Without question, your medical school applications are part of the most rigorous and demanding selection processes you will ever undertake. Even our MBA clients--many of whom write 5 essays for a dozen MBA programs--would find the AMCAS and secondary applications grueling. However, personal statements, essays, activity descriptions and recommendations are a pivotal factor in selecting candidates for interviews and can break the tie between two applicants with similar strengths.

If you’re applying for medical school you will most likely submit a single application through the AMCAS (American Medical College Application Service) or TMDSAS (Texas Medical & Dental Schools Application Service) portals. Most programs will offer secondary applications along with the AMCAS, but others may simply look at your AMCAS and make an initial cut based on your personal statement, recommendations, experience descriptions, MCAT and GPA. Regardless, your secondary essays will generally consist of essays on assigned topics, which vary from describing your most meaningful clinical experience to honestly assessing your biggest strengths and weaknesses as a prospective physician. The best answer for each applicant is found through a close, holistic and strategic analysis of your application.

This is where we come in. Our editors are superbly skilled at working with you to balance authentic storytelling and candidacy positioning. In our experience, the majority of medical applicants struggle with this equilibrium. Admissions writing is no longerjust about compelling writing; it's about sharing your experiences in a way that reveals your strengths, your values, and the niche you will occupy in a top medical school program.

IVY EYES QUICK FACT

Medical school admission requirements vary from school to school. In general, most medical schools will expect applicants to have taken the Medical College Admission Test (MCAT), and to have completed the following types of courses:
• One year of biology
• One year of physics
• One year of English
• Two years of chemistry (through organic chemistry)

Check out more information from the American Association of Medical Schools here: https://www.aamc.org/students/applying/requirements/