How to Apply to the Ohio State College of Medicine
Once you have completed all of the requirements for admission, your application begins with the American Medical College Application Service (AMCAS). AMCAS is a non-profit, centralized application processing service available only to applicants entering their first year at participating medical schools.
There are nine sections of the AMCAS, you will be asked to provide background information, course work, work experience and extracurricular activities and letters of evaluation. In the seventh section of the application you will be asked to enter all of the schools you wish to apply to, here you will designate The Ohio State University College of Medicine as one of your schools of choice. After this step you will submit essays, standardized test scores then certify and submit your application.
Learn more about this process by visiting AAMC How to Apply to Medical School.
Applying to the Three Year Primary Care Track
If you are interested in the Three Year Primary Care Track (OSU-PCT), you must designate The Ohio State University College of Medicine, select Regular MD as the application type then contact us at threeyeartrack@osumc.edu for further instructions to apply to OSU-PCT.
Applying to the Community Medicine MD Track
If you are interested in the Community Medicine MD Track (CMT), you must designate The Ohio State University College of Medicine, select Regular MD as the application type then contact us at communitymedicinetrack@osumc.edu for further instructions to apply to CMT.
Frequently Asked Questions
Due to the volume of applications, we are not able to accept updates. If you are invited for an interview, you will be given the opportunity to submit an update at that time.
The OSUCOM application portal is available at applymedicine.osu.edu. Through this portal, applicants can track the status of their application and complete required steps throughout the admissions process. Candidates invited to submit a secondary application will receive instructions for creating a portal account via their secondary application invitation email.
Due to the high volume of applications, the review process may take time, and there may be periods without updates. We appreciate your patience as applications are carefully reviewed. Applicants will be notified by our office whenever there is a change in their application status (e.g., interview invitation, admissions decision).
The secondary application is a supplemental, school-specific component of the admissions process. After submitting a primary application through AMCAS and designating The Ohio State University College of Medicine, applicants will be reviewed to determine eligibility for a secondary application.
Eligible candidates will receive an email invitation with instructions to complete the secondary application. All secondary applications are completed through the OSUCOM application portal.
- Invitations to complete a secondary application will be sent starting in early July.
- An $80 application fee is paid electronically, upon submission of the secondary application.
- The secondary application deadline is December 1.
- Essays: In addition to the personal statement provided on the AMCAS application, we require responses to additional essay questions.
Below are the questions that are asked of candidates applying for the 2027 admission cycle:
Required essay questions for all candidates:
- Describe an experience that shaped your understanding of health inequities in the United States. What factors were involved, and how did this experience influence your perspective or actions? (250 words or less)
- The mission statement of The Ohio State University College of Medicine is to "improve people's lives" through innovation in research, medical education, and patient care. Describe experiences that best demonstrate your potential to contribute meaningfully to two of these areas. What did you learn through these experiences, and how do they shape your goals as a future physician? (250 words or less)
Additional required essay question for those applying to CMT:
- What interests you about training in a smaller city in a rural setting? Have you ever lived in a similar setting? How do you hope this environment will shape your development as a physician? (250 words or less)
Additional required essay questions for those applying to PCT:
- What has influenced your interest in family medicine at this stage of your training? Describe experiences that have helped you understand the scope and values of family medicine, and how these experiences inform your goal of becoming a future family physician. (250 words or less).
- What factors have influenced your interest in an accelerated curriculum in preparation for a career in family medicine? How does this training model align with your learning style, professional goals, and approach to patient care? (250 words or less)
- First, designate The Ohio State University on the electronic AMCAS application, and select Regular MD as the application type.
- Next, complete and submit the Specialty Track Selection form.
- Please note that you will not be considered an applicant to the OSU-CMT program until you have informed The Ohio State University College of Medicine of your interest in this program through submission and approval of this form. You will receive an email confirming your eligibility to be considered for the CMT program within 5-7 business days of form submission.
- Do not submit a Secondary Application until the change to CMT is confirmed. Your application type cannot be changed once you have submitted a Secondary Application to OSUCOM.
- Once you’ve received confirmation that your application has been changed to the CMT track, you can complete and submit a Secondary Application. Competitive applicants are sent an invitation from OSUCOM to complete a secondary application. Secondary invitations are only sent once we receive your verified AMCAS application and valid MCAT scores.
- Your application to the Community Medicine Track is complete once we have received all your application materials, including: your AMCAS primary application, the specialty selection track form, the secondary application, all transcripts, all letters of recommendation, and official, valid MCAT scores. All materials must be submitted no later than December 1, 2026 for the 2027 application cycle.
- Qualified applicants are invited for interviews, which take place from September to March. Interviews are completed virtually in one day. Details are shared at the time you are invited to interview.
- Admissions decisions will be released and monitored separately from the Regular MD program timeline.
If you have any questions about the application process, please contact the CMT program at communitymedicinetrack@osumc.edu.
- First, designate The Ohio State University on the electronic AMCAS application, and select Regular MD as the application type.
- Next, complete and submit the Specialty Track Selection form.
- Please note that you will not be considered an applicant to the OSU-PCT program until you have informed The Ohio State University College of Medicine of your interest in this program through submission and approval of this form. You will receive an email confirming your eligibility to be considered for the PCT program within 5-7 business days of form submission.
- Do not submit a Secondary Application until the change to PCT is confirmed. Your application type cannot be changed once you have submitted a Secondary Application to OSUCOM.
- Your application to the Primary Care Track is complete once we have received all your application materials, including: your AMCAS primary application, the specialty selection track form, the secondary application, all transcripts, all letters of recommendation, and official, valid MCAT scores. All materials must be submitted no later than November 16, 2026 for the 2027 application cycle.
- Qualified applicants are invited for interviews, which take place from September to January. You will complete a two-part virtual interview: One day with the College of Medicine MD program and one interview day with the OSU-PCT and residency representatives.
- Admissions decisions will be released and monitored separately from the Regular MD program timeline.
If you have any questions about the application process, please contact the Office of Admissions at medicine@osu.edu.
Current Students
Once you received an email from Vitals with your login credentials (this is different than your lastname.#), you can check your application status by visiting VITALS.