M.D. Admission Requirements

List undergraduate AP course credit on your transcript. While AP credit is recognized for most prerequisites, it can’t be used for our biology and chemistry courses. You can use upper-level undergraduate coursework to fulfill those requirements instead. 

Since contemporary medical studies focus on health and disease at the subcellular and molecular level, we highly recommend that you take coursework in biochemistry or cellular biology. If convenient, you may use biochemistry to fulfill one semester of your organic chemistry requirement.

You may use humanities-based, writing-intensive coursework as a substitute for the English requirement. Humanities is a broad category that includes fine arts, history and philosophy; however, you may not use business, health and science-based courses to fulfill these hours.

You must have at least 18 credit hours across English and/or humanities, and you may not use one course to satisfy two requirements simultaneously. If you use a writing-intensive substitution, please include the course description in your secondary application. 

To ensure you are fully prepared for our medical curriculum, the admission committee looks for coursework completed in a traditional, in-person setting. 

• Online Coursework: Courses you completed online cannot be used to satisfy your basic prerequisite requirements.
• Community College Coursework: The committee prefers you complete at least 50% of your undergraduate science coursework and any subsequent GPA-improvement coursework at a four-year institution. 

• Science and math GPA: 3.84
• Overall GPA: 3.88

• CPBS: 129
• CARS: 127
• BBFL: 129
• PSBB: 130
• Average Total Score: 514
• Required Minimum Total Score: 502

Introduction

The Liaison Committee on Medical Education (L.C.M.E.) stipulates that the school must develop standards for both objective and subjective criteria used for screening, selection, and admission of applications to the medical education program.

L.C.M.E. Standard 10.3 Policies Regarding Student Selection/Progress and Their Dissemination
The faculty of a medical school establish criteria for student selection and develop and implement effective policies and procedures regarding, and make decisions about, medical student application, selection, admission, assessment, promotion, graduation, and any disciplinary action. The medical school makes available to all interested parties its criteria, standards, policies, and procedures regarding these matters.

L.C.M.E. Standard 10.4 Characteristics of Accepted Applicants
A medical school selects applicants for admission who possess the intelligence, integrity, and personal and emotional characteristics necessary for them to become competent physicians.

L.C.M.E. Standard 10.5 Technical Standards
A medical school develops and publishes technical standards for the admission, retention, and graduation of applicants or medical students in accordance with legal requirements.

Purpose

The goal of the admissions, retention, and graduation policy is to establish admissions requirements for the selection of students to the Saint Louis University School of Medicine.

Scope

The Saint Louis University School of Medicine (SLUSOM) utilizes a variety of strategies to consider and evaluate potential applicants to medical school for admissions, academic and professional progress, and graduation.

Definitions

Technical standards for the admission, retention, and graduation of applicants or medical students: This policy represents a statement by the medical school of the: 1) essential academic and non-academic abilities, attributes, and characteristics in the areas of intellectual-conceptual, integrative, and quantitative abilities; 2) observational skills; 3) physical abilities; 4) motor functioning; 5) emotional stability; 6) behavioral and social skills; and 7) ethics and professionalism that a medical school applicant or enrolled medical student must possess or be able to acquire, with or without reasonable accommodation, in order to be admitted to, be retained in, and graduate from that school’s medical educational program. (Element 10.5)

Protocol and Procedure

Academically successful students considered for matriculation are expected to possess:

1. Intellectual, Conceptual, Integrative and Quantitative Abilities

These abilities include measurement, calculation, reasoning, analysis and synthesis. Problem-solving, the critical skill demanded of physicians, requires all of these intellectual abilities and often must be performed quickly, especially in emergency situations. A student must be able to identify significant findings from history, physical examination and laboratory data, provide a reasoned explanation for likely diagnoses, prescribe appropriate medications and therapy and retain and recall information in an efficient and timely manner. The ability to incorporate new information from peers, teachers, and the medical literature in formulating diagnoses and plans is essential. Good judgment in patient assessment and in diagnostic and therapeutic planning is essential; a student must be able to identify and communicate their knowledge to others when appropriate.

2. Observational Skills

The student must be able to observe demonstrations and participate in those experiments in the basic and clinical sciences determined essential by the respective faculties. A student must be able to observe a patient accurately at a distance and at close hand, noting non-verbal as well as verbal signals. Observation necessitates the functional use of the sense of vision and other sensory modalities.

3. Communication Abilities

A student must be able to speak intelligibly, to hear adequately, and to observe closely patients to elicit and transmit information, describe changes in mood, activity and posture, and perceive non-verbal communications. A student must be able to communicate effectively and sensitively with patients, and all members of the health care team. Communication includes not only speech, but also reading and writing. In addition, the student must be able to communicate effectively and efficiently in oral and written English with all members of the health care team. A student must possess reading skills at a level sufficient to accomplish curricular requirements and provide clinical care for patients. The student must be capable of completing appropriate medical records and documents and plans according to protocol and in a complete and timely manner.

4. Motor Functioning Skills

Medical students are required to possess motor skills sufficient to elicit independently information from patients by palpation, auscultation, percussion, and other manually-based diagnostic procedures. Students should be able to conduct laboratory tests (urinalysis, CBC, etc.), carry out diagnostic procedures (paracentesis, etc.), and provide basic medical care (clearing the airway, placing catheters, controlling bleeding, simple obstetrical maneuvers, etc.) in the general care environment, and coordinate fine and gross muscular movements to treat patients in emergency situations. Emergency situations include any circumstance in which a patient requires immediate medical attention Medical students must be able to meet applicable safety standards for the environment, and to follow universal precaution procedures.

5. Behavioral and Social Attributes

The student must possess the emotional health required for full use of their intellectual abilities, the exercise of good judgment and the prompt completion of all responsibilities for the diagnosis and care of patients. The student must exhibit the development of mature, sensitive and effective relationships with patients, colleagues, clinical and administrative staff, and all others with whom the student interacts in the professional or academic setting, regardless of their race, ethnicity, gender, religion, age or other attributes or affiliations that may differ from those of the student. The student must be able to tolerate physically taxing workloads and to function effectively when stressed. The student must be able to adapt to changing environments, to display flexibility and to learn to function in the face of uncertainties inherent in the clinical problems of many patients. A student is expected to accept appropriate suggestions and criticism and, if necessary, respond by modification of behavior. A student is expected to self-regulate emotions and behaviors and to seek assistance when the ability to do so is compromised. Empathy, integrity, concern for others, interpersonal skills, interest and motivation are all personal qualities that will be assessed during the admission and educational processes.

6. Ethics and Professionalism

Students must interact with all individuals in a respectful and effective manner regardless of gender, age, race, sexual orientation, religion, or any other protected status. They must maintain ethical and moral behavior consistent with professional standards for interactions with students, faculty, staff, patients, and the public. They must understand the legal and ethical aspects of the practice of medicine and function within both the law and ethical standards of the medical profession. Professionalism, compassion, integrity, concern for others, interpersonal skills, interest, and motivation are all qualities that are expected throughout the educational processes.

Responsibilities 

The Office of Admissions will confirm that the members of the Admissions Committee are apprised of the policy, and ensure that the criteria will be applied equitably during the screening, interview, and selection processes.

References

• L.C.M.E. Standard 10.3: Policies Regarding Student Selection/Progress and Their Dissemination Applicants
• L.C.M.E. Standard 10.4: Characteristics of Accepted Applicants
• L.C.M.E. Standard 10.5: Technical Standards

Read About L.C.M.E. Functions and Structure of a Medical School

Learn About the Americans with Disabilities Act

Approval

The policy will be reviewed by the Admissions Executive Committee and approved by the Curriculum Committee. The Admission Executive Committee approved it on June 30, 2021, and the Curriculum Committee on July 28, 2021.

Download Technical Standards for Admissions, Retention and Graduation

Applications from well-qualified students are seriously considered regardless of their state of origin or citizenship. The qualifications of applicants are evaluated without discrimination in regard to financial status, age, race, color, national origin, religion, gender, sexual orientation, disability or veteran status. Some additional consideration is given to qualified students from SLU and the qualified sons and daughters of our School of Medicine alumni.

Students who have failed or have been terminated for any reason at another medical school, or who have previously earned a medical degree, whether in this country or abroad, are not eligible to apply.

The Committee on Admissions evaluates all completed applications. It’s not possible to provide places for all qualified applicants, but failure to be accepted is not necessarily an indication that you are unsuited for a medical career.

If you have unsuccessfully applied to the Saint Louis University School of Medicine more than three times, we recommend you not apply again unless significant changes have been made that would merit the Committee on Admissions’ review.