Admissions

We are seeking students who desire to be expert in clinical practice and to further the frontiers of medicine through scientific inquiry. We expect our graduates to be highly competitive for academic residencies and to pursue careers as physician investigators.

Important considerations in selecting students for the College include:

• Intellectual achievement
• Interpersonal skills
• Research interest and experience
• Diversity with regards to gender, race, culture, and socioeconomic background
• Demonstrated willingness to sacrifice for others
• Shadowing experience
• Team spirit

CCLCM is a unique program that is setting new standards for the training of physician investigators. Our goal is to identify the best students from the widest variety of backgrounds who will directly impact the future of medical care and understanding of medical science. We embrace the concept of promoting a diverse class in order to bring varying perspectives to the development of thoughtful physician investigators.

Ideal candidates are self-starters, motivated learners and effective team members. These individuals are also skilled at written expression and working cooperatively within a diverse group. Our students take pleasure in self-reflection and pursuing personal growth. They also enjoy finding new approaches and solutions to problems, even when some pieces of the puzzle are missing and the path to a solution is unclear. In other words, they love a challenge.

All applicants are required to take the MCAT to be considered for admission. We will not be accepting MCAT scores after the September 11, 2010 testing date to apply for admission the following summer.

Although the admissions committee will consider your grades and your score on the Medical College Admission Test (MCAT) in the admissions process, good grades and a high MCAT score are not the only criteria for admission. Experience in hypothesis-driven research, personal accomplishments, leadership potential, volunteer efforts for the benefit of others, medical shadowing and group experience are equally important. Curiosity, passion for learning, integrity and professionalism are key traits that we look for in selecting our students.

As outlined below in the School of Medicine's Specific Standards for student admission, each medical student must possess sufficient use of sensory faculties to acquire and assimilate relevant information, the capacity to learn, evaluate, and utilize information in a stable, predictable, and responsible way, and the other motor skills necessary to carry out responsibilities.  A disability does not preclude a student from admission or progression, and the Medical School makes reasonable accommodations for students with documented disabilities.  However, each enrolled student is expected to demonstrate, without unreasonable dependence on technology or intermediaries, the skills, attributes, and qualities set forth in the specific standards for student admission.

In any case in which a medical student appears unable to meet the technical standards set forth in the specific standards for admission, the student’s entire folder and current functioning in all areas of technical skills assessment are formally reviewed by the Admissions Committee and/or the Committee on Students.  Additional information may be sought if deemed necessary by either Committee.

Specific Standards
In addition to documented academic ability and other relevant personal characteristics, the Case Western Reserve University School of Medicine expects all applicants for admission to possess and be able to demonstrate the skills, attributes, and qualities set forth below, without unreasonable dependence on technology or intermediaries.

• Physical Health- A medical student must possess the physical health and stamina needed to carry out the program of medical education.
• Intellectual Skills -A medical student must have sufficient powers of intellect to acquire, assimilate, integrate, and apply information. A medical student must have the intellectual ability to solve problems. A medical student must possess the ability to comprehend three-dimensional and spatial relationships.
• Motor Skills -A medical student must have sufficient use of motor skills to carry out all necessary procedures, both those involved in learning the fundamental sciences and those required in hospital and clinical environments. This includes the ability to participate in relevant educational exercises and to extract information from written sources.
• Communication- A medical student must have sufficient use of speech, hearing, and vision to communicate effectively with patients, teachers, and peers in both oral and written forms.
• Sensory Abilities - A medical student must have sufficient use of the senses of vision, hearing, touch, and smell to observe effectively in the classroom, laboratory, and clinical setting. Students must possess the ability to observe both close at hand and at a distance.
• Behavioral Qualities - A medical student must possess emotional health sufficient to carry out the tasks above, must have good judgment, and must behave in a professional, reliable, mature, and responsible manner. A medical student must be adaptable, possessing sufficient flexibility to function in new and stressful environments. A medical student must have appropriate motivation, integrity, compassion, and a genuine interest in caring for others regardless of gender, sexual orientation, cultural and ethnic background, socio-economic status, religious affiliation and age.

Applicants must meet the basic requirements for admission to the Case Western Reserve University School of Medicine. In addition, applicants must have completed a college level biochemistry course and should have some prior experience in research. Entering students will need a solid foundation in the biomedical sciences and, at a minimum, must have taken the following courses:

• Biology - Students ordinarily satisfy this requirement if they have taken a one-year biology course, including lab that stresses molecular and quantitative concepts. Courses in anatomy, taxonomy, botany and ecology will not satisfy this requirement.
• General Chemistry through Organic - Students normally meet this requirement if they have completed a one-year course in basic chemistry with lab and a one year course in organic chemistry with lab.
• Basic Physics - Students generally satisfy this requirement if they have taken a one-year course in physics with lab.
• Writing skills - Students typically meet this requirement if they have taken one semester of an introductory course in expository writing; however, the committee will consider other courses that required extensive writing.
• Biochemistry - A course in biochemistry that includes metabolism is required of all applicants prior to matriculation.
• Humanities - A literative arts education is recommended, courses in English, the classics and History are also desirable.

AP credits are acceptable for physics and general chemistry but are not acceptable for organic chemistry or biology. Applicants with AP biology credits must complete two upper level biology courses to satisfy the premedical requirements.