most medical schools encourage applicants to complete supplementals within two weeks of receiving the application.

5. Evaluation Letters. If all the schools you're applying to use AMCAS for letters, www.aamc.org/students/amcas/faq/amcasletters.htm, you can give your writers directions for sending their letters to AMCAS, electronically or by mail. You enter the information for your writers in the AMCAS application, track when AMCAS receives the letters, apply the letters to the schools you're applying to, and resubmit your application. For early decision, you should give your writers an August 1st deadline, and for regular decision, a September 1st deadline.

6. Interviews. The KU School of Medicine will hold early decision interviews in September, and regular decision interviews from October through February. For more information, see www.medadvising.ku.edu/interviews.shtml.

When you get an invitation, call 864-3500 to schedule a practice interview.

7. Updated Transcripts. If you aren't interviewed by January, send a transcript with fall grades, and a letter of continued interest to each medical school admissions office.