personal statement character limit amcas

Medical School Application

AMCAS Personal Statement: My Best Tips for Writing It

Featured Expert: Dr. Christian Cuevas, MD

Your AMCAS personal statement is one of the most important components of your AMCAS application . It can be the tipping point for whether you get an interview. But your AMCAS personal statement won’t write itself, and synthesizing all your ideas, experience, and background into about 5,300 characters is no easy feat. For me, the personal statement was one of the most difficult portions of the AMCAS application, so I'll share with you everything I learned through writing it.

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Article Contents 11 min read

Amcas personal statement example #1.

916 words (5,181 of the maximum 5,300 characters with spaces)

My mother grew up as one of 14 children in a very poor home in rural Ontario, where both parents, while loving and warm, suffered from alcoholism. She and her siblings experienced significant childhood adversity, the legacy of which still looms large. Later, as the matriarch of her own family, she ran a small business, supported my aunts, uncles, and cousins, and provided stability for all of us. She modelled, and I internalized, compassion for my loved ones as they lived through uncertainty, conflict, illness, and loss.

You might wonder why I tell my mother’s story, rather than my own. I could say that my mother inspired me to go into medicine and leave it at that. However, to call it inspiration would be a discredit to the profound influence my mother has had on my life and the lives of everyone around us.

They say, “it takes a village,” but my family basically made up half the village where I lived. I’m exaggerating, but it’s almost true. In such an isolated place, the few families that existed formed a close, interdependent community. When someone fell ill, it was often the family who stepped in, since the nearest clinic was 40 minutes away.

On how to stand out in your personal statement :

“The personal statement is an opportunity for you to shine and really impress the committee to invite you for an interview. In order to stand out, it is important to answer the main questions well: a bit about yourself and what led you to medicine, why you would make an ideal medical student and future physician, what attracts you to this particular institution, and what sets you apart from the other candidates.” - Dr. Neel Mistry, MD

“what i did was start with a story. like any good novel, the stories first lines are meant to hook the reader. this can be about anything if you can bring it back and relate it to your application... it is important that the story be real... while in my opinion it is ok to slightly embellish some details of story to make it more interesting, straight lying or overly unrealistic situations should be avoided.” - dr. jamie cazes, md, “i focused on my journey to medicine and opportunities that i sought out along the way. everyone’s path and validation is unique, so walking the reader through your growth to the point of application will naturally be different.” - dr. monica taneja, md, tip #1: get an early start.

I went the “last minute route” which I DO NOT recommend. I took my MCAT in early May, and in the process of waiting for my score to be released, I began writing my personal statement. About 2-3 weeks sounds like it would be plenty of time to write but taking into consideration writing your AMCAS activities section while also requesting transcripts and letters of recommendation , due dates can come up quick! I highly DO NOT recommend going this route unless you enjoy unnecessary stress and potentially decreasing the quality of your personal statement.

A realistic timeline for writing your AMCAS personal statement will look like this:

6 months prior to the AMCAS opening date, start brainstorming and reflecting on your experiences to get an idea of what you want your AMCAS personal statement to look like and pinpoint experiences that are truly convincing and authentic.
5-6 months prior to the opening date, begin an outline/rough draft of the ideas comprised and start piecing everything together. Decide what will go in your introduction, body, and conclusion paragraphs. At this point, start having someone look over your paper, either a trusted friend or mentor or a professional such as a med school admissions advisor.
1 month prior to the opening date, have a final draft ready to allow time to complete other aspects of your application.

Tip #2: The Essay Is a Story, not a Resume

You want to captivate your reader’s attention from the beginning to keep them engaged throughout the rest of your personal statement. When writing my personal statement, I described falling backwards and having glass shatter on my face, requiring a trip to the emergency department and my first encounter with a physician. I used this story to give my reader an example of what my first memory was when interacting with the medical system and begin giving them a glimpse of my story in medicine.

Introduction

The introduction is arguably the most important aspect of your paper, so use it to immerse your reader into your story right away:

Unconscious and confused, I woke up and registered my surroundings. My parents, with pale, frantic expressions, stared back at me in disbelief. I simply wanted to help my mother tidy the kitchen shelves flooded with decorative, glass knick-knacks. It was spring cleaning time in our household. Instead, my face was lacerated by falling glassware. The warmth of my blood running down my face startled me as my parents picked me up and carried me to the car. When we got in the car, I felt lightheaded and eventually lost consciousness. I woke up a second time in my father\u2019s arms as he rushed me towards the emergency room where hordes of people crowded us. Still unsure of what was happening, I recall being placed on a bed and greeted by a man in a white coat. When he spoke, a sense of peace and hope came upon my family. We knew everything would be alright. ","label":"AMCAS Personal Statement Introduction","title":"AMCAS Personal Statement Introduction"}]" code="tab1" template="BlogArticle">

Body Paragraphs

In your body paragraphs, you want to give your reader a “roadmap” as to what you are going to discuss in the body of your personal statement (essentially, the topics you are to discuss in the body paragraphs). This is done to give your reader a clear idea of what they are about to read.

The body of your personal statement is where you discuss 2-3 personal experiences that have helped drive you to pursue medicine. For example, my 2 experiences consisted of talking about a family member who suffered from cancer and my time in Haiti providing care for the rural Haitian people. When describing these experiences, you want to paint a specific story (a patient interaction, for example) to make it more personable and “show” instead of “telling” what you did. Additionally, you want to make sure you discuss what you learned from the experience and how it convinced you to pursue medicine.

I had the privilege to go with a group of missionaries to provide health care to the people of Haiti. Once we arrived, we immediately noticed the damage done by the earthquake, even years after the tragedy. The brokenness and anguish from that event were etched into the people\u2019s faces and culture. Traveling from village to village, our hearts ached from seeing people covered with filth, dirt and bugs. Many were infected with diseases that a simple antibiotic could treat, yet their malnourished bodies could not fight them off. Once we established a good rapport among the villages by providing health care, such as simple physical exams or procedures such as hysterectomies, we saw their attitudes shift from despair to radiant hope. Adults would run to different doctors on our team, repeatedly thanking them with gifts of fresh produce. The joy on the faces of the Haitian children whenever they would hear our four-wheeler coming up the mountain is an image I will never forget. This pivotal experience shaped my attitude towards helping marginalized groups of people; I learned to be more patient, understanding, and welcoming to all walks of life. Understanding that not all are privileged to have easy access to simple healthcare. Additionally, I learned to be able to adapt to my surroundings and provide quality care, even in a setting where there may be a lack of resources. ","label":"AMCAS Personal Statement Body","title":"AMCAS Personal Statement Body"}]" code="tab2" template="BlogArticle">

Lastly, you want to wrap up your paper by bringing up all of your experiences and briefly touching upon their learning points and how you will use those experiences to be a good physician in the future. You can also call back to the experience/topic you brought up in your introduction to make the conclusion connect to your introduction. This will help wrap up your paper nicely and bring everything together for your reader.

A physician has many responsibilities: diagnosing illnesses, offering treatments, prescribing medications. However, I believe the most important one is being a beacon of hope to the hopeless, a light illuminating the path for those who fear their debilitating ailments. Sensing peace overcome my parents during my first chaotic visit to the hospital ER, seeing \u201cJaimie\u201d have hope in physicians knowing she could potentially die, and hearing the Haitian people yell with joy when they received necessary treatment are the kinds of emotional experiences I wish to bring to others, experiences which will make every ounce of hard work more than worth it. Regardless of what mentally strenuous and physically taxing trials this career brings, I want to one day be that hope for many. ","label":"AMCAS Personal Statement Conclusion","title":"AMCAS Personal Statement Conclusion"}]" code="tab3" template="BlogArticle">

It’s always easier to write an essay if someone assigns you the topic. For instance, maybe you had to research diversity and inclusion in medical education at some point and think you know the “secret” to writing an excellent diversity secondary essay . But what do you do when there is no prompt – or the topic is you? Where do you start? How do you choose? What do medical schools want to hear? How do you come across as unique when the purpose of the essay is so generic?

When brainstorming through all of your previous experiences, there are the straightforward ones that make sense, such as shadowing, clinical and volunteer work, and research. When I began brainstorming for my AMCAS personal statement, I used my running document of all of the undergraduate medicine or science related experiences I had since starting college . But I also did some self-reflection on any medically related experiences I had growing up in terms of my own run-ins with medicine, as well as family medical experiences that I thought were worth mentioning.

In my AMCAS personal statement, I highlighted my experience as a patient, what my immigrant parents experienced in the healthcare system, and my involvement in translating for a free clinic focused on Spanish-speaking patients. I chose these experiences as they were the easiest to explain and talk about; they truly were part of my passion in trying to improve healthcare for people with a similar background to me.

My number one recommendation for choosing topics to discuss in your personal statement is to choose stories that show your passion. The main purpose of the AMCAS personal statement is to convince the admissions committee that there is nothing else you would rather do then to study medicine.

Do you need inspiration for your AMCAS personal statement? Check out this video with examples:

Tip #4: Remember that Writing Is a Craft

The challenges I had with writing my personal statement are likely similar to the challenges you will face when writing yours. My drafting experience was a bit rough as I am not the strongest writer. I had a lot of help from friends, family, and professors who I trusted. Writing your AMCAS personal statement may take more than 2-3 drafts (mine took about 10 drafts), so be patient with yourself! It is completely okay to re-write a paragraph or even your whole personal statement to get it to where you want it to be (this is why I recommend starting your rough draft six months to a year before your application is due).

Usually, I made one small edit, sent it out to people, and received 10+ recommendations for change. At times, it was hard to keep track of all of the recommendations as at times I would receive conflicting recommendations. Looking back, I wish I had services to help with narrowing down what aspects of my personal statement truly needed to be changed and which are okay to keep.

Become a good – even great – writer in the process of applying to medical school, and you can rest easy that you’ve given this particular part of your application your best shot.

Getting behind the idea of creative writing may not appeal to science majors, but believe me, it’s a skill that will serve you in medicine in more ways than you can imagine. However, it may seem like just another chore to get out of the way. If that’s your mindset, you should change it – because your AMCAS personal statement is a real opportunity to reflect on and distill your passion for medicine.

And why not take advantage of our free offer to acquire BeMo’s Ultimate Guide to Medical School Personal Statements & Secondary Essays? This 300-page guide with tips, strategies, and sample successful personal statements promises to “help you learn to write captivating essays, even if you are not a natural writer.”

Tip #5: Get Expert Feedback

Like I described above, getting recommendations from multiple people that were conflicting made it difficult to focus on the aspects of my personal statement that truly needed revising as I would spend too much time focusing on the minor details that may or may not improve my paper. Get an expert second set of eyes to look at your AMCAS personal statement draft and provide you with objective feedback.

The reality is that every great writer has an editor, and you will need one. Given the importance of the AMCAS personal statement, there’s really no reason not to consider medical school personal statement editing services to help you out. There’s no question that a medical school application tutor is worth it to radically improve your personal statement and other components that can highly influence your admission chances.

AMCAS stands for American Medical College Application Service. Most medical schools in the US use this centralized application service.

You have 5,300 characters, including spaces, to work with.

You would not discuss your MCAT score or academics in your personal statement, but if you have used an MCAT score calculator and found that you fall short or have had to retake the MCAT , you may want to address the issue in your personal statement to explain how your grades and/or other achievements offset your lower score and why you remain an excellent candidate for medical school.

We recommend giving yourself a minimum of 2 months to brainstorm, draft, polish, and revise. Don’t hesitate to get medical school application help if you are struggling with any aspect of admissions.

If you’re applying to medical schools in Texas, you will use TDMSAS , and if you are applying to medical schools in Canada, you might use OMSAS . Moreover, certain medical schools may have their own distinct application procedures, so be sure to research the specific medical school requirements for the schools to which you are applying.

Yes, we recommend a standard academic essay structure with an eye-catching introduction, three body paragraphs, and compelling conclusion.

Writing skills are a big part of producing any application essay, but what you include and why are just as important. Admissions advisors can guide you with their advanced knowledge of medical school application processes.

No, your AMCAS personal statement will be sent to all the schools you apply to, so it should focus on you and your interest in pursuing medicine, not the specific schools that interest you.

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Have a question ask our admissions experts below and we'll answer your questions.

Nadia mourtada

Thanks for providing us with some good ideas on how to write a good statement. That helped with my personal statement, however, I have a question: Do they really read our personal statement? Please let me. Thanks

BeMo Academic Consulting

Hello Nadia! Thanks for your comment. Yes, admissions committees do read your personal statements. After your grades and MCAT score meet the requirements, your personal statement is usually one of the most influential components of the application. It can really help you get the interview invite, so we strongly recommend spending time and effort on it!

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Medical School Personal Statement FAQs

Let’s start today with a seemingly simple question that you are going to have to consider before applying to med school: Who are you? It may seem simple on the surface, but this can be one of the most challenging questions that premed students encounter on the medical school application or the MCAT. Yet, it’s the basic question posed in at least one major part of your application: the medical school personal statement .

There are a couple important themes to keep in mind while you’re coming up with the subject matter for your medical school personal statement—or, what many admissions officers refer to as “your interview in writing.” Check out a few of our handy personal essay FAQs:

What kind of questions will I be asked?

The question posed—or the essay prompt—will be surprisingly vague. The Association of American Medical Colleges’ (AAMC) prompt from the AMCAS application is simply: “Use the space provided to explain why you want to go to medical school.” This broad net can prove both a blessing and a curse, depending on how you look at it. On one hand, it allows you the freedom to take your story in just about any direction, and what could be better than that? On the other, it can feel overwhelming if you overthink it.

How long should my medical school personal statement be?

How many versions should i write.

Unlike the school-specific, tailored information you’ll give on your secondary applications, your AMCAS medical school statement will remain uniform across all the schools you apply to.

Since you’ll only have one version of the personal essay, it should not be directed towards any individual school. Use your secondary applications and essays to express your interests in individual medical schools.

What should I write about in my personal statement?

Even though the prompt for the medical school personal statement is vague, it is generally understood that you have three major goals to accomplish in this essay. Focus the essay with these in mind, but don’t be afraid to be creative!

You’ll need to give some serious thought to why you want to go into medicine , and more specifically, why you want an MD or a DO . Far too often, students write generic, impassioned passages about “wanting to help people.” While that is a completely valid reason to go to medical school, it doesn’t really explain why you want to become a doctor to the exclusion of other health careers, like nursing or physical therapy. It doesn’t really even explain why you want to go into medicine. Firefighters, teachers, plumbers, and landscapers help people too!

Why do I want to be a physician specifically?

Is it the translation of your scientific knowledge into patient education about how to live a healthy lifestyle? Is it the pursuit of new therapies and cures through research? Is it the rigor of a career that demands lifelong learning?

Medical schools want to know that if they admit you, you’ll contribute to the class in a unique and meaningful way. So think about what makes your desire to become a physician unique. Medical schools want to admit a diverse class , and although diversity in medical education is a rather broad topic in general, they’re looking beyond just demographics—to facets such as educational experiences, life challenges, medical interests, and more.How does everything fit together?

You want your medical school personal statement to tell an intricate story about you—something a reader can get excited about and relate to. Rather than simply rewriting your résumé in paragraph form, construct your essay around a theme that you can keep returning to.

Perhaps you’re a musicology major who’s also passionate about education and patient care. Focusing on the intersection between the arts and sciences both historically and in your own life could be a good launching-off point. Take it from us—it’s worked before.

Who should edit my med school essay?

Someone who knows you really well. Medical schools can spot a disingenuous personal statement a mile away. Get a best friend, parent, or significant other to call you on any bluffing or “gaming” of the essay. It’s not about writing what you think the admissions committee wants to hear—it’s about writing the truth, representing yourself tactfully, and letting your accomplishments speak for themselves.
A strict grammarian. To be sure, using a comma when you should be using a semicolon will not, by itself, keep you out of medical school. But any sloppiness or lack of clarity in your statement will subtly and collectively bring down the overall quality and effectiveness of your words.
Someone who knows medicine. Who should know better what will appeal to a medical school admissions committee than someone who’s already been there, done that? A physician you’ve shadowed, a PI with whom you’ve worked, or a friend who’s already a medical student will help you hone your statement’s message. If you are currently an undergraduate student, your pre-med advisor certainly fits the bill.

Ultimately, the essay is crucial to your success in applying to medical school, so go ahead and start writing. By thinking through your essay, you’re helping define who you are as a citizen, as a student, and as the physician you’re well on your way to becoming.

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March 30, 2024

6 Important Tips for the AMCAS Personal Statement (AMCAS PS)

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Introduction

Understanding the amcas personal statement.

Explanation of what the AMCAS Personal Statement is.

Discussion of the character limit and its implications for content.

Crafting a Compelling Narrative

Importance of storytelling in the personal statement.

Tips for selecting experiences that highlight unique qualities.

Show, Don’t Tell: Demonstrating Your Qualities

Strategies for illustrating personal attributes through specific examples.

Avoiding the trap of simply listing achievements.

Addressing Challenges and Setbacks

How to effectively discuss obstacles without dwelling on them.

Balancing honesty with positivity.

Making Your Statement Stand Out

Techniques for creating a memorable and distinctive personal statement.

The role of reflection and personal growth in the narrative.

The Role of Feedback and Revision

Importance of seeking constructive criticism from trusted sources.

The iterative process of refining the personal statement.

The pivotal milestones in your medical school application path is crafting an exceptional AMCAS Personal Statement. This crucial component of your application is more than just a formality; it’s a canvas for your narrative, a platform to showcase your passion for medicine, and a chance to stand out the thousands of aspiring physicians. The AMCAS Personal Statement is your opportunity to go beyond the numbers and give the admissions committee a glimpse into your character, your motivations, and your vision for your future in healthcare.

Navigating the 5,300-character limit can feel like a tightrope walk, balancing between being concise and expressive. It’s about finding that sweet spot where your experiences, aspirations, and the essence of who you are come together to form a compelling story. This narrative is your ticket to capturing the attention of medical school admissions officers and making them see not just an applicant, but a future doctor with a unique perspective and a heart full of determination. Let’s dive into how you can make your personal statement a memorable and impactful part of your medical school application.

Explanation of what the AMCAS Personal Statement is

At its core, the AMCAS Personal Statement is your chance to transcend beyond grades and scores. It’s about telling your story in a way that highlights your passion for medicine, your empathy, your resilience, and your commitment to the field. Through this narrative, you’re given the freedom to illustrate the experiences that have shaped you, the challenges you’ve overcome, and the moments that solidified your decision to pursue medicine. Unlike the quantitative data that fills the rest of your application, this qualitative aspect allows you to connect on a more personal level with those deciding your fate in the medical field.

Crafting a statement that leaves a lasting impression requires introspection and a deep understanding of what drives you. This isn’t about reiterating your resume; it’s about peeling back the layers to reveal the real you. The AMCAS application facilitates this conversation between you and the admissions committee, providing a platform for you to articulate your personal journey towards medicine.

Discussion of the character limit and its implications for content

Navigating the 5,300-character limit of the AMCAS Personal Statement might seem daunting at first. This restriction places a premium on your ability to communicate efficiently and effectively, challenging you to distill your experiences and aspirations into a concise yet powerful narrative. Every word counts, pushing you to think critically about what details are truly essential to your story and which ones can be left unsaid.

This character limit encourages precision. It forces you to prioritize the experiences that best represent your journey, highlighting the resilience, empathy, and dedication that have propelled you toward a career in medicine. In this space, you must strike a balance between depth and brevity, ensuring that each sentence contributes to the overarching narrative you wish to convey. The constraint isn’t just a limit; it’s an opportunity to fine-tune your message, ensuring that your personal statement is both compelling and focused.

Moreover, the character limit underscores the importance of reflection in the application process. Deciding what to include and what to omit isn’t just about storytelling; it’s about understanding yourself and what defines you as a future medical professional. This introspective process can illuminate your path to medicine in ways you hadn’t considered, providing a clearer vision of who you are and the doctor you aspire to be.

In essence, the AMCAS Personal Statement is more than an essay; it’s a narrative mosaic of your journey to medicine. The character limit shapes this narrative, ensuring that each word serves a purpose, each sentence builds your case, and the final product paints a vivid picture of your passion for and commitment to the field of medicine.

The AMCAS Personal Statement is more than just an academic essay; it’s a storytelling opportunity that allows you to weave together the threads of your experiences, aspirations, and personal growth. Crafting a compelling narrative is crucial in making your application stand out in the competitive landscape of medical school admissions.

Importance of storytelling in the personal statement

Storytelling is a powerful tool in the AMCAS Personal Statement because it transforms your application from a mere collection of achievements into a memorable and engaging narrative. A well-crafted story can convey your passion for medicine, demonstrate your resilience, and provide insight into your character in ways that data and statistics cannot. It’s about showing the admissions committee who you are, not just telling them.

Through storytelling, you can connect emotionally with the reader, making your application more relatable and human. This emotional connection can be the difference between a forgettable essay and one that resonates long after it’s been read. A narrative approach allows you to highlight the journey that has led you to pursue a career in medicine, showcasing your growth, challenges overcome, and the moments that have defined your path.

Tips for selecting experiences that highlight unique qualities

When selecting experiences for your narrative, it’s essential to choose those that showcase your unique qualities and align with the values of the medical profession. Here are some tips to help you identify and highlight these experiences in your AMCAS Personal Statement:

1. Reflect on pivotal moments : Think about the experiences that have had a significant impact on your decision to pursue medicine. These could be clinical encounters, volunteer work, research projects, or personal challenges. Focus on moments that sparked your interest in healthcare or reinforced your commitment to the field.

2. Showcase your growth : Select experiences that demonstrate your personal and professional development. Admissions committees are interested in seeing how you’ve evolved over time and how your experiences have shaped your understanding of medicine.

3. Highlight your empathy and compassion : Medicine is a field that requires a deep sense of empathy and compassion. Include experiences that illustrate your ability to connect with others, understand their perspectives, and provide support during difficult times.

4. Demonstrate resilience and adaptability : The journey to and through medical school is challenging. Share experiences that showcase your resilience in the face of adversity and your ability to adapt to changing circumstances.

5. Emphasize teamwork and collaboration : Medicine is inherently collaborative. Highlight experiences that demonstrate your ability to work effectively in teams, communicate clearly, and contribute to shared goals.

6. Be authentic : Choose experiences that genuinely reflect who you are and what matters to you. Authenticity is key to creating a narrative that feels true to your character and resonates with the admissions committee.

By carefully selecting experiences that highlight your unique qualities and weaving them into a cohesive narrative, you can create an AMCAS Personal Statement that not only stands out but also provides a compelling glimpse into your journey to medicine.

In the AMCAS Personal Statement, the statement “show, don’t tell” is a guiding principle that can transform your essay from a mere recitation of accomplishments into a vivid portrayal of your character and potential as a future physician. This section explores strategies to bring your qualities to life and avoid the common pitfall of merely listing achievements.

Show, don't just tell your experiences in your AMCAS Personal Statement

Strategies for illustrating personal attributes through specific examples

To effectively demonstrate your qualities, you need to provide specific examples that showcase these attributes in action. Here are some strategies to help you do that:

1. Use vivid anecdotes : Share detailed stories from your experiences that highlight your qualities. For example, instead of stating that you are empathetic, describe a moment when you comforted a patient or connected with someone from a different background.

2. Focus on your actions and reactions : Illustrate your qualities through your actions and responses to various situations. Show how you solved a problem, overcame a challenge, or made a positive impact on others.

3. Provide context : Set the scene for your examples by providing enough background information. This helps the reader understand the significance of your actions and the qualities they demonstrate.

4. Reflect on your experiences : Don’t just describe what happened; reflect on what you learned and how it shaped your understanding of medicine or your personal growth. This reflection shows depth and self-awareness.

5. Use specific, concrete details : Rather than using general statements, use specific details to paint a vivid picture of your experiences and the qualities they reveal.

Avoiding the trap of simply listing achievements

While it’s important to highlight your accomplishments, your AMCAS Personal Statement should not read like a resume. Here’s how to avoid turning your essay into a mere list of achievements:

1. Prioritize quality over quantity : Instead of trying to include every achievement, focus on a few meaningful experiences that showcase your most relevant qualities.

2. Integrate achievements into your narrative : Incorporate your accomplishments naturally into your story, showing how they are a result of your qualities and how they have prepared you for a career in medicine.

3. Explain the significance : Don’t just mention an achievement; explain why it matters. Discuss the skills you developed, the challenges you overcame, and the impact it had on your journey to medicine.

4. Show the journey, not just the destination : Instead of just stating that you received an award or achieved a high grade, describe the effort, dedication, and growth that led to that accomplishment.

5. Balance humility with confidence: Be proud of your achievements, but maintain a tone of humility. Acknowledge the contributions of others and the opportunities that allowed you to succeed.

By focusing on illustrating your qualities through specific examples and integrating your achievements into a cohesive narrative, your AMCAS Personal Statement will provide a compelling and authentic portrayal of who you are and why you are destined for a career in medicine. Remember, the goal is to show the admissions committee the depth of your character, not just the breadth of your accomplishments.

The journey to medical school is often marked by hurdles and setbacks. In your AMCAS Personal Statement, discussing these obstacles is not just about showcasing resilience but also about revealing depth, growth, and a balanced perspective on your journey. Let’s explore how to approach this aspect of your narrative effectively.

How to effectively discuss obstacles without dwelling on them

Discussing challenges in your AMCAS Personal Statement requires a delicate balance. You want to acknowledge the difficulties you’ve faced without letting them overshadow your achievements or the positive aspects of your journey. Here’s how to strike that balance:

1. Focus on the learning experience : When mentioning an obstacle, quickly pivot to what it taught you or how it contributed to your personal or professional growth. This approach shifts the focus from the challenge itself to the positive outcomes of facing it.

2. Keep it relevant : Choose setbacks that have a direct relevance to your path to medicine or your personal development as a future healthcare provider. This ensures that every part of your story ties back to your central narrative of pursuing a medical career.

3. Be concise : While it’s important to provide context, avoid going into unnecessary detail about the obstacle itself. Instead, spend more time on your response to the challenge and the steps you took to overcome it.

4. Demonstrate resilience : Show how facing these challenges has prepared you for the rigorous path of medical education and the demands of a career in healthcare. Highlight qualities like perseverance, adaptability, and strength.

Balancing honesty with positivity

Your AMCAS Personal Statement is a reflection of your authentic self, including how you handle adversity. Here’s how to maintain a balance between being honest about your struggles and maintaining a positive tone:

1. Acknowledge without exaggeration: It’s important to be honest about the challenges you’ve faced, but avoid dramatizing them. A straightforward, factual approach shows maturity and self-awareness.

2. Highlight positive outcomes : For every challenge discussed, ensure there’s a corresponding positive takeaway or outcome. Whether it’s a lesson learned, a skill acquired, or a new perspective gained, make sure the reader sees the silver lining.

3. Maintain a forward-looking perspective : Emphasize how the obstacles you’ve encountered have equipped you for future challenges. This demonstrates optimism and a readiness to tackle the difficulties inherent in medical training and practice.

4. Show gratitude : If appropriate, express appreciation for the support and opportunities that helped you overcome challenges. This not only shows humility but also acknowledges the interconnectedness of your journey with others.

Addressing challenges and setbacks in your AMCAS Personal Statement is not just about recounting difficulties; it’s about illustrating your journey towards resilience, maturity, and a deeper understanding of the medical profession. By focusing on the lessons learned and maintaining a balance between honesty and positivity, you can craft a narrative that resonates with admissions committees and underscores your readiness for the challenges of medical school and beyond. Remember, the way you discuss obstacles can significantly impact how your overall application is perceived, turning potential weaknesses into demonstrations of character strength and determination.

Creating a memorable and impactful AMCAS Personal Statement is crucial for standing out in the competitive medical school application process. Let’s look at techniques that can help you craft a distinctive narrative and the role of reflection and personal growth in your personal statement.

Make your AMCAS Personal Statement standout

Techniques for creating a memorable and distinctive personal statement

1. Start with a captivating hook : Begin your AMCAS Personal Statement with an engaging story or anecdote that highlights a key aspect of your journey to medicine. This could be a pivotal moment, a challenging experience, or an inspiring encounter that shaped your decision to pursue a career in medicine.

2. Showcase your unique voice: Your personal statement should reflect your individuality. Use a conversational yet professional tone, and avoid overused phrases or clichés. Share your personal experiences, thoughts, and reflections in a way that only you can.

3. Focus on your strengths and passions : Highlight your strengths, achievements, and passions related to medicine. Emphasize what sets you apart from other applicants, whether it’s your dedication to community service, your research accomplishments, or your unique perspective on healthcare.

4. Be specific and concise : Use specific examples to illustrate your points rather than making general statements. This not only makes your personal statement more memorable but also demonstrates your ability to communicate effectively and concisely.

5. Connect your experiences to your future goals : Demonstrate how your past experiences have prepared you for a career in medicine and how they align with your future aspirations. This shows that you have a clear vision and are committed to your path.

The role of reflection and personal growth in the narrative

1. Highlight personal growth : Your AMCAS Personal Statement should showcase your journey of personal growth and development. Reflect on how your experiences have shaped your character, values, and aspirations.

2. Demonstrate self-awareness : Show that you have a deep understanding of yourself and your motivations for pursuing medicine. Discuss how your experiences have challenged you, what you’ve learned from them, and how they have influenced your decision to become a physician.

3. Emphasize resilience and adaptability : Medical school and a career in medicine are challenging. Highlight instances where you’ve overcome obstacles, adapted to change, or persevered through difficult situations. This demonstrates your resilience and readiness for the rigors of medical training.

4. Incorporate introspection : Use your personal statement to share insights gained from your experiences. Discuss how they have impacted your perspective on medicine, healthcare, and serving others.

5. Connect to your values and motivations : Tie your reflections and personal growth to your core values and motivations for entering the medical field. This creates a cohesive narrative that resonates with admissions committees and underscores your commitment to medicine.

By incorporating these techniques and emphasizing reflection and personal growth in your AMCAS Personal Statement, you can create a compelling narrative that stands out. Remember, your personal statement is an opportunity to showcase your unique journey, qualities, and dedication to a career in medicine. Make it count!

Feedback and revision play crucial roles in shaping a narrative for the AMCAS that truly reflects your journey to medicine. Let’s explore the importance of seeking constructive criticism and the iterative process of refining your personal statement.

Importance of seeking constructive criticism from trusted sources

1. Gaining fresh perspectives : Even the most self-aware individuals can benefit from an external viewpoint. Friends, mentors, or professionals who are familiar with the medical school application process can provide insights that you might have overlooked.

2. Identifying weaknesses : Constructive criticism helps pinpoint areas of your AMCAS Personal Statement that may be unclear, unconvincing, or irrelevant. Recognizing these weaknesses is the first step toward addressing them.

3. Enhancing clarity and coherence : Feedback can highlight sections of your personal statement that lack clarity or fail to convey your intended message effectively. This allows you to refine your narrative for better coherence.

4. Validating your strengths : Positive feedback on certain aspects of your personal statement reinforces your strengths. It’s essential to know what works well so you can maintain those elements during revisions.

5. Building confidence : Constructive criticism, when received from trusted sources, can boost your confidence in your personal statement. Knowing that your narrative has been vetted and approved by others can be reassuring.

The iterative process of refining the personal statement

1. Embracing revision : Accept that your first draft is just the starting point. Be open to making changes, reorganizing content, and rephrasing sentences to improve the overall impact of your AMCAS Personal Statement.

2. Focusing on one section at a time : Break down the revision process into manageable sections. Concentrate on refining one part of your personal statement before moving on to the next. This approach prevents feeling overwhelmed and ensures thorough revisions.

3. Seeking multiple rounds of feedback : Don’t settle for feedback from just one source. Approach different individuals at various stages of the revision process. Each round of feedback brings new perspectives and ideas for improvement.

4. Balancing between revisions and originality : While it’s essential to incorporate feedback, ensure that your personal statement remains authentically yours. Strike a balance between making revisions and preserving your unique voice and experiences.

5. Setting aside time for reflection: After each round of revisions, take a step back and reflect on the changes you’ve made. Consider how each revision aligns with your overall goals and the message you want to convey in your AMCAS Personal Statement.

6. Finalizing with a critical eye : Before submitting your personal statement, review it critically one last time. Check for coherence, clarity, and conciseness. Ensure that your narrative effectively communicates your journey and aspirations in medicine.

The process of seeking feedback and revising your AMCAS Personal Statement is iterative and essential for crafting a narrative that resonates with admissions committees. Embrace constructive criticism, remain open to change, and refine your statement until it accurately reflects your journey and aspirations in medicine.

Check out our database of medical students/resident physicians who can help you achieve the 4th quartile by clicking below:

In crafting your AMCAS Personal Statement, remember that it’s not just an essay; it’s a reflection of your journey, aspirations, and dedication to medicine. By understanding its significance, weaving a compelling narrative, showcasing your unique qualities, addressing challenges with resilience, and ensuring your statement stands out, you set the stage for a successful application. Receiving feedback and embracing the revision process are integral to refining your story, ensuring it resonates with admissions committees. As you finalize your personal statement, keep in mind that it’s your opportunity to share your voice, your experiences, and your vision for your future in medicine. Make it count.

1. What is the AMCAS Personal Statement?

The AMCAS Personal Statement is a crucial component of your medical school application. It’s your opportunity to share your journey, aspirations, and dedication to medicine with admissions committees. This personal statement is your chance to highlight what makes you unique and why you are an ideal candidate for medical school.

2. How long should my AMCAS Personal Statement be?

Your AMCAS Personal Statement should not exceed 5,300 characters, including spaces. This typically amounts to about one page of text. It’s important to use this space wisely to convey your experiences, qualities, and motivation for pursuing a career in medicine.

3. Can I discuss my MCAT score in my AMCAS Personal Statement?

It’s not advisable to discuss your MCAT score in your AMCAS Personal Statement. This section is intended for you to share your personal journey and qualities, not academic metrics. Your MCAT score will already be visible to admissions committees elsewhere in your application.

4. How should I start writing my AMCAS Personal Statement?

Begin by reflecting on your experiences and what led you to pursue medicine. Consider moments that defined your view of the medical field and your potential place in it. Choose a story or theme that can effectively illustrate your passion for medicine and your unique qualities.

5. Should I address setbacks or challenges in my AMCAS Personal Statement?

Yes, addressing setbacks or challenges can showcase your resilience and growth. However, it’s important to discuss these obstacles without dwelling on them. Focus on how you overcame these challenges and what you learned from them, highlighting your strengths and positive attitude.

6. How can I make my AMCAS Personal Statement stand out?

To make your AMCAS Personal Statement stand out, focus on crafting a compelling narrative that highlights your unique qualities and experiences. Use specific examples to demonstrate your attributes and show your personal growth. Reflect on your journey and how it has shaped your desire to pursue medicine.

7. What is the role of feedback and revision in crafting my AMCAS Personal Statement?

Feedback and revision are essential in crafting an effective AMCAS Personal Statement. Seeking constructive criticism from trusted sources can provide valuable insights and help you refine your narrative. Embrace the iterative process of revising your statement to ensure it accurately reflects your experiences and aspirations.

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Don't underestimate the power of the medical school personal statement to make a strong, positive impression on an admissions committee. Combined with your interview performance, your personal statement can account for 60% (or more) of your total admissions score!

Medical schools want to enroll bright, empathetic, communicative people. Here's how to write a compelling med school personal statement that shows schools who you are and what you're capable of.

Personal Statement Topics

Your medical school personal statement is a component of your primary application submitted via, TMDSAS (for Texas applications), or AACOMAS (NB: If you are applying to medical school in Canada, confirm the application process with your school, as not all application components may be submitted through AMCAS).

These applications offer broad topics to consider, and many essay approaches are acceptable. For example, you could write about:

an experience that challenged or changed your perspective about medicine
a relationship with a mentor or another inspiring individual
a challenging personal experience
unique hardships, challenges, or obstacles that may have influenced your educational pursuits
your motivation to seek a career in medicine

You'll write an additional essay (or two) when you submit secondary applications to individual schools. These essays require you to respond to a specific question. Admissions committees will review your entire application, so choose subject matter that complements your original essay .

Read More: Strategies for Secondary Applications

How to Write a Personal Statement for Medical School

Follow these personal statement tips to help the admissions committee better understand you as a candidate.

1. Write, re-write, let it sit, and write again!

Allow yourself 6 months of writing and revision to get your essay in submission-ready shape. This gives you the time to take your first pass, set your draft aside (for a minimum of 24 hours), review what you’ve written, and re-work your draft.

2. Stay focused.

Your personal statement should highlight interesting aspects of your journey—not tell your entire life story. Choose a theme, stick to it, and support it with specific examples.

3. Back off the cliches.

Loving science and wanting to help people might be your sincere passions, but they are also what everyone else is writing about. Instead, be personal and specific.

4. Find your unique angle.

What can you say about yourself that no one else can? Remember, everyone has trials, successes and failures. What's important and unique is how you reacted to those incidents. Bring your own voice and perspective to your personal statement to give it a truly memorable flavor.

5. Be interesting.

Start with a “catch” that will create intrigue before launching into the story of who you are. Make the admissions committee want to read on!

6. Show don't tell.

Instead of telling the admissions committee about your unique qualities (like compassion, empathy, and organization), show them through the stories you tell about yourself. Don’t just say it—actually prove it.

7. Embrace the 5-point essay format.

Here's a trusty format that you can make your own:

1st paragraph: These four or five sentences should "catch" the reader's attention.
3-4 body paragraphs: Use these paragraphs to reveal who you are. Ideally, one of these paragraphs will reflect clinical understanding and one will reflect service.
Concluding paragraph: The strongest conclusion reflects the beginning of your essay, gives a brief summary of you are, and ends with a challenge for the future.

8. Good writing is simple writing.

Good medical students—and good doctors—use clear, direct language. Your essays should not be a struggle to comprehend.

9. Be thoughtful about transitions.

Be sure to vary your sentence structure. You don’t want your essay to be boring! Pay attention to how your paragraphs connect to each other.

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10. Stick to the rules.

Watch your word count. That’s 5,300 characters (including spaces) for AMCAS applications, 5,000 characters for TMDSAS, and 4,500 characters for AACOMAS.

11. Stay on topic.

Rambling not only uses up your precious character limit, but it also causes confusion! Think about the three to five “sound bytes” you want admissions committee to know and remember you by.

12. Don't overdo it.

Beware of being too self-congratulatory or too self-deprecating.

13. Seek multiple opinions.

Before you hit “submit,” ask several people you trust for feedback on your personal statement. The more time you have spent writing your statement, the less likely you are to spot any errors. A professor or friend whose judgment and writing skills you trust is invaluable.

Read More: 12 Smart Tips for Your AMCAS Application

14. Double-check the details.

Always check for grammar, spelling, and punctuation errors. This goes for the rest of your application (like your activities list), too. A common oversight is referencing the wrong school in your statement! Give yourself (and your proofreaders) the time this task truly requires.

15. Consult the experts about your personal statement strategy.

Our med school admissions counselors can diagnose the “health” of your overall application, including your personal statement. Get expert help and guidance to write an effective personal statement that showcases not only your accomplishments, but your passion and your journey.

Want to get an edge over the crowd?

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AMCAS Personal statement checker

Check your amcas personal statement with our character counter tool, personal statement guidelines and formatting.

• AMCAS personal statements must not exceed 5300 characters.
• Characters can include spaces, carriage returns, symbols, numbers and punctuation.
• Tabs, italics, multiple spaces and other styling are not allowed in the personal statement.
• To delineate paragraphs, type a double return.

Note: If you check your character count in Microsoft Word it might be lower than the character count in AMCAS because Word does not count a carriage return (the enter key) as a character. Our counter does count carriage returns to better comply with AMCAS.

How to use our AMCAS character counter

To use our AMCAS character counter, start by typing into the text box above. Additionally, if you are using another source to type out your personal statement, you can copy and paste into our text box above.

As the text gets entered into the text box, you will notice the character count getting updated directly above the text box.

The character count on the top left represents the total characters typed so far out of 5300.

The character count on the top right represents the number of characters remaining.

If you go past the 5300 character limit, the two character counts will turn red. This is an indicator that you need to reduce the length of your personal statement.

When you are done typing in the text box, you can click the green Copy Text button to copy the text inside the text box. You can then paste this into the AMCAS website.

Alternatively, if you need to start fresh and delete everything inside the text box, click the red Clear Text button. Warning: only click this button if you are sure you want to delete everything.

Personal Statement FAQ

What is the amcas personal statement word limit, how long should your amcas personal statement be.

AMCAS has a character limit of 5300 characters. Paste your statement into our counter tool above to check your length.

How many words is 5300 characters?

Accoring to our Characters to Words Converter , 5300 characters is equal to an estimated 815 to 1060 words. Keep in mind that this estimate also includes spaces, periods etc.

Is the AMCAS personal statement character limit with or without spaces?

It includes spaces. Also, spaces can include carriage returns (the enter key). However, tabs are not allowed. Keep in mind, Microsoft Word does not count carriage returns as a character and will give you a different character count than AMCAS. Please use ours, as it will better comply with AMCAS's formatting guidelines.

*This character counting tool is not affiliated with AMCAS

*No personal statements are sent to the hosting server

Your Pathway to the White Coat: 7 Tips for Writing Your AMCAS® Personal Comments Essay

Last Updated on June 26, 2022 by Laura Turner

The AMCAS application to medical school asks for a lot of information about yourself. It includes biographical information, courses taken, and work experiences just to name a few. The application also requires you to include a Personal Comments Essay, which is entered in section eight of the application. This essay provides an opportunity to distinguish yourself from other applicants and provide admissions officers with more insight into why you have chosen to pursue a career in medicine. Many admissions committees place significant weight on this section, so we have compiled a list of seven tips to help you craft a well-organized, compelling essay. 1. Take the time to think about the content of your essay before writing a first draft. As you’re thinking about the structure of your essay, remember to keep the content general because it will go to all of the medical schools you apply to. Also try not to duplicate information provided elsewhere in the application. You only have about a page to write. Some questions you may want to consider before you begin writing include: · Why do you want a career in medicine? · What motivates you to learn more about medicine? · What should medical schools know about you that isn’t described in other sections of the application? For more information, see Section 8 of the AMCAS Instruction Manual for suggestions of things to think about when writing this essay. 2. Include details that might better explain your path to medical school. For example, you might consider: · Address hardships, challenges, or obstacles that have influenced your educational pursuits. · Explain significant fluctuations in your academic record not explained elsewhere in your application. 3. Show don’t tell . For example, if challenges in your childhood or a defining experience led you to consider medicine, use details to describe those experiences and bring life to your essay. 4. Stay on topic. There is a 5,300 character limit (including spaces) in this section. This equals about one page of writing, single-spaced. Make sure your essay is interesting, follows a logical and orderly flow, and relates to your reasons for choosing medicine and why you believe you will be successful as a physician. 5. Don’t be afraid of the editing process! Be sure to write more than one draft. Ask additional people to review and make edits to your essay. Having others read your essay will help you gain new perspectives on your writing and refine the story you want to tell admissions committees. 6. Remember to proofread and use these formatting tips. The AMCAS application does not include spell check, so be sure to proofread your essay for any typos or grammatical errors. You will not be able to go back into this section to make any edits after you submit your application. To avoid formatting issues, we recommend that you draft your essay in text-only word processing software, such as Microsoft Notepad or Mac TextEdit, then copy and paste your essay into the application. You can also type your essay directly into the AMCAS application. 7. If you are applying to an M.D.-Ph.D programs, there are two additional essays you will need to complete. The first essay asks your reasons for pursuing the combined degree and is relatively short. The second essay asks you to describe your research activities and is about three pages long. You can read more about these additional essays in the AMCAS Instruction Manual or get further guidance from your pre-health advisor or career counselor. For more AMCAS-related tips, please check out the AMCAS Tools and Tutorials page. There, you’ll find video tutorials, presentations, guides, and recordings of past webinars, including the Ask Admissions series.

The AAMC leads and serves the academic medicine community to improve the health of people everywhere. Founded in 1876 and based in Washington, D.C., the AAMC is a not-for-profit association dedicated to transforming health through medical education, health care, medical research, and community collaborations.

Personal Comments Essay

Consider and write your Personal Comments Essay carefully; many admissions committees place significant weight on the essay. Here are some questions you may want to consider while writing the essay:

Why have you selected the field of medicine?
What motivates you to learn more about medicine?
What do you want medical schools to know about you that has not been disclosed in other sections of the application?

In addition, you may wish to include information such as:

Unique hardships, challenges, and obstacles that may have influenced your educational pursuits.
Comments on significant fluctuations in your academic record not explained elsewhere in your application.

Formatting Your Essay:  Medical schools receive all text-entry responses as plain text. This means that formatting options such as bulleted lists, indented paragraphs, and bold and italic fonts do not appear for reviewers and are not available in the AMCAS application. You may want to include an extra space between paragraphs because the essay does not permit indentation.

To avoid formatting issues, we recommend typing your essay directly into your AMCAS application; copying formatted text into the application may result in formatting problems that can’t be edited after your application is submitted. If you do cut and paste your essay(s) into the application, you should draft your essay(s) in a plain text format, such as Microsoft Notepad or Mac TextEdit.

Please keep the following in mind:

Proofread carefully! No changes (including corrections to grammatical or typographical errors) may be made to your essay after you submit your application to the AMCAS program.
You can’t run a spell check in the AMCAS application, but most browsers have built-in spell checking that you can enable. Use English (United States) characters; other characters may not be accurately recognized.
Medical schools prefer to receive applications that follow normal writing practices regarding the case of letters. You should avoid using all uppercase or all lowercase letters for the text responses in your application.
Plagiarism or misrepresentations may result in an investigation. You may use artificial intelligence tools for brainstorming, proofreading, or editing your essays. However, it's essential to ensure that the final submission reflects your own work and accurately represents your experiences.
It isn’t necessary to repeat information reported elsewhere on your application.
The essay will be sent to all the medical schools you apply to.
The space allotted for the essay is 5,300 characters, or about one page. Spaces are counted as characters. You will receive an error message if you exceed the character limit.
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How to Turn Your AMCAS (MD) Personal Statement into Your AACOMAS (DO) Personal Statement

DO schools represent a great opportunity for many medical school applicants. However, many students find themselves applying to both MD and DO programs with most students focusing on the AMCAS portion. So when time gets around to it, the question gets asked “should I submit the same personal statement?”

The answer is: NO . But the good news is, it doesn’t have to be a completely new statement. AMCAS and AACOMAS used to make life difficult for applicants by having different character limits. Fortunately, as of 2019 AACOMAS has increased the personal statement character limit to 5300 to match AMCAS, kissing the days of stress-deleting sentences goodbye. So, how do you make sure your AACOMAS personal statement is as great as your AMCAS one?

STEP 1: CONNECT THE EXPERIENCES INCLUDED IN YOUR PERSONAL STATEMENT TO OSTEOPATHY

If you’re applying to DO schools, you should know a little bit about osteopathic medicine. A brief review of some of the tenants of osteopathic medicine:

Holistic care – the person is a unit of body, mind, and spirit. As such, there is a larger focus on treating the whole person beyond just physical ailments including mental, spiritual, and emotional health.
Self-healing and self-regulation – osteopathy places large emphasis in the body’s capability to self-regulate.
Relationship between structure and function – manipulation is crucial to osteopathic medicine. DOs use manipulative treatment and manipulative medicine to attempt to correct health issues.
Prevention – a focus on preventative care to eliminate illness and procedures in the future is also a major focus.

If most of your takeaways were about how much cutting edge surgery means to you or how you plan on opening up the largest research lab in the northern hemisphere, those might need to be re-adjusted to include some of the principles core to becoming a DO physician. The point is, these experiences and the stories your telling should be able to tie into philosophies above.

STEP 2: ADJUST YOUR REFLECTIONS IN YOUR CURRENT AMCAS PARAGRAPHS

Ideally, you will just be tweaking some sentences and reflections to make them more specific to DO philosophy rather than re-writing entire paragraphs.

For example, if part of your service experiences involved interacting with diverse underserved communities, you can draw on the themes of cultural competence as part of holistic care.

The screening tests you performed to help diagnose early hypertension can be considered a tenant of preventative medicine.

The physician you saw tending to a patients mental and spiritual health can tie into treating the body, mind, and spirit.

STEP 3: “WHY OSTEOPATHY?” VERSUS “WHY MEDICINE?”

The next piece of the transformation likely may necessitate adding a little bit of new material to ensure your answering the question of “why osteopathy”. The AMCAS essay focuses on “why medicine”, and while you are going to be practicing medicine, it is important for AACOMAS to specifically address why osteopathic medicine. You want the admissions committees to know why you want to become a DO, not to think you just copied and pasted your MD personal statement as a backup.

Make sure to go through your essay and highlight the portions that address “why medicine” and transform them to “why osteopathy”. This will be the most crucial part of the makeover.

The biggest changes will likely be in your conclusion as this is usually where most fo the take-home lessons are. Spend a little extra time making sure that your conclusion answers “why DO?”

There you have it! Now both your AACOMAS and AMCAS personal statements will be in tip-top shape.

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AMCAS vs. AACOMAS vs. TMDSAS Med School Application Differences

By Med School Insiders
March 3, 2022
Medical Student , Pre-med
AACOMAS , AMCAS , Medical School Application , Osteopathic , TMDSAS

AMCAS vs. AACOMAS vs. TMDSAS—what’s the difference, and how do you choose? While you don’t have to create an individual medical school application for each school you apply to, different schools and programs use different application services.

In general, all three of these application types follow a similar format, but there are important differences to be aware of. The sooner you decide which schools you want to apply to, the sooner you can begin tailoring your application.

Learn about the differences between AMCAS, AACOMAS, and TMDSAS, including the requirements for personal statements, letters of recommendation, activities, and matriculant scores.

AMCAS: The American Medical College Application Service

The American Medical College Application Service (AMCAS) is the AAMC’s centralized medical school application processing service. It’s the primary application method for first year entering classes for the vast majority of US medical schools. It doesn’t matter how many different schools you intend to apply to; you only need to submit one set of application materials to AMCAS.

Although you submit your medical school application to AMCAS, the service has no say in admission decisions—those are made solely by the individual medical schools. AMCAS simply collects, verifies, and delivers your application materials and MCAT score to the schools you apply to.

Most first year applicants will apply to medical school through AMCAS, as it’s the standard. If you intend to apply to Stanford Medical School, Johns Hopkins, or the David Geffen School of Medicine at UCLA, for example, you need to apply through AMCAS.

Only submitting one set of application materials simplifies the already complicated process of applying to medical school. The exception is if you choose to apply to osteopathic (DO) schools or medical schools located in Texas.

AACOMAS: The American Association of Colleges of Osteopathic Medicine Application Service

AACOMAS is the centralized online application service for the US colleges of osteopathic medicine. It’s the primary application method for students who want to pursue osteopathy. AACOMAS simplifies the process of applying to osteopathic medical schools by only requiring students to submit one set of application materials. They verify, process, and submit your materials to the schools you choose, so long as you are only applying to DO schools.

Osteopaths (DOs) distinguish themselves from regular doctors (MDs) with a whole-body, holistic approach that treats the person—not the symptoms . The focus of osteopathy is preventative medicine and recognizing the interconnectedness of the various systems and organs in the body and their influence on each other.

Just like MDs, DOs have to complete four years of medical school followed by residency, and nearly every specialization available to an MD is also available to a DO. That said, a DO degree generally doesn’t have the same reputation as an MD degree, in large part due to the fact the statistics for acceptance are often lower than allopathic (MD) schools. DOs also have a harder time practicing medicine outside of the United States.

Reasons to Apply Through AACOMAS

You don’t have the GPA or MCAT scores to get into allopathic (MD) schools.
You plan only to practice medicine in the United States.
You had a DO as a mentor or worked closely with osteopathic doctors.
You have a passion for osteopathic medicine.

If you want to go to an MD school but don’t have the right grades or MCAT score, Med School Insiders can help. Contact our team to learn more about our MCAT Tutoring , Courses , and Application Editing Services .

TMDSAS: The Texas Medical and Dental School Application Service

TMDSAS is the primary application service for most medical schools located in Texas, including dental and veterinary schools. The state of Texas only accepts a maximum of 10% of medical students from out-of-state, so since the vast majority of medical school applicants come from Texas, they have their own centralized medical school application service. Just like AMCAS and AACOMAS, you only have to submit one set of medical school application materials to TMDSAS, which they will process and transmit to your selected Texan schools.

It also means that native Texans have a significant advantage when applying to schools in their home state, whereas anyone from outside of Texas has a significant disadvantage. So, if you come from Texas, it makes sense to apply to a medical school in your own state.

Reasons to Apply Through TMDSAS

You wish to attend a Texas medical school that uses TMDSAS.
You live in Texas.
You have extracurricular or work experience in the Texas medical system.

AMCAS vs. AACOMAS vs. TMDSAS: Personal Statement

AMCAS, AACOMAS, and TMDSAS all require personal statements, but there are a few small differences.

AMCAS Personal Statement Length: 5300 characters

AACOMAS Personal Statement Length: 5300 characters

TMDSAS Personal Statement Length: 5000 characters

If you plan on applying to medical schools both in Texas and outside of it, ensure your personal statement is 5000 characters or less to meet the character limits of both applications.

Even though the length of the AACOMAS personal statement is the same, the question you need to answer is slightly different. You are asked a more specific question: why do you want to study osteopathic medicine? If you already have an AMCAS personal statement prepared, ensure you make the appropriate adjustments to focus on why you want to become a DO specifically.

Read our free Step-by-Step Guide: How to Write a Medical School Personal Statement for tips on getting started, what to include, and common mistakes to avoid.

AMCAS vs. AACOMAS vs. TMDSAS: Letters of Recommendation

The letters of recommendation requirements for all three application services are quite similar. The letters can be submitted through the respective services or through an alternative service like Interfolio if you are applying to schools across the board. With Interfolio, you only need your letter writers to upload once, even if you are using multiple application services.

The number of letters varies from school to school more than it does from one application service to the next. No matter which application process you’re applying through, it’s important to find out how many letters of recommendation are required for each individual school. For the most part, you will be covered if you acquire 4-5 strong letters of recommendation across science, non-science, and extracurriculars. If you are applying solely to Texan medical schools, you only need 3-4.

AMCAS Letters of Recommendation

3-10 total letters of recommendation (we recommend submitting 4 or 5).
1-2 letters from science professors.
1 letter from a non-science professor.
1 letter from a physician you shadowed or worked with.
1 letter from an extracurricular or volunteer supervisor.
1 letter from an employer.

AACOMAS Letters of Recommendation

2-6 total letters.
One letter MUST be from a DO.

TMDSAS Letters of Recommendation

3-4 total letters.
One Health Professions Committee Packet or three individual letters of evaluation.
(Optional) One additional letter.

Read our Medical School Letters of Recommendation Guide for critical information on who to ask, when to ask, how to ask, what to provide, and common mistakes to avoid.

AMCAS vs. AACOMAS vs. TMDSAS: Activities and Mini-Essays

The Work & Activities section is a little different for each type of application. There are different character limits, added or omitted sections, and extra essay options depending on the application service.

For example, AACOMAS doesn’t have a Meaningful Experience section, but there’s no limit to the number of Experiences and Achievements you can add. Most notable are the extra essay questions available on TMDSAS applications that each have a 2500 character maximum.

AMCAS Application Activities and Mini-Essays

700 characters each
1325 characters each (in addition to 700 each for Work & Activities)
1325 characters each, if answering Yes to the following questions:
Have you ever matriculated at, or attended, any medical school as a candidate for a medical degree?
Were you ever the recipient of any institutional action by any college or medical school for unacceptable academic performance or conduct violation, even though such action may not have interrupted your enrollment or required you to withdraw?
Were you dishonorably discharged from the military? Please explain the circumstances of your discharge, including the circumstances leading to your discharge, your period of service and your rank at the time of discharge.
Have you ever been convicted of, or pleaded guilty or no contest to, a Felony crime, excluding 1) any offense for which you were adjudicated as a juvenile, or 2) convictions which have been expunged or sealed by a court (in states where applicable)?
Have you ever been convicted of, or pleaded guilty or no contest to, a Misdemeanor crime, excluding 1) any offense for which you were adjudicated as a juvenile, 2) any convictions which have been expunged or sealed by a court, or 3) any misdemeanor convictions for which any probation has been completed and the case dismissed by the court (in states where applicable)?
Do you wish to be considered a disadvantaged applicant by any of your designated medical schools that may consider such factors (social, economic or educational)?

AACOMAS Application Activities and Mini-Essays

600 characters each
Categories: Non-Healthcare Employment, Extracurricular Activities, Non-Healthcare Volunteer or Community Enrichment, Healthcare Experience
Categories: Awards, Honors, Presentations, Publications, Scholarships
500 character limit
Dishonorary discharge from the military
Have you ever been convicted of a Misdemeanor?
Have you ever been convicted of a Felony?
Have you ever been disciplined for academic performance by any college or school?
Have you ever been disciplined for student conduct violations by any college or school?
Were you ever denied readmission to any academic program due to academic conduct or performance?
Have you ever had any certification, registration, license or clinical privileges revoked, suspended or in any way restricted by an institution, state or locality?
Have you ever matriculated in or attended any medical school or health profession as a candidate for a professional degree?
200 character limit to explain the school and program you attended
500 character limit to explain why you left
2,500 character limit
Please describe how COVID-19 has impacted your pathway to medical school.
Did your school move to offering only online curriculum during the COVID-19 crisis? (Y or N or N/A)
Did you have an opportunity to receive a letter grade for any of your courses taken during the COVID-19 crisis? (Y or N or N/A)

TMDSAS Application Activities and Mini-Essays

300 characters each
Categories: A cademic R ecognition, Non-Academic Recognition , Leadership , Employment , Research Activities , Healthcare Activities , Community Service , Extracurricular Activities
Which of your previously listed activities were most meaningful and why?
500 characters each (in addition to 300 each in Activities)
Indicate future activities you plan on participating in between the application deadline and August 2022.
This can include any future employment, future research, healthcare, community service, or extracurricular activities
600 – 1000 characters
Describe how your military experience prepared you for a career as a healthcare provider. (1000 characters)
Have ever been arrested or charged with any violation of the law regardless of outcome? ( 600 characters to provide details. )
If you indicate that you consider yourself a non-traditional applicant, the following essay prompt will appear: “Describe the factors that have defined you as a non-traditional candidate and how they impact your application.” (1000 characters)
2500 characters
Learning from others is enhanced in educational settings that include individuals from diverse backgrounds and experiences. Please describe your personal characteristics (background, talents, skills, etc.) or experiences that would add to the educational experience of others.
The optional essay is an opportunity to provide the admissions committee(s) with a broader picture of who you are as an applicant. The essay is optional; however, you are strongly encouraged to take advantage of this opportunity.

AMCAS vs. AACOMAS vs. TMDSAS: GPA and MAT Scores

MCAT and GPA score averages vary from year to year, but there are some common trends depending on the type of school and specific institution you’re looking at. In general, the necessary MCAT and GPA scores for AMCAS and TMDSAS schools are similar, with some schools in each requiring higher scores depending on how competitive it is to get into that specific institution. On average, osteopathic (DO) schools require lower MCAT and GPA scores for acceptance.

The following are score averages of matriculants for overall GPA averages and total MCAT scores. These numbers only reflect average scores. In order to be a competitive applicant, you should set your own goals much higher. Learn more: What MCAT Score Should You Aim For?

AMCAS Overall GPA Average: 3.74

AMCAS MCAT Score Average: 511.90

AACOMAS Overall GPA Average: 3.54

AACOMAS MCAT Score Average: 504.31

TMDSAS Overall GPA Average: 3.79

TMDSAS MCAT Score Average: 510.80

Final Thoughts

Although each application process is generally the same, each subtle difference adds up. It can be a lot to remember while already balancing a stressful schedule.

Applying through multiple services can add an extra layer of complexity to an already complicated process. Carefully consider if you want to apply through multiple systems since it will mean adjusting your personal statement and affect who you can ask for letters of recommendation. The sooner you decide which schools you want to apply to , the sooner you can plan your application strategy, so don’t delay making this decision.

How to Choose the Medical School That’s Right For You .

Med School Insiders can help. Utilize our Comprehensive Medical School Admissions Packages to succeed in every step of the application process, no matter which application service you apply through. We offer AMCAS Application Editing , AACOMAS Application Editing , and TMDSAS Application Editing tailored to the schools you choose.

Read our Guide to Understanding the Medical School Application Process , which includes an application timeline, what you need to include in your application, mistakes to avoid, and what happens next.

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2024 TMDSAS Secondary Application Guide

Learn how to create a stand out TMDSAS secondary application, including secondary deadlines, costs, the types of questions asked, and critical strategies.

2024 AACOMAS Secondary Application Guide

Learn how to create a stand out AACOMAS secondary application, including secondary deadlines, costs, the types of questions asked, and critical strategies.

This Post Has One Comment

Has AACOMAS started requiring a DO letter? My understanding is that in past cycles, that has not been necessary, and I know a lot of people who received IIs to osteopathic schools without a DO letter. Thanks.

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Using the max characters on personal statement?

Thread starter LaCasta
Start date May 29, 2009

Full Member

May 29, 2009

interleukin6

yeah mine was 5300 characters exactly. i had to cut it down for TMDSAS though.. their max is 500 char... it was pretty difficult.

ZeusonRoids

Membership revoked.

LaCasta said: How many of you ended up using all the characters available for your PS? Mine is going to max out the characters probbably. I understand that it should not be made longer than necessary, but I feel mine tells a story pretty well. Click to expand...

blah stupid char limits haha

For my Viet peeps!

mine was at the limit, 2 characters left. but i know some one that had a 1000 character left so it's up to you

Mine was 3400. Definitely on the low side. But I had nothing else to say.

Loco Mosquito

Infernal Internist / Enigmatic Endocrinologist

Mine was two characters short of the limit.

When I was writing mine, I talked to a doctor who had been on the admissions team for one of the UC schools. He said to definitely go way under. He said that if it's too long it really turns some readers off. My final version was 3600 characters and he said even that was a bit too long... you should check with anyone who would know, but my advice is to make it a short as possible such that it is still interesting and informative.

Mine is like 5180 characters.

afugazzi said: When I was writing mine, I talked to a doctor who had been on the admissions team for one of the UC schools. He said to definitely go way under. He said that if it's too long it really turns some readers off. My final version was 3600 characters and he said even that was a bit too long... you should check with anyone who would know, but my advice is to make it a short as possible such that it is still interesting and informative. Click to expand...

FML said: yikes, if that's the case I'm screwed bc mine is exactly 5300 and that took a LOT of work and editing. I don't know if I could even cut out one word lol oh well, just have to hope it's riveting enough to keep them reading Click to expand...

interleukin6 said: yeah mine was 5300 characters exactly. i had to cut it down for TMDSAS though.. their max is 500 char... it was pretty difficult. Click to expand...

Cool. Congratz on staying within the parameters of the AMCAS personal statement...I don't really understand the question Click to expand...

When I was writing mine, I talked to a doctor who had been on the admissions team for one of the UC schools. He said to definitely go way under. He said that if it's too long it really turns some readers off. My final version was 3600 characters and he said even that was a bit too long... you should check with anyone who would know, but my advice is to make it a short as possible such that it is still interesting and informative. Click to expand...

At the moment, I have 41 more characters to use if necessary. I'll probably do one more edit and then call it a day. Or a month.

Mine is 5288 characters currently, barring any major revisions before I turn it in. I think its good there is a character limit, as a lot of folks would write way too much, but 5300 characters is kind of small to explain why you wanna dedicate the next 7+ years of your life to training for a career. Just my opinion though.

Helen Wheels

Jun 1, 2009

Mine is 5263. I figure that if the space is there you are allowed to use it. Also, if they don't want to read the whole thing they could just skim it quickly or read parts of it. Frankly, I agree that 5300 char, a mere page and a half, to explain why we want to spend the next 7-10 years working our butts off and going $160 K into debt is not that long.

some essays read faster than others even if you use the same amount of characters. don't get bogged down in strategy too much. make sure your essay is polished. keep them interested.

Not to scare anyone, but people I've spoken to (one of which is adcom @ WUSTL Med) have actually said the opposite of keeping it low. They said you're dedicating the next 7 years (+ the rest of your life), how could you NOT write 5300 characters about it? Perhaps every school is different. I'm at 5306 right now. Gotta find one word to remove.

elyswim said: Not to scare anyone, but people I've spoken to (one of which is at WUSTL Med) have actually said the opposite of keeping it low. They said you're dedicating the next 7 years (+ the rest of your life), how could you NOT write 5300 characters about it? Perhaps every school is different. I'm at 5306 right now. Gotta find one word to remove. Click to expand...

Mine's in the 4900s somewhere. When I saw I was sufficiently below the character count, I didn't worry about the exact number. And I like my essay.

Silent Member

Write until you are done, then stop. There's no sense in arbitrarily stopping short, just as there's no sense in writing more just to fill the text box. You may have to cut down if you run over, but that's often just incentive to take a good look at what you wrote and boil it down to the words that are the most concise, clear, and powerful.

I started at about 5800, and have revised it down to about 5000.

Mine clocked in at 4208. It's weird Microsoft Word got a different count. I'm not sure where the extra characters came from. What ever its still the same essay, and I have nothing left to say...

LaCasta said: That's crazy. 500 is essentially only a paragraph or two to say everythig you need. Click to expand...

witness23 said: some essays read faster than others even if you use the same amount of characters. don't get bogged down in strategy too much. make sure your essay is polished. keep them interested. Click to expand...

elyswim said: Not to scare anyone, but people I've spoken to (one of which is adcom @ WUSTL Med) have actually said the opposite of keeping it low. They said you're dedicating the next 7 years (+ the rest of your life), how could you NOT write 5300 characters about it? Perhaps every school is different. I'm at 5306 right now. Gotta find one word to remove. Click to expand...

Class of 2014 Mascot

Wheee said: At the moment, I have 41 more characters to use if necessary. I'll probably do one more edit and then call it a day. Or a month. Click to expand...

ChairmanMao

Serving the people.

Bryson17 said: I'll buy those characters off you for $2 each. Click to expand...

AMCAS should charge us per character. Those who have a lot of things to say would pay a higher application fee than those who are brief. This way, we actually have an incentive for brevity and the ADCOMS waste a lot less time going through those essays.

Jul 5, 2009

Does anyone know how to use up all the characters? it says in Microsoft word, that I am 5300 characters w spaces, but when I paste I'm over by a bit. I read the whole thing, and I don't see why. Anyone help of how to transfer it over.

Same thing happened to me. I think AMCAS counts new paragraphs (when you hit enter) as a character. I had exactly 5300 characters on MS word but then I needed 5294 to copy to AMCAS and I had six paragraphs. Just reduce it by a word or two

Doctor Thunder

I did my PS in text message before I uploaded to amcas. It was 142 characters. "I rly want 2 be doc - im nice guy. Schools r hard but u lern things outside it too. Docs r gr8."

Charles English

Faithless, the wonderboy.

Mattabet said: I did my PS in text message before I uploaded to amcas. It was 142 characters. "I rly want 2 be doc - im nice guy . Schools r hard but u lern things outside it too. Docs r gr8." Click to expand...

characters are numbered with or without spaces???

Charles English said: you could have trimmed that word. they get that bit of info elsewhere in the app. plus "be" could have been "b". still, you did a great job. Click to expand...

Jul 6, 2009

I had to edit mine to be within 1 character short of the limit. I think my all my interviews brought up my PS (which isn't atypical) and comments ranged from "You have excellent written communication" to "Wow, you share incredible insight..." to "I'm not sure if you've considered..." but I don't think any of them were surprised by the length of it. Don't add BS or fluff to meet the character limit but also try to be as concise as possible, even if you have room to spare.

UnfeatyOblation

Mine was a shade under 5200

mine is currently just 1200 charachters which is like 1 page.. double spaced..

crazymedgirl

Oct 13, 2009

Sorry--I'm confused. It seems to me that 5300 characters is about 3 pages, doublespaced. Where are people getting the one page guideline from? Is it 5300 characters with spaces or without?

Oct 14, 2009

crazymedgirl said: Sorry--I'm confused. It seems to me that 5300 characters is about 3 pages, doublespaced. Where are people getting the one page guideline from? Is it 5300 characters with spaces or without? Click to expand...

fastboyslim

Oct 15, 2009

ChairmanMao said: AMCAS should charge us per character. Those who have a lot of things to say would pay a higher application fee than those who are brief. This way, we actually have an incentive for brevity and the ADCOMS waste a lot less time going through those essays. Click to expand...

I kept reading this as 'words' and not 'characters' and started to freak out a little bit ha ha ha.

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MD vs. DO: What’s The Difference + How To Choose

Posted in: Applying to Medical School

When you apply to medical school, you may apply to both DO and MD schools.

DO vs. MD : A DO (Doctor of Osteopathic Medicine) and an MD (Doctor of Medicine) approach treatment, education, and medical training differently. They also have different types of licensing exams.

In either program, you will be able to be fully licensed, qualified to practice medicine, and provide patient care. Allopathic and osteopathic programs simply differ in their schools of thought.

What is the difference between an MD and a DO?

The difference between an MDs and a DOs is their philosophical approach to patient care.

MDs practice allopathic medicine, the classical form of medicine focused on diagnosing and treating human diseases.

DOs follow a more holistic approach, viewing the body as an interconnected system and focusing on preventive care. They also receive additional training in osteopathic manipulative medicine (OMM), a hands-on treatment used to diagnose, treat, and prevent illness or injury.

The main areas where these two programs differ include:

Medical school applications
Philosophy of practice
Treatment approach
Licensing exams
Residency applications

MDs and DOs providers are both well-educated, trained healthcare professionals. They can prescribe medication, diagnose and treat illnesses, and perform surgery in the United States.

Med School Application Process Differences

When pre-meds apply to med school , prospective MD and DO students face similar requirements . They must have a bachelor’s degree and have completed specific prerequisite coursework. Both MD programs and osteopathic schools require the Medical College Admission Test (MCAT) too.

However, average GPA and MCAT scores can vary between allopathic medical schools (MD programs) and osteopathic medical schools (DO programs). Typically, MD schools have higher average GPA and average MCAT requirements than DO schools .

Applying to medical school in the United States typically involves one of two primary application services:

AMCAS (American Medical Colleges Application Service) for allopathic (MD) programs
AACOMAS (American Association of Colleges of Osteopathic Medicine Application Service) for osteopathic (DO) programs

Please note: Medical students applying to schools in Texas will also need to use the Texas Medical & Dental Schools Application Services (TMDSAS).

Similarities Between DO vs. MD Applications

Demographic information
Transcripts
Personal statement
Work and activities section
Letters of recommendation
The AMCAS personal statement character limit and AACOMAS personal statement character limit are both the same, but some of the other sections have different character limits.

Use this quick guide to check character lengths:

Application	Personal Statement Character Limit	Activities Section	Most Meaningful Activities
MD (AMCAS)	5300 characters (including spaces)	700 characters (including spaces)	3 can be selected as a “most meaningful activity.” You’ll have an additional 1325 characters for these
DO (AACOMAS)	5300 characters (including spaces)	600 characters (including spaces)	Not applicable

Differences Between DO and MD Applications

Course Classification : AMCAS is much more strict about what counts as a science course. AACOMAS will allow a much wider range of courses to be considered science courses, including classes like astronomy and geology.
GPA Classification : AMCAS and AACOMAS calculate the GPA slightly differently. AMCAS includes all attempted coursework in its GPA calculations, while AACOMAS only includes courses taken for credit.
Fees : The fee for AMCAS is $175 (plus $45 for each additional school) and the fee for AACOMAS is $198 (plus $55 for each additional school).
Application Timelines : AMCAS and AACOMAS operate on slightly different timelines . AMCAS usually opens in early May and can be submitted in late May or early June. AACOMAS, on the other hand, usually opens in early May and can be submitted immediately.

Remember, both systems require a considerable amount of time and effort to complete, so it’s essential to start preparing early to ensure a timely and successful application.

MD vs DO Training Programs

Both allopathic and osteopathic medical students spend their first years of med school on classroom and laboratory coursework in subjects like biochemistry, anatomy, and biomedical ethics .

They then spend the final two years in clinical rotations across various medical specialties such as pediatrics, family medicine, and internal medicine.

One main difference in the training DOs receive is the special focus on the musculoskeletal system. In DO programs, over 200 hours of instruction in osteopathic manipulative medicine (OMM) or osteopathic manipulative treatment (OMT) have to be completed.

This unique approach equips osteopathic physicians with a more whole-body understanding of how an injury or illness in one part of the body can affect the rest. OMM/OMT have similarities to chiropractic adjustments, but they aren’t the same thing.

USMLE vs. COMLEX Exams

To be a medical doctor, students of both programs will be assessed on their application of knowledge, concepts, and principles they’ve learned. They will also have to demonstrate their ability to provide effective patient care.

The licensure for MD and DO graduates differ. MD students take the United States Medical Licensing Examination ( USMLE ). This exam consists of 3 steps, with the third step taken after the first year of MD residency.

DO graduates are required to take the Comprehensive Osteopathic Medical Licensing Examination (COMLEX). The COMLEX includes a section on OMM, reflecting the osteopathic emphasis on the musculoskeletal system and a whole-person approach to treatment.

Residency Similarities and Differences

Residency is a 3 to 7-year-long postgraduate training program that students take after getting their DO or MD degree. During this time, a resident had the opportunity to hone their skills for a particular specialty.

Both MD and DO graduates apply for residency programs through the National Resident Matching Program (NRMP), often referred to as “The Match.”

Both DOs and MDs can practice in any specialty, but due to the holistic nature of osteopathy, osteopathic doctors are more often seen in primary care specialties and medical practices.

According to the AAMC’s most recent Physician Specialty Data Report, 32% of MDs practice in primary care fields (including family medicine, internal medicine, and pediatrics). The AOA reports 57% of DOs practice in primary care .

Background: In 2020, the AOA and the Accreditation Council for Graduate Medical Education (ACGME) completed a 5-year transition to a single accreditation system for all U.S. residency programs. Before this time, DO graduates had the opportunity to to match for residency spots via NMRP or the American Osteopathic Association (AOA) Match.

This merger allows DO graduates to compete for the same residency spots as MD graduates, having one residency match, and further aligning the training paths of MDs and DOs.

We can help you match with the residency of your choice with comprehensive coaching.

How To Choose Between an MD and DO

Choosing whether an MD or DO path is right for you depends largely on your own personal philosophy about healthcare.

Is a DO more prestigious than an MD? The prestige of an MD versus a DO is largely a matter of perspective. While some perceive the MD degree as more prestigious due to the longer history of allopathic medicine and its representation in specialized fields, both MDs and DOs are equally qualified to practice medicine in all 50 states.

Why choose a DO over an MD? If you align more with a holistic approach to medicine, a focus on preventive care, and a strong interest in the musculoskeletal system, a DO program might be a good fit for you.

If you’re drawn to a traditional approach to medicine that places a stronger emphasis on treating specific conditions and diseases, an MD program might be more suited to your interests.

Read Next: How to Choose Where to Apply to Medical School

What are the pros and cons of a DO vs MD?

The pros of a DO degree:

A holistic approach that can lead to more personalized and comprehensive patient care.
A preventive medicine focus that looks beyond the current ailment.
The special training in OMT and the ability to perform hands-on therapeutic manipulations.

The cons of a DO degree:

Less recognition and understanding by the general public when it comes to having DO instead of MD in your title.
Fewer research opportunities compared to allopathic programs.
Residency placement bias when it comes to securing a competitive residency (this is beginning to change with the unified residency match).

The pros of an MD degree:

Patients recognize the MD designation.
MDs have historically been more likely to specialize in more competitive areas of medicine.
Research opportunities are easy to find because of the size and resources MD programs have to offer.

The cons of an MD degree:

Less emphasis on preventive medicine.
More competitive to get accepted into an MD program.

Whether you choose to become an MD or a DO, the path will always involve a dedication to serving patients’ healthcare needs. Both allopathic and osteopathic physicians share the common goal of promoting health and healing, albeit through slightly different approaches.

Ultimately, the choice between an MD and a DO depends on your personal philosophy, your career goals, and the type of doctor you aspire to become.

Our enrollment team can help you prepare your application for MD and DO med school .

Renee Marinelli, MD

Dr. Marinelli has practiced family medicine, served on the University of California Admissions Committee, and has helped hundreds of students get into medical school. She spearheads a team of physician advisors who guide MedSchoolCoach students.

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Personal Statement is WAY too long

Sorry if this comes across as a neurotic post -- I'm pretty alone going through this process. I had my cousin who is a physician review my PS and she said that it is way too long (my personal statement is bordering the 5300 character limit). On google docs, it appears to be around 1.5 pages long single-spaced. Shortening to about a page would take away so much from my story and my gut reaction is to disagree with her advice.

Is it common for applicants to have much shorter personal statements than the character limit? Is having a PS that is one-page the norm? I've never heard of this until now.

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COMMENTS

Section 8 of the AMCAS
The 2025 AMCAS application is now open. If you wish to start medical school in Fall 2025, please complete and submit the 2025 AMCAS application. As of June 18 AMCAS is: Marking transcripts as "Received" that were delivered on or before: Paper (mailed) - June 17. Parchment - June 17. National Student Clearinghouse - June 18
Personal Statement
The personal statement is limited to 28,000 characters, which include letters, numbers, spaces, and punctuation marks. There is not a limit to how many personal statements applicants can create. Personal statements created outside the MyERAS application should be done in a plain text word processing application such as Notepad (for Windows ...
6 Tips for Writing Your AMCAS® Personal Comments Essay
There is a 5,300 character limit (including spaces) in this section. This equals about 1 1/2 pages of writing, single-spaced. Make sure your essay is interesting, follows a logical and orderly flow, relates to your reasons for choosing medicine, and describes why you believe you will be successful as a physician.
Length of Personal Statement: Medical School Application Essay Limits
An AMCAS personal statement has a 5300 character maximum, which is only about 1.5 pages of single-spaced 12-point Times New Roman font. ... Osteopathic (DO) medical schools also have a 5300 character limit, but the personal statement must be about why you want to become an osteopath specifically. You must choose key moments from your life that ...
2024 Medical School Personal Statement Ultimate Guide (220+ Examples)
Yes, though the TMDSAS personal statement offers a 5000-character limit vs. 5300 characters for AMCAS and AACOMAS. You can learn more about the Texas medical school application by reading our TMDSAS guide, which includes examples of a successful personal statement, personal characteristics essay, and optional essay.
AMCAS Personal Statement: My Best Tips for Writing It
AMCAS Personal Statement Example #1. 916 words (5,181 of the maximum 5,300 characters with spaces) My mother grew up as one of 14 children in a very poor home in rural Ontario, where both parents, while loving and warm, suffered from alcoholism. She and her siblings experienced significant childhood adversity, the legacy of which still looms ...
Medical School Personal Statement FAQs
On the AMCAS Application, there is a 5,300-character maximum, which equals about 1.5 pages, single-spaced and in 12-point font. You do not have to fill all of the available space. In fact, a more cogent, focused personal statement that falls short of 5,300 characters will always be stronger than one that's forcibly lengthened by digressions ...
6 Important Tips for the AMCAS Personal Statement (AMCAS PS)
Navigating the 5,300-character limit of the AMCAS Personal Statement might seem daunting at first. This restriction places a premium on your ability to communicate efficiently and effectively, challenging you to distill your experiences and aspirations into a concise yet powerful narrative.
15 Tips for Your Medical School Personal Statement
Write a standout medical school personal statement with our expert tips. ... That's 5,300 characters (including spaces) for AMCAS applications, 5,000 characters for TMDSAS, and 4,500 characters for AACOMAS. ... Rambling not only uses up your precious character limit, but it also causes confusion! Think about the three to five "sound bytes ...
AMCAS Character Limit Checker- Check your personal statement length
What is the AMCAS personal statement word limit? AMCAS does not follow a word limit, it uses a character limit of 5300 characters. However, 5300 characters roughly translates to about 815 to 1060 words.
Your Pathway to the White Coat: 7 Tips for Writing Your AMCAS® Personal
There is a 5,300 character limit (including spaces) in this section. This equals about one page of writing, single-spaced. ... How to Skillfully—and Successfully—Revise Your AMCAS Personal Statement. 4 Ways to Get Accepted With a Low GPA. Search Articles. Search. Categories. Audiology (9) Dental (61) Dental School (14) Dentist Q&A (20)
2024 AACOMAS Personal Statement Guide
AACOMAS Personal Statement Character Limit. The AACOMAS personal statement is the same length as the AMCAS personal statement. You are limited to 5300 characters, which is around 1.5 pages of single-spaced 12-point Times New Roman font. ... Using the same personal statement for AMCAS and AACOMAS applications. Leaving your personal statement to ...
PDF PERSONAL STATEMENT GUIDE
personal statement: 1. Length The AMCAS personal statement character limit is 5,300 characters, including spaces, which is roughly one single-spaced page. 2. Timing Give yourself plenty of time to draft your personal statement. You will want time to walk away, receive feedback, and edit. 3. Feeling stuck? Start in the middle.
Personal Comments Essay
In addition, you may wish to include information such as: Unique hardships, challenges, and obstacles that may have influenced your educational pursuits. Comments on significant fluctuations in your academic record not explained elsewhere in your application. Formatting Your Essay: Medical schools receive all text-entry responses as plain text.
How to Turn Your AMCAS (MD) Personal Statement into Your ...
But the good news is, it doesn't have to be a completely new statement. AMCAS and AACOMAS used to make life difficult for applicants by having different character limits. Fortunately, as of 2019 AACOMAS has increased the personal statement character limit to 5300 to match AMCAS, kissing the days of stress-deleting sentences goodbye.
15 Tips for Writing a Strong Personal Statement : r/premed
So if talking about a certain challenge will bring back too many negative emotions and make it hard for you to maintain your composure during the interview, don't mention that challenge in your personal statement or application. 12) Be concise and deliberate. Make the word limit count.
2024 AMCAS Work and Activities Ultimate Guide (Examples Included)
The reason is that AMCAS allows you to describe up to 15 experiences with only a 700-character limit for each (including spaces). That said, three of your experiences can be designated as "most meaningful" and further expanded on in a separate section with a 1,325-character limit. We wrote this guide to cover every important aspect of the ...
AMCAS vs. AACOMAS vs. TMDSAS Med School Application Differences
AMCAS Personal Statement Length: 5300 characters. AACOMAS Personal Statement Length: 5300 characters. TMDSAS Personal Statement Length: 5000 characters. If you plan on applying to medical schools both in Texas and outside of it, ensure your personal statement is 5000 characters or less to meet the character limits of both applications.
Using the max characters on personal statement?
yeah mine was 5300 characters exactly. i had to cut it down for TMDSAS though.. their max is 500 char... it was pretty difficult. That's crazy. 500 is essentially only a paragraph or two to say everythig you need. Cool. Congratz on staying within the parameters of the AMCAS personal statement...I don't really understand the question.
MD vs. DO: What's The Difference + How To Choose
The AMCAS personal statement character limit and AACOMAS personal statement character limit are both the same, but some of the other sections have different character limits. Use this quick guide to check character lengths: Application Personal Statement Character Limit Activities Section Most Meaningful Activities; MD (AMCAS) 5300 characters ...
How do you feel about the length of AMCAS personal statement?
Give us 6000, fine. But I just felt that 5300 was a difficult in-between. Bruh... the max length is one page, you have no choice but to be concise and no real opportunity to show "effort and competence.". The length doesn't matter if you answer the prompt. The max length is 5300 characters.
Personal Statement is WAY too long : r/premed
Personal Statement is WAY too long. Sorry if this comes across as a neurotic post -- I'm pretty alone going through this process. I had my cousin who is a physician review my PS and she said that it is way too long (my personal statement is bordering the 5300 character limit). On google docs, it appears to be around 1.5 pages long single-spaced.

AMCAS Personal Statement: My Best Tips for Writing It

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Tip #2: The Essay Is a Story, not a Resume

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Medical School Personal Statement FAQs

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6 Important Tips for the AMCAS Personal Statement (AMCAS PS)

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Introduction

Crafting a Compelling Narrative

Show, Don’t Tell: Demonstrating Your Qualities

Addressing Challenges and Setbacks

Making Your Statement Stand Out

The Role of Feedback and Revision

Explanation of what the AMCAS Personal Statement is

Discussion of the character limit and its implications for content

Importance of storytelling in the personal statement

Tips for selecting experiences that highlight unique qualities

Strategies for illustrating personal attributes through specific examples

Avoiding the trap of simply listing achievements

How to effectively discuss obstacles without dwelling on them

Balancing honesty with positivity

Techniques for creating a memorable and distinctive personal statement

The role of reflection and personal growth in the narrative

Importance of seeking constructive criticism from trusted sources

The iterative process of refining the personal statement

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Personal Statement Topics

How to Write a Personal Statement for Medical School

1. Write, re-write, let it sit, and write again!

2. Stay focused.

3. Back off the cliches.

4. Find your unique angle.

5. Be interesting.

6. Show don't tell.

7. Embrace the 5-point essay format.

8. Good writing is simple writing.

9. Be thoughtful about transitions.

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10. Stick to the rules.

11. Stay on topic.

12. Don't overdo it.

13. Seek multiple opinions.

14. Double-check the details.

15. Consult the experts about your personal statement strategy.

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AMCAS Personal statement checker

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Personal Statement FAQ

How many words is 5300 characters?

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Your Pathway to the White Coat: 7 Tips for Writing Your AMCAS® Personal Comments Essay

Personal Comments Essay