FAQs

Yes, if the accredited undergraduate institution accepted it.

Yes:

Minimum BCPM GPA: 3.0
Minimum MCAT: 502

Click here for more information about the MCAT.

No. We encourage out-of-state applicants to consider the UGA School of Medicine and contribute to our communities in Georgia and beyond. We value applicants whose experiences and values resonate with the needs of our state and the mission of our institution. We know that medical education and health care broadly is better when we have dynamic teams from across a multitude of states, experiences, and perspectives, so we welcome out-of-state applicants.

Interviewers will not have access to an applicant’s file.

• Ability to  demonstrate the AAMC Pre-Med Competencies
• Alignment with our institutional values and mission
• Diverse and robust experiences
• Ability to demonstrate an understanding of medicine
• Observable commitment to service

Interview tips can be found here.

Format

• Submit your letter electronically using the AMCAS Letter Service.
• Do not address the letter to a specific person or medical school.
• Use official letterhead whenever possible.
• Include your name, title, and signature at the end of the letter.

Audience

• Multiple members of the UGA SOM Admissions Committee will read the letter.
• Each committee member values different aspects of an application, but all reviews are conducted holistically.

Purpose

• Your letter will help the Admissions Committee gain deeper insights into the applicant’s qualifications and personal attributes.
• Assess the applicant’s fit for a career in medicine and alignment with the UGA School of Medicine’s Mission and Values, including:
  • Respect
  • Teamwork
  • Integrity
  • Commitment
  • Curiosity
  • Courage

If you have any questions about writing a letter of recommendation, please contact [email protected].

More information about letters of recommendation can be found here. 

Pre-clerkship Phase (M1 and M2 years)

Attendance is always required for the following educational sessions:

• Small group learning
• Clinical sessions
• Active learning, such as anatomy dissection
• Any large group session designated as “required” by the course director
• All scheduled examinations and assessments

Attendance is generally not required for large group sessions unless the course director designates it as required. In a typical week, there are between 14 and 18 hours of required activities.

Clerkship Phase (M3 and M4 years)

In the clinical phase (clerkships and 4th year), attendance is required for all clinical and educational activities (unless clearly specified as non-required). The expectation is that students learn through working with their clinical team and are working when their team is working.

We use a combination of educational methods that complement one another and emphasize teamwork and active learning. This includes:

Small Group Learning

Our core pedagogy in the pre-clerkship years involves students working through clinical cases and solving problems as a team. Students are in groups of seven to eight, and each group has both a basic science and a clinical facilitator. Working as a team in small groups emphasizes active learning, application of knowledge, development of clinical reasoning, teamwork, and the development of self-directed learning skills.

Clinical Practice and Standardized Patient Sessions

This is where students learn physical examination, procedures, ultrasound, and communication through hands-on work in small groups. Standardized patients are actors who are trained to portray specific patient scenarios.

Simulation

Where students work through clinical scenarios in teams to apply basic science and clinical knowledge to simulated cases.

Clinical Learning

Where students go to clinical sites to engage in patient care in teams, working with other healthcare professionals. In the pre-clerkship years, this includes Community and Population Health (CPH) and Clinical Skills. In CPH, students engage in service learning in the clinical environment. In the clerkship years, clinical learning is the central pedagogy.

Large Group Sessions

Where students participate in a variety of educational modalities with the whole class. This may be lectures, workshops, flipped classrooms, or other learning methods.

Anatomy Laboratory/Dissection

Where students learn anatomy hands-on through dissection and active learning in the anatomy lab.

Independent Study

Students are assigned a recording or reading, and they must complete it to meet specific learning objectives. The phrase we use is “SPA” or “self-paced activity”.

Pre-clerkship Years (M1 and M2)

Grading is on the scale of Satisfactory (S) / Unsatisfactory (U) for all pre-clerkship courses. There is an internal Honors (H) designation available for students who demonstrate a high level of proficiency in the courses. The internal Honors designation is reported on the Medical Student Performance Evaluation (MSPE) and is used for purposes such as honor society selection.

Clerkship Years (M3 and M4)

Grading is on a letter-grade scale of A / B / C / F. In the MSPE, these are linked to widely used language in medical education: A = Honors, B = Near Honors, C = Satisfactory, F = Unsatisfactory.

The curriculum is fully integrated, with students participating in patient care and clinical experiences from the earliest stages of training. Clinical skills instruction begins in the first week of medical school, while Community and Population Health places students in clinical sites within the first few weeks for patient care and service-learning experiences that continue throughout the curriculum. Additional clinical learning also occurs through the clinical skills curriculum at a variety of clinical sites.

Students have numerous opportunities to pursue scholarship and research experiences within the curriculum, as well as outside of the curriculum.

In the Curriculum

Within the pre-clerkship curriculum, all students must complete a community health-focused scholarly project as part of Community and Population Health. The scholarly project centers on teams of students working with a community partner to develop an intervention to address a community health problem.

The project allows students to engage in meaningful scholarly work that has a real impact on the community.

Outside the Curriculum

Outside the curriculum, there are many additional opportunities to engage in research. Here are some examples.

• The Medical Student Scholars Program (MSSP) is a summer research program that provides rising second-year students with an opportunity to participate in research projects for 8-10 weeks in an area of their choice, including basic science, clinical, translational, or educational research. Students have the option to stay in Athens and pursue research at any of UGA’s vast array of biomedical research laboratories, centers and institutes, or pursue research at academic institutions, hospitals, and clinics across the United States, as well as internationally. The MSSP culminates with an annual medical student research symposium at which students present their work through both poster and oral presentations.
• UGA SOM students also have access to the educational and training resources from the Georgia Clinical and Translational Science Alliance (GA-CTSA), including the Master of Science in Clinical Research (MSCR), a one-to-two-year program designed for pre-doctoral students (PhD and MD), which provides innovative, didactic, and mentored research training to those interested in pursuing a career in clinical and translational research.
• Students interested in a more in-depth scholarly/research experience have the option to take a research year between their 3rd and 4th year of medical school.

We are intentionally investigating other opportunities for students to pursue research/scholarly work at UGA and beyond.

Pre-clerkship Years (M1 and M2)

Weekly quizzes: There is a quiz at the end of every week that counts towards the final course grade. These provide feedback to students on the knowledge acquired and knowledge gaps and help prepare students for final exams.
Final course exams: Each course has a final exam, constructed by the faculty. Quizzes and exams are generally constituted of multiple-choice, NBME-style questions.

Small group learning assessment: Students are assessed by faculty on their performance in small group learning, and the small group learning grade counts towards the final course grade.

Anatomy practical: Students review specimens in the anatomy lab and answer questions based on the specimens.

Clinical skills assessments: Students are assessed by faculty on their performance in clinical skills sessions, clinical learning sessions, and standardized patient sessions. These count towards the final course grade and are also assessed longitudinally for satisfactory performance in clinical skills. There are must-pass objective structured clinical examinations (OSCEs) in years 1 and 2.

CPH portfolio: Students are assessed by faculty on their performance in Community and Population Health (CPH) work at clinical sites, as well as student assignments and scholarly projects. These are longitudinally assessed through a CPH portfolio.

Clerkship Years (M3 and M4)

Clinical performance evaluations: Each clerkship has clinical performance evaluations, where student clinical performance is assessed using a rubric, with the performance evaluation grade counting towards the clerkship grade.

National Board of Medical Examiners (NBME) Subject Examinations (“shelf exam”): Each clerkship has a subject examination that counts towards the clerkship grade.

Other clerkship assessments: Some clerkships will have assignments and other clinical examinations, such as OSCEs or oral examinations, that count towards the clerkship grades.

Clinical examinations and assessments: There are must-pass OSCEs in year 3.

We are exploring the possibility of dual degrees for MD students. How this would work: Students wishing to pursue a dual degree would apply for admission to the dual degree at the end of M2/beginning of M3 year. If accepted by the second degree program, the student would take a leave of absence after the M3 year, complete the second degree, and then re-enter the MD program at the M4 year. At this point, we are considering MD/MPH and MD/MBA.

Appropriate dress reinforces professional identity, signals respect for peers and faculty, and prepares students for the high expectations of medical practice. In non-clinical settings such as classrooms and small groups, students are expected to dress neatly and appropriately. When interacting with patients (both simulated and real) during the pre-clerkship and clerkship phases of the curriculum, professional dress and attention to personal grooming are required. Your appearance communicates respect for patients, the clinical environment (including adhering to hospital policies), and the profession of medicine.

The Office of Student Affairs supports each student through specialty and career exploration starting from the student’s first year at UGA SOM. The Student Affairs team is experienced in advising students across all specialties, including the most competitive. Students will benefit from longitudinal advising through Student Affairs and from specialty-specific advisors.

Longitudinal advising begins in the very first year for UGA SOM students. The Head of House faculty will serve as a mentor across all years of medical school. Each student will meet with the Dean of Students in a series of individual sessions across the preclinical and clinical phases. Students will be paired with core specialty advisors before the start of the clerkship phase. The specialty advising program will have the flexibility to accommodate anticipated changes in specialty choice during the clerkship phase.

The best letters of recommendation for residency applications come from faculty who know their students well and can attest to their students’ strengths. The unique learning environment and curricular structure of UGA SOM foster relationship-building during both the preclinical and clinical phases, enabling faculty to write well-informed letters.

The curricular and support structures of UGA SOM foster an environment of belonging and teamwork. Small group learning is collaborative. Grading is criterion-based, not “on a curve.” Rather than competing against one another, students can focus on supporting each other and performing at their personal best. There is, however, an important exception: the House Games, where we expect to see the competitive side of students come out in full flourish!

Students at UGA SOM are supported with both group and individual activities through the Office of Student Affairs and the Office of Personalized Health and Well-Being. At UGA SOM, we don’t adopt a message of “We’re here if you need us,” but prefer to embrace a proactive philosophy to support students through their individual journeys. Additionally, medical students will have access to the full array of support services offered by the University of Georgia.

Student life at UGA SOM will be enriched by Specialty Interest Groups and clubs. The inaugural class of UGA SOM will have the special honor of founding their student organizations and will benefit from partnering with Student Interest Groups created by the AU/UGA Medical Partnership. If the club you’re interested in doesn’t already exist, you’re invited to propose a new club!

The Office of Student Affairs is committed to supporting individual students holistically. Students will immediately be immersed in their community House with a built-in support system of the Head of House and house peers. The Academic Success Program within the Office of Student Affairs offers the expertise of dedicated learning specialists. Near-peer tutoring and wellness initiatives are widely available to students.

Mentorship is critical to success at all levels in pursuing a career in medicine, and it begins in medical school. Students will find multiple layers of mentorship: peers, near-peers, faculty, and deans. All students will belong to a House for all four years of medical school, where they will enjoy longitudinal relationships with their Head of House faculty, peers, and near-peers. Students will be intentionally paired with specialty or research advisors as they identify areas of interest. Students will also find themselves identifying mentors on their own as they progress through the curriculum.

UGA SOM students will find their faculty and deans to be passionate about educating the next generation of medical professionals. The Office of Student Affairs will be housed on the first floor of the new medical school building, ensuring they are available and accessible to students. Students will get to know their faculty through small group learning sessions, full-class activities, and academic advising.