Penn State College of Medicine (MD) Medical School - 2027 Entry Requirements & Interview Format
Penn State College of Medicine, founded in 1963 and located at the Penn State Hershey Medical Center in Hershey, Pennsylvania, is a public research medical school and one of Central Pennsylvania's most important healthcare and academic institutions. The college offers a rigorous MD curriculum alongside one of Pennsylvania's strongest MD/PhD programmes, with NIH-funded research across cancer biology, neuroscience, and biomedical engineering. Penn State graduates match broadly across specialties with strong placement in academic medicine and surgical subspecialties.
Entry Requirements
What you need to apply to Penn State College of Medicine (MD).
Admission overview
Bachelor's degree and MCAT required. Applications via AMCAS. Penn State is a public school and gives preference to Pennsylvania residents but accepts a meaningful number of out-of-state applicants. Secondary application required. CASPer is not currently required.
MCAT median
514 (range 509–519)
GPA median
3.77 overall / 3.72 science (BCPM)
Acceptance rate
2.5%
Class size
148
In-state preference
Moderate — some OOS consideration
In-state matriculants
45%
CASPer
Not required
Holistic review emphasis
Research experience, academic excellence, Pennsylvania residency, and community service.
Notes
Estimates from public AAMC FACTS / AACOMAS / ADEA AADSAS / class-profile; verify current cycle.
Specialities offered
Cancer Biology, Biomedical Research, Neuroscience, Surgery, Primary Care
Interview Format
How Penn State College of Medicine (MD) interviews applicants.
Format
Traditional one-on-one or panel interviews with faculty and students
Interview window
October–February
Decision date
March 30 (AAMC standard)
Post-interview chances
Estimated post-interview acceptance rate approximately 20–25%; the interview pool is filtered for Pennsylvania residency and academic profile.
What to expect at a Penn State College of Medicine (MD) interview
Penn State College of Medicine interview day is held at the Penn State Hershey Medical Center campus in Hershey, Pennsylvania. Candidates typically participate in two one-on-one sessions of 30–45 minutes each with a faculty physician and a current medical student or resident. Interviewers review the full application beforehand and focus on motivation for medicine, research interests aligned with Penn State Hershey's major NIH-funded programmes, and commitment to Central Pennsylvania's rural and underserved communities. The day includes a tour of the Hershey Medical Center campus and simulation facility, an informal lunch with students, and an admissions information session. Penn State also uses a structured holistic review rubric aligned with AAMC Core Competencies.
What makes Penn State College of Medicine (MD) different
Penn State College of Medicine is located in Hershey, Pennsylvania — a purpose-built academic medical community — and is the academic medicine and research hub for the Penn State Hershey Medical Center, one of the largest health systems in Central Pennsylvania. The college has a major MD/PhD (MSTP) programme and consistently ranks among the top 50 research medical schools nationally. Penn State has distinctive strengths in cancer biology (Penn State Cancer Institute), basic biomedical research, and rural Pennsylvania health. The medical humanities and arts programme (MESH) is a nationally recognised interdisciplinary initiative.
Tutor insight
Penn State Hershey is a research school first — if you have significant research experience, cite specific projects and align them with the Penn State Cancer Institute, neuroscience, or biomedical engineering programmes. The MESH (Medical Education for Stress and Healing) humanities programme is distinctive and beloved by students; mentioning it in your interview signals genuine research. Pennsylvania residency is an advantage but the school admits more out-of-state applicants than most PA public schools given its research reputation. The Hershey location is genuinely rural-adjacent — be prepared to speak to the Central Pennsylvania patient population and rural access context.
PrometheusQuestion Bank
595 medicine questions inside
Interview questions matched to Penn State College of Medicine (MD)
Two questions our tutors flagged as a strong fit for Penn State College of Medicine (MD)’s interview style. Try answering them out loud, then open Prometheus for the model answers and follow-up tips.
Hard·PanelQ1
US Healthcare Ethics: Drug Pricing, Insulin Access, and Physician Advocacy
Insulin — a century-old medication that is essential for survival for millions of Americans with Type 1 diabetes — has historically cost hundreds of dollars per vial in the US while costing a fraction of that in Canada or Germany. The Inflation Reduction Act (2022) capped Medicare insulin costs at $35/month, but uninsured patients and those under 65 remained uncovered. A 22-year-old uninsured patient tells you she has been rationing her insulin. What is your clinical and ethical response, and how do you understand the physician's role in drug pricing advocacy?
Likely follow-up · What are the mechanisms by which the US system enables drug prices to be significantly higher than in other high-income countries?
3 expert tips in Prometheus
Hard·Panel · MMIQ2
US Healthcare Ethics: Medicare and End-of-Life Spending
Medicare data consistently shows that a disproportionate share of healthcare spending occurs in the last six months of life, often on aggressive interventions that do not meaningfully improve quality of life or survival. Some patients and families drive this spending by requesting 'everything possible,' while others are never offered palliative alternatives. As a future physician, how do you think about the ethics of end-of-life resource allocation, and what role should physicians play in these conversations?
Likely follow-up · What is the difference between withdrawing treatment and withholding treatment, and does it matter ethically?
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Penn State College of Medicine (MD) - Frequently asked questions
Bachelor's degree and MCAT required. Applications via AMCAS. Penn State is a public school and gives preference to Pennsylvania residents but accepts a meaningful number of out-of-state applicants. Secondary application required. CASPer is not currently required.
Traditional one-on-one or panel interviews with faculty and students. Penn State College of Medicine interview day is held at the Penn State Hershey Medical Center campus in Hershey, Pennsylvania. Candidates typically participate in two one-on-one sessions of 30–45 minutes each with a faculty physician and a current medical student or resident. Interviewers review the full application beforehand and focus on motivation for medicine, research interests aligned with Penn State Hershey's major NIH-funded programmes, and commitment to Central Pennsylvania's rural and underserved communities. The day includes a tour of the Hershey Medical Center campus and simulation facility, an informal lunch with students, and an admissions information session. Penn State also uses a structured holistic review rubric aligned with AAMC Core Competencies.
Penn State College of Medicine (MD) typically interviews in October–February.
Decisions are released March 30 (AAMC standard).
Penn State College of Medicine is located in Hershey, Pennsylvania — a purpose-built academic medical community — and is the academic medicine and research hub for the Penn State Hershey Medical Center, one of the largest health systems in Central Pennsylvania. The college has a major MD/PhD (MSTP) programme and consistently ranks among the top 50 research medical schools nationally. Penn State has distinctive strengths in cancer biology (Penn State Cancer Institute), basic biomedical research, and rural Pennsylvania health. The medical humanities and arts programme (MESH) is a nationally recognised interdisciplinary initiative.
