Requirements and Application

Applicants must have completed at least three years of college course work including Organic Chemistry (Part 1) and possess a strong background in the major biological and physical sciences that are preparation for medical and dental school. A cumulative science GPA of 2.75 or higher is highly recommended. Criteria for selection are based on a number of factors, including educational promise, a strong commitment to a health career, and lack of past opportunities. You must be considered underrepresented in medicine/dentistry in some way to be eligible. Refer to question below regarding underrepresented status for clarification. The program is designed for rising seniors in undergraduate school and post-graduates. There is no age limit and you do not have to currently be enrolled in school. As long as you fulfill the requirements of the program, your application will be considered with the same consideration as other applicants.

The definition for underrepresented status is any student who is considered educationally, economically, or socially underrepresented within medicine/dentistry. Examples of each are as follows:

• • Education: Attending schools that are considered disadvantaged in ranking or are located in under-served areas of the state (such as eastern & western NC)
  • Economic: Low family income and individual income
  • Social: A member of certain groups that are underrepresented in the medical/dental professions, such as African-American, American Indian, Hispanic or Pacific Islander.
  • Non-traditional students: An older applicant may be considered non-traditional, as well as students with military background and students who are changing their career path.

Yes, non-North Carolina residents are encouraged to apply. Each summer approximately one-third of the participants are from other states.

Eligible: US Citizens or Permanent Resident Alien (green card)
Ineligible: Any visa type that is NOT Permanent Resident Alien

Yes, students currently applying to medical and dental schools are able to apply. You will need to use a different email address than the one used to apply to UNC School of Medicine.

If you have completed the AMCAS or the AADSAS application and applied to either UNC School of Medicine or Adams School of Dentistry, you will be asked to upload a pdf of your application. You will still need to complete the online MED application and mail in transcripts & financial information by the deadline.

Re-applicants are eligible to apply. Re-applicants will need to complete all aspects of the application and have transcripts & financial documents mailed to the office.

*Please note, we do need the transcripts mailed in as those uploaded last year are now archived.

• • 1. Current online MED Application
    2. Transcripts/updated transcripts
    3. Letters of recommendation – please ask your letter writers to resubmit the letters from last year to the new application if you choose to use those letters again. We strongly recommend re-applicants submit at least one new additional letter of recommendation.

MED 2024 applications will open October 16, 2023.

Application will close Tuesday, January 16, 2024 at 5:00pm (EST)

Applications will be available via the Office of Scholastic Enrichment & Equity website.

Tuesday, January 16, 2024 at 5:00pm (EST)

Under the state drop down menu, please choose “OC”, which stands for out of the country. List your birth city as, “City, Country”

2.75

2.75

All biology, chemistry, math, and physics courses should be included. This includes courses in biology, chemistry, biochemistry, genetics, physics, and mathematics. Courses in psychology, sociology, public health, etc should not be included. Courses should also be included that were taken at other institutions and during postgraduate work.

Tally all your math and sciences courses to determine an average. We will do the official calculations for application review purposes.

Our program requires one level of organic chemistry because students are at a disadvantage in the biochemistry course if they have not successfully completed the first session of organic chemistry prior to MED. This requirement is met with successfully passing Organic Chemistry I with a grade of C or higher.

This means you have taken and successfully completed (a grade of B or higher) classes in the biological and physical sciences.

You should explain any poor performance in courses, repeated courses, course withdrawals, etc. in writing and submit with your transcripts.

Leave blank or enter expected date of graduation if you have not completed your degree yet.

You should list the highest score in each section of each test that you have taken, even if the scores are from tests taken at different times. You list scores for all tests that you have taken, no matter how long ago the tests were taken. Official copies of test results are NOT required. It is NOT required that you have taken the MCAT/DAT

Transcripts must be mailed to the OSEE office. Please see instructions on the Requirements page.

 

Please upload unofficial transcripts from the following:

• current academic institution
• past degree granting academic institution
• any institution you completed science coursework

This includes summer session courses and bi-institutional programs, such as the Robertson Scholar’s Program. Please note, you do not need to submit any community college transcripts with ONLY non-science courses; if a science course(s) was completed, you must submit an official transcript.

Yes. Even if you received transfer credit for courses taken at an institution, you still need to upload an unofficial transcript from the other institution if those courses/credits were science courses. Grades and credit hours for transferred courses do not routinely appear on primary institution transcripts.

Applications will not be considered complete until all components, included transcripts, are received. The application closes on January 16, 2024 at 5:00pm EST. Mailed materials must be received or postmarked by this date to be considered complete.

You should contact the MED Program directors via email.

Two academic letters of recommendation are required. At least one of your required letters of recommendation should be from a science professor who knows you academically/professionally, who is able to speak on your academic standing, and your ability/suitability to pursue a degree in medicine and dentistry. The best letters of recommendation are personal, and thus should come from people who you know well and that know you well. A third letter from a non-academic person can also be submitted for additional support. We suggest the third letter be from a health professional you have shadowed or a leader/manager in a work or volunteer experience setting.

A standard formal letter is appropriate. The letters should be uploaded to your application via you the upload link on your application homepage. It can be addressed to the “MED Program Admissions Committee.”

The word limit is 750 words for each question. Please answer each question separately in the given slots. There may be some overlap since your question responses may be related, but all questions must be answered separately.

All applicants must submit financial documentation. You can submit one of the following:

• Student aid report
• FAFSA
• 2022/2021 or 2023/2022 tax form
  

The only acceptable forms of financial documentation are the Student Aid Report (SAR) compiled from your most current FAFSA application or IRS Tax Forms (not W-2 Forms). You should submit the most current financial documentation available.

• • • If you are an undergraduate/graduate student, who is claimed by their parents/guardian, then submit a copy of the most current year SAR and/or your parents/guardian tax forms (not W-2s)
    • If you are an undergraduate/graduate student, who is not claimed by their parents/guardian, then submit a copy of the most current year SAR.
    • If you not currently an undergraduate/graduate student and are working, who is not claimed by their parents/guardian, then submit a copy of your most current year IRS Income Tax Return forms (not W-2s).

In order to most accurately assess economic disadvantaged status, the most current available financial information should be submitted. For example, if you are applying for the MED program for the summer of 2024, then the 2023-2022, 2022-21or 2022-21 SAR or 2022 or 2023 Tax Forms would be acceptable.

You are considered independent if you were not or will not be claimed on anyone’s taxes. You are considered dependent if you were or will be claimed on another’s taxes.

The SAR is a summary of the Federal Application for Student Aid (FAFSA). FAFSA applications are available online at www.fafsa.gov are used to assess financial need. Do not send a copy of the FAFSA. Several days after submitting your FAFSA, you will be able to access a SAR, which should be mailed to our office.

If you are no longer in school, a copy of your 2023 or 2022 Income Tax Return will suffice for our records. If you are claimed as a dependent on your parent(s) taxes, you must also submit a copy of their income tax returns for 2023 or 2022.

No. The Office of Scholastic Enrichment & Equity is a distinct office separate from the UNC undergraduate campus. Therefore, we will not receive documents sent to UNC-CH. Please mail the SAR directly to our office.

No. All fields in the entire application should be completed. If a certain question does not pertain to you, simply put N/A, but do not leave the item blank.

Please check to see that you have filled out all fields before proceeding forward. Review the page being saved. All errors will be annotated in RED.

You may need to complete the application using a different browser, and clearing out your cookie cache. Otherwise, please take screen shots of 1) the page that shows what you keyed into the form, 2) of the error. Specify the section with the problem and email this and the screenshots to lisa_long@med.unc.edu and any additional explanation of your application issue.

*Note – please do not take a picture of your screen with a camera. It is more difficult to view than the screenshot.

Try cleaning out your cache of websites and then try to log in to our system. When your cache of internet sites is full, our system does not work too well. You may also encounter problems with one browser and may need to switch to a different browser. If you are still unable to log in, please contact our office.

The photograph should only be a head-shot of only you, and professional. Passport style photographs are the most professional and best suited for this type of application. Photos are not required, but optional if students want to include.