What Is the AAMC Students & Residents Website?
The AAMC Students & Residents website (students-residents.aamc.org) is the student- and applicant-facing resource hub of the Association of American Medical Colleges. It is built for people at every stage of the physician pathway — from those just exploring a career in medicine, to medical school applicants, current medical students, and residents or fellows. Its core purpose is to organize the AAMC's services, applications, and expert guidance into one journey-based site, so you can find the right tool or advice for wherever you are right now.
Who the site is for
The site frames itself around one continuous path: "Your Journey from Premed Through Residency." That framing tells you who each section is meant to serve.
- Premeds and career explorers — people deciding whether medicine is right for them and looking for ways to get experience.
- Medical school applicants — people preparing for the MCAT exam, choosing schools, and submitting applications.
- Medical students — people choosing a specialty, taking USMLE exams, and deciding on away rotations.
- Residency applicants — people building timelines, preparing for interviews, and researching programs.
- Residents and fellows — people planning a move, managing medical school loans, and preparing a CV.
If you fall outside these groups — for example, practicing physicians or international students with no U.S. application plans — the site is not primarily designed for you, though some general career content may still be useful.
What you can actually do on the site
The site is largely a gateway to AAMC services and applications rather than a single self-contained tool. The main services it points to include:
| Service or tool | What it's for |
|---|---|
| MCAT Exam | The medical school admission test |
| PREview Professional Readiness Exam | A situational judgment exam used in the application process |
| Fee Assistance Program | Financial assistance for eligible applicants |
| MSAR (Medical School Admission Requirements) | School-by-school admission data for applicants |
| AMCAS | The American Medical College Application Service |
| Careers in Medicine (CiM) | Career and specialty exploration |
| VSLO (Visiting Student Learning Opportunities) | Applying for away rotations |
| Residency Explorer Tool | Comparing residency programs |
| ERAS | The Electronic Residency Application Service |
| FIRST | Financial information, resources, services, and tools |
Alongside these, the site offers stage-specific guidance pages — choosing a medical career, applying to medical school, attending medical school, applying to residency, and training in a residency or fellowship — plus a premed calendar and a medical and graduate student calendar to help you track deadlines.
How to use it
- Identify your stage. Decide which of the five journey phases you're in (exploring, applying to medical school, in medical school, applying to residency, or in residency/fellowship).
- Open that section. Each section links to the tools and advice relevant to that phase, so you avoid wading through content meant for other stages.
- Go to the specific service. When you need to act — register for the MCAT exam, submit an AMCAS application, or search programs in Residency Explorer — follow the link from the site to that service.
- Check the calendars. The premed and medical/graduate student calendars are the fastest way to see upcoming deadlines tied to your stage.
A practical note: the site is a navigational hub, so the actual application or registration usually happens on the linked service's own pages, not on students-residents.aamc.org itself.
What to keep in mind
- It's official AAMC content. The site is operated by the Association of American Medical Colleges, so the guidance and links come from the organization that runs the MCAT exam, AMCAS, and ERAS.
- It's U.S.-focused. The pathway described — MCAT, AMCAS, ERAS, USMLE — is the U.S. medical training route.
- It's a starting point, not a replacement. For deadlines, fees, and eligibility rules, always confirm details on the specific service page, since those can change and the hub page may not carry the latest specifics.
If you're at any point between considering medicine and finishing residency in the U.S., this site is the natural first stop for finding the AAMC tool or guidance that matches your stage.