Eligibility and Application Requirements
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Eligibility and Application Requirements

Here's an overview of admission and eligibility requirements for the Doctor of Medicine (MD) degree at the University of Kansas School of Medicine.

Medical College Admission Test (MCAT)

All applicants to the MD program must take the Medical College Admission Test (MCAT). We accept MCAT scores for tests taken up to three years prior to the date of entry to medical school.

For the 2025 entering class, we will accept MCAT scores from 2024, 2023, 2022.

Applicants to the Early Decision Program (EDP) should test no later than mid-July. For the 2025 entering class, the last MCAT test date for the applicants is July 13, 2024. 

The last MCAT test date accepted for regular decision applicants is September 14, 2024.

You may submit the American Medical College Application Services (AMCAS) application before sitting for the MCAT. AMCAS will forward all scores to the schools to which each applicant has applied.

We will not review or consider an application file complete until expected exam scores are received. If you choose to add another test date after submission of your AMCAS application, you must update your AMCAS application to reflect the new intent to test date.

Your application will not be reviewed until the new exam scores are received. If additional MCAT scores are received for an application that has already been processed, another review will not be conducted.

If you have had any issues trying to schedule your MCAT, please reach out to our office.

Citizenship

We only consider applicants who are citizens or permanent residents of the United States, or have an approved status due to Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals (DACA). An applicant who isn't a citizen must submit a photocopy of his or her permanent resident visa card or DACA approvals. Additionally, a non-resident applicant to the MD program must provide verification of permanent resident status (e.g. copy of green card) before an interview will be extended.

Supplemental Application

All applicants (EDP, Regular Decision and MD/PhD) must complete the online KU supplemental application. Upon our receipt of your AMCAS application data, you will be sent an email containing a link and password to this supplemental application.

  • Aug. 15: Supplemental application must be completed for all EDP applicants.
  • Oct. 15: Supplemental application must be completed for all MD/PhD applicants
  • Nov. 15: Supplemental application must be completed for all Regular Decision applicants

If you are not a resident of the State of Kansas, you must pay a non-refundable application fee of $50. The nonresident fee may be waived only if the AMCAS fee waiver has been granted and is so noted in the AMCAS application.

Letters of Recommendation

You need between three and five letters of recommendation submitted on your behalf. (We strongly recommend five letters.)

If your premedical advisor writes one summary letter, two to four other letters should come from various sources, such as:

  • Faculty
  • Current and previous employers and supervisors
  • Other persons who know you well who can provide an objective evaluation

Once you've received commitments from your letter writers, follow these steps:

  1. Provide the letter writer with KU School of Medicine's Instructions for Letter Authors form.
  2. Also point the letter writer to the AMCAS Letter Writer Application. A video tutorial is available, and more information can be found on the AMCAS website. If your school uses another letter service (VirtualEvals or Interfolio), those letters will be loaded into the AMCAS service automatically, but a delay of three to five days should be expected.
  3. Though step #2 above is preferred, a letter writer also may mail the recommendation letter as a hard copy to AMCAS. Contact AMCAS at amcas@aamc.org for more information.
  4. Make sure AMCAS knows the sources for all your upcoming letters of recommendation. (This is part of the overall AMCAS application.) Only when AMCAS has received all of your letters will it electronically forward them to each medical school to which you have applied.

The School of Medicine strongly desires all letters to be transmitted to us via the AMCAS letter service.

  • Aug. 15: Deadline for letters on behalf of Early Decision Program applicants
  • Nov. 15: Deadline for letters on behalf of Regular Decision and MD/PhD applicants

Personal Interviews

We invite selected applicants for an interview. We conduct interviews in two- or three-day blocks each month from September (for EDP) through January. Invitations arrive by email approximately two to three weeks in advance of the interview date.

The interview day includes two 30-minute interviews conducted by one or two members of the interviewer panel. Applicants will have the chance to speak with current Student Ambassadors during their interview week, typically on Friday afternoons.

More information will be provided with an interview invitation.

KU School of Medicine

University of Kansas Medical Center
School of Medicine
3901 Rainbow Boulevard
Kansas City, KS 66160
913-588-5000