Easiest Medical Schools to Get into

easiest medical schools to get into, medical school admissions

What Are the Easiest Medical Schools to Get Into?

The easiest medical schools to get into are typically classified as the medical schools with the highest acceptance rates, or lowest GPA and MCAT requirements, meaning the threshold for admissions is less selective and therefore easier.

But since medical school acceptance rates hover below 40%, there are no truly “easy” medical schools to get into, based purely on admissions statistics. For applicants seeking the easiest way to become a doctor, they might turn to medical schools with the highest acceptance rates or consider applying to DO schools, which usually have lower GPA requirements and MCAT scores. Or they might turn to seemingly less competitive medical programs such as nursing school or PA school.

However, medical school admissions statistics don’t tell the whole story, and applying to only the “easiest” medical schools doesn’t guarantee an offer of acceptance, nor does it mean the medical school will be the right fit for an applicant.

Let’s look at what medical school admissions statistics leave out, and what we need to know about the easiest medical schools to get into and what kind of help is available to you if you want to get into not only the easiest med schools, but also the ones that are the best fit for you.

1. Medical School Admission Statistics Leave Out Important Information

Medical school admission statistics don’t reflect the whole story when it comes to admissions chances. For instance, a low acceptance rate indicates a school is competitive and selective. And most medical schools are indeed highly competitive and selective. But medical schools also admit on average a very small portion of applicants in order to keep classroom sizes small, and those same schools receive thousands of applications every year. So naturally, the acceptance rate can be miniscule. Some of the most popular or prestigious medical schools in the US can receive over 10,000 applications in a cycle but have room to admit only 150 students.

Similarly, median GPA and MCAT scores give applicants a look at their academic competition. Many medical schools also have minimum GPA and MCAT score requirements to screen applicants. This data tells us that most applicants to medical school are academically impressive, but it can’t reveal any of the qualitative aspects of successful applicants. After all, medical school applicants get rejected every year, even with high GPAs and competitive MCAT scores. Why? Chances are, there was something missing from other aspects of their application, such as their personal statement, or they didn’t impress the admissions committee during the medical school application interview.

After applicants pass the academic screening criteria of GPA and MCAT, the only way to stand out to the admissions committee is through these qualitative components of your application. Your medical school personal statement, your reference letters, your extracurriculars, and your medical school interview.

This means even if you pass the hurdles of GPA and MCAT, the competition is far from over. So if you’re applying to the easiest medical schools to get into, which usually have lower academic thresholds to meet—or none at all—what does this mean for your application? In short, it might mean very few of your competitors are eliminated in the first round, making it even more critical that you stand out in your personal statement, extracurriculars, interview and so on. Also, with the less demanding admission requirements, more applicants may be interested in applying.

And if all medical school applicants are interested in applying to less competitive schools, the competition pool can actually be bigger than at selective schools.

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2. Everyone Else Applies to the Easiest Medical Schools, Too

Because of the notoriously low acceptance rates of most medical schools, many applicants are thinking the same thing: apply to the “easier” medical schools instead and increase your chances of getting in. However, this also increases the size of the applicant pool, meaning more competition for a limited number of seats. It can actually decrease your chances of getting in by applying only to the easiest medical schools to get into.

If you’re only applying to medical schools which have more relaxed admissions requirements, consider diversifying your list. Not only to improve your chances but because not every medical school will be the right fit for you, regardless of how competitive it is.

3. Apply to the Easiest Medical Schools Get Into…But Not Exclusively

Choosing the right medical school starts with research. Start building your medical school list by researching various schools. Compare the average accepted GPA and MCAT to your own stats and write down the names of schools where you meet the minimum thresholds, or better yet, exceed the average. Categorize your list by the schools where you stand the best chance of getting accepted and where you have a reasonable chance of getting accepted. List the schools where you have a limited chance of getting in based on your GPA and MCAT, too.

Take a look at the curriculum and opportunities at these schools. Which ones appeal to you? Are there any that align with your personal values and career goals? Are there any schools that have unique opportunities or clinical facilities? Rank these schools in your list according to your preference.

If you create your list based on your personal requirements and how well your statistics and values match up to those of a medical school, you’ll have more diverse choices of medical schools. And, instead of simply applying to all the easiest medical schools, you may find you have a chance of getting into a more competitive school that fits you better. To begin with, it’s better not to limit your medical school list to only the easiest medical schools to get into. Start with all the schools you’d potentially be interested in and start carving down the list from there.

4. Are the Easiest Medical Schools Less Prestigious?

For some applicants, their grades or MCAT scores don’t meet the thresholds for the more prestigious medical schools, like Harvard Medical School or Stanford Medical School. They might think their only option to become doctors is to choose one of the easiest medical schools to get into, but in turn sacrifice some of the prestige and quality of their education.

The truth is, all medical schools in the US have rigorous and reputable curriculums and provide quality medical education. Despite the medical school rankings, the prestige of Ivy League medical schools or the status of earning your MD from a certain school, you will receive a quality education at even the “easy” schools.

This is another reason why it’s important to choose a school based on your goals and needs, rather than pure admissions statistics. Medical schools have different opportunities, focuses and values, just like applicants. If your intent is to become a medical researcher, pick a school that values research experience or has an extensive student research program. For applicants who want to enter primary care positions in underserved areas, find a medical school that focuses on bringing medical care to underserved populations.

So long as a school’s profile matches with your goals and you meet the minimum admission requirements, consider adding it to your list.

In the end, the medical school you attend will not determine how good a doctor you will be. A top-ranked medical school does not guarantee you will become a highly paid and respected doctor, just as a lower-ranked medical school does not automatically produce inferior physicians. The kind of doctor you become is entirely up to you and your hard work.

With all this in mind, let’s look at how you can choose the right medical school for you, based on your applicant profile and a medical school’s profile.

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How to Choose the Right Medical School

Your grades, MCAT score aren’t the only determining factors you’ll have to consider when choosing the right medical school for you. Many applicants aren’t eligible to apply to certain medical schools based on residency status, as not all medical schools accept international students. Other schools might be outside of your scope due to the high cost of medical school tuition. We’ll take a closer look at the additional factors you should consider when screening potential medical schools to apply to.

#1 Residency Status

Your residency status is a contributing factor to how easy it is to get into some medical schools. Some medical schools don’t accept applications from international students. Others don’t accept applicants from out of state or have a strong preference for in-state applicants.

Medical schools in Texas and medical schools in California are good examples of schools that have a strong preference for in-state applicants, or may require additional application components from out-of-state students. The same goes for medical schools in Canada, which often have preferences for in-province applicants and even some preferences for applicants from specific regions.

The reason why medical schools, and public medical schools in particular, favor in-state or in-province applicants is to encourage the development and improvement of medical care and medical education in their own states. State governments also subsidize the tuition of in-state applicants as taxpayers of that state. Additionally, in-state applicants are much more likely to practice medicine in their home state and contribute to healthcare in their home regions.

When evaluating medical school admissions statistics, you can often find the in-state and out-of-state acceptance rate through MSAR. Often, the out-of-state acceptance rate will be much lower, but this data can indicate which are the out-of-state friendly medical schools, and therefore easier for out-of-state students to get into. Canadian can also research the Canadian-friendly medical schools, which treat Canadian applicants as out-of-state students and therefore have less rigorous admissions criteria.

Canadian medical school applicants

For Canadian medical schools, provincial residency has an impact on admissions, too. Most medical schools in Canada accept out-of-province applicants the same as in-province ones, but they usually make up a small percentage of accepted applicants. For example, medical schools in Quebec give strong preference to in-province applicants, while medical schools such as Max Rady College of Medicine in Manitoba and the University of Saskatchewan College of Medicine favor in-province and indigenous applicants.

#2 Public vs Private Medical Schools

In the United States, medical schools are either public or private. As we mentioned, public medical schools tend to favor in-state applicants, tuition tends to be lower overall and the admissions criteria may be less selective. Generally speaking the easiest medical schools to get into are medical schools located in public universities.

On the other hand, private medical schools tend to have higher out-of-state acceptance rates, so they may be easier to get into for applicants from out-of-state or international applicants. On the other hand, you can expect tuition costs to be higher, and the admissions criteria to be a bit more selective.

#3 Medical School Profiles

As we’ve pointed out, applying to all the easiest medical schools to get into blindly is a common mistake. Not only can this actually dash your chances of getting accepted, you may not get any acceptances to medical schools you actually want to attend. This is why researching the school’s profiles is so important: not only so you can create a shortlist of schools that match with your values and criteria, but so you learn how to tailor your application to a specific program.

Meeting the required minimums for GPA and MCAT score is a good first step to crafting a great medical school application, but your qualitative elements: your personal statement, references, medical school secondary essays and extracurriculars need to be spot on. They need to reflect the core values and interests of the program you intend to apply to, and demonstrate how you will contribute to their program. Read up on medical schools’ mission statements, values, current research projects and affiliations to gain an understanding of what is important to the admissions committee when choosing applicants. And don’t forget to take a look at any special admissions requirements and read instructions carefully when compiling your application.

#4 Your Career Goals and Strengths

Once you’ve done your research on medical school profiles and admission statistics, you can explore the unique opportunities each medical school will offer and compare these against your career goals and your strengths as an applicant. A medical school that can help you achieve your goals as a future physician will be more appealing than one that doesn’t offer the right opportunities. Similarly, a medical school that doesn’t value your experiences will probably not be the best fit for you.

For example, if you are trying to get into medical school with a low MCAT, consider applying to schools that do not require the MCAT for admission. If you are a commissioned officer looking to become a military doctor, look for medical schools where your background will be an asset. Choosing the right medical school has as much to do with the admission stats as it does your personal experiences and motivations.

#5 Decide Whether You’re Applying to DO or MD Schools, or Both

The last factor to consider is whether you’re interested in applying to DO or MD programs, or both. Evaluate some of the differences between DO vs MD and whether there is a clear fit for your experience and goals. In general, DO schools are considered easier to get into based on overall higher acceptance rates and lower minimum requirements for GPA and MCAT. This doesn’t mean applicants who don’t meet the minimum requirements at MD programs should rely on DO schools to accept them, however.

DO schools are just as selective and discerning as MD programs, and admissions committees at DO schools are looking for candidates who have a strong motivation to become osteopathic doctors. And while your application for a DO school will be slightly different from an MD school, the basic application components are the same. If you decide you want to apply to both types of program, you’ll need to provide a strong motivation to do so.

Ask yourself some questions as you begin preparing your application, and remember to customize each application for each school you apply to, whether it be DO or MD.

Why do I want to become a doctor?
What event sparked my interest in medicine?
Which experiences grew my interest and knowledge of medicine?
What lessons did I learn from those experiences? What did I take away from those experiences about the medical field?
What event solidified my decision to apply to medical school? Why?

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Medical School Admissions Statistics

With all this in mind, let’s look at the easiest medical schools to get into based on a variety of admissions criteria. The following lists include the least competitive or easiest medical schools to get into, based on acceptance rate, median GPA accepted and median MCAT scores accepted.

Least Competitive or Easiest Medical (MD) Schools Based on Acceptance Rate

University of South Dakota School of Medicine – 6.77%
University of Nebraska School of Medicine – 6.97%
Brody School of Medicine – 7.11%
University of Missouri-Kansas City School of Medicine – 7.18%
USF Health Morsani College of Medicine – 7.4%
Medical College of Georgia at Augusta University – 7.6%
Ponce Health Sciences University School of Medicine – 8.5%
Mercer University School of Medicine – 9.96%
University of Puerto Rico School of Medicine – 10.2%
University of Mississippi School of Medicine – 37%

Least Competitive Medical (MD)or Easiest Schools Based on Median Accepted GPA

Meharry Medical College – 3.46
University of Houston Tilman J. Fertitta Family College of Medicine – 3.59
Howard University College of Medicine – 3.61
Virginia Tech Carilion School of Medicine –3.61
Washington State University Elson S. Floyd College of Medicine – 3.61
Brody School of Medicine at East Carolina University – 3.63
University of California, Davis, School of Medicine – 3.63
Tulane University School of Medicine – 3.65
Anne Burnett Marion School of Medicine at TCU – 3.67
Morehouse School of Medicine – 3.68

Least Competitive or Easiest Medical (MD) Schools Based on Median Accepted MCAT Scores

San Juan Bautista School of Medicine – 500
Universidad Central del Caribe School of Medicine – 501
Ponce Health Sciences University School of Medicine – 501
Meharry Medical College – 503
Mercer University School of Medicine – 505
Marshall University Joan C. Edwards School of Medicine – 505
Louisiana State University School of Medicine in Shreveport – 506
Morehouse School of Medicine – 506
University of Houston Tilman J. Fertitta Family College of Medicine – 506
University of Mississippi School of Medicine – 506
University of New Mexico School of Medicine – 506
University of Puerto Rico School of Medicine – 506

Easiest Osteopathic (DO) Medical Schools to Get in to Based on Acceptance Rate

New York Institute of Technology College of Osteopathic Medicine (NYITCOM) – 6%
Western University, College of Osteopathic Medicine of the Pacific (WesternU/COMP) – 7%
Touro College of Osteopathic Medicine, Middletown Campus (TouroCOM) – 8%
Philadelphia College of Osteopathic Medicine (PCOM) – 9%
Lincoln Memorial University, DeBusk College of Osteopathic Medicine (LMU-DCOM) – 9.2%
Marian University College of Osteopathic Medicine – 10.2%
University of North Texas Health Science Center, Texas College of Osteopathic Medicine (UNTHSC/TCOM) – 12.4%
Kansas City University of Medicine and Biosciences College of Osteopathic Medicine (KCU-COM) – 13.2%
Des Moines University College of Osteopathic Medicine - DMU-COM – 14%
University of New England College of Osteopathic Medicine (UNE COM) – 20%

Easiest Osteopathic (DO) Medical Schools to Get in to Based on GPA

Arizona College of Osteopathic Medicine (AZCOM) – 3.4
California Health Sciences University College of Osteopathic Medicine (CHSU-COM) – 3.4
Alabama College of Osteopathic Medicine – 3.45
A.T. Still University-School of Osteopathic Medicine in Arizona (ATSU-SOMA) – 3.45
Touro College of Osteopathic Medicine – New York (TouroCOM-NY) – 3.5
Lincoln Memorial University, DeBusk College of Osteopathic Medicine (LMU-DCOM) – 3.5
Philadelphia College of Osteopathic Medicine - Georgia (PCOM) – 3.5

Easiest Osteopathic (DO) Medical Schools to Get in to Based on MCAT

University of Pikeville – Kentucky College of Osteopathic Medicine (UP-KYCOM) – 499
Oklahoma State University Center for Health Sciences College of Osteopathic Medicine (OSU-COM) – 500
Arkansas College of Osteopathic Medicine – 500
William Carey University College of Osteopathic Medicine (WCU-COM) – 500
Lincoln Memorial University, DeBusk College of Osteopathic Medicine (LMU-DCOM) – 501
University of the Incarnate Word, School of Osteopathic Medicine (UIWSOM) – 502
West Virginia School of Osteopathic Medicine (WVSOM) – 502
Touro College of Osteopathic Medicine , Middletown Campus – 502
Edward Via College of Osteopathic Medicine (VCOM) – 502