How to Get Into Sidney Kimmel Medical College: Requirements and Strategies
/Learn Sidney Kimmel Medical College’s requirements, acceptance rate, average GPA, and admissions strategies plus secondary essay examples
Everything you need to know to get into Sidney Kimmel Medical College
Part 1: Introduction
Part 2: Sidney Kimmel Medical College MD programs
Part 3: How hard is it to get into Sidney Kimmel Medical College?
Part 4: Sidney Kimmel Medical College secondary application essays (examples included)
Part 5: How are Sidney Kimmel Medical College applications evaluated?
Part 6: Sidney Kimmel Medical College interview
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Part 1: Introduction
Founded in 1824, Sidney Kimmel Medical College is one of the oldest medical schools in the country. Located in historic Philadelphia, its reputation for research excellence stretches far and wide with studies in a variety of healthcare settings being continuously conducted. SKMC’s unique “threads” approach to learning interweaves scholarly inquiry into a curriculum that actively encourages student research projects. If you’re looking for a school where you can truly delve into the exploration of your research ideas or assist a team investigating a variety of medical needs from oncology to neuroscience SKMC has you covered.
However, with 20-25% of all US medical school applicants counting SKMC on their schools list, it makes sense that you might worry the competition is too great for you to get in. In this guide, we’ve tapped into the countless years of experience our experts possess to demystify the admissions process and teach you exactly how to get into Sidney Kimmel Medical College.
We’ll dig deep into SKMC’s specific programs, admissions data, and requirements as we seek to pull back the veil between you and adcoms. We’ll also grant you high yield insight and advice for approaching SKMC’s secondary application with sample responses below.
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Part 2: Sidney Kimmel Medical College MD Programs
Before getting down to the numbers, it is important to explore the different program offerings at Sidney Kimmel. SKMC has a unique curriculum for its MD program that consists of 3 phases: fundamental and clinical science, clinical clerkships, and differentiation. A scholarly inquiry project is a required component of the program allowing students to engage in research and broaden their skills in critical analysis.
There are multiple other options for earning an MD at Sidney Kimmel. We have listed these below:
Dual MD/PhD program As an MD/PhD student, you’ll take courses at both Sidney Kimmel and the Jefferson College of Life Sciences. This research-heavy option prepares students for a career as physician-scientists, investigating the causes of and possible solutions for a variety of modern ailments. The research portion of the degree is supervised by a thesis advisor, a faculty member in one of the PhD programs in the life sciences.
Joint MD/MBA-MHA program This five-year program is offered in conjunction with Widener University, and is meant to prepare students for the world of delivering modern medicine with a thorough understanding of the administrative needs brought about by economic changes in the field.
Dual MD/MPH program If you’re particularly interested in making a difference with underserved populations, the MD/MPH path may be the one for you. The MPH (master’s in public health) side of the curriculum will grant you specialized training in policy-making and implementation. This allows physicians to direct and assist public health initiatives and even work for NGOs.
SKMC Tuition and Scholarships
As you might expect, a medical school education at Sidney Kimmel doesn’t come cheap. Tuition for the MD program at SKMC for the 2024-2025 academic year came to $66,534. The most recently published total estimated cost of attendance (2022-2023) for Sidney Kimmel approaches $90,000. Despite this large number, most students are able to take advantage of financial aid packages. Additionally, SKMC offers a number of scholarships to those underrepresented in medicine or from disadvantaged backgrounds through their Diversity and Inclusion Scholarship Program. Awardees can count on their tuition being paid for each year as long as they graduate to the next academic level.
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Part 3: How Hard is it to get into Sidney Kimmel Medical College?
Gaining acceptance to any medical school is not for the faint of heart, but when it comes to SKMC, there are some solid statistics to help us paint a clearer picture of the hurdles that must be overcome. Only 4% of applicants were offered admission in the 2023 cycle and while this number may appear low, it is important to note that the majority of medical schools hover at an acceptance rate between 3-5%. Furthermore, Sidney Kimmel tells us they received 10,922 applications and a full 70% of their incoming class came from out-of-state.
These numbers highlight SKMC’s friendliness towards out of state students, which, when compared with schools such as those in California or Texas, that tend to prioritize in-state residents can be a boon to your application if you’re not from Pennsylvania.
Although, when it comes to those all-imporant GPA and MCAT scores, we can see that Sidney Kimmel doesn’t skimp on quality. With the average GPA and MCAT score of the entering class of 2023 sitting at 3.8 and 514, this indication of SKMC’s competitiveness should alert you to the fact that gaining acceptance is a long-term project and no walk in the park.
Keep in mind that the numbers displayed above are simply averages and there are students that were accepted with stats both higher and lower than these numbers. If your scores are not quite as robust as these, you may still be able to submit a strong application if you have solid extracurriculars and clinical or volunteering experience.
(Suggested reading: Average GPA and MCAT Score for Every Medical School)
SKMC admissions requirements
SKMC has a list of academic requirements that must be completed before expected matriculation date and if you’re applying after taking a gap-year (or several) should have been completed within five years of application submission. While the institution does not provide a strict regimented list of courses applicants must take, they do provide information about subjects that they expect their applicants to have knowledge of. Broadly, these subjects are in line with most medical schools. It’s safe to say that courses taken in biology, general chemistry, organic chemistry and physics are required. We’ve found that most premed requirements list a year of these courses including an associated lab.
In addition to what’s listed above, SKMC also encourages applicants to take either honors, independent study, or research courses for scholarly experiences. Although, it should be noted that they encourage supplementing any advanced placement courses with additional courses in similar subjects since typically, schools do not accept AP credits in lieu of their regular prerequisites. Furthermore, they state that taking upper level science courses, while good for your own knowledge and exposure to subjects you’ll study in medical school, will not affect their admissions decision.
Beyond these requirements, SKMC also wants its students to possess a comprehensive education and lists humanities, social and behavioral sciences, as well as writing in their list of subjects they would like to see on an application.
(Suggested reading: Medical School Requirements: The Definitive Guide)
Academic coursework is not all that SKMC looks at, in fact, they have provided a list of selection factors that they use to evaluate a student’s candidacy. Among these factors are:
Performance in non-academic areas
Out of classroom experiences
Community work
Medical activities
In addition, SKMC evaluates a host of personal qualities in all its candidates such as:
Motivation
Leadership potential
Maturity
Intellect
Humanitarian concerns
Compassion
Ability to communicate
Dedication
Integrity
Commitment
Given that we know the average GPA and MCAT scores of acceptees is quite high, we can infer that most applicants with a good chance of acceptance will have similarly high scores. If your scores hover around those averages, how can you stand out from the pack?
The main way you can help differentiate yourself is with the activities and attributes listed above. Integrating these and making sure they come across in your application is essential to your success getting into SKMC.
Having a solid list of extracurricular activities is one way to achieve this. For example, almost every applicant that is extended an interview at SKMC has demonstrated their commitment to community service with volunteer work on their application. This provides you with an opportunity to showcase your humanity, compassion, leadership potential, and integrity as well as other qualities Sidney Kimmel is looking for. Therefore, to be successful, you should engage in extracurriculars that not only speak to your interests but also your character.
Suggested reading: (How to Choose the Right Extracurricular Activities for Medical School)
Letters of Recommendation
SKMC prefers that you provide a recommendation from your undergraduate institution’s pre professional or pre-health committee. However, if your school does not have one, they require letters of recommendation from individual faculty members. They are particularly seeking letters from your Biology, Chemistry, Physics, and Humanities professors.
If your letter writers can highlight any of the key attributes listed in the above section, (ideally with concrete examples) it could give you the boost you need to be offered an interview.
(Suggested reading: Medical School Letters of Recommendation: The Definitive Guide)
SKMC Application Timeline
In this section, we’ll give a brief overview of the application timeline at Sidney Kimmel Medical College. As with most American medical schools, SKMC uses AMCAS for its application process.
May 1, 2024: AMCAS application opens
May 28, 2023: first day AMCAS application can be submitted
August 1, 2024: Early Decision deadline
October 1, 2024: Early Decision applicants receive a decision by this date
Note: SKMC has not yet updated their deadlines for the 2024–2025 cycle. We will monitor this and update accordingly. Each year their early decision deadlines are August 1 and October 1.
October 13, 2023: MD/PhD Program deadline
November 17, 2023: MD program deadline
January 1, 2024: All supporting application documents due
May 1, 2024: Deadline for deferral requests
Interview invitations are sent out in the beginning of July and are held on Wednesdays starting from September - February. Like most medical schools, Sidney Kimmel adheres to a rolling admissions process, meaning it’s important to get your application in early. Doing so means you will be competing against fewer candidates for more seats and will be more likely to be offered an interview.
(Suggested reading: The Ideal Medical School Application Timeline)
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Part 4: Sidney Kimmel Medical College secondary application essays (examples included)
Once you have submitted your AMCAS application, you will receive an email from SKMC to complete their secondary application. This application asks for additional information about you as well as requires you to write essays for prompts specific to their school. In this component of your application it is important to try to highlight aspects of yourself that make you unique. Speaking to your personal qualities and drawing connections to how those qualities are in line with SKMC’s mission goes a long way to making yourself stand out.
Below, we’ll dive into the Sidney Kimmel Medical College secondary prompts with our tips on the right way to address each question, an example response, and explanation of the answer’s efficacy.
Question 1: Sidney Kimmel Medical College defines diversity as the richness in human differences. How will your own experiences allow you to contribute to the diversity of the student body and to provide equitable and inclusive care to your future patients? (2500 characters)
The “diversity essay” is an extremely common essay type used by medical schools. Essentially, med schools love touting their commitment to diversity and want to have this reflected in their student body as well as their students’ commitment to serving communities regardless of differences.
As you reflect on how to approach a prompt like this, remember that diversity is much more than just socioeconomic status or racial differences. While these can certainly be discussed in your essay, anything that makes you unique could also fit the bill. This particular prompt is asking how your individual experiences will inform and influence your dedication to service. You could explore experiences you’ve had in a clinical volunteering setting or even an opportunity you had to give back to your community in some way.
Here is an example of an effective response to this question:
I was born and raised in Mumbai, spending the first twelve years of my life in the city before my parents immigrated our family to Boston in 2014. Although the move was exciting, and although my parents convinced my two younger sisters and I that America would be “the place of our dreams,” the actual experience of assimilating into American culture was incredibly difficult. I had attended schools with only Indian classmates up until that point, and I suddenly felt like an alien at the predominantly white east Boston High School. Nevertheless, my mother encouraged me to be brave and outspoken, and in class I made an effort to answer the teacher’s questions. But because of my tendency to speak up in class, I was sometimes bullied for my accent. A group of white classmates would mock me in the hallways by imitating my voice, and I gravitated toward Indian classmates, craving the familiarity of people who understood my culture. Nevertheless, as I slowly became acclimated to the new environment, I began to realize that the fear driving white students to call me names was the same fear that prevented me from making friends outside of my own circle. I realized that, even though I was judging my Indian classmates positively, I was still judging them, and based on external factors—their accents, their skin color, even their surnames—exactly the same qualifications that the bullies used to “other” me. It was only by breaking free from the bubble of my friend group that I was able to truly enrich my own perspective through interacting with other classmates. Some of the closest friends I made in high school were from entirely different cultures, and introduced new and unexpected perspectives into my life. I am in complete agreement with SKMC that diversity is a richness in human differences. Learning to see those differences, both internal and external, as positive, was a crucial turning point for me. I applied this lesson to my work as a medical assistant at the East Boston Neighborhood Health Center, which aids many underserved patient populations in the east Boston area. Because of my own experiences, I know that each patient has a genuinely unique background and perspective. Learning to understand, empathize, and validate novel perspectives is part of the responsibility of being a healthcare provider, and I am eager to enrich the Sidney Kimmel community, not only with my own unique experience, but through embracing the authentic uniqueness of others.
What makes this an effective response?
This essay expertly weaves together the challenges of integrating into a new society and culture with the idea that those individuals that create the challenges for the author are motivated by the same fears the author has. In other words, that both are exercises in “othering.” The realization that comes out of this experience is a deeply transformative one and shows adcoms how this student now views the “richness in human differences.”
The student goes on to relate their personal, first-hand experience of diversity with personal, first-hand experiences applying what they’ve learned as a clinical volunteer. Through a concrete example of assisting underserved patient populations in Boston, they’re able to make connections between their own life and their professional ideals about the practice of medicine that speak directly to Sidney Kimmel’s ideals about inclusive care.
Question 2: Do you have any additional information that hasn’t been covered? (4000 characters)
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: How are Sidney Kimmel Medical College applications evaluated?
You’ve dedicated years to building the key components of your medical school application, not to mention spending weeks or even months crafting your application materials. You’ve worked hard to highlight all your strengths and distill them into the limited space available. Naturally, you are concerned about the admissions committee receiving you in the way you intended.
Once all your application materials have been sent in, and every last requirement is completed, your application will be reviewed by the admissions committee. Everything will be checked together as they decide whether or not to extend you an interview. It is important to remember that there is no specific checklist that the committee has in their mind – it’s an entirely holistic process.
If you make it past the interview stage, your application is reviewed again along with your interview performance. You’re then compared with your fellow applicants and ranked on a list. At the end of the review period, those with higher rankings are offered admissions and those falling slightly lower are offered a position on the waitlist which is constantly reevaluated and re-ranked until the end of the cycle.
Becoming a holistically–aligned applicant
Aside from the particulars about how your application is evaluated at SKMC, it will be viewed holistically overall. Sidney Kimmel Medical College seeks well-rounded, compassionate individuals who show initiative and dedication. Your extracurricular activities and experiences should offer unique ways to stand out and align with their values. Below, we’ve listed some general ideas to get you thinking about which activities to engage in.
Community service: Demonstrate a commitment to helping others, particularly those in underserved communities. This aligns with Sidney Kimmel's mission to create a healthier world for all. Consider volunteering at free clinics or hospitals, or participating in health outreach programs.
Research: Involvement in research, regardless of the specific field, indicates intellectual curiosity and an aptitude for problem-solving – both valued at SKMC as well as in medicine generally. Seek out research assistant positions in labs or apply for a summer undergraduate research program such as the one at the National Institutes of Health. Many undergraduate institutions also have their own summer research programs, so be sure to check with your school.
Clinical shadowing: You’re probably aware you will need to gain some shadowing experience to have a shot at getting into medical school. Shadowing physicians directly connects you with the medical field. You could seek opportunities that allow you to observe certain specialties. This not only shows commitment but also helps you clarify your own medical interests on your application. For example, with SKMC’s dedication to serving the disadvantaged, you might try to shadow a primary care physician who often cares for such patients.
Unique traits/experiences: SKMC will also be looking for what you will add to their campus community. Don't be afraid to showcase activities that reflect your interests and passions. Perhaps you learned a new language that could help serve a specific patient population, or have a background in the arts that promotes creative thinking. Diverse experiences enrich your perspective as a future physician.
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Part 6: Sidney Kimmel Medical College Interview
The interview at SKMC allows the committee to verify and clarify information that you listed on your application, gain information about the unique parts of your application, and assess your personal qualities.
Interviews at SKMC are held on campus and employ a traditional open file format in which you’ll speak with a faculty member of the Committee on Admissions. Be sure to prepare yourself for an entire day visiting campus as you’ll have the chance to meet with current students, faculty, as well as both the Dean of Admissions and Director of Admissions.
Most importantly, you’ll want to prepare yourself for the interview itself. Doing that requires a little forethought and planning, especially when it comes to your responses to questions. We’ve found that a number of questions have been commonly asked by SKMC interviewers recently.
Tell me about what you did for research.
Why did you attend X school for undergrad?
What would you do for fun in Philadelphia?
Do you have any questions for me?
Tell me about yourself.
What are your plans for this year?
Twenty years from now, how do you want to be known/remembered?
What books have you been reading lately?
What attracts you to SKMC?
A few of these questions are standard for many schools’ interviews, but how would you respond to “Do you have any questions for me?” Having a well-thought-out response to this question is crucial to success in a med school interview if it’s asked. It’s a surefire way to signal to the admissions committee that you’ve researched all the offerings at Sidney Kimmel and you’re keenly aware of how you might take advantage of them.
After your interview day, your interviewer will summarize how the interview went and this information will be contextualized with the rest of your application as they make a final decision on your candidacy.
(Suggested reading: How to Ace Your Medical School Interviews)
Final Thoughts
Sideny Kimmel Medical College is a highly desirable school rich in history, with an innovative curriculum and a stellar reputation for research. Its central location in urban Philadelphia affords students opportunities they wouldn’t get elsewhere. However, you’ll need to go above and beyond mere academic scores to truly shine on your application and wow adcoms. With hard work and dedication, an acceptance letter from Sidney Kimmel can be yours and in time, the privilege of wearing a white coat.
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.
