FAQs

Unfortunately, no. The CWRU MSTP is funded by grants from the National Institutes of Health. Because the grants are a type of National Research Service Award, trainees must be citizens or noncitizen nationals of the United States, or have been lawfully admitted for permanent residence (i.e., possess an alien registration receipt card I-151 or I-551).

Yes.

The deadline for completion of the primary AMCAS application is November 1, 2024, which is the same deadline as the University Program or the College Program. 

But note that the MSTP's deadline for the completion of the secondary application is two weeks earlier than the deadline for the University Program or the College Program. Even if you decide to apply to the other programs in addition to MSTP, you still must complete your application by November 15, 2024, at 11:59 p.m. (EST).

We have a rolling admissions process, and slots in the program may become filled by earlier applicants. Therefore, we highly recommend that you get all of your materials submitted early, before the interview slots have been filled.

No, the CWRU MSTP doesn't participate in those programs.

Because our screening process is multifactorial, it's difficult to determine how an individual applicant's experience will compare to others in the same cohort.

Therefore, as a policy we don't analyze experiences of potential applicants. In general, our expectations during initial review of applications are a strong academic record as indicated by undergraduate record and MCAT (GRE optional), and substantial research experience and evidence of this in essays, letters of reference and other indicators (e.g. meeting presentations, publications; but publications aren't required). 

We look for rigor in the academic program and the research experience, so it's best to seek research experience in competitive laboratories with grant funding and a strong publication record.

MSTP candidates apply to Case Western Reserve University School of Medicine through the AMCAS application service. After you've submitted your AMCAS application, you'll receive an email from the School of Medicine Admissions Office telling you how to set up an iApply account and complete your secondary application.

Note that the MSTP's deadline for the completion of the secondary application is two weeks earlier than the deadline for the University Program or the College Program. Even if you decide to apply to the other programs in addition to MSTP, you still must complete your application by November 15, 2024, at 11:59 p.m. (EST).

Case Western Reserve University is committed to Equal Opportunity and Diversity. Women, veterans, members of underrepresented minority groups, and individuals with disabilities are encouraged to apply.

The CWRU MSTP encourages applications from candidates with disabilities. Accommodations for students with disabilities and limitations posed by required technical standards and specific standards are governed by policies of the School of Medicine.

No. You need to complete the CWRU secondary application (submitted through iApply) and submit your letters of recommendation. You must indicate on the secondary application that you are applying to the MSTP.

Note that the MSTP's deadline for the completion of the secondary application is two weeks earlier than the deadline for the University Program or the College Program. Even if you decide to apply to the other programs in addition to MSTP, you still must complete your application by November 15 at 11:59 p.m. (EST).

The MSTP curriculum is offered only in conjunction with the University Program. If you are accepted to the MSTP, you automatically will be evaluated separately by the University Program.

If you wish to be considered for the University Program or the College Program independent of the MSTP (e.g. if you are not admitted to the MSTP), you should indicate on your secondary application that you are applying for those programs in addition to MSTP. In that case, status and decisions for your MSTP application will not affect your chances of independent acceptance to the University Program or College Program.

Note that the MSTP's deadline for the completion of the secondary application is two weeks earlier than the deadline for the University Program or the College Program. Even if you decide to apply to the other programs in addition to MSTP, you still must complete your application by November 15 at 11:59 p.m. (EST).

Acceptances to our programs are made via separate admissions pathways and are not necessarily transferable:

• Admission to the MSTP does not guarantee admission to the University Program separate from the MSTP.
• If admitted to both the MSTP and College Program, you will have to choose to matriculate with one or the other. Note that the MSTP includes research and clinical training at the Cleveland Clinic as well as the CWRU School of Medicine, University Hospitals Cleveland Medical Center, MetroHealth Medical Center, and the Louis Stokes Cleveland VA Medical Center.

No. When you receive your secondary application, you will have a chance to indicate that you are applying to the MSTP.

No. Although CWRU does offer that dual degree, it's not through the MSTP.

Check your spam/trash filter. If the email notification isn't there, let us know. We'll send the notification again.

If you indicated MD/PhD on the AMCAS application, and answered those questions on the AMCAS application, you do not need to answer the same questions on the secondary application from iApply. Type "Please see AMCAS MD/PhD essays," and we will review your answers to the AMCAS MD/PhD questions.

If you did not indicate MD/PhD on the AMCAS application but would like to answer those questions on the secondary essays in iApply, or if you wish to provide a modified answer to one or both of the MD/PhD questions, provide your answers on the secondary essays.

All letters of recommendation must be submitted to the AMCAS letters service. You may send the same letters of evaluation for MSTP as you would for the University Program or College Program, but it is very important that the letters for the MSTP reflect your research background and experience.

For most of our PhD programs, the GRE is no longer required or can be waived for MSTP students. However, if you have taken the GRE we suggest that you submit the scores in the secondary application. Mark the subject as "General" and use the combined verbal and quantitative score as your total score. 

You can check on the status of your application any time by logging in to your CWRU iApply account.

Yes, research experience is required.

They are not required, but if you have them, they will enhance your application.

Yes, you will be considered. A decision to interview is based on several different criteria including MCAT scores, GPA, personal essay, letters of evaluation, and research experience. Each and every application is considered individually.

Yes, but they had outstanding research experience.

Yes.

AP Biology alone does not satisfy the MSTP biology requirement.  We require one semester of college biology courses. However, it is fine if you used AP credits to place out of introductory biology courses as long as you took a semester of advanced biology courses.

Yes, the combination of one semester of calculus and one semester of statistics is acceptable. We also accept two semesters of calculus or two semesters of statistics.

No. The $95.00 application fee is the same whether you apply to one or all three of the programs.

There are 12-15 students in each class, and they are a part of the University Program class of approximately 200 students. The number of applicants varies from year to year, but there are usually over 400 applicants and about 20% are granted an interview.

Approximately 70% of our graduates achieve a faculty position at a medical school, and 20% do research at the NIH, research foundations, biotech companies or pharmaceutical companies. Our alumni are engaged in cutting-edge basic, translational and clinical research.  You can see more about our alumni here.

Yes. Your interview schedule will include School of Medicine information sessions and the two required School of Medicine interviews: one with an Admissions Committee member (this is a separate committee from the MSTP Steering Committee) and one with a current MSTP student. The Admissions Committee makes admission decisions based on the evaluations and recommendations from both the committee member interview and the student interview.

A Steering Committee member will review your file and recommend MSTP mentors whose research interests match your own. We also encourage you to look over our mentors list and request interviews with MSTP mentors whose research is of interest to you. Your requests will be included in your interview schedule whenever possible.

Reviewing your own research and being ready to discuss it (not just present a prepared statement about it) is the most important preparation. About a week before the interview, we will e-mail you the particulars about your visit, including your interview schedule.

A review of your interviewers' web pages will give you an idea of questions you can ask them. You should expect to spend part of the interview talking about their research in addition to yours.

The MSTP Steering Committee meets once a month to make admission decisions, and you will be notified of your status as soon as possible after the meeting.

Because the application process is multifactorial and depends on the judgment of multiple people, it's difficult to determine how all the factors were weighed in individual cases, and some input sources, e.g. letters of recommendation, are confidential.  

Therefore, as a policy we do not analyze applications of non-admitted students to provide feedback. In general, our expectations during initial review of applications are a strong academic record as indicated by undergraduate record and MCAT (GRE optional), and substantial research experience and evidence of this in essays, letters of reference and other indicators (e.g. meeting presentations, publications; but publications are not required). 

We look for rigor in the academic program and the research experience, so it's best to seek research experience in competitive laboratories with grant funding and a strong publication record.

When our interviews are in-person, the MSTP covers the cost of all lodging, meals, and ground transportation while you're here, but you must pay for your own transportation to and from Cleveland.