For medical school applicants, the summer after you submit your primary application is busy. Secondaries arrive, situational judgment tests need scheduling, and interview invitations can come any time from late summer to spring. Here’s what to expect at each step.
Secondary applications
After your primary application is verified and sent to schools, most schools send a secondary application with school-specific questions and a fee. Some send secondaries to every verified applicant; others screen first.
Common prompts
- Why this school? Specific programs, patient populations, curriculum features and mission, not rankings.
- Diversity and perspective: what you’ll bring to the class and to patient care.
- Challenge or adversity: a difficulty you faced and what you learned.
- Gap year or plans: what you’re doing between now and matriculation.
- Anything else? An optional space to add context not covered elsewhere.
Tips
- Pre-write. Many schools reuse prompts, so draft core essays before secondaries arrive.
- Return them quickly, ideally within about two weeks. Many schools review on a rolling basis.
- Tailor every answer. Reusing an essay is fine; reusing it without adapting it to the school is not.
- Budget. Secondary fees add up quickly. AAMC Fee Assistance Program recipients often have secondary fees waived.
Situational judgment tests
Situational judgment tests (SJTs) present realistic scenarios and assess how you think about professionalism, ethics, teamwork and empathy. Schools use them alongside interviews to understand qualities that grades and test scores don’t capture.
| Casper | AAMC PREview | |
|---|---|---|
| Run by | Acuity Insights | Association of American Medical Colleges |
| Format | Online scenarios with open-ended typed and recorded video responses | Online text scenarios where you rate the effectiveness of possible responses on a four-point scale |
| MD schools requiring it (2027 cycle) | About 30, a few of which accept PREview instead | More than a dozen, with others recommending it |
| Timing | Taken once per application cycle; results apply to that cycle | Scheduled on set test dates |
Requirements change every year and vary by school, so check each school on your list, and register early so your results arrive with your application.
Preparing
- Learn the format with official practice materials, so the timing and interface don’t surprise you.
- Think in principles: patient welfare, honesty, fairness, respect for others and seeking more information before acting.
- Consider every perspective in a scenario before deciding what to do.
Interviews
An interview invitation means a school sees you as a serious candidate. Many schools now interview virtually, and formats vary:
- Traditional interviews: one-on-one or panel conversations with faculty, physicians or students. Some interviewers see your full application; others see little or none of it.
- Multiple Mini Interviews (MMI): a series of short stations, each with a scenario, ethical question or task, scored by a different rater.
- Group activities at some schools, to see how you work with others.
How to prepare
- Know your application. Be ready to discuss anything in it, in depth.
- Know the school. Its mission, curriculum and community, and why you fit.
- Practice out loud, including ethical scenarios and questions about current issues in health care.
- Prepare your questions. Thoughtful questions show real interest.
- Test your setup for virtual interviews: camera, lighting, sound and a quiet space.
Waitlists and updates
Many applicants who are eventually admitted spend time on a waitlist. If you’re waitlisted, follow each school’s instructions. Where updates are allowed, a brief note with meaningful news, such as new responsibilities or achievements, and a sincere statement of interest can help. Don’t send more than a school invites.
Holding and choosing acceptances
The AAMC’s application and acceptance protocols set expectations for MD applicants:
- Until April 15, you may hold multiple acceptances while continuing to interview and remain on waitlists.
- By April 15, you’re asked to narrow your acceptances to three and release the rest.
- From April 30, you’re asked to narrow to one school.
- The Choose Your Medical School tool lets you indicate “Plan to Enroll” (non-binding) and “Commit to Enroll” (your final decision). It doesn’t withdraw your other offers, so contact those schools directly.
Our medical school page covers the full cycle, and Application Review includes fast-turnaround secondary reviews and interview preparation, including MMI practice.