How AAMC Students & Residents Supports Medical School and Residency Applications
The AAMC Students & Residents site (students-residents.aamc.org) is the AAMC's central hub for people moving through the medical training pipeline. For applications specifically, it gives you two things: the actual application systems you have to use (AMCAS for medical school, ERAS for residency) and the preparation tools and data that surround them (MCAT and PREview prep, MSAR for school selection, Residency Explorer for program fit, plus timelines and interview guidance). It is most useful if you are actively preparing an application or deciding where to apply; it is not a scholarship program and the site does not present itself as a source of funding.
What the site covers at each application stage
The homepage organizes its support around a journey from premed through residency, and each stage maps to a different set of services.
| Stage | What the site offers | What you use it for |
|---|---|---|
| Choosing a career | Careers in Medicine (CiM), career exploration content | Deciding whether and what kind of medicine fits you |
| Applying to medical school | MCAT exam, PREview exam, MSAR, AMCAS, Fee Assistance Program | Testing, school selection, and submitting your application |
| Attending medical school | VSLO, USMLE-related guidance, away rotation advice | Planning rotations and specialty direction |
| Applying to residency | ERAS, Residency Explorer, timelines, interview tips | Submitting applications and choosing programs |
| Training in residency or fellowship | GME resources, CV tips, loan repayment guidance | Managing the transition and finances |
Medical school applications: the core tools
If your goal is getting into medical school, four named services do most of the work:
- MCAT exam — the admissions test you prepare for and take before applying.
- PREview exam — a separate professional readiness exam listed alongside the MCAT, which you take as part of the application package.
- MSAR (Medical School Admission Requirements) — the reference for comparing schools and deciding which ones fit your needs.
- AMCAS (American Medical College Application Service) — the system you actually use to submit your application.
The site frames these as a sequence: prepare for the MCAT, decide which schools fit, understand the application process, take the PREview exam, then apply through AMCAS. There is also a Fee Assistance Program listed among the services, which is worth checking before you pay for exams or applications if cost is a constraint.
Residency applications: timelines, interviews, and program data
For residency, the site points to three practical supports:
- ERAS (Electronic Residency Application Service) — the application system itself.
- Residency Explorer — a tool for finding programs that match your career goals using program data.
- Timelines and interview preparation — step-by-step schedules plus interview tips drawn from current residents.
The stated purpose of the residency section is to help you run a successful application process and identify the program that best fits your goals, rather than to rank programs for you.
How to use the site without wasting time
- Identify your current stage — premed, applying to medical school, in medical school, or applying to residency.
- Go to the matching section rather than browsing everything; the homepage is organized by stage for this reason.
- For applications, start with the system you must use (AMCAS or ERAS) and treat MSAR and Residency Explorer as decision tools feeding into it.
- Check the Fee Assistance Program before incurring exam or application costs.
- Use the posted calendars (Premed Calendar, Medical and Graduate Student Calendar) to anchor deadlines.
A common pitfall is treating the site as a single application portal. It is a hub: the exams, the data tools, and the submission systems are separate services that the site links together. Expect to move between them rather than complete everything in one place.
What the site does not tell you
The available site content does not list prices, membership requirements, or login conditions for these services, so do not assume any of them are free or open without checking the individual service page. Eligibility rules, fees, and deadlines live on each tool's own page, not on the overview.