Plain-English definitions for every acronym, exam and pathway you will meet applying to US medical or dental school — AMCAS, AACOMAS, MCAT, DAT, Secondary Essays, AAMC Core Competencies, holistic review, URM, and more. 78 terms covered, grouped by topic and alphabetised within each group.
Applying in New Zealand instead? See the NZ glossary. Applying in the UK? See the UK glossary.
AACOMAS (the American Association of Colleges of Osteopathic Medicine Application Service) is the centralised primary application service for US DO-granting osteopathic medical schools, operated by AACOM. Structurally similar to AMCAS: one primary application is verified and forwarded to selected DO schools, which then issue secondaries. AACOMAS typically opens for submission in late April/early May — slightly earlier than AMCAS. Applicants who apply to both MD and DO schools must complete both AMCAS and AACOMAS separately.
ADEA AADSAS (the ADEA Associated American Dental Schools Application Service) is the centralised primary application service for most US dental school programmes (DDS/DMD), operated by the American Dental Education Association. Applicants report grades, DAT scores, activities, and a personal statement. Opening dates vary by cycle — typically late May to early June. A small number of dental schools do not participate and use direct applications.
AMCAS (the American Medical College Application Service) is the centralised primary application service operated by the AAMC for most US MD-granting allopathic medical schools. Applicants submit one application — covering grades, MCAT score, activities, letters of recommendation, and a personal statement — which AMCAS verifies and distributes to each selected school. AMCAS typically opens for submission in late May; the earliest applicants can submit is usually the first or second week of June. Schools use AMCAS data to decide which applicants receive secondary application invitations. Note: Texas public schools use TMDSAS, not AMCAS.
TMDSAS (the Texas Medical and Dental Schools Application Service) is the application service used by Texas public medical and dental schools (UT Southwestern, UTHealth Houston McGovern, UT Austin Dell, Texas A&M, Texas Tech, UTMB Galveston). TMDSAS is administered by the University of Texas System. Texas public schools use a pre-matching system where offers are released on a single Match Day in mid-November; applicants may hold only one offer. TMDSAS typically opens in early May. Out-of-state applicants face significantly lower acceptance rates due to statutory in-state preference.
The AAMC PREview Professional Readiness Exam is a situational judgement exam developed by the AAMC to assess pre-professional competencies aligned with the 15 AAMC Core Competencies. Scores reported on a 1–9 scale. It is required or optional at a subset of AMCAS schools. Cannot be retaken within the same application cycle once a score is reported. Schools use PREview as a holistic review input rather than a hard cutoff.
CASPer (the Computer-based Assessment for Sampling Personal characteristics) is an online situational judgement test from Acuity Insights assessing personal and professional characteristics via video and text-based ethical scenarios. A growing number of US medical schools require CASPer. Results are reported as a z-score distribution. It is required by individual schools — not by the central application service; check each school's specific requirements.
The DAT (Dental Admission Test) is the standardised exam required for US dental school admission (DDS/DMD), administered by the ADA. Covers Survey of Natural Sciences (bio, gen chem, orgo), Perceptual Ability Test (PAT), Reading Comprehension, and Quantitative Reasoning. Scores range 1–30 with approximately 17 as the national average. It is offered year-round at Prometric centres.
The MCAT (Medical College Admission Test) is the standardised exam required for admission to virtually all US MD and DO medical schools, administered by the AAMC. Four sections: (1) Chemical and Physical Foundations of Biological Systems, (2) Critical Analysis and Reasoning Skills (CARS), (3) Biological and Biochemical Foundations of Living Systems, (4) Psychological, Social, and Biological Foundations of Behavior. Each section scores 118–132; total range 472–528 with 500 as the mean. Total test time approximately 7 hours 30 minutes. Registration via AAMC; test centres via Pearson VUE. Score reports released approximately 30 days post-test. Retake limits: 3 attempts in 1 year, 4 in 2 years, 7 lifetime.
The OAT (Optometry Admission Test) is the standardised exam for US Doctor of Optometry (OD) programmes, administered by ASCO. Covers Survey of Natural Sciences, Reading Comprehension, Physics, and Quantitative Reasoning. Scores reported on a 200–400 scale. Separate from the MCAT and DAT.
The AMCAS Activities section (Work & Activities) is the section of the AMCAS primary where applicants list up to 15 experiences (jobs, volunteering, research, shadowing, leadership, awards) with up to 700 characters each. Three can be designated "Most Meaningful" with an additional 1,325-character explanation. Adcoms assess breadth and sustained commitment across entries.
A committee letter is a composite letter from an applicant's undergraduate pre-health advising committee summarising their overall candidacy. Generally preferred by medical schools over a collection of individual letters as it signals institutional endorsement. Deadlines typically fall April–May of the application year. Applicants at schools without committees submit a "letter packet" instead.
LORs (letters of recommendation) are evaluations written by professors, physicians, or other mentors. AMCAS accepts up to 10 letters; most schools require 2–3 science faculty letters and 1–2 clinical/physician letters. Quality and specificity matter far more than quantity — vague letters are flagged during holistic review.
MMEs (Most Meaningful Experiences) are up to three experiences designated within the AMCAS Activities section, each receiving an additional 1,325 characters to elaborate on significance, personal growth, and relevance to medicine. Adcoms read MMEs closely — they reveal the applicant's priorities and capacity for reflection.
The MSAR (Medical School Admissions Requirements) is a paywalled AAMC database (~$28/year subscription) listing MCAT, GPA, and acceptance statistics for every AMCAS-participating MD school. It provides median and 10th–90th percentile MCAT/GPA ranges for matriculants, total and in-state acceptance rates, and curriculum data. Free alternative: AAMC FACTS aggregate data. MSAR is a benchmark tool — use it to contextualise, not rigidly screen schools.
The primary application is the initial application submitted through a central service (AMCAS, AACOMAS, TMDSAS, or ADEA AADSAS). It includes transcripts, MCAT or DAT score, personal statement, letters of recommendation, and activities section. Schools use the primary to screen which applicants receive secondary invitations. Submitting in the first two weeks the application opens significantly increases secondary invitation rates in rolling admissions.
Secondary essays are school-specific written prompts sent after primary application review, typically arriving late June through August. Most schools charge $75–$150. Each school sends 5–8 prompts covering "Why our school", diversity, adversity, and mission fit. Submitting within 2 weeks of receipt is widely advised. Total secondary word count often exceeds the entire primary application.
BS/MD programmes are combined baccalaureate–medical degree programmes admitting students from high school into a guaranteed or conditional medical school place, typically 6–8 years. Acceptance rates are extremely low. Examples: NJMS/Rutgers, Case Western PPSP, Boston University MMEDIC, George Washington BA/MD.
Caribbean medical schools are offshore MD-granting institutions located primarily in Caribbean nations (e.g. St. George's University, Ross University). USMLE pass rates, residency match rates, and attrition rates vary significantly — research individual school outcomes before enrolling. Caribbean MD graduates are generally at a disadvantage in competitive US residency specialties. This glossary does not cover Caribbean schools in depth.
A DO (Doctor of Osteopathic Medicine) is the osteopathic physician degree from AACOM-accredited schools. DO graduates have full practice rights equivalent to MDs in all 50 states. Since 2020, MD and DO residency programmes share one NRMP Match pool. DO training includes Osteopathic Manipulative Medicine (OMM). Applied for through AACOMAS.
A gap year is one or more years between undergraduate graduation and medical school matriculation. Common activities include medical scribe, EMT, CNA, AmeriCorps, Teach For America, Fulbright and NIH Postbac research. The majority of US matriculants take at least one gap year.
A glide year is a gap year where the applicant applies during their final undergraduate year and defers to the following academic year. Glide year applicants have all undergraduate coursework visible on the transcript at application time.
An MD (Doctor of Medicine) is the traditional allopathic physician degree from LCME-accredited schools. MD programmes are typically 4 years. Graduates apply for residency via NRMP. Applied for through AMCAS for most schools, TMDSAS for Texas public schools.
An MD/PhD is a combined degree producing physician-scientists, typically 7–9 years and fully funded (tuition covered + ~$30,000–$36,000/year stipend + health insurance). The primary track is NIH-funded MSTP programmes (~50 institutions). Applicants must demonstrate substantial research experience. Applied for via a supplemental AMCAS section.
A post-bacc (post-baccalaureate programme) is undergraduate-level coursework taken after completing a bachelor's degree to complete prerequisites or strengthen a GPA. Two populations: (1) career-changers lacking pre-med prerequisites and (2) academic enhancers improving a low GPA. Some formal post-baccs include a linkage to an affiliated medical school.
Pre-med is a designation for undergraduate students planning to apply to medical school. There is no formal pre-med major; students self-identify and complete prerequisites: biology, general chemistry, organic chemistry, biochemistry, physics, statistics, and English/writing.
A reapplicant is an applicant who submitted in a prior cycle and is applying again. Reapplicants are expected to explain what changed — improved MCAT, additional clinical hours, post-bacc or SMP — and should substantially revise the personal statement. Applying with an identical application is rarely successful.
SMPs (Special Master's Programs) are graduate-level biomedical science programmes (1–2 years) designed for pre-med applicants who need to demonstrate academic ability at the graduate level, often alongside medical students. A strong SMP GPA (>3.5) can compensate for a low undergraduate GPA. SMPs are common at Georgetown, Boston University, and Case Western.
HBCUs (Historically Black Colleges and Universities) are institutions established primarily before the Civil Rights Act of 1964 to serve Black American students. The HBCU-affiliated medical schools include Howard University College of Medicine, Meharry Medical College, and Morehouse School of Medicine. These schools have a historic and ongoing mission of training Black physicians and serving underserved communities.
A Hispanic-Serving Institution (HSI) is a US higher education institution where at least 25% of enrolled students identify as Hispanic. Several medical schools are at or affiliated with HSIs and have missions focused on serving Hispanic and Latino communities. Examples: Florida International University Herbert Wertheim College of Medicine.
In-state preference is the significant advantage many public medical schools give to applicants who are residents of their state, reflecting state funding obligations. In-state acceptance rates at public schools are often 5–10x higher than OOS rates. Examples: University of Michigan, UNC, UC Davis, Ohio State.
An OOS (out-of-state) applicant is someone who is not a resident of the state where the medical school is located. OOS acceptance rates at public schools are significantly lower. Most private schools are OOS-neutral. Applicants from states without public medical schools may qualify for regional consortia (e.g. WWAMI).
T20 is an informal designation for approximately the top 20 US News & World Report-ranked research medical schools (Harvard, Johns Hopkins, UCSF, Columbia, Penn, Yale, Wash U, Duke, Stanford, Chicago Pritzker, etc.). Median MCAT scores among matriculants are approximately 520+ and GPAs approximately 3.8+ (AAMC FACTS aggregate — class profiles not individually published by all schools). The ranking fluctuates year to year and is not an official AAMC classification.
T50 is an informal designation for the top ~50 US research-oriented medical schools. T50 schools generally require median MCAT scores of approximately 515–518+ (AAMC FACTS aggregate). It is a rough planning heuristic, not a formal AAMC category.
AAMC Anatomy of an Applicant is a publicly available AAMC framework breaking down applicant evaluation into three dimensions: Experiences, Attributes, and Metrics (EAM). It is used in holistic review training for admissions committees. Applicants can use it as a self-assessment checklist.
The AAMC Core Competencies for Entering Medical Students are fifteen competencies defined by the AAMC, grouped into four domains. Thinking and Reasoning covers critical thinking, quantitative reasoning, scientific inquiry and written communication. Science covers living systems and human behavior. Interpersonal covers service orientation, social skills, cultural competence, teamwork and oral communication. Intrapersonal covers ethical responsibility to self and others, reliability and dependability, resilience and adaptability, and capacity for improvement. Frame your activities and essays around these competencies.
Holistic review is an AAMC-promoted admissions philosophy evaluating applicants as whole persons across three domains: (1) Experiences, (2) Attributes, and (3) Metrics. Schools formally adopting holistic review train adcoms to balance all three rather than screening solely by MCAT or GPA. The "Anatomy of an Applicant" framework operationalises holistic review in practice.
Mission fit is the degree to which an applicant's values, career goals, and background align with a school's institutional mission. Schools with primary care or underserved community focus weight mission fit heavily. Demonstrating mission fit is the central task of the "Why our school" secondary essay and the secondary interview.
DACA (Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals) is a US federal programme protecting eligible undocumented individuals who arrived as children from deportation and providing work authorisation. DACA recipients are ineligible for federal financial aid. A number of states and medical schools provide state aid and explicit DACA-welcoming admissions statements. The AAMC maintains a list of DACA-friendly medical schools. DACA policy has been subject to ongoing legal challenges; verify current status.
Disadvantaged status on AMCAS is an AMCAS flag for applicants who experienced socioeconomic disadvantage: (1) family income at or below 200% of the federal poverty line during high school, (2) first-generation college student, or (3) receipt of federal means-tested benefits (free/reduced school lunch, Medicaid, SNAP, SSI). Allows adcoms to contextualise a lower-than-expected GPA or fewer research opportunities.
The FAP (AAMC Fee Assistance Program) is the AAMC programme that reduces MCAT registration fees and AMCAS application fees for low-income applicants, and provides free access to the Official MCAT Prep Hub. Eligibility is based on family income relative to the federal poverty level. It must be approved before it can be used for an MCAT registration or AMCAS submission.
A first-generation college student is a student whose parents/guardians did not complete a four-year college degree. A component of AMCAS Disadvantaged Status. Medical schools recognise that first-generation students may have had less pre-med mentoring, fewer research connections, and higher financial constraints.
The HPSP (Health Professions Scholarship Program) is a US military scholarship (Army, Navy, Air Force, each separately administered) covering full tuition, fees, and a monthly stipend (~$2,400/month in 2025) in exchange for active-duty service after residency (typically 1 year of service per year of scholarship, 3-year minimum). Applicants must be US citizens and pass a military physical.
The NHSC (National Health Service Corps) is a HRSA programme offering scholarships and loan repayment to health professionals who commit to working in Health Professional Shortage Areas (HPSAs). NHSC Scholarship pays tuition and living stipend for 2–4 years of service. Loan Repayment repays up to $50,000 per 2-year service commitment. Particularly relevant to primary care physicians committed to serving underserved communities.
URM (underrepresented in medicine) is an AAMC designation for groups whose proportion in the medical profession is lower than their proportion of the general US population — historically including Black/African American, Hispanic/Latinx, Native American/Alaska Native, and Native Hawaiian/Pacific Islander individuals. Following the 2023 SCOTUS ruling (Students for Fair Admissions), URM status cannot be used as a direct admissions factor. The AAMC continues collecting URM data for workforce tracking.
Clinical hours are hours in direct patient-contact settings — hospitals, clinics, free clinics, urgent care, EMS/EMT, nursing homes, hospice. Most competitive MD applicants have 500–2,000+ clinical hours. Scribing, CNA, EMT, medical assistant, and hospital volunteering all count.
Leadership experience is sustained responsibility for directing a team, organisation, or initiative — club president/officer, team captain, project lead. Adcoms value initiative and measurable impact over title alone. Entries should describe concrete outcomes: people managed, events organised, initiatives launched.
Non-clinical volunteering is community service not involving patient care — food banks, tutoring, literacy programmes, homeless shelters. It demonstrates altruism and service orientation beyond the clinical setting. Most competitive applicants have 150–300+ non-clinical volunteer hours.
Research hours are hours in academic, clinical, or industry research. They are essential for MD/PhD applications and strongly preferred for T20 MD applications. A publication, poster, or presentation significantly strengthens a research entry. Hours alone are less informative than depth of involvement and resulting output.
Shadowing hours are hours observing a physician (MD or DO) in clinical practice without performing patient care duties. Most competitive applicants have 100–200+ hours across multiple specialties. DO applicants should include at least some shadowing with a DO physician. Some schools have minimum shadowing requirements.
Teaching and tutoring experience is formal or informal instruction of others — undergraduate teaching assistant, MCAT tutoring, K-12 tutoring, literacy coaching. It demonstrates communication skills and content mastery; recognised under AAMC Core Competencies for Oral Communication and Service Orientation.
An acceptance is a formal offer of a place in the class. Under AAMC traffic rules, schools may not issue acceptances before mid-October each cycle. Applicants with multiple acceptances must narrow to a single hold by May 15 (AAMC recommended). Accepting typically requires a non-refundable deposit ($100–$2,000).
A hold is a status indicating that the application is still under active review — neither interview offered, waitlisted, nor rejected. Holds are common during November–February. A hold does not indicate rejection; many applicants receive interview invitations from hold.
A letter of intent (LOI) is a letter stating unambiguously that the school is the applicant's first choice and they will matriculate if accepted. Sent to only one school when waitlisted. Many admissions offices respond favourably to genuine LOIs supported by new accomplishments.
A letter of interest (LOCI) is a letter expressing sustained enthusiasm for a school after being waitlisted or held, without the binding first-choice commitment of a letter of intent. It is typically 1–2 paragraphs updating the file with new information, and is appropriate to send to multiple schools.
A rejection is a formal decline at any stage — after primary screening (pre-interview), after secondary review, or after interview (post-interview). Post-interview rejections are relatively uncommon. A rejection does not preclude reapplication in a future cycle.
An update letter is a brief letter updating an application file with genuinely new information — a new publication, research position, or significant award. Should not re-state material already in the application. Not all schools invite update letters; check each school's policy.
A waitlist is a holding position for competitive applicants who cannot receive an immediate offer. Waitlist movement is school-specific. Sending a letter of intent (LOI) or letter of continued interest (LOCI) is standard. Waitlists may remain active until August or orientation start.
The COA (cost of attendance) is the total estimated annual cost of attending, including tuition, fees, health insurance, books, and living expenses. It is used to calculate financial aid eligibility. For 2024–25, private MD school COA is typically $85,000–$100,000/year; public in-state COA $40,000–$70,000/year. Total 4-year debt can reach $200,000–$400,000+ at private institutions.
MD/PhD funding is the package under which MSTP and most non-MSTP MD/PhD programmes cover full tuition, pay a stipend (~$30,000–$36,000/year as of 2025), and provide health insurance. Funding is contingent on satisfactory academic progress. This distinguishes MD/PhD from MD programmes where significant debt is typical.
The in-state versus out-of-state tuition gap is the difference public medical schools charge residents and non-residents: substantially lower tuition for in-state residents, typically $25,000–$50,000/year in-state versus $50,000–$75,000/year OOS. Private schools charge a single rate regardless of residency, typically $55,000–$70,000/year.
Match Day is the third Friday of March when US medical students simultaneously learn their matched residency programme. The culmination of the NRMP process: students submit ranked programme preferences, programmes submit ranked applicant lists, and the NRMP algorithm produces a stable match.
The NRMP (National Resident Matching Program) is the independent non-profit administering the US residency match. Since 2020, both MD and DO graduates apply through the single NRMP main residency match. Specialty-specific matches (urology, ophthalmology, neurosurgery, military) run on separate schedules.
Specialty competitiveness is how difficult it is to match into a given residency specialty. Highly competitive: Plastic Surgery, Dermatology, Orthopaedic Surgery, ENT, Neurosurgery, Urology. Primary care (FM, IM, Peds) is generally easier for US MD graduates. Competitiveness data published annually by NRMP.
USMLE Step 2 CK (Clinical Knowledge) is the second USMLE licensing exam, assessing clinical knowledge. Since Step 1 became Pass/Fail in 2022, Step 2 CK is the primary numeric USMLE score used by residency programmes for screening. It is typically taken in third or fourth year of medical school.
USMLE Step 1 is the first USMLE licensing exam, covering basic sciences. Since January 2022, Step 1 is reported as Pass/Fail rather than a numeric score, reducing its role as a residency screening tool and shifting emphasis to Step 2 CK and clinical grades.
The ACA (Affordable Care Act) is the landmark 2010 federal legislation ("Obamacare") expanding health insurance coverage via Medicaid expansion, marketplace exchanges, and consumer protections (no denial for pre-existing conditions). Reduced the uninsured rate from ~18% to ~8–9% nationally. Understanding the ACA is essential for healthcare policy and service-orientation essays.
Health disparities are preventable differences in health outcomes systematically affecting marginalised communities — racial/ethnic minorities, rural populations, low-income individuals, LGBTQ+ individuals. Examples: higher Black maternal mortality; higher rural opioid overdose rates; lower life expectancy for low-income Americans. Understanding health disparities is foundational for mission-fit essays at socially conscious schools.
Medicaid is a joint federal-state programme for individuals and families with low income. Benefits and eligibility vary by state. Under the ACA, 41 states + DC have expanded Medicaid to adults below 138% of the federal poverty level as of 2025 (North Carolina adopted expansion in December 2023). The largest insurer of low-income adults and children in the US.
Medicare is the US federal health insurance programme for people aged 65+ and certain younger individuals with disabilities or end-stage renal disease. Divided into Parts A (hospital), B (medical), C (Medicare Advantage), and D (prescription drugs).
Service orientation is one of the 15 AAMC Core Competencies. The AAMC defines it as showing "a desire to help others and contribute to the greater good of society." You evidence it through non-clinical volunteering, community health work, global health experiences, and sustained engagement with vulnerable populations.
Social determinants of health (SDOH) are conditions in which people are born, grow, live, work, and age — housing, food security, education, income, transportation, neighbourhood safety — that shape health outcomes. Emphasised in AAMC Core Competencies and tested in the MCAT Psych/Soc section.
The uninsured and the underinsured are two distinct groups: uninsured individuals lack any health insurance, while underinsured individuals hold coverage that leaves significant unaffordable out-of-pocket costs. As of 2024, approximately 25–30 million Americans remained uninsured. Both groups disproportionately include low-income adults, undocumented immigrants, and workers without employer coverage.
Lived experience essays are personal statement and secondary essay components in which applicants describe how background, identity, and life experiences shaped their path to medicine. Post-2023 SCOTUS, adcoms are permitted to consider essays mentioning race as a fact of life — the ruling preserved personal narrative while prohibiting race as a standalone admissions factor. Essays should be specific, narrative, and grounded in concrete experiences.
Race-conscious admissions after 2023 are prohibited at all federally funded institutions following the 2023 Supreme Court ruling. Prior to 2023, medical schools could consider race as one holistic review factor. Schools have revised frameworks to emphasise socioeconomic disadvantage, first-generation status, and lived experience as permissible proxies.
The SCOTUS-2023 rulings (Students for Fair Admissions) are the June 2023 US Supreme Court rulings in Students for Fair Admissions v. Harvard and v. UNC, holding that race-conscious admissions programmes violated the 14th Amendment's Equal Protection Clause. Medical schools may no longer treat race or ethnicity as a direct admissions factor. Applicants may still discuss how race or lived experience shaped their perspective, but as personal narrative rather than a demographic claim.
AACOM (the American Association of Colleges of Osteopathic Medicine) is the national membership organisation representing all accredited US osteopathic (DO) medical schools. Operates AACOMAS and publishes annual DO school statistics. Individual DO school accreditation is managed by COCA under the AOA.
CODA (the Commission on Dental Accreditation) is the sole recognised accrediting body for US dental programmes (DDS/DMD and postgraduate specialties), a programme of the ADA. Graduates of CODA-accredited programmes can sit NBDE/INBDE licensing exams and practise in any US state.
The LCME (Liaison Committee on Medical Education) is the sole US accrediting body for MD-granting medical schools in the US and Canada, co-sponsored by the AAMC and AMA. LCME accreditation is required for graduates to sit USMLE exams and apply for US residency. Schools without LCME accreditation — including most Caribbean schools — cannot guarantee eligibility for all US residency pathways.
Definitions are the starting point. Work with an expert to craft your AMCAS personal statement, secondary essays, and interview preparation.
Reviewed by NextGenMedPrep Admissions Team, admissions editorial team at the NextGenMedPrep. Last reviewed: June 3, 2026
