Medical Schools in the United States

Medical schools in the United States overview

Become a physician is a challenging yet incredibly rewarding endeavor. For aspiring healthcare professionals, understanding the structure and offerings of medical schools in the United States is a crucial first step. With 159 accredited MD programs and 41 accredited DO programs across the country as of December 2024, there are numerous opportunities to pursue your dream of becoming a doctor.

Medical schools in the U.S. offer two distinct degrees: the Doctor of Medicine (MD) and the Doctor of Osteopathic Medicine (DO). Both paths, covered in our guide on MD vs. DO, can prepare you to provide exceptional care. With either degree option, your medical education will likely last four years. The initial two years focus on classroom learning, where you’ll dive into the fundamental sciences underlying medicine. The latter half is dedicated to clinical rotations, allowing you to gain hands-on experience in real-world healthcare settings. Some innovative programs have even introduced three-year tracks to help alleviate the financial burden on students while addressing the pressing need for primary care physicians.

In addition to academic rigor, medical schools in America are increasingly committed to fostering diversity within their student bodies. This emphasis is crucial for developing a workforce that reflects the diverse communities they serve, ensuring that all patients receive culturally competent care. As healthcare needs continue to evolve, so too does medical education, with new programs and initiatives emerging to meet these challenges head-on.

Gaining admission to medical schools in the USA requires a multi-year journey through premed prerequisites, research, clinical work, volunteering, and physician shadowing. You’re required to maintain a high GPA, study for the Medical College Admission Test (MCAT), all while balancing your extracurricular responsibilities. It can be overwhelming at times, but receiving an acceptance letter makes all the effort through undergrad—and perhaps beyond—worthwhile.

To find out exactly what it takes to get into the best medical schools in the U.S., review our guides below:

Best medical schools in the US

For ambitious premeds, attending one of the best medical schools in the U.S. is a dream come true. These prestigious institutions, like Harvard Medical School, are renowned for their rigorous academic programs, groundbreaking research opportunities, and access to cutting-edge medical technologies. In addition to offering a world-class education, top U.S. medical schools are often affiliated with highly ranked teaching hospitals, where you can gain hands-on experience treating diverse patient populations in preparation for competitive medical residency programs.

From our over 20 years of experience helping premeds get into top American medical schools, we’ve provided a closer look at some of the best institutions below. Our guides explore what makes each program exceptional and provide actionable tips on gaining admission. From understanding their unique offerings and admissions criteria to crafting a standout personal statement and secondary essays, the guides below will help you navigate the competitive application process and position yourself as a strong candidate for these coveted programs.

Map of medical schools in the United States

Click on the map below to learn how to get into the American medical schools in that state.

It’s no secret that public medical schools in the United States often grant advantages to in-state residents during the admissions process. Many schools, especially those in rural areas, prioritize applicants they feel are most likely to “stick around” after graduation and support their communities.

Additionally, some med schools in the USA, like the University of Washington, collaborate regionally with other states to fill needs within the broader area. This means that being from a bordering state could also benefit you at certain programs.

As a premed, you may be driven by a desire to give back to your local community and dream of becoming a doctor to do just that. Not to mention, choosing a med school in your home state often significantly reduces the cost of your education.

We’ve written guides covering the medical schools in every U.S. state. Each guide details the schools you’ll find there, acceptance rates, tuition, and strategies for entry. Click on the map below to learn more about your medical schools options in every one of the 50 states.

How to get into medical schools in the United States as an international applicant

Gaining admission to medical schools in the United States as an international applicant is more challenging than it is for students who are U.S. citizens or permanent residents (i.e., green card holders), but it is achievable. The first step is to research schools that accept international students. Public institutions often prioritize in-state applicants, whereas private schools may be more open to admitting students from abroad.

In some ways, you may be held to a higher standard academically, as you’ll be competing for fewer seats than American applicants. Therefore, strong academic performance is crucial, particularly in your prerequisite courses like biology, chemistry, physics, and math. You must also ensure that your coursework aligns with U.S. medical school requirements. So, if you completed your undergraduate degree outside the U.S., you may need to have your transcripts evaluated by organizations like WES (World Education Services).

You’ll also need to achieve a high score on the MCAT and you may need to demonstrate English proficiency via a TOEFL exam depending on where you studied abroad. While it may seem like the barriers to entry to medical schools in the United States as an international applicant are much higher than for residents, there are steps you can take to make your application stand out.

For instance, with proper planning you may be able to gain clinical or shadowing experience in the United States which can go a long way toward highlighting your application with adcoms. What’s more, make sure you play to your strengths in your personal statement and secondary essays. Med schools in the United States value diversity in their student bodies and showcasing your unique insights can impress admissions committees.

We’ve listed a number of our guides designed to help international applicants navigate their journey to medical schools in the United States.

Writing essays for medical schools in the United States

Writing compelling essays for medical schools in the United States is a critical part of any successful application. Your personal statement and secondary application essays are where you’ll showcase your unique qualities, experiences, and motivations for pursuing medicine. Essentially, this is where you’ll detail the “real you” beyond your GPA and MCAT score.

The personal statement for medical schools in the USA

The personal statement is your chance to tell your story—why you want to become a physician and how your experiences have prepared you for this path. You’ll submit this with your med school applications through AMCAS (MD programs), AACOMAS (DO programs), and TMDSAS (Texas med schools). Your personal statement should read like a narrative that highlights your passion for medicine, resilience, and commitment to serving others.

When it comes to your med school applications, your personal statement is arguably the most important for your admissions odds. We find that many students have trouble discerning the right topic, writing a captivating opening, and deciding what they want their overall essay to focus on. Adcoms at medical schools in the United States read thousands of personal statements every year and can spot clichéd essays, generic statements, and writing that follows a template a mile away. As such, we’ve put together a comprehensive to help show you exactly what medical schools in America are looking for in a personal statement, including real-world examples with analyses. Click the thumbnail below to access it.

Feeling stuck on your medical school personal statement? Our exclusive examples can help take your application to HMS and other med schools to the next level.

Secondary essays for medical schools in the USA

Secondary essays, which vary by school, often require concise responses to prompts about diversity, ethical dilemmas, or your interest in a particular program. Each essay should be tailored to reflect the school’s mission and demonstrate how your goals align with their values. It’s important to research each institution thoroughly to make your responses as personalized as possible.

While your personal statement details your broader motivations for pursuing medicine, your secondary essays go in-depth into why you wish to attend a particular school or program. At this stage, med school adcoms in the USA want to see what you’ll add to their campus community and that you thoroughly understand what their program offers.

Every medical school in the United States is unique. Some focus on serving rural communities, some support urban underserved populations, and some are especially known for their research output. One of the keys to effectively writing secondary essays is being specific in your answers while showcasing how your experiences would be best put to use at their institution.

Below, you’ll find a few guides that explain how to tackle all types of secondary essays, plus a list of all secondary essays prompts for every medical school in the United States.

Navigating interviews at medical schools in the United States

If you’ve made it to the interview stage, you’re almost across the finish line! All of your years of hard work may soon pay off with a letter of acceptance, but don’t discount the difficulty of medical school interviews in the United States. Adcoms that invite you to an interview like what they’ve seen from your application on paper and now they want to see if who you say you are matches who you really are. This is your opportunity to showcase your personality, your cooperativeness, and your passion for medicine and their school.

Medical schools in the USA typically use one of two interview formats: traditional one-on-one interviews and Multiple Mini Interviews (MMI). Understanding the format at the school where you’ll be interviewing is essential to prepare effectively. Traditional interviews focus on your experiences and motivations, asking questions like, “Why medicine?” or “Why do you want to attend our school?” MMIs, on the other hand, are module-based interviews that assess your problem-solving, ethical reasoning, and communication skills with scenario-based questions. The stark differences in these two styles creates different experiences for applicants on interview day. When you’re applying to 15-30 schools, you may need to engage with both.

We’ve seen far too many applicants treat their med school interviews like a job interview and not prepare thoroughly enough, thinking they can just “wing it,” chat with the physicians and be on their way to a white coat. This lack of strategy can doom your med school aspirations at the final stage meaning you’ll have to wait to apply again next year—or worse, consider other career options you’re not as passionate about.

We’ve put together comprehensive guides with sample questions below to give you an advantage on interview day.

Invited to a med school interview? Congrats! There's no need to land in waitlist purgatory or the rejection pile. Learn how to craft memorable, acceptance-worthy responses using the resource below.

Getting into dual degree programs at medical schools in the United States

Dual degree programs, such as MD-PhD, MD-MPH, or MD-MBA, offer med students the opportunity to gain specialized expertise alongside their medical training. These programs are designed for applicants with career goals that require interdisciplinary skills, such as conducting biomedical research, shaping healthcare policy, or managing healthcare organizations.

Admission to dual degree programs at medical schools in the United States is highly competitive and requires you to demonstrate academic excellence as well as a strong commitment to your chosen field. You’ll have to meet the typical prerequisites for med schools plus showcase relevant experiences that align with your secondary degree. For example, MD-PhD applicants will need to have multi-year research backgrounds with output in the form of publications and presentations, MD-MPH applicants should show participation in public health initiatives, and those aspiring to MD-MBA programs will want to demonstrate their management and leadership skills.

For a more in-depth look at the particulars of dual degree programs, check out our guides below.