MD Program Admissions Process

We want to ensure that the application process at the Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai is seamless and that you can learn everything you need to know to make an informed decision. We encourage you to contact us at admissions@mssm.edu with any questions you may have about ISMMS.

We attract students with academic excellence who have also shown a sense of self-awareness and personal humility in their medical pursuit.

— David Muller, MD, Dean for Medical Education

Application and Matriculation Requirements*

To enroll in our MD Program, you must have completed several key subjects at an accredited university or college in the United States or Canada, including:

  • General Chemistry: One academic year with laboratory 
  • Organic Chemistry: One academic year or one semester each of organic chemistry and biochemistry with laboratory 
  • Biology: One academic year with laboratory
  • Physics: One semester with laboratory
  • Math: One semester of Statistics
  • English: One academic year of intensive writing courses

We encourage applicants to develop skills and, if possible, proficiency in a second language other than English. We also suggest knowledge in the following areas:

  • Integral Social Sciences such as: Political Science, Global Health, Psychology, and Sociology

*Currently, the Icahn School of Medicine does not accept transfer students who have matriculated at another medical school.

Exams

ISMMS requires you to take the Medical College Admission Test (MCAT) in order to be admitted into our MD Program. You must take the MCAT within three years of your matriculation start date.

Letters of Recommendation

We require letters of recommendation, submitted through your AMCAS account. Suitable letters of recommendation include:

  • A letter of recommendation from your college’s premedical advisory committee

If no premedical advisory committee exists at your college, we will require the following instead:

  • A letter of recommendation from a science faculty member at your university
  • A letter of recommendation from a non-science faculty member

AMCAS Application

You must submit your application to ISMMS through AMCAS, which opens in May. Please submit your application no later than October 15.

Application Review—Policies and Procedures

The Office of Admissions interviews approximately 700 students each year from a pool of nearly 6,000 applicants for the traditional pathway. 

All applicants who have a verified AMCAS application receive a supplementary application.

 Complete applications undergo holistic screening by MD Admissions Committee members. The screeners assess the following core areas: academics, clinical exposure, community service, research and other extracurricular activities. In addition, the screeners evaluate applicant attributes that align with the School’s mission. The AMCAS application, letters of recommendation and secondary application are evaluated fully. The above core areas and applicant attributes are modeled on the 15 Core Competencies for Entering Medical Students endorsed by the AAMC Group on Student Affairs.

Interview Procedures

Each applicant who is invited for an interview is randomly assigned to have two 30-minute interviews with members of the MD Admissions Committee. The interviews are semi-structured traditional interviews. During each interview the MD Admissions Committee member conducts a holistic assessment of the candidate. The interviewers assess the following core areas: academics, clinical exposure, community service, research and other extracurricular activities. In addition the interviewers evaluate applicant attributes that align with the School’s mission and assess communication skills. The AMCAS application, letters of recommendation and secondary application are evaluated fully by both interviewers. The above core areas, applicant attributes and communication assessment are modeled on the 15 Core Competencies for Entering Medical Students endorsed by the AAMC Group on Student Affairs.

Applicants who are offered an interview will spend a day at the School meeting students and faculty. We send interview invitations from August to February; we conduct interviews from September to February.

MD Admissions Committee Procedures

At the weekly MD Admissions Committee meetings, each interviewed candidate is presented to the committee by the two interviewers. 

 The Selection Subcommittee meets throughout the admissions cycle to review the findings of the MD Admissions Committee meetings. Starting in January, the Selection Subcommittee meets to decide on the timing and number of acceptance offers on a rolling basis, as well as creation of the waitlist.

 The Selection Subcommittee creates a waitlist in March and makes final acceptance offers until late July.

What are we looking for in Applicants?

The Icahn School of Medicine is looking for applicants who are poised to be the next generation of expert clinicians, physician advocates, physician-scientists, and medical educators.

We review applications holistically and are looking for applicants who demonstrate academic excellence, can articulate a passion for clinical medicine, a commitment to communities and an engagement in advocacy and scholarly endeavors.

Attributes and Criteria of the Successful Candidate

The Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai is looking for medical school applicants who have excelled academically, are collaborative leaders on their undergraduate campuses, and are passionate about medicine, science, and health care. We are leaders in holistic review, committed to diversity in all realms as the driver for excellence in medicine and research. We are looking for applicants who are:

Team Player

Life Long Learner

Self-Improving and Well

Change Agent / Change Leader

Advocate

Collaborative

Disciplined

Adaptive

Innovative

Socially Conscious

 

Committed

Self-aware

Curious

Tolerant

 

Motivated

Resourceful

Leadership

Empathetic

 

Passionate

Mindful

 

 

 

 

Resilient

 

 




In accordance with the Liaison Committee on Medical Education (LCME), the U.S. accrediting agency for medical schools, the Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai has the following MD Admissions Committee Policies.

Applicant Acceptance Decision Protocols

The Icahn School of Medicine expects accepted applicants to follow the AAMC Application and Acceptance Protocols and ISMMS Acceptance Decision Protocols.

Technical Standards

The Icahn School of Medicine’s MD Program prepares students to be skilled physicians, in accordance with the Technical Standards as outlined by the Liaison Committee on Medical Education (LCME), the U.S. accrediting agency for medical schools.