How to get into CUSM School of Medicine (MD) MedicineYour 2027 Entry step-by-step guide
CUSM School of Medicine (MD) expects a competitive the MCAT score and GPA (cumulative and science) for its 4-year Medicine (MD/DO) program and uses Asynchronous Kira timed video and written assessment (30–60 minutes, self-scheduled); no live interview described for the 2026–2027 cycle for interviews in the 2027 Entry cycle.
Applications go through AMCAS / AACOMAS (and TMDSAS for Texas) and are read on a holistic, rolling basis against a limited number of seats, so submitting a complete primary early in the cycle materially improves your odds.
This guide is written for 2027 Entry applicants and updated annually before each AMCAS / AACOMAS cycle. Sources include California University of Science and Medicine – School of Medicine's official admissions page, the AAMC (MCAT and AMCAS), AACOMAS, and direct conversations with current students. Read time: ~12 minutes.
California University of Science and Medicine – School of Medicine's official course page was opened and reconciled with this record on 15 August 2026. Figures the school does not publish on that page remain unconfirmed.
CUSM School of Medicine (MD) at a glance
| MCAT / GPA | Bachelor's |
|---|---|
| Interview format | Asynchronous Kira timed video and written assessment (30–60 minutes, self-scheduled); no live interview described for the 2026–2027 cycle |
| Interviews (2027 entry) | October 2026–February 2027 |
| Decisions (2027 entry) | Rolling; final decisions by March 30, 2027 |
CUSM School of Medicine (MD) entry requirements
CUSM School of Medicine (MD) is a US MD program that evaluates applicants holistically via AMCAS. The core academic filters are MCAT and GPA (cumulative + science).
CUSM School of Medicine (MD) admissions profile
- MCAT median:
- 510 (range 505–515)
- GPA median:
- 3.65 overall / 3.60 science (BCPM)
- Acceptance rate:
- 5.0%
- Class size:
- 130
- In-state preference:
- None
- CASPer:
- Required
- AAMC PREview:
- Not required
- Holistic review emphasis:
- Community health mission, Inland Empire commitment, safety-net clinical experience, and diversity.
- Notes:
- Estimates from public AAMC FACTS and school data; verify current cycle.
MCAT, GPA, acceptance-rate and class-size figures are taken from California University of Science and Medicine – School of Medicine's published admissions data. Class profiles are republished each year — confirm which entering class these numbers describe before you rely on them.
MCAT
The MCAT is a 7.5-hour standardized test covering Biological & Biochemical Foundations (BB), Chemical & Physical Foundations (CP), Psychological, Social & Biological Foundations (PS), and Critical Analysis & Reasoning Skills (CARS). Total score: 472–528; national median ~511. Competitive applicants to top MD programs typically score 515+. MCAT scores are valid for 3 years (AAMC policy). Register through AAMC at aamc.org/mcat.
Working towards the MCAT score CUSM School of Medicine (MD) expects? Build a week-by-week plan from your test date — free for the first two weeks.
AMCAS personal statement
Your AMCAS (and AACOMAS for DO) primary carries one personal statement of about 5,300 characters that goes to every school you apply to - so it must answer "why medicine?" without naming a specific school. Lead with a concrete scene, build a reflective arc through your clinical, research and service experience, and close with a forward-looking sense of the physician/dentist you want to become. After the primary, each school sends secondary (supplemental) essays - this is where school-specific "why us?" and mission-fit content belongs. Treat the personal statement and the secondaries as two distinct writing jobs.
The primary personal statement runs to about 5,300 characters including spaces (AMCAS ~5,300; AACOMAS ~5,300). On top of that you will write many secondary essays - often 3-8 prompts per school, frequently with their own word or character caps. First drafts are always too long, so plan to edit the personal statement down and to reuse a pre-written secondary bank.
Five things that win
Four things that lose
Worked-example opener (do not copy — for shape only)
"At 17, scribing in the emergency department, I watched the attending physician explain a difficult prognosis to a frightened family in plain, unhurried language. The exam took minutes; the conversation took far longer, and it taught me that medicine is as much about clarity and trust as it is about clinical knowledge. Since then I have spent…"
Notice: a specific scene rather than a cliché, a precise detail (the nine-minute conversation), and a closing sentence that bridges to the next paragraph. We have a step-by-step AMCAS personal statement service if you want a tutor to help shape yours.
The Assessment interview at CUSM School of Medicine (MD)
CUSM School of Medicine (MD) uses Asynchronous Kira timed video and written assessment (30–60 minutes, self-scheduled); no live interview described for the 2026–2027 cycle. For 2027 entry, interviews typically take place in October 2026–February 2027. Final decisions are released Rolling; final decisions by March 30, 2027.
At CUSM School of Medicine (MD), expect the following from the selection process. Assessment / situational-judgement format - some US schools require an online CASPer or AAMC PREview test as a structured judgement screen, and some hold multi-station assessment days that combine interviews with group or written exercises. Allow 60-90 minutes for an online assessment, or 4-6 hours for a full in-person assessment day.
How the CUSM School of Medicine (MD) interview actually runs
CUSM’s 2026–2027 application process uses an asynchronous Kira assessment — pre-recorded video questions plus a timed written component, completed in the applicant’s own time (invitations September 2026–April 2027). No live MMI or panel is described in the official process.
What they assess
What CUSM School of Medicine (MD) assessors are scoring: Multi-station and situational-judgement formats let the school triangulate - they compare structured scores across stations or scenarios to spot consistent strengths in communication, ethics and professionalism (and any red flags).
Common station / question themes
- Group task observation (how you contribute, listen, lead)
- Written ethics scenario
- Panel or one-on-one interview
- Personal-statement and experiences deep dive
- US health-system topics (access, cost, insurance, disparities)
- Academic curiosity questions
Sample questions you might face at CUSM School of Medicine (MD)
Why medicine?
Tell us about your clinical and research experience.
In a group task, what role did you take and why?
How would you handle disagreement with a senior colleague?
Describe a current issue in US health care and your view on it.
Model-answer guidance: “Why medicine?”
Our panel-interview prep covers ethics frameworks (SPIES, the four pillars), structured behavioral answers (STAR), and live mock interviews with admissions specialists.
Practise the CUSM School of Medicine (MD) interview
Rehearse the real format before the day — on demand with our AI interviewers, or live with a tutor.
Sit a mock with photoreal AI interviewers — any time
A timed MMI circuit or panel interview on video, with interviewers who listen, react and press with follow-ups. Rubric-scored feedback and a replay the moment you finish.
Live mocks with a tutor who’s been in the room
A full CUSM School of Medicine (MD)-style mock with a medic or dentist tutor — honest scoring against real marking criteria, a station-by-station debrief and a written action plan.
Book a mock interviewMonth-by-month timeline for 2027 Entry
The cycle runs roughly January 2025 (start of prep), AMCAS / AACOMAS opens in May 2026 with primaries submitted from June 2026, secondary applications over summer 2026, interviews from August 2026 through March 2027, and rolling decisions to course start in August 2027. Here are the milestones you cannot miss.
Decide and build clinical + research experience
Confirm medicine or dentistry as your career direction. Start banking the experience US schools expect: clinical exposure (scribing, EMT, hospital volunteering, shadowing MDs/DOs or dentists), research, and community service. Admissions committees review holistically, so depth, reflection and longitudinal commitment matter more than a long list of one-off activities.
Open your MCAT / DAT prep window
Begin structured prep 4-6 months before your test date. The MCAT (medicine) is a ~7.5-hour exam across four sections including CARS; the DAT (dentistry) tests sciences, perceptual ability and reading. Aim to test in spring of your apply year so a verified score is ready when the primary opens.
Sit the MCAT / DAT
Take the MCAT (medicine) or DAT (dentistry) by spring so scores post before you submit. MCAT scores release ~30-35 days after the test and are valid for 3 years (AAMC policy). Leave a contingency retake window only if you must - a later score delays your whole rolling application.
Primary application opens
AMCAS (MD), AACOMAS (DO) and TMDSAS (Texas public schools) open in early May; ADEA AADSAS (dentistry) opens in early May too. Begin entering coursework, experiences, and your personal statement immediately - verification of transcripts takes weeks, so an early submission protects your place in the rolling queue.
Submit your primary
Submit your verified primary in late May or June. This is the single most important deadline you control: in a rolling cycle, a complete June application is materially stronger than the same application in August. Request transcripts and letters of recommendation early so verification is not the bottleneck.
Secondary (supplemental) applications begin
Schools send secondary applications soon after receiving your verified primary. Turn each around within ~1-2 weeks - schools track responsiveness. Pre-write answers to common prompts ("Why our school?", diversity, adversity, future goals) so you can localise quickly. CASPer and AAMC PREview are required by some schools - schedule them now.
Interview invitations begin
Complete files (primary + secondary + letters + any CASPer/PREview) move to committee, and interview invitations start going out from August. Invitations and offers are issued on a rolling basis, so completing files early in summer puts you in front of committees while the most seats remain open.
Interviews + first rolling acceptances
Interviews run from August through March (MMI, traditional one-on-one, or panel). MD schools may begin releasing acceptances around October 15 under AMCAS Traffic Rules. Many programmes have an October 15 primary deadline for MD - but applying that late in a rolling cycle is a disadvantage, not a target.
Interviews continue + manage offers
Interview season peaks. Acceptances, waitlists and holds accumulate on a rolling basis. Track each school's deadline to commit, and use AMCAS / AACOMAS "Plan to Enroll" and "Commit to Enroll" tools (and TMDSAS / AADSAS equivalents) as instructed.
Final interviews + waitlist movement
The last interviews wrap up around March. From spring onward, schools work their waitlists as accepted applicants narrow their choices. Stay responsive: a strong letter of intent and updated achievements can move you off a waitlist.
Commit to one school
Narrow to a single acceptance by the AAMC "Commit to Enroll" date (typically late April) for MD; AACOMAS, TMDSAS and AADSAS have parallel deadlines. Withdraw from other schools promptly so seats free up for waitlisted applicants.
Matriculation
US medical and dental school begins in August. Orientation, white-coat ceremony, and the first pre-clinical (or integrated) coursework start the 4-year programme.
What makes CUSM School of Medicine (MD) different
CUSM is the only medical school based in the Inland Empire, serving a region of more than 4.5 million people with one of the lowest physician-to-patient ratios in California. The school's Arrowhead Regional Medical Center affiliation provides training in a high-volume safety-net hospital serving predominantly Latino, low-income, and uninsured patients. This creates distinctive clinical training for students committed to community and public health.
Notable research areas
Curriculum (Integrated)
4-year MD. Years 1–2 integrate foundational science with community health and social determinants of health content. Year 3–4 clinical rotations at Arrowhead Regional Medical Center and affiliated community health centers throughout the Inland Empire.
Location: Colton, CA, United States
Founded in 2015. Whether the city suits you matters - four years is a long commitment. Visit on an open day if you can; current students will be the most honest assessors of culture and clinical placement quality.
Application statistics for CUSM School of Medicine (MD)
CUSM School of Medicine (MD) intake
Approximately 130 students per year.
How CUSM School of Medicine (MD) selects, at a glance
Source: California University of Science and Medicine – School of Medicine admissions data; AAMC published class profiles; MSAR data; school-reported class statistics.
Six mistakes that derail medicine applications
CUSM School of Medicine (MD) — frequently asked questions
Sources for this CUSM School of Medicine (MD) guide
Apply to CUSM School of Medicine (MD) with confidence
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