Perelman School of Medicine: How to Get In

Mission Statement

“Our mission is to advance knowledge and improve health through research, patient care, and the education of trainees in an inclusive culture that embraces diversity, fosters innovation, critical thinking, supports lifelong learning and sustains our legacy of excellence.”

Admissions Statistics and Eligibility

Number of Matriculants: 156

Overall success rate: 2.6%

In-state success rate: 3.6%

Out-of-state success rate: 2.7%

Average MCAT: 522

Average GPA: 3.96

Perelman School of Medicine overall success rate:

Eligibility

Perelman School of Medicine welcomes in- and out-of-state applicants from anywhere in the United States. Perelman is one of the Canadian friendly US medical schools and Canadians are considered in the same applicant pool as US citizens. International students are welcome to apply but must complete at least 12 months of science education in the US or Canada before applying.

Selection Factors

GPA and MCAT

You can probably see that Perelman’s GPA and MCAT averages are quite high – 522 MCAT score and 3.96 GPA. To be a competitive candidate, you should aim to meet or surpass the averages of last year’s matriculants. If you’re worried about your academic achievements, learn how to get into medical school with a low GPA.

Your MCAT cannot be older than three years at the time of application. If you are getting ready to take the MCAT or if you’re re-writing the exam, make sure to have the correct study strategy. First of all, figure out your baseline by taking the MCAT diagnostic test. Your practice test results will reveal areas of knowledge you should brush up on. Create an MCAT study schedule that would include disciplines and topics you need to study. If you’re struggling with your preparations, you can also look into getting an MCAT tutor.

While GPA and MCAT are no doubt important, don’t be discouraged if you fall slightly below average and have an otherwise excellent application. Perelman states they are looking for well-rounded and diverse candidates and thus are willing to accept some lower scores, especially if there are extenuating circumstances.

Degree

All applicants must have a degree from a college or university in the United States or Canada before matriculation. The Perelman School of Medicine does not set any strict medical school prerequisites for its applicants. Your undergraduate degree can be completed in a discipline of your choice, but you’re encouraged to pursue courses that would cultivate your knowledge and skills needed to become a physician.

Recommended Courses

There are no strict course requirements for Perelman School of Medicine. However, you must demonstrate your knowledge across four key fields:

• Biology
• Chemistry
• Physics and Mathematics
• Behavioral Disciplines

Additionally, your educational background must show your ability to write clearly and correctly, organize and deliver oral presentations, as well as read and comprehend complex content. Speaking an additional language to English is encouraged as well.

Extracurriculars

The kind of extracurriculars for medical school that you choose to pursue is a big indicator of your character and abilities. Before you apply to any medical school, you should research the activities and experiences their past matriculants had.

This will inform what kind of experiences you should include in your own AMCAS Work and Activities section, and hint at what kind of experiences you should work on obtaining if your profile is still missing something.

Include in a bar chart:

For example, if you’re interested in applying to Perelman School of Medicine, you can see that 99% of last year’s matriculants had research experience. This indicates that research is highly valued by the admissions committee. If this is something you want to pursue, try looking for research positions on campus or other schools in your vicinity. When you apply to research positions, don’t forget to accompany your CV or job application with a strong research assistant cover letter.

Personal Statement

Writing a personal statement for Perelman School of Medicine requires you to showcase your unique experiences and motivations for pursuing medicine. Start with a compelling introduction that captures your excitement for the practice of medicine and your specific interest in Perelman. Describe key experiences, emphasizing research and community service, that have shaped your journey and prepared you for medical school. Reflect on the challenges you’ve overcome and how you’ve learned from them, especially if there are any potential red flags in your application. Conclude with your long-term career goals and how Perelman’s program will help you achieve them. Use specific examples throughout, such as research centers you want to work at or aspects of the curriculum you will excel at.

Secondary Essays

Secondary essays are your opportunity to impress the admissions committee and convince them to invite you for an interview. At the Perelman School of Medicine, all verified applicants receive the invitation to complete the secondary essays, which means that you’ll be up against thousands of applicants. You must remember a very important rule when it comes to secondaries – make sure to answer the prompt. It is vital that you write a response that answers the question which the school is asking you. Your language must be clear and concise when you answer secondary prompts, since you will not have much space to express yourself.

Here are the current prompts for Perelman:

1. If you were offered an option to continue courses with a standard grading system or switch to Pass/Fail, and you chose Pass/Fail, please describe the reason(s) for your decision here. (500 characters max)
2. Have you taken any online courses for credit? (Not due to the COVID-19 pandemic)
3. Have you been nominated for or received an award from any state, regional or national organization?
4. Have you taken or are you planning to take time off between college graduation and medical school matriculation? (500 characters max)
5. Have you participated in any global activities outside of the U.S. prior to submitting your AMCAS application? (1,000 characters max)
6. Are there any special, unique, personal, or challenging aspects of your personal background or circumstances that you would like to share with the Committee on Admissions, not addressed elsewhere (siblings/relatives at Penn, applying as a couple, educational environment, culture, ethnicity, etc.) (If yes, 1,000 characters max)
7. Have you or your family experienced economic hardships? (1,000 characters max)
8. Have you been employed at the University of Pennsylvania Health System or Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia and worked with a Penn faculty mentor? If yes, please indicate name, department, phone number of faculty, and start/end dates.
9. The Perelman School of Medicine (PSOM) is deeply committed to recruiting a diverse class to enrich an inclusive team-based learning experience. How would you and your life experiences contribute to the diversity of the student body and/or how would you contribute to an inclusive atmosphere at PSOM? (1,000 characters max)
10. Please explain your reasons for applying to the Perelman School of Medicine. (1,000 characters max)

Given how short these essays are, make sure your answers are concise! Include only relevant information and make sure to include anything that may help explain a red flag on your application.

Here are more tips on how to get into Ivy League medical schools!

Letters of Recommendation

Pay particular attention to your medical school recommendation letters for Perelman School of Medicine. A minimum of 3 and a maximum of 10 reference letters can be submitted to AMCAS. You are allowed to submit individual letters, but preference is given to committee letters or letter packets. So, your letters of recommendation filing options are:

1. Composite or committee letter: individual letter/letter packet from a pre-health advisor or career service office, with or without additional letters attached.
2. A minimum of three letters from faculty members who know you well; at least one must come from a science faculty member with whom you have taken courses.

All letters must be written on official letterhead and signed by the writer. You may submit up to 10 letters of recommendation through the AMCAS Letter Writer Application, but additional letters or personal updates to the application may be added at any time. You can personally upload any updates directly into the application using the online status page.

Keep in mind that Perelman values research skills and academic excellence. It is a good idea to reach out to professors or others who have directly supervised you in research activities.

Interview Format

Interviews are granted by invitation only on a rolling basis and take place between September and January. Since interview invites can come at any time it is important to prepare well in advance and to schedule the interview smartly.

You will have traditional panel  interviews with faculty and students, which will take place on select dates chosen by the office of admissions. Interview days can be long and include many questions, so make sure you go through lots of example interview questions Make sure to prepare questions for the student interviewers, as this will showcase interest and research into Perelman.

MD-PhD interviews are scheduled by graduate group in collaboration with medical school interviews. Interview day activities typically include orientation, meeting current students, financial aid discussion and curriculum interaction.



Acceptance and Waitlist Information

The Perelman School of Medicine starts sending out acceptance offers in early March. You will have until the end of April to respond to the offer. Students who accept their offer must pay a deposit of $100. Typically the school sends out acceptance offers to 15 applicants on the waitlist. The last acceptance offers are sent out by mid-July. If you want to learn how to get off a medical school waitlist, make sure to read our blog.

Application Timeline

MAY 28

Tuition and Debt

Tuition and fees for in-state and out-of-state students: $65,343

Total cost of attendance: $91,759 per year

Students receiving financial aid: 86%

Average graduating debt at Perelman: $136,700

Funding Opportunities

Perelman School of Medicine offers a variety of funding opportunities to its students. The schools has internal non-repayable financial assistance programs that can help you pay for your medical school tuition and other expenses.

Non-permanent residents of the United States are not eligible for federal or school financial aid programs. If you are not a US citizen or permanent resident, you must provide documentation certifying that you have the funds for the four-year cost of medical education prior to matriculation.

Scholarly Awards

Perelman School of Medicine awards approximately 25 full-tuition MD scholarships per year. All students accepted are considered for scholarly awards. Awards are made by a University Committee during mid-April. Selection criteria include: outstanding academic performance and achievement, a broad range of intellectual interests, demonstrated leadership, commitment to interests other than academic work, and unique life experiences that may contribute to a medical career.

Need-Based Scholarships

It’s relatively easy to apply for need-based financial assistance (scholarship/grant) at Perelman. To establish your eligibility, they will use the financial information that you provide for yourself, your parent(s), and if applicable, your spouse.

Residency Match Rates

Perelman is among the medical schools with the best match rates. Generally speaking, around 99% of graduates match into a residency, with many getting their first choice.

Perelman’s graduates match into many specialties and programs across the US and the world. Internal Medicine is generally the most popular placement as Perelman is well known for this program.

Available Programs

MD

Perelman is home to the first medical school and teaching hospital in the United States. The school prides itself on traditions of academic excellence and scientific discovery. As one of the Ivy League medical schools, UPenn's MD program is famous for a very selective admissions process.

MD/PhD (MSTP)

UPenn has an integrated admissions process and the MD-PhD program works closely with the MD admissions committee and the graduate groups to make joint decisions about admission. Offers of admission typically go out in March. As one of the top MD-PhD programs in the country, the competition is fierce. Offers of admission come with full funding which consists of tuition, health insurance, most fees, and a stipend.

Other Combined MD Programs

Perelman has a number of other combined MD programs including: MD/Master of Bioethics, MD/ Master of Business Administration (MBA), MD/Master in Law (ML), MD/Master of Public Health (MPH), MD/Master of Science in Clinical Epidemiology (MSCE), MD/Master of Science in Health Policy Research (MSHP), MD/Master of Science in Medical Ethics (MSME), MD/Master of Science in Translational Research (MSTR), and MD/Juris Doctor (JD).

Generally these programs need to be applied to separately and you need to be admitted to both the MD and the joint program.

Academic Curriculum

Perelman’s MD curriculum consists of 6 modules.

Campus and Faculty

The Perelman School of Medicine is located in the University City neighborhood of West Philadelphia. Specifically, it is situated on the Penn Medicine campus, which is part of the larger University of Pennsylvania campus. The location offers convenient access to public transportation, making it easily accessible from various parts of Philadelphia. This campus blends together an urban campus with a more traditional college environment.

Affiliated Teaching Hospitals

The Perelman School of Medicine is affiliated with several prestigious teaching hospitals, including the Hospital of the University of Pennsylvania, Penn Presbyterian Medical Center, and the Children's Hospital of Philadelphia. These hospitals are renowned for their comprehensive specialties, state-of-the-art facilities, and cutting-edge research. Additionally, Pennsylvania Hospital, America’s first hospital, and the Philadelphia VA Medical Center are key affiliates that provide diverse clinical training for medical students.

Research Fields

According to their website, The Perelman School of Medicine at the University of Pennsylvania is renowned for its cutting-edge research across several major fields:

1. Cancer Research: The Abramson Cancer Center at Perelman is a leader in cancer research, focusing on novel treatments such as immunotherapy, targeted therapies, and personalized medicine.
2. Cardiovascular Research: Perelman researchers at the Penn Cardiovascular Institute are dedicated to understanding and treating heart diseases, with advancements in areas such as heart failure, arrhythmias, and vascular biology.
3. Neuroscience: The Penn Medicine Neuroscience Center conducts research in neurodegenerative diseases, brain injury, and psychiatric disorders.

Familiarizing yourself with one or more of these research centers is a great way to make sure application stand out by showcasing your interest in Perelman specifically.

Notable Faculty

According to their website, The Perelman School of Medicine has several notable faculty, including two Nobel Laureates. Dr. Michael Brown and Joseph Goldstein were awarded the Nobel Prize in 1985 for their work on cholesterol metabolism. Other notable faculty include Dr. Drew Weissman, a pioneer in mRNA vaccine technology.

Contact information

Admissions website

Admissions Email: [email protected]

FAQs

To your success,

Your friends at BeMo

BeMo Academic Consulting

Disclaimer: BeMo does not endorse or affiliate with any universities, colleges, or official test administrators. The content has been developed based on the most recent publicly available data provided from the official university website. However, you should always check the statistics/requirements with the official school website for the most up to date information. You are responsible for your own results. 

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