- Today we're going to talk about
how to get into the Perelman School of Medicine.
Sometimes referred to as UPenn Medical School,
the Perelman School of Medicine
is America's oldest medical school and teaching hospital.
It's also one of the most renowned medical programs
in the nation.
According to US News and World Report,
it's ranked number three in Research
and number 14 in Primary Care.
So if you dream of earning
your white coat from the prestigious
and historic Perelman School of Medicine,
get ready to compete against the best of the best.
The mission of UPenn Medical School is to advance knowledge
and improve how through research, patient care
and the education of trainees in an inclusive culture
that embraces diversity, fosters innovation,
stimulates critical thinking, supports lifelong learning
and sustains a legacy of excellence.
For over 250 years,
the Perelman School of Medicine has fulfilled this mission
and produce groundbreaking leaders in medicine.
If you're a high pre-med who dreams
of attending UPenn Medical School,
we're here to help make your dream a reality.
(upbeat sound)
I'm Dr. Eve Bishop,
Medical School Admissions Expert
from Shemmassian Academic Consulting.
In this video,
we'll explore the Perelman School of Medicine curriculum
before looking at the costs,
acceptance rate and admissions requirements.
We'll give you expert strategies to write
the UPenn Medical School secondaries
and break down the UPenn interview to maximize your odds
of getting accepted to the Perelman School of Medicine.
Let's get started.
The Perelman School of Medicine's four year MD curriculum
focuses on small group instruction
and self directed learning.
The three main themes woven through the curriculum
are number one, the Science of Medicine.
Number two, the Technology and Practice of Medicine
and number three, Professionalism and Humanism.
In year one UPenn Medical School students focus
on the core principles of science and clinical medicine
while attending their choice of elective seminars
in Global Health, Community Service,
Medical Spanish and Bioethics.
At the same time, students gain early clinical experience
at local hospitals and community clinics.
The official clerkships begin midway
through year two of the curriculum,
which is about six months earlier
than other standard med school programs.
In four to nine weeks segments,
students rotate through required clerkships
in internal medicine, family medicine,
OB/GYN, pediatrics surgery, psychiatry,
neurology and emergency medicine.
After these required clerkships are completed
about halfway through year three,
students take the USMLE Step One Exam.
Then they complete advanced electives and a sub internship
in general medicine, general pediatrics,
emergency medicine or family medicine
to further strengthen their clinical expertise.
In the fourth and final year of the program,
students partner with faculty to conduct
a 12 week research project.
The last few months are spent interviewing
for residency placements and preparing
to transition into successful medical careers.
Beyond its four year MD program,
the Perelman School of Medicine offers
a distinguished and fully funded MD-PhD Program.
MD-PhD students receive full tuition scholarships
plus a 32,000 annual stipend.
If you dream of advancing the understanding
of science and medicine by working as a physician scientist,
this program would be ideal for you.
UPenn Medical School offers several
other dual degree programs for students
who want to further specialize and make unique contributions
to the broad field of medicine.
These include an MD of Master of Bioethics,
an MD/MBA in Healthcare Management
and MD/ML in Health Law and an MD/MPH.
We encourage you to evaluate your own specific career goals
to decide if one of these programs is right for you.
The 2019 to 2020 tuition
at Perelman School of Medicine was $60,000.
The total cost of attendance, including room, board,
supplies and transportation is about $90,000 per year.
While this may seem steep,
it's important to note that UPenn Medical School
offers need-based scholarships and loans
to 86% of its students.
Perelman School of Medicine
also awards 30 full tuition scholarships each year.
All applicants are automatically considered
for these awards and recipients are Chosen based
on their outstanding academic achievement,
unique intellectual interests
and proven leadership abilities.
You must be wondering what are your chances
of getting accepted to the Perelman School of Medicine.
In 2019, over 6,500 students applied for admission
of those applicants, 707 or 11% or invited to interview.
While the number of admitted students isn't made public,
we can assume around 200 to 250 students
or 3% to 4% were accepted.
Ultimately 150 students
or 2% of total applicants matriculated.
If these numbers make you nervous
about getting into UPenn Medical School, you're not alone.
The Perelman School of Medicine is a reach
for even the most high achieving pre-meds.
Let's look at the stats of accepted students
to get a better idea of your admissions odds.
In 2019, the median GPA of accepted students was 3.92
in the 25th to 75th percentile GPA range was 3.72 to 4.0,
the median MCAT score was 521 or the 98th percentile.
And the MCAT range was from 517 to 525
or the 94th to a hundred percentile.
These stats show that in order
to be a competitive applicant,
you'll need impressive academics.
If you're planning to take the MCAT soon,
check out our comprehensive MCAT Study Guide.
We share the best strategies
to help you maximize your score.
Link in the description box below.
What else does Upenn Medical School look for
in its applicants besides strong academic stats?
Let's look at the additional admissions requirements next.
The Perelman School of Medicine
doesn't set specific course requirements for its applicants
but it expects them to demonstrate competencies
in several key subjects.
These include English Communication,
Biology, Chemistry, Physics, Mathematics
and behavioral disciplines such as History,
Philosophy, Political Science, Sociology or Psychology.
This wide range of disciplines shows UPenn's desire
to enroll holistic med students with unique perspectives.
Considering UPenn Medical School's strong reputation
for research, it should come as no surprise
that 97% of its accepted students have research experience.
By engaging in research,
you demonstrate to the Admissions Committee
that you align with Perelman's mission to advance knowledge
and improve health through discovery.
The vast majority of matriculants also have experience
in medical volunteering, shadowing and community service.
When pursuing extracurricular activities,
consider how you might use them to illustrate
who you are and what you're passionate about.
Don't select your experience randomly
just to check off boxes on your med school applications.
Try to focus each activity towards your interests
so that even on their own, they tell a story about you.
After meeting all the admissions requirements
and having competitive stats,
you'll submit your AMCAS Application
to the Perelman School of Medicine
but your work won't be over,
next you'll be out to answer a comprehensive set
of questions designed to ensure a holistic review process.
These range from simple yes or no questions
to list of achievements to free response essays.
Remember that secondary prompts occasionally change.
So regardless of the prompt,
remember to give answers that demonstrate how you fit
with UPenn Medical School's unique mission
and its values of diversity, innovation, critical thinking,
lifelong learning and excellence.
Your ultimate goal is to prove you're the ideal candidate
for the Perelman School of Medicine.
You'll give a simple yes or no response to this question.
You may also choose to list the online courses
you took as well as the grades you earned.
If your answer is no, leave this answer blank
but if you have been nominated for
or received any relevant awards,
you'll want to provide a list of them.
Share the name of the award,
the organization that awarded it
and the year you received it.
If you plan to take a gap year or already in one
when you apply to UPenn Medical School,
you'll want to use this opportunity
to demonstrate how your time off
will make you an even better medical school candidate.
How will you pursue and develop your passions?
What new skills will you master?
What goal do you have for your gap year?
Remember, many students take gap years
before enrolling in medical school
but not everyone will maximize their time off.
You can stand out by making sure you do.
This question asks you to give a direct
into the point retelling of your international experiences.
You should list your study abroad trips,
cultural exchanges or medical mission trips here.
When describing your activities,
focus on how you develop your cultural awareness
and increase your ability to work with diverse populations.
You can approach this question
in a couple of different ways,
you might take the opportunity to share a unique connection
you have to UPenn Medical School
or reveal a special situation
you'd like to take into account.
On the other hand, many students will interpret this
as a standard diversity essay.
If you take this route,
you can focus on the unique perspectives
and values you can bring to the Perelman School of Medicine.
What qualities skills or experience do you have
that will benefit the UPenn Community
and contribute to its mission?
This question is a version of the typical adversity essay
but geared solely toward economic hardships.
Instead of focusing on how bad
your challenge or experience was,
use this essay to demonstrate how you manage
the stress of the situation or how you rose to the occasion
and did what you needed to support your family.
Show the actions you took to resolve the issue
and identify what you learned through the experience.
How has that hardship impacted who you are today?
For more advice on how to write an adversity essay
including a full length example, be sure to check out
our Medical School Secondary Essay Guide.
Link in the description below.
Here's another straight-forward question
where you can answer honestly and directly
if it applies to you
otherwise you can skip the section.
Ultimately this question is asking you
why UPenn medical school?
You want to identify, what about Perelman's mission,
programs, faculty or resources most excite you.
But don't stop at expressing a relevant interest,
instead, show how your experiences lead you
to form this interest which can be uniquely pursued
and encouraged at UPenn.
For example, if you would love to work
with a specific faculty member
on their groundbreaking cancer treatment research studies,
start by sharing the personal experience
that first got you interested in treating cancer.
Including this type of narrative
will help your essay stand out.
When you finish this video,
be sure to check out our supplemental guide,
How to Get into Perelman School of Medicine
for a full length example of this essay response.
Link in the description below.
Your answers to this final question
are not considered in your admissions review
but will be used to accommodate you
if you receive an invitation to interview.
Since these questions are optional
you can feel free to skip them if you prefer
otherwise, you should answer them
in a straightforward fashion.
If you write standout essays,
have impressive extracurriculars
and earn competitive academic stats
you might earn your spot among the 11%
of applicants who are invited to interview
with the Perelman School of Medicine.
This means you've almost made it
but still have an important test to pass.
The interview will test your communication skills,
personality fit and authenticity
with your med school application.
UPenn Medical School conducts
its interviews in a traditional format.
Expect to attend a full interview day
that includes an orientation, meeting students,
a financial aid discussion
and an introduction to the curriculum.
You'll have two separate interviews with faculty members.
Be prepared to discuss your research experiences
and interests in depth.
You should also remember to ask
the faculty about their own research.
People love to talk about their passions.
If you can have an enthusiastic conversation
with your interviewer about their research interests,
you'll be sure to make a strong impression.
For all our best tips
on how to ACE your medical school interview,
check out our Medical School Interview Guide.
We'll prepare you to put your best foot forward
and be memorable on interview day.
Link in the description below.
There you have it, everything you need to know
about how to get into the Perelman School of Medicine.
By following the advice in this video,
you can maximize your admissions odds
and make your UPenn Medical School dreams come true.
If you found this video helpful,
give it a thumbs up and subscribe
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And if you'd like to learn more
about the med school admissions process,
click the link in the description
to get our free comprehensive guide
How to Get into Medical School.
The guide contains a lesson
on tackling medical school secondary application essays
where we go even more in depth
on secondary essay strategies.
All right.
Thanks again for watching.
See you next time.