How to Get Into CUNY School of Medicine in 2024

CUNY School of Medicine was first established in 1847 as the City of New York College. Since its founding, the university has provided high-quality, affordable education and is at the forefront of social change.

CUNY School of Medicine is ranked number 1 out of 369 selective public colleges on the overall mobility index in the United States by the Chronicle of Higher Education. The Center for World University rankings places CUNY School of Medicine in the top 1.2% of universities for academic excellence.

Be an Informed Applicant

Like all medical schools across the country, New York medical colleges have school-specific requirements and guidelines. Understanding the university’s identity, selection criteria, and programs will help you focus on your application and put your best foot forward.

This article covers:

CUNY School of Medicine Rankings
Medical Programs at CUNY School of Medicine
Selection Factors: What CUNY School of Medicine Looks for in an Applicant
Academic Requirements
CUNY School of Medicine Acceptance Rate, Class Profile, and More
CUNY School of Medicine Tuition and Cost of Attendance
CUNY School of Medicine Application and Secondary Application
CUNY School of Medicine Secondary Application: Essay Prompts, Sample Answers, and Advice
Medical School Admissions Consulting
Voluntary Healthcare Internships Abroad

Personalized Help

Many students find themselves overwhelmed by medical school applications. Each school you apply to has its own unique admissions process. To best help you get into your dream medical school, consider working with an admissions consultant.

A medical school admissions consultant will help and guide you through every stage of the application process while offering personalized feedback and support to help you succeed. International Medical Aid can help you curate a competitive application, highlighting your strengths and tailoring your message to each school.

If you are like many future medical students, you will benefit greatly from our personalized medical school admissions consulting.

Why the CUNY School of Medicine?

The CUNY School of Medicine has been helping train and educate the future physicians of New York for 175 years. The institution’s mission is to remain true to its legacy of access, opportunity, and transformation. CUNY School of Medicine accomplishes this by offering a bold, dynamic, diverse, and visionary education experience for all students.

The university is at the intersection of its bright future and historical past. CUNY integrates knowledge with experience to nurture scholars, leaders, and professionals who are ready to meet the challenges of today’s society.

CUNY School of Medicine Rankings

Unranked in Bes Medical Schools: Research
Unranked in Best Medical Schools: Primary Care
#141 in Occupational Therapy

Medical Programs at CUNY School of Medicine

Before applying, it is crucial to research the different programs offered by the CUNY School of Medicine. This research will aid in your decision of which medical school is a good fit for you and help you focus your application.

In this article, we will be discussing the main degree offered by CUNY School of Medicine. The college offers a BS/MD program plus a PA program.

BS/MD Program

The BS/MD program offered at the CUNY School of Medicine is provided in conjunction with the Sophie Davis Biomedical Education Program at the CUNY School of Medicine. The program takes 7 years to complete and has an integrated curriculum in medical studies.

During the first 3 years of the program, students complete their Bachelor of Science Degree. Upon successfully completing this degree, students transfer to the CUNY School of Medicine to complete their 4 years of medical school.

Selection Factors: What CUNY School of Medicine Looks for in an Applicant

What exactly is the CUNY School of Medicine looking for in medical program candidates—MCAT scores, grades, and internships?

Many colleges take a holistic review approach when looking over incoming admissions applications. This means an evaluation of your entire application and trying to get the big picture idea of who you are not only as a candidate but as a person. The AAMC Core Competencies for Entering Medical Students serve as a guide during this review process.

If you want to get accepted into the CUNY School of Medicine program, be sure to focus on and highlight these criteria in your application. Don’t be afraid to reach out for personalized help with your application.

Application Requirements for CUNY School of Medicine

CUNY School of Medicine has specific academic criteria and admission requirements that applicants must meet in order to receive a secondary application. Failure to meet the requirements will result in not receiving a secondary application.

GPA and MCAT Requirements

CUNY School of Medicine does not require the MCAT exam, but the college’s website does state that applicants should have a minimum grade point average of 85 through the first 3 years of high school.

The MCAT is not required by CUNY School of Medicine as the BS/MD program is both an undergrad and grad program. Students enter into the college directly from high school and begin pursuing their Bachelor of Science degree. For a list of medical schools that don’t require the MCAT, check out our comprehensive list.

Volunteer and Clinical Experience

CUNY School of Medicine does not list any requirements in regard to the amount of community service or volunteer experience that applicants should have. However, adding as many of these experiences as you can make your application more competitive.

What counts as volunteer service and clinical experience:

Clinical Experience – Experience with patient exposure can be gained through volunteering or working at hospitals, emergency rooms, extended-care facilities, and homeless clinics.
Volunteer and Community Service – Demonstrate your involvement within your community by participating in community service or volunteering.
Research – Many medical schools research to be a crucial part of the preparation for medical school. Research experience can be performed at any site and in any discipline. Be able to describe your projects, questions asked, and your role in the conducting of the research.
Leadership – Leadership can be added to your application through various avenues, such as in the community, church, at work, or at school.
Extracurricular Activities – List any extracurricular activities you partake in as the ability to juggle these activities is a strong indicator of how you handle responsibilities and the potential stress and demand of medical school.

CUNY School of Medicine Letters of Recommendation

Being a competitive applicant includes providing letters of recommendation. The letters you submit should be compelling and demonstrate your potential for success in the medical field.

These letters should be written by people who you trust and who can accurately portray your integrity, interest in medicine, academic ability, interpersonal skills, and resiliency. for more information or details about who is best suited to write you a letter of recommendation, check out the CUNY School of Medicine website pertaining to admission requirements. They neatly outline examples of who should write academic letters of recommendation and who should write non-academic letters of recommendation.

Here are the CUNY School of Medicine guidelines and requirements for submitting letters of recommendation. All letters of recommendation should be submitted through the AMCAS Letters Service. Please keep in mind that the majority of medical colleges prefer letters of recommendation written by a Pre-health Advisory Committee.

The CUNY School of Medicine requires all applicants to submit 5 letters of recommendation. In addition to these LORs, applicants also need to submit 3 essays.

Required Coursework for CUNY School of Medicine

The CUNY School of Medicine admissions website does not list any prerequisites for entering into the college’s BS/MD program with the Sophie Davis Biomedical Education program. However, there are a few courses that the majority of medical colleges require, including:

English

Biology

Chemistry

Physics

Social Sciences

Does CUNY School of Medicine Require the CASPer exam?

The CASPer exam is an online test that is required by some medical schools. This exam assesses a candidate’s non-cognitive and interpersonal skills. Designed to complement traditional admission methods of a college by judging the applicant’s professional and personal competencies.

As of 2023, the CASPer exam is not required by the CUNY School of Medicine.

CUNY School of Medicine Acceptance Rate and Admission Statistics

Entrance into the CUNY School of Medicine is highly competitive. The college has an overall acceptance rate of 4%. This is important to keep in mind as you begin to curate your application and submit it to medical colleges. The more competitive your application is, the better chances you may have at receiving an interview and potentially an offer of admission.

Let’s check out some of the stats of the most recent class of matriculants at CUNY School of Medicine.

980 Total Applicants
341 Interviewed
175 Offers of Admission

CUNY School of Medicine Tuition and Cost of Attendance

In addition to tuition and fees, CUNY School of Medicine students should budget for incidentals, textbooks, supplies, and living costs. The Office of Student Financial Services has provided the following estimated figures for the upcoming school year.

Year 1:

$41,911.95 Tuition and Fees
$21,690 Living Expenses
$1,800 Books and Supplies
$1,600 Loan Fees
$40 Disability Insurance
$67,041.95 Total

Year 2:

$41,911.95 Tuition and Fees
$21,690 Living Expenses
$1,800 Books and Supplies
$1,600 Loan Fees
$40 Disability Insurance
$829 Testing Fees
$67,870.95 Total

Year 3:

$41,911.95 Tuition and Fees
$27,844 Living Expenses
$1,800 Books and Supplies
$1,780 Loan Fees
$40 Disability Insurance
$1,945 Step II Cost
$75,320.95 Total

Year 4:

$41,911,95 Tuition and Fee
$25,770 Living Expenses
$1,800 Books and Supplies
$1,600 Loan Fee
$71,081.95 Total

CUNY School of Medicine Application Process and Secondary Application

The CUNY School of Medicine has a unique admissions process as the college does not require students to complete the AMCAS primary application. This primary application is not required because the CUNY School of Medicine’s medical education program is a BS/MD program that covers both an undergrad and medical degree, similar to the UMKC School of Medicine BA/MD Program.

The standard process for applying to CUNY School of Medicine requires applicants to pay a non-refundable $65 application fee and submit their high school transcripts. Applicants who have taken the GED should submit their test scores.

Please note that you will not be invited to complete the CUNY School of Medicine secondary application if you do not meet the admissions requirements outlined previously in this article. For a refresher on what the required premedical coursework is, go back to the required coursework section. You will also want to note if you have participated in any of the additional recommended coursework outlined by the CUNY School of Medicine.

CUNY School of Medicine Secondary Application: Essay Prompts, Sample Essay Answers, and Advice

Completing your secondary application is a critical part of applying to a medical school. In the secondary application, you can express your character, ambitions, motivations, and more. This is your chance to demonstrate what makes you a unique and ideal candidate for the CUNY School of Medicine program. Here are a few tips for submitting a successful secondary application to the CUNY School of Medicine:

Read and pay close attention to each essay prompt on the application and address all of its questions in your response.
When supporting your responses, use concrete evidence from your academic, professional, and extracurricular experiences.
Thoroughly proofread and edit your application materials before submitting them.
Write each and every essay in a clear and concise manner. Omit any unnecessary words and sentences, avoid filler, and ensure you stay on topic per the essay’s prompt.
Consider utilizing IMA’s admission consulting. Writing thousands of words for medical school applications can be time-consuming. Admissions consultants help by taking an in-depth look at your application and finding areas for improvement.

The CUNY School of Medicine’s secondary application typically consists of 2 essay/short answer prompts that will allow the admissions committee to get to know you better and on a more personal level.

Essay #1

The City University of New York School of Medicine strives to ensure that its students become respectful physicians who embrace all dimensions of caring for the whole person. Please describe how your personal characteristics or life experiences will contribute to the City University of New York School of Medicine community and bring educational benefits to our student body. (1000 characters)

The prompt above allows applicants to discuss their personal traits and attributes that will aid them throughout their medical studies and future career as a physician.

Here is a sample answer:

The traits that will help me succeed in medical school and become a respectful future physician is my caring and compassionate nature. These are traits that all physicians should possess in addition to being understanding, kind, and respectful to all individuals seeking care.

Aside from merely possessing these traits, I also have several first-hand experiences that have helped me see the difference a physician can make in the lives of their patients.

After suffering a bout of illness in my late teens and spending a considerable amount of time in hospitals and around various physicians, the physicians who went the extra mile and were respectful made a much larger impact than those who did not show the same level of care and compassion.

Essay #2

Is there any further information that you would like the Committee on Admissions to be aware of when reviewing your file that you were not able to notate in another section of this or the AMCAS Application? (1000 characters)

If there is any experience (personal, volunteer, or professional) that you would like to highlight, this is a great opportunity to do so. If you have any grade discrepancies or academic issues on your transcripts, you can utilize this prompt as a way to elaborate further on these issues.

Medical School Admissions Consulting

At International Medical Aid, we make it a point to offer aspiring medical professionals thorough and informative content. We understand that getting into med school is hard work, and we want you to succeed during the application process.

One of the best ways to boost your medical school program application is with the expert help of an admissions consultant. Whether you need guidance writing your essays, developing an application strategy, or navigating the process, we are here to help.

We recommend taking a moment to schedule a free consultation with IMA here.

Voluntary Healthcare Internships Abroad

IMA’s voluntary healthcare internships provide students with the opportunity to shadow doctors, gain valuable medical field experience, and work in hospital and clinical environments. All of the internships we offer are intensive and patient-facing. Through International Medical Aid’s pre-med shadowing study abroad programs, aspiring med students gain real-life clinical experience and become further prepared for medical school.

The internships go far beyond creating a compelling medical school application. IMA’s programs serve struggling areas and populations across the globe. By interning abroad, you can develop your patient communication skills, serve the medically underserved, and broaden your perspectives.

There is a lot to learn when it comes to our pre-med shadowing study abroad programs, so please take the time to explore the programs on our website.

Good Luck!

We want to wish you good luck as you navigate the med school application process. Remember to be strategic about your application, take your time, and do not hesitate to ask for help.

Applying for medical school programs is often a stressful and overwhelming process that is hard for new students. If you feel you may need additional help with your application, essay responses, or prepping for your upcoming semester, don’t forget to utilize IMA’s consulting services.

If you are considering applying to any other med schools in New York or other states, we have ultimate guides for most med schools available on our website. Whether you want to know “how medical schools stack up to other medical schools near me” or just want to check out guides for other colleges, don’t forget to check out our ultimate guides.