collageWhat do you consider acceptable standards for GPA? Our entering students have an average GPA (BCPM, AO and Total) of 3.7. We have no “automatic cut-offs”. The Admissions Committee reviews all completed applications in their entirety and GPA scores are only one of many factors considered by the Admissions Committee.
Academic Requirements
Academic requirements for applying to the T.H. Chan School of Medicine at UMass Chan Medical School are outlined below. A bachelor’s degree from an accredited college or university located in the US or Canada is required. All applicants must have obtained their degree prior to matriculation into the School of Medicine.
TIME FRAME:
Required science coursework should be completed within six years prior to the Chan School of Medicine application and in a classroom-based setting. Recent graduates, up to 3 years prior to application, would still meet the time frame for completing pre-requisite courses. Exceptions may be made for applicants who worked in or studied biomedical sciences after college graduation on a case by case basis.
Applicants enrolled in a professional or graduate school program must be in the terminal year of the degree program to be considered for admission to the Chan School of Medicine. Applicants are expected to complete the academic program in which they are enrolled at any time during the application process and prior to possible Chan School of Medicine matriculation. Individuals who have previously matriculated at another medical school are not eligible to apply to UMass Chan Medical School.
GRADING:
All required coursework must be evaluated by traditional grading and not by a pass/fail system.
Coursework completed in the Spring, Summer and/or Fall 2020 semester can be pass/fail of no other option was provided by your academic institution due to the pandemic. Coursework elected as pass/fail is not accepted. You will be asked to explain such circumstances as part of our secondary application.
Advanced placement (AP) credit in required coursework is accepted, however, the credit awarded must be stated on the transcript and AMCAS application. Upper level undergraduate science coursework is encouraged, especially for applicants who received AP credit for required courses. International Baccalaureate (IB) credits will be accepted for the English requirement if stated on the transcript and AMCAS application. IB credits will not be accepted for any math or science required coursework. CLEP credit may not be used to satisfy these requirements.
SETTING:
Applicants are strongly encouraged to complete requirements in a classroom-based setting at their four-year degree granting institution during the academic school year. Online coursework at your home/graduating institution is accepted. However, classroom-based coursework and labs are strongly preferred. You will be asked to explain such circumstances, including those related to COVID, as part of our secondary application.
CLARIFICATIONS:
Applicants who are attending/have attended a college or university on a quarter system should complete at least 3 quarters to meet our 1 year/2 semester requirement for all prerequisite coursework.
Precalculus will not be accepted as part of our 1 semester of calculus requirement.
Courses in the humanities and social sciences (psychology, sociology, anthropology) are strongly encouraged. Although most applicants are science or math majors, no major is preferred.
FOREIGN GRADUATES:
Applicants who have graduated from a foreign college or university must have completed a minimum of one full year of study in biomedical sciences at an accredited U.S. or Canadian college or university prior to submitting their application to the Chan School of Medicine.
The year of study may include completion of:
- Required courses listed below. Foreign graduates applying post-undergraduate school must complete required courses at an accredited US or Canadian college.
- Post-Baccalaureate Program in Biomedical Sciences
- Terminal degree (Master’s, PhD) in Biomedical Sciences
ENTERING CLASS OF 2021 (and beyond) REQUIRED COURSEWORK
| Required Courses | |||
| General Biology or Zoology (with lab) | 2 semesters or 1 year | ||
| General Physics (with lab) | 2 semesters or 1 year | ||
| English composition, literature or writing intensive course | 2 semesters or 1 year | ||
| Calculus (Pre-calculus is not considered an acceptable substitution for this requirement) | 1 semester | ||
| Statistics | 1 semester | ||
| ChemistryRequired Chemistry Sequences: Applicants may meet the chemistry requirement in one of the following ways: | 4 or 5 semesters or 2-2.5 years | ||
| General (Inorganic) Chemistry with Lab | Organic Chemistry with Lab | Biochemistry | |
| Sequence 1 | 2 semesters | 2 semesters | 1 semester |
| Sequence 2 | 2 semesters | 1 semester | 1 semester |
| Sequence 3 | 1 semester | 2 semesters | 1 semester |
MCAT
All applicants are required to take the Medical College Admissions Test (MCAT). Arrangements for taking the MCAT, requesting test reports, and information concerning administration, scoring and processing of the test should be directed to the MCAT office.
Selection of applicants for the medical school class entering in a given calendar year will be based, in part, on MCAT scores acquired during the previous three calendar years.
For applicants applying for the 2021-2022 admissions cycle (entering class of 2022):
- Oldest MCAT considered: January 2018
- Latest MCAT considered: September 2021
Selection of alternates may include consideration of MCAT scores acquired in the same calendar year. Applicants must list the last date that they plan to take the MCAT on their AMCAS application.
MCAT results must be received by the Office of Admissions by September 1 to be considered for early decision.
FAQs
UMASS Medical School – School of Medicine
May I arrange a tour of UMMS?
The Office of Admissions does not arrange tours except for applicants who have been invited for an interview by the Admissions Committee. UMMS is a public institution and at all times our priority is patient rights and confidentiality. You are welcome to take a self-guided tour.
May I schedule an appointment with the dean or director of admissions for premedical counseling?
We strongly urge you to meet with your premedical advisor for counseling. Applicants are advised to apply to several medical schools and premedical advisors are the best source for guidance in applying to medical schools.
It is our policy that no member of the school, whether administration or faculty, shall counsel any applicant about his/her application during the time that it is under active consideration by the Admissions Committee. This policy insures complete fairness and equality to all applicants. Again, we emphasize the knowledge and experience that college premedical advisors have had with a variety of medical schools to which their students apply and urge students to continue consulting with them.
What if I do not have a premedical advisor available to me?
- As an alumnus/a you have access to the premedical advisor at your undergraduate school regardless of when you graduated.
- If you have been out of undergraduate school for more than four years, you must retake the required courses and you must have access to the premed advisor where you are taking the courses. Exceptions may be made on a case-by-case basis for applicants who have been involved in biomedical sciences after graduation.
- In the event that there is no premedical advisor available at your institution, then you should request that a premedical committee be convened preferably consisting of members from the biology, chemistry and physics departments.
Applying to Medical School
How can I find out more about applying to medical school?
Applications for admission must be made through the American College Application Service (AMCAS). Applicants should consult the AAMC Medical School Admissions Requirements publication. This provides general recommendations concerning preparation for the study of medicine as well as specific information about UMMS and other accredited U.S./Canadian medical schools.
If I am contemplating application to medical school, should I be a science major in undergraduate school?
UMMS encourages students to pursue a premedical education of considerable breadth including liberal arts and all students must complete the required coursework. No single program is recommended as the best or preferred plan of study.
Can I be accepted to Medical School while I am currently enrolled in a degree program?
Applicants enrolled in a degree granting program are responsible for completing that program by the time they expect to matriculate at UMMS. The admissions committee considers withdrawal from a degree program for the purpose of matriculating to medical school as unacceptable behavior.
Application Process
Do you accept foreign college graduates?
Applications are considered provided all prerequisite courses are taken at a U.S. or Canadian college or university. Applicants who have graduated from foreign colleges must complete a minimum of one year of study in the U.S. or Canada. Be sure to review our academic requirements page for details on what programs of study can be completed to meet our requirements for foreign college graduates interested in applying to UMass Medical School.
Who is eligible to apply to UMMS?
All applicants must be U.S. citizens or permanent residents.
Are applications from older students considered?
The University provides equal opportunity and access to all applicants and students regardless of age, race, color, religion, sex, national origin, sexual orientation, disability and veteran’s status. The University adheres strictly to all applicable state and federal regulations relating to nondiscrimination and equal opportunity.
What allowances do you make for disadvantaged students?
One of our missions is to make medical school education available to those who might otherwise not be able to access or afford private medical education.
May I contact UMMS to schedule an interview after I have submitted my application?
The decision to grant an interview is made by the Admissions Committee and the Office of Admissions will notify those applicants who are selected for an interview. Due to the large number of applications, it is not possible to interview all applicants.
What is the UMMS deferral policy?
UMMS will consider one year deferrals for academic work with a scholarly element or for compelling personal reasons. Requests for deferral will be considered on a case-by-case basis and must be approved by the associate dean for admissions.
If my application is rejected may I seek counseling from the dean or director of admissions as to why I was rejected and how I can improve my application?
We do not provide such counseling. We strongly recommend that first you yourself look for any weaknesses in your application and remedy them, i.e., improve GPA, MCATs and fill in any experiential gaps. Secondly, confer with your premedical advisor.
Why do you have technical standards?
The technical standards reflect the key attributes that all applicants must possess in order to successfully complete the undergraduate medical education program and continue to perform competently in postgraduate medical training.
Do you accept transfers from osteopathic and/or foreign medical schools?
We will consider transfer students, if spots are available, from Liaison Committee on Medical Education (LCME) accredited medical schools only. See the Transfer to School section of our website for more information.
Pre-Requisite Coursework
What prerequisite courses are required for UMMS?
Please review our academic requirements for full details and policies.
Academic requirements for the entering class of 2019 are:
– Biology or zoology with a lab – one year or two semesters
– Physics with lab – one year or two semesters
– English composition, literature or writing intensive coursework – one year or two semesters
– Chemistry – applicants must fulfill one of the following chemistry sequences:
– Sequence 1 – One year or two semesters of general (inorganic) chemistry with lab AND one year or two semesters of organic chemistry with lab
– Sequence 2 – One year or two semesters of general (inorganic) chemistry with lab AND one year or two semesters of organic chemistry with lab AND one semester of biochemistry
– Sequence 3 – One year or two semesters of general (inorganic) chemistry with lab AND one semester of organic chemistry with lab AND one semester of biochemistry
– Sequence 4 – One semester of general (inorganic) chemistry with lab AND one year or two semesters of organic chemistry with lab AND one semester of biochemistry
Biochemistry is strongly recommended for the entering class of 2019.
One semester of calculus and one semester of statistics is also recommended for the entering class of 2019.
Academic requirements for the entering class of 2020 are:
– Biology or zoology with a lab – one year or two semesters
– Physics with lab – one year or two semesters
– English composition, literature or writing intensive coursework – one year or two semesters
– Calculus – one semester
– Statistics – one semester
– Chemistry – applicants must fulfill one of the following chemistry sequences:
– Sequence 1 – One year or two semesters of general (inorganic) chemistry with lab AND one year or two semesters of organic chemistry with lab AND one semester of biochemistry
– Sequence 2 – One year or two semesters of general (inorganic) chemistry with lab AND one semester of organic chemistry with lab AND one semester of biochemistry
– Sequence 3 – One semester of general (inorganic) chemistry with lab AND one year or two semesters of organic chemistry with lab AND one semester of biochemistry
Do the prerequisite courses need to be completed prior to applying to UMMS?
Prerequisite coursework can be in progress during the application process. An official transcript with final grades should be sent to UMMS once coursework has been completed.
How long is prerequisite coursework effective?
Required courses must have been completed within 6 years prior to application. Recent graduates, up to 3 years prior to application, would still meet the time frame for completing prerequisite courses. Exceptions may be made for applicants who have been involved in biomedical sciences after graduation.
Can I substitute a course for the required courses?
If your premedical advisor states in writing that a course is equivalent to one of our required courses, we will accept the substitution.
May I take my required courses during the summer?
It is preferable that required courses be taken during the regular academic year at a rigorous four-year college or university.
May I take my required courses at different schools?
We strongly recommend that you take them at the same institution and where a premedical advisor is available.
May I take my required courses online?
All prerequisite coursework must be completed via classroom-based learning.
MCAT and GPA
What do you consider acceptable standards for MCAT scores?
We accept both the new and old MCAT exam if taken between 1/1/2015 and 9/19/2018 for the entering class of 2019. With that in mind, it is best to look at the percentile and strive for 65th percentile or greater overall and in each subsection. The Admissions Committee reviews all completed applications in their entirety and MCAT scores are only one of many factors considered by the Admissions Committee.
What do you consider acceptable standards for GPA?
Our entering students have an average GPA (BCPM, AO and Total) of 3.7. We have no “automatic cut-offs”. The Admissions Committee reviews all completed applications in their entirety and GPA scores are only one of many factors considered by the Admissions Committee.
Residency
What is your residency policy?
UMass Medical School accepts both residents and non-residents of Massachusetts into the School of Medicine. To determine if you qualify as a Massachusetts resident for tuition and fees purposes, please review our Residency Classification Policy. Please note attending a Massachusetts college does not establish residency in and of itself.
Do you accept applications from Non-Mass residents?
Residents and nonresidents of Massachusetts are eligible to apply to the MD and MD/PhD programs. Please review our Residency Classification Policy to determine if you qualify for in-state tuition.
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