Admissions
Residency Requirements
Competition for admission to the School of Medicine and Health Sciences is keen.
Preference in admission is given to residents of North Dakota. A resident is any
applicant who has lived in North Dakota for 12 months prior to November 1 of the
year of application and who is a United States citizen or legal permanent resident
of the U.S. In addition, applicants certified by the Western Interstate Commission
for Higher Education (WICHE) receive equal
preference for up to five of the positions in each entering class. Residents of
Minnesota also will be considered for admission on a very limited basis. Any Native
American, regardless of state of residency, who is an enrolled member of a federally
recognized tribe, may apply for admission through the school's minority program,
Indians Into Medicine (INMED).
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Due to the large number
of qualified applicants from North Dakota, other non-North Dakota citizens are
discouraged from applying. |
Admissions Committee
This committee begins each November to consider applicants for the following year's
class. Clinical and basic science faculty as well as medical student representatives
work together on the committee to assess the qualifications of the applicant.
If their evaluation of the data submitted is found competitive, the candidate
is customarily invited for an interview before a final decision is made.
Application Procedure
To obtain application forms, requests should be addressed to:
Secretary, Committee on Admissions
Office of Student Affairs and Admissions
University of North Dakota
School of Medicine and Health Sciences
P.O. Box 9037
Grand Forks, N.D. 58202-9037
or e-mail: jdheit@medicine.nodak.edu
The application form for admission to the University of North Dakota School
of Medicine must be postmarked no later than November 1 of the year preceding
intended enrollment. The completed application folder consists of:
- the written application form
- a personal statement
- four letters of recommendation
- Medical College Admissions Test scores
- official academic transcripts
- a $50 non-refundable application fee.
Absence of any material or delay in receipt of required
materials will delay consideration of the application.
Changes occur in the application process and premedical requirements from
time to time. The applicant should check with the Office of Student Affairs
and Admissions at the School of Medicine and Health Sciences prior to application.
Personal Statement
The personal statement offers an opportunity for the applicant to
describe those attributes, characteristics and interests which underlie his/her decision to
study medicine. Participation in research projects, hobbies, and health-related employment
are experiences which may help in the deliberations of the admissions committee. An
effort should be made to demonstrate, by specific example, motivation and commitment to
a medical career, the ability to work with people, compassion and empathy, and the ability
to deal with the everyday problems of life.
Letters of Recommendation
Confidential appraisals by college advisors, instructors or others are an important
part of the application process. These recommendations should include a letter
from a peer, such as a roommate, spouse or friend and a letter from a science
instructor. Recommendations should be sought from persons who know the applicant
well and can give a frank and thorough assessment of the applicant's personality,
industry, reliability and motivation. The school assumes that the applicant has
waived the right to view these letters and they are maintained as confidential.
Medical College Admissions Test (MCAT)
All accredited medical schools, acting through the Association of American Medical
Colleges, have arranged for a standard Medical
College Admissions Test to be given to all applicants. This test is administered
by the American College Testing Program, 2255 North Dubuque Rd., PO Box 4056,
Iowa City, IA52243-4056. Application for the test must be made approximately one
month prior to the testing date. Inquiries regarding application should be directed
to the above address. The test is given in April and August at more than 500 colleges
throughout the country. All applicants are encouraged to take the test in the
spring, but no later than the fall of the year in which the application is filed.
All applicants must report MCAT scores prior to consideration for admission to
the School of Medicine and Health Sciences. Test results must be recent; only
"new" MCAT scores will be accepted. If more than three years old, MCAT scores
will not be accepted as valid for application.
There are several booklets which advise students about the MCAT
and the premedical advisors often can give additional information. Obtaining the best
possible scores on this test is an important part of the application process.
Academic Accomplishment and Admission Requirements
Prior to admission, a minimum of 90 semester hours of credit from
an approved college or university is required. Preference is given to students who have
completed an undergraduate degree and who are broadly educated in the sciences and
humanities. The School of Medicine recognizes that, since medicine deals with people, an
understanding of literature, art, history, ethics and philosophy is an adjunct to a physician.
Science and humanities are not mutually exclusive and both are viewed as necessary for
the practice of medicine. It also is recommended strongly that students be computer
literate.
The following list of courses and credits indicates the minimal prerequisites
that all applicants must take prior to admission to medical school. A minimum
cumulative and science (chemistry, physics, biology, psychology and math) grade
point average of 3.0 is expected.
Minimum
Semester Hours
Chemistry 16
Inorganic and qualitative 8
Organic 8*
Biology 8
Physics 8
Psychology/Sociology 3
Language Arts (English, Speech, etc.) 6
College Algebra 3
* A student may substitute a semester or quarter of biochemistry for the
final semester/quarter of organic chemistry.
Personal Interview
Applicants favorably considered for admission are invited for personal interviews
with the Committee on Admissions. The interview is conducted by a small team consisting
of a basic scientist, a physician, and a medical student. The candidate spends
30-40 minutes with the interview team.
The interview serves to help both the applicant and the committee.
It provides an opportunity for the applicant to ask pertinent questions and introduce any
special circumstances which might exist. The committee in turn becomes acquainted with
the applicant and obtains an appraisal of personal qualities and character traits which could
assist the candidate in becoming a good physician. Interviews are held during regular
meetings of the Admissions Committee, usually in December and January.
Applicants must realize that in addition to high academic
achievement, selection is based on a number of factors including the demonstration of such
qualities as motivation and commitment to a medical career, empathy and compassion in
interpersonal relationships, maturity and flexibility in dealing with problems, and many
other qualities.
Notification of Acceptance
Letters of acceptance and non-acceptance will be mailed from the Office of Associate
Dean for Student Affairs and Admissions within four to six weeks of the interview
date, unless the applicant is notified otherwise. The student must send a letter
of intent to enter the School of Medicine within four weeks of notification of
acceptance. The letter of intent must be accompanied by an advance payment of
$75. This payment is applied to the first semester tuition and is refundable should
a student withdraw prior to May 15.
The School of Medicine has a limited program of deferred
entry for interested students. Once admitted, a student may request a one-year deferral of
his/her admission.
WICHE Participation
The School of Medicine participates in the Professional
Student Exchange Program administered by the Western Interstate Commission
for Higher Education (WICHE), under which legal
residents of western states without a medical school may receive preference in
admission. Certified WICHE students pay resident tuition if they are supported
by their home state. To be certified as eligible for this program, the student
must write to the WICHE certifying
officer in his/her state of legal residence for the program application form.
The number of students to be supported in each state in the field of medicine
depends upon state appropriations. For addresses of state certifying officers
consult the Office of Student Affairs at the UND School of Medicine and Health
Sciences or WICHE Student Exchange Program, P.O. Box 9752, Boulder CO 80301-9752
(telephone: 303-541-0210, e-mail: info-sep@wiche.edu).
Reapplication
Unsuccessful applicants may reapply by repeating the process described under Application
Procedure. Filling out a new application form, writing a new personal statement
and requesting current letters of recommendation are required. The reapplication
must include a check or money order for $50, payable to the UND School of Medicine
and Health Sciences.
Advanced Standing
Graduate students from any university, upon submission of the
standard application, will be considered on an equal basis for admission with other
applicants to the first-year class. Attainment of the graduate degree, however, must be
completed prior to the desired enrollment date unless other arrangements are made in
writing with the chairperson of the appropriate graduate department.
The University of North Dakota School of Medicine and Health Sciences is unable
to accept transfer students from other medical schools, except under the most
unusual circumstances. Then, the same procedure pertains. The student must apply
through the process described; the decision regarding acceptance into the School
of Medicine will be made by the Admissions Committee. If accepted, the student
may petition the Student Performance and Recognition Committee for advanced
standing.