How to Get Into University of Pittsburgh School of Medicine: Requirements and Strategies
/Learn University of Pittsburgh School of Medicine’s requirements, acceptance rate, and admissions strategies, plus secondary essay examples
LEARN HOW TO GET INTO University of Pittsburgh School of Medicine
Part 1: Introduction
Part 2: University of Pittsburgh School of Medicine MD programs
Part 3: How hard is it to get into University of Pittsburgh School of Medicine?
Part 4: University of Pittsburgh School of Medicine secondary application essays (examples included)
Part 5: How are University of Pittsburgh School of Medicine applications evaluated?
Part 6: University of Pittsburgh School of Medicine interview
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Part 1: Introduction
Ranked among the top medical schools by U.S. News & World Report (#13 for Best Medical Schools: Research and #11 for Best Medical Schools: Primary Care), University of Pittsburgh School of Medicine (“Pitt Med”) is a highly desirable institution that many high-achieving premeds aspire to attend. With its robust academic infrastructure, multiple dual degree programs, and dedication to clinical practice, it's no surprise that many would want to know how to get into Pitt Med.
With all the prestige and accolades Pitt Med holds, the ever-increasing MCAT medians, GPA averages, and volunteer hours that comprise the premed pool of students applying, many hopefuls wonder how they can compare or even begin to decipher what goes on behind the scenes of the admissions process for such an institution.
Our team of experts has many years of experience helping students just like you secure a position at Pitt Med.
With this guide, our goal is to help demystify the admissions process and provide you with the tools needed to gain acceptance to the University of Pittsburgh School of Medicine without feeling like you are against the odds. Continue scrolling to read more about Pitt Med’s programs, admissions data, and requirements while also learning about our recommendations for approaching their secondary application and reading a sample response.
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Part 2: University of Pittsburgh School of Medicine MD programs
Before getting into the nitty gritty of admissions statistics and strategies, we should discuss the different programs offered at the University of Pittsburgh School of Medicine which are outlined on their website and that may interest you.
Besides the MD/PhD program, students must apply for the different programs after matriculation to the MD program.
University of Pittsburgh School of Medicine tuition and scholarships
For the 2023-2024 academic year, the tuition at Pitt Med came to $63,334 for residents and $65,800 for non-residents. Including the cost of living and other expenses, the cost of attendance came to $93,363 for residents and $95,829 for non-residents.
While this amount is high, financial aid options are available to help students. The average indebtedness for the UPSOM graduating class of 2023 was $197,000, which is on par with the national average of 215,100.
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Part 3: How hard is it to get into the University of Pittsburgh School of Medicine?
Pitt Med School’s acceptance rate hovers around 3.5%. Given this low number, it is hard to gain admission even as a competitive candidate. The rest of their admissions statistics for the class of 2027 are listed below:
Applications: 8782
Interviews offered: 1020
Offers of Acceptance: 271
While these numbers are informative, it doesn’t shed much more light on how hard it is to actually get into the UPitt School of Medicine. For that, looking at the University of Pittsburgh School of Medicine’s average MCAT and GPA among accepted students may prove helpful:
Median MCAT: 514
Median GPA: 3.79
It is important to note that these are just medians, which means there are students who were accepted with scores lower than those listed above. In fact, the range of MCAT scores they accepted was between 494-526. With a strong application that includes extracurriculars, coupled with a strategic approach, you can increase your odds of getting in significantly.
(Suggested reading: Average GPA and MCAT Score for Every Medical School)
University of Pittsburgh School of Medicine admissions requirements
Coursework: UPSOM requires the following prerequisite courses prior to matriculation:
Biology: one year (not including microbiology, botany, ecology, and anatomy) with lab or a single two-credit lab
General Chemistry: one year with lab or a single two-credit lab
Organic Chemistry: one half year with one half year lab or a single credit lab
Biochemistry: one half year
Physics: one full year with lab or single two-credit lab
English/Writing: one year (either English classified or non-English with writing intensive classification)
Statistics: one-half year (biostatistics preferred)
Additionally, UPSOM highly recommends taking half a year of psychology.
(Suggested reading: Medical School Requirements: The Definitive Guide)
In addition to objective academic performance through coursework and the MCAT, Pitt Med adcoms look to other areas in evaluating your candidacy. These areas are highlighted below:
Extracurricular Activities
Research
Work Experience
Volunteering
Community service
Physician Shadowing/Clinical Experience
Student Government
Hobbies
Athletics
While none of the above are strictly required, they are heavily factored into the selection process. Out of the latest matriculating class, 92% took part in some form of research. This is the extracurricular that is the most heavily selected for, which makes sense considering UPSOM’s ranking as a top medical school for research. The second highest category is for Physician Shadowing/Clinical Experience. Therefore, these two activities are essential to making yourself competitive.
Letters of Recommendation
The University of Pittsburgh School of Medicine will allow you to submit a maximum of five letters of recommendation and a minimum of three. They prefer the letters to be from professors or research supervisors.
Additionally, UPSOM has highlighted the following competencies they consider as a component of their selection criteria. Therefore, securing a letter of recommendation from someone who can attest to your ability to demonstrate any of the following qualities would be a valuable addition to your application:
Integrity & ethics
Reliability & dependability
Service orientation
Social and interpersonal skills
Capacity for improvement
Resilience and adaptability
Cultural competence
Oral communication
Teamwork
Leadership
Creativity
(Suggested reading: Medical School Letters of Recommendation: The Definitive Guide)
Standing out by demonstrating the qualities UPitt looks for
Another way to determine your fit for Pitt Med school is to look to their mission statement. This can give clues as to the types of candidates they’re looking for. With adequate planning, you can use these clues to help you truly stand out on your application.
The University of Pittsburgh School of Medicine’s mission statement reads, “Pitt Med's mission is to improve the health and well-being of individuals, communities and populations through cutting-edge research, innovative educational programs in medicine and biomedical science, and leadership in academic medicine.”
From this, we can surmise that they value things like research and leadership. If Pitt Med is your first choice school or even in your top 5, you’ll want to do all you can to showcase these qualities on your application. Below we’ve listed some actionable advice you can take to help you put your best foot forward.
Research Experience: UPitt is a major research hub. Getting involved in research projects, even at the undergraduate level, demonstrates your interest in making discoveries and improving healthcare knowledge. Seek out research labs or projects that align with your own medical interests. You may find these projects through summer undergraduate research programs at your university or through internships such as the National Institutes of Health’s Summer Internship Program. If you’re having trouble finding an opportunity that works for you, reach out to your schools pre-health or career advising office.
Leadership: Stepping into leadership positions in student organizations, particularly those with a science or health focus, strengthens your application. It shows initiative and an ability to guide a team towards a common goal. You’ll want to seek out student organizations for your extracurriculars anyway, but how can you make a difference within that organization? For example, if you’re interested in health policy, perhaps as a member of a political student organization you lead a campaign advocating for changes in policy to allow greater healthcare access among native American populations.
Community Health Initiatives: Volunteering at health clinics, free medical outreach programs, or other health-focused nonprofits highlights your commitment to improving lives and addressing healthcare disparities. Consider roles that place you in direct interaction with patients or vulnerable populations. This can also be an avenue to demonstrate your leadership skills, especially if you initiate a program at a clinic. Don’t keep your ideas to yourself!
The advice we’ve listed here will help you align with the University of Pittsburgh School of Medicine’s core principles, but getting into med school doesn’t end there. Putting together a solid application that allows you to stand out also includes obtaining shadowing hours and other volunteering experiences as well as formulating a comprehensive MCAT study plan.
University of Pittsburgh School of Medicine application timeline
You should be aware of the following timeline in your application to UPSOM:
Note: UPSOM has not yet released their deadline dates for the 2024-2025 admissions cycle, however as of April 2024, AMCAS has released theirs. We’ve placed the updated AMCAS dates below but left UPSOM’s unchanged. We will continue to monitor this and update this guide as soon as the new information becomes available.
May 1, 2024: AMCAS application opens
May 28, 2024: first day AMCAS application can be submitted
July 5, 2023: application review begins
Mid-July 2023: interview invitations begin to be sent
August 28-December 12, 2023: Interview season (M/T/Th/F)
October 1, 2023: MSTP application deadline
October 15, 2024: AMCAS application deadline
November 15, 2023: UPSOM secondary application deadline
January 31, 2024: Admission decisions released
(Suggested reading: The Ideal Medical School Application Timeline)
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Part 4: University of Pittsburgh School secondary application essays (examples included)
After submitting your primary AMCAS application, you’ll receive an invitation to respond to secondary essay prompts specific for UPSOM. This space would also be the perfect place to expand upon activities or experiences that might’ve been overlooked in your primary application while also demonstrating some the competencies highlighted in Part 3 of this guide.
Below, you’ll find the Pitt Med secondary essay prompts along with guidance, an example response, and pointers on why the example is effective.
Question 1: The Three Rivers Curriculum features collaborative team based learning. Therefore, we value your perspective and experience working within teams. Describe a time you worked with others in a collaborative process, challenges encountered and how you overcame these challenges. Discuss any personal growth achieved through the experience. (250 words or less.)
Question 2: Describe a difficult situation you faced, how you responded to this situation, and how this helped shape the person you've become. (250 words or less.)
The challenge essay (sometimes referred to as the “adversity essay”) is one of the most common secondary essay prompts that med schools use. As you develop your response to this prompt, keep in mind that med schools do not use this prompt to see which students have had the hardest lives. Rather, the intent behind this prompt is to see how students respond to challenges in life. They want to see that you have the resilience necessary to do well in medical school.
Here’s one way you might respond to this prompt:
Though perhaps unconventional to discuss in an application, it’s important to talk about my first confrontation with existential failure. This would be when I first applied to med schools—including Pitt Med—and didn’t get in. I was convinced my above-average GPA and MCAT, along with my ambition, would be strong enough.
After rejection, I fully examined why I wanted to go to med school. Did I want to help people? Or conduct research? Or was it just sheer ambition? I asked these questions to define what I’d been working towards. Crucially, in learning how to be more deliberate and interrogative, I also did more research into each school. I was not deliberate with my first applications and had blindly applied to the top schools. I realized my academic career had also been a box-ticking exercise, in which I simply checked off the qualities which made me a competitive candidate.
I found that Pitt Med was regularly one of the highest funded biomedical research institutions in the country. This realization dovetailed with an internship at a lab in which I found myself, for the first time, waking up excited about work.
I have taken this year to define a target to direct my ambition towards. I have learned how to be more deliberate and honest with myself, and not to coast on ambition alone. My assistance on several publications recently has reinforced my decision to reapply to Pitt Med, this time with a clearer goal in mind: conducting life-changing research.
What makes this an effective response:
This essay is an excellent demonstration of resilience. Rather than allowing rejection to determine their future, this student showed how they let that challenging situation fuel their desire to persist.
To show how they could bounce back in the face of adversity, the student spent time examining their reason for wanting to attend medical school. This introspection led to learning more about the school itself which gave the student the opportunity to show they’re a perfect fit for Pitt Med and to share that in their essay.
Question 3: Respect for others of different backgrounds is integral to the successful practice of medicine, as is an understanding of the social determinants of health. Describe a situation you observed between a patient and the health care system that illustrates the impact of social determinants of health and/or the impact of racism on delivery of care. Describe what you learned from this situation. (250 words or less.)
Question 4: Optional Essay: If you wish, use this space to tell the UPSOM Admissions Committee anything else about yourself. (250 words or less.)
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 the University of Pittsburgh School of Medicine applications evaluated?
Understandably, most premed applicants are doing everything they can to set themselves up for success without fully understanding what goes on in between submitting their application and receiving any form of communication from the UPSOM adcoms. After spending years dedicating yourself to this path and working months to prepare your application, it only makes sense to wonder if the committee will see you in the way you want to be received.
In the rest of this section, we have broken down some of the application review process to help add some transparency to the hidden veil of admissions.
After you’ve submitted your primary application, secondary application, and letters of recommendation, the committee will begin looking over your materials and decide whether they would like to extend an invitation to interview. While it would be comforting to know that a certain cut-off MCAT score or GPA is guaranteed an interview, this is not the case. Instead, the holistic strength of the application is more important than any individual part on its own.
Remember, all components of the application are considered in the final decision. Applicants are typically assigned numerical scores based on the combination of their application, essays, letters of recommendation and interview. These are typically reevaluated multiple times throughout the cycle before the decision is made.
Once the application cycle has concluded, the top-scoring applicants are extended offers of admissions and then those falling slightly below this will be offered a position on the waitlist.
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Part 6: University of Pittsburgh School of Medicine Interview
UPSOM has a pseudo-traditional interview format, in which they have two standard interview-based sessions with a newer team-based exercise session. Despite this scenario-based session, students have reported that this session was the least stressful of the three sessions.
Interviewers typically have read parts of your application ahead of time, and you should expect to be asked questions on various different aspects of your application while also being able to demonstrate who you are on a personal level as well.
Interviews at the University of Pittsburgh School of Medicine are conducted virtually, and each applicant is assigned to three different forms of evaluation. The first interview is a 45-minute one-on-one session with a UPSOM faculty member. The second interview is a 40-minute one-on-one session with a current UPSOM student. Lastly, there is a 40-minute team exercise—typically facilitated by a faculty member—involving you and other applicants to gauge your behavior under different scenarios.
While there’s no way to know for certain which questions you will be asked, our research has found that the following questions have come up recently at UPSOM:
Why medicine?
Why the University of Pittsburgh?
What makes you unique?
Tell me about yourself.
What issue do you see occurring in healthcare in the next 10 years?
What does research mean to you?
Can you recall a patient interaction you had or witnessed that made you become more aware of some of the issues facing healthcare?
Tell me about a challenging time and how you overcame it?
Can you describe an experience where you helped/related to/connected with someone who might be considered marginalized in society?
Would you have a ready answer for “What makes you unique?” or would you be able to quickly recall a patient interaction that caused you to become more aware of the issues facing healthcare? These are truly challenging questions to answer effectively but with a little preparation you can weave a narrative that incorporates aspects of UPSOM into your response—something adcoms are always keen to hear. For example, perhaps an issue in healthcare that you’ve become aware of aligns with the mission of UPSOM or better yet, is something they are actively involved in attempting to rectify.
Following the interview, the interviewers or session facilitators will often summarize the applicant and how the interview went and will provide their impressions on the strength of the applicant. Then, the interview is contextualized with the rest of the application.
(Suggested reading: How to Ace Your Medical School Interviews)
Final thoughts
As a powerhouse top-15 medical school, numerous high-achieving premed applicants dream of attending Pitt Med. In order to ensure optimal success, beyond just excelling academically with high MCAT and GPA performances, the rest of your application and how you portray yourself in your essays will help you differentiate yourself from the rest. The information in this guide will help maximize your odds at matriculating at University of Pittsburgh School of Medicine.
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.
