Before You Apply
Citizenship
Currently, only U.S. citizens or permanent residents will be considered.
Education
All applicants are required to have a degree at the bachelor’s level or higher from an accredited U.S. or Canadian college or university prior to matriculation in the MD program. There is not a preferred major.
Student-Run "Virtual Office Hours"
Virtual Office Hours is a recruitment initiative aimed at addressing any hesitation potential students may have in their consideration of Carle Illinois. Each session will have some information about Carle Illinois but will focus on current students answering questions from potential applicants. If interested, register for a specific session.
Technical Standards
All matriculating students must be able to meet the Carle Illinois Technical Standards.
Student Handbook
Matriculated students should review the Carle Illinois student handbook for requirements such as criminal background check, immunizations and drug testing.
Academic Requirements: MCAT and GPA
Applicants must have a Medical College Admission Test (MCAT) score prior to application consideration and the October 31 deadline. Please check the available dates for taking the MCAT.
Both MCAT and GPA will be used as components in our holistic evaluation. We require a minimum MCAT score of 498 out of a possible 528. MCAT scores cannot be more than 3 years old in January of the year of expected enrollment. The best eligible score will be used for the admission process. We do not have a minimum GPA requirement. Information about Carle Illinois matriculants, including median MCAT scores, can be found on the AAMC MSAR (Medical School Admissions Requirements) page. Carle Illinois does not consider scores on the individual sections of the MCAT.
Required Competency Areas
At Carle Illinois we evaluate competency, which is a much broader concept than pre-requisites. Applicants MUST DEMONSTRATE COMPETENCY IN AT LEAST 9 OF THE 11 AREAS on the competency checklist in order to receive a secondary application.
While competency most likely will be met through courses taken during undergraduate education, we recognize there are alternatives to undergraduate coursework that may prepare you for our curriculum. These may include, but are not limited to, research publications, professional experiences, or certificates. The checklist will provide the opportunity to upload documentation of alternative experiences proposed as demonstration of competence. The Competency section of Admissions FAQ may answer questions that you have concerning the competency checklist.
| Competency Areas | Could be demonstrated by: |
|---|---|
| Chemistry | 3 semesters or equivalent of general and/or organic chemistry with lab |
| Biochemistry | 1 semester or equivalent |
| Biology | 2 semesters or equivalent with lab |
| Advanced Biology | 1 semester or equivalent of physiology, systems biology, or other advanced biology course |
| Physics | 2 semesters or equivalent with lab |
| Humanities / Social Science | Humanities coursework as defined by the undergraduate major |
| Statistics | 1 semester or equivalent |
| Calculus | 2 semesters or equivalent; content of higher-level class should be comparable to UIUC MATH 231 (Calculus II) |
| Multivariate Calculus | Content of class should be comparable to UIUC MATH 241 (Calculus III); see FAQs for more information |
| Differential Equations | Content of class should be comparable to UIUC MATH 285 (Intro to Differential Equations); see FAQs for more information |
| Linear Algebra | Content of class should be comparable to UIUC MATH 415 (Applied Linear Algebra) or MATH 257 (Linear Algebra with Computational Applications); see FAQs for more information |
Community college credit is accepted. Advanced Placement credit is accepted when succeeded by a higher-level course in the same subject at an undergraduate institution. To see how the University of Illinois interprets your prior coursework, please refer to Transferology or speak to the pre-health advisor from your college/university. Regretfully, due to a high volume of requests, we are unable to provide individual pre-application assessments.
Suggested Experience
Carle Illinois College of Medicine is committed to the use of holistic admissions to identify applicants who are best suited to our institutional mission and educational design. In addition to strong interpersonal skills, demonstrated altruism, leadership skills, experience in healthcare settings, and strong preparation in pre-med plus quantitative areas, applicants with experience coding, participating in research studies, working directly with patients as an EMT or medical assistant, or working in industry have found success in our curriculum and excelled outside of the classroom.
Letters of Recommendation
All letters of evaluation and recommendation must be submitted to AMCAS letter service. Any letters from third parties that are not solicited by the applicant or Carle Illinois College of Medicine, or letters sent directly to Carle Illinois College of Medicine will not be accepted or retained. All applicants are required to submit at least three but no more than four letters of evaluation and recommendation. Premedical committee reports or other composite letters of recommendation of any length or style will count as three letters, so such applicants may submit one additional letter of recommendation.
Applicants are advised to choose a group of letter writers who can collectively speak to their:
- Skill in STEAM (Science, Technology, Engineering, the Arts and Mathematics)
- Work ethic and engagement
- Leadership and teamwork
- Potential to be a successful innovator.
Additional Assessments
Carle Illinois does NOT REQUIRE additional assessments at this time. For the 2024 admissions cycle we will be collecting the AAMC PREview™ Professional Readiness Exam for any applicants who took it for other reasons. We will hold these scores separately to be used for research purposes but they will NOT be used for evaluation for the 2024 cycle. Information about the AAMC PREview™ exam, including preparation materials, test registration, requests for accommodations, and important dates and deadlines is available here: http://www.aamc.org/PREview
Nondiscrimination Notice
The commitment of the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign (University) to the most fundamental principles of academic freedom, equality of opportunity, and human dignity requires that decisions involving students and employees be based on merit and be free from invidious discrimination in all its forms. The University does not engage in discrimination or harassment against any person because of race, color, religion, sex, pregnancy, disability, national origin, citizenship status, ancestry, age, order of protection status, genetic information, marital status, sexual orientation, gender identity, arrest record status, unfavorable discharge from the military, or status as a protected veteran and complies with all federal and state nondiscrimination, equal opportunity, and affirmative action laws, orders, and regulations.
The University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign prohibits sex discrimination in any education program or activity that it operates. Individuals may report concerns or questions to the Title IX Coordinator. The Title IX notice of nondiscrimination is located at go.uillinois.edu/StatementonSexDiscrimination.
The following person has been designated to handle inquiries regarding the nondiscrimination policies:
Director of the Office for Access & Equity
616 East Green Street, Suite 214
Champaign, IL 61820
accessandequity@illinois.edu
(217) 333-0885
Please refer to the University of Illinois System website for the most up-to-date statement on Sex Discrimination, Sexual Harassment and Other Sexual Misconduct.