collageApply to the MD Program
In response to the evolving situation with COVID-19, Tufts University of Medicine has provided these adjustments and guidelines regarding prerequisite requirements.
The selection of applicants for admission into the MD Program is based not only on performance in the required premedical courses, but also on the applicant’s entire academic record and extracurricular experiences. Letters of recommendation and information supplied by the applicant are reviewed for indications of promise and suitability for a medical career. Applicants must complete all degree programs they are enrolled in (undergraduate and all other) by the time of matriculation. Preference is given to applicants who will earn a bachelor’s degree from an accredited US college or university before medical school.
How to Apply
- Meet our Eligibility Requirements: Undergraduates with any majors are welcome to apply, provided they meet our course prerequisites and satisfy our Technical Standards. We also welcome candidates with non-traditional backgrounds.
- Provide MCAT Scores: Nearly all U.S. medical schools require applicants to submit MCAT scores. Tufts School of Medicine applicants must take the Medical College Admissions Test within five years preceding enrollment. Applicants may initiate an application prior to taking the exam, but MCAT scores are needed to complete an application and must be received prior to the January 15 Secondary Application deadline.
- Complete the AMCAS Application: Applicants must complete and submit the online application of the American Medical College Application Service (AMCAS). AMCAS distributes applications to designated medical school admissions offices from June through November. Applicants must complete their AMCAS application, including the submission of all transcripts, by November 1 of the application year. Tufts School of Medicine does not grant extensions to this deadline.
- Complete Tufts School of Medicine Secondary Application: Applicants must complete a Secondary Application (Tufts School of Medicine does not disqualify any applicants at this stage.) The application requires you to submit letters of recommendation and a $130 application fee. (The $130 application fee is waived for any applicant who has received an AMCAS fee waiver). The secondary application is available from July until the secondary application deadline of January 15.
Our Process
Selected applicants are invited to visit the Boston campus for personal interviews between September and March. All complete applications are considered for interviews on a rolling basis. Interview decisions are sent by email to applicants stating either a notification of an interview invitation or a notification that they are no longer under consideration for an interview at Tufts. Applicants who have not received a final decision via email remain under active consideration until they do so. All applicants will receive either an invitation to interview or a letter of regret by March 31.
The interview program consists of a full day of speakers, presentations, lunch, an opportunity to meet some of our current students, a tour, and two individual interviews with members of the Admissions Committee. Interviews are scheduled only by invitation of the admissions committee, and we do not conduct regional interviews.
The Tufts University School of Medicine Admissions Committee meets monthly during the interview season and admits selected applicants on a rolling basis from October through April. Selected applicants are admitted from the Wait List during the late spring and summer as space in the entering class permits.
Admissions Timeline
| June – November | Tufts School of Medicine receives applications from AMCAS |
| July – January | Tufts School of Medicine receives secondary applications and letters of recommendation |
| July – March | Completed applications are reviewed |
| August 1 | Deadline to complete Early Decision AMCAS application |
| August – March | Tufts School of Medicine sends invitations to interview |
| September 1 | Deadline to complete Early Decision Tufts School of Medicine Secondary Application |
| September – March | Tufts School of Medicine interview season |
| October 1 | Tufts School of Medicine notifies Early Decision applicants of application outcome |
| October – April | Tufts School of Medicine Admissions Committee admits selected applicants |
| October – March | Applicants no longer being considered for admission receive letter of regret |
| November 1 | Deadline to complete regular AMCAS application |
| January 15 | Deadline to complete regular Tufts School of Medicine Secondary Application |
| March 31 | All applicants have received either an invitation to interview or a letter of regret |
| April 30 | Tuition deposit refund deadline |
| May – July | Tufts School of Medicine admits selected applicants from Wait List |
| Late July | Orientation for the Entering Class |
Premedical Course Requirements
In response to the evolving situation with COVID-19, Tufts University of Medicine has provided these adjustments and guidelines regarding prerequisite requirements.
Tufts University School of Medicine encourages applicants from all disciplines to apply and we do not favor any particular undergraduate major. We believe the premedical requirements/competencies listed below will prepare applicants best for the scientific rigor of your medical education. In preparation for being a successful medical student and physician, we strongly encourage applicants to obtain a broad based liberal arts education. Course work may include studies in ethics, philosophy, sociology, psychology, history and the arts. This broad-based educational approach is critical to being successful in the Tufts School of Medicine educational curriculum with its strong emphasis on health care systems and social determinants of health. Knowledge of a second language is strongly encouraged and helps prepare our students and graduates for working in our multicultural society. All of this will contribute to a well-educated, balanced and healthy physician.
Some prerequisites are defined in terms of coursework and others are defined in terms of competencies.
Courses taken to fulfill prerequisites are expected to be those courses designated for undergraduate science majors. Prerequisite coursework is defined in terms of traditional academic years with semesters. Many undergraduate institutions offer courses in other formats, and we will accept the courses and/or sequences that your undergraduate school offers as equivalencies to traditional semester courses and sequences. If you have taken courses in more than one format, you are welcome to apply if you believe your aggregate curriculum is equivalent to our prerequisites. If your coursework differs, you can detail and support these differences on our secondary application.
Tufts School of Medicine defines competency as a specific learned ability demonstrated at a minimum, an entry-level skill set (knowledge, reflection, reasoning, curiosity, interpretive ability) needed to succeed in medical school. Competencies may be gained through a variety of means including but not limited to formal courses, work and life experiences.
Coursework Prerequisites:
Biology: Full year of introductory or advanced biology coursework. Any courses offered by the biology department for science majors are acceptable.
Chemistry: Two years of chemistry coursework that includes at least one semester course in general chemistry and one semester course in organic chemistry. A semester course in biochemistry is highly recommended and may count towards the two year total. Examples (in semesters): 2 general + 2 organic, or 2 general + 1 organic + 1 biochemistry, or 1 general + 2 organic + 1 biochemistry
Physics: A semester of physics coursework. Any course offered by the physics department for science majors is acceptable. AP credit will not count for your physics requirement. However, the requirement can be satisfied by completing a course where physics was a prerequisite or completing an advanced course that incorporates physics (e.g. physical chemistry or engineering course). You should document this information with an explanation on your secondary application.
Advanced Placement: Advanced Placement (AP) credit does not reduce required coursework for biology and physics. Applicants with AP credit in these disciplines are expected to take a full year of college coursework in biology and a semester of college coursework in physics (see above for physics). For chemistry, AP credit may be applied toward the general chemistry requirement and as one semester of the two years total required coursework. Applicants with AP credit in chemistry must present at least a year and a half of college chemistry coursework that includes at least one semester course in organic chemistry. Examples (in semesters): 1 AP + 1 general + 2 organic or 1 AP + 1 general + 1 organic + 1 biochemistry or 1 AP + 2 organic + 1 biochemistry
Exemption Exams: Do not apply toward course prerequisites.
Competency Prerequisites:
English: Competency in spoken and written English. English literature coursework is not required. As an example, completing a bachelor’s degree in an English speaking college or university demonstrates this competency.
Math: Competency in the basic concepts of statistics. May be acquired through an introductory course in statistics, as a topic in a science or social science course, or through experience with a research project.
Biology: Competency in Mendelian genetics as well as cell and molecular biology. Usually acquired in introductory biology courses. Upper level courses in genetics and/or cell and molecular biology are helpful but not required. (Note: Coursework that fulfills the biology prerequisite requirement may also be used to fulfill the competency requirement, if applicable.)
Laboratory: Competency in laboratory skills equivalent to two years of laboratory course work. Usually acquired in the laboratory sections of biology and chemistry courses. Laboratory experience in other settings, including employment settings, is also acceptable. Applicants are generally expected to take the laboratory component of undergraduate science courses when available.
Coursework FAQ:
- Tufts University School of Medicine accepts credit for prerequisite courses at community colleges or online. We understand that circumstances may lead applicants to complete coursework at either community colleges or online. In these circumstances, we encourage you to discuss the reasons for your educational pathway on your application.
- Courses need to be completed prior to enrollment, but not necessarily prior to application. Courses may be taken during the application year. However, the most competitive applicants will have completed the premed requirements prior to submission of the application.
- Tufts University School of Medicine does not have an expiration policy regarding prerequisite courses although we do expect some recent scientific coursework or involvement.
- The Tufts University School of Medicine Premedical Course Requirements were updated in October 2018 and will take effect for the 2020 application cycle
MD Admissions Office
617-636-6571
med-admissions@tufts.edu
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