Anatomy of an Applicant | Students Residents

AAMC.ORG

Association of

American Medical Colleges

Anatomy of

an Applicant

Premedical Competency Resources and Self-Assessment Guide

for Medical School Applicants

attribution for educational or noncommercial purposes only.

Contents

Introduction 3

What the Parts of Your Application

Tell Medical School Admissions Officers 5

The Premed Competencies and What They Mean 11

Professional Competencies 11

Thinking and Reasoning Competencies 13

Science Competencies 13

Developmental Planning

and Experience Worksheets 14

Content Experts and Thanks 24

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Introduction

This guide supplements the Anatomy of an Applicant student profiles

featured on the AAMC website that are based on the 17 Premed

Competencies for Entering Medical Students. Many medical schools

have identified the premed competencies as important for entering

medical students. The guide was created in direct response to inquiries

from applicants, prehealth advisors, and admissions officers who

asked the AAMC for help in better understanding how to demonstrate

aptitude in the premed competencies. It provides guidance on how the

premed competencies could be developed and demonstrated through

an applicant’s experiences in preparation for medical school. The guide

contains sections that:

• Describe the individual components of a medical school

application.

• Define the individual premed competencies.

• Demonstrate how an applicant’s responses inform admissions

officers about their proficiency level in different competencies.

• Help generate ideas about how to show experience and develop

proficiency in the various competencies.

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Use this guide to:

• Get organized. This guide will help you organize and think

strategically about your coursework and experiences before you

begin completing and submitting medical school applications.

If you have a prehealth advisor, we suggest that you consult

with your advisor either before using the guide or after you have

completed the self-assessment at the end.

• Become a more competitive applicant. The premed

competencies included in this guide reflect the knowledge,

skills, attitudes, and behaviors valued by medical schools. This

guide will help you better understand areas where you’re strong

and where you want to develop greater understanding and

competency as you prepare to apply to medical schools. (For

school-specific requirements, be sure to review the Medical

School Admission Requirements™ (MSAR

), visit medical

schools’ websites, and consult with your prehealth advisor.)

• Help you get started. Use the worksheets in this guide to

begin identifying where and how your current coursework and

experiences offered opportunities to develop or demonstrate

the premed competencies and how this can inform your

future plans. Share your completed worksheets with your

prehealth advisor or mentor, and update the worksheets

regularly as you gain experience or develop understanding or

strength in a competency. (These worksheets will be a helpful

reference if you’re planning to apply to the Summer Health

Professions Education Program (SHPEP), medical school,

or postbaccalaureate programs. They will also be helpful as

you’re preparing for interviews.) Remember, no applicant will

be proficient in every area — that’s not realistic or expected by

medical schools.

Just a friendly reminder: When you submit your medical school

applications, you will need to affirm that the information you have

submitted is your own work. All written passages, such as the personal

statement, essays required from MD-PhD applicants, and descriptions

of work and activities, should be your own; they should not have been

written, in part or in whole, by another author and should not be the

product of artificial intelligence. Although you may be inspired by the

students featured in the Anatomy of an Applicant profiles, you need

to be sure that you are telling your story in your words. Anatomy of an

Applicant was created at the request of and with the guidance of the

medical school admissions community.

Admissions officers are already familiar with the stories that appear in

Anatomy of an Applicant — your application is a chance to tell yours!

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What the Parts of Your Application

Tell Medical School Admissions Ofﬁcers

You may have learned about the American Medical College Application

Service

(AMCAS

) and the Medical College Admission Test

(MCAT

and you probably know that there are many components that go

into a complete application. This section will help demystify all the

components of a standard medical school application. You will learn

why medical schools ask to see all this documentation and what it tells

them about your qualifications as an applicant.

Primary Application

What it is: The primary application, AMCAS or the Texas Medical and

Dental School Application Service (TMDSAS), is a verified record of most

of the elements listed below compiled into a centralized application. This

application is distributed to each medical school that you designate.

What it communicates: Why you’ve chosen medicine as a career, how

you prepared for medical school, your experiences, and how people

perceive you as a student and future physician.

 Learn more about applying with the AMCAS application.

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Secondary Application

What it is: An additional school-specic application that

supplements your primary application. It helps explain why

you’re interested in a particular institution; how your goals,

experiences, and plans align with the school’s mission and

goals; and how and what you would contribute as a learner

at that institution. In other words, it’s an opportunity to

answer the question, “Why this school?”

What it communicates: From the school’s perspective, the

secondary application provides an opportunity to probe

for more institution-specific information by, for example,

evaluating your fit with their mission, assessing your

reasons for applying to that particular school, and posing

other school-specific questions.

 Learn more about secondary application policies with

MSAR Reports.

Ofﬁcial Transcripts and Coursework

What they are: The official record or records from each

college or university you attended, the courses you took,

and the grades or credit you received.

What they communicate: These components tell part

of the story about how you academically prepared for

medical school. For example:

• Did you take upper-level science courses?

• What were your grade trends and coursework

patterns?

• Do you have experience with writing-intensive

courses?

• Did you challenge yourself with higher-level

coursework in and outside your major?

• Did you formally study another language or take

coursework in another language?

• Do you have a broad liberal arts background?

• Did you take community college courses or

complete coursework at other institutions?

• Did you take postbaccalaureate or graduate

courses?

• Did you have to overcome academic challenges?

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MCAT

Score(s)

What it is: The Medical College Admission Test is a standardized

multiple-choice test designed to assess your problem solving, critical

thinking, and knowledge of natural, behavioral, and social science

concepts and principles.

What it communicates: The MCAT exam tests the skills and knowledge

that medical educators, physicians, medical students, and residents have

identied as key prerequisites for success in medical school and beyond.

The MCAT exam is one tool that medical school admissions officers use

in combination with application materials (e.g., transcripts and personal

statements) and interviews to select future medical students.

 Learn more about the MCAT exam.

PREview

Professional Readiness Exam Score

What it is: The AAMC PREview

professional readiness exam is a

standardized exam that presents a series of hypothetical scenarios

students may encounter in medical school and asks examinees to

evaluate the effectiveness of a series of behavioral responses to each

scenario.

What it communicates: The PREview exam is designed to assess

examinees’ understanding of effective and ineffective behavior across

professional competencies identified as important for success for

entering medical students. The PREview exam is one tool that medical

school admissions officers may use in combination with other

application materials (e.g., experiences, letters of recommendation) and

interviews to enhance holistic review of applicants.

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Personal Statements From Primary

Application and Essay Questions on

Secondary Applications

What they are: The personal statement on

the AMCAS application is your opportunity to

communicate your motivation for a career in

medicine and distinguish yourself from other

applicants. The essay questions on your secondary

applications will provide context for the other

components of your application and further inform

an admissions committee about how you may be a

good fit for their institution.

What they communicate: This is your best

opportunity to tell the medical school admissions

officers something about yourself that they wouldn’t

necessarily learn by looking at the other parts of

your application. You may focus on, for example,

meaningful experiences, your development in

particular competencies, how your interests align

with a school’s mission, your desire to serve in a

particular community or to work with a particular

patient population, or any challenges or obstacles

you’ve faced, including distance traveled. Distance

traveled is how admissions officers and prehealth

advisors refer to those life challenges you’ve faced

and conquered.

Experiences, Publications,

or Poster Presentations

What they are: An opportunity to highlight your

extracurricular activities, including medically related

experiences and exposure, employment, volunteer

work, internships, and research.

What they communicate: The impact you made

while engaging in the activity and the personal

growth and transformation you experienced as a

result of your participation, particularly around the

premed competencies.

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Letters of Evaluation or Recommendation, Committee Letter

What they are: Condential letters sent directly to the application service (or medical school)

by individuals (or your undergraduate institution’s committee) on your behalf. You can send

the AAMC’s Letters of Evaluation guide to your letter writers to help them create your letter.

What they communicate: Your personal qualities, characteristics, competencies, and

capabilities as a future physician from the perspective of someone who knows you.

Biographical Information

What it is: Your family structure, parent or guardian education and career information,

citizenship, language proficiency, legal residence, and criminal convictions.

What it communicates: Your biographical information gives admissions committees more

context about your background, access to resources and services, and family structure. For

example, you may include the education level of your parents or whether you are the first in

your family to attend college.

Possible Review of Social Media and Internet Search

What it is: This is the public commentary, discourse, and images you post on social media

sites, message boards, and blogs.

What it communicates: Increasingly, admissions officers may view these sites to learn more

about your opinions, biases, social behaviors, and judgments. This can be both positive and

negative. Note: Be sure you know what’s available about yourself (or about someone else with

your name or a similar name).

 Read more about how social media can affect your application.

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Interview

What it is: A virtual, in-person, or hybrid meeting between you and one

or more individuals representing a medical school. Some schools use

multiple mini-interviews (MMIs) or more structured interviews to focus

on particular competencies.

What it communicates: If you are invited to interview, it means that the

school is interested in learning more about you and whether you would

be a good fit there. It is an opportunity for the school to learn more

about your personal qualities, competencies, experiences and interests,

how you communicate, and how you engage with other current and

future members of the school’s community. It is also your opportunity to

assess how you feel about the medical school and its environment and

to ask additional questions.

 Read more about the AAMC’s interview resources.

Financial Information

What it is: This is a snapshot of your ability to finance or pay for your

education.

Note: Your ability to afford medical school will not factor into the

admissions decision.

What it communicates: Medical schools use financial information

differently. Some may use it either to help distribute need-based aid and

scholarship funds or to develop a financial package to help you finance

your education.

Criminal History Search

What it is: A search and report of your criminal history. The report is

used to ascertain the ability of conditionally accepted applicants to

become licensed physicians, to enhance the safety and well-being

of patients, and to ensure the public’s continuing trust in the medical

profession. The AAMC recommends that all U.S. medical schools obtain

a national background check on applicants upon their conditional

acceptance to medical school.

 Read more about the criminal background check service.

What it communicates: This confirms your integrity and whether you

have been forthcoming and truthful about your criminal history on your

application and during your interviews. It also communicates to medical

schools your potential ability to become a licensed physician. Some

medical schools may require an additional form asking you to disclose

other information.

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The Premed Competencies and What They Mean

The 17 Premed Competencies for Entering Medical Students help communicate the standards expected of

all applicants accepted to medical school. These competencies were identified as essential for success in

medical school and in the field of medicine. They were developed with extensive input from representatives in

admissions, student and diversity affairs, faculty, students, and prehealth advisors.

Professional Competencies

Commitment to Learning and Growth: Practices continuous personal and professional growth

for improvement, including setting and communicating goals for learning and development;

reects on successes, challenges, and mistakes; pursues opportunities to improve knowledge

and understanding; and asks for and incorporates feedback to learn and grow.

Cultural Awareness: Appreciates how historical, sociocultural, political, and economic factors

affect others’ interactions, behaviors, and well-being; values diversity; and demonstrates a

desire to learn about different cultures, beliefs, and values.

Cultural Humility: Seeks out and engages diverse and divergent perspectives with a desire

to understand and willingness to adjust one’s mindset; understands a situation or idea from

alternative viewpoints; reflects on one’s values, beliefs, and identities and how they may

affect others; reflects on and addresses bias in oneself and others; and fosters a supportive

environment that values inclusivity.

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Empathy and Compassion: Recognizes, understands, and acknowledges others’ experiences,

feelings, perspectives, and reactions to situations; is sensitive to others’ needs and feelings;

and demonstrates a desire to help others and alleviate others’ distress.

Ethical Responsibility to Self and Others: Behaves with honesty and integrity; considers

multiple and/or conflicting principles and values to inform decisions; adheres to ethical

principles when carrying out professional obligations; resists pressure to engage in unethical

behavior; and encourages others to behave honestly and ethically.

Interpersonal Skills: Demonstrates an awareness of how social and behavioral cues affect

people’s interactions and behaviors; adjusts behaviors appropriately in response to these

cues; recognizes and manages one’s emotions and understands how emotions impact others

or a situation; and treats others with dignity, courtesy, and respect.

Oral Communication: Effectively conveys information to others using spoken words and

sentences; actively listens to understand the meaning and intent behind what others say;

and recognizes potential communication barriers and adjusts approach or clarifies

information as needed.

Reliability and Dependability: Demonstrates accountability for performance and

responsibilities to self and others; prioritizes and fulfills obligations in a timely and

satisfactory manner; and understands consequences of not fulfilling one’s responsibilities

to self and others.

Resilience and Adaptability: Perseveres in challenging, stressful, or ambiguous environments

or situations by adjusting behavior or approach in response to new information, changing

conditions, or unexpected obstacles, and recognizes and seeks help and support when needed;

recovers from and reects on setbacks; and balances personal well-being with responsibilities.

Service Orientation: Shows a commitment to something larger than oneself; demonstrates

dedication to service and a commitment to making meaningful contributions that meet the

needs of communities.

Teamwork and Collaboration: Collaborates with others to achieve shared goals and

prioritizes shared goals; adjusts role between team member and leader based on one’s own

and others’ expertise and experience; shares information with team members and encourages

this behavior in others; and gives and accepts feedback to improve team performance.

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Thinking and Reasoning Competencies

Critical Thinking. Uses logic and reasoning to identify the strengths and weaknesses of

alternative solutions, conclusions, or approaches to problems.

Quantitative Reasoning. Applies quantitative reasoning and appropriate mathematics to

describe or explain phenomena in the natural world.

Scientific Inquiry. Applies knowledge of the scientific process to integrate and synthesize

information, solve problems, and formulate research questions and hypotheses; is facile in

the language of the sciences and uses it to participate in the discourse of science and explain

how scientific knowledge is discovered and validated.

Written Communication. Effectively conveys information to others by using written words

and sentences.

Science Competencies

Human Behavior. Applies knowledge of the self, others, and social systems to solve problems

related to the psychological, sociocultural, and biological factors that influence health and

well-being.

Living Systems. Applies knowledge and skill in the natural sciences to solve problems related

to molecular and macro systems, including biomolecules, molecules, cells, and organs.

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Developmental Planning

and Experience Worksheets

The developmental planning worksheets are designed to help you

gauge your development and understanding in each of the premed

competency areas. Remember, medical schools do not expect that you

will have fully mastered each competency or mastered each one to the

same extent. The worksheets will help you gauge where you are now,

identify opportunities for growth, and help you articulate how you have

developed and demonstrated the competency areas. Be sure to save

and revisit these worksheets, reflecting on your growth and experiences.

These sheets may become resources for you when preparing to write

your personal statement, answer questions on secondary applications,

and ready you for interviews.

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Premed Competency Experience Worksheets

In the AMCAS application, you’re able to list up to 15 significant experiences (three of which should be listed as

your most meaningful), including extracurricular activities, awards, honors, and publications that you would like

to highlight for medical schools. This worksheet provides a structured way to keep track of your experiences

by reflecting on how the experience was transformative for you, your impact while engaging in the activity, and

the personal growth you experienced because of your participation.

Use the sheet below to think about which competencies you gained experience in and how you developed or

demonstrated these competencies through the experience. Keep in mind that medical schools will not expect

any one experience to relate to all competencies. You will likely demonstrate numerous competencies through

several experiences. You should complete this worksheet either at the end of an experience or periodically

update it over the course of a long-term experience.

Name of experience:

Type of experience (check all that apply):

Volunteer

Laboratory

Paid

Start date: End date: Hours/time spent in experience:

Supervisor or contact information:

Meaningful or important parts of this experience: Reflect on your experience and for each relevant

competency, describe:

• What you learned about the competency by observing others.

• How you developed or improved in the competency.

• How you demonstrated the competency.

Note: Remember to write about only relevant competencies, not all competencies. No one experience is likely to

reflect all competencies.

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Professional Competencies

Describe what you learned about this competency and how you developed or demonstrated this competency

during this experience. (Complete for all that apply.)

Commitment to Learning and Growth. Practices continuous personal and professional growth for

improvement, including setting and communicating goals for learning and development; reflects on successes,

challenges, and mistakes; pursues opportunities to improve knowledge and understanding; and asks for and

incorporates feedback to learn and grow.

Cultural Awareness. Appreciates how historical, sociocultural, political, and economic factors affect others’

interactions, behaviors, and well-being; values diversity; and demonstrates a desire to learn about different

cultures, beliefs, and values.

Cultural Humility. Seeks out and engages diverse and divergent perspectives with a desire to understand and

willingness to adjust one’s mindset; understands a situation or idea from alternative viewpoints; reflects on

one’s values, beliefs, and identities and how they may affect others; reflects on and addresses bias in oneself

and others; and fosters a supportive environment that values inclusivity.

Empathy and Compassion. Recognizes, understands, and acknowledges others’ experiences, feelings,

perspectives, and reactions to situations; is sensitive to others’ needs and feelings; and demonstrates a desire

to help others and alleviate others’ distress.

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Ethical Responsibility to Self and Others. Behaves with honesty and integrity; considers multiple and/or

conicting principles and values to inform decisions; adheres to ethical principles when carrying out

professional obligations; resists pressure to engage in unethical behavior; and encourages others to behave

honestly and ethically.

Interpersonal Skills. Demonstrates an awareness of how social and behavioral cues affect people’s

interactions and behaviors; adjusts behaviors appropriately in response to these cues; recognizes and

manages one’s emotions and understands how emotions impact others or a situation; and treats others with

dignity, courtesy, and respect.

Oral Communication. Effectively conveys information to others using spoken words and sentences; actively

listens to understand the meaning and intent behind what others say; and recognizes potential communication

barriers and adjusts approach or clarifies information as needed.

Reliability and Dependability. Demonstrates accountability for performance and responsibilities to self and

others; prioritizes and fulfills obligations in a timely and satisfactory manner; and understands consequences

of not fulfilling one’s responsibilities to self and others.

Resilience and Adaptability. Perseveres in challenging, stressful, or ambiguous environments or situations by

adjusting behavior or approach in response to new information, changing conditions, or unexpected obstacles,

and recognizes and seeks help and support when needed; recovers from and reflects on setbacks; and

balances personal well-being with responsibilities.

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Service Orientation. Shows a commitment to something larger than oneself; demonstrates dedication to

service and a commitment to making meaningful contributions that meet the needs of communities.

Teamwork and Collaboration. Collaborates with others to achieve shared goals and prioritizes shared goals;

adjusts role between team member and leader based on one’s own and others’ expertise and experience;

shares information with team members and encourages this behavior in others; and gives and accepts

feedback to improve team performance.

Thinking and Reasoning Competencies

Describe what you learned about this competency and how you developed or demonstrated this competency

during this experience. (Complete for all that apply.)

Critical Thinking. Uses logic and reasoning to identify the strengths and weaknesses of alternative solutions,

conclusions, or approaches to problems.

Quantitative Reasoning. Applies quantitative reasoning and appropriate mathematics to describe or explain

phenomena in the natural world.

Scientific Inquiry. Applies knowledge of the scientific process to integrate and synthesize information, solve

problems and formulate research questions and hypotheses; is facile in the language of the sciences and uses

it to participate in the discourse of science and explain how scientific knowledge is discovered and validated.

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Written Communication. Effectively conveys information to others using written words and sentences.

Science Competencies

Describe what you learned about this competency and how you developed or demonstrated this competency

during this experience.

Human Behavior. Applies knowledge of the self, others, and social systems to solve problems related to the

psychological, sociocultural, and biological factors that influence health and well-being.

Living Systems. Applies knowledge and skill in the natural sciences to solve problems related to molecular and

macro systems including biomolecules, molecules, cells, and organs.

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Premed Competencies: Self-Assessment

When evaluating your readiness for medical school, schools assess your development, understanding, and

proficiency in the premed competencies through your experiences as described in the AMCAS application,

personal statement, interview, letters of recommendation, and performance on other assessments (e.g., MCAT

exam, PREview exam).

You should periodically assess or reassess your learning and development in these competencies to determine

where you may need additional experiences to better prepare for medical school.

Using the sheet below, reect on each competency area and what experiences have given you an opportunity to learn

and develop in the competency. (You can view all competencies and their denitions at the end of this document.)

Date of Self-Assessment:

Competency:

Professional

Commitment to Learning and Growth

Cultural Awareness

Cultural Humility

Empathy and Compassion

Ethical Responsibility to Self and Others

Interpersonal Skills

Oral Communication

Reliability and Dependability

Resilience and Adaptability

Service Orientation

Teamwork and Collaboration

Thinking and Reasoning

Critical Thinking

Quantitative Reasoning

Scientific Inquiry

Written Communication

Science

Human Behavior

Living Systems

Level of Competency Development: Planning

Progressing

Demonstrating

How I demonstrated this competency across experiences:

How developing this competency helps prepare me to be a successful medical student or future physician:

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What I learned or how I grew in this competency:

How I hope to further learn and grow in this competency:

My Plan to Develop This Competency

Next steps:

Timeline:

Notes:

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