YOUR JOURNEY, BEYOND ADMISSIONS

Support for your next step

A place to explore, prepare and make the practical parts of medicine feel more manageable. All of these guides are free.

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Middle school, high school or undergraduate, your pace matters.

Your at-a-glance guide

Find your resources

54 resources · Curated links, not an exhaustive directory

Year-round housing

University of Florida guest apartments

University of Florida · Housing

Furnished apartments for university-affiliated visitors, including students from other institutions on advanced-degree rotations. Request a quote and confirm your affiliation, total charges and cancellation terms directly.

Gainesville, Florida

Year-round program; stays from 3 nights to 6 months. Dates are request-based, subject to eligibility and availability—not confirmed vacancies.

Source checked 2026-11-02 · Confirm current dates and availability

Request guest accommodation

Year-round housing

Oregon State scholar housing

Oregon State University · Housing

University-managed guest suites and residence-hall rooms for visiting scholars, researchers and interns. The housing office confirms eligibility and room availability after a reservation request.

Corvallis, Oregon

Year-round program. Request your specific stay dates directly; no current vacancy or fixed booking deadline asserted.

Source checked 2026-11-02 · Confirm current dates and availability

View scholar housing

Canadian student aid

Ontario student assistance · 2026–27

Government of Ontario · OSAP

Provincial student aid for eligible Ontario students in approved programs. Residency, financial circumstances, study load and school eligibility determine support; confirm medical-program eligibility with your financial aid office.

Ontario, Canada

Official page lists 2026–27 full-time and part-time online applications as open. Confirm the deadline for your study period and school; no universal calendar deadline asserted.

Source checked 2026-11-02 · Confirm current dates and availability

Review OSAP applicationOfficial dates & eligibility source

Past seasonal window

Columbia summer guest housing

Teachers College, Columbia University

University-managed furnished private units for eligible Columbia-community visitors aged 18 or older. This is a real accommodation program, not a currently available rental offer.

New York, New York

2026 stays: May 18–August 14 (ended). Next summer dates not confirmed; check directly before planning.

Source checked 2026-11-02 · Confirm current dates and availability

View guest housing

Past seasonal window

Swanson Hall guest housing

University of North Dakota

Campus-managed guest rooms for university-affiliated short-term visitors, including students and faculty. Confirm eligibility, room availability and payment terms with UND.

Grand Forks, North Dakota

Summer 2026 stays: May 18–July 31 (ended). No 2027 stay dates asserted.

Source checked 2026-11-02 · Confirm current dates and availability

View guest rooms

Past seasonal window

Carnegie Mellon guest accommodation

Carnegie Mellon University

University-managed summer housing for visiting students, researchers and other university-related visitors. Generally for adults 18 or older; ask about accompanied-minor exceptions.

Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania

2026 stays: May 23–August 1 (ended). Next-cycle booking dates and availability must be confirmed with CMU.

Source checked 2026-11-02 · Confirm current dates and availability

View accommodation details

2027–28 award year

2027–28 FAFSA award-year application

Federal Student Aid · U.S. Department of Education

Apply for federal student aid through the official portal. Your school and state can have substantially earlier priority deadlines; this date is not a universal aid deadline.

United States

Federal submission deadline: June 30, 2028 at 11:59 p.m. Central Time. Check school and state deadlines separately.

Source checked 2026-11-02 · Confirm current dates and availability

Open FAFSA portalOfficial dates & eligibility source

2026 cycle closed

NHSC scholarship cycle & service terms

HRSA · National Health Service Corps

Scholarship support for eligible health-profession students in exchange for an approved service commitment. Review qualifying disciplines, citizenship and contract terms. The 2026 application is closed.

United States

2026–27 deadline was April 16, 2026 at 7:30 p.m. Eastern Time (passed). Next-cycle deadline not confirmed.

Source checked 2026-11-02 · Confirm current dates and availability

Check scholarship announcementsOfficial dates & eligibility source

Upcoming testing dates

Your 2026–27 SAT dates

College Board

Official weekend test dates and registration windows. Confirm test-center availability, accommodations and any device-loan deadline directly before registering.

U.S. & international

December 5, 2026: register by November 20. March 6, 2027: February 19. May 1, 2027: April 16. June 5, 2027: May 21. Registration deadlines: 11:59 p.m. Eastern Time.

Source checked 2026-11-02 · Confirm current dates and availability

Open SAT registrationOfficial dates & eligibility source

2027 competition cycle

Your 2027 Biology Olympiad calendar

Center for Excellence in Education · USABO

An optional school-based biology competition. Confirm your school is eligible and registered; the school payment cutoff has already passed, so a later registration date does not guarantee access.

United States

School payment cutoff: October 23, 2026 (passed). School registration closes November 15; student registration closes November 22, 2026, at 11:59 p.m. Eastern Time. Practice: January 8–22, 2027. Open Exam: February 3, 2027 at 4 p.m. Eastern Time.

Source checked 2026-11-02 · Confirm current dates and availability

View competition calendar

Short stays

RotatingRoom

Medical-community housing marketplace

Search short-term rooms and sublets for clinical travel. Check listing details, host identity and the terms of each stay directly.

Explore housing

Furnished rentals

Furnished Finder

Furnished rental marketplace

Explore furnished rentals by destination and contact property providers. Minimum stays, fees and screening differ by property; listings are not MedStride-verified.

Search furnished stays

Host-school planning

Plan your visiting rotation

AAMC · VSLO

Review visiting-student opportunities and host-institution instructions. Ask the host’s student affairs office about housing and transport before booking.

Review visiting rotations

Application costs

AAMC Fee Assistance Program

AAMC

Review current eligibility and benefits for MCAT preparation, registration and AMCAS application costs. Approval and timing matter; secondary fee waivers are school-specific.

Check fee assistance

U.S. student aid

Federal student aid

U.S. Department of Education

Understand FAFSA, current federal loan options and repayment. Verify current award-year rules and any transition provisions with your financial aid office.

Review current aid rules

Service commitment

NHSC Scholarship Program

HRSA · National Health Service Corps

Eligible students in qualifying primary-care disciplines may receive support in exchange for service at approved shortage-area sites. Read the service contract and discipline requirements.

Read scholarship terms

Military service

Military health scholarships

U.S. Air Force Medical Service

Explore Health Professions Scholarship Program options. Citizenship, qualification, specialty and military service obligations vary by service; discuss terms with an official recruiter.

Explore HPSP

High school

SAT preparation & fee waivers

College Board

Find official practice and registration guidance. Check the testing policy of each target college and review fee-waiver eligibility before registering.

Explore the SAT

High school

ACT preparation & registration

ACT

Review current testing options, official preparation and fee-waiver guidance. Choose SAT or ACT based on your needs; taking both is not universally required.

Explore the ACT

Biology enrichment

USA Biology Olympiad

Center for Excellence in Education

Explore an optional, school-based biology competition and its current eligibility, registration and study resources. Participation is not a medical admissions requirement.

Explore USABO

Neuroscience

International Brain Bee

International Brain Bee

Explore neuroscience through local and national competitions. Check the organizer for your region’s age rules, dates and pathway to participation.

Find your Brain Bee

School-age exploration

Science Olympiad

Science Olympiad

Team-based science events for school-age students. Find your local program, division and event rules rather than treating competition as a required credential.

Find science events

Undergraduate & beyond

MCAT planning & preparation

AAMC

Review exam content, official practice and testing dates. Choose your study and testing timeline around readiness, responsibilities and each school’s application cycle.

Plan your MCAT

Free learning

Build your science foundations

Khan Academy

Free biology and science lessons for structured practice. Use these alongside your courses; they are not a replacement for accredited prerequisites.

Explore biology lessons

Science literacy

BrainFacts

Society for Neuroscience initiative

Accessible explanations of the brain, nervous system and neuroscience research. A starting point for curiosity and Brain Bee preparation.

Explore neuroscience

Documentary · subscription

The Surgeon’s Cut

Netflix · BBC Studios

A documentary series exploring surgical practice and the people behind it. Reflect on empathy, technical skill and the limits of a documentary perspective.

Find the series

Documentary · subscription

Lenox Hill

Netflix

Follow physicians balancing demanding hospital work and personal lives. Includes real clinical situations that may be distressing to some viewers.

Find the series

Medical student stories

The Calling: A Medical School Journey

PBS

A documentary following students at Albert Einstein College of Medicine. Explore the challenges, motivations and human experiences behind medical training.

Explore the documentary

High school costs

SAT fee waivers

College Board

Check current fee-waiver eligibility and benefits. Eligible students can ask a school counselor about obtaining a waiver before registration.

Check SAT fee waivers

High school costs

ACT fee waivers

ACT

Review current eligibility and benefits with your school counselor before registering. Included services and eligibility follow ACT’s current rules.

Check ACT fee waivers

Admissions preparation

Preparing for interviews

AAMC

Official guidance for communicating experiences and preparing for medical school interviews. Authentic reflection matters alongside academic preparation.

Review interview guidance

Clinical learning

Standardized patients

Association of Standardized Patient Educators

Learn about people trained to portray patient cases and support clinical education. Encounters can develop interviewing, examination and communication skills.

Learn about simulation

Historical sources

Explore the history of medicine

U.S. National Library of Medicine

Discover historical collections and exhibitions about health, science and the people who shaped medical practice.

Explore historical collections

Professional responsibility

Modern medical ethics

World Medical Association

Read the Declaration of Geneva and International Code of Medical Ethics for modern professional commitments to patients and society.

Read ethical principles

MD applications

AMCAS application

AAMC

The single primary application for most US MD programs. Read the instructions, fees and Fee Assistance benefits before you open the application in May.

Open AMCAS guidance

DO applications

AACOMAS application

AACOM

The shared primary application for US osteopathic (DO) medical schools, with each school’s requirements and the current fee structure.

Open AACOMAS guidance

Texas schools

TMDSAS application

Texas Medical & Dental Schools Application Service

One application and one flat fee for Texas public MD, DO and dental schools, with its own timeline and match.

Explore TMDSAS

Ontario schools

OMSAS application

Ontario Universities’ Application Centre

The shared application for Ontario’s medical schools, with each school’s requirements, residency definitions and dates.

Explore OMSAS

School data

Medical School Admission Requirements (MSAR)

AAMC

School-by-school class profiles for US and Canadian MD programs: MCAT and GPA ranges, prerequisites and mission. A paid subscription; Fee Assistance includes two years free.

Explore MSAR

Score context

MCAT percentile ranks

AAMC

The official table that turns a total or section score into a percentile, updated every May.

Read the percentile table

Situational judgment

AAMC PREview exam

AAMC

A situational judgment test some MD schools require or recommend. Check which of your schools use it and their score deadlines.

Learn about PREview

Situational judgment

Casper

Acuity Insights

An online situational judgment test used by many US and Canadian schools. Book a date that reports before each school’s deadline.

Learn about Casper

MCAT

MCAT percentile ranks

AAMC

The share of test takers at or below each MCAT total and section score, in effect May 1, 2026 to April 30, 2027.

Open the percentile table

MCAT

MCAT testing attempt limits

AAMC

Three attempts in a testing year, four over two consecutive years and seven in a lifetime, with the rules on appointments and appeals.

Read the limits

MCAT

How long MCAT scores are valid

AAMC

Schools generally accept scores from the last two or three years. Check each school before you plan a retake.

Check score windows

DAT

2026 DAT Candidate Guide

ADA

Eligibility, fees, the 60-day wait, the four-attempt limit and how to request permission after three attempts.

Open the guide

DAT

The new DAT score scale

ADA

How the 200 to 600 scale works, national percentiles for the Academic Average and how former scores convert.

Read the scale guide

Dental

Dental applicants and enrollees

ADEA

Published GPA and DAT averages for US dental school applicants and first-year enrollees.

See the class data

United States

International applicants to US MD schools

AAMC

How many schools accept international applicants, coursework rules and what schools ask about funding.

Read the AAMC guidance

United States

MSAR reports: applications accepted and DACA policies

AAMC

School-by-school reports of which MD schools accept international and DACA applicants.

Open the reports

United States

Choose DO Explorer

AACOM

Filter osteopathic schools by policies such as international students, as each school reports them.

Explore DO schools

Funding

Federal aid for non-US citizens

Federal Student Aid

Who counts as an eligible noncitizen, and why DACA and visa holders do not qualify for federal aid.

Check aid eligibility

Canada

Admission requirements of Canadian faculties

AFMC

Every Canadian faculty of medicine, with its citizenship, residency and international-applicant rules.

Open the AFMC guide

Canada

OMSAS Ontario resident requirement

OUAC

Ontario’s rule that at least 95% of medical seats go to Ontario residents, and how residency is assessed.

Read the Ontario rule

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