How to Get Into San Juan Bautista School of Medicine: The Definitive Guide (2026-2027)

San Juan Bautista School of Medicine (SJBSM, often written SJB SOM) is a private, not-for-profit medical school in Caguas, Puerto Rico. It awards the Doctor of Medicine (MD) and offers a unique opportunity for aspiring doctors who are passionate about serving underserved communities and addressing health disparities. Founded in 1978 in San Juan and moved to Caguas in 1998, the school trains physicians in both Spanish and English, with a special interest in community health and translational community medicine. Its academic buildings sit on the 52-acre campus of Mennonite Caguas Hospital, which is also one of its main teaching sites.

This guide covers the 2026-2027 application cycle, for students who will start medical school in summer 2027. AMCAS applications for this cycle opened June 1, 2026, the Early Decision deadline was August 1, 2026, and the regular AMCAS deadline is December 15, 2026. Regular interviews begin in mid-November, and offers go out on a rolling basis from mid-January 2027. All facts in this guide were checked on October 18, 2026.

In this definitive guide to getting into San Juan Bautista School of Medicine, we cover everything you need to know: the school’s mission and current accreditation status, the four-year bilingual MD curriculum, prerequisites (including the Spanish and English requirements), the timeline and Early Decision, tuition, campus life, research, faculty and leadership, class statistics, the supplemental application and the Multiple Mini Interview. By the end, you will know whether SJBSM fits your goals and how to prepare a competitive application.

Should you have questions about the medical school application process, don’t hesitate to reach out to us. International Medical Aid has helped thousands of students get into medical school through our medical school admissions consulting and healthcare internship programs. We’re here for you!

Key Takeaways

• Accreditation comes first. The MD program holds full LCME accreditation, on probation, with the next LCME survey in the 2026-27 academic year. Graduates of the program remain graduates of an accredited U.S. MD program, but you should follow the school’s status through this cycle and ask about it at your interview.
• Eligibility. You need a bachelor’s degree with the school’s premedical credits, a science and general GPA of at least 3.00 as calculated by AMCAS, and an MCAT of at least 492 that is no more than three years old. You must be able to read, write, speak and understand both English and Spanish.
• Spanish is a prerequisite, not a bonus. The school requires 9 credits of Spanish and 9 of English. A Spanish CLEP exam can replace the Spanish credits, and your Spanish is assessed at the interview.
• Key dates. Early Decision applicants contact the Admissions Office before July 15 and submit by August 1. Regular AMCAS applications and documents are due December 15, interviews start November 14, and offers are made on a rolling basis from January 17 until the class is full.
• Costs. The 2025-2027 catalog lists annual tuition of $30,000 for residents and $40,000 for non-residents, plus $5,000 in non-refundable fees. Health and disability insurance are required on top of that. The estimated first-year cost of attendance for 2025-2026, including living costs and insurance, was $69,762 in-state and $82,762 out-of-state.
• Class and outcomes. The school admits a first-year class of about 63 students. For the 2025 entering class, accepted applicants had a median MCAT of 499 and a median GPA of 3.74, and the school interviewed 285 applicants. In the 2024 Match, 95% of seniors matched, and placements split 42% Puerto Rico and 58% U.S. mainland.
• Distinctive training. Service learning runs through Community Health I and II, every student completes a research project on a public health question, and the clinical years run through the Central Regional Academic Medical Center with the Mennonite Health System.
• No secondary essays. Applicants who meet the minimums receive a supplemental application with a $100 non-refundable fee, but no essay prompts. Your AMCAS essays, letters and Multiple Mini Interview carry the weight.

Key Statistics About San Juan Bautista School of Medicine

The snapshot and table below gather the school’s key numbers. Each figure carries its cohort or academic year, because San Juan Bautista publishes its admissions requirements, tuition, outcomes and match results in different documents and on different schedules.

A few notes on reading these numbers. The minimums are screening floors, not targets: the school’s FAQ calls an MCAT between 495 and 500 competitive, and accepted applicants in the 2025 entering class had a median MCAT of 499 and a median GPA of 3.74, well above the floors. Applicants interviewed is not the same as applicants accepted: 285 people interviewed for the 2025 entering class, but offer counts are not available, so no acceptance rate is shown. The catalog’s “total annual cost” line is a tuition and fee figure calculated per credit for a 47-credit first year; it does not include housing, food, transportation, books or insurance. For a broader comparison of metrics across schools, see our table of the average GPA and MCAT score for every medical school.

San Juan Bautista School of Medicine stands out for its mission-driven approach to medical education, preparing students to address healthcare disparities and serve diverse patient populations. Its emphasis on cultural competence and bilingual training creates a distinctive environment for aspiring physicians who want to make a meaningful impact in their communities.

Mission and Educational Priorities

The school’s mission, as published on its Mission and Vision page, reads: “We are committed to educating a culturally and linguistically diverse generation of physicians and other health professionals. Graduates will have the knowledge, skills, values, and competence to pursue career options in medicine, public health, and nursing, deliver high quality care services, and conduct clinical research. The school’s special interest is centered on community health, conducting research on translational community medicine, and on graduating physicians and other health professionals who are responsive to the health needs of underserved and medically vulnerable populations.”

Its vision is “To hold a leadership position among the surveyors of quality education in community medicine and primary care to support and strengthen the efforts of state and local government in improving the health conditions and access to care to urban and rural communities.” The MD program’s own Strategic Plan 2026-2030 adds a program mission: “Educating future physicians through cutting-edge knowledge, innovative technology, exceptional faculty, and student-centered, outcome-driven learning,” with the vision “To be a national leader in community-focused medical education.” Its core values are integrity, excellence, innovation, teamwork and respect.

SJB SOM is deeply committed to educating a diverse generation of physicians who are equipped with the knowledge, skills, values and competence needed to excel in their medical careers. Four practical points for applicants follow from that mission.

Language is part of the mission. “Culturally and linguistically diverse” is not decoration. English and Spanish are the official languages of the school, and every student works with Spanish-speaking communities and patients. That is why Spanish credits are a prerequisite, why proficiency is assessed at the interview and why the admissions committee lists verbal and written communication skills in both languages among its selection attributes.

Community health shapes the curriculum. The school’s dedication to education, research and community service shows up in required coursework. Community Health I and II include service-learning activities with community partners, and the school runs a Community Program that organizes voluntary service through 27 active student groups. Applicants who can show steady, real service with underserved people are speaking the school’s language.

Research is expected of everyone. “Conducting research on translational community medicine” means every student designs and completes a research project on a public health question over four years, with an Introduction to Research course in year one, a Translational Research course in year two and a research clerkship in year four. You do not need a long publication list to apply, but you should be able to talk about a question you have tried to answer.

Holistic review is official policy. The Admissions Committee says it uses a holistic process “to ensure the applicant pool and student body are broadly diverse.” It reviews academic, personal, experiential and demographic data, and it names applicants from diverse socioeconomic, educational and cultural backgrounds as being of particular interest. Life experiences the committee lists include clinical exposure sufficient to understand the profession, community background, a background of socioeconomic disadvantage and scientific inquiry.

The school also maintains a firm commitment to diversity and inclusion. Its Equal Access policy and nondiscrimination statement cover age, creed, gender identity, national or ethnic origin, race, sex, sexual orientation, religion, disability and color, and as an AAMC member the school cites the AAMC’s equal opportunity statement in its catalog. Student organizations such as the Deaf Community and Health Alliance, Medical Students for the Elderly and Community Outreach and Opioid Awareness carry the mission into daily student life.

Accreditation and Institutional Identity

San Juan Bautista School of Medicine’s MD program is accredited by the Liaison Committee on Medical Education (LCME), the body recognized by the U.S. Department of Education for programs leading to the MD degree in the United States. The LCME directory, updated October 14, 2026, lists the program’s status as “Full, on probation,” with the next survey in 2026-27 and initial accreditation in 2007. The school’s own MD page states that it “is fully accredited, on probation by the Liaison Committee for Medical Education,” and the 2026 Student Handbook says the last LCME site visit was in 2025 and the next is scheduled for the 2026-2027 academic year. You can confirm the current status on the LCME directory of accredited U.S. programs.

What probation means in practice: the program remains fully accredited while it works to correct the areas the LCME identified. Students enrolled in a program on probation are students of an accredited MD program, which matters for USMLE eligibility, federal financial aid and residency applications. Probation is a serious signal that something needs fixing, though, so ask the school at your interview what areas it is addressing and how students are affected. Check the LCME directory again before you commit to a seat.

Beyond the LCME, the institution holds several other approvals:

• Middle States Commission on Higher Education (MSCHE). The institution is accredited by MSCHE and has posted its 2026 MSCHE Self-Study Design. Accreditation was renewed in 2015 with the addition of the public health and nursing programs, and the last MSCHE visit was in spring 2021.
• Puerto Rico licensing. The MD program was licensed in 1978 by the agency now called the Oficina de Licenciamiento de Instituciones Educativas (ORLIE), and on June 22, 1979, the school was authorized to offer studies leading to the MD degree. The next ORLIE site visit is planned for the 2026-27 academic year.
• Program accreditors for other degrees. The Council on Education for Public Health accredited the MPH program in March 2026 for a five-year term ending July 1, 2031. The Commission on Collegiate Nursing Education accredits the BSN program, and the Doctor of Nursing Practice is an applicant for CCNE accreditation.

Accreditation plays a critical role in your future. LCME accreditation is what allows graduates of a U.S. MD program to take the United States Medical Licensing Examination, apply to ACGME residency programs and be licensed in most states. The school also has a history of LCME review: the LCME first granted full accreditation in 2007, and in 2017 the school received the longest accreditation term available. SJB SOM undergoes regular reviews to maintain its accreditation status, and the 2026-27 survey will be the next one.

On names: the school calls itself San Juan Bautista School of Medicine (SJBSM) in English and Escuela de Medicina San Juan Bautista in Spanish. It was first located in San Juan, which the Spaniards originally named San Juan Bautista, and it keeps that name today in Caguas. It is not part of the University of Puerto Rico, Ponce Health Sciences University or Universidad Central del Caribe, Puerto Rico’s other medical schools.

Medical Programs and Affiliations

The MD program

SJBSM offers one route to medicine: a four-year MD program, described in the Student Handbook as “a four-year bilingual program with a special focus in community health care and research on translational community medicine.” The school does not list combined degrees (such as MD/PhD or MD/MPH) for medical students, and there are no separate tracks with their own applications. Everyone applies through AMCAS to the same MD program, either through Early Decision or the regular cycle.

The MD program at San Juan Bautista School of Medicine is designed to cultivate physicians who excel in medical knowledge, clinical skills and cultural competence. Students are trained to address the health needs of diverse populations, with emphasis on community health, translational research, professionalism and compassion.

Early Decision Program

SJBSM offers a binding Early Decision Program (EDP) “for exceptionally qualified candidates who know they wish to attend SJBSM.” The steps:

1. Contact the Office of Admissions before July 15 and before submitting AMCAS, at [email protected], to arrange a conversation with the Director of Admissions.
2. Send written or email notice that you are applying Early Decision, including a statement that you will apply to no other medical school until SJBSM acts on your application and that you will accept an offer if one is made.
3. Make sure the AMCAS application and all other documents arrive before August 1.
4. If appropriate, attend an interview on campus sometime between mid-August and mid-September.
5. Receive a decision no later than October 1. If accepted, you have a binding seat. If deferred, you are reconsidered with the full pool and are free to apply elsewhere. If declined, you can focus on other schools.

Use Early Decision only if SJBSM is clearly your first choice and your file is complete in early summer.

Third-year transfer

The school admits transfer students into the third year only when vacancies exist. Applications run from January until May 1 of the desired admission year, and preference goes to academically qualified U.S. citizens with a compelling personal or family-related need to transfer. Candidates must have completed the first two years at an LCME-accredited school with at least a 3.00 GPA, have a passing USMLE Step 1 score, be in good standing and be proficient in English and Spanish. Students from foreign medical schools or from DO, DMD, DDS, DVM or PhD programs are not admitted with advanced standing.

Other programs at the institution

San Juan Bautista School of Medicine is also home to programs outside the MD. They have separate admissions and are not pathways into the MD program:

• Master in Public Health (MPH), accredited by CEPH through July 1, 2031, with a required applied practice experience and a team-based integrative learning project.
• Bachelor of Science in Nursing (BSN) and an LPN-BSN bridge program, with the BSN accredited by CCNE.
• Doctor of Nursing Practice (DNP) in Adult Gerontology Primary Care Nurse Practitioner, approved in 2022 and an applicant for CCNE accreditation.

The nursing program at Escuela de Medicina San Juan Bautista prepares students to become skilled nurses who can meet Puerto Rico’s growing healthcare demands, with an emphasis on community health, bilingual communication and patient advocacy. BSN students complete at least 12 hours of community service each semester, and the nursing faculty, led by Dean of Nursing Elizabeth Padilla, share the Caguas campus with medical students. For MD students, this means interprofessional activities with nursing and public health classmates: research collaborations, community services, case discussions and systems-based problem analysis. If nursing interests you, IMA also runs nursing internships abroad for pre-nursing students.

A note on the physician assistant program. SJBSM’s entry-level physician assistant program opened in September 2020 and closed in July 2025. ARC-PA now lists it among previously accredited programs, and the school’s current program list (MD, MPH, BSN, LPN-BSN and DNP) does not include a PA program. No entry-level PA program in Puerto Rico appears on ARC-PA’s list of currently accredited programs, so students who want to become physician assistants will need to look at accredited programs on the U.S. mainland.

Clinical affiliations

The clinical backbone of the school is its partnership with the Mennonite Health System (MHS). In 2006, Puerto Rico Public Law 136 created Central Regional Academic Medical Centers (CRAMC) so medical schools could partner with hospitals to organize teaching sites. SJBSM and MHS have joined efforts to restructure and develop the CRAMC’s services and facilities, ensuring teaching sites for clerkships and training “in settings with diverse patient populations with varied medical conditions.” Mennonite Caguas Hospital (Hospital Menonita Caguas), on whose campus the school sits, is described as “one of the school’s multiple sites for inpatient and outpatient clinical teaching.” The pediatrics clerkship also uses Early Intervention Clinics run by the Puerto Rico Health Department’s Caguas Region on the hospital premises.

Research collaborations reach well beyond Caguas. Faculty researchers list partners at the UPR Medical Sciences Campus, Ponce Health Sciences University, Universidad Central del Caribe, Ana G. Méndez University, Brigham and Women’s Hospital, Harvard Medical School, Loma Linda University, the University of Arizona and Stanford University. The school’s Clinical Research Unit has partnered since 2016 with The Clinical Research Group of Latin America for site management, and the Puerto Rico Health Justice Center works with community partners across the island.

Curriculum Overview

The MD curriculum is structured “in a coherent and longitudinal sequence, through four years of study, in two phases: two years of Biomedical Sciences and two years of Clinical Sciences.” It is designed to give students “the essential knowledge, skills, and attitudes necessary to provide effective, compassionate health care within a rapidly evolving health care environment.” A Curriculum Committee, working with the Dean of Medicine, the President, department chairs and faculty, keeps the curriculum aligned with accreditation standards and the school’s mission.

Biomedical Sciences (years 1 and 2)

Each biomedical year has two semesters, August to December and January to May, with at least 17 weeks of courses and about one week for remediation. The first two years build foundational knowledge with clinical correlation throughout. The catalog’s general curricular scheme lists:

• First year: Developmental and Clinical Anatomy I and II, Histology and Cell Biology I and II, Introduction to Research, Professionalism I and II, Introduction to Clinical Skills I and II, Biochemistry and Genetics in Medicine, Medical Physiology I and II, Neurosciences, Immunology and Community Health I.
• Second year: Community Health II, Professionalism III and IV, Pathophysiology I and II, Medical Microbiology I and II, Pharmacology and Therapeutics I and II, Clinical Diagnosis I and II, Behavioral Medicine and Translational Research.

Anatomy is taught with human cadavers and with electronic images on the Anatomage platform, and the school has added a Virtual Anatomy Lab with a 3-D digital dissection table. Professionalism I opens with the White Coat Ceremony. Clinical Diagnosis I and II, taught by organ system, introduce history taking, physical examination and interpretation of findings using lectures, small groups, standardized and computer-designed patients and preceptorships.

Clinical Sciences (years 3 and 4)

The clinical phase moves students into patient-centered training. In the third year, six core clerkships run between six and twelve weeks each: Psychiatry, General Surgery, Obstetrics and Gynecology, Internal Medicine (12 weeks), Pediatrics and Family Medicine, for 42 weeks in total. Radiology content is covered within each clerkship, and anesthesiology content within surgery and obstetrics and gynecology.

The fourth year runs from July 1 to April 30 in four-week blocks: a primary care sub-internship in internal medicine or pediatrics, a research clerkship, emergency medicine, four free electives and required selectives in fields such as internal medicine, surgery, pediatrics, obstetrics and gynecology and psychiatry. Free electives can be taken in Puerto Rico or on the U.S. mainland through the Visiting Student Application Service (VSAS) or directly with visiting student departments. Clerkships emphasize not only clinical competencies but also research, community service and professional development.

Third- and fourth-year students take on-duty shifts no more often than every third night. Third-year shifts run 4:00 p.m. to 10:00 p.m. on weekdays and 8:00 a.m. to 10:00 p.m. on weekends and holidays. Fourth-year shifts run overnight on weekdays and 24 hours on weekends and holidays, under the same duty-hour limits ACGME applies to interns and residents.

Curricular emphases and competencies

SJBSM integrates five curricular emphases across all four years: Professionalism, Research and Information Literacy, Communication Skills, Development of Clinical Skills and Community Medicine. These emphases are meant to ensure graduates are “not only knowledgeable physicians, but also respectful, honest, compassionate, sensitive to community health needs, and up to date in their active learning.”

Students must reach proficiency in eight competency domains: Patient Care, Knowledge for Practice, Problem Base Learning and Improvement, Interpersonal and Communication Skills, Professionalism, System Based Practice, Interprofessional Collaboration, and Personal and Professional Development. These competencies are woven through the curriculum and assessed before graduation.

Teaching methods and curricular innovations

The curriculum employs several teaching strategies:

• Formative/Summative Integrated Activities. Small groups analyze health problems using knowledge from current and earlier courses, with clinical elements presented early. The activities are student centered, promote self-learning, integrate technology, include community-based medical education and use evidence-based medicine.
• Service learning. Students join organized community interventions with primary care clinics, school health programs and federally sponsored community health centers, as part of a transdisciplinary team.
• Research and information literacy. Students learn epidemiology, biostatistics and evidence-based medicine and “design and complete a research project dealing with a public health research question.” The school notes that all enrolled students have taken part in these initiatives since 2000.
• A four-year professionalism axis. Formal courses in years one and two continue through the clinical years with role modeling, hands-on experiences with patients and families, case studies and self-learning. Professionalism is assessed on altruism, duty, responsibility, excellence, respect for others, honor and integrity.
• Clinical Skills Lab. Standardized patient encounters teach and assess interviewing, history taking, physical examination, counseling, differential diagnosis and management planning.

Language of instruction

Reflecting Puerto Rico’s bilingual culture, SJBSM offers instruction in both Spanish and English. Classes, rotations and community work take place in both languages, and every student works with Spanish-speaking patients and communities. Students who are still building their Spanish can take Spanish courses taught by faculty from the school’s other programs, and the school states that it welcomes and supports students with limited Spanish skills.

Graduation requirements

To earn the MD, students must complete the biomedical and clinical courses with at least a 2.50 grade point average in each phase and overall, pass USMLE Step 1 and Step 2 CK, pass a Clinical Performance Examination (CPX) in the fourth year, show acceptable moral, ethical and professional standards throughout, and complete all financial, administrative and medical record obligations. All students must graduate within six years of first matriculation.

The school continuously updates its curriculum to reflect advancements in medical education. The Curriculum Committee, with academic leadership and the Learning Assessment Office, reviews outcomes from student and faculty surveys, graduate questionnaires and academic progress data.

Admissions Requirements and Application Process

San Juan Bautista School of Medicine seeks applicants who excel academically and show a strong alignment with its mission of serving underserved communities. In its own words, the school is “looking for applicants who demonstrate not only high academic achievements but also motivation, empathy, good communication skills in Spanish and English, cultural competence, problem-solving skills, critical thinking, integrity, resiliency, compassion, and altruism.”

Degree and academic requirements

• Degree. A bachelor’s degree (BS or BA) with the required premedical credits from a college accredited by the Council of Higher Education of Puerto Rico or a U.S. accrediting organization. The catalog notes a preference for a degree in science. The school’s FAQ answers “Do you need a degree to be admitted?” with “Yes. BA or BS.”
• GPA. A minimum science and general GPA of 3.00 on a four-point scale, as calculated by AMCAS. The GPA of a graduate degree (MS, MPH) does not substitute for the undergraduate GPA, so a strong master’s program will not offset an undergraduate GPA below the threshold.
• MCAT. A minimum score of 492, from a test no older than three years. For this cycle, the oldest MCAT considered is from January 2024 and the latest is the January 25, 2027 test date, and scores are released to the school through AMCAS. The committee uses your highest total score, and the MCAT carries 30% of the weight in the final admission evaluation.
• Languages. Candidates “must be able to read, write, speak, and understand both English and Spanish.” Proficiency is assessed through the interviews.
• Technical standards. Applicants must meet the school’s technical standards in observation, communication (including English and Spanish), motor, intellectual and behavioral and social attributes, with or without reasonable accommodation. Candidates with disabilities are encouraged to contact the Student Programs Director early in the process.

Prerequisite coursework

The school highly recommends additional coursework in cell biology, biochemistry, genetics, microbiology, human biology and the humanities or liberal arts. Courses can be in progress when you apply, but all required courses must be completed before you enroll, and for this cycle prerequisite coursework must fall between June 2023 and June 2027. The school recognizes AP credits toward prerequisites. From a community college, only general English and Spanish courses are accepted, so plan to take your sciences at a four-year institution. Physician shadowing is recommended rather than required.

The Spanish requirement and CLEP. If you did not take Spanish in college, the College-Level Examination Program (CLEP) Spanish with Writing exam (levels 1 and 2) can substitute for the 9 Spanish credits. The catalog explains that you should choose level II and that a score above 70 earns the 9 credits. Either way, the school still assesses your Spanish in the interview, so treat CLEP as a credit solution, not a language solution.

Online courses count if they are offered under the supervision of the college where you took your other premedical work, or by another accredited not-for-profit college, and the catalog adds that the sponsoring institution must have offered the same course in a classroom setting. Students who studied at a foreign university certified by the Puerto Rico Board of Medical Licensure and Discipline must show that their courses are equivalent to the premedical requirements of the University of Puerto Rico.

Citizenship, residency and international applicants

SJBSM accepts U.S. citizens and permanent residents and welcomes applications from international and DACA applicants. However, “strong preference is given to US citizens / permanent residents and applicants who have (or will have by the time of matriculation) completed their undergraduate work at a US college or university.” The school defines its groups this way:

• Out-of-state applicants are U.S. citizens or permanent residents who completed their undergraduate work at a U.S. college and meet the same requirements as in-state applicants.
• Canadian applicants are considered international.
• International applicants are non-citizens without permanent residency. Accepted international students must hold an F-1 visa, have transcripts validated by a certified U.S. evaluation service and show they can finance the MD. They may be asked to deposit the equivalent of four years’ tuition in escrow before matriculation.
• DACA applicants are welcome and meet the same requirements as international applicants.

International and DACA students are reviewed in the regular pool, and the school is direct about the trade-offs: they are not eligible for traditional U.S. educational funding, including loans and scholarships, and may face limited residency options. The school’s FAQ puts the class at about 80% in-state and 20% out-of-state.

Letters of recommendation

All letters go through the AMCAS Letter Service:

• Two academic letters from science professors. A committee letter (required if your college has a designated committee or advisor) or a letter packet assembled by your institution satisfies this requirement. If your college has no committee, send individual faculty letters.
• One letter from a community leader or volunteer supervisor that specifies your community or volunteer work.

Letters must be narrative letters on official letterhead with a signature. SJBSM accepts a minimum of three and a maximum of five letters, and committee letters, letter packets and individual letters are all accepted, so you can add up to two more letters (for example, from a physician you shadowed or a research mentor) once the three required ones are in place. The community letter is unusual and important: it is the committee’s direct evidence of the service orientation the school lists as a core attribute. Ask someone who has supervised you for months, not a one-day event organizer.

Tests beyond the MCAT

SJBSM does not use CASPer, PREview or any other situational judgment test for the 2026-2027 cycle, and no additional assessments are required for admission. Your Spanish proficiency is evaluated in the interview rather than by a separate test. A criminal background check is required of accepted applicants.

The application process step by step

1. Primary application. Submit AMCAS between June 1 and December 15 of the year before you start. The school urges candidates to submit early enough to be considered before December 15. Your AMCAS application includes your coursework, MCAT scores, experiences, personal statement and letters. If you are new to the primary, our AMCAS application guide walks through each section.
2. Supplemental application. Applicants who meet the minimum requirements receive a supplemental application. It carries a $100 non-refundable fee, payable by credit card or electronic payment, and it has no essay questions (details in the secondary section below).
3. Documents. Required documents are due on or before December 15. Official transcripts with conferred grades are requested only from applicants with pending coursework or who have been admitted.
4. Screening. The Admissions Office checks that each file is complete and ranks applicants first on MCAT and general and science GPA. Applicants who meet the requirements are scheduled for an interview.
5. Interview. Interviews follow the Multiple Mini Interview format on campus (see the interview section).
6. Decision. The committee meets weekly during the cycle and votes on each interviewed applicant: acceptance, waiting list or rejection, using an evaluation rubric. Decisions of the Admissions Committee are final.

Evaluation and selection

The committee’s rubric names its components: MCAT scores, general GPA, science GPA, interviews, community recommendation letters, work experience, academic recommendation letters and an overall review of experiences (as reflected in the preliminary application, personal essays on AMCAS, community service, research and other health-field work). The catalog also says the committee “does not review applications in the order they were submitted or by assigned interview date,” which means a late-cycle interview is not an automatic disadvantage, though early submission still gives you more scheduling room.

The personal attributes the committee focuses on are service orientation, social skills, cultural competence, teamwork, verbal and written communication skills in both English and Spanish, ethical responsibility to self and others, reliability and dependability, resilience and adaptability, capacity for improvement and critical thinking. Non-cognitive qualities such as maturity, decision making and cultural sensitivity are assessed in the Multiple Mini Interview.

2026-2027 timeline

The school publishes this timeline by month and day each year; the years above apply it to the current cycle. The Admissions Committee reviews and selects applicants on a rolling basis from December to July. Early Decision is open to both in-state and out-of-state applicants, and Early Decision applicants may not apply to other schools while their application is pending.

After an offer: deposit, documents and the waiting list

Accepted applicants receive an offer letter by email. To reserve a seat, you must confirm within ten calendar days with a $100 money order or certified check payable to San Juan Bautista School of Medicine. The deposit is credited toward tuition and is refundable until May 1. Admission is granted only for the academic year you applied for, and deferred entrance is not offered; if you decline and later reapply, you resubmit everything, including the fee.

Through the secondary application, accepted applicants then submit a health certificate (with VDRL and PPD results), a physician’s report, the Puerto Rico immunization certificate (PVAC-3) with all required vaccines, influenza and COVID-19 vaccine records, a 2 x 2 photo, a birth certificate or valid passport, the AMCAS criminal background check report, the Technical Standards receipt and the “Information Regarding Admissions” document. If a criminal record appears in the background check, the acceptance is revoked. You must also use the AMCAS Choose Your Medical School tool to mark “Plan to Enroll” and “Commit to Enroll” by the deadlines.

The committee’s three possible votes include the waiting list, so a waitlist decision is a real path to a seat in a rolling system. The number of waitlist positions varies from cycle to cycle, and in the cycle for the 2025 entering class, 10 acceptance offers went to applicants on the waitlist. Seats open when an accepted student withdraws or delays matriculation, and the committee ranks the waitlist on both academic and non-academic criteria. SJBSM accepts letters of intent from interviewed applicants, letters of interest and notices of significant updates, and it gives preference to candidates who show genuine interest in accepting an offer. If you are waitlisted, send a brief letter of continued interest (or a letter of intent, if SJBSM is your first choice) to the Admissions Office and share significant updates, such as new grades, a new MCAT score or a major new clinical or service role.

Reapplicants

If you reapply, you must resubmit all application materials through AMCAS. Use the year to fix whatever was weakest, whether that is the MCAT, Spanish proficiency or sustained clinical and service experience. Many reapplicants use a structured year of clinical work; IMA’s pre-med gap year programs are one option for adding supervised patient contact before you reapply.

Tuition, Cost of Attendance and Financial Aid

San Juan Bautista School of Medicine publishes its MD tuition in the Institutional Catalog 2025-2027 (revised July 2026), which is the current catalog. Tuition is set per credit and differs by residency status.

Tuition plus fees adds up to $35,000 for residents and $45,000 for non-residents. The catalog’s “total annual cost” line is calculated per credit ($786.52 per credit for residents and $1,011.24 for non-residents, times 47 credits), so use the higher catalog figure when you budget and confirm your exact bill with the Finance Office. The school reserves the right to raise tuition or fees.

Total cost of attendance

Tuition is only part of the bill. The estimated first-year cost of attendance for 2025-2026 breaks down this way:

Over four years, that is roughly $280,000 in-state and $330,000 out-of-state before any increases. In 2024-2025, 74% of enrolled and graduated students received financial aid, and indebted graduates left with an average medical school debt of $157,285.

Insurance

All students must have a medical plan and disability insurance. At registration, students show proof of their own health coverage or join the school’s group plan, which covers medical, surgical, ambulatory, hospital, specialist, laboratory, x-ray, maternity, dental and prescription services anywhere in Puerto Rico. Premiums vary with the coverage selected. Disability insurance is also required, with premiums that vary by age and smoking status; students who already have disability coverage show proof at registration.

Living costs

San Juan Bautista School of Medicine does not provide on-campus housing, so students rent in Caguas or nearby towns. The school’s FAQ gives these estimated non-tuition costs, published on the same page as its 2021-2022 tuition figures:

• Books, supplies and equipment: $2,900
• Housing: $11,250
• Meals: $6,000
• Transportation: $4,220
• Miscellaneous: $3,300

Those estimates total $27,670 a year. They are several years old, and the 2025-2026 cost of attendance above budgets $30,156 (in-state) to $33,156 (out-of-state) for other expenses, so plan on the higher figure. Students should account for the full cost of living, including off-campus housing, a car or other transportation (the campus sits off Highway 52), personal expenses and required books and equipment. For context on how these costs compare nationally, see our breakdown of the total cost of medical school.

Financial aid

The Financial Aid Office (Director Beatriz De León-Rivera, MBA) helps students “obtain the financial resources they need to pay their cost of attendance.” All students receive financial aid counseling at admission and loan borrowers complete exit counseling. Aid options the school lists for medical students include:

• Federal Direct Unsubsidized Loans. The school participates in the federal Direct Loan program.
• National Health Service Corps Scholarship Program, for students committed to primary care in federally designated shortage areas.
• Military and veterans programs, including GI Bill benefits and military scholarships.
• Vocational Rehabilitation, for eligible students with disabilities.
• Title V scholarship program for graduate students, which the President’s message describes as financial assistance for eligible students to reduce enrollment costs.
• Outside scholarships from private organizations, foundations and government programs.

Federal loan rules changed in 2026. Federal Grad PLUS loans are no longer available to new borrowers after July 1, 2026, and students in professional programs such as medicine can borrow up to $50,000 a year in federal loans, with a $200,000 lifetime limit for professional study. Students entering medical school in 2027 should build a full budget early and ask the Financial Aid Office how these limits apply to SJBSM’s cost of attendance.

International students are not eligible for U.S. federal loans or traditional U.S. scholarships, and the school may ask them to place four years of tuition in escrow.

Tips for managing costs

To minimize financial burden, students are encouraged to adopt proactive financial strategies:

• Budgeting. Build a personal budget from the catalog’s tuition and fees, your insurance premiums and real rental listings in Caguas.
• Scholarships. Research and apply for scholarships early, including the National Health Service Corps if primary care in a shortage area fits your plans.
• Financial counseling. Use the Financial Aid Office’s counseling services and the debt management workshops offered during the program.

Campus Facilities and Student Life

Caguas and the campus setting

San Juan Bautista School of Medicine is located in Caguas, one of Puerto Rico’s most important urban centers, in the east-central region of the island about 18 miles south of San Juan. Often called the “center and heart of Puerto Rico” (Centro y Corazón de Puerto Rico) for its location, Caguas offers a blend of urban amenities and natural beauty. Caguas is just a short drive from San Juan, the capital city of Puerto Rico, providing students with access to additional cultural, recreational and educational resources.

The school’s academic facilities sit on the campus of Mennonite Caguas Hospital, between State Highways 52 and 172 in the Turabo Gardens urban development. The 52-acre campus encompasses the hospital and school buildings, parking and green areas. Campus facilities include:

• Office space for academic, administrative and student services
• Auditoriums, lecture halls and classrooms
• Basic science laboratories for chemistry, microbiology and statistics
• Anatomy labs with human cadavers and the Anatomage platform, plus a Virtual Anatomy Lab
• A digital library with 24/7 access and a Learning Resource Center
• The Graduate Resource Center, which supports research design, reference management and statistical analysis
• A Clinical Skills Simulation Lab and a Research Core Lab
• A student center with kitchen equipment and game tables, a basketball and volleyball court and resting areas

There is no cafeteria inside the school buildings, but food service is available on the second floor of the hospital’s main building, and emergency medical services for students are available at the hospital. The school recently acquired land near the campus for additional offices, program facilities and a homecare service program.

Housing

SJB SOM does not provide on-campus housing. Caguas has apartments, shared housing and rental homes near campus. Start your housing search early and weigh cost, safety, parking and commute time to the hospital and other clinical sites.

Student support

The Deanship of Student Affairs, led by Dr. Yolanda Miranda, coordinates the registrar, advisory and counseling services, the Student Programs Coordination Office (accessibility services and the MD Career Development Program), health insurance, an anonymous student hotline, academic support programs and the SJBSM student journal. The school’s Strategic Plan 2026-2030 commits to expanding student wellness services, mentorship and career guidance.

Student organizations

The General Student Council is the official student representative body, with elected representatives from each academic level of every program. The school lists dozens of student groups, including:

• Honor societies. The Alpha Omega Alpha (AΩA) national medical honor society approved SJBSM’s Delta chapter on August 13, 2020. The Gold Humanism Honor Society (GHHS) selects members through peer nomination in the second semester of the third year.
• National association chapters. American Medical Association, American Medical Women’s Association, American Muslim Student Association, Women in Radiology Education (WIRED), Medical Students for Choice, Med-Peds and a Surgery Interest Group with the Association of Women Surgeons.
• Specialty interest groups. Endocrinology, neurosurgery, clinical reasoning, plastic and reconstructive surgery, cardiology, dermatology, interventional radiology, radiology, oncology, precision medicine, sports medicine and anesthesiology.
• Community service and advocacy groups. Platiquemos en Señas, SJB School of Medicine for Juvenile Diabetes, Medical Students for the Elderly, Community Outreach and Opioid Awareness, Fundación Salud sobre Ruedas, the Deaf Community and Health Alliance, Por Una Sonrisa, Proyecto Carmín, PAWS Impacting Lives in Medical Community and MedStart, which mentors high school and college students on the medical school application process.
• Wellness and interest clubs. The Cookbook Club: Culinary Medicine, God, Chess and Medicine Association, Pain Management Student Association and a Scuba Diving and Snorkeling Club.

Students can form new organizations by submitting a proposal to the Deanship of Student Affairs; approved groups coordinate their activities with the Deanship.

Community engagement beyond the classroom

The Community Program, coordinated by Community Liaison Officer Dr. Grisel Burgos-Barreto, receives service requests from teachers, social workers and community leaders, plans interventions with the community and reviews findings with community representatives afterward. The Health Humanities Program brings art, literature and ethics into training, and the school’s disaster response work followed hurricanes, earthquakes and the COVID-19 pandemic. Opportunities for recreation and personal growth, including outdoor activities in the nearby mountains, cultural events in Caguas and social gatherings, balance the demands of medical training.

The campus culture fosters a collaborative and inclusive environment. Students from Puerto Rico and the mainland learn side by side, and the school notes that out-of-state students whose native language is not Spanish are part of its classrooms.

Clinical Rotations and Research Opportunities

Clinical rotations

Clinical education happens in inpatient and ambulatory settings, with experiences in primary care, preventive medicine and care of patients with acute and chronic conditions. The Associate Deanship of Clinical Sciences, led by Dr. Mirian Ramos Mercado, coordinates clerkship rotations with the affiliated institutions and supervises each student’s clinical performance.

• Internal Medicine (12 weeks): inpatient and ambulatory care, daily morning report, attending rounds and grand rounds.
• Pediatrics: the Pediatric and Adolescent Ward, Nursery, Emergency Room and Pediatric Clinics, plus the Puerto Rico Health Department’s Early Intervention Clinics on the hospital premises, with service learning built in.
• Obstetrics and Gynecology, General Surgery, Psychiatry and Family Medicine: six-week core clerkships, with family medicine emphasizing continuous, community-based primary care.
• Fourth year: a primary care sub-internship, emergency medicine (with exposure to pediatrics, internal medicine, surgery and obstetrics and gynecology in the emergency room), research, four free electives in Puerto Rico or the mainland and required selectives.

Each clerkship uses formative and summative assessments, and narrative evaluations are part of every clerkship grade. Students also prepare for the fourth-year Clinical Performance Examination and the USMLE Step exams, which are graduation requirements.

Residency outcomes

The school’s MD Career Development Program publishes residency placements. Between 2008 and 2024, SJBSM graduates matched into more than 20 specialties, from anesthesiology, dermatology and neurosurgery to radiation oncology, orthopaedic surgery and urology, at institutions such as Baylor College of Medicine, Barnes-Jewish Hospital, Boston University Medical Center, the Mayo Clinic School of Graduate Medical Education in Jacksonville, the Medical College of Wisconsin, Tufts Medical Center, the University of Puerto Rico and the Washington DC Consortium (Walter Reed, NIH and Georgetown).

For the 2024 Match, the seniors’ matching rate was 95%. Among 2024 placements (seniors and graduates), internal medicine was the largest specialty at 31%, followed by transitional year (14%), pediatrics (9%), family medicine and psychiatry (8% each), and emergency medicine and surgery (6% each). Forty-two percent of placements were in Puerto Rico and 58% on the U.S. mainland.

Research at San Juan Bautista School of Medicine

SJBSM is committed to fostering a research culture that advances biomedical, behavioral, epidemiological and clinical sciences, with special emphasis on community health, minority health and health disparities. Research starts in the curriculum itself: every student designs and completes a research project on a public health question, supported by Introduction to Research (year one), Translational Research (year two) and a research clerkship (year four) that provides “hands-on mentored fieldwork with a clinical or basic science investigator.” The school also offers a Summer Research Internship for medical students and a Clinical Research course.

The San Juan Bautista School of Medicine Research Center (SJBSM-RC), directed by Dr. Estela S. Estapé, consolidates research activity under the Research Strategic Plan 2023-2027. Its structure includes an Institutional Advisory Committee and an External Advisory Committee, the Office for Sponsored Research, the Research Core Laboratories, a Clinical Trials Unit, the Students’ Research Program, the Research Division of the Puerto Rico Health Justice Center, a grantsmanship program and the Institutional Review Board. Other resources include the San Juan Bautista Biomedical Research Center (SJB BioReC), a Research and Biostatistics Division, REDCap data tools and the school’s participation in the NIH All of Us Research Program.

• Clinical Research Unit (CRU). Established in 2006 and located between the school and Hospital Menonita Caguas, the CRU supports outpatient clinical trials in internal medicine, oncology, pediatrics, gynecology, cardiovascular disease, pulmonology and other areas. It has six evaluation rooms, three treatment rooms and a laboratory area, and staff handle phlebotomy, EKGs and specimen processing.
• Puerto Rico Health Justice Center (PRHJC). Created in 2015 and directed by Dr. Linda Laras, the center offers forensic clinical services to survivors of sexual violence (children, adolescents and adults) from a trauma-informed, public health perspective. Its research division and community programs, including the annual Start By Believing Symposium, a 24/7 help line and a mobile unit, give students service-learning and interdisciplinary research opportunities.
• Faculty research interests include small molecule and nanoparticle drug delivery for cancer therapy, inflammation in neurodegenerative and cardiovascular disease, epigenetics and endocrine disruptors in women’s reproductive health, antimicrobial resistance and the health effects of sexual violence and adverse childhood experiences.
• Faculty development. The Grantsmanship for Independent Research Development (GIRD) program pairs early-career faculty with external mentors for scientific writing and competitive grants. Students benefit through faculty-led projects and the school’s research symposium, which has reached its tenth edition.

Students have opportunities to participate in faculty-led projects or pursue independent research under supervision, and the school has a student publication consent process for work submitted to journals. Keep the scale in mind: total direct federal research grants and contracts at the school were $0 in fiscal year 2024, so most student research is community-focused and faculty-mentored rather than tied to large federally funded labs. Alongside research, every MD student completes a minimum of 24 hours of community service during the four-year program. If you are building research experience before applying, a community health question you can explain clearly will serve you better at SJBSM than a long list of unrelated bench hours.

Notable Alumni, Faculty, Leadership and Admissions Staff

San Juan Bautista School of Medicine takes pride in faculty and graduates who reflect its mission of education, research and service to underserved communities. The profiles below come from the school’s leadership, faculty and research pages and from an employer biography, with roles checked on October 18, 2026. They are here to help you understand who shapes the program, not to suggest that any person influences admissions decisions.

School leadership

Yocasta Brugal, MD, President. Dr. Brugal is the school’s chief executive, appointed by the Board of Trustees, and she supervises its finances, academic programs and planning. Her message to applicants describes the investments that now shape the student experience: a Clinical Skills Simulation Lab, a Research Core Lab with advanced instrumentation, a Graduate Resource Center for research design and statistics, a Virtual Anatomy Lab that pairs cadaver dissection with a 3-D digital table and a Title V scholarship program for graduate students. She invites applicants “with the vocation of service as your calling” to consider SJBSM. Knowing these priorities helps you ask specific questions on interview day.

José Ginel Rodríguez Irizarry, MD, Dean of Medicine. Dr. Rodríguez leads the MD program and, with the President, department chairs and faculty, is responsible for keeping the curriculum aligned with the school’s mission and with accreditation requirements. He is also the chapter councilor for SJBSM’s Delta chapter of the Alpha Omega Alpha Honor Medical Society. For applicants, he is the senior academic leader of the MD program at a time when the LCME survey of 2026-27 and the MD Strategic Plan 2026-2030 are both in motion.

Irvin Maldonado Rivera, PhD, Dean of Academic Affairs. Dr. Maldonado oversees the curricula of all four degree programs (MD, MPH, BSN and DNP) and the school’s centralized curriculum evaluation, which gathers data from students, faculty and administrators and turns it into improvement plans. His office is where curriculum changes are reviewed, so it matters to anyone choosing a school mid-improvement.

Yolanda Miranda Portugués, PsyD, Associate Dean of Student Affairs. Dr. Miranda leads the Deanship of Student Affairs (the catalog calls the role Dean of Student Affairs) and serves as Title IX coordinator. She is the contact for student policies, immunization requirements, background checks and AOA information. Once you are admitted, much of your paperwork and support runs through her office.

Wilson Veras, MD, Associate Dean of Biomedical Sciences. Dr. Veras oversees the first two years, including the Pathology and Physiology, Biochemistry and Pharmacology, Microbiology, Anatomy and Clinical Skills and Community Engagement departments. He coordinates the biomedical curriculum with department chairs and reports to the Executive Curriculum Committee and the Academic Dean.

Mirian Ramos Mercado, MD, Associate Dean for Clinical Sciences. Dr. Ramos coordinates the third- and fourth-year educational program, supervises each student’s clinical performance and serves as the official liaison between SJBSM students and the affiliated institutions where they rotate. Her office also works with residency programs through a Residents as Teachers program.

Admissions staff

Jaymi Sánchez, Admissions Director. Ms. Sánchez is the MD program’s admissions contact ([email protected], ext. 236). Early Decision candidates must contact her before July 15 to arrange a conversation before submitting AMCAS. Questions about your file status, interview scheduling and the supplemental application go to her office.

Ingrid Sánchez, MBA, Admission Officer. Ms. Sánchez is the second listed contact in the Admissions Office (ext. 214) and handles applicant inquiries, including questions about third-year transfer vacancies.

Faculty and researchers

Estela S. Estapé, MT, PhD, DHL, Director of the SJBSM Research Center. Dr. Estapé is a medical technologist with a PhD in Pharmacology and Toxicology from the UPR Medical Sciences Campus, postdoctoral training at Mount Sinai and an honorary doctorate from A.T. Still University. She retired from UPR-MSC in 2016 after 38 years, including service as Dean of the School of Health Professions and director of NIH-funded programs. At SJBSM she leads the Research Center and coaches faculty on grant and manuscript writing from development to submission. Her center shapes the research project every student completes.

Linda Laras, MD, MPH, MSc, FACOG, Director of the Puerto Rico Health Justice Center. A board-certified OB-GYN with a master’s in public health and a postdoctoral MSc in clinical research, Dr. Laras completed a fellowship in pediatric and adolescent gynecology at Boston Children’s Hospital. She brings more than 30 years of work on violence against women and has secured grants of more than $1 million to serve survivors of sexual assault. She joined SJBSM in 2016 as an Assistant Professor and now directs the PRHJC, where her role covers direct patient care, education, research and public policy. Students interested in forensic medicine, women’s health or trauma-informed care will find her center central to service learning.

Linda Pérez-Laras, DrPH, research faculty. Dr. Pérez-Laras is a highly respected research faculty member with degrees in biology, forensic science, epidemiology and clinical and translational research, including a DrPH in epidemiology from Ponce Health Sciences University (2020). At SJBSM since 2017, she directed the Graduate Resource Center from 2019, serves as Research Coordinator and Co-Principal Investigator at the PR Health Justice Research Division and is Principal Investigator for the All of Us Research Program (COSSMA).

Sandra Chinapen, PhD, Assistant Professor of Microbiology. Dr. Chinapen holds a PhD in behavioral neuroscience and mentors medical students on research projects addressing community needs. Since 2018 she has worked on toxicology testing for gold nanocarriers designed to deliver microRNA to ovarian cancer cells, an NIH-funded SC3 project. She plays a key role in teaching foundational sciences.

Yamixa Delgado, PhD, Chair of Biochemistry and Pharmacology. Dr. Delgado’s research covers molecular modeling, nanoparticle design and drug delivery systems for cancer therapy, with collaborators across the University of Puerto Rico system, Universidad Central del Caribe, Ana G. Méndez University and Stanford University. Her department teaches the Biochemistry and Genetics in Medicine and Pharmacology and Therapeutics courses.

Yaritza Inostroza-Nieves, PhD, Co-Director of the Research Center. Dr. Inostroza-Nieves earned her PhD in Biochemistry and Molecular Biology at UPR-MSC and completed a postdoctoral fellowship at Brigham and Women’s Hospital and Harvard Medical School. Her work on inflammation pathways now focuses on neurodegenerative disease and potential therapies.

Elizabeth Padilla, EdD, RN, MSN, Dean of Nursing Program. Dr. Padilla oversees the development and implementation of the school’s nursing education programs, including the BSN and LPN-BSN bridge. Nursing classmates are part of the interprofessional activities MD students take part in. Prof. Madeline Vargas and Prof. Lidia Navarro are listed among the Nursing Program staff in the school’s directory.

Alumni

Since its founding, SJBSM has graduated more than 1,500 students across its programs, and its residency report lists graduates in programs from Baylor College of Medicine and the Mayo Clinic to the University of Puerto Rico and Walter Reed. The school does not publish an alumni directory or alumni profiles, but its alumni office runs an SJB Alumni Key registration, mentoring for student interest groups, visiting lecturer and career advisor roles and continuing medical education.

Carlos Cebollero, MD. Dr. Cebollero lists San Juan Bautista School of Medicine as his medical school on his hospital provider profile, followed by residency at Wyckoff Heights Medical Center. He practices hospital medicine at Archbold Memorial Hospital. His path from Caguas to residency and hospital practice outside Puerto Rico mirrors the school’s 2024 placement pattern, in which most graduates trained on the mainland.

Graduates of SJBSM have gone on to practice in many fields, continuing the legacy of service and leadership fostered at the institution. If alumni outcomes matter to your decision, ask current students and the MD Career Development Program about recent graduates in the specialty you are considering.

Admissions Statistics and Class Profile

San Juan Bautista School of Medicine fosters a diverse and academically prepared student body. The school publishes some admissions data on its own pages, and this section sets out what is available and what each number measures.

Class size and residency mix

The MD program enrolls about 63 first-year students a year. The school’s retention table lists initial cohorts of 62 (2022-23 row), 63 (2023-24) and 63 (2024-25), and its FAQ describes the class as 63 students, 80% in-state and 20% out-of-state. The 2025 entering class included 31 men, 37 women and 1 student of another gender identity, and the school estimates 69 new entrants for the class starting in August 2027. Total MD enrollment was 311 students in October 2025.

Applicants and interviews

The school says approximately 1,300 people apply each year. For the 2025 entering class, it interviewed 285 applicants: 210 in-state, 75 out-of-state and none international. Offer counts are not available, so no acceptance rate is given here, and interviewed applicants should not be read as admitted applicants. Dividing class size by applicants would only give a matriculation ratio (63 of about 1,300 is roughly 5%), which is not the same as the share of applicants who receive offers, because some admitted applicants enroll elsewhere.

MCAT and GPA

The school’s FAQ adds that “a lower MCAT score can be outweighed by an excellent GPA, outstanding interview performance, or extracurricular activities,” and that the committee looks for well-rounded applicants. Note that the FAQ’s interview threshold (an MCAT of 495) is higher than the 492 minimum on the current admissions page; follow the admissions page for eligibility and aim for 495 or above to be competitive.

Retention, graduation and licensing

The four-year graduation figures vary widely from year to year, and a sizable share of students in some cohorts finish in five or six years. That is worth asking about on interview day, along with the academic support available in the biomedical years. The school’s FAQ reported first-time USMLE pass rates for 2021 of 94% for Step 1 and 98% for Step 2 CK; newer pass rates are not posted.

Match results

In the 2024 Match, 95% of seniors matched. Placements were 42% in Puerto Rico and 58% on the U.S. mainland, with internal medicine (31%) and transitional year (14%) the largest groups.

Diversity and inclusion

SJBSM actively recruits students from different geographic, economic, racial, ethnic and religious backgrounds and “welcomes differences in gender, age, and sexual orientation, as well as welcoming applicants with disabilities and special needs.” The committee lists a background of socioeconomic disadvantage and community background among the life experiences it considers. Support for students includes nondiscrimination policies that cover gender identity and sexual orientation, accessibility services and student organizations that serve specific underserved populations. The school also publishes an Institutional Enrollment by Gender and Ethnicity report through its consumer information page.

Tips and Strategies for Admission

These strategies translate what SJBSM says it values into concrete steps. They reflect our editorial reading of the school’s published criteria, not a private scoring rubric.

1. Treat Spanish as a core skill. The school requires 9 Spanish credits, assesses Spanish at the interview and lists communication in both English and Spanish among its selection attributes. If Spanish is your second language, build it deliberately: take college coursework or the CLEP, and then use it in real patient settings. Volunteering in a bilingual clinic, interpreting at a health fair or completing a medical internship in Peru gives you clinical Spanish you can talk about with specifics. Be honest in AMCAS about your level, and show steady progress.

2. Line up your community leader letter early. One of your three required letters must come from a community leader or volunteer supervisor who can describe your service. This letter appears by name in the committee’s rubric. Choose a supervisor who has watched you serve over months, give them a short summary of your hours and responsibilities, and ask well before the December 15 deadline.

3. Build clinical exposure that is “sufficient to understand the profession.” That phrase comes straight from the committee’s list of life experiences. Shadowing helps, but hands-on roles help more: medical assistant, scribe, EMT, patient intake volunteer or interpreter. Structured clinical internships for pre-med students can add supervised patient contact, such as taking vitals and assisting with intake and triage, that you can describe in detail.

4. Show service with underserved people, not only service hours. SJBSM’s mission is to graduate physicians “responsive to the health needs of underserved and medically vulnerable populations.” Pick one or two service commitments and stay with them. In your AMCAS descriptions, explain the community, the need and what you did about it, the way the school’s own Community Program plans interventions with community leaders.

5. Ask a research question about community health. Every SJBSM student completes a public health research project. You do not need publications, but a project where you asked a question about a population (access to care, chronic disease, violence prevention, vaccination) and learned from the data fits the school well.

6. Clear the screening floors with room to spare. The initial ranking uses MCAT and general and science GPA. Applicants at or just above 3.00 and 492 are eligible, but the school’s own FAQ calls 495 to 500 competitive. If your MCAT is under 495, a strong upward GPA trend, a retake or a standout service record becomes more important.

7. Decide on Early Decision by early July. If SJBSM is your clear first choice and your application is ready, Early Decision gives you an answer by October 1. You must contact the Admissions Office before July 15, so plan your MCAT date and letters around that.

8. Write your personal statement for a bilingual, community-based school. The committee reviews the “personal essays on AMCAS” as part of its overall review of experiences. Because SJBSM has no secondary essays, your AMCAS personal statement and Most Meaningful Experiences essays are where the school learns why you want to train in Puerto Rico. If you apply to several schools, make sure the statement shows the service and cultural experiences that matter here without naming one school.

9. Prepare for the MMI with standardized patients. SJBSM’s MMI stations are run by standardized patients from the community, trained in clinical skills and the MMI process. Practice responding to a person, not just answering a question: listen, show empathy, check understanding and close with a plan. Practice some stations in Spanish.

10. Take the accreditation status seriously and ask good questions. Read the LCME directory entry, ask at your interview how the school is addressing the areas under review, and ask students how the process affects them. Being informed shows maturity; it does not count against you.

11. Plan your summers with purpose. Use the summers before you apply for sustained clinical and service work. Pre-med summer internships with supervised patient care, a bilingual community health project or a research internship can each give you concrete stories for AMCAS and the MMI.

By combining strong academics with personal attributes that reflect a commitment to service and cultural competence, you can create a compelling application for SJBSM’s MD program.

Secondary Application Questions, Example Responses and Analysis

San Juan Bautista School of Medicine does not use secondary essay questions in the 2026-2027 cycle. Applicants who meet the minimum requirements receive a supplemental application, which carries a $100 non-refundable processing fee and asks for no essays. After an offer, accepted students use that same secondary application to submit their health, immunization, identity and background-check documents. For a cross-school view of what other programs ask, see our medical school secondary essay prompts database.

Because there is no essay, the supplemental application is a test of accuracy and speed. Below are the two items the school describes, each with a worked response pattern. If your portal unexpectedly shows an essay or text box, follow the length limit shown in the portal and answer it with the same specific, mission-focused approach used in the practice paragraphs later in this section.

Item 1: The supplemental application and $100 fee

School instruction (verbatim): “Applicants who comply with the minimum requirements will receive a supplemental application.”

Who receives it: Applicants whose verified AMCAS application meets the minimums: a 3.00 science and general GPA, an MCAT of 492 or higher and the prerequisite courses (completed or in progress).

Limit: No essay field or word limit is published. The accompanying instruction states: “Applicants must pay a non-refundable admissions fee in the amount of $100.00 payable to San Juan Bautista School of Medicine.”

What it asks: Confirmation of your information, the $100 fee and a complete file before December 15.

Worked response pattern (Illustrative example, not an actual applicant essay):

1. Open the supplemental invitation email the day it arrives and log in to the SJBSM applicant portal.
2. Confirm that your name, AMCAS ID and contact details match AMCAS exactly.
3. Pay the $100 non-refundable fee by card or electronic payment and save the receipt.
4. Check that both science faculty letters (or your committee letter or packet) and your community leader letter are assigned to SJBSM in the AMCAS Letter Service.
5. If a field asks for updates, list only new items since AMCAS submission, each with dates and hours. For example: “Since June: 96 hours as a bilingual patient intake volunteer at a community health center, two shifts a week.”
6. Submit well before December 15 and email the Admissions Office if the portal does not show your file as complete within a week.

Analysis: The pattern covers every requirement the school states: the supplemental application, the $100 fee, the three AMCAS letters and the December 15 document deadline. Mistakes to avoid include waiting weeks to pay the fee, assuming letters are attached when they are assigned only to other schools, writing an essay the school did not ask for and repeating items already in AMCAS as “updates.”

Item 2: Documents submitted through the secondary application after acceptance

School instruction (verbatim): “If the applicant accepts the admission offer, he/she must submit the following documents through the secondary application :”

Who completes it: Accepted applicants who accept the offer.

Limit: A document checklist, with no length. The admissions page lists a Health Certificate, Physician’s Report, Immunization Certificate, one 2 x 2 photo, a birth certificate and/or valid passport, the AMCAS criminal background check report, the Technical Standards Receipt and the Information Regarding Admissions Document. The catalog’s list adds official transcripts from every institution, VDRL and PPD results with the health certificate, and influenza and COVID-19 vaccines.

Worked response pattern (Illustrative example, not an actual applicant essay):

• Week 1 after the offer: Reserve the seat within ten calendar days with the $100 money order or certified check, and request official transcripts from every college attended.
• Week 2: Book a physical exam and ask the physician to complete the Physician’s Report and Health Certificate, including VDRL and PPD results.
• Week 3: Gather the Puerto Rico immunization certificate (PVAC-3) showing every listed vaccine and dose, plus influenza and COVID-19 records.
• Week 4: Upload a 2 x 2 photo, a copy of the birth certificate or passport, the signed Technical Standards receipt and the Information Regarding Admissions document, and confirm the AMCAS background check has cleared.

Analysis: The plan turns the school’s list into dated tasks so nothing expires or arrives late. It reflects the school’s own conditions: the ten-day reservation window, the PVAC-3 immunization form and the background check (an acceptance is revoked if a criminal record appears). Mistakes to avoid include submitting an immunization certificate that expires before registration, missing vaccine doses on the PVAC-3 and paying the deposit by personal check when the school asks for a money order or certified check.

Where your writing counts: AMCAS essays for a bilingual, community-based school

With no secondary essays, the committee’s view of you as a writer comes from AMCAS: your personal statement, your experience descriptions and your three Most Meaningful Experiences. The rubric explicitly includes “personal essays on AMCAS, community service, research, and other health field” experiences. The practice paragraphs below show how an applicant might present experiences that connect with SJBSM’s verified priorities. They are teaching material for your AMCAS writing, not answers to any SJBSM prompt.

Practice paragraph A: a Most Meaningful Experience about bilingual patient care (Illustrative example, not an actual applicant essay)

For two years I volunteered at the front desk of a community health center that serves many patients from Puerto Rico and the Dominican Republic. At first my job was check-in, but when the nurse noticed I spoke Spanish at home, she asked me to stay with patients during intake. I learned that the same question, “¿Cómo se siente hoy?”, gets a different answer when it is asked slowly and with eye contact. One afternoon, an older man came in for a blood pressure check and told me, only after I asked a second time, that he had stopped his medication because he could not read the label. I told the nurse, who reviewed it with him and called the pharmacy for a Spanish label. He came back a month later with his readings written in a notebook. That visit taught me that language access is a clinical skill, and it is the reason I want to train where Spanish and English are both used at the bedside.

Analysis: The paragraph describes a sustained role, shows a concrete patient interaction, names what the writer did and what changed, and ends with a reflection that ties to bilingual training. It stays within the applicant’s scope (no diagnosis or treatment by the volunteer). Mistakes to avoid: listing languages without showing use, exaggerating clinical responsibility and writing about a single day of service as if it were a long commitment.

Practice paragraph B: an experience description for community service (Illustrative example, not an actual applicant essay)

Coordinator, weekend food and health outreach, 2024 to present (6 hours a week). I organize a monthly table outside our neighborhood church where volunteers hand out groceries and nursing students check blood pressure. I recruit volunteers, track supplies in a shared sheet and keep a log of the most common questions, which I share with the local clinic. After six months the clinic added a Saturday walk-in hour because our log showed that most people asked about medication refills. My community supervisor, who writes one of my letters, helped me plan each event.

Analysis: In under 100 words, this description gives the role, time commitment, actions, a measurable outcome and a link to the community leader letter SJBSM requires. Mistakes to avoid: vague verbs (“helped out”), no hours or dates, and outcomes that cannot be checked.

Practice paragraph C: a personal statement closing for a school with a community-health mission (Illustrative example, not an actual applicant essay)

I want to become a physician who notices what patients leave unsaid and who knows the neighborhood they go home to. My research project on missed follow-up appointments at a free clinic showed me that the reasons were often bus routes and work schedules, not lack of interest. Medicine for me will always include that second question and that look at the bigger picture. I hope to train in a program where service learning, research on community health and care in two languages are part of the daily work, so that I can return that care to communities like mine.

Analysis: The closing connects a research question, a service setting and bilingual care, which all appear in SJBSM’s published curriculum, without naming the school (useful because AMCAS goes to every school on your list). Mistakes to avoid: generic statements about “helping people,” and claims of fluency or experience that your file does not support.

Mistakes to avoid on the supplemental application

• Paying the fee late. Because the review is rolling and the documents deadline is December 15, delays can only hurt.
• Assuming letters are attached. Check the AMCAS Letter Service assignments for SJBSM.
• Missing the community letter. Two science letters alone do not complete your file.
• Treating the absence of essays as the absence of evaluation. Your AMCAS writing and your MMI carry the weight.

Interview Format and Preparation

Format

San Juan Bautista uses the Multiple Mini Interview (MMI), described in the catalog as “the San Juan Bautista format of interview.” The format, as published:

• Four structured situational stations. Before each station you receive a question or scenario and have two minutes to prepare. You then have an eight-minute exchange with the interviewer.
• Standardized patient interviewers. The MMI interviewers are standardized patients from the community, formally trained in clinical skills and the MMI process.
• A fifth, one-on-one station. An eight-minute interview with an Admissions Committee member or trained interviewer runs alongside the MMI stations.
• What is assessed. Cultural sensitivity, problem-solving and decision-making skills, maturity, integrity, empathy, reliability and communication skills. Your English and Spanish are assessed through the interviews.
• After the stations. Interviewers score and document each encounter, and the full Admissions Committee reviews the evaluations. The school calls the interview report “the most important information for the committee’s assessment.”
• The rest of the day. A tour of the San Juan Bautista main campus and a wrap-up session with an admissions officer, who confirms the information you received, answers last-minute questions and collects feedback.

Timing

Interview invitations for the 2026-2027 cycle go out starting in October 2026, regular interviews begin November 14, and the committee meets weekly during the cycle to decide on the applicants interviewed that week. Early Decision interviews take place on campus between mid-August and mid-September. The standard interview day is in person in Caguas, with a chance after the sessions to visit the campus and talk informally with current students. Regional interviews are available, and a remote (virtual) MMI can be offered under specific circumstances, so plan for travel to Caguas and confirm the format in your invitation.

How to prepare

The following is general MMI practice guidance applied to SJBSM’s published format.

1. Practice with a person playing a patient. Because the interviewers are standardized patients, many stations may feel like conversations with a patient or community member. Practice greeting, listening, reflecting feelings and agreeing on a next step.
2. Use your two minutes well. Read the scenario, identify who is affected, what the ethical or practical issue is and what you would do first. Jot a three-part plan.
3. Fill eight minutes without filler. Eight minutes is long. Practice following up on your own answer, asking the interviewer questions where the scenario invites it and summarizing at the end.
4. Prepare in both languages. Practice at least a few stations in Spanish. You do not need perfect grammar, but you should be able to explain, reassure and ask clear questions.
5. Know the mission. In the one-on-one interview, expect questions about why you chose SJBSM, your service experiences and how you would contribute to community health in Puerto Rico. Have one or two specific examples ready.
6. Ask informed questions. Good questions for the wrap-up session include how the school is preparing for the 2026-27 LCME survey, how students secure fourth-year electives on the mainland and what academic support exists in the biomedical years.

For more practice material, work through our list of medical school interview questions and our guide to 320 common medical school interview questions, and consider structured practice through IMA’s medical school admissions consulting.

Frequently Asked Questions

What is the median MCAT score and GPA for accepted students at SJB SOM?

For the 2025 entering class, accepted applicants had a median MCAT of 499 (mean 499.5) and a median GPA of 3.74. For comparison, the class admitted in 2021 averaged a 499 MCAT and a 3.57 general and 3.41 science GPA. The minimums for consideration are a 492 MCAT and a 3.00 science and general GPA, and the school’s FAQ describes an MCAT between 495 and 500 as competitive. Treat 495 and above as a practical target, and remember that a strong GPA, interview and service record can offset a lower score.

Does SJB SOM accept international applicants?

Yes. International and DACA applicants are eligible and are reviewed in the regular pool under the same requirements, though the school gives strong preference to U.S. citizens and permanent residents who completed their undergraduate work in the United States. Accepted international students need an F-1 visa, transcripts validated by a certified U.S. evaluation service and proof that they can pay for all four years, and they may be asked to deposit four years of tuition in escrow. International students are not eligible for U.S. federal loans. All applicants must show proficiency in English and Spanish at the interview.

What is the application deadline for SJB SOM?

For the 2026-2027 cycle, the AMCAS application and all required documents are due December 15, 2026. There is no separate secondary essay deadline, because the supplemental application has no essays; pay the $100 fee and complete the supplemental as soon as you receive it. Early Decision applicants had to contact the Admissions Office before July 15 and submit by August 1, 2026. The latest MCAT considered is the January 2027 test date.

Is there an Early Decision Program (EDP) available?

Yes. SJBSM offers a binding Early Decision Program for candidates who know SJBSM is their first choice. You must contact the Admissions Office before July 15 and before submitting AMCAS, agree in writing to apply nowhere else until SJBSM decides and to accept an offer, and have all materials in by August 1. Interviews take place on campus between mid-August and mid-September, and decisions arrive by October 1. Deferred applicants are reconsidered in the regular pool and may then apply elsewhere.

What medical programs are offered at SJB SOM?

SJBSM offers one medical degree program: the four-year Doctor of Medicine. It does not list combined degree programs such as MD/PhD or MD/MPH for medical students. The institution also offers a Master in Public Health, a Bachelor of Science in Nursing, an LPN-BSN bridge program and a Doctor of Nursing Practice in Adult Gerontology Primary Care Nurse Practitioner, each with its own admissions.

What is the cost of attendance at SJB SOM?

The 2025-2027 catalog lists first-year tuition of $30,000 for residents and $40,000 for non-residents, plus $5,000 in non-refundable fees; its per-credit “total annual cost” is $36,966.29 for residents and $47,528.09 for non-residents. Health and disability insurance are required and priced separately. The estimated first-year cost of attendance for 2025-2026, which adds living costs and $4,606 in health insurance to tuition and fees, was $69,762 in-state and $82,762 out-of-state. The school’s FAQ estimates about $27,670 a year for books, housing, meals, transportation and miscellaneous costs, but those figures were published alongside 2021-2022 tuition, so budget for higher living costs today. Ask the Financial Aid Office for the current cost of attendance before you borrow.

What financial aid options are available?

Medical students can use federal Direct Unsubsidized Loans, the National Health Service Corps Scholarship Program, military and veterans benefits, Vocational Rehabilitation (for eligible students with disabilities) and outside scholarships, and the school has a Title V scholarship program for graduate students. Federal Grad PLUS loans are no longer available to new borrowers, and professional students face a $50,000 annual federal loan limit. Every admitted student receives financial aid counseling. In 2024-2025, 74% of students received financial aid, and indebted graduates owed an average of $157,285 in medical school debt.

Are there research opportunities available?

Yes, and research is required. Every student designs and completes a research project on a public health question, supported by Introduction to Research, Translational Research and a fourth-year research clerkship with a faculty mentor. Students can also join faculty projects through the SJBSM Research Center, the Clinical Research Unit and the Puerto Rico Health Justice Center’s research division, and the school offers a Summer Research Internship.

What is the campus culture like at SJB SOM?

The campus culture is collaborative, service-minded and bilingual. Students from Puerto Rico and the mainland share a small campus on the grounds of Mennonite Caguas Hospital, and the school has dozens of student groups, from specialty interest groups to community service organizations such as the Deaf Community and Health Alliance and Medical Students for the Elderly. Classes are small (about 63 students), which means you will know your classmates and faculty well.

How do I apply to SJB SOM?

Apply through the American Medical College Application Service (AMCAS) between June 1 and December 15. Send two science faculty letters (or a committee letter or packet) and one community leader letter through the AMCAS Letter Service. If you meet the minimum requirements, you will receive a supplemental application with a $100 non-refundable fee. Qualified applicants are then invited to an MMI interview on campus.

What makes San Juan Bautista School of Medicine unique among Puerto Rico medical schools?

San Juan Bautista School of Medicine stands out for its community-based mission, built into required coursework rather than electives. Service learning runs through Community Health I and II, every student completes a public health research project, and the school operates the Puerto Rico Health Justice Center, which provides forensic clinical services to survivors of sexual violence. Its academic facilities sit on the campus of Mennonite Caguas Hospital through a regional academic medical center partnership, and it trains students in both Spanish and English.

Does San Juan Bautista School of Medicine offer a Physician Assistant program in Puerto Rico?

No. SJBSM’s physician assistant program opened in September 2020 and closed in July 2025, and ARC-PA now lists it as a previously accredited program. The school’s current program list includes the MD, MPH, BSN, LPN-BSN bridge and DNP. No entry-level PA program in Puerto Rico is currently accredited by ARC-PA, so if you want to become a physician assistant, look at ARC-PA accredited programs on the U.S. mainland. If you are weighing PA and MD paths, clinical experience is valuable for both; IMA also offers pre-PA internships for students exploring that route.

What is the admission process for nursing programs in Puerto Rico, specifically at San Juan Bautista SOM?

SJBSM’s nursing programs (the BSN, the LPN-BSN bridge and the DNP) have their own admissions through the Admissions Office and the school’s online applicant portal, separate from AMCAS. Each program publishes its own requirements on the school’s site. BSN students complete at least 12 hours of community service each semester, reflecting the school’s community health focus. Contact the Admissions Office for current deadlines and prerequisites.

How does the curriculum at San Juan Bautista School of Medicine prepare students for bilingual healthcare practice?

English and Spanish are the school’s official languages, and the curriculum, community work and clinical rotations use both. Applicants must complete 9 credits each of Spanish and English (or the Spanish CLEP), and their proficiency is checked at the interview. During training, students work with Spanish-speaking communities and patients in Caguas and across Puerto Rico, and students still strengthening their Spanish can take courses offered by faculty from the school’s other programs.

What resources are available on the student portal San Juan for current students at San Juan Bautista School of Medicine?

Current students use several online systems: the school’s student portal (Jenzabar SONIS) for enrollment and student records, Canvas for course materials, and Medtrics for clinical rotation management, which is also available to clinical sites and preceptors. The digital library is available 24 hours a day, and the Student Handbook, catalog and consumer information guide are posted on the school’s site.

How does the San Juan Bautista PA program address the healthcare needs of Puerto Rico?

The school does not currently offer a physician assistant program. Its PA program, which opened in September 2020, closed in July 2025 and is no longer ARC-PA accredited. Its programs that address Puerto Rico’s healthcare needs are the MD, which focuses on community health and underserved populations, and the MPH, BSN, LPN-BSN and DNP programs. Prospective PA students should look at ARC-PA accredited programs elsewhere.

What opportunities for research are available at San Juan Bautista SOM in Caguas?

In Caguas, students can work with the SJBSM Research Center, the Research Core Laboratories, the Clinical Research Unit (which runs outpatient clinical trials with Hospital Menonita Caguas), the Puerto Rico Health Justice Center’s research division and the All of Us Research Program. Faculty projects cover cancer drug delivery, inflammation and neurodegeneration, women’s reproductive health, antimicrobial resistance and violence prevention. Every student completes a required public health research project.

What distinguishes San Juan Bautista SOM from other Puerto Rico medical schools?

SJBSM is a small, private, community-based school with a first-year class of about 63, a bilingual curriculum and required service learning and research on community health. It is located in Caguas rather than the San Juan metro area, it has no combined degrees or special tracks, and its LCME accreditation is currently full, on probation, with a survey in 2026-27. Compare it with Ponce Health Sciences University, Universidad Central del Caribe and the University of Puerto Rico on mission, cost and clinical sites.

Are there opportunities for global health experiences at San Juan Bautista School of Medicine?

The school’s curriculum uses global public health topics in its integrated small-group activities, and fourth-year students can take free electives in Puerto Rico or on the U.S. mainland. The school does not publish a list of international electives, and on the 2025 AAMC Graduation Questionnaire, 6% of graduating seniors reported taking part in a global health experience during medical school. Many applicants build global health experience before medical school; IMA’s pre-med internships abroad offer supervised clinical work with patients in Kenya and other sites.

How does San Juan Bautista SOM support diversity and inclusion in its programs?

SJBSM’s nondiscrimination policy covers age, creed, gender identity, national or ethnic origin, race, sex, sexual orientation, religion, disability and color, and its admissions committee commits to recruiting students from different geographic, economic, racial, ethnic and religious backgrounds. The committee considers socioeconomic disadvantage and community background, and student groups serve populations such as Deaf patients, older adults and people affected by substance use.

Is San Juan Bautista School of Medicine accredited?

Yes. The MD program is accredited by the LCME with the status “full, on probation,” and its next LCME survey is in 2026-27. Students in a program on probation are enrolled in an accredited MD program, which keeps them eligible for the USMLE and residency. Because probation means the LCME found standards that need improvement, check the LCME directory before you commit and ask the school about its progress at your interview.

Does SJBSM have secondary essays?

No. For 2026-2027, the school sends a supplemental application with a $100 non-refundable fee to applicants who meet its minimums, but it has no essay questions. Your AMCAS personal statement, experience descriptions, letters (including the community leader letter) and MMI performance are how the committee gets to know you.

Do I need to speak Spanish to attend SJBSM?

You must be able to read, write, speak and understand both English and Spanish, and you need 9 Spanish credits (or the Spanish CLEP). The school assesses your Spanish during the interview. It also states that it welcomes and supports students with limited Spanish skills, so you do not need native fluency, but you should arrive with working Spanish and a plan to keep improving it.

What is the class size, and how many students come from outside Puerto Rico?

The first-year class is about 63 students. The school’s FAQ describes the class as roughly 80% in-state and 20% out-of-state, and it receives about 1,300 applications a year. For the 2025 entering class, the school interviewed 285 applicants: 210 from Puerto Rico, 75 from out of state and no international applicants. Out-of-state applicants must be U.S. citizens or permanent residents who completed their undergraduate work at a U.S. college.

What are the MD tuition and fees for residents and non-residents?

Annual first-year tuition is $30,000 for residents and $40,000 for non-residents, with $5,000 in non-refundable fees for everyone, in the 2025-2027 catalog. Insurance is extra. Ask the Finance Office how the school defines residency for tuition purposes.

What clinical experience should I have before applying?

The admissions committee looks for “clinical exposure sufficient to understand the profession,” along with community service and scientific inquiry. Aim for sustained, hands-on roles with patients, especially in underserved and Spanish-speaking settings, plus shadowing. Supervised programs such as IMA’s internships for pre-med students let you take vitals and help with intake, triage and direct care under supervision.

What happens if I am waitlisted?

The committee votes to accept, waitlist or reject each interviewed applicant, and offers continue on a rolling basis until the class is full, so the waiting list is a real path to a seat. Waitlist size varies by cycle, and in the cycle for the 2025 entering class, 10 acceptance offers went to waitlisted applicants. The committee ranks the list on academic and non-academic criteria and gives preference to candidates who show genuine interest in accepting an offer. Send a short letter of continued interest and any significant updates to the Admissions Office.

How do residency results look for SJBSM graduates?

In the 2024 Match, 95% of seniors matched. Placements were 42% in Puerto Rico and 58% on the U.S. mainland, led by internal medicine (31%) and transitional year (14%). Between 2008 and 2024, graduates matched into more than 20 specialties, including dermatology, neurosurgery, radiation oncology and orthopaedic surgery.

Related Medical School Guides

While San Juan Bautista School of Medicine provides a distinctive education rooted in community health, bilingual training and a focus on underserved populations, the world of medical education offers many other options. Choosing the right medical school is a personal decision that requires careful thought about your values, academic interests and professional goals. These guides cover schools that relate to SJBSM in useful ways:

• Ponce Health Sciences University School of Medicine: a private MD school in Ponce, on Puerto Rico’s south coast, and the natural comparison for applicants choosing between Puerto Rico programs on mission, cost and clinical sites.
• University of Alabama School of Medicine: a large public MD program to compare on cost, regional campuses and out-of-state eligibility.
• University of South Alabama College of Medicine: a mid-sized MD program on the Gulf Coast, useful for comparing in-state preference against SJBSM’s 80% in-state class.
• University of Nevada, Reno School of Medicine: another community-focused MD program to weigh on mission and residency rules.
• Meharry Medical College: a private, mission-driven MD school focused on underserved communities, comparable in its service emphasis.
• University of Houston Tilman J. Fertitta College of Medicine: a newer MD program with a community-focused, primary care mission, useful for comparing how two mission-driven schools describe service.

Each institution presents its own culture and strengths. As you evaluate your options, reflect on how a school’s mission, curriculum and environment line up with your plans. Whether you are drawn to global health, a collaborative learning atmosphere or specific research opportunities, finding a school that fits your goals will be critical to your success and satisfaction. Your path in medicine is defined not only by the school you attend but by the growth you achieve along the way.

More medical school guides to explore:

Texas Tech University Health Sciences Center Paul L. Foster School of Medicine · Spencer Fox Eccles School of Medicine at the University of Utah · University of Virginia School of Medicine · Eastern Virginia Medical School (EVMS) · Virginia Commonwealth University School of Medicine · Virginia Tech Carilion School of Medicine · Medical College of Wisconsin · Washington State University Elson S. Floyd College of Medicine · Western Michigan University Homer Stryker M.D. School of Medicine · Perelman School of Medicine at the University of Pennsylvania · NYU Grossman School of Medicine (NYU Langone Health) · Cleveland Clinic Lerner College of Medicine · Uniformed Services University of the Health Sciences (USUHS) · University of Kentucky College of Medicine · Creighton University School of Medicine · University of Nebraska College of Medicine · Washington University in St. Louis School of Medicine · Oakland University William Beaumont School of Medicine · Wayne State University School of Medicine · NYU Grossman School of Medicine (NYU Manhattan) · Touro University California College of Osteopathic Medicine · University of Massachusetts T.H. Chan School of Medicine · Columbia University Vagelos College of Physicians and Surgeons · Idaho College of Osteopathic Medicine · Tufts University School of Medicine · University of Louisville School of Medicine · Michigan State University College of Human Medicine · University of South Dakota Sanford School of Medicine · University of Chicago Pritzker School of Medicine · Carle Illinois College of Medicine · Northwestern University Feinberg School of Medicine · Chicago Medical School at Rosalind Franklin University · Southern Illinois University School of Medicine · Rush Medical College of Rush University Medical Center · Central Michigan University College of Medicine · Geisel School of Medicine at Dartmouth · University of Minnesota Medical School · Johns Hopkins School of Medicine · Oklahoma State University College of Osteopathic Medicine · University of Oklahoma College of Medicine · Marshall University Joan C. Edwards School of Medicine · Warren Alpert Medical School of Brown University · Georgetown University Medical School · Yale School of Medicine

Browse the full list of medical school guides for every school we cover.

How International Medical Aid Can Help

It all begins with starting early. The medical school application process is detailed, requiring careful attention to your personal statement, recommendation letters and interview preparation. San Juan Bautista School of Medicine looks for clinical exposure, sustained service with underserved communities and communication across cultures and languages, and IMA’s programs are built around exactly that kind of experience.

Clinical experience abroad. International Medical Aid runs medical internships abroad in Kenya and other sites for pre-health students. Interns take vitals, do patient intake and triage and help with direct care under the supervision of local clinicians. Explore our pre-med internships, our medical internships for undergraduates and the full range of healthcare internships abroad. Students still deciding between medicine and related fields can also start with IMA’s pre-health internships. These experiences give you real patient stories for AMCAS and the MMI. IMA programs are independent of SJBSM and do not affect admissions decisions.

Test and interview preparation. One of the most important parts of many applications is a situational judgment test such as CASPer. SJBSM does not list one for this cycle, but if other schools on your list require it, practice how to think through ethical and interpersonal scenarios, not only content. You can read more about the CASPer exam and why it matters. The same skills carry directly into SJBSM’s MMI stations.

Admissions consulting. IMA also offers expert medical school admissions consulting services, from school list strategy and AMCAS essay review to MMI practice. With guidance at each stage, you can present your service, bilingual and clinical experiences clearly and with confidence.

Next step: If you plan to apply to SJBSM in a future cycle, map out your Spanish coursework, your community leader letter and a sustained clinical role this year, and start your AMCAS early.

Final Thoughts and Sources

San Juan Bautista School of Medicine offers a focused, bilingual MD program for students who want to serve underserved and medically vulnerable communities. It asks for Spanish and English, a community leader letter and steady service, and in return it offers small classes, required service learning and research, clinical training through a regional academic medical center and graduates who match across Puerto Rico and the mainland. Its LCME status of full accreditation on probation, with a survey in 2026-27, is an important factor to follow before you commit.

Why choose SJB SOM:

• Mission-driven education grounded in community health and service.
• Bilingual training that prepares you to care for Spanish- and English-speaking patients.
• Community focus through service learning, the Community Program and the Puerto Rico Health Justice Center.
• A small, supportive class of about 63 students.

Next steps:

• Reflect on fit. Consider how your goals and experiences match SJBSM’s mission.
• Prepare your application. Complete the Spanish and English prerequisites, line up two science letters and a community leader letter, and submit AMCAS well before December 15.
• Stay informed. Check the school’s admissions pages and the LCME directory for the latest information.

Embarking on a medical career is a challenging yet rewarding path. San Juan Bautista School of Medicine offers resources, support and opportunities to help you succeed and make a difference in the lives of others.

Sources

All sources were checked on October 18, 2026. Figures carry their cohort or academic year in the text and tables.

• San Juan Bautista School of Medicine, MD Program Admissions (timeline, requirements, prerequisites, letters, fee, MMI, deposit and secondary application documents).
• San Juan Bautista School of Medicine, Institutional Catalog 2025-2027 (PDF, revised 2025-2, July 2026): history, mission, campus, admissions, Early Decision, curriculum, clerkships, degree requirements and MD tuition and fees.
• San Juan Bautista School of Medicine, Student Handbook 2025-2027 (revised 2026): accreditation, facilities, financial aid and MD technical standards.
• San Juan Bautista School of Medicine, Doctorate in Medicine (accreditation status, curriculum and Strategic Plan 2026-2030), Curricular Innovations, Degree Requirements, On-Duty Program, International and DACA Applicants, MD Program Transfer and Early Decision Program pages.
• San Juan Bautista School of Medicine, Mission and Vision, Board of Trustees and Members of the Administration, Message from the President, Academic Deanship Office, Associate Deanship for Biomedical Sciences, Associate Deanship of Clinical Sciences, Admissions Overview and Administrative Staff Directory.
• San Juan Bautista School of Medicine, Consumer Information and School Disclosure Guide (accreditation, contacts), Students Outcome Report (MD retention and graduation through the 2024-25 row) and Student Life Frequently Asked Questions (class size, applicants, class admitted in 2021 averages, living cost estimates published with 2021-2022 tuition).
• San Juan Bautista School of Medicine, Residency Placements and Statistics 2008-2024 (PDF, June 2024).
• San Juan Bautista School of Medicine, Research Center, Research Faculty, Clinical Research Unit, Community Program, Puerto Rico Health Justice Center, Health Humanities Program, Student Organizations, Alumni, Financial Aid, Other Programs and Scholarships, and Health Insurance and Related Services pages.
• AAMC Medical School Admission Requirements (MSAR), San Juan Bautista School of Medicine profile, 2026 edition, accessed October 18, 2026: 2025 entering class median MCAT and GPA, applicants interviewed, first-year class by gender, enrollment, letters, MCAT policy, interview format, waitlist, deferral, cost of attendance (Tuition and Student Fees survey, 2025-2026), financial aid and debt (LCME Part I-B, 2024-2025), global health experiences (Graduation Questionnaire 2025) and federal research funding (fiscal year 2024).
• Accreditation Review Commission on Education for the Physician Assistant (ARC-PA), Entry Level Previously Accredited or Transferred Programs and Currently Accredited Programs lists, checked October 18, 2026.
• Liaison Committee on Medical Education, Accredited U.S. Programs directory, updated October 14, 2026.
• Georgetown University Office of Student Financial Aid, “Key Changes to Federal Student Loans Effective in July 2026” (updated June 30, 2026), for federal loan limits.
• Archbold Medical Center, provider profile for Carlos Cebollero, MD.
• Secondary application: San Juan Bautista School of Medicine MD Program Admissions and Catalog (supplemental application and fee), with current-cycle confirmation from the Med School Insiders secondary prompts database (2026-2027 entry) and Medical School HQ, checked October 18, 2026.