How To Use MSAR To Build A Medical School List

By admin • May 18, 2022 • Medical School Admissions Consulting Press

Building a medical school list and having data on your side when compiling this list is essential, which is why you should be utilizing the MSAR (Medical School Admission Requirements) database.  As medical school admission becomes more and more competitive, with only 40% of applicants accepted in 2021, having a well-thought-out medical school list can be the difference between being accepted or rejected in the upcoming admissions cycle. 

What Is MSAR?

Created by the Association of American Medical Colleges (AAMC), MSAR helps you gain a deeper insight into allopathic medical schools in the United States and Canada. You will first have to create an AAMC account to access the data. Free users can see general information about the medical schools, such as the application deadline, first-year class size, tuition, etc. However, only paid subscribers can see the complete information, including the average MCAT score, GPA, and the number of applicants in the previous cycle.

A one-year subscription to MSAR costs $28, or you can get a two-year subscription for $36. For students who are part of the AAMC Fee Assistance Program, you have free access to MSAR until the end of your qualified year.

How To Use MSAR To Explore Medical Schools

Each allopathic medical school in the US and Canada will have its own page within MSAR, listing its different admission requirements. You’ll be able to compare your stats and experiences to the accepted applicants to estimate your chances of getting accepted.

How To Use The MSAR Effectively When Applying To Medical School

Tip 1: Add Your Information In The “My Data” Tab

To better customize the database to your specific qualifications, you can add your MCAT score, GPA and coursework to the “My Data” tab. That way, when looking at particular schools, it will mark where your scores are in relation to successful applicants to compare what your chances might be more easily.

For the rest of the tips, read our latest article on Forbes: How To Use MSAR To Build A Medical School List