How to Get Into Dartmouth Medical School: Requirements and Strategies
/Learn the Dartmouth Geisel School of Medicine acceptance rate, admissions requirements, and strategies, plus sample responses to Dartmouth secondary application essay prompts
LEARN HOW TO GET INTO DARTMOUTH MEDICAL SCHOOL
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Part 1: Introduction
If you’re a premed looking for a medical school that will support both your research and clinical aspirations, the Geisel School of Medicine at Dartmouth, located in Hanover, New Hampshire, may be the perfect fit for you. Geisel is a major research powerhouse and the fourth-oldest medical school in the United States. Moreover, Dartmouth Medical School has produced several firsts in the country—examples include the first clinical X-ray in America and the first stethoscope for medical education.
The admissions standards for Dartmouth Medical School are tough: just 92 students matriculate per year, and the majority of applicants will have GPA and MCAT scores that dovetail with the Geisel average metrics. However, if you are able to hone in on why Geisel is the best fit for you as an aspiring physician and what you yourself will contribute to the diverse student body, you may find yourself as one of the lucky few receiving a Geisel acceptance letter.
In this guide, we’ll cover the various MD programs offered by the Geisel School of Medicine, admissions requirements, strategies for writing outstanding Dartmouth secondary essays, and guidance for your interview day.
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Part 2: Dartmouth Geisel School of Medicine MD programs
Dartmouth has a variety of programs through which students can achieve an MD degree:
The traditional, four-year MD program
The MD-PhD program for those interested in training to become physician-scientists
The MD-MBA program for those interested in training to become leaders in healthcare, entrepreneurs, or administrators through a partnership with Dartmouth’s Tuck School of Business; the program admits up to 6 students per year who apply during their second year of medical school and is completed in either five or six years
The MD-MPH for those interested in making an impact in the public health realm through a partnership with The Dartmouth Institute of Health Policy and Clinical Practice; the program admits students after they have matriculated to the medical school
The MD-MS with a health policy focus in partnership with The Dartmouth Institute of Health Policy and Clinical Practice; the program admits students after they have matriculated to the medical school
The MD-MS with an engineering focus in partnership with Dartmouth’s Thayer School of Engineering
Dartmouth Medical School tuition and scholarships
For the 2023–2024 academic year, the tuition at Geisel is $67,532. Including room, board, and other expenses, the estimated first-year cost of attendance is $92,531.
Although these costs appear high, Geisel offers need-based financial aid in the form of both loans and scholarships for those students who need it. Over 85 percent of medical students at Geisel typically receive some form of financial assistance, and around 60 percent receive scholarship aid.
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Part 3: How hard is it to get into Dartmouth Medical School?
Dartmouth Medical School admissions statistics
With an acceptance rate of 2.4%, gaining admissions to Dartmouth Medical School is no easy feat. In a typical year, Geisel receives 7,000 to 8,000 applications, interviews around 700 to 800 applicants, and matriculates 92 first-year students.
Dartmouth Medical School sets the bar high when evaluating prospective students’ GPA and MCAT scores. Statistics for Geisel’s most recent class include:
Median GPA: 3.77
Median MCAT score: 516
Note that you must earn an MCAT score of 503 or higher in order to receive a secondary application from Dartmouth. For the 2023–2024 application cycle, you must have taken the MCAT between January 2021 and September 2023.
Dartmouth Medical School admissions requirements
Here are the specific academic requirements you’ll need to fulfill in order to apply to Geisel:
Biology: One year (8 semester hours or equivalent)
Physics: One year (8 semester hours or equivalent)
Chemistry: Two years (16 semester hours or equivalent) including one semester (or equivalent) of organic chemistry and one semester (or equivalent) of biochemistry.
Math: One half-year (3 semester hours or equivalent), including either calculus or statistics.
Although these requirements are crucial, it is equally important for applicants to focus on the school’s mission statement. Per the admissions website, the admissions committee seeks individuals who reflect and contribute to the institutional mission, which includes Geisel’s five guiding principles: “Create Leaders and Leadership; Students and Faculty First; Revitalize Education and Research; Reach Out and Connect Diverse People & Ideas; We Win Together as a Team.”
The best place to highlight your alignment with the school’s mission and your unique qualities is in your secondary application. To differentiate yourself from other applicants with equally strong test scores and academic achievements, focus on strengthening the qualitative aspects of your application: the essays. We have this portion of the application detailed further below so you can knock it out of the park.
Showcasing your fit with the Dartmouth Geisel School of Medicine’s mission
The Geisel School of Medicine values compassionate, collaborative, intellectually curious, and resilient future physicians. To showcase these qualities, focus on extracurricular activities and experiences that build relevant skillsets and align with their mission.
Compassion and Service: Engage in volunteer work focused on direct patient care or addressing health disparities. This demonstrates a deep understanding of patient needs and a commitment to serving others.
Intellectual Curiosity: Get involved with research projects – especially those related to rural or underserved populations, in line with Geisel's mission. Independent research endeavors demonstrate problem-solving skills and a passion for discovery.
Resilience: Seek out roles with increasing responsibility that require persistence and overcoming challenges. Consider leadership positions, EMT work, or challenging academic courses.
Dartmouth Medical School application timeline
Below is an admissions timeline that you can use to apply to Geisel School of Medicine:
May 1, 2024: AMCAS application opens
May 28, 2024: AMCAS application can be submitted
August 2023–March 2024: Interviews held
November 1, 2023: AMCAS application deadline
December 1, 2023: Secondary application deadline
Note: Dartmouth has yet to release their specific dates for the 2024–2025 cycle, but we will continue to monitor this and update as soon as possible.
Although you can submit your AMCAS application until November 1st, the earlier you submit, the better.
(Suggested reading: The Ideal Medical School Application Timeline)
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Part 4: Dartmouth Medical School secondary application essays (examples included)
The goal of your secondary application is to convince the admissions committee that your interests and aspirations dovetail with the school’s offerings and mission statement. The essays provide a valuable opportunity to stand out among the many competitive applicants, allowing you to seal the deal and receive an interview invitation.
The Dartmouth secondary application consists of three essays. For each essay prompt, we’ve provided sample responses based on composites of successful students to show you how it’s done.
Question 1: Please indicate your plans for the upcoming academic year. If in school, please list your courses. If working, let us know something about the nature of your job. If your plans or courses change subsequently, you need to inform the Admissions Office by email at Geisel.Admissions@dartmouth.edu. (No word limit)
The prompt is straightforward and requests that you provide information on either your senior year of undergraduate studies or your experiences during the time between your undergraduate and graduate studies. More than likely, you will be allotted 250 words to complete your statement and therefore, you should keep your answer succinct.
If you are approaching your senior year, try to hit these points:
What coursework are you taking that is relevant to medicine?
What are new activities that you are pursuing that may not be discussed in your AMCAS Work and Activities section and how many hours per week do you anticipate contributing to these new experiences?
What do you hope to gain from your last year of undergraduate education?
If you are taking a gap year, use this an opportunity to directly address your values and priorities during this period in your life by answering the following questions:
What are the experiences that you are pursuing in your “gap” time and what proportion of your time are you dedicating to each of them?
Why are you pursuing these opportunities? By choice, or out of obligation?
What did you gain from taking this time that makes you have a strengthened sense of conviction towards the field of medicine or makes you stand out amongst your peers?
Example:
I will spend nine months working as an English teacher in Indonesia as a recipient of a Fulbright scholarship. I will be living on a small beach island off the coast of Java as one of only two expatriates living in this province. Through this opportunity, I will work alongside Indonesian teachers to learn about the public school system, I will teach students the English language and critical reasoning while learning Bahasa Indonesia in return, and I will engage with my community in cross-cultural exchange. This experience will allow me to immerse myself in a new environment that empowers me to gain new skills while connecting with individuals from different backgrounds and forming a community across the world. My Fulbright experience will begin in August 2021 and will complete in May 2022. In May 2022, I plan to travel through the Southeast Asia region and to return prior to medical school matriculation.
Why does it work?
The applicant shares a unique experience that will likely allow them to stand out among the thousands of other applicants.
Additionally, the essay demonstrates passion, a curiosity to learn about others, a willingness to learn, and a commitment to service—all of these qualities are desired in a future physician.
Question 2: Please reflect on your primary application and share something not addressed elsewhere that would be helpful to the Admissions Committee as we review your file. (No word limit)
Question 3: Please tell us specifically why you are interested in Geisel. (No word limit)
Question 4: Geisel School of Medicine values social justice and diversity in all its forms. Reflect on a situation where you were the “other.” (250 words)
Gain instant access to med school secondary essay examples for every single prompt required by every medical school in the United States and Canada. Subscribe today to lock in the current investments, which will be increasing in the future for new subscribers.
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Part 5: Geisel School of Medicine at Dartmouth interview
Interviews for Dartmouth occur on Thursdays between September and March. During the 2023–2024 application cycle, all interviews will be held virtually. The admissions committee typically extends invitations to about 11% of total applicants.
Dartmouth uses a traditional interview format, interviewing each applicant twice; one interview is often with a current medical student and the other interview is often with a medical school faculty member. The interviews typically last thirty minutes each. Because the interview process follows a traditional approach, you should have well-thought-out answers to “Why Dartmouth?”, “What is your most significant experiences that highlight your conviction towards medicine?,” and “What makes you stand out from other applicants?”
Our research has shown that a number of questions tend to pop up each year during Dartmouth interviews. Making sure you’ve considered your responses to these questions goes a long way to making a solid impression on your interviewer.
Tell me a story. It can be about anything, but it should reveal something about yourself.
What's something you believed to be true for a long time then realized it wasn't?
How would your best friend describe you?
What would you change about yourself?
Describe your life 15 years from now.
Tell me about something that was difficult for you.
Which research experience do you want to talk about?
What was your favorite class in college?
Tell us about a time when you messed up.
How would you fix health care?
From this list, we can see that some questions may be specific to your application—for example, “Which research experience do you want to talk about?”—however, in addition to preparing answers to questions like “Why Dartmouth,” we can see much of what they ask is about getting to know you as a person. Think about your experiences and think about how those experiences can be eloquently conveyed while being punctuated with elements specific to Dartmouth and their values.
The question, “Describe your life 15 years from now,” may seem simple enough, but within it is an opportunity to target qualities Dartmouth is looking for in applicants. Remember, Dartmouth is big on research and happens to be located in a small town. Do you see yourself making a home there? If so, what would you contribute to the community? Is there something that fascinates you research-wise that only Dartmouth can offer? If you approach your interviews in this manner, you’re setting yourself up for success and leaving a positive impression with the admissions committee.
During your interview day, you will also participate in an information session with the admissions and financial aid team, a 20-minute group exercise, and remarks from the Associate Dean of Admissions. You will also have opportunities to connect with current students on a separate day, which will help you determine if Dartmouth is the best fit for you.
(Suggested reading: How to Ace Your Medical School Interviews)
Final thoughts
The Geisel School of Medicine continues to have a rigorous evaluation process and attracts students who are high achievers both inside and outside of the classroom. It is extremely important to dedicate ample time to your secondary application to ensure that you convey why you would be the best choice for Dartmouth.
About the Author
Dr. Shirag Shemmassian is the Founder of Shemmassian Academic Consulting and one of the world's foremost experts on medical school admissions. For nearly 20 years, he and his team have helped thousands of students get into medical school using his exclusive approach.
THERE'S NO REASON TO STRUGGLE THROUGH THE MED SCHOOL ADMISSIONS PROCESS ALONE, ESPECIALLY WITH SO MUCH ON THE LINE. SCHEDULE YOUR COMPLIMENTARY CONSULTATION TO ENSURE YOU LEAVE NOTHING TO CHANCE.