How to Apply

For successful completion of the course of study for the Doctor of Medicine degree at Emory University, students must have certain technical and intellectual skills. In order to maintain an acceptable level of performance, the student must:

1. Be able to develop the ability to obtain a medical history and perform a thorough physical examination. These activities require that the student:
   1. Communicate effectively with the patient and the patient's family in order to obtain an adequate medical history.
   2. Review records that relate to the patient's medical history and be able to develop a medical record for the current episode that will be useful to others who care for the patient.
   3. Perform the essential functions of the medical school curriculum such as performing a thorough physical examination by using the appropriate instruments and manual techniques required.
2.  Be able to participate in and demonstrate an understanding of all phases of the educational program, including lectures, laboratory activities, teaching conferences, hospital rounds, and clinical duties.
3.  Be able to demonstrate characteristics that suggest that the student has the ability to function in complex social, professional, and personal roles.
4.  Be able to function in delicate interpersonal relationships and manifest honesty, reliability, genuineness, warmth, and empathy.
5.  Be able to control impulses and maintain good judgment even under physically and emotionally exhausting conditions.

*Developed in compliance with the Rehabilitation Act of 1973.

You must complete at least 90 semester hours (or 135 quarter hours) of a balanced undergraduate education from a regionally accredited institution in the United States or a similarly accredited institution in Canada.

Completion of the baccalaureate degree is highly preferred.

If your undergraduate degree is from a college outside the United States and Canada, you must complete all 32 semester hours of the required science coursework at a regionally accredited U.S. institution or a similarly accredited institution in Canada.

Required courses must be completed prior to matriculation at medical school. Minimum course requirements are:

Applicants should present a strong academic record in all coursework - not just the required courses. The average cumulative undergraduate GPA for accepted students is 3.7.

Science course requirements are intended to demonstrate a sound knowledge in each of the basic science areas. We expect medical school students to have a strong foundation in these areas prior to attending medical school. An applicant's GPA in the sciences is carefully considered, although not weighted.

The English requirement is intended to demonstrate competency in grammar and composition at the college level. Literature courses may be used to fill the English requirement if the course was writing-intensive.

Emory will accept some Advanced Placement (AP) credit, as long as the credits appear on a college transcript. If you have AP credit in any of the science areas, it is recommended that you complete an upper level course to maintain your knowledge in that area.

Exceptions to the course requirements can only be granted by the Admissions Committee and will be determined only when a complete application is submitted.

A strong application will include exposure to patients and physicians in a clinical setting. Examples would include volunteering at a local hospital, clinical volunteer work abroad, or shadowing a physician. The Admissions Committee is most interested in applicants who have face-to-face experience with the patient-doctor relationship.

A strong application will also reflect a variety of extra-curricular activities, community involvement, and leadership experiences.

You must complete the Medical College Admissions Test (MCAT) within four years of the matriculation year AND no later than October of the year prior to the matriculation year (ex: for application for fall 2020, the MCAT must be completed between 2016 and October 2019).

MCAT score reports do not need to be sent to Emory.  Your MCAT scores will be verified by AMCAS and reported directly to Emory.

For the 2019-20 Application Cycle, we will prescreen applicants for minimum MCAT scores.  If you have taken the MCAT more than once, only your latest MCAT score will be used to determine your eligibility; however if you have taken the MCAT more than three times (old or new, or any  combination), you are not eligible to receive the Emory Supplemental Application.  

In order to receive an invitaiton to complete the Emory Supplemental Application, you must have:

• An overall score of 500 or higher AND
• A score of 123 or higher on EACH subtest.

You must submit an application through the Association of American Medical Colleges (AAMC) American Medical College Application Service (AMCAS) at www.aamc.org.  

The deadline to apply through AMCAS is October 15 by 11:59 PM Eastern Standard Time (prior to the year of matriculation).  Applicants are strongly advised to submit their AMCAS Application early and as soon as possible.  Deadline extensions are not granted.

Once your AMCAS Application is submitted, your information will be verified within 4 - 8 weeks.  As soon as your AMCAS Application is verified, your information will be sent to Emory.  

We will accept one of the following via the AMCAS Letter Service:  

• A packet of letters or a composite letter from a Pre-Medical or Pre-Health Committee
• A packet of letters from a Career Center or a Letter Writing Service
• Three letters of recommendation from individuals, two of whom should be familiar with your knowledge in the sciences.  If your letters are submitted by three individual letter writers rather than your school’s Pre-Health or Pre-Medical Committee, you will be asked on the Emory Supplemental Application to explain why you are not submitting a Committee letter.

If you are applying to the MD/PhD Program, you must also submit letters of recommendation from all research mentors.  

All letters of recommendation must be sent directly to AMCAS no later than 11:59 pm EST on December 1.  Instructions for submitting letters to AMCAS are provided within the AMCAS application.  Please DO NOT send letters directly to us.  

We strongly recommend that you DO NOT send additional letters; however all letters that are submitted via the AMCAS Letter Service (and by the December 1 deadline) will be included in your application.  

If you select Emory School of Medicine on your AMCAS application, and your MCAT scores meet our minimum requirements, you will receive an Emory Supplemental Application.  These instructions will not be sent until your AMCAS application is submitted, verified, and prescreened. The deadline to submit the Emory Supplemental Application is 11:59 pm EST on December 1 (prior to the year of matriculation).  

A completed Supplemental Application will include payment of a non-refundable application fee of $120 (USD).  Payment must be submitted by credit card.  Cashier's checks and money orders will not be accepted.  Payment of the application fee must be processed on or before the December 1 deadline.  If you receive a fee waiver from AMCAS, you will automatically receive a waiver of the Emory Supplemental Application fee.  

A completed Supplemental Application will also include your headshot photograph.  The photo must be a recent photo taken against a plain background.  Do not submit cropped photos, photos that include other people, or photos in a social setting.  Photos must be submitted electronically with the Emory Supplemental Application.  

Once your application is complete, we will send an email to notify you.  All completed applications (AMCAS plus Supplemental) will be in review throughout the interview season.

No completed applicant is rejected during the interview season.   Please note that there is no change in the status of your completed application  unless you are invited to interivew.  Please do not call the Office of Admissions to check on the staus of your application. 

If you are selected for an interview, you will be notified by email or telephone.  We conduct interviews from September through February.

All completed applicants will receive a final decision about their application in March.

Do not wait until the deadline!  It is to your advantage to submit your AMCAS Application and, if you are selected to receive one, your Emory Supplemental Application as early as possible. The earlier your applications are completed, the earlier your file can be placed in review with our Admissions Committee.  Your file cannot be reviewed until we have received all of the following materials:

• Verified AMCAS Application
• Emory Supplemental Application (with fee payment and photo)
• MCAT scores (sent by AMCAS)
• All letters of recommendation (via the AMCAS Letter Service)

Consider your competitiveness.  We expect to receive over 9,000 applications for our entering class of only 138 students—that means your application must be as competitive as possible. We fully consider all applicants based upon their entire application, which includes all academic achievements, letters of recommendation, community involvement, leadership, exposure to patients in a clinical setting and extracurricular activities. However, a solid foundation in the sciences and a strong GPA and MCAT are important in order to be a competitive applicant.

Keep your AMCAS file updated.  It is wise to keep your AMCAS file updated with any changes in your contact information.  Any changes submitted through AMCAS will automatically download to our database.  You will be given an opportunity to report other updates (new grades, publications, awards, activities, etc.) when you complete the Emory Supplemental Application.  Subsequent updates may be added to your application electronically as well.