You’ve got to get all the right coursework under your belt, test well on the MCAT, find strong letter writers for your letters of recommendation, log enough hours in a clinical environment, all while having extracurriculars to fill out your most meaningful experiences.
It can feel like a lot, but you’re in the right place to learn how to lighten the load.
Med schools publish “bare minimum” requirements for acceptance, but reaching the bare minimum isn’t going to make you a competitive candidate.
In this guide, you’ll find a checklist of the “bare minimums” as well as our recommended minimums. Plus, I’ve included my pro tips throughout. Take it from someone who has been through the process and helped thousands more achieve their medical school dreams.
Most medical colleges require you to have a bachelor’s degree from an accredited institution.
There is no “pre-med” degree. Instead, pre-med usually refers to a track that you’re on to get the required coursework for applying to medical school.
Most pre-med majors are in Biology, Chemistry, or Psychology. However, you can major in anything — even Humanities or Social Studies — as long as you get the course prerequisites for med school.
Pro tip: A biology-related major is usually the most efficient degree track to get your required courses.
What about BS/MD? High schoolers can apply to a BS/MD program where their undergrad and med school education are guaranteed as a package. Many of these programs are accelerated (6-7 years instead of 8 years). If you’re already in BS/MD, you don’t need to apply again to med school, and your degree requirements may be different.
Course requirements vary from school to school, but most medical schools require the following prerequisite coursework to be eligible for admission:
I can’t stress enough that every school has different requirements. The Association of American Medical Colleges (AAMC) has this handy spreadsheet with every med school’s published requirements, where you’ll see a very non-standardized set of pre-med course requirements.
Learn More: Does a Withdrawal Look Bad on My Application?
Warning: Advanced Placement (AP) credits often don’t count towards medical school. Although you can get AP credit to save time in undergrad, you’ll need to take most, if not all, requisite courses at the college level in order to count them towards med school admissions requirements.
Pro tip: Remember, medical schools evaluate your science/math GPA separately from your overall GPA, so maintain strong grades in these required courses. Also, taking some extra science courses makes you a more competitive candidate, as long as you keep those grades up.
What about post-bacc? There are non-SMP post-baccalaureate programs that you can take after undergrad but before med school. Post-bacc is great for non-traditional students who need certain prerequisite courses or just a higher GPA.
The minimum GPA requirement to apply to most medical schools is 3.0 on a 4.0 grading scale. However, a 3.0 is not enough to be a competitive candidate.
A competitive cumulative GPA for applying to med school is 3.75, which is around the average GPA of allopathic matriculants. For osteopathic matriculants, the average GPA is closer to 3.53.
To be competitive at a top-tier or Ivy League med school, your GPA should exceed 3.85.
Overall GPA vs. BCPM GPA:
Read More: Do AdComs Use the 32-Hour Rule for GPA?
According to the AAMC, the acceptance rate for applicants with a 3.0-3.19 GPA is under 20% and greatly depends on your MCAT score:
What can you do if you have a lower GPA? Here are some expert tips on ways to increase your GPA or accommodate for a lower GPA:
Medical schools may say there’s no minimum MCAT score to apply, or they may list a score of 498 as a minimum. However, it’s difficult to get into an MD program with lower than a 500.
The MCAT (Medical College Admissions Test) uses scaled scores between 472-528. Here are the average MCAT scores of various groups in 2024-2025:
A competitive MCAT score would be over 511 for MD-granting schools — or over 503 for DO-granting programs. If you are applying to Ivy League medical colleges, aim for a 519 or higher.
Pro tip: Take the MCAT before your senior year of pre-med. This timeline gives you plenty of room to either retake the MCAT or to adjust the schools you’re applying to.
Check out this free MCAT study guide with expert tips!
Typically, medical schools don’t require a specific set of extracurriculars. However, admissions committees are looking for well-rounded applicants who not only have a great GPA and MCAT score but also have hobbies and off-campus experiences that they’re passionate about.
The best and most common extracurriculars to have on your resume include:
Read Next: Free Guide to Filling Out the AMCAS Work & Activities Section
Most medical schools require at least three letters of recommendation (LORs) from non-family members who can speak to your character and talents. The AMCAS application allows up to 10 LORs.
You should check with the med school you’re applying to for specific guidelines, but usually schools require the following:
These may not be hard-and-fast requirements. Some schools may allow leeway for non-traditional applicants who have been out of school for a while; other schools may request different types of letters.
Pro tip: Ask letter writers at least two months before the submission deadline to write you an LOR. They will need to submit the letters to AMCAS or whatever application service you need to use, so be sure to send them instructions on how to do that. Just be polite and grateful in your interactions. Sending a light reminder when the deadline is approaching is acceptable, but avoid being arrogant or pushy.
Also remember to waive your right to read the letters of recommendation. AMCAS gives you this option to read your LORs, but it’s standard practice to allow letter writers to craft their LOR without the pressure of the applicant reading it.
Go More In-Depth: Med School LORs: A Comprehensive Guide
Check with the school you’re applying to in order to see what unique requirements they may have.
For instance, some med schools require the Casper exam. Meharry Medical College and UVermont Larner College of Medicine require you to take the Casper, but others, like Vanderbilt and Harvard, do not have Casper requirements.
Others may recommend or require certain extracurriculars or specific courses. For example, whereas many medical colleges list Sociology as “Recommended,” Chicago Medical School at Rosalind Franklin University of Medicine & Science lists Sociology as “Required.”
Also, pay attention to whether the med school will accept courses under different grading scales. For instance, UCLA David Geffen School of Medicine doesn’t accept coursework that was graded Pass/Fail; however, they do accept AP credits, which is not a universal practice.
Read Next: Best Med Schools for Non-Traditional Applicants
You want to get your application materials in order as early as possible. Don’t cram at the last possible minute. Give yourself plenty of space before the application deadline to gather info, write personal essays, and seek out LOR writers.
You will also want to build a school list. This is not a requirement to apply, but it may be a requirement for your sanity. Figure out where your application will be most competitive, and focus on schools where you know you’d like to attend. Add in a couple of “reach” schools and a couple of “fallback” schools.
Go More In-Depth: Use Our FREE MedSchool Explorer to Build Your School List
Application deadlines are different for each medical school. Since most admissions boards distribute acceptance offers on a rolling basis, we recommend applying as early as possible in the cycle to boost your chances for success.
You could consider applying early decision or early assurance if you are confident in your #1 choice. (However, this is not a route we recommend to most students.)
Finally, find every opportunity in your essays to demonstrate the AAMC’s 17 pre-med core competencies that they feel every pre-med student should exhibit.
Since there is no “pre-med major,” make sure your major will efficiently require you to take coursework that is generally required for medical school admission.
Biology is typically the best pre-med major due to its course load lining up with med school requirements. But as long as you work in those prerequisites, you can pursue an undergraduate degree in whatever your heart desires.
There are certain accelerated medical schools that let you earn your MD in only 3 years, such as NYU Grossman Long Island School of Medicine, Meharry Medical College, and UNC School of Medicine.
Learn more about accelerated MD-granting and DO-granting programs in this article.
No, you have to take the MCAT to apply for conventional medical schools.
The only exception is applying to BS/MD programs. Since you’re applying to undergrad and med school at the same time, you’re not expected to have the medical knowledge required for the MCAT when applying. Some BS/MD programs may require you to take the MCAT as you near your graduate studies.
After you submit your primary application to various medical schools, most institutions will send you secondary application essays to fill out.
Then the admissions committees at each school typically review applications on a rolling basis. It may take a couple of months before you hear back.
The next step is the medical school interview, so study up on your interview skills and formulate answers to commonly asked med school interview questions. Once you start receiving interview invites, keep track of them all with a spreadsheet.
If you don’t get accepted to medical school, reapplying the following application cycle is a real option. There are lots of things you can do to make your application more competitive, including a post-bacc, retaking the MCAT, or getting more clinical hours.
You are more prepared than a lot of med school applicants just by reading this guide. You can become even more prepared by taking an extra step and looking for personalized application counseling.
You’re already spending so much on your education and application process. Don’t let it go to waste by having to take a gap year because you didn’t get into medical school the first go around. You have so many options, and you don’t have to feel stressed.
Dr. Mehta is the founder of MedSchoolCoach and has guided thousands of successful medical school applicants. He is also a practicing physician in Boston where he specializes in vascular and interventional radiology.