FAQs

Applicants must submit a verified AMCAS application to SUNY Upstate Medical University. Be sure to check the box indicating you are applying to the MD/PhD Program. Also submit through AMCAS three original letters of reference applicable to the MD/PhD Program from those familiar with the applicant's academic record and potential for investigative research. In addition, you complete the SUNY Upstate Medical University Supplemental Application along with a non-refundable application $110 fee.

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. For the 2005 entering classes, most U.S. medical schools will use AMCAS as the primary application. For more information, you can visit the AAMC website.

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 your Physics courses to be calculus-based unlike other medical schools.

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. Cell Biology, 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.

• June - Begin submitting AMCAS applications
• October 15 - AMCAS deadline
• December 1 - Latest date to submit a completed application to SUNY Upstate

We send a supplemental to every verified AMCAS applicant.

You may only submit one application to SUNY Upstate Medical University, either for MD or the MD/PhD program.  We have a designated MD/PhD Admissions committee and the committee looks for students with a passion and strong interest in research to complement their desire to become a physician.  Our goal is to train physician scientists and we expect you have given much thought to your decision to apply

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.

Please print, and return your signed signature page along with your $100 supplemental application fee to the Office of Student Admissions if you are paying by check or money order. If you paid your application fee online with a credit card, the signature page is NOT required.

Yes all MD/PhD students receive a stipend and tuition waiver for all years – both while in the COM and in the CGS. The stipend for 2012 is $22,845.

No, it is not necessary to have a publication to be considered for admission.

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.

Yes, all accepted students receive the same stipend and tuition waiver. The 2009 stipend is $22,845.

If you have completed a minimum of 90 credit hours at a college or university in the United States or Canada, the TOEFL is not required.

Generally we have over 100 applicants and we typically interview 30-40% of all applicants. From those, we send out approximately 20 acceptances with a final class of 3-7 students.

The average GPA for the class entering 2011 is 3.73
The average GPA for all accepted students in 2011 is 3.75

Accepted: 33
Matriculating: 32

Yes. If you are rejected by the MD/PhD Admissions Committee, your application will be forwarded to the College of Medicine Admissions Committee for consideration.

You may only submit one application to SUNY Upstate Medical University, either for MD or the MD/PhD program. We have a designated MD/PhD Admissions committee and the committee looks for students with a passion and strong interest in research to complement their desire to become a physician. Our goal is to train physician scientists and we expect you have given much thought to your decision to apply.

The MD/PhD Program at Upstate Medical University is privately funded.

Yes, Syracuse is very affordable

While "on campus" housing is available in Clark Tower, most students live off campus in rented apartments because it is very affordable. There are many places to live that are in close proximity to Upstate (for example, Madison Towers and Jefferson Towers are high rise apartment buildings within walking distance of Upstate) [WE DO NOT INSPECT, APPROVE OR SUPERVISE THE PREMISES HEREIN.] There are apartments available in the city of Syracuse and the surrounding towns. Some of the most popular areas include: the Eastwood, University Hill, and Tipperary Hill neighborhoods of Syracuse, as well as the town of Liverpool.

Most students use various websites to search for housing: www.syracuse.com/realestate, www.therentersguide.com, and www.orangehousing.com which is primarily, but not exclusively, for SU students. Students usually visit the property before signing a lease.

One-bedroom apartments typically rent for ~$500/month. Two-bedroom apartments in a large complex typically rent for $700-750/month, while two-bedroom apartments in smaller units rent for $600-650/month.

If you live within walking distance of Upstate, you do not need a car, although most students find it more convenient to own a car to buy groceries, etc.

Parking is available, at a fee to all Upstate students.