MD · Hershey, PA · private · applies through AMCAS
Pennsylvania State University College of Medicine
Known as Penn State
Prerequisite coursework
Verify with the school| Course | Status | Hours | Lab | Pass/fail | AP credit | Online | Community college | Notes from the school |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Anatomy BIOL | Recommended | — | Yes | No | Yes | Case-by-case Case-by-case basis | Yes | Human anatomy with lab or equivalent (1 year/2 semesters) |
| Biochemistry CHEM | Required | — | No | No | Yes | Case-by-case Case-by-case basis | Yes | Biochemistry (1 semester) |
| Biology BIOL | Required | — | Yes | No | Yes | Case-by-case Case-by-case basis | Yes | General biology with lab (1 year/2 semesters) |
| Chemistry CHEM | Required | — | Yes | No | Yes | Case-by-case Case-by-case basis | Yes | General/inorganic chemistry with lab (1 year/2 semesters) |
| Microbiology BIOL | Recommended | — | No | No | Yes | Case-by-case Case-by-case basis | Yes | Microbiology (1 semester) |
| Physical Chemistry CHEM | Required | — | Yes | No | Yes | Case-by-case Case-by-case basis | Yes | Organic chemistry with lab (1 year/2 semesters) |
| Physics PHYS | Required | — | Yes | No | Yes | Case-by-case Case-by-case basis | Yes | Physics with lab (1 year/2 semesters) |
| Physiology BIOL | Recommended | — | Yes | No | Yes | Case-by-case Case-by-case basis | Yes | Physiology with lab or equivalent (1 year/2 semesters) |
| Statistics MATH | Recommended | — | No | No | Yes | Case-by-case Case-by-case basis | Yes | Statistics course (1 semester) |
Community-college pathways
Coursework completed at a community college is accepted by the College of Medicine.
Source: MSAR Report for Applicants and Advisors: Premed Course Requirements 2027 (AAMC, retrieved 2026-10-13). Verify with the school.
Admission policies, in the school's words
Course Grades Penn State College of Medicine recognizes that its applicants bring varied and rich undergraduate academic and personal experiences to their admissions credentials. We recognize that students most successful in our rigorous curriculum demonstrate excellence in coursework in the areas that strengthen their academic preparation. Required academic courses (or the applicant’s institution’s equivalent) include: • General biology with lab (1 year/2 semesters) • General/inorganic chemistry with lab (1 year/2 semesters) • Organic chemistry with lab (1 year/2 semesters) • Physics with lab (1 year/2 semesters) • Biochemistry (1 semester) Online coursework is generally not recommended. Courses that have Pass/Fail, Credit/No Credit, Satisfactory/Unsatisfactory as their grading are generally not recommended. However, consideration of this grading is given to coursework taken during the height of the COVID-19 pandemic (2020, 2021). It is recommended that applicants achieve a B- or higher in the required courses. MCAT The Admissions Committee will continue to require completion of the MCAT examination in order to apply to the College of Medicine. See Admissions Policies and Procedures on the Admissions website. The Penn State College of Medicine strictly adheres to the process and dates of the AMCAS Choose Your Medical School (CYMS) Tool as follows: All accepted applicants are strongly encouraged to participate in the CYMS Tool starting in February and indicate “Plan to Enroll” if Penn State is a consideration for medical school. After April 15 accepted applicants are required to hold no more than three acceptances. They may remain on other wait lists. After April 30 Accepted applicants are required to participate in the Choose Your Medical school tool and adhere to the stated rules. Accepted applicants can hold only one acceptance and have the option of indicating “Plan to Enroll” or “Commit to Enroll”. A selection of “Commit to Enroll” indicates a final selection and applicants are expected to withdraw acceptance(s) from all other schools. An accepted applicant who selects “Plan to Enroll” must maintain one acceptance to Penn State, but can remain on other wait lists. Applicants who make a decision to matriculate to another medical school are expected to notify the Admissions Office within 24 hours by email. At 21 days before matriculation, accepted applicants must select “Commit to Enroll” to remain in the entering class. Accepted applicants will be reminded of the deadline date by the Admissions Office. At this point accepted applicants are not allowed to accept offers from other medical schools or be considered for a waitlist position. The AMCAS traffic rules are strictly enforced. The College of Medicine reserves the right to resend an offer of acceptance if improper activity is discovered.
Source: MSAR Report for Applicants and Advisors: Admission Policies and Information 2027 (AAMC, retrieved 2026-10-13). Verify with the school.
Who can apply
- Out-of-state applicants
- Yes All applicants who are US citizens.
- Canadian applicants
- No
- International applicants
- No
- DACA applicants
- Yes DACA status applicants are eligible to apply. See the admissions website.
- DACA details
- DACA status applicants are eligible to apply. See the admissions website.
Source: (AAMC, retrieved 2026-10-13). Verify with the school.
Interview
- Format
- Interviews may continue to be virtual in format.
- Invitations sent
- August of the year previous to matriculation.
- Typical interview day
- https://med.psu.edu/educa tion/degree-programs/mddoctormedicine/apply/process
- Regional interviews
- Regional interviews are not available.
- Video interviews
- Yes
Tags are derived from the text above by keyword; read the text before relying on a tag.
Source: MSAR Report for Applicants and Advisors: Interview Procedures 2027 (AAMC, retrieved 2026-10-13). Verify with the school.
Situational-judgment tests and MCAT dates
- Casper
- Not on official list source
- AAMC PREview
- Exploring (not used in decisions) "We are not using PREview scores in the admissions process" source
- Latest MCAT considered
- December 15, 2026
- Oldest MCAT considered
- January 2024
Casper status comes from the school's own admissions page where it states one, otherwise from published requirement lists; PREview from the school's page or the AAMC PREview policies report. Both change between cycles. Verify with the school.
Secondary application
- Required
- Yes
- Fee
- $90
- Fee waiver available
- Yes
- Deadline
- Dec 15, 2026 December 15, 2026
- Who receives it
- applicants who are US citizens, US permanent residents, and applicants with DACA status. Applicants must have a bachelor's degree from an accredited US or Canadian college or university.
Source: (AAMC, retrieved 2026-10-13). Verify with the school.
Letters of evaluation
- Committee letter
- Accepted
- Letter packet
- Accepted
- Individual letters
- Accepted
Source: (AAMC, retrieved 2026-10-13). Verify with the school.
Waitlist and deposit
- Typical waitlist positions
- 70
- Offers made from the waitlist
- 25
- Procedure
- Students on the wait list are frequently reviewed with the potential of being accepted into the entering class. A significant number of applicants from the wait list are accepted each cycle.
- Deposit required
- Yes in state $100 · out of state $100
- Deposit due
- April 30, 2026
- Refundable / applied to tuition
- Yes Yes
Cost of attendance and debt
| In state | Out of state | |
|---|---|---|
| Tuition and fees | $61,354 | $68,558 |
| Health insurance | $4,417 | $4,417 |
| Total cost of attendance, year 1 | $100,415 | $107,619 |
94% of students receive aid. Average indebtedness of indebted graduates: $212,682.
Official AAMC counts, 2025-2026
- Applications
- 14,288 (8.3% in-state)
- Matriculants
- 150 (43.3% in-state, 56.7% out-of-state; 51.3% women)
- Applications per seat
- 95
Source: AAMC FACTS Table A-1: Applications and Matriculants by School, State of Legal Residence, and Gender, 2025-2026 (AAMC, retrieved 2026-10-13).
Entering class 2025
- Applicants
- 11,207
- Interviewed
- 617
- Matriculated
- 150
- In-state
- 45%
- Women
- 51%
Source: the school's published class profile (page), retrieved 2026-10-13. Statistics describe one entering class and are not cutoffs.
Transfer applications
No
Mission statement
Penn State College of Medicine and its academic partner, Penn State Health, are committed to enhancing the quality of life through improved health, the professional preparation of those who will serve the health needs of others and the discovery of knowledge that will benefit all. Our vision is to be a world leader in the transformation of health care and in the enhancement of health for people everywhere. We are committed to the education of medical and nursing students, basic science graduate students, medical residents and fellows, other students in healthcare related professions, and practicing health professionals. We seek to enroll students of exceptional quality, and their education will be based on the present and future health needs of the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania and the nation. Special recognition is given to the education of primary care providers. Our objective is to provide a range of fully integrated patient care services for the people of central Pennsylvania and beyond. These services will extend from prevention of illness and maintenance of health through primary medical care to the highly sophisticated patient care expected at the nation’s premier academic medical centers. We strive to be a national leader in pursuing scientific investigation and developing programs to advance medical and scientific knowledge, which will ultimately contribute to the health of the public, the practice of medicine, and the education of health professionals. We will provide community outreach services to the public through health education, patient care, community activities, and applications of research. We endeavor to provide health education to the public. In turn, community support for our research missions fosters clinical applications that positively impact patient care.
Notes
Class Profiles page (described as 'profiles of recent entering classes') publishes no GPA or MCAT figures. 'Class of 2025 Profile': 11,207 applications, 617 students interviewed, 150 new MD students, 45% Pennsylvania residents, 51% women. Earlier: 2024 — 9,382 applications, 700 interviewed, 149 matriculated (36% PA, 65% women); 2023 — 8,018/746/145 (31% PA, 65% women); 2022 — 8,293/752/151; 2021 — 8,815/819/152. Requirements page: MCAT required and considered from the last three years before matriculation; no cutoffs stated. Control recorded as private (Penn State is a state-related university; AAMC lists the College of Medicine as private).
Sources for this page
- MSAR Report for Applicants and Advisors: Premed Course Requirements 2027 · AAMC, retrieved 2026-10-13
- MSAR Report for Applicants and Advisors: Admission Policies and Information 2027 · AAMC, retrieved 2026-10-13
- · AAMC, retrieved 2026-10-13
- · AAMC, retrieved 2026-10-13
- MSAR Report for Applicants and Advisors: Interview Procedures 2027 · AAMC, retrieved 2026-10-13
- · AAMC, retrieved 2026-10-13
- · AAMC, retrieved 2026-10-13
- · AAMC, retrieved 2026-10-13
- · AAMC, retrieved 2026-10-13
- · AAMC, retrieved 2026-10-13
- · AAMC, retrieved 2026-10-13
- · AAMC, retrieved 2026-10-13
- · AAMC, retrieved 2026-10-13
- · AAMC, retrieved 2026-10-13
- · AAMC, retrieved 2026-10-13
- · AAMC, retrieved 2026-10-13
- · AAMC, retrieved 2026-10-13
- School website (class profile and admissions pages)
- LCME Directory - Accredited Programs
- AAMC FACTS Table A-1: Applications and Matriculants by School, State of Legal Residence, and Gender, 2025-2026 · AAMC, retrieved 2026-10-13
- https://med.psu.edu/education/degree-programs/md-doctor-medicine/class-profiles · school website, retrieved 2026-10-13
- https://med.psu.edu/education/degree-programs/md-doctor-medicine/apply/requirements · school website, retrieved 2026-10-13
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