School of Medicine - Admissions - Frequently Asked Questions

Academics

1. How do New York Medical College students do in the Match?
   The Match refers to the annual process whereby fourth-year students are matched to residency programs across the country. We encourage our students to reach for competitive residency programs and are gratified to observe their success in placement. Our Match results show a breadth of placements, both in specialty area and geography. Generally, about three-quarters of the class match in one of their top three choices.

2. How do New York Medical College students do on the Boards?
   Our students do exceedingly well on the USMLE (otherwise known as the Boards). Part 1 of the exam is taken after completion of the second year and passing is a requirement for graduation. For the last several years, the pass rate for New York Medical College students has been between 99 and 100%. Our students typically achieve scores above the national average for all medical students.

3. As a large medical school, what does New York Medical College do to keep the environment personal and supportive?
   With 190 students in each class, New York Medical College is considered a large medical school. However, it does not feel that way. All students are assigned to small 20-person units called modules. Many academic activities occur in the module: case conferences, small group discussions, seminars and exam preparation. In addition, because most students live on campus for their first two years, and because there is indeed a campus, there is a strong sense of community within the student body.

4. Are there possibilities for earning a joint degree?
   Yes, in addition to the School of Medicine there are two other schools on campus that grant advanced degrees. Students can earn an MD/MPH degree by combining medical school with the MPH program offered by the School of Public Health. With careful planning this can be completed in four years. Through the Graduate School of Basic Medical Sciences students can earn a PhD along with their MD degree. It generally takes six to seven years to complete the MD/PhD degree.
   
   Application to either program is submitted after acceptance into the medical school program.

5. Where do your students do their clinical clerkships?
   The College has developed a demographically and clinically diverse network of hospitals where our students do their clinical clerkships. Because of our suburban location just outside New York City, the network includes large urban medical centers, a high-tech regional tertiary care referral center, and small suburban hospitals.

6. Is there a mentor/advisor system? Who are the advisors – faculty members, other students, or both?

There are several systems in place.

• The Big Sib/Little Sib program pairs incoming first-year students with students from the second, third or fourth years. The Big Sib is there to answer questions, advice and counsel, provide old notes and books, and moral support.

• The Student/Faculty Friend Program pairs each new first-year student with a mentor who is a clinical or basic science faculty member or other member of the campus community. The meetings are casual and can cover non-academic as well as academic issues.

• In the third year, each student is paired with a clinical faculty member to serve as Academic Advisor to help navigate through the process of residency selection.

7. Is the atmosphere extremely competitive?
   Although medical students are apt to strive for success in all they do, the atmosphere is not particularly competitive. Generally, students study in groups and help each other in many ways. Perhaps because of the devoted faculty, perhaps because the campus lends itself to a close-knit community, or perhaps because the students at New York Medical College are the kind of people that they are – students support each other and work well as a team.

8. How much clinical exposure do students get in the first two years?
   Clinical experience begins in the first year with the primary care preceptor office visits. Students are paired one-on-one with a primary care physician for the entire first year. The physical diagnosis course during the second year combines lectures, small group study and patient contact in hospitals or in the office of a primary care preceptor.

In addition to this direct clinical exposure, virtually all courses in the basic science curriculum introduce clinically relevant material during the first two years through clinical correlation seminars taught by clinical faculty.

9. Are there research opportunities available?
   Many students engage in research during the summer after the first year. The College coordinates bench and clinical research opportunities for students, many of which pay a stipend. There are three major school research competitions each year, which are very well attended and offer cash prizes.

10. Do students need to bring their own computer?
    Many students do have their own computers. There are Ethernet ports available in all campus housing, which provide fast free Internet access. If you do not bring your own, there are computers with printers available 24 hours per day. An increasing amount of the curriculum is linked to the school website and to the Internet.

Student Life

1. What kind of housing is available for students?
   Most students live on campus for the first two years, although off-campus housing is readily available. Campus housing in Valhalla comes in two varieties. (1) Suites for three or four students with individual bedrooms and a common kitchen and living room. These are new, furnished and very convenient. (2) Married and non-traditional student housing with individual apartments, unfurnished but equally convenient to class. Many third- and fourth-year students move into New York City for their clinical clerkships, but may stay on campus if they choose. Check out the Housing section of our website for information and photos.

2. Do students need a car?
   Cars are certainly a convenience for students living in a suburban area like Valhalla. However, because this is really a campus community and because so many students do have cars, those without a car can manage quite easily. Two commuter train lines provide easy access into Grand Central Station in New York City. For those students who move into New York City for their third- and fourth-year clinical clerkships, a car is definitely not required.

3. What kinds of activities can students participate in outside of class (besides studying!)?
   New York Medical College offers a huge range of social, athletic and service-oriented clubs and organizations. The College supports these as essential to the well being of our students and as a significant enhancement to the vitality of the campus community. Students have great latitude in creating new activities of importance to them.

The Student Senate is an active and important component of the academic and social community. In addition, students serve on virtually all of the committees on campus, including Admissions, Student-Faculty Relations, Curriculum and Financial Aid, just to name a few.

4. Where exactly is New York Medical College located? What is that near?
   We are located in Valhalla, New York, a small town in Westchester County immediately to the north of New York City. It is a suburban area, affording both the beauty of a lovely countryside in the scenic Hudson Valley and easy access to New York City. The College is about 20 minutes from Yankee Stadium, 30 minutes from the George Washington Bridge and 40 minutes from mid-town Manhattan.

5. Can I bring my dog with me?
   Dogs are not allowed to live on campus. The Housing Office can address particular questions about pets because some types are permitted (i.e., fish). If it’s essential that your four-legged companion be with you, suitable housing can be found nearby.

6. Are there gyms nearby?
   There is a small gym on campus that is open 24 hours a day free of charge. It has stairmasters, treadmills, stationary bikes, free weights and nautilus. For those who prefer a larger gym, there are several in the area. Prices vary, but they all give discounts to New York Medical College students.

Admissions

1. What is the profile of your student population?
   Our students are a truly diverse group. They come from all over the country, with a heavy representation from both the East and West Coast. In recent years about one-third of the class has entered medical school directly from college, while the majority has spent one, two or many years between undergraduate school and medical school. Women are well represented, comprising about half of the current student body.

2. How are multiple MCAT scores viewed?
   Many applicants take the MCAT more than once. This is not considered a liability. We attach greatest importance to the most recent scores, although we review the last two sets of scores. For applicants applying for entrance in 2009, the MCAT must have been taken between April 2006 and September 2008.

3. When and how are interviews conducted?
   Interviews are required and are conducted by invitation. We interview applicant’s four days a week (excluding Fridays) from October through April. All applicants are interviewed by faculty who are members of the Committee on Admissions; fourth-year students frequently conduct a second interview.

In addition to interviews, the interview day includes a one-hour orientation, the possibility of attending class, a campus tour and lunch with first- and second-year tour guides. The program runs from 8:00am to approximately 1:15pm.

4. What do you look for in a medical school applicant?
   We have no preconceived ideal of the perfect medical school applicant. There is no list of activities that applicants must have participated in, no preferred major, no right or wrong age. We try to view each applicant as an individual and consider his or her suitability for medicine.

5. What are the average grades and MCAT scores of the first-year class?
   Typically, the first-year class arrives with an average undergraduate GPA of 3.5. The average composite MCAT score is 30, with the following breakdown: verbal reasoning, 9.5; physical sciences, 10; biological sciences, 10.

6. Is it possible to stay on campus the night before the interview?
   Yes, the College offers an overnight hosting program. The list of available hosts is provided to applicants when they are invited for an interview.

7. Does someone who is re-applying need to submit a new application and new letters of evaluation?
   Yes, all applicants to the first-year class at New York Medical College must start with an AMCAS application for the current year. However, many undergraduate schools will keep letters of evaluation on file and resubmit them on request.

8. Can accepted applicants defer their entrance into medical school?
   Yes, accepted applicants can request a one-year deferral before June 1 of the year of entry. Those interested in requesting a deferral need to do so in writing, explaining how they intend to use that time. In recent years deferrals have been granted to applicants who wish to complete research, engage in extended volunteer or community service projects, pursue other study, complete a PhD degree, or simply strengthen their financial position.

9. How do you apply for financial aid?
   Approximately 90% of our students have borrowed money to fund their medical education. The process of applying for financial aid begins in March when all accepted applicants are mailed a packet from the Office of Financial Planning. Applicants accepted later in the year are sent the packet shortly after receiving the acceptance letter. The Student Financial Planning office coordinates the entire process.

10. Can you advise potential applicants what their chances are for being admitted?
    That is really not possible. First, it’s difficult to evaluate an applicant based on a few facts such as GPA and MCAT score. The whole application must be reviewed in detail. Second, there is no predicting what next year’s applicant pool will be like in terms of size and strength. The number of openings in the first-year class does not expand, so in those years when there are more applicants the process becomes more competitive.

11. How do you view applicants who reapply?
    Applicants who reapply are fully reviewed and many are accepted each year. It depends on whether or not they have taken time to strengthen their applications. Those applicants who have clearly addressed the areas that were their previous "weaknesses" -- whether that was grades, MCAT, exposure to medicine, or any other factor -- and reapply with improved credentials are looked at most favorably. It’s important that people do not reapply too quickly. They need to give the process whatever time it takes to fully address the issue(s).

Many such applicants, once they become medical students, say that the extra time they spent on strengthening their application was the best thing that could have happened because when they did enter medical school they were far better prepared than they had been the first time around.

Reappliers do need to go through the full application process again, including AMCAS application, secondary applications, and letters of evaluation.

12. What can I do to improve my application?
    It may help you to compare yourself with our students. Those in the current first-year class had an average science GPA of 3.5, average non-science GPA of 3.5, and an average total MCAT score of 30. Typically, those who were below average on one of these measures were above average on the other.

Also, of great importance are the letters of evaluation, your entire record of extracurricular, community and work experience, and your personal statement. If you were in fact invited for an interview then feedback from that interview becomes a vital component of the evaluation process

13. How is your wait list ranked?
    NYMC does not have a ranked wait list. If a position in the class becomes available to a wait listed applicant, ALL files will be reviewed. It is important for all applicants to keep their files updated with any additional information during the year.

14. Do you accept transfers?
    We accept applications for transfer into the third year only. Openings are extremely limited at best and in some years nonexistent. We do not know how many openings, if any, that we will have until late June of the year of entry. Please go to our Special Situations section on Admissions web page for further information on transfers.

15. How do you apply for a combined MD/MPH or MD/Ph.D. program?
    Application for the combined degree programs is submitted only after acceptance into the medical school program.

16. Does NYMC offer scholarships?
    A number of scholarship awards are given to first year students based on need and merit. The awards are renewable annually for each of the three succeeding years of medical school if academic performance is satisfactory.