LSU Health Sciences Center School of Medicine in New Orleans, founded in 1931, is one of the two LSU system medical schools and is the largest medical school in Louisiana by enrollment. Set in the New Orleans Medical District, the school benefits from close affiliation with University Medical Center New Orleans — the state-of-the-art safety-net hospital built to replace the legendary Charity Hospital after Hurricane Katrina. LSU Health New Orleans produces a high proportion of physicians who remain in Louisiana, particularly serving south Louisiana's diverse, often low-income urban and rural communities.
What makes it different
LSU Health New Orleans has one of the most distinctive training contexts in American medicine — it is the successor institution to the historic Charity Hospital, which for over two centuries was the primary public hospital for the poor in Louisiana and the main training ground for LSU and Tulane medical students. The post-Katrina reconstitution of the school's clinical training around the new University Medical Center New Orleans (UMC) preserves this safety-net training legacy. The school also offers MD training in a vibrant, culturally distinctive city known for complex community health challenges.
Course & teaching
Integrated curriculum. 4-year MD. Years 1–2 at the New Orleans campus with a curriculum combining basic science, early clinical immersion, and community health. Clinical Years 3–4 at University Medical Center New Orleans (UMC), Children's Hospital New Orleans, VA Medical Center New Orleans, and affiliated community hospitals and clinics.
Research strengths
LSU Health New Orleans School of Medicine (MD) has notable research strength in Infectious disease, Cardiovascular disease, Cancer, Public health and disaster medicine, Health disparities in Louisiana.
Interview
LSU Health New Orleans School of Medicine (MD) interviews via Traditional one-on-one and panel interviews with faculty and students in New Orleans. LSU Health New Orleans interview days are held on campus in the New Orleans Medical District. Applicants typically complete one or two traditional interviews with faculty or clinicians lasting approximately 30 minutes each, followed by a campus tour of the LSU Health Sciences Center complex and affiliated hospitals. Interviewers have reviewed the application beforehand and focus on motivation, clinical exposure, Louisiana healthcare context, and commitment to the school's public service mission. The day includes a financial aid overview and informal student interaction. The school's Charity Hospital legacy and the post-Katrina recovery narrative frequently inform interview conversations about resilience and community health.
Intake
Approximately 200 students per year.
At a glance
Founded in 1931, based in New Orleans, LA. Programmes offered: Internal Medicine, Trauma Surgery, Public Health, Infectious Disease, Primary Care.