Medical School

Medical Schools’ Varied Update Letter Policies

Find out everything you need to know about whether or not to send a medical school update letter, if allowed by the med school, including the timing, content, length, number, and how the letter should be delivered!

Applying to Med School: The Importance of Secondary Applications

The purpose of secondary med school (or supplemental) applications is to further differentiate between candidates, and to determine whether you’d be a good fit for that particular program. Read our tips for preparing and crafting high-quality secondary essays for successful medical school admissions!

Med School Activity Essays for Different Application Platforms

Find out the different requirements for the Activity Essays for each of the three med school application platforms (AMCAS, AACOMAS, & TMDSAS), including the number of activities you can describe, the length of each description, and the categories you can choose from. Read our tips for crafting excellent Activity Essays, which include both science-related extracurriculars and additional activities that provide opportunities for leadership, teamwork, and community service.

Med School Personal Statements for Different Application Platforms

Set yourself apart from other med school applicants through a compelling, well-written Personal Statement that captures your journey to a career in medicine. Whether you are applying through AMCAS, AACOMAS, and/or TMDSAS, we outline each platform's expectations for the Personal Statement, and share our tips for crafting a unique essay.

Medical School Interviews, Part V: Requirements for a Sampling of Programs

This is part 5 of our 5-part series on medical school interviews. Medical schools vary in terms of whether they require Acuity Insights, AAMC PREview™, a traditional interview, and/or multiple mini interviews (MMI). In this post, we detail the interview requirements of six top medical schools, to show you how varied the interview experience can be.

Medical School Interviews, Part III: Traditional

This is part 3 of our 5-part series on medical school interviews. Learn more about the structure, content, timing, and how to prepare for traditional interviews, which can take place one-on-one or with a panel of interviewers.

Medical School Interviews, Part II: AAMC PREview™

This is part 2 of our 5-part series on medical school interviews. A smaller but growing number of medical schools require or recommend the AAMC PREview™ Professional Readiness Exam, formerly known as the AAMC Situational Judgment Test. Find out how to prepare for the AAMC PREview™ and learn more about the structure, timing, and scoring.

Medical School Interviews, Part I: Casper and Duet

This is part 1 of our 5-part series on medical school interviews. Find out more about how to prepare for interviews designed by Acuity Insights, which include Casper and Duet. Casper, a Situational Judgment Test (SJT), enables medical schools to assess applicants’ soft skills, such as empathy and collaboration, before they select applicants to come interview in person.

Trends in Medical School Curricula

Over the years, several alternative models have been introduced for the first one to two years of medical school instruction. Recently, medical schools have continued to develop and implement a variety of more patient-centered and collaborative approaches. Since 2020, urgent political issues including the COVID pandemic, Black Lives Matter, and the ongoing climate crisis have ushered in more changes still. In this post, we’ll walk through some of the latest trends in med school curricula.

The Impact of State Residency on Med School Admissions

Do medical schools—especially public institutions—give preference to in-state applicants? Do private institutions consider state residency in their med school admissions process? If you are applying as an out-of-state applicant, do you need a higher GPA and MCAT? In this post, we’ll walk you through what we’ve gleaned about whether in-state preference plays a role in med school admissions, and how much.

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