Academic Requirements

Undergraduate Education

Basic Science Requirements

The minimum basic admission requirements include introductory courses and laboratories in the following:

College courses recommended, but not required, include physical chemistry or biological chemistry, biochemistry, embryology, cell biology comparative anatomy, genetics, histology, microbiology and statistics. Course work in communication arts, humanities, and natural sciences is encouraged. No specific requirement is set in the area of mathematics since, at most colleges; some mathematics are a prerequisite to physics and chemistry. College level work in calculus is strongly recommended. Additionally, familiarity with the principles of statistics and their application to the analysis of data are important assets for any medical student. Consideration should be given by the student to participation in honors courses, independent study, and scientific research. These activities present opportunities for unstructured learning experiences.

Electives

The remainder of the college work should be distributed throughout the humanities and the social and behavioral sciences. The student should select subjects that tend to broaden the educational experience.

Extracurricular Activities

Extracurricular activities and employment both during the undergraduate academic year and the summers are important contributions to an individual's development. Experience in medical and paramedical areas often contributes to an understanding of health care delivery systems and helps to solidify the student's motivation to study medicine.

Medical College Admissions Test (MCAT)

The MCAT is required for admission and must be taken within three years PRIOR to entry to the MD Program. We strongly encourage taking the MCAT exam in the spring or early summer so that your application will be completed and in the applicant pool for the start of the interview season. The interview season at USF generally begins at the end of September and closes sometime in April of the matriculation year. Please note that "meeting the deadline" of December 1 for an AMCAS application really means that an applicant has missed the chance to be selected for an interview for the entire first half of the interview cycle.

Our program has made an institutional decision to include the January MCAT exam score in our decision-making process for those who desire to start the MD Program that same August with the following stipulations:

NOTE: The January exam score will not be used to change the status of any applicants who have already been interviewed that have had an Admissions Committee decision rendered

With the final score available by very early February we will reserve the right to review the newer score with the already completed application and make an interview decision for our final interview date(s). We will also consider the January MCAT score for all applicants that have been invited for an interview in the Feb-Mar period after the score has been released if the file has not yet had a final Admissions Committee decision rendered.

The MCAT should not be attempted before completion of the major basic science requirements. MCAT scores older than three years will not be considered for admission to the USF MD Program.