Medical School Admissions

First Steps

• Review the eligibility requirements to attend the USD Sanford School of Medicine.
• Submit application to AMCAS between June 1 and November 1. The primary application includes MCAT scores, your academic record, a personal statement and biographic information.
• Arrange to take the Medical College Admissions Test (MCAT) within three years of the application deadline and no later than November 1 of the year prior to enrolling. Scores from the MCAT are submitted to AMCAS.
• Submit official transcripts from the registrar of each college or university attended to AMCAS. When AMCAS has verified your coursework, your application will be transmitted to the medical school(s) you've designated.

Next Steps

AMCAS will notify you once your application is verified. Once the school receives a verified AMCAS application, admissions staff will screen the verified application is then screened by the admissions staff to determine whether you:

• Are a permanent resident or citizen of the U.S.
• Are a South Dakota resident or have strong ties to South Dakota
• Have completed the prerequisites
• Have taken the MCAT at least once with scores no older than Nov. 1, 2018 and no later than Nov. 1, 2021 for the 2022 entering class
• You will then be notified by the Sanford School of Medicine that you either do not meet the criteria for further consideration or are invited to submit a supplemental application.

Supplemental Information (if requested)

Submit a supplemental application only if requested by the admissions office. If you meet the above requirements, you will be sent an email invitation to submit the supplemental application materials, which include:

• Online supplemental application
• Requests for letters of recommendation
• Non-refundable $35 application fee

When all supplemental information is received, the admissions office will review these materials along with your primary AMCAS application to determine whether you will be invited to interview.

Interview Invitation

• Residents of South Dakota are granted an opportunity to interview. Non-residents with strong ties to the state are reviewed for possible invitation to interview.
• Interviews are conducted open file by two members of the admissions committee.

Letters of Recommendation

USD Sanford School of Medicine participates in the AMCAS Letter Writer Service. Send all letters of recommendation directly to AMCAS.

Applicants who are invited to submit letters of recommendation should follow these guidelines:

• Three individual recommendations, or:
• Evaluation materials/packet from a structured pre-medical committee with at least three contributing members on the pre-medical committee.

You should submit no more than five recommendation letters. Letter-writers may submit letters to AMCAS after you have submitted your AMCAS application.

Admissions Action

It is your responsibility to verify that all application materials, especially letters of recommendation, have been received by the USD Sanford School of Medicine admissions office by the deadline.

Following the interview, the admissions committee will evaluate all components of the completed application and makes a decision at the next scheduled committee meeting. Recommendations for acceptance may be made after any of the meetings. If not accepted, the applicant is "pended" until the final meeting for the year. At the final meeting, the class will be filled, a ranked alternate list is made and decisions for non-acceptance are finalized.

To pursue an M.D. degree at the USD Sanford School of Medicine, you must be a U.S. citizen or permanent resident. You also must be a South Dakota resident or non-resident with strong ties to the state such as:

• Graduation from a high school in South Dakota
• A parent living in South Dakota
• A child of a Sanford School of Medicine alumni
• A member of a U.S. federally recognized tribe from a bordering state
• Completing at least 90 credits at a college or university in South Dakota

You must:

• Have a minimum of 64 semester credits of college course work for admissions committee consideration, with a minimum of 90 semester credits of college course work before matriculation.
• Take the Medical College Admission Test (MCAT) within three years of the AMCAS application deadline of December 1.
• Have a cumulative GPA of at least 3.1 and a composite MCAT score of at least 496 to be offered an interview. Applicants with a GPA of less than 3.1 may be considered on an individual basis if they have achieved an MCAT of at least 496 or higher and they have recent and significant coursework with a higher performance.
• Agree to the terms of technical standards for admission, continuation and graduation
• Complete the equivalent of the following semesters of course work, including laboratory experience where available, in the following areas:
  •  Biology: 2 semesters
  • General (inorganic) chemistry: 2 semesters
  • Organic chemistry: 1 semester
  • Biochemistry: 1 semester
  • Physics: 2 semesters
  • Mathematics: 1 semester
  • Statistics: 1 semester

Although not required, the following courses (one semester each) are recommended to enhance an applicant's preparation for medical school:

• Second semester of organic chemistry
• Genetics
• Microbiology
• Physiology
• Psychology
• Sociology

Enrolled Members of U.S. Federally Recognized Tribes

An enrolled member of a U.S. federally recognized tribe may apply to the Sanford School of Medicine through the Indians into Medicine program. To apply, the applicant must file an AMCAS application identifying the Sanford School of Medicine as a school to which they are applying and they must also complete the INMED application to verify their tribal status.

Advanced Standing or Transfer Eligibility

We do not consider applications for advanced standing or transfer students.

Review requirements for the M.D. application provided above, with the following differences:

• File an application with AMCAS between June 1 and November 1 of the year before you wish to enter the M.D./Ph.D. program of study. Be sure to select the radio button for the combined M.D./Ph.D. program. This will provide access to questions specific to the physician scientist program that must be answered for consideration in this program.
• We will contact you regarding interviews after we have reviewed your completed application.
• Interviews will take place October through February.

To pursue an M.D./Ph.D degree at the Sanford School of Medicine, students must meet the following criteria:

• Be a U.S. citizen or permanent resident
• Have at least a bachelor's degree from an accredited academic institution
• Take the Medical College Admissions Test (MCAT) within three years of the AMCAS application deadline of November 1.
• All applicants must have a cumulative GPA of at least 3.1 and a composite MCAT score of at least 496 to be offered an interview. Applicants with a GPA of less than 3.1 may be considered on an individual basis if they have achieved an MCAT of at least 496 or higher and they have recent and significant coursework with a higher performance.
• At least one letter of recommendation from a reference who can speak directly to the applicant's experience in, and potential for, independent research.
• Productive laboratory experience that clearly demonstrates an interest, enthusiasm and commitment to biomedical research.
• Agree to the terms of technical standards for admission, continuation and graduation (need this remediated document)
• Complete the equivalent of the following semesters of course work, including laboratory experience where available, in the following areas:
  • Biology: 2 semesters
  • General (inorganic) chemistry: 2 semesters
  • Organic chemistry: 1 semester
  • Biochemistry: 1 semester
  • Physics: 2 semesters
  • Mathematics: 1 semester
  • Statistics: 1 semester

Although not required, the following courses (one semester each) are recommended to enhance an applicant's preparation for medical school:

• Second semester of organic chemistry
• Genetics
• Microbiology
• Physiology
• Psychology
• Sociology

Advanced Standing or Transfer Eligibility

We do not consider applications for advanced standing or transfer students.

Download the visiting student application and all required forms here or request an application from Kim.Kayl@usd.edu.

Complete all required forms with appropriate signatures and return no more than 6 weeks before the elective start date to: 

ATTN: Kim Kayl
Office Medical Student Affairs
The University of South Dakota Sanford School of Medicine
414 E. Clark Street
Vermillion, SD 57069

We'll notify you about the status of your application only after SSOM students have completed scheduling their senior electives. All visiting students must provide an official transcript, complete immunization records and proof of HIPAA training. You also need to have malpractice and health insurance.

If professional liability, malpractice or health insurance is not provided by your medical school, you'll need to get a special policy. We need proof of special coverage before approving the elective.

Our school and its affiliated hospitals do not provide for housing or meals, nor will they provide information and advice on available housing. When you arrive you should report to the approving department for further instructions.

Forms

• Application Form
• Background Check
• Confirmation of Malpractice Insurance
• Consent and Release Form
• Immunization Requirements Policy
• Immunization Form
• Complete Health Affairs Infection Control Manual
• Occupational Exposure Report Form 

Course Curriculum

View Available Coursework

You must be a U.S. citizen or a permanent resident and in your fourth year of a four-year program at a Liaison Committee of Medical Education-accredited institution or an American Osteopathic Association-accredited institution.

You may apply for no more than eight total weeks of senior year electives, after passing USMLE Step One and completing the core clerkship, as required of third-year students. These core clerkships are:

• Obstetrics and gynecology
• Pediatrics
• Internal medicine
• Family medicine
• Surgery
• Neurology
• Psychiatry

We do not give credit to visiting students. Your medical school must provide the final grade and evaluation form and give it to the evaluating department before beginning the rotation. We will return evaluations to your medical school upon completion of the elective.

To apply to the M.S. or Ph.D. basic biomedical sciences program, you will submit an application to the USD Graduate School through GradCAS. While we have a rolling admissions process, no applications are accepted after May 1. Admission offers are finalized June 1. The fall term begins in August.

For more detailed admission requirements, refer to Basic Biomedical Sciences in the current graduate catalog. Additional requirements exist for international applicants. For more information, visit international admission requirements.

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