Tulane University School

Tulane University School

Tulane University School of Medicine is the second-oldest medical school in the Deep South and the 15th oldest medical school in the United States.

From the invention of the binocular microscope to pioneering robotic surgeries, Tulane School of Medicine remains at the forefront of modern medical innovation.

On a daily basis, we work in New Orleans and across Louisiana to meet our mission of "Education, Research and Patient Care: We Heal Communities."

As a convenience to the applicant, Tulane University School of Medicine participates in the American Medical College Application Service (AMCAS). AMCAS applications are available online here.

Letters of recommendation to Tulane University School of Medicine should be submitted through the AMCAS primary application. A committee letter packet is required. A pre-health or a pre-medical committee will suffice. In the absence of a committee at your school, three recommendations are required. Two letters must be from science professors and one can be from a professional (professor/ supervisor) of your choosing. Tulane School of Medicine has joined the AMCAS Letters of Evaluations/Recommendations Service. This allows Tulane to receive all letters electronically via AMCAS and allows letter writers to send all letters to be considered by Tulane electronically by AMCAS. Tulane no longer accepts mailed, faxed or emailed letters of recommendation. There are several ways in which a letter writer may submit letters to AMCAS: VirtualEvals, Interfolio, and via U.S. Mail. In addition, letter writers may upload letters directly to AMCAS through the AMCAS Letter Writer Application. For further instructions, please visit the AMCAS site.

All applicants who have their primary application forwarded by AMCAS to Tulane Medical School will receive an e-mail notification with instructions to complete the Electronic Secondary Application and online fee payment form.  An application fee of $125, which covers the handling and processing of the application, must accompany the completed Electronic Secondary Application. The deadline for completing the Electronic Secondary Application is January 15th.

It is important that all potential applicants understand that Tulane School of Medicine receives more than 10,000 applications a year. Applicants are encouraged to submit an application with the necessary supporting documentation as early as possible.

Screening

An application is considered complete once the Tulane School of Admissions and Student Affairs has received the primary and secondary applications, application fee, MCAT score, and all letters of evaluation. Once an application is complete, the file is read by one or more members of the Admission Committee. One of two actions may result from screening. The applicant may be:

• INVITED FOR INTERVIEW BY EMAIL, or
• NOTIFIED OF NON-ACCEPTANCE BY EMAIL

During the screening process the contents of the entire application are taken into account, but at this stage of review the greatest emphasis is placed upon an applicant's academic record and letters of evaluation. Nonetheless, experience shows that students with a broad range of coursework (both science and non-science courses), active participation in college or campus life, and a good record of community service are more likely to be invited for interviews.

The Interview

Approximately 500 applicants are invited to New Orleans and Tulane School of Medicine each year for interviews. Interviews are held from September through the end of February. Invited applicants are emailed an invitation to schedule the interview. Do not wait to schedule; the calendar is open on first come first serve. If it is necessary to reschedule an interview one may request a subsequent date, but there is no guarantee that we can accommodate due to our heavy volume. Additionally, in recognition of the cost of interviewing, Tulane School of Medicine will attempt to accommodate those applicants trying to coordinate interviews with several schools.

Interview days are Mondays and Fridays and last from 8:00 am until approximately 2:30 PM. If available, overnight housing with a medical student can be arranged.

Applicants will be interviewed by one faculty member or administrator. All interviews with faculty members or administrators are "blind" and informal. The interviewee will also participate in a "standardized patient" exercise in which they will play the role of a physician. Applicants will also be interviewed by a current Tulane medical student. The student interview will be in the form of a "working lunch." All interviewers will write a report about the interview and that report will become a part of the applicant's file. With the addition of the interview reports, an applicant's file is considered complete and ready for review by the Admissions Committee.

Committee Action

Typically within two weeks after the interview, the application goes before the full Admission Committee for evaluation. The Committee may decide to accept an applicant, place the applicant on a non-ranked "acceptance range" wait list or reject an applicant. No mathematical formula are used in making this decision and no specific guidelines are given to committee members to place particular weight upon MCAT's, GPA, or other parts of the completed application. The final decision is a subjective one, based upon the opinions of no fewer than five members of the Committee.

Acceptances are offered weekly, beginning October 1 and continuing until the class is filled. Each week, the Committee may elect to send offers of acceptance to applicants from the "acceptance range" list or to send offers of admissions only to applicants whose files have been reviewed that week.

http://tulane.edu/