Early Assurance Admissions Process

FlexMed

To be eligible to apply, students must fulfill the following:

• Students entering the second year of college as full-time students who are pursuing their first bachelor’s degree at an accredited 4- year college/university in the United States or Canada.
• Must be a U.S. citizen or permanent resident
• Completion of the SAT and/orACT
•  
• Cumulative college GPA of 3.5 (or equivalent) or higher
• One academic year of college biology or one academic year of college chemistry
  • The year of biology coursework can cover any discipline of biology including human biology, genetics, molecular biology, pharmacology, cell biology, physiology, microbiology, immunobiology, etc.
  • The year of chemistry coursework can cover any discipline of chemistry including general chemistry, organic chemistry, or biochemistry.
  • You cannot use AP or IB credit to fulfill this requirement. You must take higher level science courses to meet this requirement if you have received college credit from AP or IB coursework.
  • You must complete this coursework by the application

Refer to the “FlexMed Application Timeline” above for important dates and deadlines.

A completed FlexMed application consists of:

• FlexMed Application
• SAT and/or ACT exam reports
• High School transcript
• College transcript (which includes your Fall Sophomore year final grades)
• Three letters of recommendation:
  • You are encouraged to provide one letter from a high school teacher/guidance counselor, one from a college professor/faculty advisor and the third from other academic and/or professional references such as research mentors/supervisors. A letter from professors or faculty in the sciences should be highly considered.
  • Recommendation letters should provide the Admissions Committee with insight into the applicant’s motivation for a career in medicine.
• Personal statement (3 short essays)
• $110 Application fee

All application material (including the FlexMed application, high school transcripts, college transcripts, SAT and/orACT score reports, and at least three letters of recommendation) must be submitted and received by the deadline. The Admissions Office cannot guarantee an application will be reviewed if any material is missing once the deadline has passed.

The U.S. Military Institutional Partnership

To be eligible to apply, students must meet the following: 

• Full-time, active duty status from any branch of service
• Complete one academic year of college biology or one academic year of college chemistry
  • The year of biology coursework can cover any discipline of biology including human biology, genetics, molecular biology, pharmacology, cell biology, physiology, microbiology, immunobiology, etc.
  • The year of chemistry coursework can cover any discipline of chemistry including general chemistry, organic chemistry, or biochemistry.
  • You cannot use AP or IB credit to fulfill this requirement. You must take higher level science courses to meet this requirement if you have received college credit from AP or IB coursework.
  • You must complete this coursework by the application deadline on December 15.
  • Have previously taken the SAT or ACT exam

The U.S. Military Institutional Partnership application opens October 1 and the deadline to submit an application is December 15.

Most applicants apply about a year or two from when they are expected to separate from the military.

A completed U.S. Military Institutional Partnership application consists of:

• Institutional Partnership Program Application
• SAT and/or ACT exam reports
• College transcript
• Three letters of recommendation: letters should provide the Admissions Committee with insight into the applicant’s motivation for a career in medicine.
• A letter from a superior is required and someone you have worked with in a medical capacity during your service who can comment on your passions and skills and interest in pursuing a career in medicine (suggested). Examples of sources includes a Commanding Officer, Battalion Surgeon, Brigade Surgeon, and/or Physician Assistant or equivalent
• Personal statement (3 short essays)
• $110 Application fee

Please note that students may only apply via the U.S. Military Institutional Partnership a maximum of two times. A reapplication should demonstrate self-reflection, growth and added accomplishments in the form of premedical coursework, clinical experience, advocacy and scholarly endeavors.

Applicants are not permitted to have taken the MCAT or to take the MCAT during the application process.

The Office of Admissions interviews approximately 100 to 120 students each year from a pool of nearly 1,000 applicants for the FlexMed program. The U.S Military Institutional Partnership program is a small niche program that matriculates about one to five students per year.

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 application and letters of recommendation 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.

ISMMS conducts a holistic review of applicants, in compliance with the law.  ISMMS remains committed to diversity, equity, inclusion and anti-racism. 

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 application and letters of recommendation 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 virtual day at the School meeting students and faculty. Please refer to the timeline above for important dates.

Admissions Committee Procedures
At the weekly MD Admissions Committee meetings, each interviewed candidate is presented to the committee by the two interviewers. Final admissions decisions are made by the MD Admissions Committee based on the timeline above.

You are not permitted to take the MCAT if accepted to an Early Assurance Program at ISMMS. If you wish to apply to other medical schools through the traditional AMCAS admissions process, you must withdraw your acceptance to the Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai through the Early Assurance program. You can reapply to the Icahn School of Medicine through the traditional admissions pathway.

At the end of each semester/quarter/trimester, or as necessary, the Admissions team will review students’ progress with the Selections Subcommittee. Failure to meet the program requirements will result in appropriate action by the committee, including remedial coursework or possible rescinding of the admissions offer.

Admitted students will be required to achieve a 'B' in all required courses and maintain a cumulative GPA of 3.5 (or equivalent).

FlexMed
Once accepted into the program, we expect that you will complete your undergraduate education at your college institution and then will be eligible to matriculate into the medical school. We also anticipate that you will adhere to all of our program requirements prior to entry.

After acceptance, students will work closely with the FlexMed team to identify options for successful completion of program’s requirements. We expect you to follow the policies outlined in the FlexMed agreement and complete the following courses:

• One academic year of Biology (not AP or IB, but college course work). Molecular content is required.
• One academic year of General Chemistry (not AP or IB, but college course work)
• One semester of Organic Chemistry (not AP or IB, but college course work)
• One semester of Biochemistry (not AP or IB, but college course work)
• One academic year of English writing intensive coursework (not AP or IB, but college course work)
• One semester of Physics (you can apply AP or IB physics in high school with a score of 5 to meet this requirement)
• One academic year of lab work in biology and/or chemistry
• One semester of Statistics (biostatistics is the preferred content)
• Students are encouraged to complete coursework (for example sociology, public health, political science, global health, bioethics, urban studies, history, economics) or experiences that provide exposure to content about social determinants of health and disparities in healthcare outcomes
• 100 hours of clinical experience providing exposure to human illness and healthcare delivery occurring after acceptance to the FlexMed Program and prior to matriculation
• Students are encouraged to complete a Senior Thesis or equivalent in an area of academic concentration.

Once we have admitted you to the FlexMed program, we expect you to complete your remaining two years of college, achieve at least a "B" in all required courses, and maintain a cumulative GPA of 3.5 (or equivalent).

You may defer your time of matriculation for one year or up to two, given approval from FlexMed leadership. During this gap year, students have previously pursued advanced degrees including Master’s and PhD programs; prestigious fellowships such as Fulbright, Gates-Cambridge, and Schwarzman scholarships; and employment within various industries including healthcare consulting, biotech startup companies, and nonprofit organizations.

The U.S. Military Institutional Partnership
Once accepted into the program, we expect that you will complete the following:

• Honorable Discharge from military service
• Successful completion of the following courses with a grade of B or better:
  • This requirement must be met with a full year of undergraduate coursework in general or human biology. Molecular content is required. Examples of other appropriate courses include cell biology, genetics/genomics, physiology, anatomy, etc.
  • It is recommended that students take some Biology coursework within 5 years of application
  • One year of Biology (two semesters or three quarters; not AP or IB, but college course work)
  • One year of General Chemistry (not AP or IB, but college course work)
  • One semester of Organic Chemistry (not AP or IB, but college course work)
  • One semester of Biochemistry (not AP or IB, but college course work)
  • One semester of Physics
  • One semester of Statistics (Biostatistics is the appropriate coursework)
  • One year of Laboratory Science in Biology and/or Chemistry
  • It is suggested for accepted students to complete coursework (for example sociology, public health, political science, global health, bioethics, urban studies, history, economics) or experiences that provide exposure to content about social determinants of health and disparities in healthcare outcomes prior to my matriculation
• Students are encouraged to complete coursework (for example sociology, public health, political science, global health, bioethics, urban studies, history, economics) or experiences that provide exposure to content about social determinants of health and disparities in healthcare outcomes
• 100 hours of clinical experience providing exposure to human illness and healthcare delivery occurring after acceptance to the Program and prior to matriculation
• Transparent communication with the Admissions team about matriculation timeline

*No online courses can be used to fulfill the pre-matriculation requirements

** Exclusion to matriculate: dishonorable discharge

Applicants are not permitted to have taken the MCAT or to take the MCAT during the application process.

Admitted students will be required to achieve a 'B' in all required courses, maintain a cumulative GPA of 3.5 and are not permitted to take the MCAT.

For additional information on the ISMMS/Military Institutional Partnership, contact the Office of Admissions.

Please note that Pass/Fail coursework, distance learning or on-line courses, or community college courses may not be counted towards the program’s matriculation requirements for any of the ISMMS Early Assurance Pathways.