Applying to Programs
Fall Semester Two Years Prior | Winter Break Two Years Prior | Spring Semester A Year and a Half Prior | Summer a Year Prior | Fall a Year Prior Through the Summer Before Matriculating | Application Materials | Health Professions Graudation Program Application Services | Primary Applications | Personal Statements | Secondary Applications | Situational Judgement Tests | Financing | Standardized Testing
Overview & General Timeline
Students applying to dental, medical (M.D. and D.O programs), optometry, physician assistant, and veterinary medicine programs go through the HPAC Interview Process detailed below. If applying to other graduate programs for other health professions, please discuss with your HPAC advisor.
Recent acceptance statistics of Skidmore students into programs and which they have attended after graduating are on the HPAC website under Current Student Information.
To determine your HPAC Interview and Application timeline use the linked Excel Spreadsheet. When using the spreadsheet, enter the year you want to start the program and it update the other dates in the form. In addition, there are example timelines depending if you take a gap/glide year or not.
Useful Links:
- AAMC Competencies and Experiences Worksheet
- AAMC Anatomy of an Applicant Guide
- Detailed HPAC Interview Timeline
- HPAC Interview Application - To be filled out by students requesting an interview with the HPAC committee. Please use Internet Explorer or Safari to access this form. If using Firefox, you will need to download the form before you can fill it out. Once completed, please save as a PDF (try using print function) and upload to us here.
- HPAC Letter of Recommendation Cover Sheet - To be filled out and given to all recommenders
- HPAC Waiver Form
- GPA Calculator
- HPAC File Update Form - Please use this form if you are requesting an HPAC letter and it has either been a year or more since your interview, or if you requested a letter for a previous application cycle and are now reapplying. Please use Internet Explorer or Safari to access this form. If using Firefox, you will need to download the form before you can fill it out.
- The Student Doctor Network Application Assistant Calculator
- Johns Hopkins Choosing Where to Apply
- Princeton Review Find Your Dream Medical School
- AMCAS Tools & Tutorials
- CASPER
- AAMC PREview
- Also - Application Materials, Standardized Testing, Financing, and Acceptance Statistics pages on HPAC site
- If you have accomodations, please review the guidelines and requirements to apply
for accomodations on the relevant standardized tests. MCAT for example needs prior
verification and a current evaluation.
- MCAT Accommodations Application Guidelines & Requirements - note, a current evaluation is required in addition to previous verification.
- DAT Accommodations
- OAT Accommodations
- PCAT Accommodations
- GRE Accommodations
General timeline HPAC Interview & Application Process (Note Two-Year Process)
Junior year if applying to start Fall after graduating, Senior Year if planning to take a Gap Year
- September-November – Review the AAMC Anatomy Applicant Guide (or equivalent) and work on competencies & experience worksheet.
- September-November – Reflect ahead of writing your Personal Statement and read the Approaching the Personal Statement for additional details.
- September-November – Sign-up for relevant entrance exams (e.g., MCAT, DAT, OAT, or PCAT). Standardized tests
- September-November – Study for relevant entrance exams e.g., MCAT, DAT, OAT, or PCAT).
- September-October – Create a target list of schools you are interested in applying to. Check their requirements. Note there may be courses and other requirements that need to be completed by the time you apply and others that need to be completed by the time you matriculate.
- October-November – When registering for Spring courses, be mindful of courses you need to complete before applying to the programs you are interested in as well as for studying for entrance exams. You are responsible for making sure those requirements are fulfilled.
- October/November – Discuss who you are going to ask write letters of recommendation on your behalf with your HPAC advisor. Also, start discussing statements that need to be written and start outlining.
- Please use the writing prompts from the recent application cycle that can be found in the applicant guides from AMCAS, AACOMAS, AADSAS, or VMCAS and include in the top of your document, along with your name. Please note any character limits.
- Early December, submit your HPAC Interview Application Form to Tracy DeRocher or upload to Box.com.
- December-January – Watch the prerecorded webinar on writing a personal statement, offered through Robertson Premedical Consulting (See detailed HPAC Interview Timeline for link).
- December-January – Write drafts of your CV and personal statement and upload to your Box folder.
- Please use the writing prompts from the recent application cycle that can be found in the applicant guides from AMCAS, AACOMAS, AADSAS, or VMCAS and include in the top of your document, along with your name. Please note any character limits.
- January – Submit your transcripts to your Box.com folder once Fall grades are available.
- January – Schedule an appointment with Shannon Rodriguez (Career Development Center) to discuss your materials including feedback on your statement.
- January – Continue to update and revise your competencies & experiences worksheet.
Spring Semester A Year and a Half Prior
- February through May - Refine and finalize list of schools you will be applying to. Double check requirements and if you need to take any additional classes before matricualting. Check to see if you need to take the CASPER and AAMC PREview assessments. Prepare for them as well if need be.
- February-early May – If possible, take relevant entrance exam (e.g., MCAT)
- February – Request your letters of recommendation. Give the HPAC letter of recommendation cover sheet to all letter writers. Letters need to be on letterhead and include a signature, and they should be sent directly from your letter writer to Tracy DeRocher. Please review guidelines for letters of recommendation.
- Recommendation Letter Guidelines Med/Dental/Vet Students
- Recommendation Letter Guidelines Other Health Professions
- February – Make an appointment with your HPAC advisor to review competencies & experiences worksheet and other materials. Revise and refine as needed.
- February – Continue drafting personal statement (should be on at least second major draft with multiple revisions)
- February-March – Schedule an appointment with Rachel Chase in the Career Development Center to discuss your materials including feedback on your statement.
- March – Continue drafting personal statement personal statement (should be on at least third major draft with multiple revisions) and have it critiqued by one of the following: The Writing Center, HPAC Advisor, and or Industry Expert (i.e., a physician, veterinarian, or dentist). Integrate feedback and finalize document for submission to HPAC.
- March - May, MD/DO Only – Begin writing secondary essays based on themes identified from last year’s prompts: https://www.prospectivedoctor.com/medical-school-secondary-essay-prompts-database/
- March - May, finalize competencies & experiences worksheet and resume/CV as well as other materials for submission to HPAC.
- March - May, if MD/DO and using your competencies & experiences worksheet, start drafting your key activities/experiences for your primary application (can have up to 15) and your meaningful experiences (up to three).
- Early April – Submit final versions of resume, competencies & experiences worksheet, and personal statement to Box folder. Confirm with Tracy DeRocher that your letters of recommendation have arrived. If not, follow-up with your letter writers to remind them of the deadline.
- April – Prepare for HPAC interview. Discuss with your HPAC advisor.
- Early to mid-May – HPAC interview.
- May – Revise and refine materials, taking in feedback from your HPAC interview.
- By May-June – Take the CASPER and AAMC PREview assessments if you haven't already as required or recommended for the schools you are applying.
- May-June – Request your HPAC Committee Letter (it takes up to three-four weeks from the request to the letter to being submitted).
- June – Submit primary common application. Please see your competencies & experiences worksheet to assist you with the 15 signficant experiences.
- June-August – Revise and refine responses to secondary application requests and submit.
Fall a Year Prior Through the Summer Before Matriculating
- September – July interview, review:
- AAMC Interview Resources for Medical School Applicants
- AAMC Medical School Application Preparation Guide
- Medical school you are applying to - mission, strengths, program requirements and schedule, placement, and interview type (AAMC 2023 Interview Procedures and format of individual programs).
- Skidmore Career Development Center Interview Guide and other resources - also discuss strategies with advisor in the Career Development Center
- October – July acceptances
- July – Complete all pre-requisites required before matriculating
Application Materials
For those going through the HPAC Interview Process (those applying to dental, medical (M.D. and D.O programs), optometry, physician assistant, and veterinary medicine programs), the following need to be completed (see Detailed HPAC Interview Timeline for specific dates):
- HPAC Interview Application (typically due in December prior to your HPAC interview in May)
- Competencies & experiences worksheet (submit by early April to your Box.com folder)
- Unofficial Transcript(s) (submit by early April to your Box.com folder)
- Resume/CV (submit by early April to your Box.com folder)
- Personal Statement (submit by early April to your Box.com folder) – Should go through multiple drafts and edits. It should be read by multiple people including Rachel Chase in the Career Development Center, your HPAC advisor, and others (e.g., someone in the field, Writing Center, etc.).
- Letters of recommendation submitted on your behalf (3-5) to HPAC through Tracy DeRocher (early April)
Health Professions Graduate Program Application Services
Medical
- Allopathic (MD and MD/PhD) programs: American Medical College Application Service (AMCAS)
- Osteopathic (DO) programs: American Association of Colleges of Osteopathic Medicine Application Service (AACOMAS)
- MD, DO Programs in Texas: Texas Medical and Dental Schools Application Service (TMDSAS)
- MD Programs in Ontario Canada: Ontario Medical Schools Application Service (OMSAS)
Dental
- American Association of Dental Schools Application Service (AADSAS)
- Dental Programs in Texas: Texas Medical and Dental Schools Application Service (TMDSAS)
Physician Assistant (PA)
Podiatric Medicine
Public Health
Veterinary
Primary Applications
- Biographical data
- College courses & grades including where taken
- Key Activities (see your competencies & experiences worksheet) and meaningful experiences
- Personal statement/entrance essay
- List of schools applying to
- Standardized test scores
- Letters of recommendation - If going through HPAC for dental, medical, optometry, and PA, HPAC uploads with the committee letter. Veterinary medicine programs typically don’t have committee letters, so individual letter writers will upload.
Personal Statements
- Please read the Approaching the Personal Statement document for details. You want to craft a strong narrative to put your best foot
forward. In the process, you want to address:
- Why do you want to go into medicine, dentistry, optometry, etc? What motivates you?
- What makes you a good candidate?
- What do you want admissions committees to know about you that hasn’t been disclosed yet that demonstrates why you are a good candidate?
- You want to address while being concise.
-
- AMCAS - 5,300 characters
- AACOMAS -5,300 characters
- AADSAS - 4,500 characters
- VMCAS – 5,000 characters
-
- Good writing requires rewriting, editing, and proofreading. Have multiple people read your statement. You should expect to write multiple drafts with numerous revisions.
- Useful links:
-
- AAMC Advisor Corner: Crafting your Personal Statement
- AMCAS Application: Essay
- AACOM Personal Statement
- Princeton Review 15 Tips for Your Medical School Personal Statement
- University of Pittsburgh SOM SNMA Chapter Sample Personal Statements
- How to Approach Your Statement: Dos and Don'ts
- Medical School Personal Statement: 8 Key Factors
- How to Write a Medical School Personal Statement (11 Steps)
-
- For MD/Ph.D. applications, you have two additional essays to write.
- Why MD/PhD? Articulate why you want the dual degree program (3,000 characters)
- Significant research experience – Articulate your research experiences (10,000 characters)
Secondary Applications
After submitting your primary application, you will have secondary application (supplemental applications). The specific questions asked vary by school as they are trying to determine your fit for their program. Some schools request secondary materials from all applicants, while others it will be a subset. You can expect to be spending a significant amount of time June-August after you submit your primary application working on secondary applications.
Useful links:
- AAMC Advisor Corner: Preparing for Secondary Applications
- Medical School Insiders Secondary Application Guide
- Prospective Doctor Medical School Secondary Essay Prompts Database
- Princeton Review 5 Tips for Medical School Secondary Applications
Situational Judgement Tests
A growing number of schools are using use situational judgement tests (SJTs) to better understand your interpersonal and intrapersonal skills, and how you make ethical decisions. CASPER and AAMCPREview are the two commonly used systems.