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US Medicine · 2027 Entry

CUNY School of Medicine (MD) Medical School2027 Entry Requirements & Interview Format

Location New York, NY, United StatesEstablished 1973Interviews October–FebruaryDecisions March 30 (AAMC standard)
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Photo: Ajay Suresh from New York, NY, USA · CC BY 2.0

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Full guide

How to get into CUNY School of Medicine (MD) medicine

Step-by-step: entry requirements, MCAT prep, personal statement, interview format and the key deadlines.

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Interview guide

Prepare for the CUNY School of Medicine (MD) interview

Format breakdown, school-specific sample questions, FAQs and prep tips from tutors who interviewed here.

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Overview

About CUNY School of Medicine (MD)

CUNY School of Medicine traces its origins to the Sophie Davis School of Biomedical Education, founded in 1973, and became an independent LCME-accredited MD-granting school in 2015/2016. Based at The City College of New York in Harlem, it is the only public medical school in New York City and among the most affordable MD pathways in the state. Its flagship route is an accelerated 7-year BS/MD program that admits students directly from high school — with no MCAT required at any stage — alongside a smaller graduate-entry MD track. The school places a strong emphasis on social justice, urban health, and primary care, training physicians committed to serving New York's diverse and often underserved communities. Clinical training takes place at Harlem Hospital Center, Lincoln Hospital, and other New York Health + Hospitals facilities.

What makes it different

CUNY SOM offers a distinctive 7-year BS/MD program in partnership with The City College of New York, making it one of the most affordable pathways to an MD in New York. The school has a strong mission to train physicians for medically underserved urban communities and has one of the highest proportions of underrepresented-in-medicine students among US allopathic schools.

Course & teaching

Integrated curriculum. 4-year MD (or 3-year accelerated in the BS/MD pathway). Years 1–2 integrate basic and clinical sciences in a case-based, small-group format. Years 3–4 consist of clinical clerkships at New York Health + Hospitals affiliated sites throughout New York City. A longitudinal community health thread runs throughout all four years.

Research strengths

CUNY School of Medicine (MD) has notable research strength in Urban health disparities, Community-based participatory research, Primary care outcomes, Social determinants of health, Minority health.

Interview

CUNY School of Medicine (MD) interviews via Traditional panel interview — faculty and student interviewers in separate sessions. CUNY SOM typically conducts traditional one-on-one or small-panel interviews lasting approximately 30–45 minutes per session. Applicants meet with faculty physicians and a current student; interviewers review the full application beforehand and ask open-ended behavioral questions. Given the school's mission focus, interviews probe commitment to underserved communities and primary care. The full interview day includes a campus tour and an information session highlighting the BS/MD accelerated pathway and the school's unique City College of New York affiliation.

Intake

Approximately 70–75 students per year.

At a glance

Founded in 1973, based in New York, NY. Programmes offered: Urban Medicine, Primary Care, Community Health, Health Equity, Internal Medicine.

Entry requirements

What you need to apply to CUNY School of Medicine (MD)

Admission overview
The flagship route is the accelerated 7-year BS/MD (Sophie Davis) program, which admits students directly from high school via a City College undergraduate admissions pathway and requires no MCAT at any stage. A separate, smaller graduate-entry MD track requires a bachelor's degree and the MCAT, with prerequisite coursework in biology, chemistry, physics, and biochemistry and applications via AMCAS. The school strongly favors candidates with demonstrated commitment to serving medically underserved populations.
MCAT median
511 (range 506–517)
GPA median
3.70 overall / 3.65 science (BCPM)
Acceptance rate
2.0%
Class size
72
In-state preference
Strong — primarily in-state
In-state matriculants
85%
CASPer
Not required
AAMC PREview
Not required
Holistic review emphasis
Mission alignment with urban underserved care, socioeconomic diversity, community service, and primary care commitment.
Notes
Most matriculants enter via the no-MCAT 7-year BS/MD (Sophie Davis) route directly from high school; the MCAT median/range below reflects only the smaller graduate-entry cohort. Estimates from public AAMC FACTS / class-profile; verify current cycle.
Specialities offered
Urban Medicine, Primary Care, Community Health, Health Equity, Internal Medicine
Interview

How CUNY School of Medicine (MD) interviews applicants

Format
Traditional panel interview — faculty and student interviewers in separate sessions
Interview window
October–February
Decision date
March 30 (AAMC standard)
Post-interview chances
Approximately 15–25% of interviewed applicants receive an offer; post-interview acceptance rates are moderate given the school's mission focus and strong preference for applicants aligned with its urban health mandate. Estimates based on class size and interview volume; verify with school.
Tutor insight
CUNY SOM is a mission-driven school — your personal statement and interview must clearly articulate why you are committed to urban underserved medicine, not simply that you want to practice in New York. If you have shadowed or volunteered at a federally qualified health center, community clinic, or safety-net hospital, highlight this prominently. The school's BS/MD track is highly competitive for undergraduates; graduate-entry applicants benefit from differentiated narratives that distinguish their experiences from direct-entry students. The very low tuition means competition for seats is fierce relative to the class size — treat your secondary essay as critically as your MCAT preparation.
Practice

Practise for your CUNY School of Medicine (MD) interview

PrometheusQuestion Bank621 medicine questions inside

Interview questions matched to CUNY School of Medicine (MD)

Two questions our tutors flagged as a strong fit for CUNY School of Medicine (MD)’s interview style. Try answering them out loud, then open Prometheus for the model answers and follow-up tips.

EasyPanelQ1

AAMC Core Competency: Reliability and Dependability

The AAMC includes Reliability and Dependability among its Professional (formerly Intrapersonal) competencies, noting that medical students and physicians must consistently follow through on commitments to colleagues, supervisors, and patients. Describe a time when you made a commitment that became significantly harder to keep than you anticipated, and explain what you did and what you learned about yourself.

Likely follow-up · How do you prioritise when multiple genuine commitments conflict and you cannot fully meet all of them?

3 expert tips in Prometheus
HardPanelQ2

US Healthcare Ethics: Genetic Testing, Privacy, and Insurability

A 28-year-old patient whose mother died of BRCA1-associated breast cancer asks you to order genetic testing. She wants to know her mutation status but is worried that a positive result will affect her ability to obtain life insurance, disability insurance, or long-term care insurance in the future. She is currently covered by employer-sponsored health insurance. What do you counsel her about testing, and how do you address her insurance concerns accurately?

Likely follow-up · What does GINA (Genetic Information Nondiscrimination Act) protect, and what does it explicitly not protect?

3 expert tips in Prometheus
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FAQ

CUNY School of Medicine (MD) — frequently asked questions

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