Should You List AAMC Membership Separately or Fold It Into Activities?

The way most premeds list AAMC membership on their applications is wasting space—and sometimes weakening stronger experiences.

You’re not asking “is AAMC membership important?” You’re asking the smarter question: “Should I list AAMC membership as its own activity, or tuck it under something else?” Here’s the clear answer.

(See also: How Many Student Organizations Should a Serious Pre‑Med Actually Join? for more details.)

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The Short Answer: Most Should Not List AAMC Membership as a Standalone Activity

If your “AAMC membership” is:

• A generic premed student account, or
• Basic AAMC services you signed up for (like MCAT registration, AMCAS access, MSAR subscription, etc.)

Then you should not list it as its own activity.

On AMCAS, AACOMAS, or TMDSAS, that kind of membership:

• Does not show initiative
• Does not demonstrate leadership or service
• Does not add meaningful context
• Costs you space you could use for something stronger

Treat that kind of “membership” as an assumed part of being a premed, like having an email address. Necessary? Yes. Activity-worthy? No.

Where this gets more nuanced is when you’re talking about:

• AAMC-sponsored programs (like SHPEP, FAP, research programs)
• Genuine student organization involvement tied to the AAMC
• Roles where you actually did something beyond signing up

That’s where strategic listing matters.

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When AAMC Belongs as Its Own Activity (and When It Does Not)

1. Generic AAMC Account or Basic Member Status

Examples:

• You made an AAMC account to:
  • Register for the MCAT
  • Use MCAT prep materials
  • Buy MSAR
  • Apply with AMCAS

How to list it:
You don’t. It’s background, not an activity.

Admissions committees already know every applicant did this. If you list “AAMC Member” as an activity with no real engagement behind it, it looks like you’re padding your application.

Bottom line:
Generic AAMC access = do not list at all.

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2. AAMC-Related Programs (e.g., SHPEP, FAP, Research Programs)

If you participated in a structured AAMC-related program, that’s different.

Common examples:

• SHPEP (Summer Health Professions Education Program) – sometimes connected to AAMC or AAMC-member institutions
• AAMC Fee Assistance Program (FAP) – if it led to specific, structured opportunities
• AAMC-organized research or pipeline programs (less common, but exist via partner institutions)

Ask yourself three questions:

1. Was there a curriculum, schedule, or expected participation?
2. Did you contribute in a sustained way over time (not just one webinar or email list)?
3. Can you clearly describe what you did and what you learned?

If yes, it’s usually worth its own activity entry.

How to list it (example):

Experience Type: Education/Enrichment (or Program/Workshop)
Organization Name: Summer Health Professions Education Program (SHPEP), AAMC & [School Name]
Position Title: Participant
Description:

• Completed a 6-week residential academic enrichment program focused on medicine and public health
• Participated in clinical shadowing, problem-based learning, and MCAT prep sessions
• Worked in small groups on a health disparities case study and presented recommendations to faculty

If your involvement was minimal—like a two-hour AAMC webinar—you do not list that as its own activity. At best, you could:

• Fold a meaningful AAMC webinar or workshop into another activity description (e.g., under “Premed Club” or “Self-Directed Learning”), only if it adds real value.

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3. “Membership” via a Student Chapter or AAMC-Linked Organization

This is where students get confused.

AAMC itself isn’t like the AMA Medical Student Section or SNMA in terms of local “membership chapters.” But you may have:

• A campus premed club that uses AAMC resources
• A pipeline program or advising group affiliated with an AAMC-member institution
• An advisory council or committee that interacts with AAMC

Rule of thumb:
If what you did looks and feels like a student organization (regular meetings, elected roles, projects, events), list the organization/activity, not “AAMC membership.”

Example:

Instead of:

“AAMC Member – Attended meetings and learned about medical school”

Use:

“Pre-Medical Society, University of X – Member / Committee Volunteer”

And in the description, you can mention:

“Collaborated with the pre-health office and used AAMC resources (Core Competencies, MSAR) to design a workshop for underclassmen about planning premed coursework.”

So AAMC is referenced, but not the headline.

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When to Fold AAMC Involvement Into Other Activities

You should fold AAMC involvement into another activity when:

• It’s a tool, not the main event
• It provided content or resources to something else you did
• It does not stand alone as a substantial commitment

Good places to fold it in:

1. Premed Club / Student Organization Entry

   If your premed club:

   • Used AAMC guidelines to organize programming
   • Hosted events based on AAMC data or competencies
   • Encouraged members to register with AAMC

   Mention that inside the description of your leadership or participation role.

   Example bullet:

   • “Developed a 3-part workshop series using AAMC Core Competencies and MSAR data to help underclassmen plan course schedules and explore schools.”

2. Self-Directed MCAT Prep or Advising/Coaching Experience

   If you:

   • Used AAMC materials as a core part of your MCAT coaching or peer mentoring
   • Walked others through AMCAS using AAMC resources

   Mention it under your tutoring, mentoring, or premed advising activity instead of listing “AAMC membership” separately.

3. Academic/Professional Development Entries

   If you’ve got an “Independent Learning” or “Professional Development” style entry, and AAMC-specific webinars or guides were a major part of that, mention them as examples within that entry.

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How Admissions Committees Actually View AAMC Membership

Medical schools already assume:

• You created an AAMC account
• You used, at minimum, the basic AAMC tools
• You engaged with AAMC enough to register and apply

So:

• Listing “AAMC Member” by itself does not distinguish you.
• Overemphasizing bare-minimum obligations can make your application look weaker.
• They’re looking for initiative, impact, and sustained commitment.

If you use an activity slot for something trivial, it signals one of two things:

1. You don’t have enough substantial activities.
2. You don’t understand what medical schools value in the activities section.

Both are avoidable.

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Step-by-Step: Decide Exactly Where Your AAMC Involvement Belongs

Use this quick framework. Take your AAMC-related thing and work through:

Step 1: Classify the Involvement

Ask: “What is this, really?”

• A required account or simple registration → Background noise
• A defined program with structure and expectations → Program / Enrichment
• A recurring part of another activity (club, mentoring, advising) → Component of a bigger activity

Step 2: Check the “Activity Worthy” Criteria

You should only use an activity slot if you can answer “yes” to most of these:

• Did I show up more than once or twice?
• Did I have responsibilities or outcomes (beyond showing up)?
• Can I write 3–5 specific, concrete bullets about what happened?
• Did this change my skills, perspective, or trajectory in a meaningful way?

If not, fold it in—or leave it out.

Step 3: Decide Where It Lives

• Stand-alone activity if: It’s a substantial program or obviously impactful experience.
• Folded into another activity if: It’s supporting material for something else you did.
• Left unmentioned if: It’s just you being a normal premed using expected tools.

Step 4: Focus Your Wording on Action, Not Affiliation

A common mistake: applicants write, “Member of AAMC” and stop there.

Instead, your activity description should answer:

• What did you do?
• Who benefited?
• What changed because you were there?

Even if AAMC is part of the story, it’s supporting context, not the star.

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Concrete Examples: Right vs Wrong Ways to List AAMC-Related Items

Weak (do not do this):

AAMC Member

• Made an account to register for MCAT
• Used AAMC practice materials
• Read about medical schools

This adds nothing.

Better approach: Don’t list it at all

Use the space for:

• Clinical experience
• Volunteering
• Research
• Teaching/mentoring
• Leadership
• Long-term hobbies
• Work experience

Strong Example: AAMC-Tied Program (Separate Activity)

Experience Type: Education/Enrichment
Organization: AAMC & University of X
Title: Summer Participant – Premed Enrichment Program
Description (excerpt):

• Completed a 6-week AAMC-affiliated summer program emphasizing underserved patient care
• Shadowed internal medicine and pediatrics teams for ~40 total hours
• Attended weekly professional development sessions focused on AAMC Core Competencies
• Collaborated with 4 peers on a capstone project about access to primary care in rural communities

Strong Example: AAMC Folded Into Another Activity

Experience Type: Leadership – Student Organization
Organization: Pre-Health Society, University of X
Title: Vice President
Description (excerpt):

• Organized 10+ events per year, including MD/DO info panels, physician Q&A nights, and MCAT strategy workshops
• Integrated AAMC resources (Core Competencies, AMCAS guidelines, MSAR data) into advising presentations for ~60 members
• Created checklists and timelines based on AAMC recommendations to help juniors plan their application year

Here, AAMC is clearly present, but the activity is the organization and your leadership role.

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What About CVs, Resumes, and Secondaries?

For CVs and resumes:

• Do not create a line saying “AAMC Member” if all it means is “I have an AAMC account.”
• For legitimate AAMC-connected programs or committees, list the program name and your role, not just “member.”

For secondary applications:

• If a secondary asks explicitly about conferences, workshops, or professional organizations, you can:
  • Mention any AAMC conferences, webinars, or summits you actually attended,
  • But prioritize those where you were active (poster, speaker, panelist) over ones you attended passively.

Example secondary response line:

“Attended the AAMC [Name] Virtual Fair to speak with admissions officers and clarify expectations around service and clinical experience for nontraditional applicants.”

Again—the emphasis is on what you did with it.

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FAQs: AAMC Membership on Premed and Med School Applications

1. Should I ever list ‘AAMC Member’ as a stand-alone activity?
Almost never. If “membership” only means you created an account to take the MCAT and use AMCAS, do not list it. The only time something AAMC-related deserves its own entry is when it’s a real program, committee, or structured role with clear responsibilities or outcomes.

2. Where should I put AAMC Fee Assistance Program (FAP) on my application?
Usually you do not list FAP as an activity. It’s a financial assistance mechanism, not an experience. If a school specifically asks about financial hardship or support programs, you can mention FAP in a secondary essay or disadvantaged statement. It almost never needs its own activities slot.

3. I attended one AAMC virtual fair/webinar. Does that count as an activity?
No, not as a separate one. If that fair meaningfully shaped your school list or understanding of the process, you can mention it briefly in an essay or under a broader “Professional Development” or “Premed Planning” activity, but listing it as a full activity entry is usually not worth it.

4. What if my premed club is officially recognized or advised by an AAMC-member institution?
You still list the club itself: “Pre-Health Society – University of X.” In the description, you can mention collaborating with AAMC-member institutions or using AAMC resources. The value is in your leadership, events, mentorship, and impact—not the affiliation label.

5. Could listing ‘AAMC Member’ actually hurt my application?
It will not tank your application, but it can create a subtle negative impression. It signals misunderstanding of what constitutes a substantive activity or, worse, that you are stretching to fill space. That’s avoidable by focusing on activities where you contributed time, effort, and value.

6. I did an AAMC-affiliated summer program at a medical school. How do I label it?
Use the program’s official name and include AAMC in the organization line if appropriate. For example, “Summer Health Professions Education Program (SHPEP), AAMC & University of Y.” Emphasize what you did: coursework, shadowing, projects, mentoring—not just the prestige of the sponsor.

7. If I’m short on activities, should I list AAMC membership to fill space?
No. Weak filler activities often look worse than leaving a slot empty. If you’re short, focus on honestly presenting everything you have done: paid work, family responsibilities, hobbies, informal caregiving, faith community roles, or long-term personal commitments. Those are far more meaningful than “AAMC Member.”

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Key takeaway: AAMC membership, by itself, is not an activity. Use separate entries only for real programs or structured roles; otherwise, fold AAMC into stronger activities where it provided tools or context, or leave it out entirely.

If you cannot write clear, concrete bullets about what you did and why it mattered, it probably shouldn’t be an activity—AAMC or not.