To help ensure that both medical school applicants and medical schools are well served the Association of American Medical Colleges publishes a set of protocols which all medical school applicants should follow. In 2015 the term “traffic rules” was renamed “Application and Acceptance Protocols.”  The rules stipulate:

1. Applicants should understand the requirements of each school to which they apply and adhere to all application/admission procedures.

2. Be truthful and accurate in every component of your application.

3. Be timely in the admission of your materials.

4. Keep schools updated on your contact information; if it changes, notify schools.

5. If you’re unavailable during a certain time period, let the schools know who they should contact on your behalf.

6. Respond quickly to interview invitations and always cancel ahead of time if you cannot go to an interview or decide not to accept an interview invitation.

7. If filing for financial aid, do so in a timely fashion.

8. If you decide to withdraw from consideration at any school or decline an offer of admission you must do so before April 30. By this date you must have decided where to go to medical school, at that point only holding ONE school’s offer.

10. Once starting orientation at any school, all holds on waitlists must be relinquished.

There are also rules for medical school admissions officers; if at any point during the medical school admission process you believe these rules have been violated you should contact the AAMC or your premedical advisor.

–Liza Thompson, Expert Medical School Admissions Consulting