Abstract

The Medical Schools page of the Association of American Medical Colleges at http://www.aamc.org/medicalschools.htm offers a wealth of information for applicants to medical degree courses. The first item on the menu is Medical College Admission Tests (MCAT). Almost all US medical schools require applicants to submit MCAT scores, and medical college admission committees consider MCAT scores as part of their admission decision process. The American Medical College Application Service is a nonprofit, centralized application processing service for applicants to first year classes at participating US medical schools. Other useful items are “Combined Degree Programs” listed by category or school, “Premedical Programs,” “Admission Offices,” “Careers in Medicine,” and “Financing Your Medical Education.” These subcategories have their own menus addressing the issues in depth. To the left of the home page is a menu for trained professionals presenting such fare as: “Professional Development Groups,” “Surveys,” and “Focus on Issues.” There are also three large icons on the front page that connect to “Education,” “Research,” and “Patient Care,” and the top menu completes the fare with “Publications,” “Government Affairs,” and a “News Room.” By bifurcating into serving both trained doctors, and those just about to embark on their careers, this web site cultivates a balanced perspective for both ends of the medical education spectrum.