There are fifteen medical schools in New York, and a physician hopeful looking for a New York education will find a variety of wonderful opportunities in the Empire State.
Some of the top-rated and ranked medical schools in the world are in New York State. With the prestige and the variety, any prospective medical student will find themselves perhaps spoiled for choice, but also challenged for strength of applications. How to make your medical school application stand out will surely be an important factor if you are applying here.
Spoiled for choice can also quickly become a source of consternation for a student. Too many options can make it difficult to know where to turn, and how to choose a medical school isn’t always easy.
Don’t worry. In this article, we will give you fast facts about the plethora of schools in New York, take a look at some of the prerequisites and requirements – both academic and non-academic – and go into the kinds of preferred applicants and kinds of doctor you can become at a New York Medical school in 2024.
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List of Schools and Key Facts
Note: all tuitions are in USD
1. Albany Medical College
Class Size: 143
Acceptance Rate in/out-of-state/international: 2.16%/0.83%/0% (of 14)
Median MCAT: 510 Median GPA: 3.75
Tuition In-state/out-of-state: $57,723/$57,723
Shadowing: Recommended
Community Service Requirement: Yes
Research/Thesis Requirement: No
2. Albert Einstein College of Medicine
Class Size: 183
Acceptance Rate in/out-of-state/international: 4.90%/1.09%/2.70%
Median MCAT: 516 Median GPA: 3.84
Tuition In-state/out-of-state: $60,098/$60,098
Shadowing: Required
Community Service Requirement: Yes
Research/Thesis Requirement: Yes
3. Columbia University Vagelos College of Physicians and Surgeons (Columbia Medical School)
Class Size: 138
Acceptance Rate in/out-of-state/international: 2.44%/1.71%/0% (of 520)
Median MCAT: 521 Median GPA: 3.90
Tuition In-state/out-of-state: $69,363/$69,363
Shadowing: Recommended
Community Service Requirement: No
Research/Thesis Requirement: Yes
4. CUNY School of Medicine
Class Size: 71
Acceptance Rate in/out-of-state/international: 100% (71/71)/0%/0%
Median MCAT: N/A Median GPA: N/A
Tuition In-state/out-of-state: $41,912/$69,572
Shadowing: Recommended
Community Service Requirement: Yes
Research/Thesis Requirement: Yes
5. Donald and Barbara Zucker School of Medicine at Hofstra/Northwell
Class Size: 99
Acceptance Rate in/out-of-state/international: 2.74%/1.16%/0% (of 45)
Median MCAT: 517 Median GPA: 3.82
Tuition In-state/out-of-state: $54,525/$54,525
Shadowing: N/A
Community Service Requirement: No
Research/Thesis Requirement: No
6. Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai
Class Size: 120
Acceptance Rate in/out-of-state/international: 2.39%/1.19%/0.59%
Median MCAT: 517 Median GPA: 3.84
Tuition In-state/out-of-state: $60,405/$60,405
Shadowing: Recommended
Community Service Requirement: No
Research/Thesis Requirement: Yes
Are you still deciding between DO and MD schools? Check out their main differences:
7. Jacobs School of Medicine and Biomedical Sciences at the University of Buffalo
Class Size: 184
Acceptance Rate in/out-of-state/international: 6.79%/0.60%/0% (of 58)
Median MCAT: 510 Median GPA: 3.75
Tuition In-state/out-of-state: $46,722/$68,212
Shadowing: Recommended
Community Service Requirement: Yes
Research/Thesis Requirement: No
8. New York Medical College
Class Size: 211
Acceptance Rate in/out-of-state/international: 4.42%/0.77%/1.15%
Median MCAT: 514 Median GPA: 3.62
Tuition In-state/out-of-state: $60,602/$60,602
Shadowing: Recommended
Community Service Requirement: No
Research/Thesis Requirement: No
9. New York University Long Island School of Medicine
Class Size: 24
Acceptance Rate in/out-of-state/international: 1.18%/0.30%/0% (of 52)
Median MCAT: 517 Median GPA: 3.84
Tuition In-state/out-of-state: $3,450/$3,450
Shadowing: Recommended
Community Service Requirement: No
Research/Thesis Requirement: No
10. NYU Grossman School of Medicine
Class Size: 108
Acceptance Rate in/out-of-state/international: 1.12%/1.14%/0% (of 132)
Median MCAT: 522 Median GPA: 3.96
Tuition In-state/out-of-state: $3,950/$3,950
Shadowing: Recommended
Community Service Requirement: No
Research/Thesis Requirement: Yes
11. Renaissance School of Medicine at Stony Brook University
Class Size: 136
Acceptance Rate in/out-of-state/international: 4.00%/1.11%/1.56%
Median MCAT: 516 Median GPA: 3.84
Tuition In-state/out-of-state: $47,774/$69,264
Shadowing: Recommended
Community Service Requirement: No
Research/Thesis Requirement: No
12. State University of New York Upstate Medical University Alan and Marlene Norton College of Medicine
Class Size: 171
Acceptance Rate in/out-of-state/international: 4.94%/1.72%/0.81%
Median MCAT: 512 Median GPA: 3.74
Tuition In-state/out-of-state: $45,513/$66,703
Shadowing: Recommended
Community Service Requirement: Yes
Research/Thesis Requirement: No
13. SUNY Downstate Health Sciences University College of Medicine
Class Size: 199
Acceptance Rate in/out-of-state/international: 6.11%/0.64%/1.32%
Median MCAT: 512 Median GPA: 3.69
Tuition In-state/out-of-state: $44,376/$65,866
Shadowing: Recommended
Community Service Requirement: No
Research/Thesis Requirement: No
14. University of Rochester School of Medicine and Dentistry
Class Size: 104
Acceptance Rate in/out-of-state/international: 2.19%/1.35%/9.76%
Median MCAT: 516 Median GPA: 3.85
Tuition In-state/out-of-state: $66,285/$66,954
Shadowing: Recommended
Community Service Requirement: No
Research/Thesis Requirement: No
15. Weill Cornell Medicine School
Class Size: 106
Acceptance Rate in/out-of-state/international: 1.69%/1.31%/0.75%
Median MCAT: 519 Median GPA: 3.90
Tuition In-state/out-of-state: $66,954/$66,954
Shadowing: Recommended
Community Service Requirement: No
Research/Thesis Requirement: No
Check out tips for applying to medical schools in New York:
The Overwhelming Choice
With fifteen MD institutions and 3 DO schools, how do you begin to sift through? Choosing the right institution for you is always a personal choice. Best practice is to ask yourself what you want in an education, and what institutions are best suited for you, and find out which schools fit both areas.
For instance, if a combined degree is of paramount importance to you, you need to find out which schools offer an MD-PhD program.
In New York, most schools offer the MD-PhD. The only ones that do not are CUNY and NYU Long Island School of Medicine, so you have a lot of options.
You also should consider practicality and suitability. On a practical level, the competition is so fierce at so many of these universities that a low MCAT score will hurt you. How to get into medical school with a low MCAT score is tricky, and harder with such competition. You have options, of course, like an MCAT prep course, and can always decide to retake the test, but maybe you can’t or decide against that.
So, now you have a specific need: medical schools that accept lower MCAT scores.
What are your experiences that you’ve had? Work experiences, volunteer experiences, your scores and academic record should all be matched up to different schools. What are they looking for? Is it you? Where will you thrive? Find a school that can challenge you and help you grow instead of taking you somewhere you don’t want to be or somewhere that won’t give you the tools you need to fit your future.
Is there anything else you can do?
Yes!
Shortlist schools that have your wants and needs covered, or have exciting programs. Include schools that you’d have to try hard to get into. Whittle the list down by picking your top choices for each category, and allowing yourself some schools that are shoot-for-the-stars entries and some that are a bit more down-to-Earth.
Applicant Preferences
Underrepresented Persons
If you are a prospective student who is a member of an underrepresented minority group, here are some recommendations for New York schools with pipeline programs.
Albert Einstein College of Medicine offers minority students a program where they receive mentoring on how to apply.
City College of New York (CCNY)
Columbia University Vagelos College offers prospective students a “boot camp,” called the Strategic Testing Application Techniques for Successful Entry to Medical School, which runs for 24 weeks and helps students with their application process, as well as providing preparation for the MCAT. This is particularly useful to any student who is not confident of their abilities to pass such tests.
CUNY has diversified applicant pools. These go beyond racial minorities, and will support women, disabled – including neurodiverse – students, and international students. Veterans also can receive funding and support from CUNY.
Icahn School of Medicine have several programs to help diverse students, such as the PhD Application and Assistance Advisory Program (PAAAP), and the Post-Baccalaureate Research Education Program (PREP). They have made sure to include many different groups in their diversity intiatives, shown in programs like their Committee to Address Anti-Asian Bias and Racism (CAABR).
Staten Island University Hospital has scholarships for diverse students, refunding certain fees, offering travel money, and giving access to mentorships.
Albany Medical College doesn’t have a specific pipeline program, however their Black student population has recently moved from two students to twenty over three years, and the Latino student population doubled. Albany is making a concentrated effort to increase diversity in its student body, so your application will likely succeed with lower GPA or MCAT scores.
In-State, Out-of-State, and International Students
For out-of-state applicants, the breakdown of NYU’s Grossman School of Medicine is 85% out-of-state, so they clearly take on non-local students.
Columbia University, CUNY, Icahn School of Medicine, NYU Long Island, NYU Grossman, Renaissance School of Medicine, the Alan and Marlene Norton College of Medicine, University of Rochester, and Weill Cornell Medicine all accept international students.
New York Medical College will accept Canadian students, specifically.
An international student must consider, however, that they might face greater fees at some of these schools, either in terms of medical school tuition, or simply because of travel costs and the unseen costs of living in another country, including not having a nearby support network – such as family – to assist you.
All schools will also require a technical proficiency in the English language in order to attend.
Are you planning on applying to Ivy League medical schools? Check out our video for tips:
Academic and Non-Academic Preferences
Academics and Prerequisites
Non-academic Experiences
Far and away the most frequent pre-medical experience for a New York medical school matriculant is research in a laboratory setting. Some schools valued this so highly that, in recent years, their numbers hit 98 or 99%. Columbia, Albert Einstein, NYU Grossman, and Weill all had extremely high rates of students who had research experience.
Paid laboratory experience wasn’t as common as volunteer experience, so there is no need to be picky here while looking for non-academic additions to your AMCAS Work and Activities section.
Therefore, you should definitely get direct laboratory experience. With every school in New York valuing such an experience at higher rates than in most other medical schools in the US, this is clearly a determining factor.
The next two most looked-at experiences were community service and physician shadowing.
NY medical schools had low rates of military experience among applicants. Although many schools do have programs for veterans, statistically, they aren’t accepting as many as in other states. A veteran might find an easier program in a state like Texas or Georgia.
What Kind of Doctor You Can Become at Medical School in New York
Match Rates
Certain New York schools are some of the medical schools with the best match rates.
Weill, in particular, has a match rate of 99%, most of which were in the top 50 institutions.
NYU Grossman has a high match rate in anesthesiology.
Variety
The reality is that with so many institutions to choose from, a New York medical school can prepare you for the specialty that you’re looking for. If you are still wondering how to choose a medical specialty and have not made up your mind, medical schools in New York may be your best choice due to the variety of training they offer.
If you want to experience medicine in an urban center, go with one of the institutions located in New York City, like NYU Grossman or Icahn. If you want to see medicine from a rural perspective, try applying to New York Medical College or the Renaissance School of Medicine at Stony Brook. Or, you could go with University of Rochester to get a smaller city – still urban, but very different from NYC.
Science-based
With all of the Empire State’s many schools emphasizing science and lab experience, it’s easy to understand that these schools have a strong scientific bent, and that students who are interested in the scientific aspects of medicine will find themselves at home in New York state.
Conclusion
You have a unique journey to take, with your own hopes, aspirations, and abilities. No other physician will be quite like you. Whatever your journey has been, however, and regardless of the kind of physician you want to become, New York’s plethora of medical schools can provide you with the opportunities to move forward.
With fifteen medical school possibilities, there are combinations of requirements and results that can suit your needs.
FAQs
1. Are New York Medical Schools more expensive than other schools?
No. Some are very expensive, true, but expenses vary from school to school. You’ll find that plenty of New York schools are affordable – CUNY and CCNY, for instance, have very robust student financing options – and that rates even vary in-state to out-of-state.
2. Are New York Medical Schools more exclusive than other schools?
Also no. As with expenses, some are very difficult to get into and others easier, but this is true of any region in the country.
3. What is AMCAS?
AMCAS – the American Medical College Application Service – is a centralized system that allows students to apply faster and easier to multiple medical schools. The system gives you a hub from which you can track your application’s progress, and where you can receive updates as they come in.
4. How many medical schools should I apply to?
We recommend you apply to between 8 and 10 medical schools. AMCAS data says that the average student applies to 16, but if you focus on sharper applications for fewer schools – while still casting a reasonably wide net – we think that your chances of acceptance are greater.
You can apply to that full number just within New York State’s multiple medical schools, so if New York is your priority, for whatever reason, you can complete your application list in just that one geographic area.
5. Is a medical school application expensive?
That does depend on your definition of expensive, but for most applicants, no. AMCAS has a fee, as does sitting the MCAT.
Generally-speaking, medical school is expensive, however; it might be easier to think of the MCATs, application fee, any medical school admissions consulting, and even tuition as somewhat of an investment in your future. Struggle now, increase your earning potential, and reap the rewards later.
CUNY and CCNY offer, for US students anyway, tuition-free scholarships, automatically granted to medical students. Living expenses don’t go away, but these schools offer additional help for those areas as well. If you are financially-burdened, apply to those schools. However, with small class sizes, they are incredibly competitive. Only the very best will be accepted.
6. Are these schools open to international students?
Some of them are. Eight out of the fifteen schools accept all international students, and one school additionally will specifically accept Canadian students. Some still require international students to hold certain statuses. Rochester, for example, only accepts international students with an undergrad from Rochester.
Some schools, like the Alan and Marlene Norton College of Medicine, accept DACA (Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals) students.
7. Are they open to out-of-state students?
All of them, yes. Some have higher rates of matriculation among out-of-state students, in fact.
8. What kinds of interviews do New York medical schools favor?
In keeping with the New York theme: it varies. You will see MMI, panel, one-on-one, two-on-one, in-person, and virtual. Be ready for anything by a thorough understanding of how to prepare for a medical school interview.
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1 Comments
Martha
Hi, really useful blog post do you have similar posts for Texas or any other state?
Reply