Linkage-Specific Program Requirements

A major consideration in applying to medical school is the fit between the applicant and the school. This is even more important for the linkage applicant because of the binding commitment that the applicant makes to attend, if accepted. Many schools have non-negotiable requirements that may pertain to grade point averages or MCAT scores, and in some cases, non-academic experiences.

In short, the student interested in linkage must do his or her research before applying for nomination. It could be a serious mistake to take the attitude that one “just wants to get into some medical school” or to assume that strengths in one area of one's record will compensate for shortcomings in another.

Programs

Below is the list of schools maintaining linkage agreements with the Postbac Premed Program. The applicable requirements are those on record during the academic year in which the prospective applicant is eligible to seek nomination.

Note: These requirements are updated each year, but students should confirm requirements with their academic advisors.

Medical School for International Health in Affiliation with Columbia University Medical Center

Note: The MSIH program is not currently accepting applications for admission; however, requirements that applied to previously-admitted students are listed below for reference.

School Website

Linkage Program Requirements

Grade Point Average

  • Cumulative GPA: 3.46
  • Science GPA: 3.45

MCAT

Must be taken no later than April of the year in which the applicant wishes to matriculate

Additional Considerations

The Medical School for International Health welcomes applicants who seek a medical education that includes extensive classroom, clinical, and fieldwork experience in global health and international medicine.

School Website

Linkage Program Requirements

Grade Point Average

  • Undergrad GPA: 3.5
  • Postbac Premed Science GPA: 3.5, with no grade lower than a B

DAT

  • Minimum Scores: Academic Average: 25; Reading Comprehension: 22; Perceptual Ability: 22
  • Must be taken no later than April 15 of the year in which the applicant wishes to matriculate

Coursework

All required predental coursework must be taken at Columbia.

Additional Considerations

The College of Dental Medicine welcomes applicants with unique academic and employment backgrounds, who have been engaged in activities other than formal education between college and the present.

  • Candidates must have a bachelor's degree from a U.S. or Canadian institution
  • AADSAS must be submitted by December 31

School Website

Linkage Program Requirements 

Grade Point Average

  • Undergraduate GPA: 3.5
  • Postbac Premed GPA: 3.7

MCAT

  • Linkage nominees must take the MCAT no later than mid-April
  • Linkage nominees must attain an overall MCAT score of at least 518 ( ~ 96%)

Coursework

  • All required premedical science coursework must be taken at Columbia
  • One year of English, which may be completed in a college/university department of English as a Postbac Premed student, or as a part of an undergraduate degree program (one course must be in composition or writing expository prose)
  • One year of biology with lab
  • One year of physics with lab
  • Two years of chemistry, one year of which must be organic chemistry with labs

Additional Considerations

A developed interest in extra-curricular activities is welcomed, and evidence of leadership in such activities or in other areas is highly desirable.

School Website

Linkage Program Requirements 

Grade Point Average

  • Combined Undergraduate and Postbac GPA: 3.5
  • No Postbac Premed science grade below B

CASPer

Must be taken by January 5, 2023.

MCAT

Not required. In lieu of the MCAT, applicants must submit SAT or ACT scores.

Recommended Scores

  • Score ≥ 80th percentile
  • SAT: ≥ 1410
  • ACT: ≥ 32

Additional Requirements

  • United States citizenship or permanent residence
  • Bachelor’s degree from an accredited college or university in the United States

School Website

Note: Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai won't be accepting linkage applications for EC24.

Linkage Program Requirements 

Grade Point Average

  • Combined Undergraduate and Postbac Premed GPA: 3.5
  • Postbac Premed Math and Science GPA: 3.7

MCAT

Linkage applicants are not required to take the MCAT.

School Website

Linkage Program Requirements 

Grade Point Average

  • Minimum Undergraduate GPA: 3.5 on a 4-point scale
  • Minimum Postbac GPA: 3.8, both at the time of application and upon completion of the Postbac Premed Program
  • Minimum Combined Cumulative Undergraduate and Postbac GPA: 3.5
  • Minimum Composite Science GPA (includes all undergrad and Postbac BCPM* courses): 3.5 with no grade lower than B+ (exceptions will be made for spring 2020 grades where only P/F grades were assigned)

*BCPM = biology, chemistry, physics, and math

MCAT

  • Minimum Overall Score: 520
  • Minimum Overall Percentile: 98%
  • Minimum Section Score: 129
  • Should be taken no later than end of April of the year in which the applicant wishes to matriculate
  • No scores more than 3 years old

Important Dates

  • AMCAS Submission Deadline: February 14
  • Plan to sit for the MCAT no later than March 22
  • Secondary application will be due: April 1

Additional Considerations

  • A bachelor’s degree from an accredited college or university in the US or Canada is required.
  • DACA and international applicants, as well as US citizens and permanent residents, are eligible
  • NYU School of Medicine seeks "excellence in experiences, attributes, and academic performance" in the linkage candidate
  • Interviews are conducted once MCAT scores are received
  • Previous applicants are not eligible to apply
  • Applicants accepted through linkage can immediately apply to open spots in the three-year program or through the opt-in process, the first of which occurs at the end of the first year

School Website

Linkage Program Requirements 

Grade Point Average

  • Postbac Premed GPA: 3.5

MCAT 

  • Cumulative score of 512 (with no sub-score below 127)
  • Should be taken no later than the end of May of the year in which the applicant wishes to matriculate

School Website

Linkage Program Requirements 

Grade Point Average

  • Postbac Premed GPA: 3.6
  • Undergraduate GPA: 3.0

MCAT

  • Score: Above the mean (500), i.e., above the 55th percentile
  • Should be taken no later than early April of the year in which the applicant wishes to matriculate

School Website

Linkage Program Requirements 

Grade Point Average

  • Undergraduate Science GPA: 3.3, with no grades of D, F, W, or incomplete
  • Undergraduate Cumulative GPA: 3.4
  • Postbac Premed Science GPA: 3.5

MCAT 

  • Should be taken by May 24
  • Chemical and Physical Foundations of Biological Systems: 127 or higher
  • Critical Analysis and Reasoning Skills: 126 or higher
  • Biological and Biochemical Foundations of Living Systems: 128 or higher
  • Psychological, Social, and Biological Foundations of Behavior: 127 or higher
  • Total Score: 509 or higher

Additional Requirements

  • Bachelor's degree*
  • Minimum of one year of full-time study at an accredited U.S. college or university
  • Two semesters of English course work (must be equal to a minimum of six credit hours in the semester system), which may be completed in a college/university department of English as a Postbac Premed student, or as a part of an undergraduate degree program at a U.S. college or university
  • A record of significant commitment to community service and helping the disadvantaged
  • Medical experience or medical employment involving interaction with patients
  • Research experience a plus

*If bachelor's degree is from an overseas college or university, a WES course-by-course equivalency is required as part of the application.

School Website

Linkage Program Requirements 

Grade Point Average

  • Undergraduate GPA: 3.0
  • Average Postbac GPA for Admitted Students: 3.8*

*In the last five years, most applicants who have been offered admission through linkage have presented average Postbac Premed and undergraduate GPAs of 3.8 and 3.6, respectively.

MCAT

MCAT scores are not required.

Coursework

  • Biochemistry (satisfied by taking Contemporary Biology (BIOL UN 2401-2402)
  • Organic chemistry lab is not required
  • No grade of D or lower on academic record

International Student Eligibility

Alpert Medical School considers international applicants who have completed a minimum of one year of coursework in an accredited school in the United States or Canada and who meet all the other premedical course requirements. As funding is limited, international candidates are not eligible for federally subsidized programs, nor are they eligible for Alpert Medical School need-based institutional funding, although they may be eligible for limited merit-based funding. If invited to interview, international candidates will be asked to provide proof of the ability to fund their education prior to their interviews. 

Additional Considerations

In addition to the general criteria noted above, Alpert Medical School is particularly interested in PB students who meet the following criteria.

  • Became interested in medicine as a career after college
  • Have been engaged in activities other than formal education between college and the present
  • Rhode Island residents
  • Members of groups traditionally underrepresented in medicine
  • Age 25 or older

Note: The above are not hard and fast requirements, and some may be more important than others. Postbacs are always encouraged to discuss them with their advisors.

School Website

Linkage Program Requirements 

Grade Point Average

  • Undergraduate GPA: 3.5
  • Postbac GPA: 3.7
  • No science grade lower than C

MCAT

  • University of Michigan Medical School will admit conditionally-accepted linkage students with a score in the 85th-100th percentile range; conditionally-accepted candidates who test below this range will be holistically reviewed again by the Admissions Executive Committee for a final decision
  • Should be taken no later than the third Friday in May of the year in which the applicant wishes to matriculate (but preferably earlier)

Interview

  • Interviews will be conducted via the AAMC virtual interview system. 

School Website

Linkage Program Requirements 

Grade Point Average

  • Undergraduate GPA: 3.0 or higher
  • Postbac Premed GPA: 3.5 or higher with no grades lower than B- in required math and science courses

MCAT 

MCAT scores are not required.

Additional Considerations

The school is strongly oriented to the humanities. It is where the biopsychosocial model of medicine was developed and this model continues to inform the school’s pedagogy.

To be eligible for the linkage program, a student must hold a baccalaureate degree from an accredited college or university in the United States.

Applicants must be US citizens or have either permanent residency or asylee status. An exception is made for international students who have earned an undergraduate degree from the University of Rochester.

School Website

Linkage Program Requirements

Grade Point Average

  • Combined Undergraduate and Postbac Premed GPA: 3.75
  • Postbac BCPM* GPA: 3.75, with no grade lower than a B

*BCPM = biology, chemistry, physics, and math

MCAT

Cornell does not require linkage applicants to take the MCAT.

Coursework

  • All required premedical science coursework must be taken at Columbia
  • Two semesters each of biology, chemistry, and physics, with lab
  • Two semesters of organic chemistry with lab
  • Two semesters of writing-intensive courses, one in the humanities or social sciences, and one in English literature
  • Two semesters of mathematics recommended but not required

Additional Considerations

  • Applicants should possess significant demonstrated commitment to, and involvement in, activities (including employment) during or after college
  • Experience in research, especially biomedical science research, a plus
  • Cornell regards linkage as, among other things, a means to expedite matriculation at medical school as soon as a Postbac Premed student has completed academic preparation