Admissions and Application Process

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Submission deadlines and admissions timeline

At Mayo Clinic Alix School of Medicine, we look for more than bright minds. We seek students who want to change lives, transform health care, and define the future of medicine. Ensure you are prepared, and learn more about our submission items and deadlines.

Timeline	Action
Early May	AMCAS application opens
June 1-Oct. 1	Application window
August-November	Applicants invited to interview
September-December	Campus interviews take place
Oct. 15	Deadline to post MCAT scores to AMCAS application
Oct. 15	Deadline to submit transcripts
Nov. 1	Deadline to submit secondary application and fee
Nov. 1	Deadline to submit letters of recommendation
February	Applicants initially offered acceptance
February	Applicants offered alternate list positions
March-June	Applicants accepted from the alternate list
June 15	Deadline to submit official transcript from undergraduate or Pharm.D. conferring school
Early July	Orientation

Prerequisites and requirements

Review the academic and test prerequisites and technical standards for students applying for admission to the M.D. Program at Mayo Clinic Alix School of Medicine.

Find out more about our M.D. Program's acceptance rate and admissions statistics.

Transfer student policy

Mayo Clinic Alix School of Medicine does not accept requests for advanced standing transfer from medical school students either currently or previously enrolled in another medical school program, international or domestic.

The only pathway to matriculation at Mayo Clinic Alix School of Medicine is through application through the American Medical College Application Service (AMCAS).

How to apply

Students in the M.D. Program receive outstanding integrated clinical and research training, and also acquire the skills to be leaders in an ever-changing and challenging health care environment. We encourage you to apply and join us for an unparalleled medical training experience.

Application requirements

M.D. Program application requirements

All applications submitted to AMCAS must include the following:

Online AMCAS application: Submit your application during the application window, between June 1-Oct. 1.
Transcripts: Transcripts for all previously completed academic programs must be submitted to AMCAS by Oct. 15.
Application processing/secondary fee: Applicants selected for secondary review will be required to pay a $120 processing fee by Nov. 1 (unless granted a fee waiver by AMCAS).
Letters of recommendation: Applicants must submit a minimum of three individual letters or one committee letter. Review Mayo Clinic Alix School of Medicine letters of recommendation requirements and submit letters of recommendation through the AMCAS Letter Service by Nov. 1.
MCAT: Applicants must complete an MCAT exam within three years of their intended matriculation (between January 2022 and September 2024 for the 2025 admissions cycle) and achieve a minimum score of 508.

M.D.-Ph.D. training program application

If you are interested in M.D.-Ph.D. training, visit the Medical Scientist Training Program website for more information.

Primary application

Complete the online application through the American Medical College Application Service (AMCAS). Applications are accepted June 1 through Oct. 1. Given the highly competitive nature of our program, early submission of application materials is strongly encouraged.

As a national medical school, Mayo Clinic Alix School of Medicine has one AMCAS application for our three campuses in Arizona, Florida, and Minnesota. Applicants who meet our prerequisites and requirements will receive our secondary application.

Secondary application

Applicants invited to complete a secondary application will have the opportunity to select and rank up to four campus track options:

Arizona 4-Year Track. The Arizona campus is your home base for all four years.
Minnesota 4-Year Track. The Minnesota campus is your home base for all four years.
Arizona/Florida Track. You complete preclinical coursework on the Arizona campus and then clinical clerkships on the Florida campus.
Minnesota/Florida Track. You complete preclinical coursework on the Minnesota campus and then clinical clerkships on the Florida campus.

Applicants must select at least one campus track option. Options ranked will be considered at the time of interview invitation and acceptance.

An application is considered complete when the secondary application has been submitted, the $120 fee has been paid or waived, and the minimum number of letters of recommendation has been met.

Secondary application questions

Each essay must be 500 words or less.

Why are you specifically interested in pursuing your medical education at Mayo Clinic Alix School of Medicine? Please tell us in a few sentences why you are interested in the top track choice you indicated.
Each of us relates to others through characteristics that make up our individual diversity. Tell us how your diversity is reflected not only in your personal and professional activities, but also in your relationship with others, particularly in diverse learning environments.

Letters of recommendation

Mayo Clinic Alix School of Medicine requires a minimum of three letters of recommendation or one composite letter from a premedical committee to supplement your application.

Guidelines for letters of recommendation

Mayo Clinic Alix School of Medicine only accepts letters submitted through the American Medical College Application Service (AMCAS) Letter Service. Letters sent directly to the school are not accepted. Applicants are encouraged to visit the letter service page on the AMCAS website for more information. To ensure efficient processing of your letters by AMCAS, carefully follow all instructions.
We recommend at least one letter to be written by a science professor in the life sciences or physical sciences. A letter from a teaching assistant is also acceptable.
Examples of letter writers include research mentors, employers, volunteer supervisors, physicians with whom you have worked or shadowed, teachers and professors, and other professionals.
Letters should be written by people who know you well and whose opinions convey the likelihood of your success in medical school.
Letters from family and friends are not accepted.
A maximum of 10 letters are accepted.
The deadline to submit letters of recommendation is Nov. 1.

Application review process

Mayo Clinic Alix School of Medicine has a separate admissions committee for each campus. Each of these committees is composed of current and retired Mayo Clinic staff, administrators, allied health staff, medical students, and professional members of the community. These three admissions committees report to the Admissions Executive Committee that governs admissions for all campuses of the national medical school.

Applications are typically routed to an applicant's first track choice for holistic review. At review, admissions committee members evaluate all application materials to determine whether to invite for interview, place the application on hold, or reject.

Holistic review

Our admissions committee members evaluate these application factors in relation to our mission when deciding which applicants to invite for interview.

Academic performance
MCAT score
Cumulative undergraduate GPA (graduate GPA trajectory if applicable)
Depth and breadth of experiences; community and volunteer service, leadership, research, exposure to and exploration of medicine, artistic and athletic endeavors, and work experiences
Personal statement
Letters of recommendation
Secondary application

Learn more about the M.D. Program prerequisites and admissions requirements.

Campus interviews

Interviews allow us to meet the applicants we have read so much about. These interviews also allow applicants to meet the admissions committee members, current students, and some of their potential classmates. We are happy to answer all your questions and look forward to meeting you.

Interview invitations

Depending on your selection and rank of campus track in the secondary application, you could be invited to interview with any of our three campuses.

Applicants who select more than one campus track option will only be invited to interview with one campus, taking into consideration the specific rank of preference. That interview will count as your interview for the other campus tracks that were selected in your secondary application.

Interviews are virtual, video interviews.

Interview invitations are emailed August through November, and conducted from September through December. These time frames are subject to change.

Before your interview

Interview day

After interview day

Admission decisions

Early decision and rolling admissions

Application updates and status

We like to hear from our applicants! Significant application updates are accepted at any time.

Updates should be uploaded directly into the admissions portal as a PDF document.
We do not require or accept any updates to transcripts or grades.
Materials should not be mailed to our office unless specifically requested.
Application statuses can be checked through the admissions portal throughout the admissions cycle.

Acceptance, alternate list, and rejections

Acceptance

We make acceptance decisions when all interviews are complete on each campus, and when our admissions committees have deliberated on all applicants.

Initial offers of acceptance are typically made in mid-February. The Admissions Executive Committee could consider all campus track options that an applicant indicated on their secondary application at the time of acceptance, regardless of where they interviewed. All offers of acceptance begin with a phone call from a member of our admissions committee to the accepted applicant.

Alternate list

Alternate list emails are sent once initial offers of acceptance have been communicated. Offers of acceptance from the alternate list may be extended between March and June.

Rejections

Initial rejection emails are sent once initial acceptances and alternate list offers are made. Alternate list rejections will be made at the end of the admissions cycle.

Second look

Deferred matriculation

Requests for deferred matriculation are only available to accepted applicants.

Accepted applicants who would like to apply for deferral must write to the Office of Admissions stating their reason for requesting deferral and their proposed plans for the duration of the deferral by May 15. Deferred matriculation requests are not guaranteed to be granted. If approved, deferrals are typically granted for one year to two years.

AMCAS: Choose Your Medical School protocol

Applicants can find more information on the AAMC website about the AMCAS Choose Your Medical School Tool.

Applicants should notify all schools promptly of their enrollment plan in accordance with the AAMC Application and Acceptance Protocols for Applicants. Applicants who do not comply with this protocol may be subject to having their acceptance rescinded.

Please keep in mind the following information and deadlines specific to the Mayo Clinic Alix School of Medicine:

Timeline	Action
February	AMCAS Choose Your Medical School tool becomes available for applicants to indicate their enrollment plan. Applicants can only select Plan to Enroll at one medical school at a time, but can hold as many acceptance offers and alternate list positions as they choose.
April 15	Accepted applicants must narrow accepted offers to three medical schools. An applicant can remain on as many alternate lists for other medical schools as they choose.
April 30	Accepted applicants planning to enroll at Mayo Clinic Alix School of Medicine must select the Plan to Enroll option in the AMCAS Choose your Medical School tool through their AMCAS application. Mayo Clinic Alix School of Medicine will be able to see which applicants selected Plan to Enroll at Mayo Clinic Alix School of Medicine. An applicant may remain on as many alternate lists for other medical schools as they choose until they select Commit to Enroll.
April 30	Commit to Enroll option becomes available for accepted applicants to select in the AMCAS Choose Your Medical School tool. Commit to Enroll can only be selected for one medical school.
June 2	Accepted applicants that will matriculate at Mayo Clinic Alix School of Medicine must select the Commit to Enroll option in the Choose Your Medical School tool.

Application window

Applications are accepted June 1-Oct. 1 each year.