from
http://web.mit.edu/career/www/preprof/medadmissions.html
Medical School Admissions Criteria
Prehealth Self-Assessment Sheet – worksheet to help you assess if you are prepared to apply
Early Decision Program
The Early Decision Program (EDP) allows an applicant to secure an acceptance in a participating school by October 1st, which then affords the applicant sufficient time to apply to other schools if not accepted through the EDP. If you are considering an EDP application you should be aware of the following:
- Only one medical school application may be submitted through the EDP.
- Credentials should be extremely strong, i.e. GPA, MCAT scores, etc.
- You are not able to submit applications to other medical schools until you find out that you have not been accepted through the EDP.
- Attendance to the school where offered EDP is required.
Applicants not accepted through EDP will be deferred to the regular applicant pool once decisions are made.
Extracurricular Activities
Admissions officers are interested in applicants who, in addition to having good academic credentials, are humanistic in nature, who care genuinely about others, and who have shown evidence of this interest through volunteer or community service activities. In addition to your GPA and MCAT (Medical College Admission Test) scores, community service and extra-curricular activities are important to a student's application to medical school. Your participation in volunteer work and leadership activities provides some evidence of your personal qualities such as integrity, breadth of interest, human relations skills, and motivation towards medicine.
Community service is essential to an application. Volunteering should serve two functions: exploration of working in a medical setting and public service. It is never too early to visit the Public Service Center at MIT, to become a hospital volunteer, or to work with an organization that offers support to others. It is encouraged that students become involved as early as their freshman year. Some students are involved in fraternity or sorority activities, while others begin their own projects. Some students become involved in clubs at MIT or work in a homeless shelter or nearby hospital. It is important that you select a community service project that you genuinely care about and will have a commitment toward.
At MIT the work-load is very high so it is important that volunteer work not be done at the expense of your studies. You may decide to wait until summer; either way, please know that medical schools value evidence of interest in working with people. Whether in your first year or later, do consider where and how you would like to contribute to others. The benefits are always mutual, and often students tell us how much they benefited from their service work. Please consider talking with those in the Public Service Center (W20-311, 253-0742) and to us in the Preprofessional Advising Office as well as with other offices and student groups about finding opportunities. Medlinks is just one example of a great way for you to become involved in community service here at MIT and gain leadership experience.
GPA and Academic Transcripts
Your GPA is a very important factor to being competitive with other medical school applicants. It is recommended that a student maintain a 4.5/5.0 or greater GPA to be considered for the most competitive schools. Please note that your GPA is an important factor, but it certainly isn't the only factor considered. By reviewing the data on our website and on the American Association of Medical Colleges (AAMC) website you will see that there is a range of GPAs accepted. Admissions committees consider all aspects of an application when making selection decisions.
It will be in your best interest to choose a manageable course load, stay on top of your coursework during each semester, and get tutoring or other assistance as needed. In addition, do not feel as though you need to be a biology major to go to medical school. Choosing a major that most interests you will be in your favor and will probably have a positive affect on your GPA. If your grades become a concern, or if you are finding yourself becoming stressed, please come talk with a member of the Preprofessional staff or with another student advisor or counselor. There are many resources and MIT staff available to you. These include the medical department, psychiatry and social work , the religious counselors and the staff in the Student Support Services.
Data on MIT Medical Student GPAs
Please note, that grades for courses taken under pass/no record during freshman year do not need to be released to medical or other health profession schools. If you have questions about your first year hidden grades and their potential use for your application to a health profession school please speak with a member of the Preprofessional Advising staff.
At the time of application, applicants will need to submit an official transcript directly to the application service (AMCAS, ADSAS, etc.). Official transcript request should be directed to the MIT Office of the Registrar.
Study Abroad Transcripts:
Individuals who participated in CME may request the MIT Office of the Registrar to include a supplemental document to his or her MIT official transcript that provides information about the CME academic experience. For all other study abroad programs, applicants are not expected to supply transcripts for their applications. Health profession application services (AMCAS, AADSAS, etc.) will not accept foreign transcripts.
Important Qualities/Characteristics
Medical schools look for candidates who have integrity, leadership experience, motivation, curiosity, imagination, personality, volunteer experience, and commitment. Developing your human relations skills and gaining experience working and interacting with a diverse group of people is also regarded highly. Letters of recommendation will help committees to get a sense of many of these qualities. Volunteer work and leadership experiences are the best way to develop these qualities and to develop relationships with individuals who can speak to the qualities mentioned through direct experience with an applicant.
The Medical College Admissions Test (MCAT)
The Medical College Admissions Test (MCAT) is an important portion of an individual's application to medical school. The exam will be computerized as of January 2007 and as a result will be offered more frequently (19 test dates). Scores will be available 30 days after the testing date instead of the previous 60 day waiting period. It is highly recommended that the MCAT be taken by June of an individual's application year, but it is encouraged that applicants consider taking the MCAT as early as August the summer before application to ensure that there is enough time to complete applications and retake the exam, if appropriate. Since many medical schoools have rolling admissions, it is best to have the MCAT completed prior to application, if possible, to avoid any delay in the review of your application.
Steps for preparing for the MCAT:
1. Register at http://www.aamc.org/students/mcat/registration.htm .
2. Complete the recommended courses prior to taking the MCAT.
3. Create a study plan and take practice exams.
If the exam did not go as well as expected, we recommend using the following resource to assist you in determining whether you should retake the mcat.
MD-PhD
Admissions requirements for MD-PhD programs are very similar to medical school admissions. The following are a few distinguishable differences in the admissions criteria:
- Research: It is recommended to participate in a variety of research opportunities, preferably long term. A commitment of two semesters or more to a lab is preferred.
- Extracurricular activities: Tutoring or teaching experience
- Published: It is not a requirement that you be published, however, it will be looked upon favorably. If you have a spent a significant period of time on a research project, it may very well be possible for you to contribute to a published document.
Recommended Courses & Majors
The MIT Recommended Premedical Course list was created in collaboration with feedback from medical schools and corresponding MIT academic departments. Please note that some medical school requirements vary. If you have questions about a certain course being accepted it is always best to consult the most recent edition of the Medical School Admissions Requirements (MSAR) book and contact the medical school directly. A copy of the MSAR book can be found in Room 12-170, or may be ordered from the publication office of the Association of American Medical Colleges (AAMC). Chart of course requirements for a sampling of schools listed in the 2008-09 MSAR.
At MIT, students major in the department of their choice, not in premed, per se. Along with your major, you will need to satisfy the premedical coursework that is required. It is important that you familiarize yourself with the recommended classes for entrance to medical school. In regard to which major you choose, while it is true that many students major in the sciences, medical schools tell us that it is fine to major in whatever you like. While most MIT undergrad premedical students major in the sciences, only 44% of the class of 2001 majored solely in Biology. 14% of 2001 applicants were double majors. Students from diverse majors, including Management, and Mechanical Engineering, applied to medical school. Medical schools do, however, seek individuals who are well-rounded academically. This means that it is important to take electives in other areas outside of your major. Medical School Admissions deans have said that they are very pleased to see humanities majors or any other major applying to their schools. It continues to benefit all applicants to show a breadth as well as a depth in their academic studies.
Special note: It is best to not fulfill your premed requirements during the freshman year pass/no record semester. Medical Schools want to see grades for your premedical requirements.
Study Abroad Students
We strongly recommend that you do not fulfill your premed or other health related program requirements while studying abroad. Professional schools will want to see your grades in the required subjects. Due to a different grading system, it will be difficult for an admission committee to properly interpret the grades and/or division received at a foreign university.
AP Credit
For information on AP credit school policies for medical school requirements please visit: http://www.ocs.fas.harvard.edu/resources/health/medhandouts.htm. It is recommended that you check each school's site for confirmation on their AP credit policy, as they may change each year.
Research Experience
MIT has extraordinary opportunities to do undergraduate research. While not all MIT applicants to medical school do research, many do. To learn more about research opportunities at MIT visit the Undergraduate Research Opportunities Program (UROP) in office 20B-140, 253-7306. Note that research is not a prerequisite for medical school, but it can enhance your learning experience at MIT and strengthen your application. Doing research while at MIT often leads to summer positions, on-going UROP opportunities, and a strong sense of self-confidence in knowledge of a particular area. All of these things allow an MIT applicant to excel by having additional areas of expertise or confidence. Research experience however, is strongly suggested for individuals interested in applying to MD-PhD programs.
