Application Selection Criteria

The University of Maryland School of Medicine will consider for admission only those students who are citizens or permanent residents of the United States or citizens of Canada. Occasionally, an applicant residing in the United States holds a visa permitting him or her to live in the United States indefinitely and to establish residency in one of the states. Applications are accepted from these individuals. Those individuals on a time-limited visa, such as a student visa, are not eligible for admission to the School of Medicine.

Preference is given in the selection process to residents of the state of Maryland.  However, the School of Medicine welcomes applications from individuals who reside throughout the United States and Canada. A significant number of non-resident applicants are invited to interview and are accepted to enter each freshman class. Diversity is highly valued in the educational process, and applications are encouraged from individuals with non-traditional and disadvantaged backgrounds. The University of Maryland School of Medicine does not discriminate on the basis of race, sex, creed, religion, national origin, age or disability. 

Selection criteria have been developed by the faculty of the School of Medicine and are closely allied to the school's mission and goals. Academic achievement, extra curricular activities, personal characteristics, recommendations from the pre-medical committee or college instructors and scores on the Medical College Admissions Test (MCAT) are all considered in the Committee's evaluation of an applicant. Academic achievement and/or high MCAT scores do not by themselves guarantee acceptance to the School of Medicine.

Of significant concern to the Committee on Admissions are the applicant's character, personality and potential to perform well as a medical student and as a future physician. Personal integrity, emotional maturity and stability, motivation, intellectual curiosity, empathy and concern for others, leadership skills, interests and activities outside the classroom, interpersonal skills and commitment to excellence are all carefully evaluated. Candidates for the MD degree must have the attitudes, knowledge and skills to function in a broad variety of interpersonal situations and to render a wide spectrum of patient care. Proficiency in both written and spoken English is required. Each applicant is encouraged to review carefully the School of Medicine's policy on Essential Requirements for Admission, Academic Advancement and Graduation. 

Applications may be rejected from both residents and non-residents without an interview. Those applicants who possess competitive academic credentials and the personal characteristics noted above may be invited to interview. The interview provides the candidate with an opportunity to discuss their personal history and motivation for a medical career as well as any aspect of their application that merits special attention or explanation. Candidates should be prepared to discuss any and all aspects of their application.

Interviewers are trained to specifically evaluate an applicant's maturity, adequacy of support systems, level of confidence in their abilities, intellectual curiosity, communication skills, motivation for medicine, depth of involvement in extra curricular activities and professional bearing during the interview, among other factors. Applicants are expected to demonstrate excellent communication skills, to be enthusiastic and knowledgeable about a career in medicine and to conduct themselves in an appropriate fashion during the interview day. The interview evaluations are the last important factor considered by the members of the Committee on Admissions in their deliberations regarding each applicant's candidacy for admission.