A Complete List of Medical School Acceptance Rates for 2024

If you are looking for medical school acceptance rates and learn how to increase your chances of admission, you've come to the right place. Even the easiest medical schools to get into have very high expectations - so you need to know what you're up against when you apply! This blog will give you tips on how to increase your chances of getting accepted, teach you how to improve your medical school application components and give you a list of medical school acceptance rates with average GPA and MCAT scores.

Medical School Acceptance Rates

|| || |School|Overall Acceptance Rate|In-State Acceptance Rate |Out-of-state Acceptance Rate|Accepted GPA|Accepted MCAT| |Albany Medical College, NY|1.11%|2.6%|0.81%|3.77|510| |Albert Einstein College of Medicine, NY|1.87%|4.3%|1.30%|3.86|516| |Anne Burnett Marion School of Medicine at TCU, TX|0.95%|0.9%|0.89%|3.73|510| |Baylor College of Medicine, TX|3.14%|3.76%|1.7%|3.93|518| |Boston University School of Medicine, MA|1.40%|4.35%|1.20%|3.85|518| |Brody School of Medicine, NC|7.35%|7.37%|N/A|3.67|508| |CUNY School of Medicine, NY|23.4%|23.6%|N/A|3.8|508| |California Northstate University School of Medicine, CA|2.5%|3.54%|0.46%|3.82|513| |California University of Science and Medicine - School of Medicine, CA|2.42%|3.62%|N/A|3.73|514| |Carle Illinois College of Medicine, IL|2.02%|2.45%|1.93%|3.81|515| |Case Western Reserve University School of Medicine, OH|2.65%|5.05%|2.43%|3.88|519| |Central Michigan University College of Medicine, MI|1.29%|5.5%|0.36%|3.73|508| |Charles E Schmidt College of Medicine at Florida Atlantic University, FL|1.75%|1.98%|0.93%|3.9|515| |Charles R. Drew University of Medicine and Science|N/A|N/A|N/A|N/A|N/A| |Chicago Medical School at Rosalind Franklin University of Medicine & Science, IL|1.70%|5.0%|1.26%|3.78|513| |Cleveland Clinic Lerner College of Medicine|N/A|N/A|N/A|N/A|N/A| |Columbia University College of Physicians & Surgeons, NY|1.97%|2.58%|1.98%|3.93|522| |Cooper Medical School of Rowan University, NJ|2.18%|5.58%|1.02%|3.83|513| |Creighton University School of Medicine, NE|3.60%|7.0%|3.52%|3.84|515| |Donald & Barbara Zucker School of Medicine at Hofstra/Northwell, NY|1.80%|3.58%|1.11%|3.86|519| |Drexel University College of Medicine, PA|1.90%|7.67%|1.46%|3.8|512| |Duke University School of Medicine, NC|1.39%|2.24%|1.40%|3.9|520| |East Tennessee State University James H. Quillen College of Medicine, TN|2.04%|10.2%|0.38%|3.84|511| |Eastern Virginia Medical School, VA|1.98%|6.48%|1.15%|3.72|512| |Emory University School of Medicine, GA|1.17%|3.87%|0.93%|3.79|516| |Florida International University Herbert Wertheim College of Medicine, FL|1.77%|3.65%|0.60%|3.83|511| |Florida State University College of Medicine, FL|1.69%|4.35%|0.04%|3.83|508| |Frank H. Netter MD School of Medicine at Quinnipiac University, CT|1.26%|3.72%|1.13%|3.77|514| |Frederick P. Whiddon College of Medicine at the University of South Alabama, AL|4.33%|14.15%|0.39%|3.9|511| |Geisel School of Medicine at Dartmouth, NH|0.97%|5.43%|0.94%|3.82|516| |Geisinger Commonwealth School of Medicine, PA|1.85%|7.96%|0.80%|3.81|513| |George Washington School of Medicine & Health Sciences, DC|1.19%|8.06%|1.19%|3.75|512| |Georgetown University School of Medicine, DC|1.27%|11.5%|1.16%|3.84|514| |Hackensack-Meridian School of Medicine at Seton Hall University, NJ|2.72%|6.75%|1.66%|3.84|515| |Harvard Medical School, MA|2.10%|2.62%|2.09%|3.95|521| |Howard University College of Medicine, DC|1.37%|3.12%|1.41%|3.67|507| |Icahn School of Medicine, NY|1.45%|2.71%|1.22%|3.89|518| |Indiana University School of Medicine, IN|5.39%|37.3%|1.09%|3.89|512| |Jacobs School of Medicine and Biomedical Sciences at the University Buffalo, NY|3.56%|7.54%|0.73%|3.73|512| |Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, MD|1.86%|2.18%|1.85%|3.96|522| |Kaiser Permanente Bernard J. Tyson School of Medicine, CA|0.60%|0.67%|0.55%|3.82|517| |Keck School of Medicine University of Southern California, CA|2.08%|3.44%|0.89%|3.81|517| |Kirk Kerkorian School of Medicine at UNLV, NV|4.0%|17.6%|0.58%|3.8|510| |Lewis Katz School of Medicine at Temple University, PN|1.71%|8.0%|1.05%|3.79|512| |Loma Linda University School of Medicine, CA|2.82%|3.1%|2.46%|3.9|511| |Louisiana State University School of Medicine, LA|4.56%|25.4%|0.33%|3.85|511| |Louisiana State University School of Medicine in Shreveport, LA|3.38%|20.17%|0.27%|3.81|507| |Loyola University Chicago Stritch School of Medicine, IL|1.27%|2.6%|1.09%|3.74|512| |Marshall University Joan C Edwards School of Medicine, W.VA.|4.17%|39.07%|1.19%|3.76|504| |Mayo Clinic Alix School of Medicine, MN|2.05%|2.19%|2.03%|3.94|521| |McGovern Medical School, TX|3.96%|5.09%|0.72%|3.86|512| |Medical College of Georgia at Augusta University, GA|7.4%|18.3%|0.28%|3.85|513| |Medical College of Wisconsin, WI|2.63%|20.2%|1.22%|3.79|511| |Medical University of South Carolina College of Medicine, SC|4.32%|25.8%|0.80%|3.84|512| |Meharry Medical College, TN|1.42%|7.87%|1.11%|3.48|505| |Mercer University School of Medicine, GA|11.34%|11.38%|N/A|3.79|505| |Michigan State University College of Human Medicine, MI|2.06%|9.57%|0.38%|3.77|509| |Morehouse School of Medicine, GA|1.76%|10%|0.67%|3.65|506| |NYU Grossman School of Medicine, NY|1.26%|1.49%|1.23%|3.96|522| |New York Medical College, NY|1.75%|5.74%|0.84%|3.75|516| |New York University Long Island School of Medicine, NY|0.60%|1.71%|0.17%|3.84|515| |Northeast Ohio Medical University, OH|3.38%|11.9%|1.19%|3.73|508| |Northwestern University the Feinberg School of Medicine, IL|1.86%|5.35%|1.51%|3.92|520| |Nova Southeastern University Dr. Kiran C. Patel College of Allopathic Medicine, FL|0.82%|1.52%|0.46%|3.81|513| |Oakland University William Beaumont School of Medicine, MI|1.62%|4.06%|1.04%|3.85|511| |Ohio State University College of Medicine, OH|2.86%|8.7%|1.66%|3.91|516| |Oregon Health & Science University School of Medicine, OR|2.30%|21.4%|0.62%|3.78|512| |Pennsylvania State University College of Medicine, PA|1.32%|5.75%|0.84%|3.79|512| |Perelman School of Medicine, PA|2.35%|2.20%|2.43%|3.96|522| |Ponce Health Sciences University School of Medicine, PR|11.16%|22.9%|5.15%|3.68|500| |Renaissance School of Medicine at Stony Brook University, NY|2.40%|4.85%|1.10%|3.89|517| |Robert Larner, MD, College of Medicine at the University of Vermont, VT|1.32%|38.71%|0.95%|3.76|512| |Rush Medical College Of Rush University Medial Center, IL|1.12%|2.14%|0.94%|3.64|510| |Rutgers New Jersey Medical School, NJ|2.98%|8.88%|0.99%|3.84|515| |Rutgers Robert Wood Johnson Medical School, NJ|2.98%|8.32%|0.96%|3.78|513| |SUNY Downstate Health Sciences University College of Medicine, NY|3.24%|6.97%|0.69%|3.78|514| |San Juan Bautista School of Medicine, PR|4.83%|8.87%|2.7%|3.69|499| |Sidney Kimmel Medical College at Thomas Jefferson University, PA|2.45%|7.4%|2.03%|3.82|515| |Southern Illinois University School of Medicine, IL|6.62%|6.92%|1.51%|3.88|509| |Spencer Fox Eccles School of Medicine at the University of Utah, UT|3.19%|15.3%|0.99%|3.83|513| |St Louis University School of Medicine, MO|2.48%|13.7%|1.74%|3.9|514| |Stanford University School of Medicine, CA|1.07%|0.88%|1.07%|3.92|519| |State University of New York Upstate Medical University, NY|3.21%|6.14%|1.21%|3.77|511| |Texas A&M Health Science Center College of Medicine, TX|3.43%|3.96%|1.72%|3.84|512| |Texas Tech University Health Sciences Center School of Medicine at Lubbock|3.6%|3.28%|0.36%|3.93|512| |Texas Tech University Health Sciences Paul L Foster School of Medicine, TX|2.58%|3.0%|0.88%|3.93|513| |The University of Texas Health Science Center at San Antonio Joe R & Teresa Lozano Long School of Medicine, TX|3.9%|4.34%|2.6%|3.88|518| |The University of Texas at Tyler School of Medicine|1.06%|1.03%|0.02%|3.84|505| |The University of Toledo College of Medicine, OH|2.67%|9.3%|1.24%|3.81|510| |The Warren Alpert Medical School of Brown University, RI|1.7%|24%|1.52%|3.83|517| |Tufts University School of Medicine, MA|1.42%|3.88%|1.24%|3.82|515| |Tulane University School of Medicine, LA|1.19%|7.06%|1.01%|3.71|512| |USF Health Morsani College of Medicine, FL|3.14%|4.07%|2.5%|3.91|518| |Uniformed Services University of the Health Sciences F Edward Herbert School of Medicine, MD|6.26%|8.85%|6.06%|3.78|512| |Universidad Central Del Caribe School of Medicine, PR|7.8%|14.6%|1.8%|3.75|500| |University of Alabama Heersink School of Medicine, AL|3.96%|27%|0.82%|3.85|511| |University of Arizona College of Medicine - Phoenix, AZ|1.89%|8.26%|1.01%|3.88|517| |University of Arizona School of Medicine, AZ|1.62%|13.5%|0.24%|3.84|511| |University of Arkansas for Medical Sciences College of Medicine, AR|6.75%|48.2%|0.51%|3.87|508| |University of California, Davis, School of Medicine, CA|1.69%|2.56%|0.08%|3.67|511| |University of California, Irvine, School of Medicine, CA|1.70%|2.08%|0.69%|3.87|517| |University of California, Los Angeles David Geffen School of Medicine, CA|1.32%|1.74%|1.02%|3.8|514| |University of California, Riverside, School of Medicine, CA|1.29%|1.71%|0.19%|3.68|509| |University of California, San Diego School of Medicine, CA|1.70%|2.18%|1.02%|3.87|516| |University of California, San Francisco, School of Medicine, CA|2.0%|3.05%|1.10%|3.88|516| |University of Central Florida College of Medicine, FL|2.17%|3.31%|1.29%|3.89|515| |University of Chicago Division of the Biological Sciences the Pritzker School of Medicine, IL|1.39%|2.65%|1.24%|3.93|522| |University of Cincinnati College of Medicine, OH|2.98%|9.12%|1.53%|3.88|516| |University of Colorado School of Medicine, CO|1.65%|13.5%|0.85%|3.81|515| |University of Connecticut School of Medicine, CT|2.73%|15.7%|1.14%|3.84|514| |University of Florida College of Medicine, FL|2.50%|4.58%|0.82%|3.91|515| |University of Hawaii, John A Burns School of Medicine, HI|2.76%|31.2%|0.62%|3.83|513| |University of Houston Tilman J. Fertitta Family College of Medicine, TX|1.12%|1.41%|0.09%|3.77|505| |University of Illinois College of Medicine, IL|3.73%|10.2%|1.77%|3.73|512| |University of Iowa Roy J & Lucille A Carver College of Medicine, IA|4.01%|31.4%|1.53%|3.88|516| |University of Kansas School of Medicine, KS|8.26%|34.6%|2.27%|3.84|509| |University of Kentucky College of Medicine, KY|5.14%|31.2%|0.65%|3.83|506| |University of Louisville School of Medicine, KY|3.19%|23.1%|0.92%|3.78|508| |University of Maryland School of Medicine, MD|2.37%|10.6%|0.85%|3.81|514| |University of Massachusetts T.H Chan School of Medicine, MA|3.24%|10.3%|1.24%|3.82|516| |University of Miami Leonard M Miller School of Medicine, FL|1.85%|4.28%|1.23%|3.82|515| |University of Michigan Medical School, MI|1.78%|5.8%|1.18%|3.87|518| |University of Minnesota Medical School, MN|4.56%|21%|0.98%|3.82|512| |University of Mississippi School of Medicine, MS|38.9%|38.8%|33.3%|3.86|506| |University of Missouri-Columbia School of Medicine, MO|4%|17.3%|0.70%|3.84|511| |University of Missouri-Kansas City School of Medicine, MO|6.29%|22.3%|2.64%|3.91|510| |University of Nebraska School of Medicine, NE|6.9%|38.8%|2.2%|3.89|512| |University of Nevada, Reno, School of Medicine, NV|4.49%|18.4%|0.9%|3.76|508| |University of New Mexico School of Medicine, NM|6.9%|40.4%|0.65%|3.75|505| |University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill School of Medicine, NC|3.02%|14.6%|0.47%|3.8|515| |University of North Dakota School of Medicine & Health Sciences, ND|3.7%|29.8%|2.4%|3.9|509| |University of Oklahoma College of Medicine, OK|6.7%|41.3%|0.53%|3.9|510| |University of Pittsburgh School of Medicine, PA|1.82%|4.86%|1.5%|3.89|518| |University of Puerto Rico School of Medicine, PR|14%|30.7%|0.50%|3.85|504| |University of Rochester School of Medicine and Dentistry, NY|1.73%|3.0%|1.40%|3.89|517| |University of South Carolina - Columbia, SC|3.07%|15.9%|0.93%|3.85|510| |University of South Carolina - Greenville, SC|2.21%|12.1%|1.04%|3.82|511| |University of South Dakota Sanford School of Medicine, SD|8.2%|37.7%|2.61%|3.89|507| |University of Tennessee Health Science Center College of Medicine, TN|6.37%|22.6%|0.68%|3.88|513| |University of Texas Medical Branch School of Medicine, TX|4.17%|4.88%|1.44%|3.89|513| |University of Texas Rio Grande Valley School of Medicine, TX|6.29%|1.35%|0.35%|3.71|508| |University of Texas Southwestern Medical Center at Dallas, TX|4.12%|5.02%|1.71%|3.93|518| |University of Texas at Austin Dell Medical School, TX|0.89%|1.11%|0.16%|3.89|515| |University of Virginia School of Medicine, VA|2.54%|8.2%|1.55%|3.93|520| |University of Washington School of Medicine, WA|2.23%|14.2%|1.94%|3.75|512| |University of Wisconsin School of Medicine & Public Health, WI|3.07%|16.7%|1.08%|3.81|511| |Vanderbilt University School of Medicine, TN|1.31%|2.66%|1.19%|3.94|521| |Virginia Commonwealth University School of Medicine, VA|2.50%|8.05%|1.31%|3.88|514| |Virginia Tech Carillion School of Medicine, VI|0.72%|1.44%|0.62%|3.68|513| |Wake Forest School of Medicine of Wake Forest Baptist Medical Center, NC|1.31%|5.12%|0.96%|3.82|512| |Washington State University Elson S Floyd College of Medicine, MO|5.54%|8.7%|1.16%|3.64|509| |Washington University at Saint Louis School of Medicine, MO|2.02%|4.8%|1.93%|3.94|521| |Wayne State University School of Medicine, MI|3.74%|11.09%|1.8%|3.86|513| |Weill Cornell Medicine, NY|1.34%|2.72%|1.12%|3.91|520| |West Virginia University School of Medicine, WV|2.36%|28.8%|1.47%|3.84|512| |Western Michigan University Homer Stryker M.D. School of Medicine|2.0%|2.6%|1.78%|3.8|515| |Wright State University Boonshoft School of Medicine, OH|1.72%|8.93%|0.41%|3.74|508| |Yale School of Medicine, CT|1.64%|2.76%|1.57%|3.92|522|

3 Tips to Increase Your Chances of Getting Accepted

Tip 1: Prepare Ahead and Apply as Early as Possible

The majority of American medical schools have rolling admissions. This means that they review applications as they come in and send out secondary applications, offer interviews and admissions as soon as they see worthy applications and candidates. The longer you wait to apply the less likely you will be accepted. Additionally, the admissions committees will be able to tell if you put little time into preparing your application. Rushed applications will be evident based on the quality of reflection and writing on the part of the student. To have the greatest chance of acceptance you should prepare your application early and apply to medical schools of your choice as soon as you can. It would be wise to aim to apply as early as May when the application process opens. This means a lot of planning on your part. First of all, you will need to prepare all of your application components, including your personal statement, extracurriculars, transcripts, and recommendation letters. You do not need your MCAT scores or letters of reference to process your application, but by the time you apply, you should at least be planning to write the MCAT and to have potential recommenders in mind.

Tip 2: Research the Schools to Which You are Applying

Do not apply to medical schools blindly. Be selective in choosing what schools you want to attend. Many students who get medical school rejection do not take time to find out what kind of applicants the schools they apply to tend to admit. To be a competitive applicant you will need to meet some of the criteria set not only by the school but by its former matriculants. Even though most schools have no official GPA or MCAT cut-offs, you already know their GPA and MCAT scores expectations from this blog – make sure to meet these averages. For example, if the program’s last year’s matriculants had an average GPA of 3.7 then you should work to at least meet this GPA expectation. If the school’s matriculants had a median MCAT score of 515, then you must prepare for the test and receive a score no lesser than 515. Premed experiences also play a big role in the selection process, so research the schools to which you’re applying and note what kind of skills and experiences their matriculants possess. For example, a medical program you choose may be very research-oriented and expect its students to have quality research experiences. If you have little to no research experience your chances of getting admitted to that school decrease significantly. The key is to know what kind of criteria and requirements the school has before you apply. If you apply to schools that have a higher GPA and MCAT score expectations than what you have achieved, then you are wasting your time and money to apply there. Find out if you meet the requirements of the school before you apply.

Tip 3: Ensure High Quality of Your Application Components

Each component of your application must be of the highest quality to increase your chances of getting accepted. Admissions committees get the first glimpse of your communication skills and levels of responsibility by simply reading your medical school personal statement, your activities sections, and other application components. They will be able to tell your levels of commitment, your attention to detail, your ability to communicate concisely and clearly, and your ability to present a holistic, informed image of your candidacy for medical school. This is why preparing your application early is important. Take your time to brainstorm and carefully compose each section of your medical school application. It is crucial to eliminate any grammatical and punctual mistakes. Research the schools to which you're applying to look for ideas and inspirations for your own personal statement, employment and activities section, and even for your medical school recommendation letters.

Worried your application is late? Check out some tips below:

How to Improve Your Application Components

GPA and MCAT

While it's possible to figure out how to get into medical school with a low GPA, check out the very competitive medical school GPA requirements we list above. But if your heart is set on schools that have higher GPA thresholds than your own, you can certainly try to increase your grades and improve your GPA. See if you can retake some of the classes in which you performed poorly. Retaking such classes will also show admissions committees your dedication and desire for improvement. Create a study plan and stick to it, join a study group, or get a tutor to help you ace your course. You must get a much better grade in your second sitting of the class to make it worth your while. You can also ask your instructors and teaching assistants (TAs) if you can do anything for extra credit. Your genuine interest and hard work will no go unnoticed. To get higher grades, you can also try taking classes in disciplines you enjoy. Pursuing coursework that you are passionate about tends to result in better grades.

If you are not happy with your current MCAT score you can retake the exam. A word of caution: if you decide to retake the exam you must do better than in your first attempt. The admissions committees will be able to see all the scores you have, so you must show improvement. Before you take the exam you must know what is a good MCAT score and when to start studying for the MCAT. You can use MCAT CARS practice passages to get ready for the test. Preparing for the MCAT is a laborious process that requires time and dedication. Take a practice test to get an idea of your baseline and what you need to focus on. Your results will indicate what areas of knowledge you need to study. Create a thorough study plan and change it accordingly to correspond to your improvements and challenges. Continue to take practice tests to see if you are showing improvement. Take the real test only when you are ready. If you take the test prematurely, you will waste your time and money. You need to be scoring consistently well (in the 90^th percentile) before you retake the actual test. If you are still wondering “When should I take the MCAT?”, make sure to read our blog.

Typically, your GPA and MCAT are juxtaposed by the medical schools to which you apply. Many medical schools will forgive a lower GPA if the MCAT score is high. Likewise, if an MCAT score is lower than the school’s typical average, the GPA may compensate for it. The AAMC provides a chart that shows the correlation between GPA and MCAT scores in medical school acceptance rates. For example, if your GPA is between 3.2 to 3.39, you must score between 514 to 517 on your MCAT to have a 50% admissions chance.  You can check out to the chart to see how you measure up. Remember, your GPA and MCAT are not the only components of your medical school application, but they are the yardstick with which you will be measured as soon as your applications are under review. GPA and MCAT scores are used to weed you out students out of the initial applicant pool, so research the schools you’re applying to and see if your GPA and MCAT scores at least match their average before you apply.

Personal Statement

Applying to medical school is a laborious and time-consuming process. You need to think ahead and plan each component carefully. Your personal statement alone can take weeks or months to prepare. A personal statement must answer the important question of why you want to be a doctor. You must create a unique and coherent narrative that would make you stand out among hundreds of applicants and you will have a limited amount of space to do this. If you're applying through AMCAS and AACOMAS, you have 5,300 characters including spaces; if you're applying through TMDSAS, you have 5,000 characters including spaces. This means that you will need to reflect on your past experiences, brainstorm ideas, and choose only the most meaningful experiences for your essay.

Your personal statement should be structured around 2 or 3 experiences; limiting the number of experiences you include in your personal statement allows for space to talk about each experience in depth. Your statement should be structured like an academic essay and include introduction, body with 2 or 3 experiences, and conclusion. The introduction of your essay must be strong to captivate the readers and keep them interested in your story. It might be easier to write your introduction last after you write the body and conclusion of your statement. This way you will already know what your essay talks about and you will be able to formulate an introduction that indicates what the reader should expect from your personal statement.

The body paragraphs need to demonstrate your experiences and qualities you acquired that make you a perfect candidate for the schools to which you’re applying. Be very selective about the experiences you include – they must show, rather than simply tell, about your readiness to become a medical school student. Be sure to demonstrate what these experiences taught you and what kind of valuable skills you learned from them. Remember, you are trying to show the quality of your experiences, do not simply list them and expect the readers to know why they were important on your journey to medical school. Your conclusion may reiterate some of the key points of your essay, but do not just write a dry summary. Leave a lasting impression by including an insightful comment about your journey to medical school or your reflections on the importance of medical professionals and their role in society. Your personal statement gives the admissions committee an idea of your personality, values, and history. Not only does it tell your story, but it also demonstrates your self-awareness and ability to self-evaluate, shows the quality of your communication skills, and ability to identify the most significant points of your experiences. Writing clearly and concisely is a skill greatly valued by admissions committees.

Clinical Experience and Physician Shadowing

US medical schools, as well as medical schools in Canada, require their applicants to demonstrate clinical experience in their application components. Having clinical exposure indicates your understanding of what the medical profession is about. How many clinical hours are required for medical school? It depends on the school, but we recommend gaining around 150 quality hours. Start gaining clinical experience as early as you can. Apply to volunteer in hospitals and clinics, as well as long-term care and retirement homes. Other ways to gain clinical experience may include volunteering in hospices, working as a health professional’s assistant, becoming a certified nursing assistant (CNA), a volunteer emergency medical technician (EMT), a medical scribe, or a personal caretaker. As a future physician, you must have experience in patient interaction. Exposure to patients and their needs will cultivate your empathy and compassion – qualities highly regarded by the admissions committees. You do not need to spread your time among several clinical activities. Remember, quality trumps quantity, so stick with an activity you enjoy and commit to it. If you dedicate your time and energy to an activity you like, you will have better chances of having a positive impact on your colleagues and patients. Your dedication may even result in a glowing medical school reference from your supervisor.  

Shadowing a physician is a requirement in most American medical schools. It is a passive learning activity that allows you to learn about the responsibilities and everyday routine of practicing physicians. Again, try to commit to shadowing a physician for an extended period of time to forge a relationship with the professional. They may become one of your medical school referees. To find a physician to shadow, start by asking your personal physician, family members, and friends, as well as doctors with whom you have volunteered and worked. They may personally agree to take you as a shadowing student or recommend you names of physicians who could help you. Otherwise, look for physicians in your area and call their office to ask if they take on students – shadowing is a common practice in the US, so don’t be shy to ask. But you might be wondering how to ask to shadow a doctor. When you call or email the physician, explain that you are a premed student, and express your interest in their specialty. Briefly explain your medical experience and your aspirations in the medical field. Arrange a schedule that fits both of your needs and responsibilities. Requirements for shadowing hours for medical school vary with each program. If you’re submitting a ~DO school application~, make sure you shadow a DO physician. Having clinical exposure with an MD doctor will not be enough to stand out as an osteopathic candidate.

Some more tips for making your medical school application stand out!