The best time to take the MCAT is when you are well prepared, both in terms of college courses taken and time to study/prepare for the MCAT itself. Clearly, scores on MCATs reflect knowledge, not just intelligence, so if you have not taken your required courses, you will need to do a lot of independent work to be adequately prepared. We require you to take the MCAT exam by September.

Our requirements for science courses are in place because we want to be sure you have the foundation of chemistry, biology, and physics that you will need as you begin medical school. Even though an advisor or counselor tells you that you "have" to have a particular course, our viewpoint on the issue is perhaps more flexible. It is the content that is important to us. Because most students apply to more than one medical school, it is usually best to take the full two semesters of Inorganic Chemistry, two of Organic Chemistry, and two of Physics. Actual credit hours may vary somewhat depending on the school offerings. However, you may have a particular situation that warrants interpretation by the Admissions Office--feel free to call us to consult.

No, we require the equivalent of a basic Biochemistry course, once again, because we do not cover this information in our medical school course. Students without a strong background in biochemistry will find the first year of medical school very challenging. (If you believe that all the biochemistry topics we require have been covered in your biology or chemistry coursework, you may provide evidence of that for our evaluation at the time of the interview.)

Yes, AP credits may be used to meet our requirements, however we strongly recommend that you take some of your biology and chemistry credits while in college.

We require two semesters of English Composition (Writing), which is writing intensive. If you have taken a course such as "Writing for Scientists", this is an acceptable substitute for one of them. You may call the Admissions Office to consult about your particular situation if you need guidance.

The University of Michigan does not have a math prerequisite requirement. Some medical schools do, however.

Yes, as long as you have a plan to complete them by the time you matriculate.

No, but almost all admitted students have obtained one. You must have at least 90 hours of college coursework, of which 60 must be from an accredited U.S. based institution.

We usually have about 6,000 applicants. We will interview approximately 750 of them.

Our aim is that about half the class or more will be made up of non-Michigan residents. The entering class is very diverse.