There are many people who wish to become medical doctors but have been faced with the reality of changing careers because of how difficult it is to get into some of the top-ranking medical schools in the world.
The truth is that there are many medical schools that seem almost impossible to get in, especially Florida State University, this school is hands-down the hardest to get in, with an acceptance rate of 2.1%, you need to do a lot to get in.
This article covers the medical schools with the lowest acceptance rates in the nation which shows how difficult it will be to get in, so you know your chances of admission or what you are required to do to have a chance.
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Why are medical schools difficult to get into?
There are a few reasons medical schools are difficult to get into and one reason is that there are more applicants than there are spots, the competition is intense because the applicant pool is filled with very qualified students.
Every year, there are thousands of applicants vying for a limited number of spots, and in order to stand out, you need to have a strong GPA, great MCAT scores, and meaningful extracurricular activities.
But even if you have all of that, it’s still no guarantee that you’ll get in, the admissions process is highly subjective, and it’s impossible to know what the admissions committees are looking for.
We also noticed that the medical schools in Quebec are extremely difficult to get into, mostly because they reserve a lot of spots for their residents or people with a Citizenship status. It is going to be ridiculously difficult for an international student to get admitted there.
Without further ado, let us now review some of the medical schools with the hardest admission requirements to get into.
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What Are The Hardest Medical Schools To Get Into in the US?
1. Florida State University College of Medicine
Established in 2000 and located in Tallahassee, the College of Medicine at Florida State University is a medical school with the most competitive admission requirement.
Florida State University College of Medicine has one of the lowest admission statistics with about 7148 applications and 149 acceptance which makes up an acceptance rate of 2.1%.
This institution was accredited by the Liaison Committee on Medical Education five years later in Feb 2005.
The FSU College of Medicine is also one of the best medical schools in the US and offers degree programs such as; M.D., Physician Assistant, Ph.D., M.S., B.S., residency, fellowship, and special programs.
This College of Medicine has six departments which are:
- Behavioral Sciences & social medicine
- Biomedical sciences
- Clinical sciences
- Family Medicine & rural health
- Geriatrics
- Medicine
The FSU College of Medicine is so difficult to get into that applicants are required to have an average GPA of 3.7 and an average MCAT score of 506 to have a chance of getting admitted.
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Contact details:
Location: Florida State University Services Center, Address: 1115 W Call St, Tallahassee, FL 32304, United States, Phone: +1 850-644-1855.
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2. New York University (NYU) Grossman School of Medicine
The Grossman School of Medicine at New York University is one of the hardest medical schools to get into with admission statistics of 9242 applications and 205 accepted, giving it an acceptance rate of 2.2.
It is a private research university that was founded in 1841 by John William Draper. Applicants to this school must hold a bachelor’s degree from an accredited college or university in the United States or Canada and possess an average GPA of 3.9 and a median MCAT score of 522.
Contact details:
Located in: NYU Langone Health, Address: 550 1st Ave., New York, NY 10016, United States, and Phone: +1 212-263-5290.
3. Stanford University School of Medicine
Located in California, the School of Medicine at Stanford University is one of the medical schools with the lowest acceptance rates in the world.
This institution was founded in 1903 by Lloyd B. Minor and is also one of the best medical schools in the US.
It is also one of the medical schools with the highest MCAT scores, applicants to this medical school are required to have an average GPA of 3.89 and a median MCAT score of 520.
Standford University is so hard to get into that out of 6900 applicants, only 155 were accepted which gives the school a low acceptance rate of 2.3%.
Contact details:
Located in: Stanford University, Address: 291 Campus Drive, Stanford, CA 94305, United States, and Phone: +1 650-723-2300.
Related: The 3 Best Osteopathic Medical Schools In California To Get Into
4. The College of Medicine at the University of Arizona
Founded in 1967, The College of Medicine at the University of Arizona is one of the three Medical Degree granting schools in the state of Arizona.
There are two departments found in this college of medicine through which undergraduate and graduate medical teaching and training programs are offered Basic Science and Clinical Departments.
There are also about 23 specialist programs offered through these departments. Some of them include Physiology, Pharmacology, Surgery, Urology, Anesthesiology, and Medicine.
The College of Medicine at the University of Arizona is also one of the hardest medical schools to get into in the US with admission statistics of 9563 applications and just 216 accepted giving it an acceptance rate of low 2.3%.
Applicants are required to apply early and also have an average GPA of 3.0 and an MCAT score of 498 to stand a chance of getting admitted.
Contact details:
Located in: Banner – University Medical Center Tucson, Address: 1501 N Campbell Ave, Tucson, AZ 85724, United States, Phone: +1 520-626-4555.
5. Virginia Tech Carilion School of Medicine
The next on our list of medical schools with the lowest acceptance rates in the US is the Virginia Tech Carilion School of Medicine.
Founded in 2007, the Virginia Tech Carilion School of Medicine is a public medical school at Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University located in Roanoke, Virginia.
There are four departments through which medical teaching and training programs are offered Basic Science and Clinical Departments, Health System Science, and Interprofessional Practice.
Virginia Tech Carilion School of Medicine is so difficult to get into that out of 4299 applicants only 100 were accepted, this gives the school an acceptance rate of 2.3%.
To get a chance of getting admitted into this school, applicants are required to have an average MCAT score of 504 and an average GPA of 3.6.
Contact details:
Headquarters location: Roanoke, Virginia, United States, Address: 2 Riverside Circle, Roanoke, VA 24016, Phone: (540) 526-2500.
Related: The 13 Best Medical Schools in South Africa To Get Into
6. Georgetown University School of Medicine
Founded in 1851 and located on Reservoir Road in Washington, the School of Medicine at Georgetown University is one of the best medical schools in the United States.
The school offers students medical teaching, clinical service, and biomedical research and is also one of the University’s five graduate schools.
It is one of the hardest medical schools with the highest MCAT score of 512, out of 14,468 applicants only 390 were admitted giving the school an acceptance rate of 2.7%.
To get a chance of getting admitted into this school, applicants are required to have an average GPA of 2.7, you will also need to provide a motivation letter.
Contact details:
Located at: Georgetown University, Address: 3900 Reservoir Rd NW, Washington, DC 20007, United States, Phone: +1 202-687-0100.
7. George Washington School of Medicine and Health Science
Founded in 1824, the George Washington University School of Medicine and Health Sciences is the professional medical school of George Washington University, in Washington, D.C.
The School of Medicine and Health Science is one of the hardest medical schools to get into based on the number of applications received and accepted.
It is so difficult that out of 11,772 applications, only 329 were accepted giving an acceptance rate of 2.8%.
To stand a chance of getting admitted into this school, applicants are required to have a high GPA of 3.71 and an average MCAT score of 512.8.
Contact details:
Address: 2300 I St NW, Washington, DC 20052, United States, Phone: +1 202-994-2987
8. The University of California, Los Angeles (UCLA)
David Geffen School of Medicine at the University of California, Los Angeles is one of the most difficult medical schools to get into in the United States.
Originally founded in 1951 and renamed in 2001 in honor of media mogul David Geffen who donated $200 million in unrestricted funds, the school provides quality medical.
It is so difficult that out of 11,784 applications, only 333 were accepted giving an acceptance rate of 2.8%.
To stand a chance of getting admitted into this school, applicants are required to have a high GPA of 3.8 and an average MCAT score of 512.
Contact details:
Address: 10833 Le Conte Ave, Los Angeles, CA 90095, United States. Phone: +1 310-825-6373
9. Wright State University (OH)
Founded in 1973, the Boonshoft School of Medicine at Wright State University is one of the best medical schools in the US.
this school is located in Dayton, Ohio, and serves the Miami Valley region of southwestern Ohio.
It is also one of the hardest medical schools to get into with an acceptance rate of 2.8%, out of 7523 applicants only 214 were accepted.
To get into the Boonshoft School of Medicine at Wright State University, applicants are required to have an average GPA of 3.73 and an average MCAT score of 507.
Contact details:
Location: Wright State University, Address: 3640 Colonel Glenn Hwy, Fairborn, OH 45324, United States. Phone: +1 937-775-2934
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10. Howard University College of Medicine
Founded in 1868, the College of Medicine at Howard University is one of the top medical schools in Washington that grants the Doctor of Medicine, Ph.D., M.S., and M.PH.
This institution is also featured as one of the hardest medical schools with the highest MCAT scores of 504 and a GPA of 3.5.
The College of Medicine at Howard University offers dual M.D degree programs and the regular M.D. degree is highly competitive.
As one of the medical schools with the lowest acceptance rates, it is too difficult to get admission into this school that out of 8758 applications, only 256 were accepted, making an acceptance rate of 2.9%.
Contact details:
Located in: Howard University.
Address: College of Medicine, 520 W St NW, Washington, DC 20059, United States.
Phone: +1 202-806-6270.
Other Medical Schools With The Lowest Acceptance Rates
- Harvard Medical School
- Wake Forest School of Medicine
- Warren Alpert Medical School of Brown University
- Mayo Clinic Alix School of Medicine
- John Hopkins University School of Medicine
- Baylor College of Medicine
- New York Medical College
- Dr. Kiran C. Patel College of Allopathic Medicine
What are the Hardest Medical Schools To Get Into in Canada?
| Name of School | Average GPA | Average Acceptance Rate |
| University of Ottawa | 3.5 | 3.44% |
| Northern Ontario School of Medicine | 3.4 | 3.49% |
| McMaster | 3.87 | 5-10% |
| Queens | 3.42 | 12.4% |
| University of Toronto | 3.15 | 8.3% |
1. University of Ottawa
Founded in 1945 and located in Ontario, the Faculty of Medicine at the University of Ottawa is hands down the hardest medical school to get into in Canada.
As one of the medical schools with the lowest acceptance rates of 3.44%, applicants are required to have an average GPA of 3.5 to stand a chance to get admitted.
Contact details:
Address: Roger Guindon Hall, 451 Smyth Rd #2044, Ottawa, ON K1H 8M5, Canada. Phone: +1 613-562-5409
2. Northern Ontario School of Medicine
Founded in 2005, the Northern Ontario School of Medicine is one of the medical schools in Canada with the hardest admission requirements.
Northern Ontario School of Medicine has an acceptance rate of just 3.49 and applicants are required to have an average GPA of 3.4.
Contact details:
Address: 935 Ramsey Lake Rd, Sudbury, ON P3E 2C6, Canada. Phone: +1 705-675-4883.
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2. McMaster
Established in 1965, the next on our list of medical schools in Canada with the lowest acceptance rates is the McMaster University School of Medicine.
This medical school is so difficult that applicants must have provided a high GPA of 3.87 to be considered, although that is not even a guarantee for admission.
The McMaster University School of Medicine’s acceptance rate ranges from 5-10%.
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3. Queens University
Established in 1854, the School of Medicine at Queen’s University in Kingston is one of the best medical schools in Canada that is responsible for research, as well as undergraduate and graduate education in Medicine.
Queens University School of Medicine is also one of the hardest medical schools with the lowest acceptance rate of 12.4%.
Students can pursue programs here that lead to the MD degree, to get admitted, applicants should have an average GPA of 3.4
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University of Toronto
Founded in 1843, the Temerty Faculty of Medicine is the medical school of the University of Toronto.
The University of Toronto School of Medical is one of the medical schools in Canada with the hardest admission requirements.
Applicants are required to have an average GPA of 3.15 while the acceptance rate is as low as 8.3%.
Contact details:
Located in: University of Toronto – St. George Campus. Address: Medical Sciences Building, 1 King’s College Cir, Toronto, ON M5S 1A8, Canada. Phone: +1 416-978-6585.
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What are the hardest medical schools in the UK?
The schools in the table below have the lowest admission rates.
| Name of School | Average GPA | Average Acceptance Rate |
| University of Aberdeen School | 3.0 | 8.27% |
| University of Edinburgh School | 3.25 | 8.01% |
| University of Birmingham Medical School | 3.7-3.8 | 12.42% |
| University of Buckingham Medical School | – | 13.4% |
| Anglia Ruskin School of Medicine | – | 12% |
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Conclusion
Just because a school is hard to get into doesn’t mean it’s the best choice for you, do your research and make sure the school is a good fit for your needs and interests.
The schools on this list are all excellent institutions, but getting in is no guarantee of success.
Make sure you’re prepared to put in the work required to succeed in medical school, getting into medical school is a competitive process, but don’t let that discourage you.
Final Note
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