M.D. Admissions Requirements and Application Process
Admissions Requirements
MCAT scores are required to complete your application. Applicants must take the exam no later than September of the year preceding the one in which they hope to enter the College of Medicine. Scores should be no more than three years old at the time of application. For information about the MCAT exam, registration dates, test dates, exam sites, practice tests and the MCAT fee structure and assistance program, visit AAMC Prepare for the MCAT® Exam page.
Applications are accepted from individuals who are US citizens or permanent residents of the United States and who do not have a felony explanation on their AMCAS application. Applicants who are not able to provide valid proof of their US citizenship or permanent residents of the United States prior to matriculation risk their acceptance offer being rescinded immediately.
*Please see the Residency section for Florida Residency requirements.
All prerequisites must be graded credits earned at a college or university located in the United States or Canada and accredited by a regional accrediting agency. A bachelor's degree or higher from an institution with regional accreditation is required for admission to the Charles E. Schmidt College of Medicine.
The courses deemed essential for admission to the College of Medicine are:
| Semesters | Quarters | |
|---|---|---|
| English* | 2 | 3 |
| Inorganic (General) Chemistry + labs | 2 | 3 |
| Organic Chemistry or Biochemistry + labs** | 2 | 3 |
| Physics + labs | 2 | 3 |
| Biology + labs | 2 | 3 |
| Mathematics* | 2 | 3 |
| Additional science*** | 2 | 3 |
*The English requirement (ENC, LIT) may be satisfied by literature courses or by writing courses. The math requirement must be satisfied by any college-level math (i.e., college algebra, linear algebra, statistics, trigonometry, pre-calculus, calculus)
**Biochemistry is strongly recommended. One semester of biochemistry may be substituted for the second semester of organic chemistry.
***May be satisfied by additional courses in the natural sciences or mathematics, or by courses in the social sciences
- All prerequisites must be graded credits earned at a college or university located in the United States or Canada and accredited by a regional accrediting agency.
- In general, courses earned at foreign institutions and at nationally accredited institutions will not be accepted.
- Credits earned in Study Abroad programs are acceptable if they appear on the transcript of a regionally accredited college or university along with the number of credits awarded for each course.
- AP credit may be used for some of the requirements but in those cases, it is expected that the student will take higher-level courses in that discipline.
- Online courses will be considered on a case-by-case basis and preference will be given to applicants who have done the majority of their preparation at the senior college level.
- Courses in the sciences and mathematics that are recommended but not required for admission include biochemistry, cell, and molecular biology, genetics, and statistics.
The College of Medicine strongly encourages all applicants to broaden their education and supplement required coursework in math and science by pursuing their own individual academic interests. Majoring in the sciences does not confer an advantage over those applicants majoring in the social sciences or humanities.
Letters of recommendation and evaluations are accepted only through the AMCAS Letter Service. Our admissions process is entirely electronic. Letters mailed/emailed from the writer or hand-delivered directly to the Office of Admissions will not be accepted to be added to the applicant's electronic file and, also will not be used in the admissions process. The college requires one of the following options below:
- A composite letter of evaluation written by the premedical advisory committee at the applicant’s school (greatly preferred). If your premedical advising office provides a committee letter compiling feedback from multiple sources, this letter will suffice to satisfy your letters requirement.
- A minimum of 3 individual letters from faculty members who have taught the applicant. At least two of your letters should be from a professor that has taught you in the sciences, and one from a non-science professor who has taught you, and can adequately speak to both your academic readiness and personal suitability for the pursuit and practice of medicine.
For more information about submitting letters of recommendation through AMCAS, see the instruction manual for completing the AMCAS application or visit: Preparing letters of evaluation for the AMCAS® application | AAMC.
Application Process
Please thoroughly read the application process.
Step 1: AMCAS Application
Applicants must begin the application process by first completing an AMCAS application on the web. Applicants should review instructions and become knowledgeable with the AMCAS Application Process and Guide.
Step 2: Secondary Application
All applicants who submit a verified AMCAS application will be directed by email to an internet address where they can complete and submit a secondary application online. The non-refundable application fee ($30) may be paid securely online by credit card. When deciding whether to complete the secondary application, all applicants should keep in mind that the College will give preference to those applicants with truly competitive cognitive credentials, highly desirable personal traits, and compelling life experiences. In this regard, applicants are encouraged to compare their credentials with those of the latest entering class (see Entering Class Profile). The information on the secondary application is collected to supplement the information presented on the AMCAS application and consists primarily of reflective analyses of personal experiences undertaken by the applicant. Secondary applications submitted after December 31 will not be considered.
It is the applicant's responsibility to make sure that all application materials and supporting documents are received in the Office of Admissions on time.
Step 3: Fee Assistance
Fee Waivers are given based on prior qualifications set by AAMC when an applicant completes their AMCAS. If the AAMC deems that an applicant qualifies for a fee waiver, our program receives a notification from the AAMC and the system automatically waives their secondary application fee.
If you’re experiencing financial hardship, the Association of American Medical Colleges (AAMC) may waive your AMCAS application fee through its Fee Assistance Program.
Step 4: Application Screening
Each completed application (AMCAS application, letters of recommendation, MCAT score, secondary application) will be screened and scored by a team of evaluators within the College of Medicine. CESCOM takes pride in conducting a Holistic Review of applications submitted. Factors evaluated at this point include applicant’s attributes, community service, values, educational background, GPAs, MCAT scores, rigor of the educational program(s) undertaken, breadth of life experiences, research, and, yet not limited to the meaningfulness of direct patient contact experiences as well as other experiences.
The scores assessed in the screening process will be used to send invitations for an interview with the College of Medicine.
Step 5: Interview
Interview days are scheduled on Mondays, Tuesdays and Thursdays between mid-September and February. The interview is scheduled for the entire day.
Step 6: Admissions Decision
The admissions committee uses a rolling process to reach admissions decisions for applicants. Once the application materials are sent to the Admissions Committee one of three outcomes will be reached for each applicant:
1) acceptance
2) alternate list,
or
3) not accepted.
The decision reached by the admissions committee will be communicated to the applicant by the Office of Admissions.