Making it in medical school can be challenging. But you can be a front-runner by knowing what to do to prepare for successful candidacy. Here you will learn how to prepare for medical school, what undergraduate courses you should take, what grade point average (GPA) and MCAT score to aim for, how to apply and more.

Helpful tips prepare you for applying to medical school

Compile your checklist for applying to medical school:

  • Complete prerequisite courses
  • Medical College Admissions Test (MCAT)
  • Grade Point Average Recommendation letters (two academic required)
  • Official Transcripts
  • Secondary Application

Medical College Admissions Test (MCAT)
The MCAT is a standardized test required for admission to the Ohio State College of Medicine. MCAT scores and grades are carefully considered and are an important part of the application process. Scores will be accepted from tests three years prior to application. (Example: If you apply in 2020 for enrollment in 2021, scores will be accepted from tests taken January 2017 through September 2020.) More information is available at aamc.org.

Grade Point Average
Grades are considered in the context of difficulty and rigor of the applicant’s major. Prospective students should note that the GPA is only one factor in the admissions decision and is taken into consideration along with many other circumstances. The academic profile of recent successful candidates to Ohio State’s College of Medicine includes a 3.72 GPA.

Gather your letters of recommendation
You should request letters of evaluation from professors, supervisors or other individuals who know you well and can accurately comment on your qualifications for medical school. It is important that those who write the letters clearly indicate whether they taught or supervised you and the length of time they have known you. The letters of evaluation are only received through the AMCAS letter service. More information about this process is available at aamc.org.

Collect Academic Letters and Official Transcripts
The College of Medicine requires two academic letters from professors who have taught you and assigned a grade for credit in the course. One letter should come from a professor who taught you in a science course. A premedical committee composite letter satisfies this requirement. If you are a Medical Scientist Training Program applicant, you must submit two additional evaluation letters describing your research experience and qualifications.

Transfer Policy
Due to the integrated nature of the  Lead.Serve.Inspire curriculum, the College of Medicine does not routinely accept Advanced Standing Transfer students except in rare cases of compelling and compassionate circumstances such as the following: 

  • Separation from children due to location
  • Separation from spouse or domestic partner where there is little or no flexibility in job location; job location is > 150 miles from applicant’s current medical school; and/or separation due to location is expected to last for more than one year
  • Location near family for whom the applicant is the primary caregiver

In such cases, a transfer would only be considered into the third year class for a student currently enrolled in an LCME accredited medical school in the United States that has demonstrated coursework similar to that offered within the first two years in the Ohio State University MD curriculum.  Students must be a US citizen, permanent resident, or political asylee, and must have a record of performance that supports their ability to complete their Med-3 and Med-4 years in the LSI curriculum in a successful and timely manner.  Additionally, the Associate Dean of Medical Education must determine that there is sufficient space in the third year class to accommodate a potential transfer. 
 
For more information, please contact Megan.Celik@osumc.edu.  

How to Apply
Students who intend to apply to The Ohio State University College of Medicine should initiate their application through American Medical College Application Service (AMCAS). AMCAS is a nonprofit, centralized application processing service only available to applicants entering their first year at participating medical schools.

Learn more about how to apply