Admissions

The Doctor of Medicine

Keith Administration Building 100C
1975 Zonal Avenue, Los Angeles 90033
(213) 342-2552
(213) 342-2663 (FAX)

Assistant Dean for Admissions:
Arleen Marx

The School of Medicine Committee on Admissions is responsible for selecting members of the entering class of the medical curriculum. The members of the committee represent a cross section of the school -- full-time and voluntary faculty, alumni and students. The Committee on Admissions seriously considers candidates whose academic achievement and Medical College Admission Test (MCAT) performance indicate their ability to satisfactorily complete the rigorous curriculum of the medical school. Favorable consideration reflects additional factors including motivation, evidence of those personal qualities which are deemed desirable for the study and practice of medicine and potential for significant achievement. This assessment is not influenced by race, creed, sex, nationality, residence, age or handicap.

The applicant's undergraduate preparation may have been in any major field from any accredited college or university. Although sound preparation in the basic sciences is essential, a broad background in the humanities and wide exposure to people and their problems are equally necessary. The administration believes that the medical training obtained at USC will make all graduates superbly dedicated physicians.

General Admissions Information

The USC School of Medicine offers 150 places in each entering class; since the number of applicants is far greater (almost 6,000 applications were received in 1994), admission is highly selective. Each application is considered individually. The school does not require a minimum grade point average or minimum MCAT score for applicants; nevertheless, intense competition to enter medical school tends to eliminate applicants with a low GPA and/or MCAT scores.

Requirements

Applicants are required to complete a minimum of four years or 120 semester hours of academic work at an accredited college or university at the time of matriculation. Required course work must include two semesters or three quarters of the following subjects: biology, general chemistry, organic chemistry and physics -- all with laboratory instruction. Additionally, a course in basic molecular biology and 30 semester hours (or quarter equivalent) of course work in the social sciences, humanities and English composition are required. Facility in the principles of higher mathematics and basic statistics and in the use of computers as a tool for independent learning is recommended.

Students from foreign countries must have taken at least one year of study in the United States prior to application; credits from abroad must be certified by a U.S. college both as to number of hours and course content. Individuals who have discontinued studies in medical school for academic reasons are not eligible to apply to the School of Medicine.

Medical College Admission Test (MCAT)

The MCAT is required of all applicants. Applicants are strongly urged to take the MCAT in the spring of the year of application and to have their basic science requirements completed at the time of application. Applicants to the 1996 entering class are required to take the MCAT no earlier than April 1994 and no later than August 1995. Scores from earlier administrations of the examination will not be acceptable.

Applications

The school participates in the American Medical College Application Service (AMCAS). This agency of the Association of American Medical Colleges reproduces and distributes an application and standardized academic record to participating medical schools designated by the student. The fee charged for this service depends upon the number of schools to which an application is sent. Cards to request applications are available at the school, or a request may be sent directly to the service: AMCAS, 2450 N Street NW, Suite 201, Washington, D.C. 20037.

Applications are available after June 1 for the class entering in September of the following year. Although applications to USC must be returned to AMCAS before November 1, earlier application is encouraged. Only one class is admitted each year, with registration shortly after the opening of the school year. An early decision option is offered to interested applicants.

The Committee on Admissions reviews all information submitted on the AMCAS form as well as any supplemental data; the school charges a fee of $50 for this review. The most qualified candidates, as determined by this review, are invited to appear for personal interviews.

Personal Interviews

Personal interviews are a required part of the application procedure and are initiated by the committee. Invited candidates meet with two interviewers who may be faculty, alumni, administrators, or students. Interviews in Los Angeles are required so that applicants have an opportunity to visit the campus and to talk with students and faculty members.

Notice of Acceptance

Notice of acceptance will be sent to successful candidates no earlier than January and continually thereafter until the class is filled. In no case will an acceptance be offered earlier than one year before anticipated enrollment. Applications are mainly considered during the fall and winter, with review usually complete by May.

Candidates must reply to an offer of acceptance within two weeks, enclosing a $100 deposit (non-refundable after May 15). A letter of withdrawal is required if students wish to relinquish their place in the class; release is granted automatically when the letter is received.

Produced by the USC Division of Student Affairs, Office of University Publications, May 1, 1995
David Henriquez
univpub@stuaff.usc.edu