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How do I apply? To complete an application,
applicants must: submit a verified AMCAS application, submit
a SUNY Upstate Medical University Supplemental Application, submit a non-refundable
application fee of $100, submit the appropriate letters of recommendation.
For more information and deadlines, go to http://www.upstate.edu/com/admissions.shtml
What is AMCAS? The American Medical College Application
Service (AMCAS) is a non-profit, centralized application processing service
for applicants to the first-year entering classes at participating U.S. medical
schools. The majority of U.S. medical schools use AMCAS as the primary application.
For more information, you can visit their website www.aamc.org.
Do you accept transfers? It depends on the year, but
for the past 2 years we have accepted transfers, into the third year of medical
school.
How do I apply as a transfer student? Students interested
in transferring into the College of Medicine
is limited to United States citizens or permanent residents. To be eligible
for transfer, students must be in good standing and matriculated at a medical
school approved by the New York State Department of Education. Individuals
who have already earned an M.D. degree are not eligible to transfer. Applications
are accepted to the third year class and the deadline to complete an application
is April 1. Please visit http://www.upstate.edu/com/transfer.shtml
for more information.
Who do you send a supplemental application to? Once
you have been verified by AMCAS, we will email you the supplemental application
link. We send the supplemental application link to every verified applicant.
Please make sure your email address that we have on file is accurate. If, for
some reason, you do not receive the link via email please contact our office
immediately admiss@upstate.edu.
When are interviews conducted? Interviews are conducted
every Monday and Wednesday beginning in September and will continue through
the end of March. Students are expected to arrive at 8:30 am on their scheduled
interview day and typically finish around 2:30 pm. A current medical student
will conduct a tour of campus and lunch will be provided.
What are your application deadlines?
- June - Begin submitting AMCAS applications
- August 1 - Early Decision AMCAS applications must be on file
- August 15 - Early Decision applicants must have a completed application
on file
- October 15 - AMCAS deadline
- December 1 - Latest date to submit a completed application to SUNY Upstate
(MD and MD/PhD applicants)
- May 15 - Latest date to receive the $100 deposit refund
- June 1 - Latest date to request a deferment on acceptance
What if there is no pre-health committee on my campus?
In the absence of such a committee, two letters of recommendation from
faculty in different departments may be submitted, although one department must
be a science department.
How much does it cost to attend medical school? Please
visit http://www.upstate.edu/prospective/tuition.php
for an overview on the costs associated with attending medical school at SUNY
Upstate Medical University.
Are there scholarships available? SUNY Upstate Medical
University offers a number of scholarships and grants to enrolled students.
Some of the awards sponsored by SUNY Upstate, by the State University of New
York, New York State, and the Federal Government include: New York State Tuition
Assistance Program, Syracuse Medical Alumni Scholarships, Upstate Medical University
Foundation Scholarships, Faculty Student Association Scholarships, College of
Medicine Endowed Scholarships, SUNY Economically Disadvantaged Tuition Waivers,
SUNY Graduate Opportunity Tuition Waivers, Upstate MD/PhD Tuition Waivers, Regents
Health Care Scholarships, National Health Service Corps Scholarships, Armed
Forces Health Professions Scholarships. Visit the Financial Aid section
of our website for links to several free internet scholarship searches that
can assist you in locating awards sponsored by private organizations.
Is it affordable to live in Syracuse? Absolutely!
The cost of living is considerably less than many of the other cities
with medical schools.
What is the difference between the Syracuse and Binghamton campuses?
All College of Medicine students spend their first two years
on the Upstate campus in Syracuse. Prior to the start of the third year,
one-quarter of the class moves 70 miles south to the Binghamton Clinical Campus.
Students learn the same skills on both campuses, but the ambiance is different.
Much of the clinical training in Syracuse takes place in a tertiary care setting,
the special focus of University Hospital. As the only Level I trauma and
burn center in the region, the most seriously ill and injured patients are treated
here. In addition to the typical services provided at a major health care
center, University Hospital offers hundreds of specialty services. Located
70 miles south of Syracuse, the Binghamton campus offers a smaller, community-based
setting allowing for more interaction with patients and attending physicians.
Applicants must declare their campus preference within two weeks of their Interview
Day.
Tell me more about the Summer Human Anatomy Program? This
is a great option for students who have been out of school for a while or who
just want to lighten their course load in the Fall. The small class size
(40 student maximum) allows for more individualized instruction and if successfully
completed, exempts students from the class in the Fall, allowing more time to
pursue other options such as research, electives etc.
How many students are over 30? Each year the class has
several students in their 30’s. The average age of the class is
24, and approximately half the class does not come to medical school directly
after graduation.
Is the curriculum problem based? No. The curriculum
is organ based, but problem laden. That is, the organization of most pre-clinical
courses is to teach various aspects of a single system together, for example
the heart. In the first year you learn the heart’s normal anatomy,
physiology, and histology, in the second year its pathology, pharmacology, and
microbiology, repeating this pattern for all of the organ systems. We
do draw on cases (problems) heavily to show how the basic science explains the
rationale for the diagnosis and management of a patient. One course, Pathophysiology,
is centered on cases. You are given the clinical case and must
explain your diagnosis and management plan using the basic science you have
learned.
I am from Canada; do you look at Canadian students differently?
Throughout the application process, Canadian students are treated the
same as US residents in that they must complete the same pre-requisite course
work, application requirements etc.
Do you offer pre-advisement to students? Yes.
You can schedule to attend a general information session held with an admissions
advisor. These sessions are held once a month, and are done in small groups
which allow students the opportunity to ask questions and seek advice pertaining
to their application. If you would like to attend, please call the Office
of Admissions at 1-800-736-2171 or e-mail admiss@upstate.edu
to find out when the next session is being held. Application counseling
is not available by phone or email.
I’m in high school, which undergraduate college should I attend?
While there is no one specific college that will ensure you admission
into medical school, you should try to attend the most competitive college or
university that meets your needs. Along with the personal reasons for
attending, you should look for a school with a strong science program and while
it’s not necessary for admission, one that has a pre-health committee
or advisor on campus. They can offer pre-med students a lot of advice
and help guide you through the process of preparing for and applying to medical
school.
I was accepted under the Early Assurance Program for 2 years from now,
but I am graduating early, can I come a year early? No.
Because seats in each entering class are limited (160 students a year) and of
those a specific number of seats are held in advance for early assurance students,
we require you to come the year for which you were accepted.
What are the average MCAT scores for accepted students?
The average score for the class of 2011 was 10.16 - BS = 10.41, PS = 10.46,
VR = 9.61.
Where can I obtain housing information? You can learn
more about the various room types, cost and benefits of living on campus by
visiting http://www.upstate.edu/currentstudents/campuslife/residence/
You may also contact the Office of Residence Life via e-mail at Clarktow@upstate.edu
or by calling (315) 464-5106.
What is the average overall and science GPA’s for accepted students?
The class of 2011 had an average cumulative GPA of 3.61 and an average
science GPA of 3.58.
Do you give preference to applicants from New York State? Yes.
Am I eligible for the Early Assurance Program? In order
to qualifyfor the Early Assurance program, you must be currently
enrolled and have sophomore standing at an accredited undergraduate institution,
a cumulative GPA of 3.50 or higher and SAT scores of 1300 or better(or
the ACT equivalent of 29 or better). There are no exceptions to these
basic requirements. If your high school SAT score was lower than 1300,
you may retake the SAT (or ACT) in college and submit your new score.
In order for your application to be considered favorably, you should also have
completed most of the pre-requisite courses for medical school (3 of the 4 science
sequences with their respective labs) in order for us to gage your ability in
science courses. You should also have some solid volunteer experience
in service work, including one solid experience in a medical setting where you
had contact with patients. We are looking for academic excellence, notable
volunteer experiences, and maturity relative to your peers.
On average we enroll about 25 of the best applications we receive from a pool
of (80-125) applications. The average GPA of an accepted Early Assurance
student is a 3.75.
What is the Early Decision program? This program is
offered to applicants who are interested in applying only to Upstate. Requirements
for the Early Decision Program are the same as for regular admissions, except
that the AMCAS Early Decision application deadline is August 1 and the deadline
to have a complete application on file is August 15. Acceptance decisions are
made prior to October 1. Candidates not accepted Early Decision may apply to
other schools and will automatically be considered under the regular admissions
process after October 1.
Will you accept Advanced Placement credits? Yes, as
long as you were awarded college credit and the course(s) are listed on an official
transcript from your primary undergraduate institution. The Admissions
Committee recommends that you also complete advanced science coursework in order
to be competitive for admission.
I am from Canada; will you accept my 13th year of English as meeting
the English pre-requisite for medical school? No. In order
to meet the English requirement, you must have satisfactorily completed two
English courses at the college level.
Will Anatomy & Physiology fulfill the General Biology requirement?
No. In order to meet the Biology requirement, your Biology courses
need to be “General” introductory courses, which provide students
with a broad survey of Biology vs. a specialty course.
What exactly are the pre-requisite courses needed for medical school?
The pre-requisite courses required by Upstate are typically those required
by most medical schools. They are General Biology I & II, General
Chemistry I & II, General Physics I & II, Organic Chemistry I &
II, and two English Courses. Calculus is not a requirement for admission
at Upstate, unlike some other schools.
All science courses must include a lab.
Biology: While specialty courses are more
directly useful in medical school, courses should be “General” introductory
courses, which provide the student with a broad survey of biology vs. a more
specialty course such as Cell Biology for example.
Chemistry: Should you have trouble in either
general or organic chemistry, consider taking these courses in isolation, i.e.,
during a semester where your other courses might be less rigorous. However,
avoid taking more than one or two pre-requisite science courses during the summer
and avoid taking them at community colleges.
English courses: At least one of the
two courses completed must include a writing component, e.g., English Composition,
Creative Writing etc. The other course can be virtually any type of English
course you choose!
Physics: While it is recommended, we do
not require for your Physics courses to be calculus-based unlike other medical
schools.
Do I have to be a science major in order to be considered for medical
school? No. While about 80% of our medical students were
science majors in college, a science major is not a requirement. Keep
in mind, however, that in order to be competitive (get into medical school AND
get through the first two years comfortably) you should take more than the required
prerequisite science courses (see below for suggestions). On average,
your classmates in medical school will have taken 51 semester hours of science
in college and you will want to be equally prepared.
What other science courses can I take to make me more competitive?
Beyond the pre-requisites, the most useful courses to take are
Physiology, Genetics, Cell Biology, and Biochemistry. These courses have
some tricky concepts to master and having some familiarity with them ahead of
time will be to your benefit once you enter medical school. Microbiology
and Immunology may also be helpful. Courses such as Anatomy, Neuroscience,
Histology, Pathology, and Pharmacology generally are subjects that can be fairly
easily mastered once you enter medical school, but take them as an undergrad
if you enjoy them.
When it comes to suggestions of what non-science courses you can take, we recommend
Psychology courses addressing the cognitive, abnormal, and developmental aspects
of human behavior, knowledge of which will help you in becoming a good physician.
Statistics and Experimental Design courses may also sharpen your clinical decisions
and quicken the mastery of the literature you’ll be reviewing. Courses
related to public health, ethics, communication skills are also of increasing
benefit, as doctors become more sophisticated in these areas.
How important is clinical exposure? Clinical exposure
is essential. Before you invest all the time, money and hard work that
goes into becoming a doctor, you should be sure this is a career that “fits”
you and clinical exposure is the way to help you determine this. Get some
exposure early, even before you have made your decision for sure. Students
sometimes toy with the idea of becoming a doctor, but interactions with patients
in a clinical setting often CONVINCE them- one way or the other. The Admissions
Committee also wants to see some evidence that your career choice is well informed
and not a “whim.” Experiencing a clinic or hospital often
cements the emotional resolve that allows you to invest all those hours of studying.
It is not necessary to have many small exposures to every field. One or
two thorough immersions such as working as an EMT, orderly in a hospital, or
volunteer in a physician’s office for the summer (allowing you real patient
contact, not just filing X-rays) are more beneficial and desirable. Remember,
you are trying to learn and convince the Admissions Committee, that this is
THE career choice for you.
Are volunteer experiences really important? Every committee
member weighs this differently, but all expect to see some service work.
After 30 years of service work, you can only doctor well if you enjoy the way
you spend your day. This career is service work and service work is not
for everyone and we (and you) need to figure out if you are committed to service.
There are many selfish reasons to become a doctor: the salary, job security,
and prestige just to name a few. When reviewing your application, the
Admissions Committee is trying to gage how much of your motivation comes from
your desire to serve others, and your volunteer work will speak louder to us
than your words.
I thought my interviews went well, why was I rejected?
They may have gone well but keep in mind that medical schools can only accept
about half of the people they interview, and the candidate pool is a very homogenous
and impressive group. Sometimes it is just chance. It may tip in
your favor at the next school. However, statistics suggest that if you
are interviewed at more than two schools and still do not receive an acceptance-
your interviews are probably not going as well as you think.
Why was I rejected without even getting an interview? Weaker
academic scores (gpa and/or MCATS) is the most common reason for rejection without
an interview. This year we received 5265 applications of which we can
only interview 700. Thus, every year we must reject many applicants with
good credentials who are edged out by others with slightly stronger ones.
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