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
COVID-19 Update for 2022 Application Cycle
The Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai understands that the COVID-19 public health crisis has impacted different facets of each applicant's portfolio. The Admissions Committee will be flexible in evaluating the following starting Spring 2020: the timing of MCAT tests, the number of P/F grades, the use of online coursework, the abrupt discontinuation of some activities, and other elements impacted by the current pandemic. The Admissions Committee evaluates each application holistically and will continue to maintain rigorous holistic review. If your application is impacted by the current crisis, consider writing a short explanation in your application.
Please note the following information regarding coursework, labs and MCAT:
Pass/Fail Coursework - All Spring and Summer 2020 courses that were required to be taken as P/F will be evaluated in the context of the entire educational portfolio and can be used to meet our premedical requirements
Online Coursework and Labs - All Spring 2020 and Summer 2020 courses which were switched to an online platform will be reviewed in context of the entire educational portfolio and can be used to meet our premedical requirements
MCAT - Given the cancellation of MCAT examination test dates in March, April, and May, we will accept MCAT scores from April 2015 through October 2020. Delayed MCATs will not be viewed negatively during our holistic review process. We are regularly monitoring both infection rates of COVID-19 across the country and information presented by the AAMC about safety and wellness at MCAT testing sites. If you are a current applicant and have personal circumstances that are impacting your ability to take your first MCAT, you should consider reaching out to us. You may contact us at: admissions@mssm.edu
Application and Matriculation Requirements*
To enroll in our MD Program, domestic applicants must have completed a bachelor's degree from an accredited college or university in the United States or Canada. International applicants who received their undergraduate degree abroad must provide a course-by-course evaluation of your transcript by a NACES member organization. Please refer to our FAQ page regarding eligibility if you are an international applicant. In addition, applicants must have completed several key subjects in your higher education in the United States or Canada including:
- General Chemistry: One academic year (Applicants who received AP credit in Chemistry are required to take advanced science coursework
- Organic Chemistry: One academic year or one semester each of organic chemistry and biochemistry (Applicants who received AP credit in Chemistry are required to take advanced science coursework )
- Biology**: One academic year (Applicants who received AP credit in Biology are required to take advanced science coursework )
- Physics: One semester with laboratory, where applicable (AP credit can be used to fulfill the Physics requirement)
- One academic year of lab work in biology and/or chemistry
- Math: One semester of Statistics (Biostatistics preferred)
- English: One academic year of intensive writing courses
**It is recommended that students take some Biology coursework within 5 years of application
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
Courses taken on-line or via distance learning will not be accepted to fulfill the requirements.
Students may apply to ISMMS if they lack one or two of the premedical requirements but completion of these courses is required for enrollment.
Students who take courses at institutions outside of the US or Canada are encouraged to complete additional coursework in the US to demonstrate preparation for medical school content.
***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 AMCAS. Suitable letters of recommendation include:
A committee letter or packet of letters is preferred. If you do not have a pre-health adviser or committee at your school you must submit at least three letters of recommendation from people who can speak to your passion for a career in medicine and your intellectual journey: sources may include research mentors, professional or service supervisor, professors, or clinical preceptors.