Applicants must be U.S. citizens, hold a permanent resident visa, or be eligible for the Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals (DACA) process of the U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services at the time of application.
Academic Credentials
Bachelor’s Degree (minimum). Advanced degrees (master's or doctoral) are also considered.
If your degree was obtained outside of the US or Canada, you must take at least one year of coursework in the US or Canada prior to applying.
Applicants enrolled in advanced degree programs must expect to complete their degree prior to matriculation.
Coursework
Prerequisite course requirements include 30 total BCPM (Biology, Chemistry, Physics, and Math) semester credits in undergraduate, post-baccalaureate, or graduate course work.
At least 8 of these 30 credits must be in a biology-based discipline (examples are physiology, cell biology, molecular biology, genetics, and biochemistry). No AP credits will be accepted for these.
At least 8 of these 30 credits must be in a chemistry-based discipline (examples are organic, inorganic, and physical chemistry). No AP credits will be accepted for these.
At least 3 of these 30 credits must be in organic chemistry (credits cannot overlap with other chemistry-based credits). No AP credits will be accepted for these.
At least 1 lab course in a biology-related discipline (note “course” rather than “credits” to reflect the varying ways lab courses are weighted).
At least 1 lab course in a chemistry-related discipline (note “course” rather than “credits” to reflect the varying ways lab courses are weighted).
The remaining 10 BCPM credits may be any combination of courses in biology, chemistry, physics, or math. No more than 6 AP credits will be accepted toward the remaining total credit requirement.
The AMCAS verification process will determine which courses fall into the BCPM category.
Due to the decision of many institutions to move to an online and/or Pass/Fail format during the COVID-19 crisis, SSOM will consider Pass/Fail courses, as well as prerequisites completed online, holistically in the context of the full application, for candidate coursework in the Spring of 2020, Fall of 2020, and Spring of 2021. At institutions where Pass/Fail grading was optional during the pandemic, course grades assessments in the A-C range are highly preferable, especially for pre-requisite and BCPM courses.
The applicant’s academic record should exhibit a continued interest in learning and an ability to successfully tackle intellectual challenges. Any undergraduate major can prepare students for the rigors of medical school. We strongly recommend, however, that a student’s undergraduate years include liberal arts and science courses, as a broad education will serve them well throughout their life. We also require that students possess basic computer skills, as much of their course work at the Stritch School of Medicine requires these basic skills.
Community college courses are accepted as fulfilling premedical requirements, but the committee strongly recommends at least 12 hours of science coursework from a four-year university or graduate program.
If enrolled full time and seeking an undergraduate degree, applicants must complete at least 75% of their premedical courses at the university from which the degree would be granted.
Requests for exceptions to premedical course requirements must be submitted in writing and approved by the Executive Admissions Committee prior to interview.
Medical College Admission Test (MCAT)
The oldest MCAT score considered for any application can be no more than 3 years prior to anticipated entrance into Stritch School of Medicine.
You may submit your primary and secondary applications prior to taking the MCAT. If you have indicated on your primary application that you are registered for an upcoming MCAT date, review of your application will not begin until the most recent MCAT score is received. Alternatively, you may also wait until you receive your score before submitting your application, as long as you submit before out supplemental deadline in December.
If you are no longer planning to take the MCAT on a date that you indicated on your primary and you want us to move your applicaiton forward with an old MCAT, please call our office at 708-216-3229.
Letters of Recommendation
We prefer to have letters from individuals who can honestly and accurately attest to your performance, character, personal qualities, and aptitudes via direct interaction and observation. We appreciate hearing from individuals who know you well. We offer guidelines below, and we leave latitude for your judgment as to whom are the ideal persons to help us determine your candidacy for medicine.
Applicants should submit at least 3 letters, but not more than 6.
Letters are accepted through the AMCAS letter service. Any letters sent via postal mail or email may be added to the file as applicant updates upon request, but will not serve to meet the letter requirement.
Your file is not complete until we receive all expected letters of recommendation that you indicated in AMCAS. If your number of expected letters has changed, please contact our office at ssom-admissions@luc.edu so we can update your application.
You may submit a packet from your Premedical Committee with their evaluation AND the original letters used to compile it. This would fulfills the recommended minimum for letters.
A single committee letter without complete corresponding letters from faculty does not constitute a packet, but can be used as an individual letter toward your minimum.
A committee letter is preferred, but not required. If your school does not offer a committee letter, it is not a problem.
All original faculty letters must contain signatures. Letters are preferably on official letterhead.
We strongly recommend at least one letter from someone who has taught you in a science class, even if you are a non-traditional applicant.
If you have transferred during your undergraduate career, you may wish to include at least one letter from a faculty member at the previous school(s) you attended.
If you are or were a graduate student, it is in your best interest to request a letter from your graduate advisor and/or any appropriate professors.
You may wish to submit a letter from a supervisor or professional contact. This is acceptable and generally helpful, especially if the person knows you well and can speak to your qualifications for medicine. These letters are most helpful when accompanied by letters from faculty who have taught you in a classroom or laboratory setting.
Although confidential letters of evaluation are of most use to the Committee on Admissions, it is not required that you waive your right of access to these letters. It is necessary, however, that you inform all appropriate parties of your decision to waive or not waive your right of access to letters of evaluation written on your behalf.
