MCAT = $345 (Standard Registration Fee)
- Doesn't count the cost of having to retake the MCAT more than once
- Doesn't factor cost of facing cancellation fees
AMCAS Cost = $1509
- Estimated total for 30 schools given the total AMCAS Cost is $175 for the first school and $46 for each additional school
AACOMAS Cost = $768
- Estimated total for 10 schools given $198 for the initial application fee and $57 for each school
Secondary Application Cost = $4000
- Cost ranges, but is generally between $50 and $200 per MD school and $100 per DO school
- Estimated total based on: Total Estimated Secondaries Cost (MD) = $100 * 30 = $3000 and Total Estimated Secondaries Cost (DO) = $100 * 10 = $1000
PREView Exam = $100
CASPer Exam = $85
Total = $6807
- This total does not count MCAT tutoring packages ($2000-3000) or private medical school advising company costs that also several range in cost (can be five figure sums)
- These numbers are based on the 2024-2025 application cycle and may be different in future cycles.
AACOMAS
- Stands for the American Association of Colleges of Osteopathic Medicine.
- Refers to the application for DO schools.
Allopathic Schools
- Term used to refer to MD schools.
AMCAS
- Stands for the American Medical College Application Service.
- Refers to the application for MD schools.
CASPer
- Situational judgment test meant to measure your social intelligence and professionalism.
- Required by certain medical schools for admission.
COMLEX
- Stands for Comprehensive Osteopathic Medical Licensing Examination.
- Consists of three steps and is required for DO students.
- COMLEX level 1 and 2 are taken in medical school and COMLEX level 3 is taken after the first year of residency.
MCAT
- Stands for the Medical College Admission Test.
- 8 hour exam required by all medical schools for admission.
Osteopathic Schools
- Term used to refer to DO schools.
PREview
- Professional readiness exam required by some medical schools for admission.
Rotations
- Refers to the clinical/ training portion of medical school (the last two years).
- This is when you get hands-on training across some of the major medical specialities.
Science GPA
- It may also be referred to as the BCPM or BCP GPA.
- This is basically a GPA that only considers your science course grades (math, biology, chemistry, physics) and math course grades.
- Schools consider this GPA and your cumulative GPA when making admissions decisions.
USMLE
- Stands for United States Medical Licensing Examination
- This is a three step exam taken during medical school to determine if you are ready to be licensed as a medical professional.
- Required for MD students and optional for DO students (though it is recommended to take for residency).
- Step 1 and Step 2 are taken during medical school, while Step 3 is usually taken after the first year of residency.
The first two years of medical school are called the preclinical years. These involve rigorous classroom instruction mixed with lab time.
- At the end students should pass the USMLE Step 1 and/or the COMLEX Level 1.
The last two years of medical school are the clinical years. During this time, students will rotate at various clinics and hospital systems.
- At the end students should pass the USMLE Step 2 and/or the COMLEX Level 2.
After graduating in four years, students complete their residencies that can take between 4-7 years.