Every student enrolled in our MD degree program receives a Full-Tuition Scholarship, regardless of merit or financial need, that covers the majority of the cost of attendance. Our Full-Tuition Scholarships make it possible for aspiring physicians to choose a specialty based on their talent and inclinations to better serve the communities who need it most, and to more easily pursue scientific breakthroughs that improve how we care for patients. We aim to turn the best and brightest future physicians into leaders with the potential to transform healthcare.
Our groundbreaking accelerated three-year MD program, launched in 2013, reduces the traditional medical school curriculum by one full year, with the ability to opt in during your first year of medical school. With our four- and five-year pathways to the MD degree, including dual degree programs, we offer unparalleled flexibility to customize your medical training in ways that align with your professional interests.
Join us in an educational experience that integrates clinical skills, quality, and evidence-based medicine, and emphasizes the importance of patient-centered care to inform and enhance healthcare in the 21st century.
Admissions
At NYU Grossman School of Medicine, we’re proud that our medical students are well-rounded and versed in topics beyond the humanities and sciences. We believe this diversity better positions them to solve healthcare’s biggest challenges.
To be eligible, applicants must meet several criteria:
be a U.S. citizen, permanent resident, or have Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals (DACA) status
have a bachelor’s degree from an accredited college or university in the United States or Canada
we also accept applications from international students who have a bachelor’s degree from an accredited college or university in the United States or Canada
the Medical College Admission Test (MCAT) is required for all applicants
Foundational Academics for MD Candidates
Our MD program candidates are knowledgeable in core scientific subjects and demonstrate strong communication skills, which form the foundation necessary for success in medical school.
Bachelor’s Degree and GPA
Applicants to NYU Grossman School of Medicine must hold a bachelor’s degree from an accredited college or university in the United States or Canada.
The median and average undergraduate GPAs for students in our most recent incoming class were 3.96 and 3.92, respectively.
Premedical Coursework
NYU Grossman School of Medicine does not have prerequisites. However, we recommend the following premedical courses:
inorganic chemistry, organic chemistry, and biochemistry with lab
general biology with lab
general physics with lab
statistics
genetics
English
We consider courses completed at schools of dentistry, nursing, veterinary medicine, or pharmacy as part of your application materials but do not provide credit for such courses.
Medical College Admissions Test
Your score on the MCAT, a standardized, multiple-choice examination, helps our admissions committee assess your ability to solve problems and think critically about behavioral and scientific concepts. You take the test no later than September of the year you apply to medical school.
We consider MCAT scores only from three years prior to your expected matriculation date. For example, if you plan to enroll in fall 2023, the oldest acceptable MCAT score would be from January 2020.
The median and average MCAT scores among students in our most recent incoming class were both 522.
Letters of Evaluation
Providing letters of evaluation is part of the NYU Grossman School of Medicine application process. We require a premedical committee appraisal letter (preferred) or two letters from professors who taught you in courses (at least one in science). Nontraditional applicants are encouraged to submit two letters of recommendation from colleagues with whom you’ve worked closely.
Applicants must submit letters of recommendation via the AMCAS Letter Service by the November 15 deadline. Do not send any letters directly to NYU Grossman School of Medicine.
Technical Standards and Criminal Background Check
All accepted applicants meet NYU Grossman School of Medicine’s technical standards, which define the physical, mental, emotional, and social abilities that support success in medical school. You also complete a criminal background check, at no additional cost, to ensure patient safety.
NYU Grossman School of Medicine trains future physicians with an innovative, flexible MD degree curriculum known as the Curriculum for the 21st Century, or C21. Our program enables students to master the knowledge and skills necessary to succeed in medicine and provides opportunities to customize their studies at designated points in their training.
Whether it’s gaining early acceptance to a residency program with the accelerated three-year MD pathway, training to become a physician-scientist with our MD/PhD degree, or exploring a professional area that complements the MD degree with one of our dual MD/master’s degrees, C21 offers many options for students to achieve their own personal career goals.
C21 provides patient-centered and disease-focused training to help students make connections between basic science concepts learned in the classroom and their real-world clinical application. In your clerkship year and beyond, those concepts are reinforced through daily patient contact, online and simulation exercises offered at NYSIM, the New York Simulation Center for the Health Sciences, and progress assessments. Diversity and health disparities are also explored in the context of C21.
The following schematic shows a student's typical progression through our MD curriculum:
Stage One: Preclerkship Curriculum
Stage one of the MD curriculum at NYU Grossman School of Medicine features 11 months of interdisciplinary preclerkship modules that cover foundational basic science concepts in biology, anatomy, physiology, and pathophysiology. Preclerkship education includes a concurrent Foundational Clinical Skills module that provides opportunities for students to participate in clinical learning experiences with patients.
This integrated educational experience gives you the opportunity to apply concepts learned in the classroom to real-life patient scenarios. You gain insight into the behavioral and social aspects of practicing medicine that help you develop the necessary skills to interact with patients and other healthcare providers in your clerkships and internships.
During stage one of the MD curriculum, students participate in several preclerkship modules. Foundations of Medicine takes place from August through November; Organ Systems from November through June; and Foundational Clinical Skills throughout the year.
Preclerkship Modules
The preclerkship modules you complete during your first year of medical school provide the biological and scientific knowledge you need for success in clerkships and beyond. We integrate overarching educational themes to provide you with a scaffolding for longitudinal learning.
Foundations of Medicine
All students begin the first semester of medical studies with Foundations of Medicine, a module that emphasizes the key basic science concepts that underlie the practice of clinical medicine.
Organ Systems Modules
In the first-year organ systems modules, you participate in learning activities that focus on physiology, pathology, and pathophysiology integrated across the following human organ systems:
cardiovascular
pulmonary
renal
gastrointestinal
endocrine and reproductive medicine
neurology and psychiatry
You examine the effects of disease on each organ system and how each relates to the others. As you discover the pathophysiology underlying specific disease states, you develop the problem-solving skills necessary to diagnose and propose treatment options for each.
Foundational Clinical Skills Module
The Foundational Clinical Skills (FCS) module, woven throughout the preclerkship curriculum, allows you to combine concepts learned in the classroom and laboratory with bedside learning experiences. You learn core clinical skills that serve as the foundation for your clerkships, medical training, and practice beyond.
During the FCS module, you focus on bedside diagnosis and clinical reasoning. You also learn various communication and conflict-resolution techniques. Clinical teaching highlights respectful, responsive care that addresses each patient’s needs, preferences, and values. At the conclusion of year one, students have the opportunity to explore various career choices during an eight-week summer fellowship.
Preparing for the Boards
Upon completing the preclerkship curriculum, all students take the first part of the U.S. Medical Licensing Examination (USMLE), the three-part exam required for medical licensure, also known as “the boards.” USMLE Step 1 comprises a series of questions and problem-solving tasks that assess your ability to apply science fundamentals to the practice of medicine.
Topics covered on the USMLE Step 1 include the following:
anatomy
behavioral sciences
biochemistry
biostatistics
epidemiology
microbiology
pathology
pharmacology
physiology
Additional USMLE Step 1 questions focus on aging, genetics, immunology, medical ethics, molecular and cell biology, and nutrition.
Stage Two: Clerkship Year
During core clerkships at NYU Grossman School of Medicine, you acquire invaluable experience on the wards and clinics at NYU Langone and our affiliated clinical training sites. Over the course of 10 months, you develop the clinical judgment skills necessary to diagnose and treat patients.
You begin your clerkship year in October of your second year, months earlier than students at most other medical schools. This provides you with additional time to explore specialty or subspecialty areas that interest you through electives, as well as in areas of concentration later in the curriculum.
The clerkship year begins with a two-week Transition to Clerkship course that prepares you for the clerkship experience. You review the skills essential for a smooth transition to clerkship year including the responsibilities that are expected of you as a member of a healthcare team.
During stage two of the MD curriculum, students participate in a Transition to Clerkship orientation course that takes place in October followed by clerkship experiences and Integrated Clinical Skills sessions that take place from October through July.
We offer core clerkships in seven general areas: ambulatory care, general surgery, neurology, medicine, obstetrics and gynecology, pediatrics, and psychiatry. As part of your neurology and psychiatry block, you have a one-week neuropsychiatry integrated experience to highlight the cutting-edge intersection of these two disciplines. Your clerkship rotations occur in 4 blocks, each 10 weeks in duration, that includes 4 weeks of elective time for career exploration.
The Clerkship Experience
Our medical students take on a wide range of responsibilities during their clerkships. You may assist with labor and delivery during your obstetrics and gynecology rotation, suture incisions at the end of procedures during your surgery rotation, or place intravenous lines or catheters during your rotation in medicine.
As a clerkship student, you are integrated into the medical team and work with attending physicians, residents, and/or fellows as well as other interdisciplinary team members. You have the opportunity to spend invaluable time at the bedside learning from and educating your patients, presenting cases to your team, and developing diagnostic and treatment plans. Other likely tasks include writing patient notes and gathering diagnostic data, including lab and imaging test results.
At the end of each clerkship block, your performance is assessed in a number of ways including by your supervisors (attending physicians, residents, and/or fellows), through observed structured clinical examinations (OSCEs), submission of internal assignments (such as patient write-ups or quizzes), and National Board of Medical Examiners (NBME) subject exams. Clerkship grades comprise honors, high pass, pass, and fail.
Electives
During your clerkship year, there are two weeks dedicated to elective rotations from a broad range of offerings across departments, which allow you to customize your education based on your professional interests.
As part of the 10-week surgery block, you also participate in a 2-week surgery-related elective. The surgery-related elective provides exposure to one of the following surgical subspecialties or surgically related procedural fields: anesthesiology, cardiothoracic surgery, emergency medicine, neurosurgery, ophthalmology, orthopedic surgery, otolaryngology, plastic surgery, interventional and diagnostic radiology, and urology.
Integrated Clinical Skills
You participate in two one-week Integrated Clinical Skills (ICS) sessions in October and March, which take place between your clerkship blocks. These are intended to further strengthen and enhance your clinical skills training by building on both the Foundational Clinical Skills module in the preclerkship curriculum and experiences in the clinical environment during clerkships.
Topics are geared toward improving the clinical skills needed to provide patient care at the individual patient and systems level that is patient-centered, team-based, safe, high-value, and equitable and that incorporates evidenced-based best practices and emerging technologies. Examples of specific sessions include advanced communication skills such as goals of care discussions, point-of-care ultrasound training, and patient handoffs. The ICI sessions also focus on professional identity development, the opportunity to practice skills and receive feedback, and goals for subsequent clinical experiences.
You take subject-specific standardized “shelf” exams to determine how well you understand materials presented in the medicine, neurology, obstetrics and gynecology, pediatrics, psychiatry, and surgery clerkships. Shelf exams occur after you complete the corresponding clerkship.
Stage Three: Individualized Exploration
In stage three of NYU Grossman School of Medicine’s MD curriculum, you take Step 2 of the U.S. Medical Licensure Exam (USMLE) and pursue individualized exploration in specialty and subspecialty areas of interest through post-clerkship elective and selective courses, advanced clinically integrated science selective (ACISS) courses, and the advanced clinical skills module.
During stage three of the MD curriculum, students take the USMLE Step 2 in August. They participate in electives in September, take advanced clinically integrated science selective courses in October and February, and participate in post-clerkship elective and selective courses from November through January and March through July. The Advanced Clinical Skills module takes place from October through July.
USMLE Step 2
The USMLE Step 2 CK, the second part of the three-step exam for medical licensure, assesses medical knowledge and scientific concepts as they are applied to patient diagnoses and care, health maintenance and management, and disease prevention. It is administered in 8 hour-long blocks during a single day, with 45-minutes of break time and a 15-minute tutorial session.
Comprehensive Clinical Skills Examination
During phase three, you also take our comprehensive clinical skills exam (CCSE). This performance-based exam ensures proficiency in core clinical skills at the completion of clerkship year. Our CCSE is a series of mock patient encounters that assess your skills in communication, taking patient histories, conducting physical examinations, and clinical reasoning.
In addition to preparing for exams, you take selective and elective courses in areas of interest. You must also complete at least one ACISS course, which you can take during stage three or four of the curriculum. You may also begin a scholarly concentration, which is a research project completed with guidance from experts in your chosen field.
Stage Four: Career Preparation
In stage four of NYU Grossman School of Medicine’s curriculum, students spend 11 months on several career preparation activities including the completion of required rotations in a critical care clerkship and a subinternship that offers vital experience in advanced patient care.
During stage four of the MD curriculum, students participate in career preparation activities from August through May.
Critical Care Clerkship
In a four-week critical care clerkship, you develop the knowledge, skills, and experience you need to care for critically ill patients. You are assigned to a specialty intensive care unit and become an active member of the care team. Responsibilities include daily teaching rounds and following, assessing, and treating critically ill patients. Grades are honors, high pass, pass, and fail.
Subinternships
Another component of stage four of the MD curriculum is a four-week subinternship in one of three areas—advanced medicine, advanced surgery, or advanced pediatrics. During the subinternship, you take on patient care responsibilities that exceed those in your core clerkships. This helps you excel during the internship year of your upcoming residency. Subinternship responsibilities may include taking overnight calls, admitting patients, and entering orders. Grades are honors, high pass, pass, and fail.
Advanced Medicine Subinternship
The advanced medicine subinternship provides additional training and experience in managing the care of hospitalized patients on an internal medicine inpatient ward. It better prepares you for a residency in internal medicine or, if that is not your eventual destination, offers a final opportunity to study internal medicine before you complete residency training in another area.
Advanced Surgery Subinternship
The advanced surgery subinternship provides additional training and experience in general surgery. It also fulfills the subinternship graduation requirement for students applying for a residency in general surgery or another surgical specialty.
Advanced Pediatrics Subinternship
The advanced pediatrics subinternship is for students who have successfully completed their pediatrics clerkship and are interested in additional pediatrics training and experience. It also fulfills the subinternship graduation requirement for students applying for a residency in pediatrics.
Senior Clinical Skills Exam
The senior clinical skills exam is an immersive experience that consists of a night on call in the simulation center. The exam challenges students to be the intern and perform tasks that include evaluating patients, collaborating intra- and inter-professionally, using oral and written documentation, and critically appraising information to inform decision-making. All of this work is framed within routine clinical activities that you should be ready to perform upon graduation. You receive written feedback on your performance, including areas of strengths and gaps that might be addressed before or upon transitioning to residency. Past participants have found this exam to be an authentic, rewarding, and enjoyable experience.
Transition to Residency
During the transition to residency course, students focus on integrating basic science and clinical knowledge. You then work to identify your own learning needs as you look ahead to your internship. The course is a mix of workshops, simulation, and conferences. A key focus is on developing autonomy, understanding the limits of self-reliance, and knowing when to ask for help. The overall goal is to put students in a position to not only survive, but also to thrive as a leader and educator during your internship and residency years.
Sample Plan of Study
Learning Outcomes
Upon successful completion of the program, graduates will:
Have the opportunity to apply concepts learned in the classroom to real-life patient scenarios.
Gain insight into the behavioral and social aspects of practicing medicine that helps develop the necessary skills to interact with patients and other healthcare providers in your clerkships and internships.
Be provided with the biological and scientific knowledge needed for success in clerkships and beyond.
Examine the effects of disease on each organ system and how each relates to the others.
Learn various communication and conflict-resolution techniques.
Have the ability to apply science fundamentals to the practice of medicine.
Assess medical knowledge and scientific concepts as they are applied to patient diagnoses and care, health maintenance and management, and disease prevention.
Develop the knowledge, skills, and experience you need to care for critically ill patients.
