How hard is it to get into medical school?

is it very difficult?

Thankfully, yes.

Here are the current odds by major type and all applicants:

https://www.aamc.org/download/321496/data/factstablea17.pdf

In short, 51,680 applicants (not applications, applicants) and 21,338 matriculants. (Roughly 41% succeeded.)

Average MCAT is 510.4.

Average GPA is 3.71.

It’s all actual data, not theory or guesses.

This doesn’t even list extra curriculars on the resumes.

Here’s a good read about what one med school writes about their Class Profile and ECs (plus more). Change the year in the URL to read about other years. You’ll see it’s a template with many things staying the same. I expect all (or at least most) med schools could write something similar for their expectations.

https://www.urmc.rochester.edu/MediaLibraries/URMCMedia/education/md/documents/2021-profile.pdf

It definitely can be done. My lad is in that class ^^^. He’s the juggler - and graduated Summa Cum Laude, had a greater than 515 MCAT, plenty of shadowing/volunteering, a medical missions trip, years of research, a minor in American Sign Language plus knows some Spanish and French, was president of a dance club and sign language club, etc, etc, etc. He tells me when you love what you’re doing, it isn’t work. The one thing I’m not sure he ever did was sleep! He’s really enjoying med school BTW - no regrets at all on his part.

Since premed is an intent, hope, dream, etc, it’s impossible to know how many start as premed and change their minds. (I’ve seen estimates as high as 70% of those who start change their minds) But as @Creekland posts, of those who actually apply, approx. 60% fail to start anywhere. So yes it is very, very difficult.

Yes

IDK, but I recently found out that a nearby regional private school with an 84% acceptance rate, 25/75% test scores of 20-26 and 980-1180, and a median HS gpa of 3.08 has a 4-4 BS/MD agreement with an osteopathic med school.

After the end of sophomore year, a kid from our hs that fell into those median stats, has been offered one of the slots. He won’t have to take the MCAT.

Something seems wrong with the system.

Surprised to hear about DO, but no comments since I have not done any research to understand the DO process.

But for BA/BS-MD, it is similar to as hard (if not more) to get admission in top 20 colleges. But only 5% of MD seats.

For MD admission to regular route (95% seats), if the student is reasonably good in academics and prepared to take a gap year to solidify EC and make solid application, it is good chance. Even if grad mishap happened in few courses and ready to do Post-Bacch, still viable.

But if student wants to rush or if Asian population it is very difficult .

MD admission has few unusual things (unlike any other professional education like MBA, Law, Business or any thing). Demographics play a vital part and also In-state and OOS and clear demonstration of passion and understanding of medicine profession. It is very difficult.

I believe this is the report for DO schools for folks considering that route:

https://www.aacom.org/docs/default-source/data-and-trends/2017-aacomas-applicant-pool-profile-summary-report.pdf?sfvrsn=886b2b97_4

20,836 applicants for 7317 seats. That works out to approx 35% with a seat.

Mean MCAT appears to be 501.

Mean GPA appears to range from 3.45 to 3.61 pending category.

There are many more stats to look at if one scrolls down on the link.

@planner03

COCA place much less oversight on osteopathic programs than the LCME does on allopathic programs. Newer DO schools and DO school in rural locations (think lower Rio Grande Valley, rural/small town Kentucky, Kansas or West Virginia) often have much lower GPAs and MCAT scores for admitted students than MD schools or better regarded/more established DO programs.

There is substantial data about what minimum GPA and MCAT scores are needed in order to be successful in med school. Anyone scoring below a 500 MCAT (26 old MCAT) is at substantial risk of failing the USMLE/COMLEX. Anyone with a GPA below about 3.0-3.2 is at substantial risk of failing med school didactics.

And indeed, the lower GPA/MCAT scores of osteopathic schools are reflected in lower DO graduation rates. MD programs have ~97% graduation rate after 6 years (this accounts for all multiple degree students: MD/PhD, MD/MPH, MD/MS, MD/MBA, MD/JD and students who choose to do research years). Exact data on DO graduation rates is harder to come by, but DO graduation rates appear to be around 85-93%, depending on the specific school.

[Graduation Rates and Attrition Factors for U.S. Medical School Students](https://www.aamc.org/download/379220/data/may2014aib-graduationratesandattritionfactorsforusmedschools.pdf)

(BTW, COCA doesn’t consider graduation rates when accrediting osteopathic med schools; the LCME does.)

So that local college can give out all the guaranteed seats it wants, but that doesn’t mean that those students will succeed in med school (pass didactics), pass boards, graduate, go on to match into a residency or practice medicine. There are lots of checks in the system.

So I’m part of the 3% of MD students who fail to graduate in 6 years? lol.

Btw, The 3% is also the name of a Brazilian TV show on Netflix about a dystopian future in which every year all the 20 year olds go through a series of tests to determine who are the top 3% that get to live in luxury on an offshore island while the rest of the people live in destitution on the mainland. I highly recommend it.

@wayoutwestmom The program is LECOM. I just can’t wrap my head around it. For students concerned about their chances it might be worth exploring the many low ranked colleges it has affiliations with though.

@planner03

LECOM’s main campus has a longstanding program with a generally positive reputation, but its Seton Hill and Bradenton campuses are having some very serious issues.

LECOM (in all its incarnations) has some really odd academic & admission practices.

@Planner

“IDK, but I recently found out that a nearby regional private school with an 84% acceptance rate, 25/75% test scores of 20-26 and 980-1180, and a median HS gpa of 3.08 has a 4-4 BS/MD agreement with an osteopathic med school.”

You probably is mixed up with that “regional private school” regular admission stats vs, BS/DO programs conducted by that school in corporation with LECOM. There is no such thing that a BS/DO program has a 84% acceptance rate with 26 ACT. If so, LECOM will be overloaded with 1000’s incompetent students. While LECOM has lower admission stats, they do not have some one with 26 ACT from HS. The outcome of LECOM in AOA+ACGME matching is very good at 99%. Some of the graduates were even matched into very good MD specialties.

https://lecom.edu/about-lecom/lecom-accreditation/post-graduate-match/

Majority of the DO graduates are matching to primary care/ family medicine category, but the better LECOM graduates do get into allopathic residencies such as: RAD, ANE and EM etc. 5 or 6 years data is presented in the above link.

Also, DO schools have higher attrition rate, in my DD’s school, they have 5%-10% attrition rate. And BS/DO admission is very competitive as well, so do not take it lightly.

@planner03

Are you referring to this?

http://www.sbu.edu/academics/pre-medicine/sbu-lecom-dual-admit-program-in-osteopathic-medicine

Don’t get fooled with the “requirements” posted on the web site, the posted minimum requirements is only the MINIMUM stats required. The admitted students will have MUCH higher stats than that. Whats on the web site is just an advertising to get people interested to apply so they can 1. get paid from the application fee. 2. to give admitted student the feeling of importance and get a higher ranking from US News because the admit rare is only X%.

@artloversplus Yes, I was referring to the regional private undergraduate school that the student currently attends. He is not a big fish–his high school stats put him in the 25/75 for ACT ( I can’t remember exactly but in the low 20s) and at the median gpa (high 80s). This is not hearsay, I have known the kid since grade school.

He just completed his sophomore year and received the LECOM 4/4 offer. I saw the letter myself.

@planner03

Can you confirm this student is a sophomore in HS or sophomore in SBU? If the student is in HS, that letter of offer is nothing but an Advertisement.

@planner03

He just finished his sophomore year of college @artloversplus, like I stated above.

Hey, I don’t believe it either.

I never claimed to be posting stats for the LECOM program. I was posting stats for the college he currently attends where he is a rising college junior. I listed those stats to highlight that you apparently do not need to be a great hs student or attend a competitive college to get into at least the Erie program.

To me it is really disheartening (and frightening) to see top hs students go off to competitive colleges with hopes for med school and give up because they can’t hit gpa thresholds while this is going on…

He is a nice kid and I am happy for him. I know there is still a very long road ahead, but at least he has been given the opportunity. He could have never gotten a competitive MCAT score.

@planner03 Sometimes kids are more than the total of their scores. Sometimes kids have hooks we don’t know about. I hope the former rather than the latter in your case. Plus… I’ve heard stories from med schools - even top med schools. Some of those students I never want to meet in their (likely) future practice even if they managed the scores, etc, to get in to top med schools.

And occasionally (rarely) kids fail out, so if his case is a mismatch with ability, there’s a chance it will work out.

@planner03
I guess for do schools, a gpa of 3.4 is acceptable. Lecom has the lowest admission standard in the industry, perhaps further weeding happens in the med school at Lecom.
Wishing the best for the kid, he has a long road ahead.