Frequently Asked Questions

Can students from every major apply to FlexMed?
Yes, students from any major may apply. Three broad categories are described below:

• Computational Science and Engineering provides a path to medical school for undergraduate students who have superior quantitative skills and expertise. These students have undergraduate majors that will challenge them to become experts in computational fields such as Engineering, Math, Physics, Computer Science, and others. This path is specifically designed for students who see a future working at the interface of medicine and computational science—students who are poised to define the direction of translational science for the 21st century.
• Humanities and Social Science provides a path to medical school that offers undergraduate students maximum flexibility to explore their interests in the humanities and social sciences. These students have undergraduate majors that will challenge them to explore the depth and breadth of medicine and society in fields such as Public Health and Policy, Global Health, and the arts. This path is specifically designed for students who see a future working at the interface between medicine and our social fabric—students who are poised to transform the way we practice medicine in the 21st century.
• Biomedical Science provides a path to medical school for students who are passionate about studying the structure and function of the human body. These students have undergraduate majors that will challenge them to push the envelope of what is known about fields such as Biochemistry, Genetics, Molecular and Cell Biology, and Neuroscience. This path is specifically designed for students who will use their undergraduate years to pursue a flexible, personalized, rigorous Biomedical Science curriculum—students who will change the way we deliver clinical care and perform biomedical research in the 21st century.

Can I defer my matriculation to Icahn School of Medicine for two years?
Students in the FlexMed Program are encouraged to defer their matriculation to Mount Sinai for one or two years. The permission to defer is granted upon request to the program director and requires a strong, well thought out educational plan for the deferred time period.

Do I have to fill out an AMCAS application?
Application to the FlexMed Program does not require an AMCAS application; however, matriculation at Mount Sinai does. If you are accepted into the FlexMed Program, you will be asked to fill out an AMCAS application during the year preceding your matriculation at Mount Sinai. At that time you will also be required to complete Mount Sinai's Supplemental Application, with the exception of the essay questions, but will not be required to pay the supplemental application fee. Completing these applications is a clerical necessity and does not imply you are re-applying to medical school. Once you are accepted into FlexMed, you are accepted into medical school.

From whom should I get letters of recommendation?
We require three letters of recommendation. Typically students get them from:

• High school teacher/guidance counselor;
• College professor/faculty advisor;
• Other person who knows you well academically or professionally. This person could be another teacher/professor, employer, etc.

Do I have to complete the required coursework before applying?
You do not need to complete all the required courses before applying to the FlexMed Program. You need to have completed one year of Biology or one year of Chemistry before you apply. If accepted into the program, you must complete the remaining courses before you graduate from your undergraduate institution.

I took a year of college Biology or Chemistry during the summer at another institution. Is that acceptable?
We do not require that you complete the college Biology or Chemistry courses at your undergraduate institution. However, you should take these courses at an institution that is an accredited 4-year college of similar quality to your undergraduate institution. If you plan to take required coursework at another institution, you must receive approval from the FlexMed director. Furthermore, it is important that you consider courses that will provide you with the requisite background for medical school courses covering topics such as Biochemistry, Genetics, Molecular Biology, Pharmacology, Cell Biology, Physiology, Microbiology, Immunobiology, etc.

Do I have to take the labs associated with the Biology or Chemistry courses?
Prior to matriculation, you will be required to take two semesters of lab in any science. This flexibility allows you to pursue a lab experience that most interests you and explore lab courses that are strengths in your school’s curriculum.

Are all applicants interviewed?
No. Only selected applicants will be invited for interviews at Mount Sinai. These interviews will be scheduled from February until May. A tour of the medical center will also be scheduled at that time for invited applicants.

When will I be notified of acceptance/rejection?
Letters of acceptance/rejection will be mailed out by June 2nd of the academic year that you apply.

I did not take the SAT test. Are ACT scores acceptable?
ACT scores are acceptable instead of SAT scores. We are particularly interested in your verbal scores. Recent successful applicants to this program have had ACT scores in the range of 31-35.

My combined Critical Reading (old Verbal) + math SAT score is 1300. Am I still eligible to apply?
Although most successful applicants have a combined SAT score above 1350, there are other parts of your application that can make up for a lower combined SAT score. We are particularly interested in your Critical Reading (CR) SAT score because we have found that among our FlexMed Students, passing of the United States Medical Licensing Exams (USMLE's) on the first attempt is correlated with a CR SAT score above 650. We currently do not use the writing score in the evaluation of applications.

I received a 5 on my AP Biology Exam. Do I still have to take a year of Biology in college?
Yes. You do not need to repeat Introductory Biology, but you must take a year of college Biology, which may be advanced courses. Choose courses which will best prepare you for medical school, for example, Cell Biology, Molecular Biology, Genetics, Physiology, Immunology, Biochemistry, etc.

If I am accepted into the FlexMed Program, am I automatically accepted into medical school at Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai?

Yes, provided that:

• You maintain the high standards of your present credentials, including a cumulative grade point average of 3.5, and receive your Bachelor's degree
• You are not disciplined for any unprofessional/unethical behavior and you promptly respond to all deadlines from Icahn School of Medicine
• You are physically and emotionally capable of meeting the rigorous demands of the medical school