How does the acceptance process work?
The College of Medicine operates on a rolling admission cycle, in which the Admissions Committee makes decisions every two weeks. Beginning on October 15, accepted, deferred and rejected applicants are notified of their status via their personal status page every 2 weeks. Applicants who are "deferred" remain in consideration for all subsequent Admissions Committee meetings until April. The deferred list becomes a wait list after April 30. All deferred candidates remain active until orientation. Deferred applications are reviewed every two weeks during the decision-making process and a number of deferred applicants are admitted during the process. The deferred list becomes a wait list after April 30. All deferred candidates remain active until orientation.
Once you have made your final decision regarding your matriculation plans, you are required to pay a $25 fee to secure your seat in the program. In addition, you need to complete the “commit to enroll” action in AMCAS.
A final official transcript is required to verify that you have been awarded a baccalaureate degree prior to your first day of enrollment in the program. Applicants are required to demonstrate spoken, auditory, reading and writing proficiency in the English language. If you indicate that English is your second language or have been recommended for assessment after interview by the Admissions Committee, you may be given a one-year deferred admission in order to establish competency through appropriate English course work. If competency is not reached after one year, you will be removed from consideration for admission.
The College of Medicine is committed to providing the public with well-trained physicians who possess high moral character and standards. The College requires a criminal background check and drug testing prior to matriculation. The purpose of this policy is to assist all our students in becoming licensed physicians, to protect property and to help ensure a safe environment for patients, employees, visitors and the general public. Background checks and drug testing will be performed only after the applicant has been accepted into the College of Medicine.
Interviews with faculty and current students
You will have two interviews, one with a faculty member and one with a current medical student or resident. The primary purpose of the interviews is to identify individuals who will be able to deal compassionately and effectively with patients. Interviewers will explore the candidate’s motivation for seeking a medical degree, understanding of the medical profession and of medical ethics, as well as his or her problem-solving skills and interpersonal skills.
Applicants who are interviewed will be presented to the Admissions Committee, which is composed of Ohio State College of Medicine faculty, community physicians, physician trainees and medical students, for a committee vote at the end of each interview day. You will be notified of the committee’s decision through your status page. After October 15th, the committee makes a decision every two weeks.
What does it mean to be deferred?
Being deferred means that the Admissions Committee wants to review more candidates before they make their decision on your application. Deferred applications are reviewed every two weeks during the decision-making process and a number of deferred applicants are admitted during the process. The deferred list becomes a wait list after April 30. All deferred candidates remain active until orientation.
What should I know about reapplying?
Each year the number of qualified applicants exceeds the number of available positions. This results in a large number of applicants who will reapply to medical school. We recommend that you make significant changes in more than one area and update your personal statements before reapplying. We strongly recommend that you consult with a counselor in the College of Medicine Office of Admissions to identify the strengths and weaknesses in your original application and read the Advice for Medical School Reapplicants tip sheet.
Reference letters must be submitted to the AMCAS Letter Service each application year. Letters from previous applications are NOT transferred from one application year to the next. Letters written in support of the current application carry more influence with the Admissions Committee than do letters written in previous years for prior applications. One or two new letters submitted on your behalf are expected. Application may be made for three consecutive years.
The Admissions Committee will not consider applicants who have been dismissed, are on probation or on hold, or who are under suspension at another medical school.
Learn more about reapplying to medical school
What’s the College of Medicine’s 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 Julie.Brim@osumc.edu.
What happens if I’m suddenly not ready or able to start medical school?
If so desired, you may defer acceptance for one year after receiving approval by the associate dean of admissions.