8 Key Medical School Requirements in : Everything You Need to Know to Get Accepted

What Are The Common Medical School Requirements?

In this blog, we’ll go into detail about each of the following requirements. To get into med school, you must consider your:

1. Prerequisite Courses: Common post-secondary requirements include biology, chemistry, physics, biochemistry, and sometimes math or English.
2. Undergraduate GPA: Most programs expect an average GPA of 3.5-3.7.
3. MCAT Score: Target an MCAT score between 510-520 for competitive schools.
4. Non-Academic Factors: Medical schools also value clinical experience, volunteering, and research.
5. Recommendation Letters: You’ll need academic referees to recommend you for your chosen program.
6. Personal Statement: A compelling essay explaining your motivation to become a doctor.
7. Interviews: Most schools require you to complete MMI or traditional interviews as part of the selection process.
8. Some schools require you to complete the CASPer test and/or secondary application essays.

Medical School Requirement #1: Premed Education and Prerequisites

Do You Need A Degree to Get into Med School?

The first requirement to get into medical school is a college degree and completion of any medical school prerequisites. If you’re an ambitious future physician wondering, “Can I get into med school straight out of high school?” the answer is no. But, if you’re set on becoming a doctor from an early age, you may wish to consider a BS/MD program!

Most of the popular premed majors have med school prerequisites baked into the curriculum, but it depends what you major in. In any case, you’ll need to have completed your degree and any required coursework by the time you matriculate to your chosen med school.

While many students choose science majors, medical schools accept applicants from diverse academic backgrounds as long as you complete the required coursework.

Most Common Premed Majors:

• Biology
• Chemistry
• Biomedical Sciences
• Neuroscience
• Public Health
• Psychology

Should You Choose a Science Major?

Your premed degree doesn't have to be in science. While science majors can provide a strong foundation in medical school prerequisites, you should choose a degree that genuinely interests you; MDs come from a variety of academic backgrounds. Passionate students tend to perform better and are more motivated to maintain a competitive GPA!

While you don’t have to major in science, keep in mind that some fields might give you a stronger foundation in the prerequisites. If you're curious about how different majors impact your chances of acceptance, check out our blog post on medical school acceptance rates by major.

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Are you applying to DO and MD schools? Check out the DO school requirements.

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What Are Some Med School Prerequisites?

Regardless of your major, there are (sometimes) prerequisite courses you’ll need to take in order to be considered; but these vary by program. For instance, some schools mandate specific courses, while others, like UCLA Medical School, have no required prerequisites, but do recommend certain subjects.

It's crucial to distinguish between required courses and recommended courses, which are not mandatory but will enhance your candidacy!

Common Medical School Prerequisites:

• General Biology with Lab
• General Chemistry with Lab
• Organic Chemistry with Lab
• Inorganic Chemistry with Lab
• Physics with Lab
• Biochemistry
• Mathematics (Calculus or Statistics)
• English or Writing-Intensive Courses
• Social Sciences (Psychology, Sociology)

When it comes to selecting your courses during your premed years, one of our MD consultants has this piece of advice:

“Take courses you genuinely enjoy, as opposed to doing them because they are ‘easy.’ Personally, my hardest courses were the ones I had little-to-no interest in, but I ended up enrolling because my friends said they were easy. When you are doing something that you enjoy, you automatically end up going the extra mile, which shows both in the quality of your work as well as the results.” – Dr. Neel Mistry, MD

Medical School Requirement #2: GPA

What’s the Minimum GPA You Need for Med School?

Medical schools generally look for an overall GPA of 3.5-3.7 for competitive applicants.

• MD programs: 3.71 (science), 3.85 (non-science), 3.77 (overall)
• DO programs: 3.52 (science), 3.71 (non-science), 3.62 (overall)

Medical school acceptance rates highlight the importance of meeting GPA requirements — this is one of the first factors admissions officers consider. If your GPA doesn’t meet medical school standards, your application won’t advance, no matter how strong the rest of it is.

How to Improve a Low GPA

If your GPA isn't where you want it to be, we recommend you focus on improving your premed GPA and creating an upward trend in your grades. Admissions committees often look favorably on students who show consistent improvement over time, even if their overall GPA isn't perfect.

• Consider retaking courses where you struggled or taking additional courses to boost your GPA; a gap year before medical school may be right for you.
• Prioritize subjects where you can excel and maintain a strong focus on prerequisite courses, as these will weigh heavily in your application.
• Seek out academic support, like tutoring or study groups, to help ensure you’re mastering the material and performing at your best. 

While some medical schools have low accepted GPAs — for instance, Meharry Medical College has a median GPA of 3.58 — a lower GPA can limit the number of schools that will review your application, decreasing your chances of acceptance.

Medical School Requirement #3: MCAT

What is a Competitive MCAT Score?

The average MCAT score for accepted medical school applicants is between 510 and 520; though this can vary depending on the medical school’s average accepted scores. The AAMC has released recent data for MCAT scores, and here’s how it breaks down:

1. Average Applicant MCAT Score: The average MCAT score for all applicants is around 506.3, reflecting the broader range of students who apply to medical schools.
2. Average Accepted (Matriculant) MCAT Score: For those who are accepted and matriculate into medical school, the average MCAT score is 511.7, which is significantly higher as it reflects the successful candidates.

Suffice it to say, unless you’re applying exclusively to medical schools that don’t require the MCAT, you'll need a strong score!

Tips for a High MCAT Score

To maximize your chances of a high MCAT score, start your preparation early and create a structured study plan. Focus on your weaker areas while reinforcing your strengths, and take an MCAT diagnostic test to determine your baseline score. Utilize reputable prep materials and, if needed, seek out an MCAT prep course or tutoring. 

While a high MCAT score significantly strengthens your application, it does not guarantee acceptance. However, a low MCAT score can be a red flag, potentially overshadowing other strong aspects of your application.

 Would you rather watch a video about medical school requirements?

Medical School Requirement #4: Premed Extracurriculars and Experiences

The most common experiences found in medical school requirements are clinical experience, volunteering, and research. Some medical schools may list a minimum of required hours for clinical experience or volunteering hours as part of their admissions requirements.

Extracurriculars for medical school can include activities directly related to medical school and those that are not related to medicine but can speak to your diversity as an applicant. These experiences are one of the best ways to set yourself apart from other candidates by demonstrating your commitment and growth personally and professionally.

Your extracurriculars and experiences are captured on your medical school application in the AMCAS work and activities section (for allopathic med school applicants), the AACOMAS activities section (for osteopathic med school applicants) and the TMDSAS activities section (for applicants to Texas medical schools). Depending on where you are applying, get to know how to craft these parts of your application and how to choose the experiences you want to highlight.

Focus on Quality Over Quantity

Instead of doing multiple short-term activities, prioritize those where you can have a significant impact and develop critical skills like leadership and empathy. Here’s what one of our students learned about this component of her application:

“Make sure you include if you have any personal or quirky hobbies, even if it's not health-related or medical-related, include those in your application and make sure you explain why those are important to you because they still contribute to you as a person and as a well-balanced individual. And I think that's something that helped me because I was able to [include] some of my sport activities … While those aren't typical research or volunteering activities, that is really important to me and makes me who I am.” – Sherry, BeMo student.

Many medical schools are seeking premeds with the right type of experiences that have prepared them to become a doctor and demonstrate a passion for the field of medicine.

When choosing your extracurriculars for medical school, we recommend:

• Selecting impactful experiences that reflect your values and commitment to medicine.
• For clinical experiences, aim for meaningful patient interaction and hands-on learning.
• For volunteering, choose roles that demonstrate your leadership, empathy, and dedication to serving others.

Medical School Requirement #5: Letters of Recommendation

How Many Medical School Recommendation Letters Do You Need?

Most medical schools require two to five recommendation letters. Typically, these include:

• Two from science professors
• One from a non-science professor

Start building relationships with professors early. We can’t stress this enough!

Attend office hours, seek mentorship opportunities, and engage meaningfully in class to ensure your referees can write strong, personalized letters.

Dr. Monica Taneja, MD, one of our admissions experts and a graduate from the University of Maryland medical school, emphasizes the importance of building relationships with your professors to secure strong letters:

“Most professors are aware that students need letters of recommendation. I would be more willing to provide a letter for a student I had a few [one-on-one] interactions with, so it is always good to try and go to office hours for classes you may want a letter from. I’d also ask professors if they can write the letter soon after taking the class ideally at the end of the semester or within the next semester.” - Dr. Monica Taneja, MD, University of Maryland School of Medicine

Pro Tip: If you’re asked to write your own letter of recommendation, see it as an opportunity to highlight your achievements and strengths from a third-party perspective. Write a detailed and authentic letter focusing on your growth, dedication, and specific contributions. Then, give your draft to your recommender for their review and final touches. This collaborative approach ensures the letter is both accurate and impactful. 

Here are some tips on how to get into medical school!

Medical School Requirement #6: Medical School Admissions Essays

Medical schools require a variety of admissions essays, including the medical school personal statement. Your personal statement is used to gauge your writing and communication skills, and to learn more about who you are as an applicant and why you want to become a doctor.

Your personal statement is the cornerstone of your medical school application, so it needs to be well-written and carefully crafted if you want your application to stand out.

Connect your experiences and motivations to your desire to pursue a medical career. Avoid generic statements and focus on what genuinely drives you. Additionally, revise your statement multiple times to polish your writing and ensure it’s free of errors. A well-crafted personal statement can be the difference between a good application and a great one.

Expert Tips for Writing an Impactful Personal Statement

• Start Early: Begin brainstorming, outlining, and drafting your personal statement well in advance. This allows you ample time to refine your ideas and make multiple revisions.
• Follow Instructions: Adhere to application and school-specific guidelines regarding length, format, and content.
• Be Authentic: Share your unique journey to medicine, using specific personal examples to illustrate your points and make your statement memorable.
• Highlight Fit: Explain why you’re drawn to a particular medical school and how its program aligns with your goals.
• Get Feedback: Have someone you trust review your essays for clarity, grammar, and overall impact.

Medical School Secondary Applications

Secondary applications help medical schools to gather additional information not included in the primary application. Most schools send these secondaries to either all applicants or those who pass an initial screening, and students typically have 2 to 4 weeks to complete them.

The med school secondary application includes supplementary essays, and the number of prompts and requirements vary by school. The secondary essay prompts are usually available on each school’s website. Some prompts include “why this medical school?”, the diversity secondary essay, or the gap year secondary essay.

Check out medical school secondary essay examples to see the most common type of prompts so you can work on answering them confidently and effectively.

Dr. Monica Taneja, MD, one of our admissions consultants, says pre-writing is an effective way to cut down on the workload of secondaries:

“Secondaries were a lot of work especially after completing all of the primary application materials. I tried to pre-write secondaries starting in mid-June as there aren’t many changes year to year in prompts which are easily found online. For each school I read their mission statement and tailored my answers to their priorities. Since many essays also overlap between schools I was able to morph different essays based on length to reduce overall writing.” – Dr. Monica Taneja, MD, University of Maryland School of Medicine

Medical School Requirement #7: Medical School Interviews

Interviews are the final step of the application process! If you’ve received an interview invite, go ahead and pat yourself on the back…not all applicants make it this far! Medical school interviews are usually conducted in a traditional panel format or the Multiple Mini Interview (MMI) format. Be sure to check which one to expect and start preparing with mock medical school interviews! Review the different types of MMI questions you’ll encounter, and how to answer common medical school interview questions.

Effective Preparation Strategies for Common Medical School Interview Questions

• Research the School: Understand the school’s mission, values, and programs. Tailor your answers to reflect how your goals align with their offerings.
• Practice Common Questions: Prepare for common interview questions and scenarios, such as ethical dilemmas and personal motivations.
• Use Personal Stories: To make your responses more memorable, incorporate personal anecdotes that highlight your experiences, skills, and qualities.
• Stay Current: Be aware of current events and healthcare issues, as these may come up in discussions or ethical scenarios.
• Prepare Questions: Prepare thoughtful questions to ask the interviewers to demonstrate your interest in the program.
• Review Feedback: After mock interviews, review feedback to identify areas for improvement and refine your responses accordingly.

Medical School Requirement #8: Acuity Insights Assessment and CASPer

Acuity Insights, which includes both the CASPer test and the Duet assessment, is a multi-component assessment that is a part of the application selection process for many professional programs, including medical schools. CASPer is a situational judgment test designed to assess your non-academic qualities like empathy, ethical decision-making, and communication skills, which are critical for a successful career in medicine.

Some medical schools require CASPer only, and there are some medical schools that don’t require CASPer or Duet at all.

CASPer Preparation Tip: For the CASPer test, focus on practicing situational judgment questions to develop a clear and consistent approach to ethical and interpersonal scenarios. Use CASPer sample questions to familiarize yourself with the format and time constraints. Learn how the CASPer test is scored and strategies to help you tackle different scenarios. Or invest in some CASPer prep to help you get ready for the test.

FAQs

To your success,

Your friends at BeMo

BeMo Academic Consulting

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