Education
Applicants must have graduated from an accredited college or university prior to matriculation. No single major is preferred.
All applicants are required to have earned a bachelor’s, master’s, doctoral (or other terminal degree) from a U.S. or Canadian accredited college or university prior to matriculation in the MD program.
Academic Requirements: MCAT and GPA
Applicants must complete the Medical College Admission Test (MCAT) prior to application consideration.
Both MCAT and GPA will be used as components in a holistic evaluation of an applicant to ensure they have the appropriate competencies to succeed in our unique curriculum. For the MCAT, we require a minimum total score of 498 out of a possible 528 (highest of first two attempts; average of three or more attempts). We do not have a minimum GPA requirement.
Required Competency Areas
Applicants must demonstrate competency in at least 9 of 11 competency areas listed below to receive a secondary application. Competency most likely will be met through courses taken during undergraduate education. Community college credit is accepted if transferred as equivalent at a four-year institution. Advanced Placement credit is accepted when succeeded by a higher-level course in the same subject at an undergraduate institution.
Applicants may demonstrate competence through the following suggested courses and labs:
| 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 | 2 semesters or equivalent |
| 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); see FAQs for more information |
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. You will have the opportunity to provide documentation of alternative experiences that demonstrate competence. 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. Applications must be submitted through AMCAS, and will undergo a thorough, holistic evaluation to ensure that applicants have the appropriate competencies to succeed in our unique curriculum.
Suggested Experience
Future applicants should have strong backgrounds in biology, chemistry/biochemistry, mathematics/statistics, physics and social sciences as well as strong quantitative skills.
A competitive applicant who will be more likely to succeed in our curriculum will also have some experience in:
- computer programming and languages
- coding
- modeling and/or data sciences
- healthcare settings
and will demonstrate:
- strong interpersonal communication
- service
- leadership skills
- Innovation, design, entrepreneurship, intellectual property, or industrial experience in medical or related settings is a plus.
Questions? Talk to us.
Letters of Recommendation
Carle Illinois College of Medicine Admissions Committee requires:
A minimum of three individual letters of recommendation and a maximum of four letters of recommendation.
OR
A premedical committee report or other composite letter of recommendation from the applicant’s primary college or university. Regardless of length, applicants with a committee report or composite letter may optionally submit a single, additional letter of recommendation.
Citizenship
Currently, only U.S. citizens or permanent residents will be considered.
Nondiscrimination Notice
The commitment of the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign (Illinois) 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 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.
