You can find the Mayo Clinic Alix School of Medicine, formerly known as Mayo Medical School, in Rochester, Minnesota. This is a research-oriented college that has additional campuses in Florida and Arizona. The Mayo Clinic Medical School has a very rigorous admissions process, and they’re very competitive, but it’s possible to secure a spot with research and diligence on your part. 

In 2019, the United States voted Mayo Clinic Medical School as one of the top 10 in the nation, and it tied for the ninth spot with New York University and Weill Cornell. Additionally, this college has students that perform well above the national average on Step 1 and Step 2 Clinical Knowledge Exams, and over 90% of their fourth-year students gain acceptance into one of their residency hospital choices. 

But how does one apply for a coveted spot in the Mayo Medical School? What are the prerequisites, score requirements, deadlines, and process? We’ll go over all of this below and give you everything you need to apply for this prestigious school below. 

2019 Acceptance and Admissions Statistics for the Mayo Clinic Medical School

In 2019, the acceptance and admissions statistics for the Medical Scientist Training Program and the M.D. Program outline how competitive this school is. They’ll also give you a good idea on what you should do to increase your acceptance chances. The statistics are:  

  • Applications – 7,265 (3,901 Male, 3,353 Female, and 11 Other)
  • On-Campus Interviews – 811
  • Acceptance Letters Issued – 172
  • New M.D. Program Acceptance – 102 (50 Male and 52 Female)
  • Median GPA – 3.92
  • Medium MCAT – 520 (98th Percentile)

Mayo Clinic’s Acceptance Criteria

The admissions committee for Mayo look at several criteria when they consider an applicant for the M.D. program. This way, they don’t block out people with slightly lower GPAs or MCAT scores. The committee will look at the following for all applicants: 

  • Academic Performance
  • GPA
  • MCAT Score and Percentile
  • Personal Statement
  • Letters of Recommendation (3 to 10)
  • Experience level and depth. This includes volunteer and community service, research, leadership, and exposure to athletic, medicinal, and artistic endeavours. Finally, the committee looks at work experience. 

Mayo Medical School’s Admission Process

For simplicity’s sake, we’re going to go over how one would apply for the M.D. program at this school because every program’s process differs slightly and has different prerequisites. 

Yearly Submission Deadlines and Timeline for Admissions

  • Application Window –June 1st to October 1st
  • Prerequisite Course Deadline –June 15th
  • Interview Applications Sent –August to November
  • Campus Interviews –September to December
  • Post MCAT Scores to Your AMCAS Application Deadline –October 15th
  • Transcript Submission Deadline –October 15th
  • Application Fee Deadline –November 15th
  • Letters of Recommendation Deadline –November 15th
  • Candidates Receive Initial Offers –February
  • Candidates Receive Waitlist Offers –February to July

In order to apply for a spot in the upcoming academic year, you’ll have to submit your application and pay the application fee. The fee is $120 per application. If the school asks you to fill out a secondary application, you’ll pay another nonrefundable $120 application fee. If you don’t pay the fee, it won’t accept your application. Mayo also recommends you submit everything early because of the competitive nature of each program. 

Prerequisites for the Mayo Clinic College

On top of making all of your deadlines, you have to meet all of your prerequisites before Mayo will even consider you for the upcoming school year. Each program’s prerequisites are different, but the prerequisites for their Medical Doctor program are as follows: 

Course Requirements

Any applicant has to have the following prerequisite courses completed by June 15th the year they plan to apply. Additionally, every course has to have a letter grade. Simply having credit or no credit or a pass/fail designation isn’t acceptable. Every course but biochemistry has to be completed in-person to count. 

  • Biochemistry – One Year (Online Acceptable)
  • Biology or Zoology – One Year with One Year of Lab
  • Inorganic Chemistry – One Year with One Year of Lab
  • Organic Chemistry – One Year with One Year of Lab
  • Physics – One Year with One Year of Lab

Citizenship Requirements

Applicants for the Mayo Clinic Doctorate program must either be a lawful permanent resident or citizen of the United States. Applicants can also be a Refugee or a noncitizen national of the United States when they apply. Foreign nationals that do not fit these criteria are not allowed to enroll unless they can provide proof of Canadian financial aid support, federal financial aid support, or they’re eligible to file the Free Application for Federal Student Aid.

Degree

Before applying for the Mayo Clinic Medical School, you have to have a degree. There are no exceptions to this rule, and it applies to every applicant. Currently, each applicant has to have a Pharm.D. or bachelor’s degree from an accredited university or college in Canada or the United States. Applicants are not allowed to substitute a higher degree to reach this requirement. 

Medical College Admission Test (MCAT) Score Requirements

Every applicant must take and score well on the Medical College Admission Test. You must post your scores to the AMCAS application before or on October 15 to meet the application deadline. You can only use the MCAT scores reported within three years of the application year. Anything beyond this will not be considered. 

The current MCAT scores accepted for this program are scores that fall into the 75th percentile and above. If you score above the 75th percentile, Mayo will consider you for a secondary application invitation. The MCAT scores and percentile rankings are as follows: 

  • 524 to 528 –100th Percentile
  • 521 to 523 –99th Percentile
  • 520 –98th Percentile
  • 519 –97th Percentile
  • 518 –96th Percentile
  • 517 –95th Percentile
  • 516 –93rd Percentile
  • 515 –92nd Percentile
  • 514 –90th Percentile
  • 513 –88th Percentile
  • 512 –85th Percentile
  • 511 –83rd Percentile
  • 510 –80th Percentile
  • 509 –77th Percentile
  • 508 –74th Percentile

GPA

Although a higher GPA is preferred, there is current no minimum GPA requirement to gain admission to this college. GPA is one of a few factors the admissions office looks at when they go through the application review process. 

Non-Academic Criteria

Each graduate of the M.D. program has to have an essential core of skills and knowledge to offer safe and effective patient care. To ensure the graduates have these skills, Mayo Clinic requires participants to meet several different non-academic criteria. This criteria includes: 

  • Behavioral: Possessing good judgement is a requirement, and you must be able to finish all of your responsibilities concerning the patient’s care and diagnosis. You have to show you can build effective, sensitive, and mature relationships with your fellow residents and patients. You have to tolerate heavy workloads, be able to adapt, and work well under stress. Finally, you have to demonstrate compassion, inclusion, integrity, concern, respect, motivation, and commitment.
  • Communication: Applicants have to have the skills to communicate sensitively and effectively with assigned patients to describe mood changes, elicit information, posture, activity, assess nonverbal communication, and communicate all of this information to faculty, fellow residents, staff, and patients. 
  • Integrative, Intellectual, and Quantitative Abilities: You have to possess the abilities to calculate, measure, analyze, and reason. Each applicant has to demonstrate critical thinking skills and problem-solving capabilities. You need the ability to understand 3D and spatial relationships, and you have to be able to solve problems quickly. 
  • Motor: Applicants have to be able to complete physical exams of their assigned patients. They will use palpitations, percussion, auscultation, and other diagnostic maneuvers, and they must possess the motor skills to do so. You must be able to document encounters, order treatment and tests, and more using an electronic medical record. 
  • Observation and Participation: Each applicant has to attend and participate in all small group, classroom, and laboratory exercises. You have to attend clinical experiences throughout the course. Interviewing, comprehending, and assessing patient conditions is essential, and you’ll have to diagnose and treat assigned patients. Applicants will access electronic patient information and use online learning tools like simulations, web-based learning, modules, and electronic medical records. 

Letters of Recommendation

Every applicant has to have a composite letter from a premedical committee or three letters of recommendation. The letters should come from people whose opinions encompass the likelihood of your success in the course, and these people should know you very well. At least one of the three letters should come from a science faculty member. You can also get a letter from a teaching assistant, and the school will accept up to 10 letters of recommendation. 

Once you have your recommendation letters, you have to submit them through the American Medical College Application Services Letter Service. If Mayo invites you to complete a secondary application for admissions, the admissions office will continue the process when they receive your secondary application, application fee, and the letters of recommendation. 

Transfer Policy

This school doesn’t accept transfer requests from current or previously enrolled medical school students. This includes current or previous enrollment in domestic or international schools. The only way you can apply and win a spot in through sending an application to the American Medical College Application Service. 

A big part of the reasoning behind this policy is because of the unique curriculum. The curriculum integrates clinical and basic science each year, and it’s very unlikely that any transfer student would have had previous education to prepare them for the course. Also, the smaller class sizes limit the space available for students, let alone transfer students. 

Financial Aid

Mayo Medical School offers comprehensive financial aid packets to several programs. Health Science students will get an automatic email upon acceptance to the program of their choice, and Mayo processes applications for several programs right on campus for both undergraduate and graduate programs. 

Additionally, residents and fellows can make appointments to learn how to manage their tuition, debt, and student loans. Mayo offers several types of repayment plans for their students, including loan consolidation counseling, income-driven repayment plans, and alternative payment plans. To start, you have to make an appointment with the school’s financial aid specialist. 

Prepare Yourself for Mayo with Our Pre-Med Internships

The Mayo Medical School is a competitive and prestigious university that can set you up for a fulfilling career. Now you know about all of the application requirements and prerequisites, you can see how close you are to meeting the application criteria. 

If you’d like to gain valuable experience that can help you with your admissions requirements, apply for our Pre-Medicine Internships. This comprehensive program will help you fulfill your admissions requirements, advance your cultural competency, study for the MCAT and it’ll look fantastic on your application.