The Yale School of Medicine is prestigious, and getting in can be challenging. Follow along for everything you need to know about getting into Yale Medical School.
Let's review everything you need to know about how to get into the Yale School of Medicine. We’ve included a full list of programs offered, tuition and scholarships, how to write Yale Medical School essays, and more.
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Yale School of Medicine Programs
Yale offers several different medical programs to fit your educational aspirations. Yale’s offerings include:
The Yale School of Medicine also offers several dual-degree programs in collaboration with other Yale schools. For example, med students can achieve a dual MD/JD, MD/MBA, or MD/MDiv degree.
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Yale Medical School Requirements
Here are the Yale School of Medicine admissions requirements. It’s important to note that while you may meet all requirements, your application must be competitive for your best chance of acceptance.
Prerequisite Courses
The pre-medical education requirements for Yale Medical School are:
- “Attendance for three academic years, or the equivalent, at an accredited college, university, or institute of technology.
- Satisfactory completion of the following courses, including laboratory work:
- General Biology or Zoology (2 semesters)
- General Chemistry (2 semesters)
- Organic Chemistry (1 semester)
- Biochemistry (1 semester - laboratory recommended, but not required)
- General Physics (2 semesters).”
You must complete your Yale Med School prerequisite courses at a U.S., U.K., or Canadian institution. AP courses don’t fulfill these requirements.
MCAT
Like most U.S. medical schools, Yale requires applicants to submit MCAT scores. The 2024-2025 admits had an average MCAT score of 520.5.
AMCAS Application
Yale’s application is the same one you send to all medical schools through the AMCAS website. After selecting Yale School of Medicine and submitting your application, you’ll be invited to complete a secondary application.
Secondary Application/Essays
All Yale MD and MD/PhD applicants are invited to complete a secondary application via email within two weeks of submitting their primary AMCAS application. This is the secondary essay portion of your application, where you’ll respond to two questions in an essay format.
Letters of Recommendation
Yale School of Medicine recommends submitting a recommendation from your school’s pre-medical committee. If your school doesn’t have one, you must submit three recommendation letters from individuals who are qualified to speak knowledgeably about your accomplishments and abilities.
At least one letter from a science professional is recommended. Students must send their letters through the AMCAS Letter Service.
Interview
Students with strong primary and secondary applications will be invited to interview at Yale. Interview invitations are sent via email. You should always send a thank-you note to your interviewer via email after your meeting.
Once you’ve completed these steps, all that’s left to do is wait to hear back from Yale. All applicants can expect to receive an admissions decision by mid-March and must respond by late April.
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Yale Medical School Admissions Statistics
Number of Applications
6,597
Yale School of Medicine admissions statistics can help you see how you compare to admitted students. We’ve included Yale Medical School’s average GPA, MCAT score, and acceptance rate.
Yale Medical School Acceptance Rate
In the most recent admissions cycle, Yale received 6,597 applications, of which 104 matriculated and 2 deferred their acceptance. This puts the Yale Med acceptance rate at around 1.6%.
Please note that this is an approximate acceptance rate, and refers to the percentage of matriculants and deferred students compared to verified applications. Medical schools often don’t release data pertaining to accepted applicants and verified applications.
Here is some more data on Yale’s applicants:
| Type of Student |
Applied |
Interviewed |
| In-State Students |
216 |
16 |
| Out-of-State Students |
5891 |
572 |
| International Students |
490 |
61 |
Yale Medical School GPA
The Yale Medical School average GPA is 3.92. This data shows the GPA breakdown of admitted students:
|
10th Percentile GPA |
Median
GPA |
90th Percentile GPA |
| Cumulative GPA |
3.80 |
3.96 |
4.0 |
| Science GPA |
3.71 |
3.96 |
4.0 |
Yale Medical School MCAT Scores
The average Yale Medical School MCAT score is 520.5.
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Yale Medical School Secondary Essays
The Yale secondary essay prompts may change each academic year. These are the most recent secondary essay prompts:
“If you are not enrolled in college or graduate school classes for the duration of the current academic year, please tell us how you are spending your time. Include both your current and any planned activities prior to enrolling in medical school.”
This prompt is optional as it may not apply to you. If it does, just answer it honestly and concisely.
The next prompt is mandatory:
“Yale School of Medicine values diversity in all its forms. How will your background and experiences contribute to this important focus of our institution and inform your future role as a physician? (500 words limit).
The next prompt you answer depends on the program you’re applying to:
MD applicants: Please answer either one of the following questions.
MD/PhD applicants: Please answer question 2 as it pertains to your proposed PhD research.
1. While there is great emphasis on the physician-patient relationship, Yale School of Medicine also emphasizes the importance of training future physicians to care for communities and populations. Describe how your experiences would contribute to this aspect of the mission of the Yale School of Medicine. (500 words limit)
2. Research is essential to patient care, and all students at Yale School of Medicine complete a research thesis. Tell us how your research interests, skills, and experiences would contribute to scholarship at Yale School of Medicine. (500 words limit).”
There is also an additional information section where you can write about anything else you think the admissions committee should know:
“Additional Info Section:
“Have there been any updates regarding your activities / achievements / distinctions since completing your AMCAS application, or do you have any important accomplishments you have not yet shared with us here or in your AMCAS application? The Office of Admissions will review your activities / achievements / distinctions in the Experiences section of the AMCAS Application, so you do not need to restate anything included there. We include your AMCAS experiences below for reference.”
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Yale Medical School Interview Format
Students often report having interesting, in-depth conversations that aren’t very intimidating during their Yale interviews. Some materials you should review before your Yale med school interview are:
- Facts about Yale and its programs
- Yale sample interview questions
- Medical school mock interviews
- Your application and resume (you will be asked about it)
Most students report having a pleasant experience during their Yale interview. You should prepare for questions you may be asked, but remember to remain calm and confident.
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Yale Medical School Tuition and Scholarships
If you’re considering applying to Yale, it’s best to understand scholarship opportunities and tuition costs. Here’s everything you need to know about the Yale School of Medicine’s tuition and scholarships.
Tuition & Fees
Full-time tuition at Yale Medical School is $74,460 and remains the same each year of your degree. Here are additional fees and expenses you can expect as a first-year med student at Yale:
| Expense/Additional Fee |
Cost |
| Activity Fee |
$600 |
| Books and Supplies |
$3,175 |
| Equipment |
$1,602 |
| Technology Fee |
$925 |
| Background Fee |
$5 |
| Room and Board |
$25,540 |
| Personal and Transportation |
$5,010 |
| Yale Hospitalization and Misc. Medical Expenses |
$3,356 |
| Travel to Rotations |
$1,018 |
| Total |
$115,691 |
However, be advised that the total cost of additional fees and expenses varies annually.
Scholarships
Yale offers scholarships and financial aid to help reduce family contributions and student debt. Students can receive scholarships based on financial need; Yale doesn’t offer merit scholarships. Government financial aid is available for Yale students.
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Yale Medical School Application Timeline
Here are all the important deadlines you need to know on the Yale Medical School application timeline:
| Application Material |
Deadline |
| AMCAS Application |
October 15 |
| Yale Secondary Application |
November 15 |
| Letters of Recommendation |
November 15 |
| Interviews |
September - January |
| Decision Notification |
By March 15 |
| Respond to Offer of Admission |
April 30 |
You should begin preparing to apply at least one year in advance to allow yourself enough time to complete prerequisite courses, acquire documents, and complete your application.
FAQs: How to Get Into Yale Medical School
Here are our answers to the most frequently asked questions about how to get into Yale School of Medicine:
1. How Difficult Is It To Get Into Yale Medical School?
Yale is one of the top medical schools in the country and is highly competitive. Your application must meet all requirements and showcase why you’re an excellent candidate.
2. What GPA Do You Need for Yale Medical School?
Yale has no minimum GPA requirement. However, the school is extremely competitive. The average GPA of the most recently admitted Yale students was 3.92.
3. What is Yale Medical School’s Average MCAT?
The average MCAT score of the successful 2024-2025 applicants was 520.5.
4. Is Yale Medical School Free?
Yale isn’t a free medical school; financial aid is offered to qualifying Yale matriculants.
5. What Percent Of Yale Applicants Get Into Medical School?
Yale Medical School’s acceptance rate is low, sitting at 1.6%.
6. Should I Write the Yale School of Medicine Optional Essay?
Only complete this section if you have something on your application that needs to be explained. For example, consider writing this essay if you have an abnormally long gap in your resume, a period of low grades, medical issues relevant to your application, or other additional information of that nature.
7. Is Yale or Harvard Better for Medical School?
One isn’t necessarily better than the other. Both are excellent institutions to pursue your medical education. Ultimately, the better school is the one that aligns most with your goals, needs, and preferences.
8. Is Yale a Good Medical School?
Yes, Yale School of Medicine is a great place to pursue your MD, and it consistently ranks as a top school in the nation.
Final Thoughts
Now that you know how to get into the Yale School of Medicine, you can create a stellar application. To ensure your application stands out, you’ll have to really commit to the application process.
If Yale is your dream medical school and you’re nervous about getting in, consider enlisting the help of an experienced admissions advisor. Admissions counselors will help you each step of the way, from writing the perfect Yale Medical School essay to interview coaching. Good luck!
Dr. Jonathan Preminger was the original author of this article. Snippets of his work may remain.
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