Application Process
AMCAS Application
All applicants must apply through the American Medical College Application Service (AMCAS). This web-based process receives applications to OHSU from May 31 through October 15. To access the AMCAS online application, visit the AAMC website and click on the AMCAS link.
OHSU Online Secondary Application
After the Office of Admissions receives your primary application from AMCAS, the admissions staff will send a secondary application notice via email. It can take up to 6 weeks from the time you certify and submit your application to AMCAS until we receive it. OHSU has an online secondary application that is made available to applicants through the Admissions Portal. Secondary application email notifications will start going out in mid-July.
Letters of Recommendation
We are participating in the AMCAS letters service. If your health professions advisor uses the VirtualEvals or Interfolio letter service, AMCAS will access your letters on VirtualEvals or Interfolio and make them available to us. All letters must be sent via the AMCAS letters service.
Minimum requirements for all applicants are as follows:
- Letters from three college or university teaching faculty from any department. It is recommended that at least one be from a science department teaching faculty member. A letter packet containing at least three individual teaching faculty letters or a premedical committee evaluation report (Committee Letter) may be submitted in lieu of the three separate recommendations.
- Applicants who have been out of college for five years or more may submit two letters from employers and one from a teaching faculty member.
It is highly recommended of all applicants that they provide additional non-academic recommendations as well. Applicants should carefully select a well-chosen group of letters that speak to significant experiences in health care/physician shadowing and extracurricular accomplishments.
All letters must be on departmental/company stationary and signed by the letter writer. All letters must be submitted through the AMCAS letters service. We do not accept letters of recommendation that are emailed, faxed or sent directly from applicants.
How many letters can I send?
OHSU does not have a maximum number of letters that may be submitted. We recommend applicants carefully select a well-chosen group of letters that speak to significant experiences in the areas of academics, health care experiences/physician shadowing and extracurricular accomplishments.