To apply to most US MD programs, you submit one application through AMCAS, the AAMC's centralized service, with your full coursework history, official transcripts, MCAT scores, letters of evaluation, a list of experiences and a personal essay. Texas public medical schools use TMDSAS instead, osteopathic (DO) schools use AACOMAS, and students transferring or seeking advanced standing apply directly to each school.
Below is what each part of the application asks for, the prerequisites schools expect, and the dates for the 2027 cycle.
What AMCAS is and who uses it
AMCAS (American Medical College Application Service) is run by the Association of American Medical Colleges. It collects your application once, verifies your coursework against your transcripts, calculates a standardized GPA, and sends the verified application to every school you select. It does not advise applicants on where to apply or make admissions decisions. Each school decides on its own, and most add a secondary application with its own fee.
According to the AAMC's 2027 cycle materials, 155 schools and programs participate, which covers every MD-granting school in the United States except the MD programs at Texas public schools.
Which application service applies to you
| You are applying to | Use |
|---|---|
| Most US MD programs | AMCAS |
| Texas public MD schools, Baylor College of Medicine and two Texas DO schools | TMDSAS |
| Osteopathic (DO) schools outside the TMDSAS group | AACOMAS |
| A US school as a transfer or advanced standing student | The school directly |
The AAMC states that advanced standing and transfer applicants should contact medical schools directly, because AMCAS handles first-year entry only. If you plan to apply in Texas, read our guide to medical schools in Texas.
The nine sections of the AMCAS application
The AAMC divides the application into nine sections:
- Identifying information: name, IDs and contact details.
- Schools attended: every college you have enrolled in, including community colleges and study abroad.
- Biographic information: citizenship, background and an "other impactful experiences" question.
- Coursework: every course from every transcript, entered exactly as it appears, including withdrawals, repeats and AP credit.
- Work and activities: up to 15 entries, with up to three marked "most meaningful" for an extra short essay.
- Letters of evaluation: up to 10 letter entries.
- Medical schools: the schools and programs you are applying to.
- Essays: the personal comments essay, plus extra essays if you apply to MD-PhD programs.
- Standardized tests: MCAT scores, which release to your application automatically, and any planned test dates.
The coursework section causes the most delays. The AAMC asks applicants to enter grades from a personal copy of each official transcript and warns against common errors, such as putting summer courses in the wrong academic year or combining lecture and lab grades in one entry.
Prerequisite coursework
There is no single national prerequisite list. Each school sets its own, and you can compare them in the AAMC's Medical School Admission Requirements (MSAR) database. Most schools expect or strongly recommend:
- Biology with lab
- General (inorganic) chemistry with lab
- Organic chemistry with lab
- Biochemistry
- Physics with lab
- English or writing-intensive courses
- Math or statistics
- Psychology and sociology, which the MCAT also covers
A growing number of schools describe their expectations as competencies rather than fixed credit hours, but the MCAT still tests this material. Check every school on your list, as a missing course can make you ineligible.
The MCAT
The MCAT is a standardized, multiple-choice exam with four sections: biological and biochemical foundations, chemical and physical foundations, psychological and social foundations, and critical analysis and reasoning skills. Scores release to AMCAS automatically. Many applicants take the exam by spring of the year they apply so scores are ready when applications open. Schools differ on how old a score can be, so confirm the accepted test window in MSAR.
Letters of evaluation
AMCAS accepts letters through the AAMC Letter Writer Portal and Interfolio. Key rules from the AAMC's 2027 guidance:
- You can add up to 10 letter entries, though most applicants have two or three.
- A committee letter or letter packet from your college counts as one entry and cannot be split up.
- Letters are not needed for AMCAS to verify your application, and schools receive them on a rolling basis.
Schools set their own letter requirements, often two science faculty letters and one non-science letter, or a committee letter.
The personal statement and experiences
The personal comments essay should explain why you want to be a physician. The AAMC recommends writing something schools cannot learn from the rest of your application, avoiding generalities, and not repeating your activities list. The work and activities section is your record of clinical work, research, service and leadership, so enter significant experiences only.
Fees and fee assistance
For the 2027 cycle, the AAMC lists a $180 processing fee that includes one school, plus $48 for each additional school. Applicants approved for the AAMC Fee Assistance Program receive a waiver of AMCAS fees for one application with up to 20 school designations, which the AAMC values at $1,092. Secondary application fees are charged separately by each school.
2027 cycle timeline
According to the AAMC's 2027 dates:
| Date (2026) | What happens |
|---|---|
| May 5 | Application opens |
| May 28 | Submission begins |
| June 26 | First verified applications sent to schools |
| August 3 | Early Decision Program deadline |
| September to December | School deadlines |
Applications must be submitted by 11:59 p.m. Eastern time on a school's deadline, and transcripts must arrive within 14 days of it. Verification starts only after all official transcripts arrive, and the AAMC says processing takes about six weeks from the "Ready for Review" status during busy months. Applying early in the cycle matters because many schools review and interview on a rolling basis.
Getting ready: a simple order of tasks
- Build your school list in MSAR and record each school's prerequisites.
- Take the MCAT with time to retake if needed.
- Ask letter writers in early spring.
- Draft your personal statement and activity descriptions.
- Request official transcripts as soon as the application opens.
- Submit early, then prepare for secondaries and interviews.
If you are still in high school and exploring early paths into medicine, see our guide to high school medical programs. If you are applying from outside the US, start with how hard it is to get into med school as an international student. The official instructions live on the AAMC's AMCAS page.
Key takeaways
- AMCAS is the single application for almost all US MD programs; it verifies your coursework and forwards your application but does not make decisions.
- Texas public MD schools use TMDSAS, DO schools generally use AACOMAS, and transfer or advanced standing students apply directly to schools.
- The application has nine sections, including coursework, up to 15 activities and up to 10 letter entries.
- Prerequisites vary by school; check each one in MSAR.
- For the 2027 cycle, AMCAS opened May 5, 2026, with fees of $180 for the first school and $48 for each additional school.
- Submit early: verification begins only after all transcripts arrive and takes about six weeks in peak season.