Admissions Criteria
The Dell Medical School admissions process incorporates unique features intended to consider each applicant as a person and a leader — not as a set of numbers on a page.
At Dell Med, we seek future physicians who are not only passionate about medicine but also driven to lead transformative change in health care. Our admissions process identifies individuals who embody the core attributes below.
Core Attributes
Creative Problem-Solvers
We value applicants who move beyond identifying issues to actively developing and implementing innovative solutions. These individuals demonstrate curiosity, adaptability and a commitment to improving health outcomes.
Compassionate Communicators
High emotional intelligence is essential. Our students exhibit empathy, humility and the ability to connect meaningfully with patients and colleagues, fostering trust and collaboration.
Collaborative Leaders
Leadership at Dell Med involves inspiring others, embracing teamwork and understanding the importance of both leading and following. We seek those who can disseminate discoveries and drive collective progress in health care.
Resilient Individuals
Resilience is demonstrated through growth in the face of adversity. Our students show perseverance and the capacity to learn from challenges, preparing them to navigate the complexities of medical practice.
Community-Engaged Partners
A strong commitment to partnering with communities to improve health is paramount. We look for applicants dedicated to developing and implementing health solutions that address the unique needs of the communities they serve.
Mission Contribution
By cultivating these qualities, Dell Med students are equipped to revolutionize how people get and stay healthy, aligning with our vision of defining the future of health by setting the standard for excellence in integrated, multidisciplinary patient care, pioneering impactful research, leading innovation in medical education and catalyzing life sciences entrepreneurship.
Life Experiences
We value applicants from geographically diverse areas whose experiences outside the classroom include:
- Leadership roles
- Mission-aligned extracurricular activities
- Discovery and research
- Public service
- Exposure to health care
Each student’s array of experiences helps shape their approach to their medical education and future medical practice. Successful applicants commonly demonstrate resilience, motivation for medicine, an understanding of technology, multilingual proficiency and unique experiences that can enrich our learning community and the broader community we serve.
Academic Ability
By creating a curriculum from scratch, Dell Med leaders had the freedom to incorporate leading-edge methods and develop a model that uses student time as efficiently as possible. It includes accelerating the pre-clinical basic science curriculum to 12 months — two years is typical — with a greater focus on team-based learning and self-paced study. Students with a strong academic record will excel in this accelerated curriculum, although the admissions team also reviews each applicant’s history for other evidence of academic aptitude and stamina. GPAs, transcripts and MCAT scores inform this assessment, but the team considers them in the context of other qualifications for holistic evaluation.
MCAT & GPA
Dell Med does not set a minimum MCAT score. The MCAT score is evaluated as one indicator among many others and must be considered in light of those other factors. The admissions team accepts MCAT scores received up to five years prior to the expected date of matriculation.
The school does not set a minimum GPA. An applicant’s GPA is one indicator among many that are considered in the application evaluation. The team reviews GPAs in prerequisite courses, rigor of advanced coursework, trends in the context of the applicant’s experiences and nonacademic obligations.
Prerequisite Courses
Medical education fosters core competencies required of modern physicians — but a strong foundation in these is required of applicants. Competency is demonstrated by completing the following courses designated as “for science majors” at a regionally accredited U.S. college or university:
- Biology: 11 semester hours, two of which must be labs (A genetics course is strongly recommended.)
- Physics: Eight semester hours, two of which must be labs
- Chemistry: 12 semester hours, to be composed of a combination of:
- Two semesters of organic chemistry and one semester of general inorganic chemistry (for a total of nine semester hours with three semester hours of lab)
or - Two semesters of general inorganic chemistry and one semester of organic chemistry (for a total of nine semester hours with three semester hours of lab)
- Two semesters of organic chemistry and one semester of general inorganic chemistry (for a total of nine semester hours with three semester hours of lab)
- Biochemistry: Three semester hours of biochemistry
- English: Three semester hours of composition-based English
- Math: Three semester hours of statistics
Advanced Placement and correspondence courses are acceptable if the official transcript indicates specific course numbers and credits granted. A grade of “C” or higher must be recorded in each of these courses. Any quarter-hour credit equals two-thirds of a semester-hour credit.
Dell Med supports the movement toward competencies. Applicants are free to demonstrate competencies by any means; for most, the easiest method will be through satisfactory performance in appropriately rigorous coursework. Any applicant that believes competency has been established by some alternate means is invited to petition the admissions team by email.