Apply to Medical/Dental School
Just getting started? If you are in the early stages of considering a pre-medical or -dental track, let us help you begin with advising information, choice of major and an undergraduate timetable in the Considering Pre-Health section of this website.
Pre-health required courses
The minimum requirements for admission to medical and dental schools are listed below. As early as possible in your undergraduate career, you should consult the AAMC Medical School Admission Requirements (MSAR), the latest edition of which may be purchased at the University Bookstore or the Association of American Medical Colleges website. This reference lists the specific requirements for each medical school in the United States and Canada. A comparable reference entitled ADEA Official Guide to Dental Schools is published by the American Dental Education Association and can be purchased by calling 1-800-353-2237. These are available in our Career Services library for your use.
Note: All required premedical and predental courses should be taken before application to medical/dental school. All science courses require a lab.
- Biology
- A minimum of two semesters is required. The minimum requirement is generally satisfied by two semesters of Principles of Biology (Bio 1, 2) or Exploring Biology* (BCOR 11, 12). *Some restrictions apply for enrollment.
- Chemistry
- Two semesters of General Chemistry are required. This requirement is fulfilled by Chemistry 31, 32 (Introductory Chemistry) or Chemistry 35, 36 (General Chemistry). Two semesters of Organic Chemistry are also required. Chemistry 141, 142 or Chemistry 143, 144 are recommended.
- Physics
- Two semesters of Physics are required. You should elect Elementary Physics (11, 12) or General Physics (31, 42) depending upon your preparation in mathematics. Your physics requirement must include a laboratory component.
- Mathematics
- Two semesters of college mathematics is recommended, and is required by about 20% of medical schools. It is important to note that proficiency in quantitative methods may improve your achievement in Physics and in Organic Chemistry. In consultation with your advisor or the Mathematics Department, select either Fundamentals of Calculus (Math 19 & 20) or Calculus (Math 21 & 22). Students who are not immediately prepared for college-level Calculus should take Math 10 before proceeding with Math 19 or 21.
- English
- Two semesters of English is recommended, and required by an increasing number of medical schools. Frequently, English composition or literature requirements are being specified.
- Additional requirements
- Beyond the course work specified above, medical schools differ in additional requirements and recommendations. For instance, many schools encourage course work in behavioral sciences, social sciences and/or the humanities. Some schools suggest a semester of Biochemistry; Genetics or Molecular Biology; other schools have specific requirements in these areas.
- Students should consult current admission requirements references in addition to specific medical/dental school catalogs to ensure satisfying the minimum admission requirements for specific schools.
- AP credits
- While professional schools want to see your performance in the prerequisite courses, most will accept credit based on Advanced Placement (AP) exams if UVM has granted you credit toward graduation. Before electing to "AP out " of any of these courses, consider carefully whether you have a strong foundational understanding for and competency in the subject area. Remember, you will need this later to do well on the MCAT/DAT and in your medical/dental school curriculum.
- Students with AP Chemistry credit are strongly encouraged to take the more advanced sequence of General Chemistry (Chem 35, 36) before taking Organic Chemistry. Another option for students with AP Chemistry credit who also have a strong lab background and are considering majoring in Chemistry would be to supplement their AP Chemistry credit with research experience in Chemistry (Chem 39, 40) before taking Organic Chemistry.
- With respect to biology, even if you receive AP credit for the two required semesters, most schools suggest you take two additional semesters of advanced biology with laboratory.
- Study abroad
- Students electing to study abroad for a semester or year should avoid taking any of the required premedical/predental courses while they are abroad. Planning ahead is essential.
Selection criteria for admission
- General
- Overall academic achievement
- Academic achievement in the sciences and math
- Performance on the MCAT or the DAT
- Interview
- Activities/research
- Letters of evaluation
- Personal statement
- Academic criteria
- Do I need to get good grades? College grades play a very important role in an applicant's overall candidacy (specifically in their required science and mathematics courses), as it is perceived by admissions committees to be the best predictor of success in medical/dental school. A grade point average of 3.4 or higher must be maintained for minimal competitiveness for admission for medical school.
- MCAT, DAT
- How well should I do on the MCAT or DAT? Applicants should strive for MCAT or DAT results near or above the national average for competitiveness in the applicant pool. Schools often use these test scores as screening devices for their applicant pool. Each school has guides for expected scores.
- Interview
- How important is the interview? This varies from school to school. In addition to the letters of evaluation, the interview provides an assessment of your personal qualities. Applicants will be evaluated according to those attributes deemed desirable in health professionals such as compassion, maturity and responsibility, strong interpersonal skills, motivation, integrity and respect, realistic self-appraisal, judgment, coping capabilities.
- Activities/research
- How necessary are extracurricular activities and academic research? Of increasing importance are those qualifications that serve to distinguish one candidate from another. These may include experience in research, involvement in community service, volunteer work in medically-related areas, membership in honorary societies, and leadership roles in student organizations. It is strongly advised that the applicant have experience working in a medical environment. The pre-health advisor can provide information and the applicant may contact the volunteer office at Fletcher Allen Health Care.
- Letters of evaluation
- How many letters are required? Three letters are required; at least two of these must be academic. The most effective letters are those written by faculty members who know the student well. Students are encouraged to seek out references related to academic work, research activities and employment or volunteer work in medically-related areas.
- Letters from employers or research supervisors should include descriptions of duties, levels of initiative, capacity to assume responsibility, ability to work as a team member, and identification of strengths and weaknesses. Letters from family friends and physicians are generally not helpful.
- Residency
- Is residency an important factor in professional school admissions? Yes. State schools generally offer a higher number of acceptances to their state residents. Applicants should be aware that their best chances for admission are at a public or private medical school within their own state. Students are urged to clarify their official residency status with the schools of their choice prior to making formal application. Legal residency status may not be synonymous with university residency status.
Financial aid and scholarships
Here are some resources about financial aid and scholarships for medical/dental school:
Application process timeline
Begins 18 months prior to intended matriculation
- Step 1: January/mid–February
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- Step 2: Ongoing
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- Step 3: Mid–March/early–May
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- Interview with Pre–Health Committee.
- Step 4: Mid–April
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- Clarify with Career Services what letters will be required by the medical schools you plan to apply to (for example, you may need two letters from a science professor and one from a professor in the humanities). Have all letters submitted by mid–April (check current application packet for deadlines).
- Step 5: May/June
- Begin completing centralized applications:
Notes: Most U.S. medical (allopathic) schools participate in AMCAS, the centralized application service. To apply to AMCAS schools, you file a single AMCAS application form. One official transcript (available through the Registrar's office) must be submitted for each college you've attended with your application.
Non-AMCAS/AACOMAS/AADSAS Schools: To initiate application to schools which don't subscribe to AMCAS, request an application directly from each school by June.
- Step 6: June 1 through September
- File application with appropriate centralized application service or directly to non-participating schools. Be sure to check deadlines for this initial application; they will vary by school. You may want to meet with the pre-health advisor at Career Services to discuss choice of schools for application based on overall candidacy. Early submission is recommended.
- Step 7: July through December
- After receiving your first request for secondary application, let us know. We will then upload your letters via virtual evals.
Considering early decision?
This may be an option for our academically strongest students who are certain of their first choice medical school. At most medical schools offering an early decision program, the application period is June 1 - August 1, with notification of acceptances announced on October 1. If you are interested, check with individual schools about their procedures. You may only apply to one school during this timeframe. It is not advisable for most applicants to use this system. It is a good idea to meet with the pre-health advisor before doing this.
Application services, summer research programs, local resources and more
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