0% found this document useful (0 votes)
105 views

Aamc-Anatomy-Applicant-Workbook Final For Web-1

Uploaded by

api-534108894
Copyright
© © All Rights Reserved
We take content rights seriously. If you suspect this is your content, claim it here.
Available Formats
Download as PDF, TXT or read online on Scribd
0% found this document useful (0 votes)
105 views

Aamc-Anatomy-Applicant-Workbook Final For Web-1

Uploaded by

api-534108894
Copyright
© © All Rights Reserved
We take content rights seriously. If you suspect this is your content, claim it here.
Available Formats
Download as PDF, TXT or read online on Scribd
You are on page 1/ 27

Anatomy of an Applicant

Competency Resources and Self-Assessment Guide


for Medical School Applicants

Learn
Serve
Lead

Association of
American Medical Colleges
Anatomy of an Applicant

Contents
Introduction  2

What the Parts of Your Application Tell Medical School Admissions Officers   3

The Core Competencies and What They Mean   7

Preprofessional Competencies  7

Thinking and Reasoning Competencies   8

Science Competencies  8

Developmental Planning Worksheets   9

Performance Reflection and Assessment: A Six-Step Process   9

© 2017 Association of American Medical Colleges. May be reproduced and distributed with attribution
for educational or noncommercial purposes only.

1 Association of American Medical Colleges


Anatomy of an Applicant

Introduction
This guide supplements the Anatomy of an Applicant student profiles featured on the Association of American
Medical Colleges (AAMC) website. It is based on the 15 Core Competencies for Entering Medical Students that
have been endorsed by the AAMC Group on Student Affairs (GSA) Committee on Admissions (COA). Many
medical schools have identified the core competencies as important for entering medical students. The guide
was created in direct response to inquiries from applicants, prehealth advisors, and admissions officers who asked
the AAMC for help in better understanding how to demonstrate aptitude in the core competencies. It provides
guidance on how the core competencies could be developed and demonstrated through an applicant’s experiences
in preparation for medical school. The guide contains sections that:

• Describe the individual components of a medical school application

• Define the individual core competencies

• Demonstrate how an applicant’s responses inform admissions officers about an applicant’s proficiency level
in different competencies

• Help generate ideas about how to show experience and develop proficiency in the various competencies

Use this guide to:


• Get organized! This guide will help you organize and think strategically about your coursework and
experiences before you begin completing and submitting medical school applications. If you have a prehealth
advisor, we suggest that you consult with your advisor either before using the guide or after you have
completed the self-assessment at the end.

• Become a more competitive applicant! The core competencies included in this guide reflect the knowledge,
skills, attitudes, and experiences valued by medical schools. This guide will help you better understand areas
where you’re strong and where you want to develop greater competency as you prepare to apply to medical
schools. (For school-specific requirements, be sure to review the Medical School Admission Requirements™
(MSAR®), visit medical schools’ websites, and consult with your prehealth advisor.)

• Help you get started! Use the worksheets in this guide to begin identifying where and how your current
coursework and experiences can demonstrate the core competencies and how this can inform your future plans.
Share your completed worksheets with your prehealth advisor or mentor, and update the worksheets regularly
as you gain experience or develop strength in a competency. (These worksheets will be a helpful reference if
you’re planning to apply to the Summer Health Professions Education Program (SHPEP), medical school,
or postbaccalaureate programs. They will also be helpful as you’re preparing for interviews.) Remember, no
applicant will be proficient in every area—that’s not realistic or expected by medical schools.

Just a friendly reminder: When you submit your medical school applications, you will need to affirm that the
information you have submitted is your own work. Although you may be inspired by the students featured in the
Anatomy of an Applicant profiles, you need to be sure that you are telling your story in your words. Anatomy of
an Applicant was created at the request of and with the guidance of the medical school admissions community.
Admissions officers are already familiar with the stories that appear in Anatomy of an Applicant—your application
is a chance to tell yours!

2 Association of American Medical Colleges


Anatomy of an Applicant

What the Parts of Your Application


Tell Medical School Admissions Officers
You may have learned about the American Medical College Application Service® (AMCAS®) application and
the Medical College Admission Test® (MCAT®), and you probably know that there are many components that
go into a complete application. This section will help demystify all the components of a standard medical school
application. You will learn why medical schools ask to see all this documentation and what it tells them about
your qualifications as an applicant.

Primary Application
What it is: The primary application, AMCAS or
the Texas Medical and Dental School Application
Service (TMDSAS), is a verified record of most of
the elements listed below compiled into a centralized
application. This application is distributed to each
medical school that you designate.

What it communicates: Why you’ve chosen


medicine as a career, how you prepared for medical
school, your experiences, and how people perceive
you as a student and future physician.

Learn more about applying


with the AMCAS application.

Secondary Application
What it is: An additional school-specific
application that supplements your primary
application. It helps explain why you’re interested
in a particular institution; how your goals,
experiences, and plans align with the school’s
mission and goals; and how and what you would
contribute as a learner at that institution. In other
words, it’s an opportunity to answer the question,
why this school?

What it communicates: From the school’s perspective, the secondary application provides an opportunity to probe
for more institution-specific information by, for example, evaluating your fit with their mission, assessing your
reasons for applying to that particular school, and posing other school-specific questions.

3 Association of American Medical Colleges


Anatomy of an Applicant

Official Transcripts and Coursework


What they are: The official record or records from each college or university you attended, the courses you took,
and the grades or credit you received.

What they communicate: Tells part of the story about how you academically prepared for medical school. For example:

• Did you take upper-level science courses?

• What were your grade trends and coursework patterns?

• Do you have experience with writing-intensive courses?

• Did you challenge yourself with higher-level coursework in and outside your major?

• Did you formally study another language or take coursework in another language?

• Do you have a broad liberal arts background?

• Did you take community college courses or complete coursework at other institutions?

• Did you take postbaccalaureate or graduate courses?

• Did you have to overcome academic challenges?

MCAT® Score(s)
What it is: The Medical College Admission Test is a standardized multiple-choice test designed to assess your
problem solving, critical thinking, and knowledge of natural, behavioral, and social science concepts and principles.

What it communicates: The MCAT exam tests the skills and knowledge that medical educators, physicians,
medical students, and residents have identified as key prerequisites for success in medical school and beyond.
The MCAT exam is one tool that medical school admissions officers use in combination with application materials
(e.g., transcripts and personal statements) and interviews to select future medical students.

4 Association of American Medical Colleges


Anatomy of an Applicant

Personal Statements From Primary Application and Essay Questions


on Secondary Applications
What they are: The personal statement on the AMCAS application is your opportunity to communicate your
motivation for a career in medicine and to distinguish yourself from other applicants. The essay questions on your
secondary applications will provide context for the other components of your application and further inform an
admissions committee about how you may be a good fit for their institution.

What they communicate: This is your best opportunity to tell the medical school admissions officers something
about yourself that they wouldn’t necessarily learn by looking at the other parts of your application. You may focus
on, for example, meaningful experiences, how your interests align with a school’s mission, your desire to serve in a
particular community or to work with a particular patient population, or any challenges or obstacles you’ve faced,
including distance traveled. Distance traveled is how admissions officers and prehealth advisors refer to those life
challenges you’ve faced and conquered.

Experiences, Publications,
or Poster Presentations
What they are: An opportunity to highlight your
extracurricular activities, including medically
related experiences and exposure, employment,
volunteer work, internships, and research.

What they communicate: The impact you made


while engaging in the activity and the personal
growth and transformation you experienced as a
result of your participation.

Letters of Evaluation or
Recommendation, Committee Letter
What they are: Confidential letters sent directly to
the application service (or medical school) by individuals
(or your undergraduate institution’s committee) on your behalf.

What they communicate: Your personal qualities, characteristics, competencies, and capabilities as a future
physician from the perspective of someone who knows you.

Biographical Information
What it is: Your family structure, parent or guardian education and career information, citizenship, language
proficiency, self-identified race and ethnicity, legal residence, and criminal convictions.

What it communicates: Your biographical information gives admissions committees more context about your
background, access to resources and services, and family structure. For example, you may include the education
level of your parents or whether you are the first in your family to attend college.

5 Association of American Medical Colleges


Anatomy of an Applicant

Possible Review of Social Media and Internet Search


What it is: This is the public commentary, discourse, and images you post on social media sites, message boards,
and blogs.

What it communicates: Increasingly, admissions officers may view these sites to learn more about your opinions,
biases, social behaviors, and judgments. This can be both positive and negative. Note: Be sure you know what’s
available about yourself (or about someone else with your name or a similar name).

Read more about how social media can affect your application.

Interview
What it is: An in-person (or sometimes video) meeting between you and one or more individuals representing
a medical school.

What it communicates: If you are invited to interview, it means that the school is interested in finding out about
you and whether you would be a good fit there. It is an opportunity for the school to see how you present yourself,
how you communicate, and how you engage with other current and future members of the school’s community. It
is also your opportunity to assess how you feel about the medical school and its environment and to ask additional
questions.

Financial Information
What it is: This is a snapshot of your ability to finance or pay for your education.

Note: Your ability to afford medical school will not factor into the admissions decision.

What it communicates: Medical schools make different use of financial information. Some may use it either to help
distribute need-based aid and scholarship funds or to develop a financial package to help you finance your education.

Criminal History Search


What it is: A search and report of your criminal history. The report is used to ascertain the ability of conditionally
accepted applicants to become licensed physicians, to enhance the safety and well-being of patients, and to ensure
the public’s continuing trust in the medical profession. The AAMC recommends that all U.S. medical schools
obtain a national background check on applicants upon their conditional acceptance to medical school.

Read more about the criminal background check service.

What it communicates: This confirms your integrity and whether you have been forthcoming and truthful about
your criminal history on your application or during your interviews. It also communicates to medical schools your
potential ability to become a licensed physician. Some medical schools may require an additional form asking you
to disclose any other information.

6 Association of American Medical Colleges


Anatomy of an Applicant

The Core Competencies and What They Mean


The 15 Core Competencies for Entering Medical Students, endorsed by the AAMC Group on Student Affairs (GSA)
Committee on Admissions (COA), help communicate the standards expected of all applicants accepted to medical
school. The competency list was developed after an extensive search of the medical education and employment
literature and with the guidance of several blue-ribbon and advisory panels, including Scientific Foundations for
Future Physicians (SFFP), Behavioral and Social Sciences Foundations for Future Physicians (BSSFFP), Institute of
Medicine (IOM), 5th Comprehensive Review of the MCAT Review Committee (MR5), the Accreditation Council
for Graduate Medical Education (ACGME) Outcome Project, the MR5 Innovation Lab, and others. 

Preprofessional Competencies
Service Orientation. Demonstrates a desire to help others and sensitivity to others’ needs and feelings;
demonstrates a desire to alleviate others’ distress; recognizes and acts on his/her responsibilities to
society—locally, nationally, and globally.

Social Skills. Demonstrates an awareness of others’ needs, goals, feelings, and the ways that social and
behavioral cues affect peoples’ interactions and behaviors; adjusts behaviors appropriately in response
to these cues; treats others with respect.

Cultural Competence. Demonstrates knowledge of sociocultural factors that affect interactions and
behaviors; shows an appreciation and respect for multiple dimensions of diversity; recognizes and acts on
the obligation to inform one’s own judgment; engages diverse and competing perspectives as a resource
for learning, citizenship, and work; recognizes and appropriately addresses bias in oneself and others;
interacts effectively with people from diverse backgrounds.

Teamwork. Works collaboratively with others to achieve shared goals; shares information and
knowledge with others and provides feedback; puts team goals ahead of individual goals.

Oral Communication. Effectively conveys information to others by using spoken words and sentences;
listens effectively; recognizes potential communication barriers and adjusts approach or clarifies
information as needed.

Ethical Responsibility to Self and Others. Behaves in an honest and ethical manner; cultivates personal
and academic integrity; adheres to ethical principles and follows rules and procedures; resists peer
pressure to engage in unethical behavior and encourages others to behave in honest and ethical ways;
develops and demonstrates ethical and moral reasoning.

Reliability and Dependability. Consistently fulfills obligations in a timely and satisfactory manner;
takes responsibility for personal actions and performance.

7 Association of American Medical Colleges


Anatomy of an Applicant

Resilience and Adaptability. Demonstrates tolerance of stressful or changing environments or situations


and adapts effectively to them; is persistent, even under difficult situations; recovers from setbacks.

Capacity for Improvement. Sets goals for continuous improvement and for learning new concepts and
skills; engages in reflective practice for improvement; solicits and responds appropriately to feedback.

Thinking and Reasoning Competencies


Critical Thinking. Uses logic and reasoning to identify the strengths and weaknesses of alternative
solutions, conclusions, or approaches to problems.

Quantitative Reasoning. Applies quantitative reasoning and appropriate mathematics to describe


or explain phenomena in the natural world.

Scientific Inquiry. Applies knowledge of the scientific process to integrate and synthesize information,
solve problems, and formulate research questions and hypotheses; is facile in the language of the sciences
and uses it to participate in the discourse of science and explain how scientific knowledge is discovered
and validated.

Written Communication. Effectively conveys information to others by using written words and sentences.

Science Competencies
Living Systems. Applies knowledge and skill in the natural sciences to solve problems related
to molecular and macro systems, including biomolecules, molecules, cells, and organs.

Human Behavior. Applies knowledge of the self, others, and social systems to solve problems related
to the psychological, sociocultural, and biological factors that influence health and well-being.

8 Association of American Medical Colleges


Anatomy of an Applicant

Developmental Planning Worksheets


The developmental planning worksheets are designed to help you gauge your performance in each of the core
competency areas. Remember, medical schools do not expect that you will have fully mastered each competency
or mastered each one to the same extent. The purpose is to gauge where you are now, identify opportunities for
growth, and help you articulate how and why you are proficient in the core areas.

Performance Reflection and Assessment: A Six-Step Process


Step 1. Read the definition of the competency at the top of each worksheet.

Step 2. In the top right corner of each page, select one of the options from the list that best describes your current
level of proficiency:

Planning: Preparing to gain experience or exploring options

Progressing: Currently gaining experience, somewhat familiar

Demonstrating: Experienced, significant familiarity

Step 3. If you selected “Planning,” complete the first five sections of the worksheet (see Step 4). Next, use the
“My plan(s) to develop this competency” section to draft a strategy to gain experience or mastery in this area.
Include next steps, a timeline, and any additional notes for yourself, such as whether you need to speak to a faculty
member, attend a meeting, or join a club.

Step 4. If you selected “Progressing” or “Demonstrating”:

• Describe the knowledge or skills you gained from the experience and enter the information in the section
“How I demonstrate(d) this competency.”

• Reflect on what you think the experience says about you as a unique individual and enter the information in
the sections “Why it’s important” and “What this says about me.”

• Explain why the experience was important and how it allowed you to grow as a person and enter the information
in the section “What I learned or how I grew from this experience.”

• Describe ways in which you believe your experience influenced your pursuit of a career in medicine and enter
the information in the section “How this prepared me or influenced my interest.”

• Use the “My plan(s) to develop this competency” section to draft a strategy for building on your experience
in this area.

Step 5. After you have completed the worksheets, share them with your prehealth or academic advisor or
mentor. Your advisor or mentor may be able to help assess your performance and perhaps help you plan future
opportunities to improve your skills.

Step 6. Update the worksheets regularly to reflect your current level of performance. The worksheets will be
extremely useful when you complete your primary and secondary applications and prepare for interviews.

9 Association of American Medical Colleges


Anatomy of an Applicant
Core Competencies: Self Assessment

Preprofessional Competency: Service Orientation


Definition: Demonstrates a desire to help others and sensitivity to others’ needs and feelings; demonstrates a desire
to alleviate others’ distress; recognizes and acts on his/her responsibilities to society—locally, nationally, and globally.

CURRENT COMPETENCY LEVEL:    PLANNING    PROGRESSING    DEMONSTRATING

How I demonstrate(d) this competency:


It has been in hard in 2020 to be able to go out in help voluteer in my community, school and work
have made it hard to make time. One thing that I have been doing is checking in with my friends to see
how they are doing or if they are in need of any support with school or anything else.
Why it’s important:
I believe cheching in with people you know is important becuase you never know what they might be
going through at theses times. A call or text from a friend might show that there are people there for
them if they ever go through a hard time.

What this says about me:


I think this shows that I am caring person.

What I learned or how I grew from this experience:


I learned that people may be going through a hard time and you might not even know about it. The little
things that you do or surprises is what one person might cherish and appreciate.

How this prepared me or influenced my interest:


that they may have never gone through before and it is scary for them. Having an environment where
they feel cared for is important.

MY PLAN(S) TO DEVELOP THIS COMPETENCY

Next steps:
To develope this competency, I plan to try to go out and volunteer in my community.

Timeline:
Since I will have a month off of school, I plan to use this time to get out into my community and help
where there are areas in need.

Notes:

10 Association of American Medical Colleges


Anatomy of an Applicant
Core Competencies: Self Assessment

Preprofessional Competency: Social Skills


Definition: Demonstrates an awareness of others’ needs, goals, feelings, and the ways that social and behavioral
cues affect peoples’ interactions and behaviors; adjusts behaviors appropriately in response to these cues; treats
others with respect.

CURRENT COMPETENCY LEVEL:    PLANNING    PROGRESSING    DEMONSTRATING

How I demonstrate(d) this competency:

Why it’s important:

What this says about me:

What I learned or how I grew from this experience:

How this prepared me or influenced my interest:

MY PLAN(S) TO DEVELOP THIS COMPETENCY

Next steps:

Timeline:

Notes:

11 Association of American Medical Colleges


Anatomy of an Applicant
Core Competencies: Self Assessment

Preprofessional Competency: Cultural Competence


Definition: Demonstrates knowledge of sociocultural factors that affect interactions and behaviors; shows an
appreciation and respect for multiple dimensions of diversity; recognizes and acts on the obligation to inform one’s own
judgment; engages diverse and competing perspectives as a resource for learning, citizenship, and work; recognizes and
appropriately addresses bias in oneself and others; interacts effectively with people from diverse backgrounds.

CURRENT COMPETENCY LEVEL:    PLANNING    PROGRESSING    DEMONSTRATING

How I demonstrate(d) this competency:

Why it’s important:

What this says about me:

What I learned or how I grew from this experience:

How this prepared me or influenced my interest:

MY PLAN(S) TO DEVELOP THIS COMPETENCY

Next steps:

Timeline:

Notes:

12 Association of American Medical Colleges


Anatomy of an Applicant
Core Competencies: Self Assessment

Preprofessional Competency: Teamwork


Definition: Works collaboratively with others to achieve shared goals; shares information and knowledge with
others and provides feedback; puts team goals ahead of individual goals.

CURRENT COMPETENCY LEVEL:    PLANNING    PROGRESSING    DEMONSTRATING

How I demonstrate(d) this competency:

Why it’s important:

What this says about me:

What I learned or how I grew from this experience:

How this prepared me or influenced my interest:

MY PLAN(S) TO DEVELOP THIS COMPETENCY

Next steps:

Timeline:

Notes:

13 Association of American Medical Colleges


Anatomy of an Applicant
Core Competencies: Self Assessment

Preprofessional Competency: Oral Communication


Definition: Effectively conveys information to others by using spoken words and sentences; listens effectively;
recognizes potential communication barriers and adjusts approach or clarifies information as needed.

CURRENT COMPETENCY LEVEL:    PLANNING    PROGRESSING    DEMONSTRATING

How I demonstrate(d) this competency:

Why it’s important:

What this says about me:

What I learned or how I grew from this experience:

How this prepared me or influenced my interest:

MY PLAN(S) TO DEVELOP THIS COMPETENCY

Next steps:

Timeline:

Notes:

14 Association of American Medical Colleges


Anatomy of an Applicant
Core Competencies: Self Assessment

Preprofessional Competency: Ethical Responsibility to Self and Others


Definition: Behaves in an honest and ethical manner; cultivates personal and academic integrity; adheres to
ethical principles and follows rules and procedures; resists peer pressure to engage in unethical behavior and
encourages others to behave in honest and ethical ways; develops and demonstrates ethical and moral reasoning.

CURRENT COMPETENCY LEVEL:    PLANNING    PROGRESSING    DEMONSTRATING

How I demonstrate(d) this competency:

Why it’s important:

What this says about me:

What I learned or how I grew from this experience:

How this prepared me or influenced my interest:

MY PLAN(S) TO DEVELOP THIS COMPETENCY

Next steps:

Timeline:

Notes:

15 Association of American Medical Colleges


Anatomy of an Applicant
Core Competencies: Self Assessment

Preprofessional Competency: Reliability and Dependability


Definition: Consistently fulfills obligations in a timely and satisfactory manner; takes responsibility for personal
actions and performance.

CURRENT COMPETENCY LEVEL:    PLANNING    PROGRESSING    DEMONSTRATING

How I demonstrate(d) this competency:

Why it’s important:

What this says about me:

What I learned or how I grew from this experience:

How this prepared me or influenced my interest:

MY PLAN(S) TO DEVELOP THIS COMPETENCY

Next steps:

Timeline:

Notes:

16 Association of American Medical Colleges


Anatomy of an Applicant
Core Competencies: Self Assessment

Preprofessional Competency: Resilience and Adaptability


Definition: Demonstrates tolerance of stressful or changing environments or situations and adapts effectively
to them; is persistent, even under difficult situations; recovers from setbacks.

CURRENT COMPETENCY LEVEL:    PLANNING    PROGRESSING    DEMONSTRATING

How I demonstrate(d) this competency:

Why it’s important:

What this says about me:

What I learned or how I grew from this experience:

How this prepared me or influenced my interest:

MY PLAN(S) TO DEVELOP THIS COMPETENCY

Next steps:

Timeline:

Notes:

17 Association of American Medical Colleges


Anatomy of an Applicant
Core Competencies: Self Assessment

Preprofessional Competency: Capacity for Improvement


Definition: Sets goals for continuous improvement and for learning new concepts and skills; engages in reflective
practice for improvement; solicits and responds appropriately to feedback.

CURRENT COMPETENCY LEVEL:    PLANNING    PROGRESSING    DEMONSTRATING

How I demonstrate(d) this competency:

Why it’s important:

What this says about me:

What I learned or how I grew from this experience:

How this prepared me or influenced my interest:

MY PLAN(S) TO DEVELOP THIS COMPETENCY

Next steps:

Timeline:

Notes:

18 Association of American Medical Colleges


Anatomy of an Applicant
Core Competencies: Self Assessment

Thinking and Reasoning Competency: Critical Thinking


Definition: Uses logic and reasoning to identify the strengths and weaknesses of alternative solutions, conclusions,
or approaches to problems.

CURRENT COMPETENCY LEVEL:    PLANNING    PROGRESSING    DEMONSTRATING

How I demonstrate(d) this competency:

Why it’s important:

What this says about me:

What I learned or how I grew from this experience:

How this prepared me or influenced my interest:

MY PLAN(S) TO DEVELOP THIS COMPETENCY

Next steps:

Timeline:

Notes:

19 Association of American Medical Colleges


Anatomy of an Applicant
Core Competencies: Self Assessment

Thinking and Reasoning Competency: Quantitative Reasoning


Definition: Applies quantitative reasoning and appropriate mathematics to describe or explain phenomena in the
natural world.

CURRENT COMPETENCY LEVEL:    PLANNING    PROGRESSING    DEMONSTRATING

How I demonstrate(d) this competency:

Why it’s important:

What this says about me:

What I learned or how I grew from this experience:

How this prepared me or influenced my interest:

MY PLAN(S) TO DEVELOP THIS COMPETENCY

Next steps:

Timeline:

Notes:

20 Association of American Medical Colleges


Anatomy of an Applicant
Core Competencies: Self Assessment

Thinking and Reasoning Competency: Scientific Inquiry


Definition: Applies knowledge of the scientific process to integrate and synthesize information, solve problems,
and formulate research questions and hypotheses; is facile in the language of the sciences and uses it to participate
in the discourse of science and explain how scientific knowledge is discovered and validated.

CURRENT COMPETENCY LEVEL:    PLANNING    PROGRESSING    DEMONSTRATING

How I demonstrate(d) this competency:

Why it’s important:

What this says about me:

What I learned or how I grew from this experience:

How this prepared me or influenced my interest:

MY PLAN(S) TO DEVELOP THIS COMPETENCY

Next steps:

Timeline:

Notes:

21 Association of American Medical Colleges


Anatomy of an Applicant
Core Competencies: Self Assessment

Thinking and Reasoning Competency: Written Communication


Definition: Effectively conveys information to others by using written words and sentences.

CURRENT COMPETENCY LEVEL:    PLANNING    PROGRESSING    DEMONSTRATING

How I demonstrate(d) this competency:

Why it’s important:

What this says about me:

What I learned or how I grew from this experience:

How this prepared me or influenced my interest:

MY PLAN(S) TO DEVELOP THIS COMPETENCY

Next steps:

Timeline:

Notes:

22 Association of American Medical Colleges


Anatomy of an Applicant
Core Competencies: Self Assessment

Scientific Competency: Living Systems


Definition: Applies knowledge and skill in the natural sciences to solve problems related to molecular and macro
systems, including biomolecules, molecules, cells, and organs.

CURRENT COMPETENCY LEVEL:    PLANNING    PROGRESSING    DEMONSTRATING

How I demonstrate(d) this competency:

Why it’s important:

What this says about me:

What I learned or how I grew from this experience:

How this prepared me or influenced my interest:

MY PLAN(S) TO DEVELOP THIS COMPETENCY

Next steps:

Timeline:

Notes:

23 Association of American Medical Colleges


Anatomy of an Applicant
Core Competencies: Self Assessment

Scientific Competency: Human Behavior


Definition: Applies knowledge of the self, others, and social systems to solve problems related to the psychological,
sociocultural, and biological factors that influence health and well-being.

CURRENT COMPETENCY LEVEL:    PLANNING    PROGRESSING    DEMONSTRATING

How I demonstrate(d) this competency:

Why it’s important:

What this says about me:

What I learned or how I grew from this experience:

How this prepared me or influenced my interest:

MY PLAN(S) TO DEVELOP THIS COMPETENCY

Next steps:

Timeline:

Notes:

24 Association of American Medical Colleges


Anatomy of an Applicant

Content Experts and Thanks


We are thankful to the Group on Student Affairs (GSA) Committee on Admissions (COA) for their review and
guidance in developing this guide, as well as to all others who contributed to the document. Special thanks goes to
the following individuals who contributed to the development of the guide:

Amy N. Addams, Director, Student Affairs Strategy and Alignment

Elizabeth Coakley, Director, Human Resources

Sarah S. Conrad, MS, Director, Advancing Holistic Review

Dejanira Cruz, Senior Communications Specialist, AMCAS

Dana Duleavy, PhD, Director, Admissions and Selection Research

Brittney Hartwell, Senior Administrative Associate, Student Affairs and Programs

NaShieka Knight, MA, MDiv, Senior Specialist, Medical School Admissions

Nicole Lee, MS, Web and MSAR Content Specialist

Tami Levin, MA, Director, Premed and Applicant Resources

Chloe Nickens, Intern, Public Health and Prevention, Diversity Policy and Programs

Judy Opatik-Scott, Learning Design Manager, Learning Design and Development

Janelle Peters, Senior Aspiring Docs and Social Media Specialist

Rebecca A. Rice, MSB, Director, Services Outreach

Questions, Comments, or Suggestions?


Send your questions, comments, or suggestions for future applicant
and premed resources to [email protected].

25 Association of American Medical Colleges


Anatomy of an Applicant

17-179 (08/2017)
26 Association of American Medical Colleges

You might also like