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Congratulations! All your years of hard work have paid off – you’ve finally gotten into medical school. But what now?
Well, you have to decide between multiple acceptance offers, “Plan to Enroll” through the AAMC website, figure out a bunch of logistics, and remember to prioritize your mental health during this whole process.
Below, we will provide clear, step-by-step guidance on how to appropriately commit to a medical school and the logistics you need to address. Plus, you’ll get insightful advice from former MedSchoolCoach clients, as well as our amazing Physician Advisors.
Texas residents applying to Texas medical schools can skip ahead to this section.
1. Familiarize Yourself With “Traffic Rules”
After you’re done celebrating — which you should definitely do — familiarize yourself with the AAMC’s Traffic Rules so you don’t jeopardize any of your acceptance offers.
The Traffic Rules refer to AAMC guidelines for prospective med students and med schools. These rules recommend that MD and MD/PhD programs do the following:
- Annually publish and update their application, acceptance, and admissions process.
- Promptly communicate admissions decisions to applicants and the AAMC.
- Limit initial deposits to $100 or less (not for early decision, refundable until April 30).
- Allow applicants a minimum of two weeks to respond to an acceptance offer.
- Permit applicants to maintain acceptance and waitlist offers from other programs — with no penalties before April 30 and with understanding of unique situations after April 30.
- After April 30, confirm an applicant’s intention to matriculate and rescind the offer if they don’t respond.
- Make a reasonable effort not to send acceptance offers to applicants who have already matriculated at another school.
It’s good to know what medical education programs are encouraged to do. Now, let’s go over what you’re expected to do in this context after getting acceptance offers.
“The hardest part is actually getting into medical school. So congratulations! Medical school is a fun place to explore your interests and get excited about all the different paths within medicine. Think about your values and what kind of physician you want to become, and let that passion lead you down the right path for you.” Former MedSchoolCoach Client
2. Decide Where to Go
If you received more than one medical school acceptance, you should determine your top choice.
Take advantage of each medical school’s “second look” if it’s an option. Depending on the school’s unique offerings, these second-look days allow you to interact with and ask questions to students, faculty, and staff. Since 2020, virtual second looks have become more popular.
To determine where to accept, you can more deeply research the following, or ask questions at a second look visit:
- Curriculum
- Research opportunities
- Personal interests
- Student culture
- Mental health support
- Financial aid, grants, and merit scholarships
- Housing and daily living activities (e.g., do you need a car?)
Support for residency matching
“Talk with successful members of the senior class and learn what they did, especially if you are aiming for a competitive residency or field. TAs are especially helpful if they are senior medical students. Also, get to know faculty in non-medical settings through events hosted by the school. These mentors can go a long way to pick up a phone and help out students they believe in and like.”
3. Plan to Enroll
Starting February 19, if you have an acceptance offer from one or more schools, you can log on to the AMCAS Choose Your Medical School Tool via the AMCAS application system to designate your enrollment plans.
Select “Plan to Enroll” to indicate your current preference of where to go. You can only choose this option for one school, so it’s important that you’re ready to commit. However, you can change your mind before April 30.
If you only have one acceptance offer, you can optionally select “Plan to Enroll” now or wait for other offers. Or you may no longer want to go to the one school that offered you acceptance, in which case, you can simply not select “Plan to Enroll” (or “Commit to Enroll” after April 30).
Once you select “Plan to Enroll,” schools are able to see how many applicants have committed or gone with a different school, letting them extend offers to other candidates.
Students may select “Plan to Enroll” from February 19 to April 29. On April 30, the selection becomes the binding “Commit to Enroll.”
“The main factors I considered were the location, class size, financial aid, personal interactions from my interview day, and what the culture was like. Since almost every medical school will have opportunities in research, early clinical experiences, and teach the same material, I focused on the learning style and environment which was more likely to vary between schools. It helps to compile a list of questions and talk to current students in the programs you’re admitted to get a better sense of what it is like to be a student there.”
4. Commit to Enroll
Beginning April 30, applicants can now select “Commit to Enroll,” which indicates you’re firmly committed to attend this medical school, withdrawing from any other offers of acceptance or waitlisting.
Applicants must still communicate directly with the school(s) that have accepted them to confirm the acceptance in accordance with each school’s specific policies. The AMCAS Choose Your Medical School Tool does not automatically send this communication for you.
Applicants must also withdraw directly from schools they do not wish to attend. The AMCAS Choose Your Medical School Tool does not automatically communicate these decisions for you.
After April 30, schools typically require a response to acceptance offers within 5 days, or just 2 days if the matriculation is within 30 days.
Once you select “Commit to Enroll,” schools open up admission slots to other applicants to fill their class.
“Make sure you enjoy the process! There is so much focus on performance and grades that it’s easy to forget to enjoy the ride. Take time to enjoy wherever you are for the next four years.”
5. Finalize Financial Aid
Given the high cost of medical school and the fact that many matriculating medical students carry undergrad debt, you need to prioritize financial aid planning throughout your education and medical career. First, turn in your FAFSA ASAP.
Go More In-Depth: How to Pay for Med School
You should receive detailed information from your medical school regarding the financial aid you’re eligible for. You can also find information on the medical school’s website. AAMC also has helpful financial aid information and resources.
Create a long-term budget that includes when payments will be due and how much interest will accrue.
You can typically go into residency forbearance and not make any payments as long as you’re in residency. However, since most loans will accrue interest during residency, I recommend budgeting for making small payments as soon as your first semester in med school and continuing through residency.
“It can be difficult to find external grants and scholarships to help pay for medical school. Be sure to ask what opportunities there are for medical students to earn money during medical school, such as TA-ships or paid research opportunities. Plus, get your FAFSA in early!”
6. Figure Out Your Housing Situation
As soon as you have committed to a medical school, you should figure out your housing. Where you live will impact when your alarm goes off every morning, what kind of transportation you need, whether you’re part of campus culture, and your budget for utilities, rent, and gas.
Depending on the medical school, options typically include:
- University-owned housing
- Renting an apartment on campus
- Renting off-campus
- Purchasing a home (in rare cases)
You should receive detailed information from your medical school. But we also recommend getting advice from current medical students.
“You should ask what the housing situation is like at each given medical school. For example, do people live on campus or off campus? Do most students have a car or bicycle? Asking these questions ahead of time will save you a lot of hassle later, and help you better envision what your life would be like living there.”
7. Determine Transportation Logistics
You need to figure out your transportation needs, which depend in part on where you live and the everyday campus culture.
Even if you can walk to your medical school for classes, you’ll need a car for clinical rotations at hospitals and clinics that are far away from the school. In a few U.S. cities, you can rely on robust public transportation.
You should receive detailed information from your medical school, but we also recommend seeking advice from current medical students.
“Consider arriving at med school a couple weeks early to get to know the surrounding location.”
8. Enjoy the Time You Have Before Med School
Once you’ve figured out where you will be spending the next four years of your life, you may have some free time before the start of medical school. Enjoy the time and prioritize mental health!
You may want to get a leg up on your studies, but keep in mind that, once medical school begins, you will have almost no free time. You’ll have even less free time once you match into a residency program after med school.
Therefore, we suggest taking advantage of this unique free time to engage in non-medical activities.
Read a book, take a vacation, volunteer, learn a new language, delve into a hobby, or spend time with your friends and family. Do whatever sounds best and most refreshing to you!
“Do the things you love! Your passion will shine through, especially as your energy becomes obvious and infectious when you talk about your interests.”
9. Start Medical School off on the Right Foot
In order to start med school off on the right foot, we have some time-tested advice for you:
- Familiarize Yourself with Your School’s Curriculum: Compared to college, the volume of work is much higher, and the pace is much faster. The first year generally focuses on basic sciences. Some med schools have students take 4-5 classes on various subjects at once. Others concentrate on one subject at a time for a few weeks. Some utilize an interdisciplinary approach. Figure out what your school does and adjust your expectations accordingly.
- Take Care of Yourself Before You Can Care for Others: It’s easy to forget about self-care once medical school starts because you’re so busy. Proactively make an effort to take care of yourself (e.g., eat regularly, take breaks, maintain a social life). Otherwise, your physical and mental health will suffer, which will negatively impact your medical school experience and how you interact with others.
- Cultivate a Support System of Other Students: This group will be your support system throughout med school. Even if you’re an introvert, get to know a few of your classmates well. It’s harder and less fun to go through medical school without a close group of peers.
“When I started medical school, I had moved to a new city, away from family, living alone in a small studio. All I could think about was trying my best to achieve academic success. The first year of medical school was tough for me because I was so fixated on studying and trying to memorize everything. It wasn’t until the second year of med school that I relaxed and met a great group of friends. These individuals are now my lifelong friends, and they enriched my entire medical school experience.”
- Ask for Help When You Need a Hand: You may still feel academically overwhelmed once you start med school, which is entirely normal. There’s no shame in asking for help! Don’t let pride or embarrassment get in the way of you asking for help. Take advantage of office hours, review sessions, tutors, and mental health resources.
- Get Involved, But Don’t Overcommit to Extracurriculars: Before committing to any extracurriculars, get a feel for what med school is like academically. Then join a few extracurriculars that you’re passionate about. Remember to demonstrate long-term commitment, leadership, evolution, growth, and results; residency programs will be looking for these traits when you apply in your fourth year.
- Don’t Procrastinate, Study Smart: While you may have gotten away with procrastinating in college, it won’t work in medical school. The volume and pace of work are just too much to cram. It’s not just memorization — it’s understanding and applying concepts. Plan out study schedules and proven study methods.
“Try to enjoy the experience and absorb as much as you can. You can’t memorize everything, but you definitely have to try and have a regimented plan for studying.”
Build your application alongside a Physician with AdCom experience.
Applying in Texas? Familiarize Yourself With the TMDSAS Match
If you are a Texan applying to a medical school in Texas, you need to familiarize yourself with the TMDSAS match. Texas Medical and Dental Schools Application Service (TMDSAS) administers a unique matching process for all Texas medical applicants.
Non-residents applying in TX: Texas reserves 90% of in-state med school seats for Texas residents, so non-TX residents face high competition when applying to TX medical schools. Non-residents don’t participate in the TMDSAS Match, so they rely on admissions decisions directly from the school.
Residents applying outside TX: Texas residents may apply to schools outside of Texas. You don’t need to use TMDSAS if you’re applying outside of Texas.
Pre-match offers: The TMDSAS Match considers pre-match offers that some applicants may hold and fills the remaining open slots at medical schools.
- Applicants who have not received pre-match offers can still match to a school where they have interviewed.
- Applicants holding a pre-match offer can match to a school that they ranked higher than their pre-match offer school, even if they did not receive a pre-match offer from the higher-ranked school.
- Any applicants holding multiple pre-match offers will still come out of the match with only one acceptance.
Ranking deadline: Eligible applicants rank all schools at which they interviewed according to their preference for attendance. The deadline for the applicant match ranking is January 30. The medical schools then submit their ranked lists of applicants they have interviewed to TMDSAS.
Match date: TMDSAS matches applicants with their highest-preference school, provided the school is in their match range on the school’s list. The results of the Match will be announced on February 13.
Applicants are still eligible to receive alternate offers from schools they ranked higher on their list than the match offer they received.
FAQs
After med school acceptance, here are some common paperwork and documentation prerequisites you need to be aware of:
- Immunizations
- TB screening
- Physical exam
- Drug screening
- Proof of health insurance (schools often offer a student plan)
- Background checks
- Technical standards acknowledgments (that you have basic physical abilities to meet the school's standards with or without accommodation)
- Disability paperwork, if applicable
- HIPAA training acknowledgment
- FAFSA (for financial aid)
Not every school requires all the documentation listed above, and many schools may ask for additional documents.
The AAMC recommends certain deadline limits — though schools don’t necessarily have to follow them exactly. Here’s generally how much time you have to respond to an acceptance offer with a plan or commitment to enroll:
- Before April 30: 14 days
- After April 30: 5 days
- Within 30 days of matriculation: 2 days
You should submit enrollment forms and initial deposits within the time frames above, depending on when you’re submitting. Or, if your acceptance letter contains a different deadline, go with that. Schools sometimes have their own unique policy, so always check their specific guidelines.
The 32-hour rule refers to the practice of medical school admissions boards placing extra emphasis on your most recent 32 hours of coursework, contextualizing your first two years of undergrad with the directional growth shown in your later years.
A few med school AdComs officially use the 32-hour rule, and a few more do so unofficially. Although it is increasing in popularity, it is not a ubiquitous practice.
Before April 30, schools cannot see where you’ve been accepted nor where you’ve planned to enroll. They can, however, see the number of students who plan to enroll at their school. No names, though.
Starting April 30, however, schools can see the names of people who have committed to enroll in their program.
Start as early as possible to reduce your stress levels down the road. Your first year at medical school can include several necessary steps toward a stronger residency application:
- Invest time in extracurriculars that you’re passionate about. Demonstrate leadership and growth that you will refer to when applying to residency, in the Experiences Section and in the Personal Statement.
- Finding mentors affords you multiple benefits, including the potential to write a letter of recommendation for your ERAS application.
- Try out a healthcare research project in your first year. Some medical specialties and subspecialties require many research hours, while others require very few. Figure out early if you’re passionate about research-heavy health professions.
- Start establishing your reputation. Be early, study smart, make friends, do your work, and demonstrate integrity whenever you can.
“Plan out what you want to do regarding extracurriculars in your limited time (clubs, research, service learning, shadowing). Don’t worry about clinical stuff until third year.”
You Don’t Have to Navigate This Alone
MedSchoolCoach offers many resources to help make the process of becoming a physician less stressful:
- USMLE Step 1 Tutoring: Discover how one-on-one tutoring can help you maximize your chances of passing the USMLE Step 1.
- USMLE Step 2 Tutoring: Score higher on your USMLE Step 2 CK with our expert tutors.
- USMLE Step 3 Tutoring: Conquer your final medical licensing hurdle with specialized tutoring.
- COMLEX Level 1 and 2 Tutoring: See how one-on-one tutoring can help you achieve outstanding scores on your COMLEX Level 1 and Level 2.
- Residency Match Advising: Discover how our Physician Advisors can help you transform your match prospects.
Check out our advising options, too. Our qualified Physician Advisors take a personalized approach to coaching you through exam prep, application support, and so much more.
Sahil Mehta MD
Dr. Mehta is the founder of MedSchoolCoach and has guided thousands of successful medical school applicants. He is also a practicing physician in Boston where he specializes in vascular and interventional radiology.
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