Prepare to Apply

The University of Minnesota Medical School hosts information sessions, presentations, and workshops throughout the academic year.

Information Sessions

If you are unable to attend an upcoming information session, please review our Information Session Recording. 

• Information Session: Preparing a Successful Application
• Wednesday, February 1, 2023; 1-2 PM (CST) 
• Join via Zoom

• Information Session: Application Process
• Friday, March 10, 2023; 12-1 PM (CST)
• Join via Zoom

• Information Session: AMCAS Application Workshop
• Wednesday, April 26, 2023; 12-1 PM (CST)
• Join via Zoom

Medicine Musings

Join the Office of Admissions for Medicine Musings, a conversational series across research, clinical experiences, medical education, and community in addition to diversity, equity, and inclusion. You will have the opportunity to join the conversation via a Q&A session. 

Medicine Musings will resume in Fall 2023.

Curriculum Talks

Join the Office of Admissions to learn more about the curriculum changes for Fall 2023!

If you are unable to attend an upcoming session, please review our Curriculum Talks recording.

Cycle 2023 Curriculum Talks flyer (Includes dates, times, rsvp links, and/or Zoom links for each program)

Please note that the Curriculum Talks session for Wednesday, April 26 has been cancelled. We apologize for any inconvenience. 

Reapplicant Workshops

The reapplicant workshops will provide in-depth information on the 13 competencies evaluated during the admissions process. General advice as well as common feedback will be provided for applicants planning on reapplying to the University of Minnesota Medical School. It is recommended to attend all three workshops to gain a deeper understanding of all the competencies. 

• Reapplicant Workshop #1 (recording not available)
• Wednesday, January 18, 2023; 12-1 PM (CST)

• Reapplicant Workshop #2
• Friday, February 10, 2023; 12-1 PM (CST)
• View Recording

• Reapplicant Workshop #3
• Friday, March 24, 2023, 12-1 PM (CST)
• View Recording

Virtual Fairs

• AAMC Virtual Medical School Fair
• Wednesday, March 29, 2023; 10 AM - 7 PM (CST)

In order to be considered for admission to the University of Minnesota Medical School MD programs, all applicants must fall under one of the following at the time of submitting their application: 

1.) A U.S. citizen

OR

2.) An individual with a permanent resident visa (green card) or other visa status that allows them to reside in the U.S. indefinitely. A student visa (or F1) is not acceptable documentation for meeting our residency requirements. If you have questions, please email medadmis@umn.edu.

Additionally, ALL applicants must:

• Hold a baccalaureate degree or graduate degree from a college or university in their country of origin or from a university located in the continental U.S. or Canada.
• Complete all medical school prerequisite course requirements at an accredited U.S. or Canadian college or university by July 1 of the year they matriculate.
• Submit the Medical College Admissions Test (MCAT) within the past 3 years 
  • A minimum MCAT score of 495 is required to receive a supplemental application.
  • The oldest MCAT considered for the entering class of 2024 will be January 2020 through August 26, 2023.

As an applicant to an Association of American Medical Colleges (AAMC) institution, you assume certain responsibilities of familiarizing yourself with requirements, including necessary notifications, when it comes to the progression of the application cycle. 

TRANSFER STUDENTS

The University of Minnesota Medical School does not accept transfer students in any year.

APPLICANTS WHO ARE NOT US CITIZENS

Our MD programs are not able to accept international students. However, we do accept applications from Minnesota residents who currently have Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals (DACA) status. If this applies to you, then the application process is the same as a U.S. resident. 

The MSTP (MD/PhD) program is able to accept international students with other visas. They can be contacted at mdphd@umn.edu.  

For residency program information, please review our Visiting International Students webpage.

Applicants must complete the Medical College Admissions Test (MCAT) no later than August 27 of the application year. The MCAT is valid for three years prior to the application year. The oldest MCAT considered for the entering class of 2024 will be January 2020 through August 26, 2023.

A minimum MCAT score of 495 is required to receive a supplemental application for the Twin Cities and Duluth campuses.

The Admissions Committee will consider each composite and subsection scores to identify trends based on each attempt.

Applicants must complete seven prerequisite courses at an accredited U.S.-based or Canadian college or university by July 1 of the year they matriculate.

The University of Minnesota Medical School does not provide individual transcript evaluations. Applicants should consult their academic advisor or pre-health advisor to determine whether their coursework satisfies the requirements.

GUIDELINES

• Prerequisite courses require a letter grade, although there is not a minimum grade requirement.
  • S/NS (Pass/Fail) grades will be accepted for courses taken in the Spring and Summer of 2020, including prerequisites.
  • Please keep in mind the AMCAS calculated CUM and BCPM GPAs do not account for S/NS grades. We conduct a holistic review of all applications and the academic profile is reviewed in terms of courses taken, grade trends, and final outcomes.

• Some prerequisites from an accredited community college will be accepted. Please note the following:
  • All upper-level courses must be completed at an accredited four year college or university in the U.S. or Canada.
  • No particular degree program or institution is given preference over another. Rigor of coursework and competitiveness of the undergraduate institution, however, are taken into consideration.

• Online courses are accepted for most prerequisites with the exception of any lab courses. Lab courses must be taken in-person.

• Upper-level courses are typically those with a course number that begins with a 3 (300 or 3000) or higher.
  • Some undergraduate institutions consider 200-level courses as upper division or have unique numbering systems and we will accept equivalent courses in such cases.

• Prerequisites cannot be fulfilled with Advanced Placement (AP), College Level Examination Program (CLEP) or International Baccalaureate (IB) credits.
  • If you received AP, CLEP or IB credit for courses such as general chemistry or biology, you will still need 1 semester of chemistry and biology with labs. This can be an advanced chemistry, organic chemistry, or any advanced biology course. Do not retake coursework for which you already received AP/CLEP/IB credit.

PREREQUISITE COURSES (required)

RECOMMENDED COURSES (not required)

• Biochemistry
• Ethics
• Genetics
• Psychology
• Pharmacology
• Statistics
• Foreign language
• Independent learning courses
• Seminar-type courses involving small group discussions
• Social and behavioral sciences and humanities

In addition to being academically qualified, applicants must present evidence of several other competencies necessary for health care professionals:

• Serving and leading with compassion and integrity
• Commitment to serving a diverse patient population
• Commitment to working in an interprofessional team based environment

Qualifications are assessed through the following means:

• Letters of evaluation
• Scope and nature of post-secondary experiences
• Breadth of undergraduate education
• Responses to the supplemental application
• Interview

The Twin Cities and Duluth MD programs conduct a holistic review of applications within a competency based evaluation framework. These competencies are a combination of the University of Minnesota Medical School Competencies for Entering Medical Students and the AAMC Core Competencies for Entering Medical Students.

As the University of Minnesota is a land-grant institution, preference is given to applicants from Minnesota or to those with a high desire to practice medicine in Minnesota.

Application Cycle 2024 (Class of 2028)

MAY 2023

• May 2: AMCAS cycle opens
• May 30: Submission to AMCAS begins

JUNE 2023

• June 30: AMCAS data transmission to medical schools begins

JULY 2023

• July 7: Campus preference selection begins; Supplemental applications open and are available for submission

AUGUST 2023

• August 26: Last accepted date for MCAT

SEPTEMBER 2023

• MD interviews begin (through March 2024)

OCTOBER 2023

• October 1: MD AMCAS application deadline
• October 16: MD AMCAS transcript deadline
• October 30: MD supplemental application deadline

NOVEMBER 2023

• November 1: MSTP (MD/PhD) AMCAS application deadline
• November 15: MSTP (MD/PhD) supplemental application deadline

DECEMBER 2023

• December 8: Post Interview Decision date 1

FEBRUARY 2024

• February 16: Post Interview Decision date 2
• February 19: “Plan to Enroll” becomes available for applicants to select in the AMCAS Choose Your Medical School (CYMS) tool.

MARCH 2024

• All remaining decisions post interview will go out periodically through May.

APRIL 2024

• April 15: MD deferment request deadline
• April 30: “Commit to Enroll” becomes available to applicants in the AMCAS Choose Your Medical School (CYMS) tool.

JULY 2024

• July 1: All prerequisites must be completed for matriculating students
• July 1: Final deadline to select “Commit to Enroll” to confirm matriculation to the University of Minnesota Medical School

Cost is an important factor when considering which school to attend. The University of Minnesota Medical School is committed to keeping our tuition and fees as affordable as possible. Upon entering our Medical School, tuition will be fixed for four years.

To be a legal resident, and eligible for in-state tuition, you must have resided and worked in Minnesota for one year without having been a student. Medical students from South Dakota are able to apply for tuition reciprocity. 

For residency questions, please review the Residency and Reciprocity Handbook or contact the Residency Classification Office at otr@umn.edu.

Funding Your Education

Financial aid is offered to help you meet educational expenses and may consist of loans, scholarships, or work-study. Assistance is based on your financial need, your enrollment status, and the amount of aid available.

To apply and determine the amount of aid or loans you are able to receive, submit an online Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA).

Our Medical School Financial Aid Office is available to assist you with the financing of your medical education at msfao@umn.edu.

Please note that the Office of Admissions does award a small pool of recruitment scholarships that range from non-resident tuition waiver scholarships, full-tuition scholarships, half-tuition scholarships, and donor scholarships. These scholarships are awarded on a rolling basis beginning in January through June.

Along with coursework, the real-world experiences gained as a high school student and undergraduate are heavily considered as part of a University of Minnesota Medical School application. 

The Medical School does not provide pre-medical advising services. Instead, we rely on the academic advisors at undergraduate institutions to offer guidance in class selection and to help students prepare for application to medical school.

These resources will help students prepare and improve their admission prospects.

PROGRAMS & GROUPS

• BA/MD Joint Admissions Scholars (BA/MD JAS) Program provides a unique opportunity for exceptional Minnesota residents from broadly diverse backgrounds to become physicians committed to meeting the healthcare needs of Minnesota's diverse communities.

• Student National Medical Association Mentor Program (SNMA) supports minority pre-medical students by building relationships with current students.

• Minority Association of Pre-Medical Students (MAPS) is an undergraduate student organization that serves minority pre-medical students through informational programs, networking, and volunteering.

• Association of American Medical Colleges (AAMC) strengthens the world’s medical care by supporting the spectrum of education, research, and patient care activities conducted by its member institutions.

• AAMC Aspiring Docs program offers inspiration, information, and support to future students.

• Cancer Disparities Summer Internship is a nine-week program designed to give undergraduate students from Minnesota's underrepresented communities experience conducting cancer and/or health disparities research.

OFFICES & CENTERS

• Center of Multicultural Affairs and Engagement (CMAE) at the University of Minnesota Medical School has a mission to create a welcoming environment for minority and underrepresented medical students.

• Center of American Indian and Minority Health at the University of Minnesota Medical School aims to positively impact American Indian and Alaska native health through education, research, and outreach.

• Pre-Health Student Resource Center provides career exploration resources for prospective or current University of Minnesota students interested in medicine and other health fields.