Selection Criteria
The Committee on Admissions of New York Medical College selects a typical entering class of 190 students from an applicant pool of more than 10,000. In so doing, the Committee's goal is to accept as students those applicants it feels hold greatest promise of becoming outstanding physicians.
Full consideration is given to scholastic criteria, such as prior academic performance and MCAT scores. This basic platform must include a history of academic excellence. Although the majority of our students have had undergraduate majors in the sciences, it is not at all a requirement or a factor in selection. We welcome applicants who have a broad education in the humanities and may have completed their premedical requirements in a post baccalaureate program.
The committee considers all the factors of intellect, character, and personality that point toward the applicant's ability to become an informed and caring physician. In addition to purely academic factors, we look for students who show clear evidence, through their activities, of a strong motivation toward medicine and a sense of dedication to the service of others. Personal qualities of character and personality are evaluated from letters of evaluation, from the personal statement, and from the interview. New York Medical College does not deny admission to any applicant on the basis of any legally prohibited discrimination involving, but not limited to, such factors as race, color, creed, religion, national or ethnic origin, age, sex, sexual orientation or disability.
MCAT
All candidates are required to take the Medical College Admissions Test (MCAT). This test is viewed by the Admissions Committee as evidence of minimal academic competence and as an achievement test which allows appropriate comparisons. The MCAT must be taken 1) between January of 2007 and September 2009. MCAT scores from tests taken prior to January 2007 will not be accepted. If there are more than one set of MCAT scores for an applicant, the most recent one is given greater consideration. See the Secondary Application Instructions for specific dates of acceptable MCAT scores.
Professional Development
Applicants often ask what will help them get into medical school. Is volunteering in an emergency room a good thing to do? How about research? How much? What kind?
Those questions suggest a "recipe" approach—one semester of research plus a stint in an ER and a visit to a soup kitchen equals a successful medical school applicant.
We disagree. There is no checklist of approved activities and there is no formula for getting into medical school.
So what do we want? We want you to be convinced—and then convince us—that you have the aptitudes, interests, and motivation to become a good physician and that you've tested the waters and know that it's right for you. Whether it’s research, volunteering in a hospital, tutoring, shadowing, AIDS education, or AmeriCorps’ VISTA program or the Peace Corp, we want you to demonstrate that you have:
Learned more about yourself
-
Learned more about medicine
-
Learned more about people
-
Learned more about science
and had fun doing it. We want you to be convinced—and then convince us—that your goal is your own professional development and not simply getting into medical school.