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Supplemental Applications

All applicants will receive a supplemental application after we receive a verified AMCAS application.  Keep in mind that the process for receiving a supplemental application is an automated process, regardless of your academic record and MCAT scores. The deadline to submit your completed supplemental application will be identified in the email invitation. Please note, if you have not received a supplemental application, you may need to check your spam and junk folders. It is important that you take into consideration the admissions policies, requirements, and criteria we have indicated on our website to ensure that your academic credentials meet our criteria. The non-refundable supplemental application fee is $68.

The Admissions Process Checklist:

  1. Review our list of considerations.
  2. Take the MCAT.
  3. Garner your letters of recommendation.
  4. Make sure we are able to communicate with you.
  5. Complete and submit an application.
  6. Schedule your interview, if selected.
  7. Receive your final decision.

Step One: Consider these things before preparing to apply to medical school.

    • You should have a competitive GPA. If you are applying to medical school, your GPA should reflect strong academic ability, especially in the natural sciences. Information about our minimum GPA requirements can be found here: https://www.med.unc.edu/admit/requirements/academic-requirements/
    • If you do not meet the minimum GPA requirements, we require that you either enroll in a post-baccalaureate or science graduate program, in the natural sciences, and complete at least 30 credit hours or more before applying. This gives you the opportunity to show an improvement in your academic ability, and to prepare for graduate level coursework. Again, it is important that your post-baccalaureate or graduate work be completed before applying, as this will enable us to consider and evaluate your success in the program. Remember, the goal is to demonstrate proficiency in the natural sciences, and only having a few credit hours of post-grad work on your AMCAS application will not give us the evidence that we need. Make sure that you receive a letter-grade for your course work, and not P/F, or medical schools will not be able to determine the GPA improvement, as P/F grades will not be calculated in your post-baccalaureate or graduate GPAs. Check out the AAMC website for a list of post-baccalaureate programs.
    • In addition to a strong academic record, applicants are expected to be involved in medical and non-medical experiences. Both significant volunteer service and research experience enhance an application. The decision to spend time as a volunteer or doing research must be made by the individual, in the context of his or her own goals. However, applicants are expected to demonstrate some knowledge of the demands of a medical career. For this reason, direct-patient contact, one-on-one caregiving within a healthcare setting, and exposure to the healthcare system are desirable. It is vitally important that you demonstrate longitudinal exposure to direct-patient care.
    • For more information about who we consider to be our ideal candidate, click here.

Step Two: Take the Medical College Admissions Test (MCAT)

Your next step in applying to the UNC School of Medicine is taking the MCAT exam. For more information on our MCAT requirements, click here.

Step Three: Garner your letters of recommendation (LOR).

You should begin requesting your letters of recommendation in early spring, well in advance, of the AMCAS  verification deadline. This will give your professors, advisors, and mentors enough time to compose and submit their letters. LORs from faculty and organizations must be on their letterhead and signed. We begin our interviewing season in late August, and to ensure that your applicant profile is complete by the time the season begins, our deadline for submission of the required letters to AMCAS is August 31st . However, we do understand that our timeline may not coincide with your school’s Pre-Health Committee or your letter writer’s timeline, and that is fine. Just know, until your required letters are sent to AMCAS, your applicant profile will not be considered complete. The total number of required letters is three (3), and applicants may provide two (2) optional letters, for a total of five (5). And if an applicant utilizes the Pre-Health Committee letter with the compilation of letters included, they are still entitled to submit two (2) additional letters. All letters are to be submitted through the AMCAS Letter Service. Please remember that it is your responsibility to make sure that you designate the UNC School of Medicine as one of the schools to receive your letters. If you have questions about how to do this, please contact AMCAS directly or refer to the online AMCAS instruction manual.

As you consider who to ask for a letter of recommendation, keep in mind that the purpose of these letters is to shed light on your character and ability.

The deadline to submit the two (2) additional letters is October 1st. Suggestions for these additional letters are leaders with whom you have interacted closely in service, research, or patient care, or healthcare training experiences. We strongly encourage you to utilize this opportunity to garner additional letters.

For applicants who are currently undergrads or recently graduated from college:

    • We require three (3) letters of recommendation from professors who know you well and have taught you in a formal classroom setting. We suggest one of the three letters should be from a professor in your most recent major or degree-granting department, and the others can be from professors of your choice – OR –
    • If the undergraduate institution has a Pre-Health Committee, it would be preferable to have letters from this committee. Please keep in mind that the individual letters should be included in the packet sent by the Pre-Health Committee. If your Pre-Health Committee does not include the individual letters, it will be your responsibility, as the applicant, to garner the individual letters.

For applicants who have graduated from college two years ago:

    • We require three (3) letters of recommendation from mentors who know you well and have interacted with you in an academic setting. This could be a professor with whom you have maintained regular contact, a research PI, or another advisor. These mentors should have recent knowledge of how you work in an academic setting.

For applicants who graduated from college three or more years ago, or are currently completing an advanced degree program:

    • For applicants who have an advanced degree, we require three (3) letters of recommendation from mentors who have interacted with you in an academic setting and know you well. You should have at least one letter from your post-grad education and/or major work experience.

Step Four: Make sure we are able to communicate with you.

It is important that we are able to stay in touch with you throughout the application process. The majority of our communication will come via email. We strongly advise that you obtain a reliable email address separate from your academic institution, and check it on a regular basis. Failure to maintain communication with us could cause you to miss important information, and/or jeopardize your application status.

If your contact information has changed after you submitted your AMCAS application, please contact AMCAS directly at 202-828-0600. Please do not contact us to make these changes, as they can only be updated through AMCAS.

Step Five: Complete and submit an application.

Applications are available online through the American Medical College Application Service (AMCAS) or by calling 202-828-0600. Do not forget to indicate on your AMCAS application when you are taking the MCAT.

PLEASE NOTE OUR DEADLINE HAS CHANGED! Our AMCAS submission deadline is October 1st.

For more information on our prerequisites and requirements, click here.

Updates to AMCAS and or Supplemental Applications

  • We do not accept updates to your AMCAS or Supplemental application post-submission (e.g. new experience, job, letter of intent, etc.). The only exception is if someone from the Office of Admissions has requested an update.

Step Six: Schedule your interview, if selected.

If you are selected to be interviewed, the Interview Coordinator will contact you via email with instructions to schedule your interview. Interviews will be conducted between September and February. Read more about what to expect on interview day. If you are ill and not able to make it to your scheduled virtual interview, please call us immediately at 919-962-8331.

Step Seven: Receive your final decision.

Our goal is to give your application thorough consideration, then let you know the outcome as quickly as possible. If you are traveling at any time during the interview season, it is your responsibility to contact the Admissions Office with alternative contact information and scheduling conflicts.

After your interview, the Admissions Committee will meet to review and discuss your application. Applications are under continuous review, which allows for admissions to be made throughout the interview season until the class is filled.

All final decision notifications, including acceptance, wait list, and unsuccessful application, will be sent to applicants by early April.

North Carolina Residency

If you have any questions regarding residency for North Carolina, please contact Ms. Reid at 919-966-9931.

Helpful Resources

Potential applicants and parents may find the following resources helpful as they begin to navigate the medical school application process: