We take measure of your desire and ability to interact with people. Because a large portion of your studies will be conducted in collaborative learning situations, you will be interacting with patients from day one, and success in this environment depends upon you personally valuing the person-to-person approach as much as we do.
Like other top-rated medical schools, we seek students with clear signs of native intellect and an excellent academic record.
We thoroughly review your evaluations by college pre-professional committees as well as your letters of recommendation.
We pay special attention to letters from faculty members with whom you’ve collaborated on scholarly pursuits and/or extracurricular activities.
We look for resourceful, creative applicants who are leaders and demonstrate the potential to add to the medical profession. We seek applicants who balance academic achievement with an abiding sense of personal discovery and a deep commitment to serving others.
The goal of the University of Pittsburgh School of Medicine is to educate physicians who are science-based, skilled, and compassionate clinicians prepared to meet the challenges of practicing medicine in the 21st century and to conduct cutting-edge biomedical research that is focused on bettering the human condition and advancing the fundamental understanding of medical science.
We consider currently enrolled students and graduates of accredited colleges for admission. Only under exceptional circumstances will you be considered with fewer than 120 hours of undergraduate work. All applicants, regardless of citizenship status, must have completed at least one full year of higher education in the United States or Canada.
In examining your candidacy, the admissions committee will consider your:
- Undergraduate, post baccalaureate, and graduate records;
- MCAT scores;
- Exposure to the practice of medicine;
- Research;
- Work experience;
- Extracurricular activities, volunteer activities, community service, student government, hobbies, clubs, and athletics;
- Academic and personal recommendations;
- Personal character, including integrity, communication skills, leadership, motivation, and creativity;
- Supplemental essays; and
- Personal interviews.
Also, the following personal competencies important to the success of a physician are assessed during the admissions process:
- Integrity and ethics
- Reliability and dependability
- Service orientation
- Social and interpersonal skills
- Capacity for improvement
- Resilience and adaptability
- Cultural competence
- Oral communication
- Teamwork
- Leadership
- Creativity
The above are evaluated through the essays, activities, the interview day, and the letters of recommendation.