Medical school is famously one of the most difficult academic programs to pursue. Acceptance rates are typically low and the number of applicants continues to climb each year. That said, knowing which are the easiest medical schools to get into can go a long way in your program research.
The major factors for admission to American medical colleges are MCAT scores and undergraduate grades. However, admissions committees also take qualitative factors like recommendation letters and interviews into account.
If you wish to attend medical school and are willing to put in the work to be a competitive applicant, there are some medical schools out there that are easier to get into than others. A medical education doesn’t have to feel out of reach.
Read on to learn more about medical schools and the easiest medical schools to get into.
Should You Go to Medical School?
Before you do too much additional research, you should really ask yourself if you should even go to medical school. Why do you want to go? Do you definitely want to be a doctor?
Some aspiring doctors are interested in healthcare overall but do not have the endurance and tenacity necessary for the amount of time and dedication that an MD program requires. These students might choose to pursue other medical roles to become a Physician’s Assistant, Nurse Practitioner, Medical Assistant, or a Registered Nurse. There are many other medical and healthcare professions out there and degree programs to help you get there.
If you are still focused on becoming a medical doctor, read on. Applying to med school is a lengthy process and one that you will need to familiarize yourself with closely.
Is Medical School Hard to Get into?
The short answer is yes, most definitely. Medical school is one of the hardest academic programs to get into. But, as you will see in our list of the easiest medical schools to get into, some medical schools have surprisingly high admissions rates.
This doesn’t mean that they are bad medical schools in any way. It usually means that due to the number of applications that they get and a few other factors, the schools have higher admissions rates than other, more exclusive medical programs.
MD Program Admission Process
How Long Does it Take to Apply to Med School?
The medical school application process can take about a year or more to complete. If you are a traditional medical school applicant, you will be applying to med school straight out of your undergraduate degree program.
In this scenario, you would complete all of your necessary prerequisite courses for medicine within your bachelor’s degree program. Then, you would spend your junior and senior years preparing for and taking the MCAT and then applying to medical school.
Keep in mind that non-traditional applicants, those who do not apply to med school during their undergraduate studies but take some time to work or volunteer in between, are becoming increasingly common. In fact, some med schools like to see work experience and strive to accept a diverse class of students with different life experiences.
Either way, it will take you at least one year to fulfill the application requirements. Read on for a breakdown of common requirements and the overall timeline.
Med School Application Requirements
Here is a quick run-through of the nuts and bolts of applying to med school.
- Take prerequisite pre-med classes, either during undergrad or in a post-bac program for medicine. These requirements may include:
-General chemistry
-Organic chemistry
-Calculus
-Biology
-English
-Biochemistry
-Physics
-Psychology or Sociology
- Study for and take the MCAT, the Medical College Admission Test
- Finalize your list of schools by the summer before you intend to begin classes
- Apply ideally between June and September (August 1 for Early Decision applicants)
- Go through secondary applications for medical schools that request them
- Prepare for and go to interviews
Medical Schools With the Highest Admission Rates
Remember that first and foremost, just because a medical school is easier to get into doesn’t mean that it is a bad school. Some schools have high admission rates because they have the space and resources. Others are easier to get into because they don’t get as many applicants because of their geographical location.
This list is intended as a guide to what each program offers. We will also provide statistics around admission rates and facts and figures that make these some of the easiest med schools to get into.
Augusta University
Location: Augusta, Georgia
Acceptance Rate: 12.1 %
The Medical College of Georgia at Augusta University takes more students and educates more doctors annually than any other medical school in the state of Georgia. Not only is the college the state of Georgia’s only public medical school, it is also one of the oldest medical schools in the country.
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The Medical College of Georgia, or MCG as it is commonly called, has partnerships with other colleges and universities across the state. Third- and fourth-year students can expect to spend time on regional clinical campuses. Some students may also spend significant time on the additional MCG four-year campus in Athens, Georgia, in partnership with the University of Georgia.
East Carolina University-Brody
Location: Greenville, North Carolina
Acceptance Rate: Unavailable
Note: Only accepts North Carolina state residents
East Carolina University’s Brody School of Medicine is a public medical school that specifically serves North Carolina residents, with a mission to train the next generation of local physicians. In fact, one out of every five practicing physicians in the state are graduates of Brody.
One of the school’s major missions is to increase access to medical care in the state, especially in rural and disadvantaged populations. At the same time, the school wants to make sure that talented, disadvantaged students can access quality and affordable medical education within the state.
University of Nevada, Reno
Location: Reno, Nevada
Acceptance Rate: 12%
The University of Nevada, Reno School of Medicine, is a public state institution with the mission of providing medical care to rural Nevada. It is a community-based school with community partnerships to both educate and treat rural Nevada residents.
The school is known for allowing students to gain clinical experience as early as their first year. This is rare among medical schools.
Mercer University School of Medicine
Location: Macon, Georgia
Acceptance Rate: 10.5%
The School of Medicine at Mercer University is also a community-based medical school. Its goal is to educate doctors for Georgia and to serve the primary and general healthcare needs of underserved residents of rural Georgia.
Mercer University is one of the oldest institutions of higher education in the US and is considered among the most elite and prestigious in the South. The medical school’s partnership with the Memorial University Medical Center at St. Francis Hospital and the Medical Center of Central Georgia enables students to gain hands-on clinical experience.
University of North Dakota School of Medicine and Health Sciences
Location: Grand Forks, North Dakota
Acceptance Rate: 17.8%
The University of North Dakota is the oldest and the flagship public university in the state. UND partners with many community hospitals throughout the state to make sure students have abundant opportunities to gain hands-on clinical experience during their time in medical school.
Because it is located in a primarily rural state, the UND School of Medicine is also focused on training physicians who will provide healthcare throughout the state. The school is also known for its Center for Rural Health, an institute dedicated to rural health policymaking and research.
University of Mississippi Medical Center School of Medicine
Location: Jackson, Mississippi
Acceptance Rate: Nearly 41%
The University of Mississippi Medical Center School of Medicine in Jackson, MI, is also a public medical school committed to providing equitable healthcare to Mississippi residents. It has one of the highest medical school admission rates in the country. The school is accredited by the Liaison Committee on Medical Education.
Students at the Mississippi School of Medicine can expect a wide range of options and opportunities for gaining clinical experience. The school partners with the university hospital, an area children’s hospital, an area women’s hospital, and an emergency services hospital. The program is dedicated to giving students access to state-of-the-art research facilities while prioritizing clinical experiences and providing healthcare access to Mississippi residents.
University of South Dakota Sanford School of Medicine
Location: Vermillion, South Dakota
Acceptance Rate: Unavailable
This is South Dakota’s flagship university and only medical school. The school has four campuses with the primary one located in Vermillion. The others are located in Sioux Falls, Rapid City, and Yankton. Though it offers a well-rounded medical education, the Sanford School of Medicine focuses on preparing students in primary care and family medicine. Students are encouraged to gain clinical experience at hospitals and clinics across the state starting in their second year.
Louisiana State University Health Sciences Center, Shreveport School of Medicine
Location: Shreveport, Louisiana
Acceptance Rate: 17%
The School of Medicine at the Louisiana State University Health Science Center at Shreveport is one of only three medical schools in the state of Louisiana. As the oldest public medical school in the state of Louisiana, it is dedicated to providing affordable medical education to Louisiana state residents.
The health science center itself is an integral part of the healthcare infrastructure of the city of Shreveport. Students get clinical experience and local residents get access to quality healthcare. Students interact with patients starting from their very first semester, an opportunity that isn’t very common among medical schools.
The University of Missouri, Kansas City School of Medicine
Location: Kansas City, Missouri
Acceptance Rate: 20%
The University of Missouri’s Kansas City (UMKC) campus houses the University of Missouri School of Medicine. The school has partnerships with six different hospitals throughout the state, giving students many different kinds of experiential learning opportunities. In fact, students can expect to have weekly clinical experiences built into their curriculum starting in their freshman year. This is quite rare and part of what makes UMKC exceptional.
This medical school also has an accelerated medical program for high-achieving high schoolers or undergraduate students that want to pursue a medical degree. A student can complete a BA and an MD in six years through this unique and highly competitive accelerated program.
Career Outlook After Med School
Graduates from medical school can expect to be highly-employable after they complete their studies and their required internships and residency. The Bureau of Labor Statistics predicts that physician job opportunities are set to grow faster-than-average between 2019 and 2029.
Plus, it’s no secret that doctors can earn a very solid living. After eight years of school and three to four years of internships and residency, a physician can make quite a bit of money. The BLS lists the mean annual salary for a physician at $208,000.
Getting Into Med School
With the above information about the med school application process and some of the easiest med schools to get into, you are better prepared than you were before. It’s all about doing your research and becoming an expert on the process.
Did any of the med schools on the above list catch your eye? Are you interested in their offerings or their location, or both? Consider looking into some of these schools further and don’t write them off just because they are easier to get into. Remember, admission rates do not necessarily reflect the school’s quality.
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