Our goal is to select the most capable students and to have a balanced, but heterogeneous group that will excel in both the art and science of medicine. Exposure to a variety of perspectives and experiences prepares students to care for patients from all walks of life and from every segment of society.
The Admissions Committee is interested in motivation for attending medical school and understanding of the medical profession. Commitment to community service, ethical behavior, compassion, leadership ability and communication skills are important characteristics.
A competitive application has the following components:
Medical College Admissions Test (MCAT) - Required of all applicants. See the MCAT section for details about the MCAT.
Grade Point Average (GPA) - Grades are considered in the context of the rigor of the major and will take into account factors such as illness, hours worked while in school and lack of access to a quality secondary education that may have depressed the GPA. We are especially interested in grade trend. Applicant GPA is compared to the average GPA of the most recent entering class. See the class profile for details.
Clinical Experience - You should spend enough time in a clinical setting to understand the challenges, demands and lifestyle of a physician. It is important for the applicant to be comfortable working with and around people from diverse backgrounds. The patient exposure experience can be gained in a variety of ways such as: volunteer or work in hospitals, emergency rooms, homeless clinics or extended care facilities and are actively involved in patient contact. Participating in a variety of activities over a period of time helps develop your knowledge of the medical field.
Leadership - Dedication, determination, ability to make decisions and a willingness to contribute to the welfare of others are indicators of one's ability to succeed in medicine. Leadership capacity can be demonstrated in a variety of ways such as positions in employment, church, community and school organizations including coaching, tutoring and mentoring.
Community / Volunteer Service - The medical profession is strongly oriented to service in the community. Applicants must demonstrate a commitment to the community by being involved in service and volunteer activities. Work performed in service learning courses and community service performed as part of employment is a good starting place.
Extracurricular Activities - The Admissions Committee is interested in how applicants deal with the demands of their lives outside the classroom. This is a strong indicator of how well they handle responsibilities and deal with stressful situations. It also predicts how well they will handle the difficult demands of medical school.
Research - Participation in research activities is an important part of the preparation for medical school. Physicians depend on medical literature to remain current in their fields. Research experience may be in any discipline and performed at any site. Applicants should be able to describe their project, the questions being asked and their role in the conduct of the research. Research performed as part of a course requirement or a senior thesis project is acceptable. More research experience is expected of MD/PhD applicants.