How to Get Into New York Medical College: The Definitive Guide

In the peaceful town of Valhalla, NY, some of the region’s best and brightest minds come together to train at New York Medical College.

With over 25 teaching sites in New York, Connecticut, and New Jersey, New York Medical College provides students with plentiful opportunities for research, specialized clinical rotations, and extracurricular involvement.

But what does it take to get into New York Medical College? With an acceptance rate ranging from 3-6% in any given year, it’s no secret that getting into this medical school is a competitive process.

This article organizes all the key information you need to optimize your application to New York Medical College and navigate the admissions process. We cover the details, like application deadlines and MCAT requirements, as well as the broad strokes, such as the school’s institutional identity and applicant selection criteria.

If you’re applying to NY Medical College, consider bookmarking this page for easy reference.

Be an Informed Applicant

The admissions cycle involves a lot of steps, and we want to make sure you have all the information you need to succeed. Our site covers what you need to do in high school, how to prepare for the MCAT, what your application should look like, and more.

But when applying to medical school, there’s a lot more than requirements to keep in mind. Admissions carefully reviews your personal statement, clinical experience, secondary essay responses, letters of reccommendation, and more.

If you’re selected to interview, you’ll have the opportunity to show the school who you are, your passion for medicine, and why you would be an excellent medical student. Until then, your application is your chance to make a great first impression.

Our Ultimate Medical School Guides are crafted by admissions experts to give you the information and advice you need to put your best foot forward.

This article covers:

New York Medical College School Rankings and Institutional Identity (Why NYMC?)
Medical Programs at NY Medical College
Selection Factors: What NY Medical College Looks for in a Candidate
Academic Requirements (GPA, MCAT Scores, Required Coursework)
New York Medical College Acceptance Rate, Class Profile, and More
Tuition and Cost of Attendance
AMCAS Primary Application and NYMC Secondary Application
New York Medical College Secondary Application: Essay Prompts, Sample Answers, and Advice
Medical School Admissions Consulting
Voluntary Healthcare Internships Abroad

Personalized Medical School Admissions Consulting

IMA’s medical school admissions consultants help prospective medical students just like you get into their dream schools every year. Our medical education experts help you with everything from overall application strategies to mock-interviews, essay feedback, and more.

We offer guidance for any and all prospective medical students. While we take great care to publish top-notch resources for medical students, the truth is that nothing can replace individualized attention and feedback.

That’s where our medical school admissions consultants come in. We get to know you as an individual, help you understand your unique strengths and weaknesses, and work with you to develop a comprehensive strategy for crafting compelling applications.

If you’re interested in learning more about our services, please schedule a free consultation with one of our medical school admissions consultants today.

Why New York Medical College?

New York Medical College is one of the oldest and largest private medical schools in the United States. Founded in 1860, NY Medical College has a long history of educating outstanding physicians and leaders in healthcare. The school’s mission is to foster a learning environment for future physicians to improve the health of individuals and populations through ground-breaking biomedical research and competent, compassionate care.

The College’s School of Medicine prides itself on its legacy of patient-focused learning. It was one of the first schools to teach first year students in primary care and community-based settings. The school is attractive to prospective medical students eager to learn patient-centered medicine and gain hands-on experience early on, and in a variety of settings. In fact, patient contact begins in the first month of medical school.

The institution has established a network of affiliated hospitals that is both demographically and clinically diverse. Rural, suburban, urban and specialty hospitals, academic medical centers, and ambulatory care facilities are all part of the school’s network. This gives students a wide range of exposure to different patient populations and clinical experiences.

The school’s location in Valhalla, NY offers students a peaceful, quaint neighborhood to pursue their studies, while also providing easy access to New York City. Students have the opportunity to take advantage of all that NYC has to offer – from world-renowned museums and theaters, to countless internship and research opportunities.

In addition to its School of Medicine, NYMC comprises a number of other health science schools including a Graduate School of Basic Medical Sciences, a School of Health Sciences and Practice, and the Touro College of Dental Medicine.

New York Medical College School Rankings 2022

The U.S. News and World Report is the most cited medical school ranking publicaion in America. Here’s how they rank New York Medical College for 2023:

#93 in Best Medical Schools: Research
#94 in Best Medical Schools: Primary Care
#85 in Most Diverse Medical Schools
#96 in Most Graduates Practicing in Medically Underserved Areas
#138 in Most Graduates Practicing in Primary Care Fields
#131 in Most Graduates Pracitcing in Rural Areas

Additionally, the College Gazette ranks New York Medical College the 10th best medical school in New York (out of 17).

When to Apply to New York Medical College

Your AMCAS primary application must be submitted between June 1st and December 15th of the year before enrollment.

After submitting your primary application, New York Medical College will send you an invitation to complete their secondary application. The deadline for the secondary/supplemental application is January 31st.

Interviews take place between September and March. New York Medical College has rolling admission.

After we take a closer look at the medical programs at New York Medical College, we go over all the admissions requirements you need to know to stay on track.

MD Programs at New York Medical College

New York Medical College School of Medicine offers the following MD programs:

Traditional Four-Year Doctor of Medicine (MD)
MD/PhD
MD/MPH

Four-year MD Program

The MD curriculum at New York Medical College is designed to train students in the challenging and often stressful environment of modern-day medicine by introducing them to real-world scenarios early on. This includes frequently interacting with real patients. The school believes compassionate practitioners are better equipped to care for their patients, which is why they integrate practical skills and theoretical teaching in patient-focused learning environments.

The school assesses students with a comprehensive, fair, and uniform system. Students retain a clear understanding of their progress throughout their education.

The MD curriculum is based on the belief that all students should develop a strong, generalist foundation in the basic clinical knowledge and skills required for any medical career. The curriculum is designed to provide students with the opportunity to develop these fundamental competencies and ensure that students are well-prepared for any medical career they choose to pursue.

The M.D. curriculum teaches students how to practice medicine ethically and compassionately in a changing world that includes technological advancements and evolving regulatory issues — all of which require quick and strong problem-solving skills while practicing and researching medicine. To that end, the M.D. program provides a comprehensive education that covers the basic sciences, clinical sciences, and social and behavioral sciences.

The basic science courses provide students with a strong foundation in the biological and physical sciences, while the clinical science courses focus on the diagnosis and treatment of diseases. The social and behavioral science courses help students understand the factors that influence health and illness, and the ethical implications of medical decision-making.

In addition to classroom instruction, the M.D. program includes hands-on training in both laboratory settings and clinical rotations. This practical experience helps students develop the skills they need to be successful physicians.

The M.D. program also provides opportunities for students to conduct research and participate in service-learning projects. These experiences allow students to apply what they have learned in the classroom to real-world situations, and to develop a deeper understanding of the complexities of medical practice.

Year One is comprised of three blocks with courses in the following subjects:

Foundations in Clinical Medicine
Cell Biology and Histology
Embryology
Gross Anatomy
Medical Physiology
Biochemistry and Molecular Biology
Behavioral Science
Neuroscience
History of Medicine
Biostatistics and Epidemiology
Biomedical Ethics

Starting in the first year, students learn communication and examination skills at the Clinical Skills and Simulation Center. Students also work with patients under the supervision of mentors.

Year Two students participate in problem-based learning in small group settings as they work their way through the organ-system curriculum. The second year continues with biomedical ethics, biostatistics, and epidemiology, as well as hands-on training at the Clinical Skills and Simulation Center and supervised patient-facing learning.

Year two introduces the following courses:

Medical Pharmacology
Pathology/Pathophysiology
Medical Microbiology

In Year Three, the primary focus is clinical training. Clerkships take place throughout the state. Sites include those in the NYC Health and Hospitals Network and Westchester Medical Center Health Network.

Third-year students work with health professionals such as physicians, nurses, and residents. They participate in conferences and lectures and engage in supervised patient care. They also received personalized feedback to help them grow as clinicians.

The objective of third-year clerkships is to provide students with the opportunity to improve their skills in assessing and caring for individuals. They also learn how to apply the knowledge and skills acquired in the first and second-year courses, as well as broaden their understanding of disease and illness through practical learning.

Additionally, third-year students take the Transition to Clerkship course, which includes participation in a translational research program.

The clerkships include:

Family Medicine (4 weeks)
Pediatrics (6 weeks)
Medicine (6 weeks)
Psychiatry (4 weeks)
Neurology (4 weeks)
Surgery (6 weeks)
Obstetrics and Gynecology (6 weeks)

Finally, students choose five 2-week elective rotations to complete their clinical training. These rotations allow students to explore specialized areas of interest and to gain exposure to different medical fields.

In Year Four, students pursue courses and clinical rotations that support their professional interests. The fourth year includes 33 weeks of sub-internships, at least one advanced clinical elective, a Transition to Residency course, and 24 weeks of elective rotations.

Dual Degrees

New York Medical College offers ten MD/PhD dual degrees and five MD/MPH degrees. You may request an application to dual degree programs after you’ve been accepted.

MD/PhD – The MD/PhD Program is a training program for students who wish to pursue careers as physician-scientists. The program is designed to allow students to complete both the MD and PhD degrees in seven to eight years. New York Medical College offers MD/PhD degrees in Physiology, Pharmacology, Pathology, Microbiology & Immunology, Cell Biology, and Biochemistry & Molecular Biology.

MD/MPH – The MD/MPH Program is a training program for students who wish to pursue careers as physician-public health experts. The program generally allows students to complete both the MD and MPH degrees in five years. New York Medical College offers MD/MPH degrees in Health Policy and Management, Epidemiology, Environmental Health Science, and Behavioral Sciences and Health Promotion.

Other Medical Programs

New York Medical College includes the School of Medicine, School of Health Sciences and Practice, and the Graduate School of Basic Medical Sciences.

In addition to the MD programs detailed above, New York Medical College offers the following degrees, certifications, and accelerated programs.

New York Medical College School of Health Sciences and Practice

Master’s Degrees:

M.P.H in Health Behavior and Community Health
M.P.H. in Environmental Health Science
M.P.H. in Epidemiology
M.P.H. in Health Policy & Management
M.S. in Biostatistics
M.S. in Bioethics
M.S. in Speech-Language Pathology

Doctoral Degrees:

Doctor of Physical Therapy
Doctor of Public Health in Health Policy Management

Dual Degrees:

D.P.T./M.P.H.

Certificates:

Children With Special Health Care Needs
Advanced Certificate in Emergency Management
Advanced Certificate in Environmental Health
Advanced Certificate in Global Health
Advanced Certificate in Health Administration
Advanced Certificate in Health Education
Advanced Certificate in Industrial Hygiene
Advanced Certificate in Public Health
Advanced Certificate in Pediatric Dysphagia
Advanced Certificate in Bioethics

Accelerated Programs:

Accelerated M.P.H. in Health Behavior and Community Health
Accelerated M.P.H. in Health Policy and Management

Graduate School of Basic Medical Sciences

Master’s Degrees:

M.S. in Biochemistry & Molecular Biology
M.S. in Cell Biology
M.S. in Interdisciplinary Basic Medical Sciences – accelerated track
M.S. in Interdisciplinary Basic Medical Sciences – traditional track
M.S. in Microbiology & Immunology
M.S. in Pathology
M.S. in Pharmacology
M.S. in Physiology
M.S. in Clinical Laboratory Sciences
Biomedical Science & Management Program

Doctor of Philosophy:

Ph.D. in Biochemistry & Molecular Biology
Ph.D. in Cell Biology
Ph.D. in Microbiology & Immunology
Ph.D. in Pathology
Ph.D. in Pharmacology
Ph.D. in Physiology
Integrated Ph.D.

Clinical Teaching Sites

New York Medical College’s School of Medicine Fact Sheet lists the following affiliated teaching sites:

Westchester Medical Center Health Network (WMCHealth)
Westchester Medical Center, Valhalla, N.Y.
Maria Fareri Children’s Hospital, Valhalla, N.Y.
Good Samaritan Hospital, Suffern, N.Y.
MidHudson Regional Hospital, Poughkeepsie, N.Y.
NYC Health + Hospitals/Metropolitan, New York, N.Y.
Beckley VA Medical Center, Beckley, W.V.
Calvary Hospital, Bronx, N.Y.
Greenwich Hospital, Greenwich, C.T.
Hoboken University Medical Center, Hoboken, N.J.
James J. Peters VA Medical Center, Bronx, N.Y.
Lenox Hill Hospital, New York, N.Y.
Northern Westchester Hospital, Mount Kisco, N.Y.
NYC Health + Hospitals/Lincoln, Bronx, N.Y.
Phelps Hospital Northwell Health, Sleepy Hollow, N.Y.
Refuah Health Center, Spring Valley, N.Y.
Richmond University Medical Center, Staten Island, N.Y.
Rome Memorial Hospital, Rome, N.Y.
Saint Joseph’s Medical Center, Yonkers, N.Y.
Saint Michael’s Medical Center, Newark, N.J.
St. Joseph’s Health, Paterson, N.J.
Terence Cardinal Cooke Health Care Center, New York, N.Y.
VA Hudson Valley Health Care System, Montrose, N.Y.
Wyckoff Heights Medical Center, Brooklyn, N.Y.

AMBULATORY CARE PROGRAMS

CareMount Medical, Hudson Valley Region, N.Y.
Open Door Family Medical Centers, Ossining, N.Y.
Westchester Institute for Human Development, Valhalla, N.Y.
Westmed Medical Group, Westchester County, N.Y., and Fairfield County, C.T

Selection Factors: What NY Medical College Looks for in a Candidate

What goes into the selection process at New York Medical College?

The admissions committee at NYCM has the daunting task of reviewing thousands of applications and selecting an entering class from a pool of highly qualified candidates. The school reports an increase in applications over the past decade, which makes the job of the admissions committee even more difficult.

NYCM conducts a holistic review for each candidate. With so many deserving candidates vying for a spot in the incoming class, the committee carefully considers all aspects of each application. This means in addition to academic qualifications, they take into account an applicant’s motivation for pursuing a career in medicine, as well as their personal qualities and experiences.

The goal is to select a class that is not only academically prepared for the rigors of medical school, but also represents a wide range of backgrounds and perspectives.

As such, the admissions process is highly competitive, and only those applicants who demonstrate exceptional academic ability, a genuine dedication to medicine, and strong personal character are considered for acceptance.

A commitment to diversity and inclusion is highly valued at New York Medical College. Therefore admitting a diverse student body is a defined goal of the selection process. The school states that this provides a richer educational experience and better prepare medical students for the real world of medical practice.

During the selection process and throughout your education at New York Medical College, the school strives to facilitate an environment that is respectful of and supportive of all students, regardless of their background or life experience. Creating safe and supportive conditions for underrepresented communities in medical school contributes to a future generation of doctors able to provide better care to diverse and underserved populations.

Additionally, as with every medical school, the New York Medical College looks to AAMC’s Core Competencies for Entering Medical Students as a guide to help identify strong candidates.

What are the Core Competencies? The Core Competencies were developed by AAMC to better define the set of knowledge, skills, and experience that medical that demonstrate an ability to succeed in medical school and beyond. There are 15 in total that fall into four categories: Interpersonal, Intrapersonal, Thinking and Reasoning, and Science.

Take a look at our article on the topic to understand what it takes to excel in AAMC’s Core Competencies.

As we detail below, applicants must also complete the required premedical coursework and a broad undergraduate experience with the humanities and social sciences.

Finally, there are certain technical standards candidates must meet. New York Medical College explains, “An applicant must also demonstrate excellent observation and communication skills as well as the motor function and conceptual, integrative and quantitative skills required for the study of medicine. As a future physician, an applicant must have the physical capacity and emotional maturity to complete medical school and practice medicine independently.”

Admissions Requirements

All applicants to the school must have completed an undergraduate degree from an accredited college or university in the United States or Canada. The degree can be in any field, and admissions doesn’t favor one major over the other. However, the coursework you’ve completed will be reviewed to determine your academic strengths. So, in addition to the required coursework listed at the end of this section, it’s a good idea to take a high-level science course (or more), even if it’s not a requirement for your major.

New York Medical College Minimum GPA and MCAT Requirements

The New York Medical College School of Medicine does not require candidates to meet a specific GPA or MCAT score to apply.

MCAT scores from the three years prior are accepted by NYCM. If you’ve taken the MCAT multiple times, your most recent score will be given the most weight. However, admissions reviews your two most recent scores.

Preparing for the MCAT? Take a look: MCAT Sections Guide: Experts Explain the MCAT

New York Medical College Average MCAT Score and GPA

In 2022, the entering class at New York Medical College School of Medicine had an average GPA of 3.6 and an average MCAT score of 512.

Required Coursework

The New York Medical College School of Medicine requires the following coursework to be completed before matriculation:

Biochemistry 1 semester with or without lab (or equivalent)

Organic Chemistry with lab, 1 semester only (or equivalent)

General Chemistry with lab, 2 semesters (or equivalent)

Physics 2 semesters with lab (or equivalent)

General Biology with lab, 2 semesters (or equivalent)

English 2 semesters (or equivalent or successful completion of the English requirement(s) at your undergraduate institution).

Additionally, completing high-level science courses with labwork will help make your application more competitive.

Class Profile and Admissions Statistics

The New York Medical College School of Medicine has a total of 857 students, 54% female and 46% male.

The most recent entering class comes from 96 different undergraduate institions. Students came from 34 states. The average of entering medicals students at New York Medical College is 26.

Around two-thirds of students at NYCM matriculate after one or two gap years.

New York Medical College Acceptance Rate

In 2022, the school recieved 12,143 applications. 989 were invited to interview. 212 enrolled.

The New York Medical College acceptance rate is 5.2%.

New York Medical College Tuition and Cost of Attendance

Tuition at New York Medical College is currently $58,350 for the 2022-2023 academic year.

The Office of Student Financial Planning at New York Medical College offers the following budgets for newly accepted students.

On-campus:

Fees (Includes Medical Supplies Fee) – $3,235
Books – $1,878
Food – $5,133
Housing (11 months) – $10,876
Transportation – $2,094
Telecommunication Fee – $500
Miscellaneous – $4,440
TOTAL – $86,506

Off-campus:

Fees (Includes Medical Supplies Fee) – $3,235
Books – $1,878
Food – $5,134
Housing (Includes one month security) – $15,804
Utilities – $1,788
Transportation – $3,654
Miscellaneous – $4,440
TOTAL – $94,283

NY Medical College doesn’t include the cost of health insurance in this list, so keep that in mind if you’re looking at the total cost of attendance.

If you’re wondering about other potential expenses, take a look at our article about the cost of medical school in 2022.

AMCAS Primary Application and NY Medical College Secondary Application

For all but a handful of medical schools, you will use the Association of American Medical Colleges (AMCAS) application to apply. The AMCAS application is your primary application, which is sent to all the medical schools you wish to apply to.

After receiving your AMCAS application, New York Medical College will invite you to complete their secondary application. This application is specific to New York Medical College and contains questions written by the school’s admissions committee.

If you’re still unclear about the initial application process, check out our article on the difference between primary and secondary applications.

For New York Medical College, the secondary application will consist of a request to submit any required letters of evaluation (and any other information admissions requests) and completing the CASPer exam.

What Is the CASPer Exam for Medical School?

New York Medical College requires candidates to complete the CASPer exam to complete their application.

CASPer is an online test that assesses non-cognitive skills and interpersonal characteristics desirable in a medical professional. Its full name is Computer-Based Assessment for Sampling Personal Characteristics.

The test is composed of 12 different sections, each with a video or written scenario and three open-ended questions. The questions are designed to get you thinking about how you would approach and handle different situations.

CASPer evaluates your social intelligence, collaboration skills, ethics, empathy, and situational problem-solving.

When you sign up for CASPer, you’ll choose which schools to send your results to.

How to Get Into New York Medical College: The Definitive Guide (2022)

New York Medical College Secondary Application: Essay Prompts, Sample Answers, and Advice

In the past, New York Medical College, has not included essay prompts in its secondary application. However, since 2020, the school has included a prompt related to COVID-19.

The prompt asks students to discuss any disruptions the pandemic caused to their personal, academic, or volunteer lives that they believe admissions should consider when reviewing their application. Your response is limited to 300 characters — which is about the size of this paragraph.

While there’s no telling how long New York Medical College will retain this question in their secondary application, it’s important to be prepared for it.

Here are some tips for how to approach this secondary application essay prompt:

Prioritize what you need admissions to know. The character limit means you won’t be able to discuss everything, so it’s important to focus on what you need admissions to know that isn’t covered or explained in your AMCAS primary application. This could be something like a significant disruption to your studies or a long-term health condition that flared up during the pandemic.

Keep it short and sweet. The 300 character limitation necessitates that you get to the point quickly and concisely. While COVID affected everyone’s lives in different, often multi-layered ways, you want to focus on one or two particular aspects that you believe is most relevant to your application and development as a future physician.

For instance, you might discuss how your plans to enroll in a life-changing healthcare internship abroad were put on hold, and that you’ve rescheduled the internship for your gap year.

Or, you might discuss how navigating the restrictions during in-person volunteer services changed your perspective on service, or challenged your view of what it means to be a healthcare professional.

Another example could be if you were in the process of completing your pre-med requirements and the pandemic forced you to take a remote course, which made you realize how much you value learning communities.

Use concrete examples. To make your essay as impactful as possible, be sure to include specific examples that illustrate the points you’re making. This will help admissions readers picture you in the situations you describe and understand how you’ve been affected by them.

Don’t forget to edit. Since this essay is shorter than most, it’s still important to proofread your work and make sure there are no typos or grammatical errors. Since you have such a limited amount of space, every character counts!

Here’s a sample response to New York Medical College’s secondary application essay prompt:

Some of my grades suffered during the peak of the pandemic. I am a very conversational learner, but in 2020-2021 most of my classes were online and I missed that engagement. I dedicated myself to finding new ways to engage and my perfomance improved with time, as the reminder of my transcript shows.

Medical School Admissions Consulting

If you’re feeling overwhelmed by the application process, or just want some help ensuring that your applications are as strong as they can be, consider working with a medical school admissions consultant. Admissions consultants provide personalized advice and guidance throughout every step of the application process, from choosing which schools to apply to crafting winning essays.

Whether you have a million questions or only a few, we want to help. So if you’re applying to medical school, take a moment to learn more about our Medical School Admissions Consulting and schedule a free consultation.

Voluntary Healthcare Internships Abroad

Compelling, hands-on experience is one of the best ways to make your medical school application stand out. If you’re looking for an exciting way to gain experience in the healthcare field, consider IMA’s healthcare internships abroad.

At International Medical Aid, we offer a variety of healthcare internships in East Africa, the Carribean, and South America. You’ll have the opportunity to shadow doctors, work in clinics and hospitals, participate in specialization didactic sessions, and more.

During your internship, you help serve some of the most underserved communities in the world. The experience allows you to see healthcare from a global perspective and understand what it takes to deliver quality care with little resources. We also team up with local guides and university staff to learn about the region in responsible, adventurous cultural excursions.

When you return home, you’ll have a new perspective on healthcare and valuable experience to share with admissions committees. So go ahead and learn more about our voluntary healthcare internships abroad today.

Good Luck to You!

We hope this guide has given you the information and confidence you need to apply to New York Medical College. If you have any questions, don’t hesitate to contact us.

Wishing you the best of luck in your journey to becoming a healthcare professional!