Entrance requirements for admission into medical school are extremely competitive and favor students who are highly motivated, self-starting, and committed to achieving their professional objectives early in their college studies. The most important academic
credentials looked at by admission committees are the MCAT score and undergraduate GPA. Undergraduate GPAs are separated into BCPM (Biology, Chemistry, Physics, Mathematics), AO (all other) and cumulative GPA on medical schools applications.
Since students apply to medical school the summer before their senior year, the GPA is based on 6 semesters of classes. A recommended BCPM GPA of 3.60 or higher is usually the minimum expected. MCAT scores should be at or above the 70th percentile
on each of the four subsections of the test. Since each medical school sets their own standards, it is recommended that students look up the admission criteria for the schools that interest them.
In the past five years, Bellarmine students have attended regional medical schools such as the University of Louisville, University of Kentucky, Indiana University, University of Cincinnati, St. Louis University, Marshall University, Vanderbilt University,
and Wayne State University. Students originally hailing from more distant areas often apply to medical schools in their home states. We have had students accepted at Georgetown University, University of Utah, NYU Medical, SUNY-Syracuse, SUNY-Brooklyn,
SUNY-Stony Brook, Ohio State University, Wake Forest University, University of Toledo, and West Virginia University.
In addition to a strong undergraduate academic record (a GPA of at least 3.60 and acceptable MCAT scores), students must show evidence of familiarity with the day-by-day aspects of medicine by working (or volunteering) in a health care facility (hospital,
clinic, etc.) and/or by shadowing physicians for at least 80 hours. Other positive factors for medical school admission include campus activities (especially in leadership positions), athletics, research or scholarly accomplishments, honors and awards
received, and a documented commitment to community service.
Bellarmine students with competitive academic credentials, a solid extracurricular portfolio, a letter of evaluation from Bellarmine’s Pre-Medical Advisory Committee and a positive interview with the individual Medical School Admissions Committee
have been accepted to medical school. Having a commitment to excellence, the self-motivation to meet objectives, and a dedication to achieve is the recipe for successfully attaining one’s goals.