Association of American Medical Colleges

The AAMC was founded in 1876 at Jefferson Medical College in Philadelphia to establish standards for member medical schools. The first meeting was held on June 2, 1876, and included members from 22 medical colleges. Jefferson Medical College's Dean, John B. Biddle, was the first president of the Association. The first set of standards established in 1876 included "a curriculum of two terms not occurring in the same year."

By 1905, the Association expanded its standards to require member schools to offer a four-year medical curriculum of no less than 4,000 hours.

In 1942, the AAMC partnered with the American Medical Association's (AMA) Council on Medical Education and Hospitals to form the Liaison Committee on Medical Education (LCME). The LCME is an accrediting agency for educational programs at medical schools in the United States and Canada.

In 2006, Darrell G. Kirch became president and CEO of AAMC, he served until 2019. On July 15, 2019, David J. Skorton replaced Kirch as president and CEO.

In 2015, the AAMC announced MCAT examinees with documented disabilities would no longer be required to inform schools if they received accommodations during their exam. Prior to this, if someone received accommodations due to a documented disability, an asterisk was affixed to the score report to inform all schools the individual applied to. The schools were not informed of the specific disability or nature of the accommodations.

In response to the COVID-19 pandemic in 2020, the AAMC created a database of treatment and management guidance for clinicians. The resources are divided into various topics, including infection control, emergency department, inpatient, ambulatory, serious illness communication, mental health, and special populations. The AAMC also recommended that medical schools temporarily suspend medical students' direct patient contact due to safety concerns.

Throughout 2020, the AAMC was criticized for continuing to hold the MCAT exam in person during the COVID pandemic. In October 2020, the Association responded to lawmaker's concerns over in-person testing by saying it had resumed only when safety protocols had been developed and implemented.

In 2020, the AAMC removed Abraham Flexner's name from their annual award, claiming his 1910 report contained "racist and sexist" statements. This claim, however, has been challenged.

American Medical College Application Service (AMCAS)

Led by the AAMC, the American Medical College Application Service (AMCAS) administers and processes medical school applications. Most U.S. medical schools participate in the AMCAS.

AMCAS was first used by applicants to medical schools in 1969.

Electronic Residency Application Service (ERAS)

The AAMC developed the Electronic Residency Application Service (ERAS) to allow final-year medical school students and graduates to apply electronically for residency positions. The service was established in 1996.