The Doctor of Medicine

M.D./Ph.D. Program

Graduate Degree Programs

The Doctor of Medicine

Keith Administration Building 100C
1975 Zonal Avenue, Los Angeles 90033
(213) 342-2552
FAX: (213) 342-2433

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 which contribute to the breadth and diversity of the entering class. These include but are not limited to motivation and commitment to service, evidence of leadership, 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, gender, nationality, residence, age or disability.

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 (more than 6,500 applications were received in 1996), 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 1997 entering class are required to take the MCAT no earlier than April 1995 and no later than August 1996. 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. Applications may be sent directly to the service: AMCAS, 2501 M Street, NW Lobby - 26, 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. The School of Medicine participates in the Early Decision Program. Interested applicants apply between June 1 and August 1 and are notified of the Admissions Committee decision by October 1. Additional information is available in the AMCAS material.

The Committee on Admissions reviews all information submitted on the AMCAS form as well as any supplemental data; the school charges a fee of $70 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.

M.D./Ph.D. Program

The School of Medicine M.D./Ph.D. Committee is responsible for selecting students for the M.D./Ph.D. program. Members of the committee review the qualifications of each applicant - including MCAT and Graduate Record Examinations (GRE) scores if available, academic performance, letters of recommendation and research experience - and interview finalists. The committee then selects students for admission to the program.

General Information

The M.D./Ph.D. program enrolls a maximum of six students annually. Each student accepted to the program must also be accepted to the USC School of Medicine.

Requirements

Admission requirements for the M.D./Ph.D. program are those of one of the seven individual graduate programs concerned and the medical school. Students select the basic science program of their choice during the first two years of the medical curriculum; descriptions of these programs are available from each department.

Graduate Record Examinations (GRE)

To assist the M.D./Ph.D. Committee in its evaluation of candidates, applicants to the M.D./Ph.D. program are encouraged to provide recent GRE scores. The committee does not, however, require GRE scores in order to consider an application.

Applications

Applicants to the School of Medicine are advised to request information about the M.D./Ph.D. program at the time of application. In addition to completing the medical school application, applicants should indicate their interest in the M.D./Ph.D. program. These applicants will be sent an additional form to apply for the M.D./Ph.D. program.

Students who are currently pursuing the medical curriculum at the USC School of Medicine may apply to the M.D./Ph.D. program by contacting: Office of the Associate Dean for Research, USC School of Medicine, 1975 Zonal Avenue (KAM 110), Los Angeles, CA 90033; (213) 342-1607, FAX: (213) 342-1610.

Personal Interviews

All applicants are screened by members of the M.D./Ph.D. Committee; candidates who meet the basic criteria of the program are then invited to be interviewed by members of the committee.

Notice of Acceptance

Students selected for acceptance to the M.D./Ph.D. program are notified between January and June of each year. Students begin their program in the fall semester and register for courses of the medical curriculum at that time.

Further information about the M.D./Ph.D. program at the USC School of Medicine may be obtained by contacting: Office of the Associate Dean for Research, USC School of Medicine, 1975 Zonal Avenue (KAM 110), Los Angeles, CA 90033; (213) 342-1607, FAX: (213) 342-1610.

Graduate Degree Programs

Admission standards for these curricula are established jointly by the School of Medicine, its participating departments and the Graduate School.

Applicants to graduate degree programs offered by departments of the School of Medicine must meet the general criteria for acceptance to the Graduate School. Each participating department may have additional requirements for application. The departmental requirements for the School of Medicine's graduate programs are detailed in the Graduate Degree Programs section.

Further information about graduate degree programs at the USC School of Medicine may be obtained by contacting: Office of the Associate Dean for Research, USC School of Medicine, 1975 Zonal Avenue (KAM 110), Los Angeles, CA 90033; (213) 342-1607, FAX: (213) 342-1610.

NEXT SECTION