Admission Requirements

Although strong academic credentials are important in the admissions process, equally as important are interpersonal skills, exposure to medicine, well-roundedness and qualities such as professionalism, empathy and leadership ability.

Applicants for admission must complete a course of study leading to a baccalaureate degree at an accredited US or Canadian college or university prior to matriculation. If you have received your undergraduate degree outside the US or Canada, then you must complete at least one year of advanced science-based course work at an accredited US institution prior to application. This can be achieved through a master's or PhD degree, formalized post-baccalaureate program, or through a variety of upper-level science coursework.

**Please see our new MCAT requirements for 2023-2024 in the MCAT section of this site**


2023-24 Application Cycle FAQs

Yes! Our application screening teams and Admissions Committee will be taking these disruptions into consideration as they review applications.  We are aware of the multiple issues that have resulted, including pass/fail grading, online or cancelled labs, interrupted experiences, etc. 

No. We will continue to require an MCAT as a part of the completed application. We will not invite an applicant for an interview without an MCAT score.

**Please review our new minimum MCAT requirement in the MCAT section of this site in order to receive our secondary application.**

*New for 2023-2024

We have set a minimum MCAT score of 495 or greater to receive our secondary application. See more details about this in the MCAT section of this site. 

An application will be marked complete and ready for review when the following are received:

  • Complete and verified AMCAS primary application
  • Complete and submitted CWRU Secondary application
  • Paid CWRU Secondary application fee
  • MCAT score received that meets the minimum 495 requirement
  • All letters of recommendation received

We are not requiring CASPer or PREview this year.


It is also important that you demonstrate on your application that you have carefully considered a career in medicine; make sure to thoughtfully describe your medically-related experiences and interactions with physicians, along with other patient-care or health-related experiences. The AAMC provides a number of career exploration resources and advice for students.

The ranges of the academic metrics for those that were invited to interview were:

  • Cumulative GPA: 3.12-4.00
  • Science GPA: 3.00-4.00
  • MCAT: 505-528

The average GPA and MCAT for the entering class of 2023 was: 

  • 3.83 Cumulative GPA with a range of 2.87-4.00
  • 3.79 Science GPA with a range of 2.43-4.00
  • 518 MCAT with a range of 505-527 Mode: 517

Application Requirements:

  • Pre-requisite coursework completed prior to matriculation.
  • Completed MCAT exam and achieve a 495 or greater to receive our secondary application.
  • Letters of recommendation.

We are not requiring the PREview or CASPer test nor any components from the Altus Suite (Duet or Snapshot).  This applies to all three of our MD and MD/PhD programs. 


Pre-Requisite Coursework Requirements for All MD & MSTP Programs

Our Admissions Committee makes its decisions based on a variety of different components of the application, one of which is the depth and breadth of study in the sciences and in liberal arts, both of which are vital to success in the practice of medicine. Although we list our required and recommended coursework, it is in your best interest, both as an applicant to medical school and as an aspiring physician, to present a broad and meaningful record of study.

Science credit hours typically seen with our successful applications at the time of application are:

  • Non-science majors: at least 40 credit hours
  • Science majors: at least 55 credit hours
  • Post-bacc students: at least 32 credit hours

Note that these are simply guidelines to help you as you structure your course of study and that there can be exceptions.

Required Coursework

These are the minimum number of courses we expect you to have completed at the time of matriculation, not necessarily at the time of application. That said, it is to your advantage to have as many of the required courses as possible completed in preparation for the MCAT and to strengthen your application to medical school. Community college credits in these courses are evaluated on a case-by-case basis.

  • General chemistry: 2 semesters/3 quarters with 2 semesters of lab. AP/IB credit accepted.
  • Organic chemistry: 1 semester with 1 semester of lab. AP/IB not accepted.
  • Biochemistry (must include metabolism): 1 semester course, lab not required. One quarter of biochemistry is acceptable to meet the biochemistry requirement, however, a second quarter is recommended in preparation for the MCAT and to have a solid foundation for our curriculum.
  • Writing/college English: 1 semester. This can also be fulfilled with other expository writing courses in the humanities. Science courses with extensive writing components can also fulfill this requirement. AP/IB credit not accepted.
MSTP also requires:
  • Advanced Biology or Biology Subfield: 1 semester, lab not required. AP/IB credit not accepted.
  • Calculus or Statistics: 2 semesters/3 quarters. AP/IB credit accepted.

Recommended Coursework

These are courses or areas of study that we strongly encourage you to consider in preparation for the MCAT and more importantly, in preparation for medical school. While formal coursework in these areas is the most frequent method of learning the content material, it may also be accomplished in other ways, with the most common being through research experiences.

  • Cellular Biology
  • Physics
  • Genetics
  • Biostatistics
  • Social and Behavioral Sciences (Psychology, Anthropology, Sociology, etc.)
Research Experience:
  • University Program (4 yr. MD): Research experience is not required.  However, a successful applicant must be able to demonstrate an interest in participating in a future research project as a medical student.
  • CCLCM Program (5 yr. MD): More than two summers of hypothesis-driven research experience in a medical or non-medical field is a requirement for the CCLCM Program since the CCLCM curriculum program is designed to train physician investigators.
  • MSTP: Substantive research experience during the summers and during the school year as an undergraduate, or during post-baccalaureate research time is required. Applicants must also seriously consider and explain why they want to pursue both the MD and the PhD degrees.

Pre-Requisite FAQs