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Contact Information:

Medical Student Affairs
Sanford School of Medicine The University of South Dakota
414 East Clark Street
Vermillion, SD 57069-2390
phone: 605-677-5233
fax: 605-677-5109
usdsmsa@usd.edu

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Last Modified: 06/24/09

admissions

Medical Student Admissions Ambassadors (MSAA)

Applicants to the MD Program must:

• Be US citizen or permanent resident.
• Be a South Dakota resident or non-resident with strong ties to the state.
• Have earned at least 64 semester credits of college course work to be considered for admission. • Take the Medical College Admission Test (MCAT) within three years of application deadline.
• Complete the equivalent of two semesters, including laboratory experience in the following areas:  BIOLOGY, GENERAL (INORGANIC) CHEMISTRY, ORGANIC CHEMISTRY, PHYSICS AND MATHEMATICS.
• Agree to the terms of Technical Standards for Admission. (If you are having difficulty downloading the form, download a free copy of Adobe Acrobat.)

APPLICATION PROCEDURES

• Applications are submitted to AMCAS between June 1 and November 15 each year.
• The applicant arranges to take the Medical College Admissions Test (MCAT) no later than September of the year prior to matriculation. Scores from the MCAT are submitted to AMCAS.
• The primary AMCAS application includes MCAT scores, the applicant's academic record, a personal statement, and biographical information.
• AMCAS also must receive official transcripts from the registrar of each college or university attended. When the AMCAS national application service has verified an applicant's course work, the primary AMCAS application is transmitted to the medical school(s) designated by the applicant.

Once the Sanford School of Medicine Office of Admissions obtains a verified AMCAS application, the applicant is notified via e-mail. The verified application is then screened by Admissions staff to determine whether the applicant:

• has taken the MCAT at least once with scores no older than three years (scores cannot be older the 2006 for entrance in 2010).
• has completed the pre-requisites.
• is a permanent resident or citizen of the US.
• is a South Dakota resident or has strong ties to South Dakota.

Applicants meeting the above requirements are sent an e-mail invitation to submit the supplemental application materials. These supplemental materials include an online application, letters of recommendation, and a non-refundable $35 application processing fee.

Once all supplemental application materials are received, the Admissions Committee reviews these materials along with the applicant’s primary AMCAS application. Please note that not all applicants will be invited to interview.

Only qualified applicants are invited to interview with both a medical school clinical faculty member and basic sciences faculty member. With the two interview reports added to an applicant’s file, the Admissions Committee then evaluates all components of the application and makes a decision at the next scheduled Committee Meeting.

Letters of Recommendation

• For those familiar with the previous requirements for letters of recommendation, please note the following changes effective with the applicants entering in August, 2010.
• Do not send letters of recommendation until they are requested. It is the applicant's responsibility to verify that all application materials, especially letters of recommendation, have been received by the admissions committee by the deadline.
• Applicants who are invited to submit letters of recommendation should follow these guidelines:
    1. Three (3) individual recommendations, submitted separately or collectively in a packet or
    2. Evaluation materials/packet from a structured pre-medical committee with at least three             contributing members on the pre-medical committee
    3. Please limit the total number of recommendation letters submitted to four.
• Beginning with the applicants for entering in 2010, the Sanford School of Medicine of The University of South Dakota will participate in the AMCAS Letter Writer service. All letters of recommendation will be sent directly to AMCAS. For more information go to http://www.aamc.org/students/amcas/faq/amcasletterwriter.htm

For more information on Admission Requirements please contact
Jill Christopherson
Jill.Christopherson@usd.edu
605-677-6886

If you are a prospective student with a disability and need assistance or accommodations during the admission/application process, please contact the Director of Disability Services, 119B Service Center North, USD, Vermillion, SD 57069.  Phone: 605-677-6389  Fax: 605-677-3172 
E-mail: Disability Services