Applying to Medical School
Timeline
Prospective medical school applicants should determine when to take the MCAT well in advance of the application cycle.
The MCAT should be taken no later than April 2025 for those planning to matriculate to medical school in August 2026. Refer to the AAMC MCAT web pages for the MCAT testing calendar, registration information, and more.
Registration Information will be sent in an email
The workshop will review/discuss:
- the timeline and process for applying to medical school
- the documents required to obtain a Committee Letter
- letters of recommendation
At Hamilton, the Committee Letter is a detailed narrative of your path to a career in medicine written by the Health Professions Advisor and edited by the Health Professions Advisory Committee. It is combined with your other letters of recommendation (LORs). Although not required for admission to medical school, medical schools prefer to receive a Committee Letter to benefit you. They will become suspicious if an applicant doesn’t submit such a letter when his/her school offers this service.
As part of the medical school application process, you must solicit letters of recommendation (LORs). Serving as an outside endorsement of your candidacy, a LOR is a letter in which the author will assess your qualities, characteristics, and capabilities as they pertain to medical school. Ideally, a LOR will demonstrate to the admissions committees that you possess the traits and core competencies they look for in a future physician.
LORs will be collected and stored in Interfolio. Those applying for admission to medical school in 2025 must create an account by December 1, 2024 (more information below.) Applicants should confirm writers' willingness to support them before listing your evaluators. For tips on soliciting letters of recommendation, visit our Letters of Recommendation Page.
The Declaration of Intent is a Qualtrics form that notifies the Health Professions Advising office of your intent to apply to medical school and provides the office with basic identifying information. Complete this form no later than December 1st, 2024.
Submit Release of Information/Confidentiality Waiver
The Release of Information/confidentiality waiver (found within the Declaration of Intent Qualtrics form) allows the Health Professions Advisory Committee to contact the Dean’s Office to determine if any sanctions have been brought against you during your time at Hamilton as well as waives your right to view any letters written on your behalf. While you legally have the right to view any letters written on your behalf, it is best to waive this right for several reasons. Medical schools are wary of applicants who need to see their LORs. Failure to waive this right creates the impression that your LORs may not be candid assessments of your candidacy and that you may have "censored" your letters by including only those that paint a positive picture of you. Admissions committees want to have the assurance that they are receiving a complete, unedited picture of you from those who wrote your LORs, so it is best to remove any appearance of you having a hand in what they say. From the medical school's perspective, it is preferable that you have a closed file and that your letters be confidential.
All applicants, including those with letters currently on file at the Health Professions Advising office, must create an account on Interfolio.
Instructions for Letter Uploads:
Request your individual letters of recommendation under the “Letters” tab.
Ensure that “Email” is checked under “Request Method.”
Under “Add New Contact,” fill out the recommender's information and title the document with their last name and your last name, “ Hance/Smith Rec.”
Ensure that the box for a confidential letter is checked
Set the due date as April 1st, 2025.
Ensure “Specific Recommendation or Opportunity is Selected” and named “Medical/Dental/Vet School Rec.”
You do not need to add a description.
You may then write a message to your recommender and attach supporting documentation, such as your resume or any other material you feel would be helpful to them in writing.
Send the request as soon as you are able
Generate Letter Requests
- Applicants will be responsible for generating letter requests and monitoring the receipt of letters in their files.
- Letters of recommendation are due by April 1. Candidates' materials will be presented to the Health Professions Advisory Committee (HPAC) in the order in which files are completed. We strongly recommend generating letter requests, especially those for faculty, in December so that they can use winter break to write. Check your account frequently to monitor the receipt of letters, as you may need to follow up with evaluators whose letters have not been submitted.
- Applicants who wish to request an LOR later may do so (e.g., from a supervisor at a new job or from a professor who is just getting to know you.) However, candidates will not be presented to the Health Professions Advising Committee until their files are complete (all LORs and other documents received and MCAT taken.)
- Some recommenders may be difficult to reach or need reminders to submit their letters; starting early is the key to success.
- Files must be complete by May 1, 2025, to receive a Committee Letter. A completed file consists of all LORs, your Self-Assessment, personal statement, resume, and the Interview for Committee Letter.
Hamilton's Registrar's Office will provide your Hamilton transcript to the HPAC. If you have completed relevant coursework at other post-secondary institutions (e.g., summer classes, post-bac programs, Master's degrees), you must upload them to Interfolio. To complete your file, transcripts should be received by March 1, 2025.
Applicants taking classes elsewhere through May 2025 should notify the Health Professions Advising Office that a transcript will be forthcoming. Official or unofficial transcripts, if you have them, are acceptable. When you complete your application to medical school on AMCAS/AACOMAS, you will be responsible for requesting official transcripts from all secondary institutions you have attended and some study abroad programs.
*If you request an official transcript to send us, you will need to add Cheney Cronin, Assistant Director of Health Professions Advising, as the recipient. Please send to hpa@hamilton.edu
Your personal statement draft is due to the HPAC on March 1, 2025. It will be reviewed along with the rest of your materials.
It is strongly recommended that you receive and incorporate feedback from several personal and professional sources to write your final essay. For professional reviews, appointments can be made with Career Center advisors via Handshake and the Health Professions Advisor via Google Calendar. Current students are also encouraged to take advantage of the Writing Center.
After you submit the Declaration of Intent, you will be sent the Applicant Self Assessment and the Work and Activities sheets to complete.
You will also need to submit a Resumé, a draft of your Personal Statement, and a copy of your transcripts*.
Upload these documents to your Interfolio account by March 1, 2025. Reflecting and writing about your experiences should help you prepare answers for your application. Please save the uploaded materials with the type of document and your last name filename: (LastName_Self-Assessment), (LastName_Personal Statement).
*If you request an official transcript to send us, you will need to add Cheney Cronin, Assistant Director of Health Professions Advising, as the recipient. Please send to hpa@hamilton.edu
Once you have submitted all your documents, you can sign up for an interview with the Health Professions Advisor.
The purpose is to become better acquainted with you, including your academic accomplishments, core competencies, and the experiences that have confirmed and prepared you for a career in medicine (as outlined in your Self-Assessment) and your readiness to apply in this application cycle. Notes from the interview will be shared with all HPAC members, along with the documents and letters submitted to Interfolio and your transcript(s). This information will be used to write a comprehensive Committee Letter that will be sent along with your Letters of Recommendation to the medical schools to which you are applying.
Interviews with current students will be conducted in person; interviews with alumni will be conducted via Zoom, allowing one hour. Alumni: Interviews will be conducted during normal business hours (some lunch times have been reserved).
All LORs will be due in Interfolio by April 1, 2025.
It will be your responsibility to monitor your account regarding the receipt of your letters and to contact reference writers who have not yet submitted them. Often, a phone call is the best way to touch base with your writer regarding the status of your letter.
The American Medical College Application Service (AMCAS), run by the Association of American Medical Colleges (AAMC), is a web-based, centralized application service that was developed to simplify and standardize the process of applying to U.S. allopathic (M.D.) medical schools. Likewise, AACOMAS is the centralized application service for the U.S. colleges of osteopathic medicine. Once you submit the required information, AMCAS and/or AACOMAS will collect, verify, and process your applicant data and transmit it to your designated schools. Individual medical schools may then review your application and send you any secondary or supplemental applications they may require.
Note: All public medical/dental schools in Texas use TMDSAS.
To prepare for the AMCAS application:
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Review the AMCAS website for information on the sections on the application, FAQs, and AMCAS application policies.
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Check out the AMCAS Tools and Tutorials. Most importantly, read and follow the 2024 AMCAS Applicant Guide for detailed instructions on completing each section of the AMCAS application!
To prepare for the AACOMAS application:
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Review the AACOM website for general admission requirements, application instructions, and FAQs.
- Candidates may begin to complete the application on AMCAS, AACOMAS, and TMDSAS when applications open in early May - but see below for submission and transmission dates.
- Medical school applicants: First complete "Identifying Information" (Section One) and "Schools Attended" (Section Two) to generate a Transcript Request Form. Submit this form as soon as possible to the Registrar's offices of all post-secondary schools you have attended so that there is no delay in AMCAS/AACOMAS receiving your transcripts.
- Medical school applicants: Generate a Letter Request Form (in Section Six) and send it to Health Professions Advising (hpa@hamilton.edu). This is needed to upload your Committee Letter. It contains both your AMCAS ID and AMCAS Letter ID, which are required to match your letter to your application. You will find the Letter Request Form in the Letters of Evaluation section of the AMCAS application.
- FAQs about the AMCAS application
Application Submission & Transmission Dates
- AMCAS: applicants may submit at the end of May/early June for verification (which may take up to six weeks.) However, AMCAS may not transmit application data to the medical schools until late June.
- AACOMAS: Applicants may submit for verification as soon as it opens in early May. AACOMAS begins transmitting application data to the medical schools in mid-June.
- TMDSAS: Applicants may submit the application as soon as it opens on May 1 for verification. Applications are transmitted to schools even if TMDSAS has not received all supporting documents. Schools are updated daily with supporting documents.
Most medical/dental schools will send you their own secondary/ supplemental application after receiving your application. While some schools send applicants secondary/supplemental applications after reviewing the application, most send them to every applicant. These applications vary in length and what they ask you to do. Some require additional personal information; others require that you respond to one or more essay prompts.
For secondary/supplemental applications that include essay prompts, it's vital to showcase your best writing skills. Follow the same guidelines as your personal statement, but avoid repetition. Most importantly, demonstrate a genuine interest in the school and its academic program. Thoroughly research the school's values and mission to tailor your answers. Print a copy of your application for future reference.
Submitting these to the medical schools within 2-3 weeks of receiving them is important. Many schools view your level of interest in their institution by how rapidly you respond. Note: You will have to pay a fee when you submit it.
Many medical schools are still conducting virtual interviews, but this application cycle will include a mix of in-person and virtual interviews.
You can schedule an interview preparation appointment with the Health Professions Advisor through Google Calendar or with your assigned career advisor by calling the Career Center at (315) 859-4346 or emailing your advisor directly.
Mock interviews will be conducted via Zoom for alumni, in-person or Zoom for current students.
Contact
Contact Name
Courtney Hance
Director of Health Professions Advising
