The AAMC-facilitated Criminal Background Check Service is conducted to help medical schools procure appropriate national criminal history reports.
The Association of American Medical Colleges recommends that all U.S. medical schools procure a national background check on applicants upon their conditional acceptance to medical school. This is to ascertain the ability of accepted applicants to eventually become licensed physicians in the future, enhance the safety and well-being of patients, and to ensure the public's continuing trust in the medical profession.
Medical schools that participate in the AAMC-facilitated Criminal Background Check Service may require applicants to undergo a separate national background check process, if required to do so by their own institutional regulations or by applicable state law. Medical schools not participating in this service may also require applicants to undergo a separate national background check process.
To determine if a school participates in the AAMC-facilitated Criminal Background Check Service, visit the AMCAS ® Participating Medical Schools and Deadlines page. Please note, that this list is subject to change.
Certiphi Screening, Inc. will procure a background report on early decision program applicants once they are accepted and on all other applicants at the point of acceptance after January 1.
Once you have provided consent via email, Certiphi Screening, Inc. will procure a national background check on you. Once the report is complete, you will be able to review the report prior to its distribution to your designated medical schools.
Once you have reviewed and released this report, or after the specified ten (10) calendar day period has elapsed, the report procured on you will be made available to the participating medical school(s) who offered an acceptance and initiated the request for this report.
If you have submitted an AMCAS application to a criminal background check participating school, you may obtain a preliminary background report prior to the request and release of the background report to participating institutions by visiting Application Station and entering the code CERTAP2025.
Applicants are responsible for the discounted cost of the preliminary background report, which is $71, plus any fees for international research. For more information contact Certiphi Screening's Applicant Services team at (800) 803-9582 or ApplicantServices@certiphi.com.