Admissions

Pre-Application Counseling

Students wanting to become a physician should visit the Association of American Medical Colleges' (AAMC) website, "Considering a Medical Career." The UMMC medical school admissions website contains useful information which outlines medical school education, preparation, useful links, a timeline for applying, degree programs offered by this school, the selection process, entering class statistics and some reasons why you should attend the University of Mississippi School of Medicine.

Pre-application counseling is available for prospective applicants and post-application counseling is available for unsuccessful applicants. To make an appointment, call the Office of Admissions (601-984-5010). After the Office of Admissions confirms an appointment, a student seeking pre-application counseling will be given a Pre-application Counseling Form on which background information is obtained that will be useful during counseling. E-mail communication with the Office of Admissions is encouraged.

Admission to the Medical School

Details about the admissions process, including deadlines and links to the application and admission test, can be found at the school's website; select the "Students" tab. Information will be listed under "Prospective Students."

The authority to select applicants for admission to the School of Medicine is vested in the Admissions Executive Committee. No student may enroll for courses in the School of Medicine, either as a regular full-time student or as a special part-time student, without being admitted by the committee.

Correspondence regarding admission (such as requests for counseling and application status updates) should be addressed to: Associate Dean for Medical School Admissions, University of Mississippi Medical Center, 2500 North State Street, Jackson, MS 39216-4505; telephone (601) 984-5010; Fax (601) 984-5008; E-mail AdmitMD@umc.edu.

Letters of evaluation must be submitted directly to the American Medical College Application Service (AMCAS).

Official admissions records (such as transcripts) are handled and filed in the Office of Enrollment Management and become the property of the School of Medicine. They cannot be returned to the applicant or forwarded to another school or individual. Correspondence regarding official records should be addressed to the Office of Enrollment Management, University of Mississippi Medical Center, 2500 North State Street, Jackson, MS 39216-4505, telephone (601) 984-1080.  

Admissions Criteria

CURRENT ADMISSIONS REQUIREMENTS WITH ADMISSIONS CRITERIA OPTIONS

Students, in consultation with a premedical adviser, should develop proficiency in a specific major area of study while in undergraduate school and acquire a background in the humanities and social sciences. Non-science majors with an interest in medicine are encouraged to apply.

Course credits are acceptable from only accredited US colleges and universities. The applicant must show credit for at least three years of college work, totaling not fewer than 90 acceptable semester hours. These minimum 90 hours consist of courses required for entrance to this medical school and other courses required by an undergraduate institution for a baccalaureate degree. None of the 90 semester hours of minimum collegiate course work may be met by the following: correspondence courses; courses in physical training, military science, or dogmatic religion.

Strong preference is given to applicants who will have completed all requirements for a baccalaureate degree prior to entering medical school. For those applicants applying with the minimum 90 acceptable semester hours, a maximum of 65 semester hours of credit from an accredited community college may be applied toward the minimum 90 acceptable semester hours required for admission. College graduates may complete additional post-baccalaureate coursework to satisfy prerequisites at any accredited US college or university, regardless of the number of community college credit hours applied toward their completed undergraduate degree.

An applicant must indicate on the SOM Secondary Application which of the following two admissions criteria options they wish to use to qualify for admission and courses taken or planned that fulfill that option. The two admissions criteria options are End-Point Courses and Course Competency Maps.

For all options described below, the admissions committee evaluation of academic performance will not be limited to these courses; an applicant's entire academic record is subject to evaluation.

End-Point Courses - The objective of this option is to describe what courses need to be taken; but, not the path to achieve this end point. Undergraduate institutions will decide acceptable pathways to these end-point courses that may include traditional course requirements, condensed, or novel requirements.

Any applicant selecting this option must document on a transcript that required end-point courses have been taken; well prepared applicants may also indicate which recommended courses have been taken.

Courses taken online or 10 or more years ago may not be used for the End-Point course requirements.

The following courses are required:

• Life Sciences: 2 semesters of any combination of the following:
  
  

  Cellular Biology	Molecular Biology	Biology of Cancer
  Physiology	Anatomy	Histology
  Embryology	Genetics	Infectious Diseases
  Immunology & Serology	Immunology	Neuroanatomy
  Microbiology	Molecular Genetics	Virology
  Neuroscience	Pharmacology

• Biochemistry: 1 semester
• Physics: 2nd semester

Familiarity with the following subjects is recommended - Content might be acquired by taking courses by that name, courses with different names but similar content or self-study:

• Algebra
• Psychology
• Statistics
• Sociology

Course-Competency Maps - Applicants eligible for this admissions criteria option are limited to those enrolled at institutions with departments that have constructed course-competency maps that have been submitted to the School of Medicine and approved by the Admissions Executive Committee. The current list includes:

• Millsaps College - Biology, Chemistry & Biochemistry, Physics
• Mississippi College - Biology, Chemistry & Biochemistry, Mathematics Computer Science, Physics
• Mississippi State University - Agricultural & Biological Engineering, Biochemistry & Molecular Biology, Biology, Chemistry, Mathematics, Physics
• University of Mississippi - Biology, Chemistry & Biochemistry, Mathematics, Philosophy & Religion, Physics & Astronomy

The current model for this option is derived from 2010 Howard Hughes Medical Institute - Association of American Medical Colleges report, Scientific Foundations for Future Physicians.  These competencies or their source may change.

To qualify for admission, an applicant must complete any combination of courses, whose combined content has been mapped to cover the 37 learning objectives that can provide the following eight entering medical student competencies:

E1 - Apply quantitative reasoning and appropriate mathematics to describe or explain phenomena in the natural world.

E2 - Demonstrate understanding of the process of scientific inquiry and explain how scientific knowledge is discovered and validated.

E3 - Demonstrate knowledge of basic physical principles and their applications to the understanding of living systems.

E4 - Demonstrate knowledge of basic principles of chemistry and some of their applications to the understanding of living systems.

E5 - Demonstrate knowledge of how biomolecules contribute to the structure and function of cells.

E6 - Apply understanding of principles of how molecular and cell assemblies, organs, and organisms develop structure and carry out function.

E7 - Explain how organisms sense and control their internal environment and how they respond to external change.

E8 - Demonstrate an understanding of how the organizing principle of evolution by natural selection explains the diversity of life on earth.

To qualify for admission, an applicant must complete an approved track of multidisciplinary courses that integrate the learning objectives that can provide entering medical student competencies.

Indication of Courses that Fulfill Admissions Criteria Options - Upon receipt of an AMCAS® application, the medical school admissions office will email an applicant instructions for completing the supplemental application through the AMCAS Applicant Gateway. This supplemental application, among other information, will ask applicants to select the admission criteria option they wish to use to qualify for admission and courses taken or planned that fulfill that option. Options include the following:

• End-point Courses

  • Applicants must select and list the courses taken that fulfill this option in the prerequisites section

  • Applicants will be given the option to list the number and name of courses taken or planned that are recommended under this option

• Course-Competency Maps

  • Applicants must list the number and name of courses planned whose content maps to learning objectives that can provide the desired competencies.

  • This option applies only to students at schools with course-competency maps previously approved by the SOM Admissions Executive Committee.

     

Non-Traditional Applicants - There is no time limit on the validity of a baccalaureate degree; however, the Admissions Executive Committee has concerns when relevant courses have been taken 10 or more years ago. Required courses should be recently completed or current regardless of the option chosen. End-point courses (life sciences, biochemistry or physics) or any course used to meet the course-competency map option that were completed 10 more years prior to applying are not acceptable. Applicants have the choice of either repeating courses or completing new coursework to satisfy the selected admissions option.

Conditional Acceptance - Acceptance to this medical school is conditional; the Admissions Executive Committee may rescind an offer of acceptance at any time before matriculation if an applicant fails to maintain expectations upon which the acceptance was based. Examples include, but are not limited to, a significant decline in academic performance, failure to complete prerequisites or other course work and degrees in progress, patterns (or an egregious act) of unprofessional behavior, and incidents discovered in a criminal background check.

Residency Classification

The Office of Enrollment Management is responsible for determining whether or not an applicant meets the requirements for being a legal resident of Mississippi for the purpose of enrollment.  If an applicant's Mississippi residency is in question, the Office of Enrollment Management will send the applicant a Request for Review of Residency Classification form through the AMCAS WebAdmit application which will require completion and copies of a driver's license, car registration, car tag, voter registration card, proof of in-state banking and proof of a permanent in-state domicile be uploaded through a secure portal. A copy of the Request for Review of Residency Classification form can be acquired from the School of Medicine web page or the Office of Enrollment Management (601-984-1080). 

Admissions Standards and Legal Policy

For admission purposes, the School of Medicine at the University of Mississippi Medical Center gives preference to residents of the State of Mississippi, as defined by Miss. Code §§ 37-103-7, 37-103-13 and IHL Policy 610.  As such, the School of Medicine currently accepts admission applications only from individuals who are US citizens or lawful permanent residents.  The School of Medicine may choose to not accept applications from students who cannot demonstrate residency as defined by Miss. Code § 37-103-7 and 37-103-13.  In recent years, it has not been possible to admit nonresidents of the State of Mississippi. 

Medical School Application and Admission Test

The Association of American Medical Colleges (AAMC) web page for student services provides valuable information on medical schools and electronic access to the following:

• American Medical College Application Service (AMCAS®) Applications – All applications must be made through AMCAS®, a nonprofit, centralized application processing service for applicants to the first-year entering classes at participating US medical schools. The AMCAS® application is available only online. More information may be obtained by writing to the American Medical College Application Service, 2501 M Street, NW, Lbby-26, Washington, DC 20037-1300 or by e-mail: amcas@aamc.org.

• Medical College Admission Test (MCAT®) - All applicants for admission to the School of Medicine must take the MCAT®. The test is computer-based, offered at specific test sites only and offered multiple times each year. By following a well-planned schedule, the premedical student should be ready to take the test no later than the mid-summer of the junior year and release scores to all schools to which the student intends to apply. Selection of applicants for the medical school class entering in a given calendar year will be based, in part, on MCAT® scores acquired during the previous three calendar years only. Selection of alternates may include consideration of MCAT® scores acquired in the same calendar year. MCAT® information (including test sites, registration deadlines, and testing dates) and registration may be accessed online. This information can also be acquired from most college premedical advisers or writing to the MCAT® Program Office, P.O. Box 4056, Iowa City, Iowa 52243-4046.

• Fee Assistance Program (FAP) - The AAMC FAP is designed to be used in conjunction with registration for the MCAT® and/or for application to medical school through the AMCAS®. The FAP is provided to assist individuals with extreme financial limitations whose inability to pay the full MCAT® registration fee or the AMCAS® application fee would prevent them from taking the examination or applying to medical school. Further information and the FAP application are listed at the website. The supplemental application fee for this medical school will be refunded for applicants who are approved for FAP.

• Nonacademic and Personal Preparation - Applicants are advised that in addition to academic preparation, MCAT® performance, and interviews, the Admissions Executive Committee seeks evidence of: health related experiences, volunteer/community service activities, and leadership as well as other notable time commitments such as employment, athletics, research, hobbies, etc. Experience (volunteer or paid) in a health-related environment is strongly encouraged. These activities should be listed and explained by the applicant in the Work/Activities section of the AMCAS® application.

Application Deadlines

Applicants are advised that everyone who completes a file by published program deadlines will be considered for admission; however, since those who submit applications and complete files early may have an advantage in the selection process, the following timeline is strongly suggested. During the fall of the junior year, traditional applicants (who plan to enter medical school the August after graduation from a four-year baccalaureate degree-granting program) are recommended to begin the timeline below. Non-traditional applicants should consider a similar timeline beginning about two years before the anticipated fall enrollment in medical school.

• September - Begin preparation for Medical College Admissions Test (MCAT)

• Spring semester - Take 1st MCAT

• May - Request transcripts and faculty evaluation letters be sent to AMCAS

• June - Complete and submit on-line American Medical College Application Service (AMCAS) application

• Summer - Repeat MCAT, if needed

• August - Interviews begin

The tables that follow summarize dates for submitting required documentation to the Association of American Medical Colleges (AAMC) and the University of Mississippi Medical Center (UMMC). Details for the Early Decision Program (EDP), Regular Decision Program (RDP) and Combined MD/PhD Program follow.

Applicants should submit all documents as early as possible and well ahead of deadlines. Applicants alone are solely responsible for ensuring all required documents reach the appropriate offices by the specified deadlines. An applicant file lacking any item on the specified deadline will be considered incomplete and ineligible for consideration for admission. The associate dean for medical school admissions may, for good cause shown, grant individual deadline extensions if the applicant can document that circumstances beyond his/her control were encountered that prevented timely arrival of required documentation.

To monitor timely document receipt, an applicant should:

• Contact AAMC to confirm his/her AMCAS® application is complete and transcripts for all college course work have been received.

• Access the School of Medicine's restricted Secondary Application System to confirm that the secondary application, supplemental application fee, transcripts for all college course work, and required faculty letters of evaluation have been received.

• An applicant's file for this medical school is not considered complete until all of these items have been received. Due to the volume of material received, anticipate a few days delay between receipt and posting of information to this site.

• For questions pertaining to transcripts, contact the Office of Enrollment Management.

• For everything else, contact the associate dean for medical school admissions.

Early Decision Program (EDP)

Students interested in early acceptance may apply for admission under the EDP. Two important aspects of the EDP should be understood: (1) the applicant can apply to only one school of choice until a decision is received and, if accepted, must attend that school; (2) if not accepted under the EDP, the applicant may be reconsidered as a RDP applicant by that school and is automatically eligible to apply to other schools. Since EDP decisions are rendered before most RDP applications are reviewed, only above average applicants are competitive for the EDP. The typical entering class at this medical school has an undergraduate biology, chemistry, physics and mathematics (BCPM) cumulative grade point average (GPA) of 3.7 and an average MCAT® score of 506.

¹A complete set of all undergraduate and post-baccalaureate transcripts must be mailed to: American Medical College Application Service, 2501 M Street, NW, Lbby-26, Washington, DC 20037-1300; e-mail: amcas@aamc.org

²An additional set of all undergraduate and post-baccalaureate transcripts must be mailed to: Office of Enrollment Management, University of Mississippi Medical Center, 2500 North State Street, Jackson, MS 39216-4505; Telephone (601) 984-1080

³Access to UMMC's web-based Secondary Application System is restricted. A nonrefundable supplemental application fee of $50 for residents and $100 for nonresidents is required.

⁴Letters of evaluation, must be written by faculty who taught the applicant preferably pre-requisite courses and who can provide information not readily available elsewhere. No specific format is required; however, the Premedical Faculty Appraisal Form may be provided to letter writers to indicate areas of interest to the Admissions Executive Committee. Above all, we seek information on an applicant's approach to academic studies including how difficulties encountered along the way were dealt with. A minimum of three faculty letters is required: however, one composite evaluation from a pre-professional advisory committee will suffice. Supplemental letters should be kept to a minimum. When appropriate, a supplemental letter from a physician the applicant has shadowed or current employer may be considered by the Admissions Executive Committee; but it does not replace required faculty evaluations. All letters of evaluation must be submitted directly to the American Medical College Application Service (AMCAS).

Both AMCAS® and the Medical Center require receipt of specific documents by specified deadlines summarized above. Applicants who wish to apply for the EDP must submit a web-based AMCAS® application and transcripts of all undergraduate and post-baccalaureate work to AAMC. In addition, EDP applicants must submit a web-based Secondary Application to UMMC, transcripts of all undergraduate and post-baccalaureate work to the Office of Enrollment Management and three faculty letters of evaluation to the Associate Dean for Medical School Admissions. A final decision on EDP applications will be rendered on or before October 1.

Regular Decision Program (RDP)

Students may simultaneously apply for admission to multiple medical schools under the RDP. Both AMCAS® and the Medical Center require receipt of specific documents by specified deadlines summarized below. Applicants wishing to apply for the RDP may begin on June 1 and must submit a web-based AMCAS® application by October 15 and transcripts of all undergraduate and post-baccalaureate work to AMCAS® by October 29. In addition, RDP applicants must submit a web-based Secondary Application to UMMC, transcripts of all undergraduate and post-baccalaureate work to the Office of Enrollment Management and three faculty letters of evaluation to the associate dean for medical school admissions. Applicants accepted for admission under the RDP will be notified on a rolling basis between October 16 and March 15; all other decisions will also be rendered by March 15. Applicants who hold multiple acceptances must inform this school of their decision by May 15.

¹A complete set of all undergraduate and post-baccalaureate transcripts must be mailed to: American Medical College Application Service, 2501 M Street, NW, Lbby-26, Washington, DC 20037-1300; e-mail: amcas@aamc.org

²An additional set of all undergraduate and post-baccalaureate transcripts must be mailed to: Office of Enrollment Management, University of Mississippi Medical Center, 2500 North State Street, Jackson, MS 39216-4505; Telephone (601) 984-1080

³Access to UMMC's web-based Secondary Application System is restricted. A nonrefundable supplemental application fee of $50 for residents and $100 for nonresidents is required.

⁴Letters of evaluation, must be written by faculty who taught the applicant preferably pre-requisite courses and who can provide information not readily available elsewhere. No specific format is required; however, the Premedical Faculty Appraisal Form may be provided to letter writers to indicate areas of interest to the Admissions Executive Committee. Above all, we seek information on an applicant's approach to academic studies including how difficulties encountered along the way were dealt with. A minimum of three faculty letters is required: however, one composite evaluation from a pre-professional advisory committee will suffice. Supplemental letters should be kept to a minimum. When appropriate, a supplemental letter from a physician the applicant has shadowed or current employer may be considered by the Admissions Executive Committee; but it does not replace required faculty evaluations. All letters of evaluation must be submitted directly to the American Medical College Application Service (AMCAS).

Accepted Applicants

For useful information, accepted applicants are encouraged to consult the web pages of the Office of Student Affairs and Office of Medical Education.

Contact Information - Accepted applicants must keep all contact information (especially e-mail address, preferred mailing address and telephone numbers) updated in the AMCAS® application until arrival for orientation. Updates must also be provided to the Office of Enrollment Management.

Start Date - There is a mandatory orientation and registration for the entering class held in the fall.  The associate dean for student affairs will mail further details during the summer.  For questions, call (601) 984-5012.

Advanced Standing Transfer

Applications for admission to advanced standing at levels up to the beginning of the junior year in the University of Mississippi School of Medicine are considered by the Admissions Executive Committee. Prior to the Admissions Executive Committee deliberations, the associate deans for admissions, student affairs, vice dean, and academic affairs consult with the dean of the School of Medicine who determines whether space exists within the pertinent medical student class. This process ensures that adequate resources exist so that the training of currently enrolled students will not be adversely affected.

Advanced standing applicants must be currently enrolled and in good academic standing at an LCME accredited US medical school and strong preference is given to those who fulfill Mississippi residency requirements (see Admissions, Standards and Legal Policy). The applicant will be required to submit evidence of withdrawal in good standing from the LCME accredited medical school previously attended and a validated transcript of the work completed at that school. The applicant's undergraduate biology, chemistry, physics and mathematics (BCPM) cumulative grade point average (GPA) and Medical College Admission Test (MCAT®) scores must be competitive with those of the class he/she seeks to enter. If the applicant's previous medical coursework is incompatible with the curriculum or schedules in this school, the applicant may be asked to complete a required course(s) before being accepted to transfer or the applicant may be accepted to a lower level of advanced standing and be required to complete a particular course(s) before proceeding with the next academic year. No student will be admitted to advanced standing if there is a condition or failure in any subject or if the applicant is not in good standing at the medical school from which he/she wishes to transfer. For a student applying for transfer to the junior year, receipt of the student's official transcript from the National Board of Medical Examiners demonstrating a passing score on United States Medical Licensing Examination Step 1 is a requirement for admission to, and for initiating, the junior year in this school.

A prospective applicant for transfer should email or write the associate dean for Admissions, University of Mississippi Medical Center, 2500 North State Street, Jackson, MS 39216-4505, or visit online for information concerning applications. Completed application must be returned to this address by March 31.

Applicant Evaluations and Decisions

In 2010, leadership of the Association of American Medical Colleges challenged medical schools to transform the admission process in several ways. For example, they encouraged schools to employ a holistic admissions review that affords each applicant balanced consideration of life experiences, personal attributes, and academic metrics, and to select not only those who can succeed but those who can contribute to the diversity of a medical school class that can serve as a driver of educational excellence. To meet this challenge, the University of Mississippi's School of Medicine (SOM) employs the following steps for evaluating applicants and the information they submit in American Medical College Application Service (AMCAS®) and SOM mentoring/tutoring/coaching, Secondary applications. This process is aligned with the mission and diversity interests of this medical school. 

Mississippi Residency

For admission purposes, the School of Medicine (SOM) at the University of Mississippi Medical Center, as a practice, gives preference to residents of the State of Mississippi, as defined by Miss. Code §§ 37-103-7, 37-103-13 and IHL Policy 610; see Admissions Standards and Legal Policy.  As such, the SOM currently accepts admission applications only from individuals who are US citizens or lawful permanent residents.

Residency determination is not based solely on information provided in an AMCAS® application; it is based on information provided in the UMMC Secondary Application and, when requested, a Request for Review of Residency Classification form and supporting documentation. Questions regarding residency classification should be addressed to the Office of Enrollment Management.

Life Experiences

The admissions committee values applicant experiences in the following areas:

• Health care - Shadowing (individual physicians or hospital/clinic programs), premedical organizations, health-related courses or clinical training, employment or volunteering at a health care facility including nursing homes, medical research involving contact with patients or patient records, work with primary health care provider, work with medically underserved populations or rural medicine programs, or participation in health care pipeline programs. A minimum of 35 hours of U.S.-based physician shadowing is required.

• Volunteer/community service - Social and other campus, community and faith-based organizations, campus ambassador/recruiter, disaster relief, or other organizations

• Leadership/responsibility - Elected office, supervisor or other role with responsibility in social or other campus, governmental or military organizations, mentoring/tutoring/coaching

• Research - Employment or volunteer work in a basic science or clinical laboratory

• Employment - Any part- or full-time employment concurrent with or independent of enrollment in school

• Other significant time commitments - Participation in collegiate, semi- or professional level athletics (including cheerleading) or artistic endeavors (theater, band, orchestra) or other major time commitments beyond those already listed

File Review Committee (FRC)

Three members of the FRC, whose access to an American Medical College Application Service (AMCAS®) application is limited to Work/Activities and Essay sections only, read and score activities in each area of interest. Scores are based on the number of activities, the length of time devoted to each activity, the quality, or lack thereof, of the description of the activity.

Experience scores are used to render the Admissions Executive Committee decisions and in post-application counseling for unsuccessful applicants.

Personal Attributes

The Admissions Executive Committee values applicants who possess the following personal attributes.

• Written communication skills - Clear and well-organized presentation of ideas, such as an applicant's motivation for a career in medicine and observations, personal growth, and value of acquired experiences

• Initiative - Motivation to seek, participate in or initiate activities independent of groups, and leadership role in sustaining a group or founding a new group.

• Interacting with people - Written evidence of empathy, compassion, and altruism for diverse people

• Motivation for medicine - Extent of interest expressed both in writing and participation in health-related activities

• Workload - Year-by-year evaluation of credit hours taken and time committed to employment and extracurricular activities

• Desire to learn - Academic achievement beyond the minimum prerequisites or degree requirements including single/multiple majors/minors/degrees, and honors college enrollment

The attributes are scored by the same three File Review Committee (FRC) members who score the applicant's experiences. FRC members have limited access to the American Medical College Application Service (AMCAS®) application Work/Activities and Essay sections only. Scores are based on reading these sections of the application and evaluating what the applicant has done to illustrate initiative, interaction with diverse people, and motivation for medicine as well as the clarity with which this has been conveyed in the written application.

Attribute scores are used to render the Admissions Executive Committee decisions, and for post-application counseling for unsuccessful applicants.

Academic Metrics

Grade point averages (GPAs) and Medical College Admissions Test (MCAT®) scores comprise the academic metrics considered for admission. For information regarding when and how they are applied in the admissions process, see Interviews and the Admissions Executive Committee Deliberations.

• GPAs - The scholastic record in courses preparatory for the medical school curriculum is important. This is summarized as the applicant's cumulative undergraduate grade point average (GPA). Due to variations in grading schemes between schools, only GPAs calculated in the American Medical College Application Service (AMCAS®) application will be considered.

It is recommended that students receive a grade in all courses that satisfy the admission criteria option selected by the applicant to qualify for admission (see Admissions Criteria), avoiding courses with pass-fail grades.  Academic averages are calculated on a 4.0 scale. If a course is repeated, all grades are used in calculating the average.

The admissions criteria option selected in the SOM Secondary Application determines which GPA will be primarily considered in evaluating whether or not the applicant qualifies for admission; however, grades in all academic course work may be considered during admission committee deliberations.

AMCAS® cumulative undergraduate biology, chemistry, physics and math (BCPM) GPA will be used to assess applicants who select the following options: 1) pre-requisite courses; 2) end-point courses; and 3) course-competency-maps for science majors.

In addition to considering any available BCPM GPA, AMCAS® cumulative undergraduate all other GPA and grades in pertinent courses will be used to assess applicants who select the following options: 1) course-competency-maps for non-science majors; and 2) novel premedical curricula.

The minimum cumulative undergraduate GPA required for automatic file review and consideration for interviews is 3.3. For applicants with a GPA close to but below this threshold, a file review will be conducted that includes any available post-baccalaureate and graduate GPAs, MCAT® scores, life experiences and personal attributes to determine if, on a case-by-case basis, the Admissions Executive Committee finds a compelling reason to invite the applicant to interview.

• MCAT® Scores - An equally important metric is scores reported for the applicant's performance on the MCAT®. Applicants must take the MCAT® and release score reports to this medical school. Selection of applicants for the medical school class entering in a given calendar year will be based, in part, on MCAT® scores acquired during the previous four calendar years only.

The minimum MCAT® sum (add scores for all sections on any one exam) required for automatic file review and consideration for interviews is 496, provided that no one section score is less than 121. The highest MCAT® sum on any single examination will be considered for applicants who report scores for more than one MCAT®.  For applicants whose MCAT® score is close to but below this threshold, a file review will be conducted that includes GPAs, life experiences and personal attributes to determine if, on a case-by-case basis, the Admissions Executive Committee finds a compelling reason to invite the applicant to interview. While initial emphasis is placed on the sum of section scores, individual section scores will be examined for balance.    

The typical entering class at this medical school has an average BCPM GPA of 3.7, overall GPA of 3.8 and an MCAT® sum of 506.

Interviews

Applicants should not present themselves for interviews until requested to do so by the associate dean for medical school admissions.

Selection for Interviews

Criteria for selecting interviewees are established by the SOM Admissions Executive Committee. Selection for interviews is based on a balance between life experiences, personal attributes (those evaluated by reading the AMCAS® application) and metrics. Criteria may vary slightly from year to year depending on the number of applications received and the quality of the applicant pool.

Multiple Mini Interviews (MMIs)

The MMI consists of a circuit of eight to 10 interview "stations," each of which provides a 10-minute scenario-based encounter. Each station has a trained rater who is a member of the Interview Subcommittee; therefore, each applicant will be evaluated by approximately eight to 10 different raters. The station scenarios do not test or assess scientific or clinical knowledge; instead, they focus on personal competencies such as oral communication skills, service orientation, respect for others including compassion and empathy, critical thinking and decision making, teamwork, awareness of ethics, maturity, coping skills, and opinions on health care issues.

Additional information will be provided to applicants when they are invited to interview and during the admissions interview day program.

Scheduling Interviews

Applicants whom the Admissions Executive Committee selects are notified to contact he Office of Admissions to schedule their interview date. Interviews are generally scheduled two days each month from August through December.

Interview Day Program

All MMI participants must sign a School of Medicine Participant Agreement and Statement of Confidentiality.  Applicants will be provided a copy to read and sign during the registration and welcome (see below).

The following example schedule is for illustrative purposes only. While times beyond registration may vary, it is imperative that applicants plan to arrive well ahead of time to ensure participation in the complete program.

Faculty Letters of Evaluation

Evaluations must be written by either faculty who taught the applicant, preferably courses used to satisfy admissions criteria, or faculty who supervised the applicant conducting research outside the classroom.  A minimum of three faculty evaluation letters or one composite is required. Composite letters must contain the names of faculty who participated in the evaluation of the applicant.

All letters must be printed on institutional letterhead, signed by the author(s) and state the course(s) in which he/she taught the applicant.

Letter Content

This medical school seeks information on unique contributions that an applicant might provide to a medical school class and the presence, or absence, of any of the following core, entry-level competencies for entering medical students. Authors are encouraged to consult AAMC Guidelines for Writing a Letter of Evaluation for a Medical School Applicant for details.

Thinking & Reasoning Competencies                        

• Critical Thinking
• Quantitative Reasoning
• Scientific Inquiry
• Written Communication

Science Competencies                                             

• Living Systems
• Human Behavior

Intrapersonal Competencies

• Ethical Responsibility to Self and Others
• Reliability and Dependability
• Resilience and Adaptability
• Capacity for Improvement

Interpersonal Competencies                                    

• Service Orientation
• Social Skills
• Cultural Competence
• Teamwork
• Oral Communication

Supplemental letters should be kept to a minimum. When appropriate, a supplemental letter from a physician the applicant has shadowed or current employer may be considered by the Admissions Executive Committee, but it does not replace required faculty evaluations.

Letter Submission

Instructions for submitting letters are provided to applicants in the American Medical College Application Service (AMCAS®) application. In all cases, applicants must provide authors a letter request form generated from the applicant's AMCAS® application. Letters sent directly to this medical school will not be accepted.

Letters of evaluation can be submitted online as a PDF file to the appropriate site:

• AMCAS® Letter Writer Application - This application enables letter writers to upload documents securely to AMCAS® rather than send letters via the mail. If you are interested in this option, and can upload a PDF version of your letter, make note of the requesting applicant's AAMC ID and AMCAS® Letter ID included in the letter request form.

Mail hard copy to AMCAS® for scanning into PDF file. If you select this option, attach the letter request form to your letter(s) and mail to:

Attn: AMCAS Letters
American Medical College Application Services
P.O. Box 18958
Washington, DC 20036

AMCAS® will acknowledge receipt of your letter; the Office of Admissions will not. AMCAS® will load PDF files into applications and distribute your letter electronically to all medical schools indicated by the applicant in his/her AMCAS® application.

Applicants who reapply must submit new evaluation letters with each application.

Admissions Committee Deliberations

The authority to select applicants for admission to the School of Medicine (SOM) is vested in the Admissions Executive Committee. This committee is chaired by the associate dean for medical school admissions and composed of members of the preclinical and clinical faculty. No student may enroll for courses in the SOM, either as a regular full-time student or as a special part-time student, without being admitted by the committee.

The medical school Admissions Executive Committee reviews the entire file for every interviewed applicant. Attention is given to applicants who in the opinion of the Admissions Executive Committee best fulfill the mission of the SOM.

Selection of applicants is made on a competitive basis, without regard to race, color, religion, national origin, age, disability, marital status, gender, sexual orientation, or veteran status. Qualified handicapped students will be considered in relation to the technical standards.

Decisions Rendered

Admissions decisions are made on a rolling basis; therefore, the sooner an applicant applies, the earlier his/her file will be reviewed and considered for interviews. If files are complete, applicants are discussed within two to three weeks of interviews and one of three decisions rendered: 1) acceptance; 2) decision postponed; or 3) no position offered for this year.

Applicants to the Early Decision Program will be notified as soon as a decision has been rendered; applicants to the Regular Decision and Combined MD/PhD programs will be notified starting October 15 and thereafter as soon as a decision has been rendered. All applicants receive a final disposition of their application not later than March 15. Final notification will be one of the following: 1) acceptance; 2) placement on the alternate list; or 3) no position offered for this year.

Alternates will be used to fill any vacancies that may occur if accepted applicants choose not to attend. Any applicant who does not gain acceptance is invited to schedule an appointment after January 2^nd for post-application counseling on how to improve the competitiveness of their application should the applicant choose to subsequently reapply.

Conditional Acceptance

Acceptance to this medical school is conditional. The Admissions Executive Committee may rescind an offer of acceptance at any time before matriculation if an applicant fails to maintain expectations upon which the acceptance was based. Examples include, but are not limited to, a significant decline in academic performance, failure to complete prerequisites or other course work and degrees in progress, patterns of unprofessional behavior, and incidents discovered in a criminal background check.

Criminal Background Checks (CBCs)

Any preadmission agreement executed by the health care program with a student shall be void if there is a disqualifying incident or pattern of unprofessional behavior in the CBC prior to enrollment. Since clinical rotations are an integral part of the education of medical students at University of Mississippi Medical Center (UMMC), all applicants accepted to the School of Medicine (SOM) must undergo both the CBCs described below.

• AAMC-Facilitated CBC - All successful applicants to the SOM undergo a centralized Association of American Medical Colleges (AAMC)-facilitated CBC. Certiphi Screening, Inc., a Vertical Screen® company, will conduct a CBC based on inspection of local, state and national records. Upon initial acceptance to this or any other participating medical school, applicants will be provided electronic access to consent that will give permission to initiate the CBC.

When the Certiphi CBC is complete, accepted applicants will be given 10 calendar days to review the report on a secure website. Applicants may release reports immediately or contest inaccuracies prior to releasing it to the requesting medical school.  If the applicant does not respond within 10 calendar days, the report will be released automatically.

• Fingerprint-Based CBC - Effective July 1, 2004, Section 37-29-232 of the Mississippi Code requires that students enrolled in a health care professional academic program undergo fingerprinting and a CBC before any clinical rotation in a licensed health care facility may occur. Independent of the AAMC-facilitated CBC, all accepted applicants must call the Office of Admissions to schedule an appointment with the Department of Human Resources at UMMC sometime between December 1 and June 1 prior to enrollment so that a set of digital fingerprints and photograph can be acquired.  Fingerprints will be submitted to the Mississippi Public Safety Commission and Department of Justice Federal Bureau of Investigation for a criminal background check. If any potentially disqualifying event is reported, the Department of Human Resources will mail to the medical school applicant a letter (such as Determination of Non-Suitability for Employment in a Health care Facility) indicating that a potentially disqualifying event(s) has been reported and a copy of the criminal history report record. Copies will be sent to the associate dean for medical school admissions.  Currently, there is no charge to the applicant for this service.

The steps involved in evaluating a criminal background history are described in the SOM Procedures for Criminal Background Checks.

• Subsequent Convictions - Applicants are responsible for notifying the associate dean for medical school admissions if any further criminal action occurs subsequent to submitting an AMCAS® application or the conduct of CBCs described above. This includes the following:  if you are convicted of, or plead guilty or no contest to, any misdemeanor or felony crime(s) after the date of your submission of the medical school application and prior to your medical school matriculation.  Your communication must be in writing, and must occur within 30 days of the occurrence of the criminal action.

Other Nonacademic and Personal Attributes

In addition to interviews, evidence for these attributes is acquired from "work/activities" listed on an applicant's AMCAS® application.  Examples of what the Admissions Executive Committee seeks include evidence of exposure to clinical medicine (volunteer work or employment at a hospital, clinic, nursing home or hospice, shadowing physicians, participating in medical missions); interaction with diverse people; volunteer service; community activities; leadership; academic pursuits beyond the classroom (such as research); and cultural interests and other activities that require commitment of time outside the classroom (employment, athletics, artistic performance). Applicants who acquire such experience while maintaining high academic performance and time management skills possess qualities that can contribute to success in medical school.

Response to Letter of Acceptance

Upon notification of acceptance, an applicant will be provided on-line access to Information and Instructions, Statement of Acceptance, Criminal Background Check, Technical Standards, Academic Accommodations, and White Coat Ceremony forms that must be read, completed, and submitted electronically within 15 days after the date of notification that the applicant has been accepted.  Failure to do so within the specified period may automatically void the offer of acceptance.

• Statement of Acceptance - A form for applicants to indicate their intention to attend this medical school.
• Criminal Background Check Form - A description of CBC policies and procedures for this medical school that includes an applicant's responsibility to report, to the associate dean for admissions, any incident that occurs subsequent to a CBC check.
• Technical Standards - A description of Technical Standards applicants is expected to meet for admission, retention, promotion, and certification as an MD.
• Academic Accommodations Form - A description of academic accommodations policies and procedures can be found online.
• White Coat Ceremony Form - A form that enables an accepted applicant to verify the listing of his/her name and specify the size of the coat that he/she will receive at a ceremony held during orientation.

The medical school Admissions Executive Committee may rescind an offer of acceptance at any time before matriculation if an applicant fails to maintain expectations upon which the acceptance was based. Examples include, but are not limited to, a significant decline in academic performance, failure to complete prerequisites or other course work and degrees in progress, unprofessional behavior, and incidents in a criminal background check.

Visiting Students

For medical students at the University of Mississippi School of Medicine who wish to take senior electives at other medical schools - The Visiting Student Learning Opportunities (VSLO) is the AAMC application designed to make it easier for medical students to apply for senior electives at other US medical schools. Information regarding the VSLO process can be found online. Each medical school must issue a student authorization/access code before he/she may log into VSLO. You will be notified of these authorizations by e-mail.

If you are applying to a medical school that does not use VSLO, please use the Extramural Electives Compendium (EEC) by the AAMC for visiting student application information or the individual medical school website.

For medical students at other schools who wish to take senior electives at the University of Mississippi School of Medicine - Senior medical students who are enrolled in good standing in an LCME-accredited school, or an American Osteopathic Association (AOA)-accredited school, in the U.S. or Canada and who are formally approved by their parent school can be offered a senior elective in the School of Medicine.  The Office of Student Affairs verifies the credentials of visiting senior medical students, the UMMC department they are completing an elective in formally registers them, and a roster is maintained of these students.

The University of Mississippi School of Medicine participates in the American Association of Medical College's (AAMC) Visiting Student Learning Opportunities (VSLO). Verification of credentials for prospective visiting students is part of the application process for the extramural block. Visiting students from other schools for clinical clerkships and electives must possess qualifications equivalent to students in this medical school.  Approval by the chairman of the appropriate department and by the dean of the parent LCME-accredited or AOA-accredited school, as well as verification of professional liability insurance coverage, individual health insurance, HIPAA certification, OSHA certification, criminal background check, BLS/ACLS training, and immunization compliance for the visiting student is required.  The Office of Student Affairs screens applications to ascertain that applicants are enrolled in good standing in LCME- or AOA-accredited US/Canadian medical schools, that applicants are (or will be) senior medical students, and that applicants have been granted approval by their school.  Final acceptance of the applicant, on a space available basis, for a senior block in our program is vested in the department.

Evaluations of these students are provided to their parent schools by the respective departments offering the electives.  Visiting students should maintain health insurance. Health services are available through the medical center, and services for occupational health requirements (such as immunizations) are available through The Department of Student and Employee Health for a fee. Students with minor occupational injuries occurring at UMMC can receive an initial assessment (by appointment) from The Department of Student and Employee Health during work hours, but if additional care or diagnostic testing is needed, would be referred to the appropriate UMMC clinic and billed for services. Students needing emergency care are advised to go to the emergency department at UMMC or another institution, as appropriate.

The liability insurance policy for our students provides coverage for visiting senior medical students; however, if visiting students have liability insurance coverage in effect through their parent schools, our student policy then provides only secondary coverage for them.

Prospective visiting students should visit the AAMC's Visiting Student Learning Opportunities website (www.aamc.org/vslo) or write the Office of Student Affairs, University of Mississippi Medical Center, 2500 North State Street, Jackson, MS 39216-4505 or email Tressie Nichols tsnichols@umc.edu for information.

Technical Standards for Admission, Retention, Promotion, and Certification for the Degree of Doctor of Medicine

Because the MD degree awarded to a senior medical student signifies that the holder is prepared for entry into the practice of medicine within postgraduate training programs, it follows that graduates must have the knowledge and skills to function in a broad variety of clinical situations and to render a wide spectrum of patient care. Successful students should not only demonstrate honesty, integrity, reliability, and responsibility, but also clear respect for others and cultural sensitivity. Students are expected to excel in a rigorous academic environment and clearly demonstrate academic and personal achievement and a commitment to self-improvement and professional behavior.  A graduate from the School of Medicine is expected to have a strong sense of commitment to serving his or her community, adhere to high ethical standards, and to be sensitive to individual, cultural, and ethnic differences that exist in society. Students must be able to meet these technical standards with or without reasonable academic accommodations.

Observation: The medical student must be able to observe and participate in demonstrations and experiments in the basic sciences, including, but not limited to, physiologic and pharmacologic demonstrations in animals, microbiologic cultures, and microscopic studies of microorganisms and tissues in normal and pathologic states, and anatomical specimens. The student must be able to observe a patient accurately at a distance and close at hand.  Observation necessitates the functional use of the senses of vision, hearing, and somatic sensation.  It is enhanced by the functional use of the sense of smell.

Communication: The candidate must be able to demonstrate and use (in English) the knowledge acquired during the medical education process to elicit, convey, clarify and transmit information (both in oral and written form) effectively, accurately, efficiently and sensitively to patients, their families and other members of the health care team.  Candidates must be able to communicate with patients in order to elicit information regarding mood, activity and posture and perceive nonverbal communication.  Communication and transmission of information includes reading, writing, hearing, and speech. For example, candidates must be able to present legible, accurate and skillful information in oral and written form to a preceptor, professor, teammate, patient, patient's family, and other members of the health care team. Candidates must also be able to effectively and efficiently participate in fast paced, small group discussions/interactions and in patient care settings where clinical decisions may depend on rapid communication.

Motor Coordination and Sensory Skills: Sufficient motor function, tactile ability and sensory abilities are required to attend and participate effectively in all classroom, laboratories, conferences, clinical settings, and activities that are part of the curriculum. Medical students must have somatic sensation and the functional use of the senses of vision, hearing, and equilibrium. They must have sufficient exteroceptive sense (touch, pain and temperature), sufficient proprioceptive sense (position, pressure, movement, stereognosis and vibratory) and sufficient motor function to perform the activities described in the sections that follow. Students must also be able to consistently, quickly, and accurately integrate all information received by whatever sense(s) and have the intellectual ability to learn, integrate, analyze and synthesize data, and the appropriate behavioral and social skills for patient interaction.

Students should have sufficient motor function to obtain information from patients by palpation, auscultation, percussion, and other diagnostic maneuvers; to do basic laboratory tests; to carry out diagnostic procedures; to read electrocardiograms and radiographs; and to conduct anatomical dissections in the basic sciences and clinical years.  A student should be able to execute the motor movements reasonably required to provide general and emergency care to patients.  Examples of emergency treatment reasonably required of physicians are cardiopulmonary resuscitation, administration of intravenous medication, application of pressure to stop bleeding, opening of obstructed airways, suturing of simple wounds and performance of simple obstetrical maneuvers. General care would include, but not limited to neurological, gynecological, prostate, pediatric, obstetric examinations (with appropriate instruments), wound repair, and the application of pressure to stop bleeding. Such actions require coordination of both gross and fine muscular movements, equilibrium, and functional use of the senses of touch and vision.

Intellectual-Conceptual, Integrative, and Quantitative Abilities: A student must demonstrate the ability to integrate, assimilate, and memorize large amounts of detailed and complex information and to process that information. Additional abilities include measurement, calculation, reasoning, analysis, and synthesis. Problem solving, the critical skill demanded of physicians, requires all of these intellectual abilities. In addition, the student must be able to comprehend three dimensional relationships and to understand the spatial relationships of structures.  

Behavioral and Social Attributes: The medical education process is both demanding and challenging.  A student must possess the emotional health required to fully use his or her intellectual abilities; to exercise good judgment; to promptly complete the responsibilities attendant to the diagnosis and care of patients; and to develop mature, sensitive and appropriate relationships with patients. Students must be able to tolerate physically taxing workloads and to function effectively under stress; independently and competently. They must be flexible and able to adapt to changing environments, and capable of functioning in the face of uncertainties inherent in the clinical problems of many patients. 

The possession of interpersonal skills is equally important. The candidate should demonstrate compassion, empathy, a caring attitude, tolerance, an acceptance of differences, personal generosity toward others, thoughtfulness, and a general concern and respect for other individuals.

All students are expected to act as professionals and to be responsible for themselves and their own behavior and actions. Professional behavior would include such things as completing promptly all assignments and responsibilities attendant to the diagnosis and care of patients, showing up for all required experiences on time and prepared, and completing all assignments on time. Candidates will continually demonstrate integrity, honesty, caring, fairness, respect for others, and self, empathy, maturity, dedication, and the ability to distinguish and practice confidentiality. Working with others in an effective, mature, and sensitive manner with all members of the medical community, health care teams, and medical school community is required. Candidates are expected to make an effort to understand prejudices and preconceptions that might affect the patient, medical community, or collegial relationships, especially in the areas of race and ethnicity, gender, disability, sexual orientation, age, and religious differences.