Reviewed by:
Third-Year Medical Student, Lewis Katz School of Medicine at Temple University
Reviewed: 3/27/24
Read on below to learn more about the optimum med school application timeline to follow to secure your spot at med school.
You've dreamed of becoming a doctor for years, and now it's time to take the first steps toward making that dream a reality. But the medical school application process can feel like navigating a maze blindfolded. With so many deadlines, requirements, and moving parts, it's easy to feel overwhelmed and lost.
Don't worry – we're here to be your guide. In this walkthrough, we'll shine a light on the optimal medical school application timeline, providing you with a clear, step-by-step path to success. We'll break down each stage of the process, from preparing your primary application to acing your interviews, and answer all your burning questions along the way.
Whether you're a pre-med student just starting to plan your journey or a non-traditional applicant looking for guidance, this guide has everything you need to navigate the medical school application cycle with confidence and clarity.
This is a general timeline to apply to medical school you can use to stay on track. To ensure this is presented in as straightforward a way as possible, we’ve included events, deadlines, and various suggestions throughout our timeline for applying to med school.
The medical school application schedule is packed with important dates, from when the AMCAS application opens to the medical school interview timeline. Please check the TMDSAS app timeline if you’re applying to med school in Texas. We’ve outlined several key dates below to help you stay on top of the medical school admission timeline.
While the key medical application timeline dates listed above provide an idea of when schools will review your application, we’ll explore the med school application timeline in more detail below.
Additionally, these dates only provide a rough guide of when to submit your materials in the med school app timeline. We recommend that you prepare well in advance for each stage of the med school application timeline. This includes brainstorming, outlining, and preparing for the medical school personal statement and AMCAS Work and Activities section ahead of time.
Here’s what you should focus on each month before your med school application.
January to March of Junior Year – Focus on the MCAT
April of Junior Year – Finalize Your School List and Prepare Your Application
May of Junior Year – Submit Your Primary Application
June to August of Junior Year – Complete Secondary Applications
September to March of Senior Year – Interviews and Admissions Decisions
April to May of Senior Year – Choose Your Medical School
June to August of Application Year – Prepare for Medical School
The medical school application process requires careful planning and consistent effort over 18-24 months leading up to matriculation. Staying organized, getting started early, and receiving guidance from advisors can help you navigate this stressful journey successfully.
How many times have you heard “write it down” or “make a list?” Creating and following a timeline for applying to medical school ensures you are organized and ready to tackle the process head-on. As you apply to medical school or are beginning to select schools, there is not just one, but many deadlines to follow and fulfill.
Our timeline for applying to medical school explains the admissions process that starts from May of your third year and extends into the beginning of your med school year.
The med school application timeline can be exhausting, and increasing numbers of applicants are taking a gap year before medical school. A gap year, also known as an “application year,” is a break of at least one year between your undergraduate study and med school. Depending on when you apply to med school, you can choose to take one.
For example, if you apply to med school at the end of your junior year and are accepted, you will immediately enroll after you graduate. Yet, applying at the end of your senior year leaves you time to improve your medical school application before you enroll. A gap year in the med school application timeline pushes back submission by at least one year.
Gap years can be beneficial as some students need the time to improve their GPA or MCAT scores or gain clinical, volunteering, or research experience. UC Berkeley also notes that “students who plan to take a gap year have the advantage of providing 4 years of academic work... and they don’t have to rush through their prereq courses.”
But if you take a gap year, ensure that you make the most of it. It may hurt your chances of admission if you spend a year skiing instead of improving your candidacy. So, use your time productively.
We’ve provided several questions and answers below to help you with the application process.
Medical school application deadlines vary by school. Most schools have deadlines between October and December of the year before matriculation, but some can be as early as August or as late as April.
The best time to apply to medical school is in May or June, as early as the application opens. AMCAS begins accepting applications in early May, and the first applications are sent to medical schools in late June.
The medical school application process typically takes 12-15 months, from preparing your primary application to receiving admissions decisions. This includes taking the MCAT, submitting primary and secondary applications, interviewing, and waiting for decisions.
Medical schools send admissions decisions on a rolling basis, usually between October and April. Most applicants receive decisions by March or April of the year they plan to matriculate.
There is no set timeline for waitlisted applicants. Schools may offer spots to waitlisted students from the time regular admissions decisions are made until the start of classes, although most waitlist movement occurs in April through July.
Medical schools send interview invitations on a rolling basis, typically from August through early spring of the application year. Most interviews are conducted between September and February, with some as late as April.
The AACOMAS application opens for submission on May 4, 2024, for the 2024-2025 application cycle. Osteopathic medical schools begin receiving and processing applications on this date.
When it comes to applying to medical school, it's essential to be organized. We've laid out the best timeline for applying to medical school to follow and help make the application process easy to follow.
We know that there is so much data to separate, making it confusing for many. Hopefully, our advice alleviates that stress, allowing for a more in-depth focus on completing the requirements.
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