The University of Chicago Pritzker School of Medicine is currently the 11th best research university for medical education, according to the US News & World Report. It’s located on the south side of Chicago, Illinois, the city where Michael Jordan won six NBA championships with the Chicago Bulls and the birthplace of deep-dish pizza. The Pritzker School of Medicine’s mission is to “inspire diverse students of exceptional promise to become leaders and innovators in science and medicine for the betterment of humanity.” What does it take to get into the medical program here? Let’s find out!
University of Chicago MCAT Scores
University of Chicago’s average MCAT score for the class of 2016 is 36 while the average GPA is 3.8. For the new MCAT, this roughly translates to a score of 518. Note that these numbers are averages, meaning that there are students who were accepted with lower and higher scores than the ones listed. Other aspects of your application will also play a role in the admissions process!
Non-Academic Factors for Getting Into University of Chicago Medical School
Pritzker School of Medicine provides a list of non-academic requirements that they look for on their FAQ page. These requirements include:
- Having a passion for medicine: This might seem obvious, but you want to demonstrate that you’re passionate about the medical field. You can do this by describing your experiences shadowing physicians, volunteering in a clinic, participating in a medical mission, and so on.
- Showing your intellectual curiosity: Being such a highly ranked research university, University of Chicago wants to make sure that their students have a sense of intellectual curiosity. While you can display this curiosity by performing research in a lab, you can also do so by implementing a new project or initiative that you’re passionate about. Get your findings published, even if it’s at a local research conference or your school paper!
- Serving others who are different than you in some way: As a doctor, you’ll interact with an extremely diverse group of people- whether it be other doctors, staff members, patients, or community members. In order to show medical schools that you’re already developing the skills necessary to work with others, be sure to serve a different population than the one you grew up in. For example, if you were raised in the suburbs, look for an opportunity to serve the homeless in an underserved urban area. This will surely be an eye-opening experience with takeaways that you’ll remember throughout your medical career 🙂
Why University of Chicago?
Some of the features that makes Pritzker School of Medicine unique are:
- Class Size: Each class at the University of Chicago has only 88 students, whereas most medical schools tend to have anywhere between 100-150 students. This ensures an intimate learning environment and more individualized attention from faculty.
- Location: Pritzker is on the same campus as the rest of the university, including University of Chicago’s undergraduate institution, Public of Health department, and so on. Having students from other disciplines nearby increases the opportunities for collaboration!
- Community: University of Chicago prides itself in selecting a diverse group of students that will each contribute something special to the medical school’s overall community. As such, it’s that much more important to highlight your unique traits & characteristics and how they benefit those around you in your application.
- Deep. Dish. Enough said.
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