Reapplicants

Getting a letter from our office notifying you of unsuccessful application is not the ideal result of your application process, but it doesn’t have to be the end of your road. We have accepted many students who had previously applied to our program. These successful re-applicants made significant changes to their applications that improved their applicant profiles.

Below, we have compiled a list of considerations that may be useful to you as you prepare to reapply to become a Tar Heel Doctor. Keep in mind, applicants to UNC School of Medicine are limited to a total of four (4) applications – the initial application plus three (3) re-applications. This applies to all applications submitted prior to the 2017 application cycle. Before reapplying, carefully choose the next application cycle. If you have areas in your applicant profile that need improvement, it is unrealistic to apply when the previous cycle has just ended and a new one has begun. You will need more than a few short months to work on strengthening your applicant profile. Your reapplication should demonstrate significant change from your previous application, especially if there is a year or more between application cycles.

Boost Your GPA.

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.

Retake the MCAT.

If your MCAT score is significantly below 500 for in-state, or 514 for out-of-state, consider retaking the MCAT to improve your score. Before retaking the exam, make sure you have the time to devote to deeper studying of the material (a recommended time frame is at least four to six months). The amount of studying needed varies considerably from applicant to applicant. Use practice exams at the AAMC website to help gauge your progress. You may also consider taking a formalized review course.

Get involved in service.

At UNC School of Medicine, we are committed to serving the public, so we look for students who have a similar passion for giving back to the community. You may consider becoming more involved in service activities in your community before you reapply.

Gain healthcare experience.

We strongly recommend that prospective students have healthcare experiences that show them what medicine may be like. You may want to consider having more of these experiences, or even pursuing healthcare-related training and career opportunities that will give you the opportunity to work, and or care for patients directly (for example, certified nursing assistant, emergency medical technician, clinical research lab assistant, etc.).

Revise your personal statement.

Before you reapply, be sure to revise your personal statement to share your growth since your previous application.

Foster solid relationships with mentors.

Continue to keep in contact with mentors and health professions advisors.

Try a summer program.

Consider summer programs like the Medical Education Development Program, which is UNC’s summer program for disadvantaged students. The program exposes students to a first year medical or dental school curriculum.

Hang in there!

We will contact you as soon as we have made a decision about your application status.

For more information on what we consider to be our ideal candidate, click here.

For more information about our admissions process, click here.

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