Harvard Medical School is a dream for many premed students because of its prominence, clinical and research possibilities, and personal and professional network.
Harvard Medical School has been a leader in the study of Medicine for over two centuries. The curriculum at Harvard Medical School is grounded in leading biomedical science and clinical experience, preparing students to be leaders in health care policy.
The two tracks offered by Harvard Medical School are quite different. Therefore we’ll discuss them before diving into admissions data and strategies:
Case-based learning, early clinical experiences (in the first few weeks of the first year), advanced scientific classes, and a research project are all part of the Harvard Pathways programme, which provides a more typical medical school curriculum. Nearly eighty percent of Harvard Medical School undergraduates participate in the Pathways curriculum.
Harvard and MIT have collaborated on a programme called Health Sciences & Technology (HST) that aims to advance the fields of biomedical research, the fundamental sciences, and biotechnology.
Twenty percent of medical students in each class enrol in the HST programme, which allows them to delay the start of their clinical rotations until the middle of their second year and focus more on research throughout their training. To get their degrees, HST students must write and defend a thesis.
We suggest checking out Harvard’s website, where the parallels and distinctions between Pathways and HST are laid out clearly.
These are some of the dual degree programmes that HMS provides:
Students may apply for dual-degree programmes once accepted into the MD programme, except the MD/Ph.D. programme.
HMS admittance is competitive. Harvard Medical School is one of the most competitive medical schools in the U.S. High-achieving students have the highest chance of acceptance with a 3.9 average GPA.
Harvard Medical School accepted 3.3% of applicants in the last cycle.
The Admissions Committee considers the following criteria while making its decision:
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Subject |
Description |
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Behavioural Science |
It is suggested for students to undertake coursework in sociology, psychology, etc. |
|
Biology |
Biology lab experience of at least one year, covering cellular and molecular topics. Although AP credits cannot be used, you can satisfy this need by enrolling in advanced biology classes. |
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Chemistry/ Biochemistry |
It takes two years to complete four chemistry courses with lab experience. Inorganic, organic, and biochemistry must all be covered in chemistry classes. You can enrol in more advanced inorganic chemistry classes using your AP credits. |
|
Physics |
Physics I for one year is needed, and lab experience is advised. For HST applicants: You must finish one year of college-level coursework. HMS recommends that applicants take calculus-based physics for at least one year. |
|
Maths |
You are advised to finish one year of Mathematics, with one semester each of calculus and statistics, if you are applying for the Pathways programme. For HST applicants, HMS recommends upper-level mathematics education. Additionally encouraged is statistics, preferably biostatistics. |
|
Writing |
AP credits cannot be used, and one year is necessary. Writing-intensive courses are encouraged, and courses in the humanities or social sciences that require a lot of expository writing can fulfil this need. |
Letters of recommendation must be submitted for your application to be considered. You may submit up to 6 letters of recommendation, with a minimum of three. However, HMS asks that you include the following information:
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Date |
Description |
|
Early May |
AMCAS Opens |
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Early june |
Application for AMCAS can be Submitted |
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Early july |
Secondary Application for HMS opens and you can submit at any time. |
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October 15 |
Deadline of AMCAS |
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October 22 |
Deadline of Secondary Application of HMS |
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October 31 |
Transcript Submission Deadline of AMCAS |
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January |
Interview Session |
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Early March |
You Will be Notified with the status of your Application |
An interview at Harvard will require knowledge of the medical field and current hot topics, an ability to think laterally and logically across a range of different question types, strong communication skills, empathy, and the ability to clearly articulate your passion for Medicine, your understanding of the career, and your own objectives within it. You will need to make use of varied resources, and many successful applicants will also make use of a professional training firm.
A private tutor can provide:
MMI questions cover anything from personal questions, to situational judgement scenarios, to knowledge of hot topics in Medicine. Therefore, making use of a question bank is highly recommended. It’s a great way to develop your learning – and your approach – quickly, efficiently, and without fatigue setting in.
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The Medical College Admission Test is compulsory for all applicants.
The GPA of admitted students is 3.9 on average. There is no minimum cut-off, but you will need to approach this score to be competitive.
Applying early is sensible, assuming you are able to create a strong application in good time. You must work through each part of your application in great detail; LORs should be varied and effusive in their praise, your work experience and shadowing must demonstrate your suitability (and your reflections upon it must be well-considered), etc. You will need to be able to provide evidence of solid research, ideally in well-respected publications.
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