Applying to Medical School

How to Apply

The application process for medical school is typically coordinated through a central application service.  Allopathic (MD) schools use AMCAS through the Association of American Medical Colleges while osteopathic (DO) schools use AACOMAS through the American Association of Colleges of Osteopathic Medicine.  However, schools in Texas use a separate service called TMDSAS.  Once your application and supporting materials have been submitted and processed, the application service will forward your materials to the individual schools to which you are applying.

At that point, medical schools review your application and will send a secondary application to you if their admission committee chooses to proceed with your application.  The secondary application typically consists of letters of recommendation, an essay, an application fee, and any other supplemental materials.  Once the secondary applications are received, the committee will decide who they would like to invite for an interview and campus visit.  Final decisions are made after the interview process. 

What is Needed to Apply

The application process is a lengthy process and should be approached in a well-organized manner.  Students will need to send official transcripts and applications fees to the application service of their choice as well as fill out the application with personal and academic data.  Secondary applications specific to each medical school will commonly require a personal statement or essay, letters of recommendation, supplementary materials when requested, and an application fee.

Letters of recommendation should come from professors and healthcare professionals who know you well and can report on your academic ability or promise within the healthcare profession.  Therefore, throughout your college career, you should foster relationships with your faculty members, particularly from the sciences, your pre-health advisor, and at least one physician with whom you’ve shadowed.  When requesting letters of recommendation from these references, it is best to give them at least one month’s notice before the letters are due.  In addition, it is helpful to provide to these references a copy of your personal statement, list of extracurricular activities, and reasons for why you are pursuing a health profession.

When to Apply

Students should apply to medical school during the early summer a year before they would start medical school (typically at the end of the student’s junior year).  Application services typically open their applications in May or June for the upcoming year.  For instance, the application for admission into medical schools for fall 2010 will be available in May or June 2009.  Students are encouraged to apply early due to rolling admissions procedures at many medical schools.  That means, as soon as a medical school receives your completed application, they can invite you for an interview and make a decision on your acceptance before some of your peers have even completed their initial application.  Therefore, it is to your advantage to apply as soon as the application process opens.

When schools send you a secondary application after receiving your initial application, you must submit an additional materials requested by the school’s due date. These dates vary depending upon on the school. It is best to send these materials in as soon as possible so you may be considered for an interview.

Where to Apply

Students completing their pre-medical education at UMKC can qualify for almost all medical schools nationwide given they have completed the school’s prerequisite courses.  However, students should be aware of the differences between public and private schools.  Public medical schools have a mission to serve their state residents first since they are state-supported schools.  Therefore, a Missouri resident will have a low chance of being accepted into a public medical school in another state without having significant ties to that state.  Likewise, MU and UMKC will accept mostly Missouri residents (or applicants with significant ties to Missouri) and KU will accept mostly Kansas residents (or applicants with significant ties to Kansas).  Private schools, like KCUMB or Saint Louis University, typically do not take residency into consideration when making admission decisions. For your convenience, here is a listing of medical schools in Missouri and Kansas

• University of Missouri-Kansas City (MD)-Kansas City, MO

• University of Missouri-Columbia (MD)-Columbia, MO

• Kansas City University of Medical and Biosciences (DO)-Kansas City, MO

• AT Still University: Kirksville College of Osteopathic Medicine (DO)-Kirksville, MO

• Saint Louis University (MD)-St. Louis, MO

• Washington University (MD)-St. Louis, MO

• University of Kansas (MD)-Kansas City, KS