Allopathic: AMCAS

Allopathic Medicine is centralized around the idea that a medical doctor should be a physician-scientist. An M.D.’s responsibilities include treatment and care of individuals with both acute and chronic diseases and conditions, using preventative approaches through patient education. A doctor practicing allopathic medicine diagnoses the patient, supervises his/her care, prescribes medication and treatment methods, and works to improve healthcare. A degree in allopathic medicine usually consists of four years of study, with two of these years dedicated to science and the other two to clinical rotations. Once graduated, students enter residency programs lasting three to eight years depending on the specialty being pursued. For instance, training in family practice, general internal medicine, or general pediatrics usually lasts two to three years, while training in surgery may last five to eight years. Some medical schools offer joint degree programs which include an MD degree with a dual degree in PhD, MPH, JD, or MBA.

DISCLAIMER: Cal State Fullerton does not have an Allopathic Medicine Program. This page serves as a resource for students.

Updates

Before You Apply

AMCAS website
Make sure transcripts have been sent to AMCAS
The application opens around May 1st and submissions open around June 3rd.
Please keep in mind that once the application is submitting AMCAS will have to verify your GPA and this cannot be done unless you have already sent in your transcripts.
In order to have your packet upload by the HPAO you are required to submit:
- A copy of your completed AMCAS application
- A list of schools you are applying to
- Any additional letters of evaluation not previously received
We cannot stress this enough, apply as EARLY as possible!

Pre-requisite Courses

Common Pre-Med (Allopathic) Prerequisite Courses
Major	Pre-Reqs	Courses
Biology	One Year of Coursework with Lab (dependent on your major)	BIOL 151 & BIOL 152
Chemistry	One Year of Coursework with Lab	CHEM 120A & CHEM 120B
Organic Chemistry	One Year of Coursework with Lab	CHEM 301A & CHEM 301B (LAB: 302)
Physics	One Year of Coursework with lab Please note: Undergraduate major may determine physics requirement	PHYS 211 (LAB : 211L) & PHYS 212 (LAB: 212L)
Mathematics	At least one semester of Math is generally required. Some schools require no math, whereas some require calculus, while others require calculus & statistics. *Statistics is highly recommended for the MCAT.	#1) MATH 150A & MATH 150B (Calculus 1 & 2) #2) MATH 130 & MATH 338 (short course Calc & Stats) **for stats: OR stats courses offered by your department for your major
Biochemistry	One semester is strongly recommended but may be required by other Medical Schools. *A full year of Biochemistry is highly recommended for the MCAT.	Biology majors: CHEM 421 (LAB: CHEM 422) Biochem majors: CHEM 423A & CHEM 423B (LAB: 422)
English	One year is required for most medical schools in the country. Please note: this can be integrated in upper-division science courses that fulfill writing requirements for major.	ENGL 101 & ENGL 301
Social and Behavioral Science	Introductory psychology and sociology are highly recommended for the MCAT.	PSYC 101 SOCI 101

Suggested Courses
Major	Pre-Reqs	Courses
Molecular Biology, Genetics, Physiology, and Microbiology	Advanced level sciences courses are desirable. Performing well in upper division sciences further demonstrates your ability to handle the rigorous science based curriculum found in medical school. *Physiology is recommended to prepare you for the MCAT.	Molec Bio: BIOL 309 Genetics: BIOL 273 Physiology: BIOL 310 (LAB: 310L) Microbio: BIOL 302

Early Decision Program (EDP)

This allows applicants to secure an acceptance from one EDP participating medical school by October 1st, while still allowing sufficient time to apply to other schools if you are not accepted. To learn more about the EDP program, please visit the AAMC website.

Taking the MCAT

Your MCAT score is automatically released to AMCAS. You can submit your application without your score. Please keep your testing date updated during the application process. Medical schools need to know if they should expect future MCAT scores in support of your application thus keep this information up to date. Most medical schools require that MCAT scores are no more than three years old, but always check specific requirements for the schools to which you apply.

Fee Assistance Program

This program reduces the registration fee for the MCAT from $275 to $100.
If you are applying for FAP, don't submit your application until a decision on your FAP has been determined. If you submit before a decision is made, you will automatically be denied for this program.
Applicants who qualify for the Fee Assistance Program will be given a free copy of The Official Guide to the MCAT Exam, complimentary access to MSAR Online, and a waiver of AMCAS application fees for up to 15 medical schools ($650 value)
Benefits cannot be applied retroactively, so apply for FAP before registering for the MCAT or submitting an AMCAS application
FAP is only valid for the one calendar year in which it is granted

Course Work

AMCAS always counts repeated courses

AMCAS Grade Conversion Guide
AMCAS Course Classification Guide

Letters of Evaluation

If you are recieving a letter or committee packet with our office please do not have your letter writers send their letters. To ensure your letter writers do not upload, please only list Dr. Mouttapa as an evaluator on your AMCAS application. Please use mmouttapa@fullerotn.edu as her email.
The AMCAS system allows up to 10 letter entries. However, our office recommends quality over quanity. An average of 5-6 letters per packet is usually the recommendation.
Letters are delivered electronically to the medical schools after the student has approved the letter order and submitted a copy of their AMCAS application and list of schools form.

Transcripts

Submit official transcripts directly from the registrars' office. Make sure to print out the transcript request form when submitting to the registrars’ office. You must submit a transcript from every educational institution attended after high school, even if the course(s) appear on another transcript

We suggest that you request two copies of your transcripts, one to be mailed to AMCAS and one to be mailed to you. The copy of the transcript mailed to you directly can be utilized to complete your AMCAS application. There is a section which asks you to input all coursework completed which will be much easier if you have a official transcripts to reference.

Essays

Every applicant is required to submit a Personal Statement. The available space for this essay is 5300 characters (spaces are counted as characters), or approximately one page.

Applicants who apply to an M.D./Ph.D. program must complete two additional essays: the M.D./Ph.D. Essay and the Significant Research Experience Essay.

You should use the Personal Comments essay as an opportunity to distinguish yourself from other applicants. Some questions you may want to consider while writing this essay are:

Why have you selected the field of medicine?
What motivates you to learn more about medicine?
What do you want medical schools to know about you that hasn't been disclosed in another section of the application?
Any special hardships, challenges or obstacles that may have influenced your educational pursuits.
Commentary on significant fluctuations in your academic record that are not explained elsewhere in your application.
Dr. Mouttapa is available to review personal statements if you desire her input on it. If you would like to do this please schedule a 40 minute personal statement review appointment with her online.

The Writing Center in the Pollack Library is also another wonderful resource to aid students in composing and editing their personal statements. The Career Center can provide you with an additional review of your personal statement by their professionally trained counselors. Only current CSUF students are able to utilize the assistance of the Writing Center. Current students and recent alumni (less than one year since graduation) can utilize the experienced counselors at the Career Center.

Submitting Your Application

Deadlines vary from September-December; to learn more about the specific medical school deadlines, please visit the AAMC AMCAS deadlines page.

Please note that there are some non-participating schools that do not work with the AMCAS application service. These schools require a different application and process. Go to the AAMC website for a list of non-participating schools.

PROOFREAD EVERYTHING!! You have the ability to "print application" and proofread a hard copy.

After Submission

It takes up to 6 weeks for AMCAS to process during peak period; last year's peak period was during the months of June, July, and August. The processing does not begin until 3 items have been submitted (completed AMCAS application, fee payment and transcripts).

Check your application status often!
No delays or recharge to resubmit application

There are only a few things that can be changed. These are your required and alternative IDs, name, contact information, date of birth and sex, letters of evaluation, and next MCAT test date You can also add schools and change existing program type, and release application information to your pre-health advisor.

Reapplying

If you applied in a previous year (excluding those who withdrew), your information will automatically be rolled over to the current application.

To successfully become a re-applicant, you must first determine why you were not accepted. It is very important to apply to schools that match your GPA and MCAT scores. Double check the GPA and MCAT requirements to the medical school's you plan to apply. Strengthening your application is going to take some time, so make sure to plan ahead. You may want to retake the MCAT, increase your clinical or community experience, take on a leadership role, receive stronger letters of recommendation, rewrite you essay, strengthen your communication, reading, and writing skills, and reapply early!

Resources

The AMCAS website has many resources posted for its users. Please take a moment to explore the site to become familiar to the application process Opens in new window .

Additionally, students can call 202.828.0400 and speak to an AMCAS representative about specific questions pertaining to their applications. We strongly encourage you to always remain polite and professional when speaking to any member of AMCAS (and HPAO) staff.