7 Medical School Requirements You Need To Know

List of Medical School Requirements

Here’s a list of the medical school admission requirements (MSAR) you need to know!

1. Medical school GPA requirements
2. Medical school prerequisites
3. Medical school extracurriculars
4. Medical school recommendation letters
5. Medical school secondary essays
6. MCAT
7. Altus Suite assessment (CASPer and Duet)

We’ll look at each of these 7 medical school requirements in more detail next.

Medical School Requirement #1: GPA

Medical Schools with Lowest Minimum GPA Requirement

University of Puerto Rico School of Medicine – 2.5

Ponce Health Sciences University – 2.7

California Northstate University College of Medicine – 2.8

Southern Illinois University of Medicine – 2.8

University of New England College of Osteopathic Medicine – 2.8

A.T. Still University Kirksville College of Osteopathic Medicine – 2.8

Arizona College of Osteopathic Medicine at Midwestern University – 2.75

10 Easiest Medical (MD) Schools Based on Median Accepted GPA

Meharry Medical College – Median GPA: 3.46

University of Houston Tilman J. Fertitta Family College of Medicine – Median GPA: 3.59

Virginia Tech Carilion School of Medicine – Median GPA: 3.61

Washington State University Elson S. Floyd College of Medicine – Median GPA: 3.61

Howard University College of Medicine – Median GPA: 3.61

Brody School of Medicine at East Carolina University– Median GPA: 3.63

University of California, Davis, School of Medicine – Median GPA: 3.63

Tulane University School of Medicine – Median GPA: 3.65

Anne Burnett Marion School of Medicine at TCU– Median GPA: 3.67

Morehouse School of Medicine – Median GPA: 3.68

There is no denying that your GPA is one of the more important aspects used to determine whether you'll be invited to an interview, and in turn, offered acceptance. While it is possible to get into medical school with a low GPA, it's a much more difficult path, requiring extremely strong performance in all other areas. Unfortunately, no matter how excellent the rest of your application is, if you don't meet medical school GPA requirements, your application won't receive further consideration. AMCAS calculates two different GPAs, your cumulative GPA, which is your overall GPA taking into account all courses you've taken, and your Biology, Chemistry, Physics, and Math (BCPM) GPA, also known as your science GPA.

While both GPAs are important, admissions committees are especially interested in your science GPA, and whether or not there is consistency between the two. For example, if your overall GPA is 3.8 but your science GPA is a 3.2, it will act as a red flag to the admissions committee, telling them that you may not be able to handle the difficulty of medical school science and math courses. It's therefore important to focus intently on achieving the highest GPA possible. In addition to taking courses that meet the requirements for medical school, be sure to follow your passions and interests. Sometimes students attempt difficult courses that they are not good at and are not required, to try and impress the admissions committee. This tactic however often backfires because if you're not good at a course, you'll likely score poorer in it which will bring down your entire GPA.

Your GPA is an important tool you possess to help you when you're wondering how many medical schools should I apply to, but also in determining which medical schools to target. For example, medical schools in Canada have very high GPA thresholds for applicants and typically use a cumulative GPA during admissions. Be sure to check medical school acceptance rates to see how your stats compare to accepted medical school students and where you have the best chances of getting accepted.

Medical School Requirement #2: MCAT

While there are some medical schools that don't require the MCAT, many schools do. The MCAT is one of the hardest tests you'll complete in your lifetime, requiring seven and a half hours of focus and mental resilience. Nearly 1 in for 4 students have to re-take the MCAT, likely to try and improve their score to make them a more competitive applicant. Along with your GPA, the MCAT is an essential factor in determining your chances of acceptance.

In order to score well, you'll have to put in some serious review and preparation time, do not underestimate the difficulty of this test.

1. Firstly, take the MCAT diagnostic test to determine your baseline.
2. Based on your results, you will be able to choose which disciplines you need to review. Next, you can create a thorough MCAT study schedule that will incorporate the content areas you need to cover and active study strategies.
3. Make sure to include MCAT biology questions, MCAT physics equations, MCAT psychology questions, and MCAT chemistry questions in your review.
4. Devise a strong MCAT CARS strategy and ensure you take a MCAT CARS practice test to help you prepare.

Want to know how you can score well on the MCAT?

It's important to know when to start studying for the MCAT so you can create a study plan that's best suited for you. Keep in mind that the mean MCAT score of last year's matriculants was 511.5. The MCAT is offered at a variety of different times at different testing locations, but registration fills up quickly so ensure you're aware of available MCAT test dates well in advance of when you plan to take it.

List of Medical Schools with Lowest MCAT Requirements

Marshall University Joan C. Edwards School of Medicine – 498 minimum; 505 median

Mercer University School of Medicine – minimum 25^th percentile; 505 median

Morehouse School of Medicine – 494 minimum; 506 median

Ponce Health Sciences University School of Medicine – 494 minimum; 501 median

San Juan Bautista School of Medicine – 495 minimum, 500 median

Universidad Central del Caribe School of Medicine – 495 minimum; 501 median

University of New Mexico School of Medicine – 494 minimum; 506 median

University of Puerto Rico School of Medicine – 490 minimum; 506 median

Florida State University College of Medicine – 498 minimum; 507 median

Howard University College of Medicine – 494 minimum; 507 median

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Try our MCAT Score Calculator to convert your raw MCAT score to a scaled and percentile score!

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Medical School Requirement #4: Education and Prerequisites

Most medical schools in the US require the completion of a bachelor's degree before students are eligible to apply to medical school. So, what should you study? Is there a particular pre-med major that is better than the rest? What are medical schools looking for? Do Ivy League medical schools let in students from non-science backgrounds?

For starters, forget what you've heard about one pre-med major being better than another one. It's simply not true, and some students get so carried away with studying a major that they think will look good that they sacrifice other areas they were more interested in, better suited for, and may have even performed better in.

To best prepare yourself for medical school, it's important to complete your undergraduate degree in a field of study that you're interested in. Not in a field that you think will impress others or the admissions committee. Another common misconception is that you must complete your undergraduate major in a science specialty, but that is not the case. Even though majors in the biological sciences are the most common major of medical school matriculants, there are so many other majors represented such as humanities, math and statistics and physical sciences. It's important to choose a major that will highlight your strengths and showcase your passion and motivation for pursuing medicine.

For example, if you have a passion for both medicine and business, and you choose to attend one of the best undergraduate business schools and complete the required prerequisite coursework, you will impress the admissions committee with a great academic background in your favored major, i.e., business, and with your ability to balance the rigors of business program with the necessary premed coursework. If you're interested, head over to our medical school acceptance rates by major blog to see how your chances of acceptance vary between majors. Whether you choose a science or non-science major, be sure that you complete all the requirements of your program.

Prerequisites

Whether you're still deciding between DO vs MD, most medical schools require the completion of several science courses with lab work along with a few humanities, social science, and language requirements.

The following tabs show the most common prerequisites for medical school.

Mandatory Courses

These are the mandatory prerequisite courses for most medical schools:

Additional/Recommended Courses

These are the courses medical schools recommend you take, though they aren’t usually mandatory:

The specific requirements vary from school to school. For example, some schools require both Organic and Inorganic Chemistry coursework as part of the mandatory Chemistry course prerequisites. Others may allow you to substitute Biochemistry for one of the chemistry courses. Similarly, some schools may ask for specific Math courses such as Statistics or Calculus. Some schools, such as UCLA medical school, do not require the completion of any specific prerequisite courses but do have recommended courses. It’s important to remember the difference between required and recommended coursework. If your application is missing the former, your file will not even be reviewed by the admissions committee, while if you do not take some recommended courses, your application will still be considered. However, we strongly encourage you take as many of recommended courses as possible. While they may not be required by your chosen school, you want to ensure that you fit the profile of a successful matriculant as much as possible. 

Make sure you learn how to use MSAR and check the official admissions websites to find the exact prerequisite courses for the schools you’re applying to so you can complete them on time.

Those enrolled in science majors likely have many, if not all, required courses included in their curriculum. For those studying non-science majors, it's important to elect to complete these courses as they are probably not included in the curriculum.

Not all prerequisites for medical school are created equally, meaning that they vary greatly between medical schools. Whether you’re applying to all your local state schools and the easiest Ivy League schools to get into, or targeting only top Ivy League med schools, don’t assume that just because one medical school requires x, y, and z, that another school will also require that.

One of the biggest reasons students take a year off before applying to medical school is because they failed to complete the required coursework in their undergraduate studies. Due to this gap, these students often fall into the non-traditional medical school applicant category. While some students enroll in post-bac premedical programs or special master's programs to complete these missed courses, it's a time-consuming and costly way to complete what could have been completed during your undergraduate studies.

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To calculate your chances of acceptance to medical school, try our Medical School Chance Predictor!

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Medical School Requirement #4: Extracurriculars

Extracurriculars for medical school are one of the best ways to set yourself apart from other candidates. It shows the admissions committee who you are a person, what steps you've taken to become knowledgeable about the profession, what motivates you to do what you do, and of course, why you want to be a doctor. Keep in mind that everyone applying to medical school wants to be a doctor, it's your responsibility to prove to the admissions committee why you would be a great doctor and how your experiences have solidified your decision to pursue medicine, instead of another field.

In addition to writing a diversity essay for medical school as part of your medical school secondary essays,  TMDSAS personal characteristics essay, or optional essay for TMDSAS, your list of extracurriculars are also a great way to show the admissions committee what aspects of diversity you can bring to the entering class.

Remember that your medical school resume has to be more updated, in-depth, and targeted than your generic high school resume. That doesn’t mean you can’t mention significant high school experiences in your application.

For example, a lot of universities and hospitals offer high-impact summer programs for high school students that might be worth highlighting. When trying to decide what to include, consider how that experience influenced your personal journey to medical school. Admission committees want to hear your own personal story that answers the tell me about yourself medical school prompt and discusses how you first became interested in medicine, how you gained experiences in the field to develop your interest, and how that interest changed from possibility to absolution.

For example if you took a gap year before medical school, highlight what you gained from your premed gap year jobs throughout your application. If you ever presented research papers or leadership talks at conferences or meetings, highlight the topic, the research you put into it, and the impact you made with your presentation – for example, if others used your work to come up with new projects or research materials. Additionally, remember that persuasive speech topics can actually be great source materials for your essays.

Check out our video to determine the best extracurriculars for medical school:

Let’s take a look at some of the different types of experiences required or recommended for entry into a medical school program:

1. Clinical Experience and Shadowing

While many extracurriculars are important for medical school, clinical experience is one that holds a lot of value to the admissions committee. Clinical experience includes hands-on experiences in a clinical setting and one of the most valuable to add to your application is shadowing a doctor. There is no better way to test drive your career as a physician than by tagging along as a physician completes all their normal daily tasks. You'll understand how each hour of the day is spent as you silently observe a physician interact with patients, complete reports, order tests and even perform surgeries. Once you know how to ask to shadow a doctor and how many hours of shadowing are required for medical school, you'll find the process easy.

So, which doctors should you shadow? Well, this totally depends on which area of medicine interests you. If you're interested in family medicine, try reaching out to your own family doctor or the doctors of members of your family, this way, you're gaining experience that is 100% relevant to your interests. If you have a few different interests, don't be afraid to shadow doctors in a variety of different fields. It's perfectly acceptable to sample different areas to help you home in on your true interests. The same applies if you have absolutely no idea which area of medicine to pursue.

Don't worry, the admissions committee does not expect you to know exactly which area of medicine you want to study. What's important is that you want to become a doctor and you can show them that you've taken the necessary steps to get there. Show them that you've put yourself in a physician's shoes, and enjoyed the fast-paced environment, the stress, the long hours, the connection with patients, or whatever other aspects you may observe and experience. Many of us have had dreams of becoming different professions, but sometimes when we try them, we realize they're not for us at all. That's why it's so important to gain this shadowing experience, to try it, and hopefully know that it's right for you.

Shadowing experience isn't the only type of clinical experience you can partake in. Any other volunteer or employment opportunities that place you in a clinical setting is excellent will serve your purpose. Admissions committees want to see that you have real-life experience in the field of medicine which can be completed in a variety of facilities such as clinics, hospitals, and medical offices. Having a variety of different experiences is highly valuable, just be sure that you devote time to each experience, and don't just try to stack up multiple experiences in an effort to impress the admissions committees. Always participate in valuable clinical experiences that align with your own interests and passions. When you select experiences that you want to put into your AMCAS Work and Activities section or highlight items in your AMCAS Work and Activities most meaningful experiences, make sure to choose quality over quantity and show what you learned from each experience.

Check out our tips for how to get clinical experience:

2. Research Experience

Nearly every student applying to medical school has clinical experience to add to their application, but not all of them have research experience. That's right, another area for you to potentially stand out! Some schools, like Stanford medical school, are heavily focused on research, requiring students to possess this experience to be considered for admission. Normally, schools that are research-based have this incorporated in their mission statement and core values. To be considered competitive at these institutions, you need to demonstrate your desire and motivation for research.

There are so many different ways to find premed research opportunities. You could work as a lab assistant or technician in a clinical setting, research facility or even in the field. To help you get these positions, always accompany your job application or CV with a research assistant cover letter. Now, don't simply apply to research-focused medical schools if you have no desire or interest in research. As always, tailor your experiences to your interests and apply to medical schools that are in line with your short- and long-term goals.

If you want to apply to joint MD-PhD programs, you absolutely need to add research experience to your box of requirements. These programs are specifically designed for students with a passion for medicine, but also a strong passion for research. Graduates from these programs will be trained as physician-scientists, ready to tackle the mechanisms behind disease, conduct independent or joint research, and strive towards making discoveries in the field of medicine. In reviewing your research experience, the admissions committees will be looking at your level of participation, your reasoning as to the importance of the research, and what lessons you learned from the experience. Try to gain hands-on experience conducting research by testing hypotheses, analyzing results and contributing to reports or scientific papers.

Keep in mind that if you apply to MD PhD vs MD programs, you'll have to complete additional essays, the significant research experience essay and the MD PhD essay. These essays are solely designed to learn about your extensive research experiences, so be sure to demonstrate your commitment to research through a variety of meaningful experiences. Regardless of whether or not you apply to joint MD-PhD programs, meaningful research is a valuable experience to include in your med applications. Ensure that you understand the ins and outs of any research you participate in. Regardless of your level of contribution, if you're invited to an interview, the interviewers will expect you to have a strong grasp on the research, its significance, and major findings.

Check out why research is so important in our video below:



3. Volunteer Experience

What is one of the many important qualities a physician should possess? The selfless dedication for helping others which is why service orientation is one of the core competencies demonstrated by successful medical school students. Patients put a lot of trust and faith into doctors, and it's a physician's responsibility to provide the best quality of care while respecting patient autonomy. A physician's day to day life requires putting their patients first, working long hours and skipping breaks, all to best meet patient's needs. Therefore, when proving to the admissions committee that you're suitable for a lifelong career as a medical doctor, you must be able to demonstrate your commitment to serving others and this is where your volunteer experience becomes relevant.

Unlike the aforementioned experiences, volunteer experience does not have to be completed in a specific field or setting. Rather, you can participate in any type of volunteer experience, as long as you can discuss why it's significant, how it has or will help you in your pursuit of medicine, and what you took from the experience. Don't think for a second that medical schools are going to take a gamble on applicants that can't demonstrate that they really do care about their community and the public in general. Community service helps the admissions committees determine those that genuinely want to help others from those that are simply interested in the external rewards that come with being a doctor.

Try to look for volunteer activities that are well aligned with what you're passionate about. For example, if you're passionate about changing the lives of communities that don't have proper access to medical care, seek out experiences that place you in that setting, where you can make a difference. If you want to improve the lives of the aging population, look for experiences in retirement and respite centers. Be sure that your experiences are true to what you're trying to accomplish. Think about what you stand for and where you want to make a difference and go from there. How many volunteer hours for medical school you will need will differ from program to program. However, remember to make a long-term commitment and show genuine interest in whatever activity you choose to participate in. 

Medical School Requirement #5: Letters of Recommendation

Medical school letters of recommendation give the admissions committee insight into whether or not you're as good or committed as you say you are. On average, schools require three medical school recommendation letters to accompany your application, however, this varies between schools so be sure you're aware of the number of letters your school requires, who they must be from, and whether or not there is a maximum amount you can submit.

Want a quick overview of how to choose your referees?

Your lab supervisor that overlooks your daily projects or the physician that accompanies you in the back of an ambulance has first-hand knowledge as to who you are as a person, how you function in your designated role, and if you will be suitable as a medical doctor. Are you constantly trying to better yourself? Are you curious about the unknown? Do you follow instructions to a T? Do you panic in stressful situations? Do you take feedback willingly? The individuals behind letters of recommendation have the answers to all of these questions, and because members of the admissions committees can't follow you around on your experiences, they take the word of these individuals highly.

For this reason, it's very important to choose wisely when selecting where your letters of recommendation will come from. If you're unsure what an individual may say about you in a letter to medical schools, this is not the right individual to ask. Similarly, don't ask a professor to be your referee simply because you scored highly in their class. You want to form strong relationships with your mentors and supervisors and it's important to develop these connections early on in your time spent with them. Focus on putting in the effort to form these connections right away and tell your mentors about your plan to apply to medical school from the start. This will give your bond a chance to develop and grow stronger over time into a lasting, supportive relationship that results in fantastic recommendation letters. Lastly, don't wait until the last minute to ask your referees for a letter, it's best to give them at least a month's notice to fit crafting an excellent letter into their busy schedule.

Types of medical school letters of recommendation:

Medical School Requirement #6: Secondary Applications

Secondary applications may or may not be required depending on the medical schools you apply to, and you may not always be given the opportunity to complete them. Some medical schools send out secondaries to every student that applies to their school, while others use primary applications as a way to screen which applicants should receive secondaries. So, what are secondary applications? They are applications that are sent to students to collect more information from them, usually information that was not already provided in the primary application. They often contain a handful of questions, known as prompts, that students must answer in essay form, and return to the admissions committees. For example, UCSD secondary applications contain two mandatory prompts whereas UCLA secondary applications have 10 different prompts that require answering.

The amount of time you'll have to complete your secondary essays will vary between schools, but 2-4 weeks is fairly standard. As most students apply to 15-16 medical schools, it's easy to become overwhelmed with an influx of secondaries to fill out, all at the same time, without much time to complete one, let alone a collection of them. It's therefore important to plan in advance and begin completing your medical school secondary essays ahead of time. Refer to our blog for medical school secondary essay examples to see the most common type of prompts so you can work on answering them confidently and effectively.

List of medical schools without secondaries

• Indiana University School of Medicine
• University of Texas Health Sciences Center at San Antonio Joe R. and Teresa Lozano Long School of Medicine

Medical School Requirement #7: Acuity Insights Assessment and CASPer

Acuity Insights is a multi-component assessment that is a part of the application selection process for many professional programs, including medical schools. While previously, medical school required CASPer only, now, some schools require all three components of the Acuity Insights assessment. 

The three components are the CASPer test, Snapshot and Duet.

While the assessment is supposed to help assess students’ soft skills and suitability for professional programs, many studies have shown that situational judgment tests cause bias. Many schools use Acuity Insights to screen applicants and decide who gets an in-person interview invitation, which is why it's important for you to know how to prepare for CASPer and other components effectively and perform well at each stage. It takes 6 to 8 weeks to prepare for CASPer, and 6 weeks to 2 months to prepare for Snapshot. Don’t panic! You can prepare for both at the same time, as your approach to answering CASPer questions will be similar to how you approach Snapshot questions. While you can’t predict exactly which questions you’ll receive in each of these components, you can get familiar with the test format, practice with sample questions, define your key talking points, and perfect your communication skills. Check out some CASPer sample questions and answers to help you prepare.

Not all medical schools require CASPer or the full assessment. Some do not require any components of it, while others may require only the CASPer or CASPer and Snapshot. You should check the CASPer requirements of each school you’re applying to so you can prepare accordingly.

List of medical schools that don’t require CASPer or Acuity Insights assessment

• University of Alabama School of Medicine
• University of South Alabama College of Medicine
• Mayo Clinic Alix School of Medicine
• University of Arizona College of Medicine – Tucson
• The University of Arizona College of Medicine Phoenix
• UAMS College of Medicine
• California Northstate University College of Medicine
• California University of Science and Medicine
• Charles R. Drew University of Medicine and Science
• Kaiser Permanente School of Medicine
• Keck School of Medicine of University of Southern California
• Loma Linda University School of Medicine
• Stanford University School of Medicine
• University of California, Davis School of Medicine
• University of California, Irvine School of Medicine
• David Geffen School of Medicine at UCLA
• University of California, Riverside School of Medicine
• University of California, San Diego School of Medicine
• UCSF School of Medicine
• Frank H. Netter M.D. School of Medicine at Quinnipiac University
• University of Connecticut School of Medicine
• Yale School of Medicine
• George Washington University Medical School
• Georgetown University School of Medicine
• Florida International University Herbert Wertheim College of Medicine
• Florida State University College of Medicine
• Nova Southeastern University Dr Kiran C. Patel College of Allopathic Medicine
• University of Central Florida College of Medicine
• University of Florida College of Medicine
• University of South Florida College of Medicine
• Emory University School of Medicine
• Morehouse School of Medicine
• University of Hawaii at Manoa John A. Burns School of Medicine
• University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign Carle Illinois College of Medicine
• Loyola University Chicago Stritch School of Medicine
• Northwestern University Feinberg School of Medicine
• Rush Medical College
• Southern Illinois University School of Medicine
• University of Chicago Pritzker School of Medicine
• Indiana University School of Medicine – Evansville
• University of Iowa Roy J. and Lucille A. Carver College of Medicine
• University of Kansas School of Medicine
• University of Kentucky College of Medicine
• University of Louisville School of Medicine
• Louisiana State University School of Medicine in New Orleans
• Louisiana State University School of Medicine in Shreveport
• Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine
• Uniformed Services University of the Health Sciences F. Edward Hebert School of Medicine
• University of Maryland School of Medicine
• Harvard Medical School
• Tufts University School of Medicine
• University of Massachusetts Medical School
• Oakland University William Beaumont School of Medicine
• Wayne State University School of Medicine
• Western Michigan University Homer Stryker M.D. School of Medicine
• University of Minnesota Medical School
• University of Mississippi School of Medicine
• Saint Louis University School of Medicine
• University of Missouri-Columbia School of Medicine
• University of Missouri–Kansas City School of Medicine
• Washington University School of Medicine
• Creighton University School of Medicine
• University of Nebraska College of Medicine
• University of Nevada, Las Vegas School of Medicine
• Dartmouth College Geisel School of Medicine
• Cooper Medical School of Rowan University
• Hackensack Meridian School of Medicine
• University of New Mexico School of Medicine
• Albany Medical College
• Albert Einstein College of Medicine
• Columbia University Roy and Diana Vagelos College of Physicians and Surgeons
• CUNY School of Medicine
• Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai
• New York University School of Medicine
• New York University Long Island School of Medicine
• State University of New York Downstate Medical Center College of Medicine
• Jacobs School of Medicine and Biomedical Sciences, University at Buffalo
• University of Rochester School of Medicine and Dentistry
• Weill Cornell Medical College
• The Brody School of Medicine at East Carolina University
• Duke University School of Medicine
• University of North Carolina School of Medicine
• University of North Dakota School of Medicine and Health Sciences
• Boonshoft School of Medicine at Wright State University
• Case Western Reserve University School of Medicine
• Cleveland Clinic Lerner College of Medicine
• The Ohio State University College of Medicine
• University of Cincinnati College of Medicine
• University of Toledo College of Medicine
• University of Oklahoma College of Medicine
• University of Oklahoma School of Community Medicine
• Geisinger Commonwealth School of Medicine
• Perelman School of Medicine at the University of Pennsylvania
• Sidney Kimmel Medical College at Thomas Jefferson University
• University of Pittsburgh School of Medicine
• Universidad Central del Caribe School of Medicine
• Ponce School of Medicine
• University of Puerto Rico School of Medicine
• Alpert Medical School at Brown University
• Medical University of South Carolina College of Medicine
• University of South Carolina School of Medicine
• University of South Carolina School of Medicine Greenville
• Sanford School of Medicine of the University of South Dakota
• University of Tennessee College of Medicine
• Vanderbilt University School of Medicine
• TCU and UNTHSC School of Medicine
• University of Houston
• University of Texas Rio Grande Valley School of Medicine
• Dell Medical School at The University of Texas at Austin
• University of Utah School of Medicine
• Eastern Virginia Medical School
• University of Virginia School of Medicine
• Washington State University Elson S. Floyd College of Medicine
• University of Wisconsin School of Medicine and Public Health

Prefer a quick recap?

Medical School Requirements for Out-of-State and International Applicants

Be aware that the medical school requirements can vary for international applicants, and applicants who are applying to medical schools out of their home state or province. Premeds who are applying to out-of-state medical schools or out-of-province medical schools in Canada may have to meet higher standards for their GPA and MCAT scores, or they may have to submit additional application components. This is why it’s a good idea to research out-of-state friendly medical schools or, for Canadian applicants applying to med school in the US, to look at Canadian-friendly medical schools. Applying to these schools will increase your chances of acceptance since they may have more relaxed medical school requirements or standards for out-of-state and international applicants.

International applicants also need to be aware that some medical schools do not accept applications from students who are not US or Canadian citizens. Medical schools that accept international students will typically require a study visa or temporary visa to allow you to study abroad, and will likely have additional application requirements, such as a proof of English Language Proficiency test.

If you need help navigating medical school admissions abroad as an international student, you can seek help from an international student advisor or medical school admissions consulting service.

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