Medical Schools in Ohio: How to Get In (2024)
/Which are the best medical schools in Ohio? Plus, Ohio medical school rankings and strategies to get into your top-choice programs
ohio has seven medical schools, including one osteopathic program
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Part 1: Introduction
The state of Ohio is the seventh-most populous in the United States. Located in the Rust Belt, Ohio is home to the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame, numerous professional sports teams, and a wide variety of communities.
It is also happens to have seven medical schools, including three top-ranked programs.
Medical schools in Ohio span a wide range of locations, specialties, and admissions requirements. In this guide, we’ll share key admissions data for each of Ohio’s medical schools and discuss strategies you can use to get into your top-choice program.
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Part 2: List of medical schools in Ohio: 2023 rankings & admissions statistics
While compiling this information, we noted the following trends:
All seven Ohio medical schools appeared in the 2023 U.S. News Best Medical Schools (Research) rankings. Three schools landed in the top 50 and one in the top 25.
Tuition and fees to attend all public Ohio medical schools are considerably lower for in-state residents.
In-state applicants enjoy higher interview rates at every allopathic Ohio medical school.
Numbers in parentheses reflect each medical school’s national ranking, whereas numbers outside parentheses reflect each Ohio medical school’s relative rank. Relative rankings allow us to more easily answer the question, “Which are the ‘best’ medicals school in Ohio?”
(Note: We strongly advise you to sign up for MSAR for the most up-to-date and comprehensive data on individual MD programs and to sign up for Choose DO for DO program data.)
| Ohio Medical Schools | |||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Case Western Reserve University School of Medicine | $68,858 OOS |
14.1% OOS |
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| Ohio State University College of Medicine* | $56,002 OOS |
5.1% OOS |
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| University of Cincinnati College of Medicine* | $51,630 OOS |
7.1% OOS |
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| Ohio University Heritage College of Osteopathic Medicine* | $55,396 OOS |
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| University of Toledo College of Medicine and Life Sciences* | $67,978 OOS |
2.7% OOS |
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| Wright State University Boonshoft School of Medicine* | $58,708 OOS |
1.5% OOS |
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| Northeast Ohio Medical University* | $85,147 OOS |
10.9% OOS |
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Part 3: Ohio medical school profiles
Case Western Reserve University School of Medicine
Medical students at the Case Western Reserve University School of Medicine can pursue one of three medical education pathways: the University Program, the College Program, and the Medical Scientist Training Program.
The University Program is a four-year Doctor of Medicine program, which is characterized by a two-year Foundations of Medicine & Health pre-clinical phase and a two-year clinical phase. The pre-clinical phase places a strong emphasis on self-directed learning through the Case Inquiry Program, a student-centered small group learning method. Students participate in these sessions several times a week during the first two years of medical school.
The College Program has a five-year curriculum that is affiliated with the Cleveland Clinic and boasts a small class size of approximately 30 students yearly. These students will pursue the traditional medical education curriculum in addition to 12 months of master’s level research. For those, who want to pursue an MD-PhD track, the Medical Scientist Training Program is available.
Northeast Ohio Medical University
Over the four years at the Northeast Ohio Medical University (NEOMED), medical students will pursue two years of preclinical education and two years of clinical rotations. The first two years of preclinical education have horizontally and vertically integrated courses in clinical skills, community and population health, interprofessional teamwork and leadership, socially-just practice, and translational research. Students will then pursue their clerkship rotations followed by electives geared towards their own professional interests in their final two years of medical schools. Additionally, students will complete a Clinical Epilogue and Capstone course to culminate their unique clinical interests. While at NEOMED, students will benefit from support from the Professional Development Advising Team (PDAT); PDAT advisors form relationships with students early on in medical school and ensure their personal journeys to becoming physicians are successful.
Ohio State University College of Medicine
Most often, Ohio State University College of Medicine students pursue a traditional four-year MD program; however, the medical school also offers an accelerated three-year Primary Care Track and seven dual-degree options. Thus, medical students with all types of interests will find an educational focus of interest that aligns with their unique goals. Students in the four-year program will study medicine through the three-part Lead.Serve.Inspire (LSI) curriculum that has an integrated competency-based framework. The first phase of the curriculum is the clinical foundations phase, which includes basic and clinical sciences lectures, longitudinal practice sessions in which students rotate at clinical sites, and exploration weeks during which students explore careers in medicine of their choice.
The second part of medical students’ educations is the clinical applications phase, during which students will complete their clerkship rotations. Students finish medical school with the advanced clinical management part of the LSI curriculum, in which they pursue individualized rotations and electives.
Ohio University Heritage College of Osteopathic Medicine
The Ohio University Heritage College of Osteopathic Medicine was established to address Ohio’s growing need for family medicine physicians who serve underserved areas and at-risk patients. Students will pursue an eighteen-month preclinical education at one of the three campuses located in Ohio: Athens, Cleveland, and Dublin.
In additional to foundational basic and clinical sciences coursework, students will study osteopathic approaches to patient care through the Pathways to Health and Wellness Curriculum during this time. The next twelve months are characterized by core clerkship rotations at sites throughout Ohio. Notably, students will have a closely mentored three-month family medicine clerkship during which they will work with an individually assigned preceptor and participate in weekly small-group learning sessions. Students will have the final eighteen months to personalize their elective rotations and prepare for residency.
University of Cincinnati College of Medicine
The University of Cincinnati College of Medicine brings early exposure to patient care at the bedside through its CincyMedEd curriculum by horizontally and vertically integrating these opportunities over the four-year program. Students will first study basic and clinical sciences along with fundamental clinical skills in their first two years of medical school. They will also participate in Learning Communities, a small-group-based learning format in which students will discuss clinical cases related to the organ block they are currently studying with preceptors and peers. During the third year of medical school, students will complete both clerkship rotations and specialty electives of their choice such as anesthesia, dermatology, and oncology. In the final year of medical school, medical students will participate in acting internships in which they are the primary patient care providers on inpatient services, in addition to twenty-four weeks of elective rotations.
University of Toledo College of Medicine and Life Sciences
The University of Toledo College of Medicine and Life Sciences medical school curriculum, Rocket Medicine, was revised in 2017 and now emphasizes early and consistent integration of clinical reasoning, clinical skills, and professionalism. Students will complete two years of pre-clinical coursework, one year of core rotations, and one year of advanced rotations and electives. Rocket Medicine has a required Integrated Clinical Experience (ICE) in which first-year medical students are assigned to faculty preceptors and learn one-on-one how to deliver patient care in various settings, such as the clinic or inpatient medicine. Moreover, in the clinical phase of medical school, all students must complete a minimum of eight weeks of rotations in a rural Area Health Education Center. Students will learn at these centers, which work directly with area schools, government health departments, and community centers.
Wright State University Boonshoft School of Medicine
The Boonshoft School of Medicine piloted the new WrightCurriculum in 2017 and prioritizes self-directed learning, evidence-based medical education, and collaborative small-group learning environments. It is organized into three phases: Foundations (70 weeks), Doctoring (52 weeks), and Advanced Doctoring (52 weeks). Notably, during the pre-clinical Foundations Phase, there is no lecture-based learning; students learn the material by working in small-group interactive learning sessions with faculty and peers. This flipped classroom approach, along with the smaller 120-student class size, fosters an environment of collaboration.
Wright State University also seeks to train physicians who are committed to providing care in rural areas; this is reflected by the Wright Rural Medical Scholars program. Students can pursue the intensive Rural Pathway experience or opt into individual rotations at rural sites.
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Part 4: Ohio medical school admissions strategies
Strategy 1: Take a data-driven approach when selecting Ohio medical schools for your school list
While you might be tempted to apply to every medical school that you can, we encourage you to take a more strategic approach to developing your school list. Many students make the mistake of playing the “accuracy by volume” game, thinking that if they apply to a large number of schools, chances are they’ll earn an acceptance to at least one of them.
There’s a hidden risk here, though. Producing great secondary essays takes time, and the more schools you apply to, the less time you’ll be able to devote to perfecting each individual application.
So, which schools should you apply to? Take a look at the average GPA and MCAT data, and shoot for schools whose stats align with your own. For example, with a 3.7 GPA and 510 MCAT score, the University of Toledo would be a good addition to your list while Case Western would be an improbable bet.
Strategy 2: Familiarize yourself with each Ohio medical school’s mission and demonstrate fit through secondary essays and interviews
Not all Ohio medical schools are created equal. While most medical schools express commitment to patient care, research, and medical education, you’ll notice that some schools emphasize achievements in certain areas more than others.
For example, Case Western boldly states on their website, “Research is a central mission of Case Western Reserve University School of Medicine, and we think ours is world-class.” If you have demonstrated significant achievements in research through a longstanding commitment to a lab and multiple publications, be sure to highlight this in your AMCAS Work and Activities section and secondary essays.
You may also be asked why you decided to apply to a particular school during your interview. This is yet another opportunity to discuss why your background makes you a perfect fit for the program.
By demonstrating how your qualities and experiences align closely with the school’s values, you can maximize your chances of getting into your top-choice Ohio medical school.
Strategy 3: You can’t overprepare for interviews
Speaking of interviews, in addition to communicating your fit for their program in your answers you need to take time to think through what you will say and how you will say it.
Remember, practice makes perfect so make sure you look over practice questions and consider your responses. For example, you might be expecting to be asked “Why medicine?” or “Why do you want to attend our school?” but would you have an adequate answer for “What should be a physician’s top priority?”
There are a number of ways you could approach this question but simply saying “their patients,” or “to heal,” won’t be enough. You need to express that you’ve thought about the concerns a doctor will face in their career to show that you’re up to the task of healing work. Additionally, if you can weave in something specific about the institution in your answer, all the better.
About the Author
Dr. Shirag Shemmassian is the Founder of Shemmassian Academic Consulting and one of the world's foremost experts on medical school admissions. For nearly 20 years, he and his team have helped thousands of students get into medical school using his exclusive approach.
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Appendix A: Ohio medical schools by degree type
Allopathic medical schools in Ohio (MD)
Case Western Reserve University School of Medicine
Northeast Ohio Medical University
Ohio State University College of Medicine
University of Cincinnati College of Medicine
University of Toledo College of Medicine and Life Sciences
Wright State University Boonshoft School of Medicine
Osteopathic medical schools in Ohio (DO)
Ohio University Heritage College of Osteopathic Medicine
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Appendix B: Ohio medical schools by institution type
Public medical schools in Ohio
Northeast Ohio Medical University
Ohio State University College of Medicine
Ohio University Heritage College of Osteopathic Medicine
University of Cincinnati College of Medicine
University of Toledo College of Medicine and Life Sciences
Wright State University Boonshoft School of Medicine
Private medical schools in Ohio
Case Western Reserve University School of Medicine
