The ideal way to get an adequate amount of information about medical schools and their admission policies is to call or write the individual medical schools to which you would like to apply. Subsequently, they may send you letters responding to your questions, pamphlets or other documents which will enlighten your knowledge of each specific school.
If it is important to you how a medical school rates worldwide, you can consult the Gourman Report which is available at most large university libraries. Special editions of the U.S. News and World Report and Maclean's Magazine (in Canada) also rate university programs. If you want statistical information on the medical schools and admissions in the United States and Canada, the latest edition of Medical School Admission Requirements may be helpful. It is available from the Association of American Medical Colleges.
Application Services
Application services for the admissions process help to filter and standardize information for the participating medical schools. Application services do not render admission decisions; rather, they provide a processing service. In the U.S., approximately 110 of the 126 medical schools participate in the Ameri can Medical College Application Service (AMCAS). AMCAS application materials may be obtained from premedical advisors, participating medical schools or you may write to:AMCAS, Section for Student Services
Association of American Medical Colleges
2450 N Street, N.W., Suite 201
Washington, D.C. 20037-1131
Phone: (202) 828-0600
There is also an application service in Canada. However, eleven of the sixteen Canadian medical schools have individualized application procedures. The five medical schools in the Province of Ontario participate in the Ontario Medical School Application Service (OMSAS). OMSAS application material may be obtained from a participating medical school or you may write to:
OMSAS
170 Research Lane
Guelph, Ontario, Canada N1G 5E2
or call them at:
(519) 823-1940
Or check out the Ontario University Application Centre on our Links Page.
Some medical schools that participate in application services may also have their own application to fill out. Thus despite the existence of application services, nothing can replace the importance of contacting a specific medical school to be informed about their programs, policies, tuition, admission requirements, application procedures, etc. For any medical school that may interest you, you should write as early as possible and clarify, among other issues, their application procedures.
