Prepare for Allopathic Medical School

Other Experiences:

Personal Development:

Although there are resources that “rank” schools, the rankings are rarely pertinent for individual applicants. More important is whether there is a good match between the applicant and the school.

To find schools that are a good fit for the applicant:

1. Assess individual strengths and weaknesses, professional interests, learning style, and personality;
2. Start by considering all schools, which usually includes all 150+ schools;
3. Create your “Long List” by omitting the schools that do not match your professional interests, learning style, and personality;
4. Create your “Short List” schools to which applicants will most likely apply. They will need entrance exam scores and/or current cumulative GPA to narrow and sort school choices. It is strongly recommended that they apply to schools for which their entrance exam score and/or current cumulative GPA are within the ranges of those who were accepted into that program. Ideally, applicants will apply to schools for which both entrance exam score and cumulative GPA fall within the ranges of accepted applicants. 
5. You can also consider other factors when categorizing schools like prerequisites, the pass rate on boards/ licensing exams, areas of specialization, and cost/ aid. When deciding how many schools to apply to, consider how many schools to which an applicant can afford to apply. Finally, consider if they want to attend the school if/when accepted even if it is the only school to which they have been accepted.

• Factors to Weigh Before Applying
• Researching and Selecting Schools Information
• Researching Schools Template
• Required Premedical Coursework and Competencies
• Medical School Admission Requirements (MSAR)
• Map of Medical Schools in the U.S.
• MSAR's Compiled Mission Statements of Medical Schools (2024)*

*It is highly recommended to research the schools of interest to confirm if the information has changed.

If possible, visit the schools to see their facilities, talk to admissions directors, and chat with students.

Notes for applicants applying to public schools in their home state:

• Public schools are mandated by the state to allocate a certain percentage of seats to in-state residents
• Refer to MSAR's chart of acceptance and matriculation data on the school's entry requirements
  • May contain data on applicants accepted in and out of state

Notes for international applicants:

• Health professional schools in the U.S. may process applications of international students differently than U.S. citizens and permanent residents due to institution, state, and federal requirements.
• Some schools do not admit any international students, so they will be limited in the number of schools to which they can apply and need to research schools.
• There may be additional requirements such as showing proof that they can afford the costs of health professional school as financial aid opportunities are very limited for international students.

Average Number of Schools UH Mānoa Applicants Applied To

View our Allopathic Medical School Stats to see where UH Mānoa applicants applied to/matriculated into

Based on data acquired from the Association of American Medical Colleges (AAMC).

Additional Pre-Medical Programs and Resources:

• AAMC Anatomy of an Applicant:  Stories of matriculants who excelled in applicant core competencies required to demonstrate medical school preparedness.
• Aspiring Docs: Inspiring stories that motivate pre-medicine students and current medical students in pursuing medicine.
• Hawaiʻi Pre-Health Career Corps: Free program for high schoolers and college students in Hawai`i. Seeks to increase awareness about health careers, provide mentoring, shadowing, and research experiences, and provide campus exposure to health careers.
• Medical Minority Applicant Registry: Enhances admission opportunities for students from groups historically underrepresented in medicine.
• National Association of Advisors for the Health Professions: Organization of health profession advisors at colleges and universities throughout the United States and abroad.
• Native Hawaiian Pathway to Medicine: Provides support for Native Hawaiian pre-medical students. Focuses on preparation during the sophomore and junior years.
• Pre-Med Navigator: Guidance from AAMC on how to craft an applicant's pathway to medical school.
• Student National Medical Association: Designed to serve the health needs of underserved communities and communities of color.
  • Minority Association of Pre-Medical Students: Represents the undergraduate and post-baccalaureate students of SNMA.
• Tour for Diversity: educating, inspiring, and cultivating future physicians, dentists, and pharmacists of diverse racial and ethnic backgrounds.
• White Coats Black Doctors: Nonprofit organization created to increase the representation of Black men and women in medicine by supporting the development of future Black physicians.

• Tracker Templates
  • To download, go to File > Download as, then select a format.