How to Get Into the Yale School of Medicine: Requirements and Strategies
/Learn the Yale Medical School acceptance rate, admissions requirements, and strategies, plus YSM secondary essay examples
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Part 1: Introduction
Established in 1810, the Yale School of Medicine is known as one of the oldest medical schools in the United States, as well as one of the best. It currently sits at #10 on U.S. News and World Report’s Research rankings, and its daunting admissions standards reflect its illustrious reputation.
With well over 7,000 applicants vying annually for about 100 slots, aspiring Yalies must put their best feet forward. To help make your application to Yale as competitive as possible, we’ve assembled a comprehensive guide to acing your Yale secondary application, including a program overview, admissions statistics, and strategies (with examples) for tackling Yale’s daunting secondary essays.
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Part 2: Yale School of Medicine MD programs
Yale School of Medicine offers four tracks of study for its students to achieve their MD:
In addition to these MD programs, Yale also offers a number of dual-degree programs in conjunction with other schools at Yale. Yale medical students can earn an MD/JD, MD/MBA, or an MD/MDiv.
Yale Medical School tuition and scholarships
Yale School of Medicine’s tuition, clocking in at $70,184 during 2023–2024, is steep. Adjusting for fees and cost of living, Yale currently advises its students to budget $106,677 for the first year of attendance.
Because Yale is a private institution, you won’t find any in-state perks. However, the School of Medicine offers generous, need-based financial aid.
In 2019, Yale announced that students receiving financial aid would be expected to borrow just $15,000 per year going forward, reducing its “unit loan” by 50 percent over two years. As a result, students eligible for financial aid take out fewer loans and receive more institutional scholarships, and they should graduate with no more than $60,000 in debt.
Starting in 2023-2024, students that qualify for need-based aid commit to taking out a $10,000 annual loan and Yale will cover the remainder of costs including room and board meaning these students will graduate with only $40,000 in debt.
In comparison, the average medical school debt in 2021 was $215,900.
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Part 3: How hard is it to get into the Yale School of Medicine?
Yale Medical School admissions statistics
With an acceptance rate of 4.8 percent, Yale School of Medicine is highly selective. Let’s take a look at the admissions statistics for the class of 2025:
Applications: Over 7,200
Matriculants: 104
While Yale hasn’t shared further details regarding its most recent class, statistics for the class of 2024 illustrate Yale’s high expectations when it comes to academic achievement:
Median GPA: 3.85
Median MCAT: 519
(Suggested reading: Average GPA and MCAT Score for Every Medical School)
Yale Medical School admissions requirements
To apply to Yale School of Medicine, applicants must fulfill the following coursework requirements, complete with lab:
General biology or zoology: 2 semesters
General chemistry: 2 semesters
Organic chemistry: 1 semester
Biochemistry: 1 semester (laboratory recommended, but not required)
General physics: 2 semesters
Furthermore, to apply in the 2023–2024 application cycle, you must submit an MCAT score from an exam taken between January 2020 and the final test date in 2023.
(Suggested reading: Medical School Requirements: The Definitive Guide)
Yale Medical School application timeline
You’ll submit your Yale School of Medicine application via AMCAS. Here are the dates and deadlines to keep in mind during the application process:
May 2, 2023: AMCAS application opens
May 30, 2023: AMCAS application can be submitted
July 2022: Yale secondary application opens
August 1, 2023: AMCAS application deadline for Early Decision
August 31, 2023: Yale secondary application deadline for Early Decision
September 2023–February 2024: Interviews conducted
October 1, 2023: Early Decision applicants notified of admissions decision
October 15, 2023: AMCAS application deadline
November 15, 2023: Yale secondary application deadline
March 15, 2024: Applicants notified of admissions decision by this date
As is the case for all medical school admissions, we advise you to submit your AMCAS primary as soon as possible after the system opens. Yale typically sends out secondary applications within a week of receiving your AMCAS primary, beginning in late July when the secondary application becomes available. They’ll consider applications on a first-come basis, so timeliness in returning your secondary can be key to your success as well.
(Suggested reading: The Ideal Medical School Application Timeline)
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Part 4: Yale Medical School secondary application essays (examples included)
Like any other medical school, Yale will first take into account your personal statement and AMCAS Work and Activities section, as well as your MCAT score, GPA, and recommendation letters. But when it comes to secondary applications, Yale also gives applicants a lot of space to communicate who they are narratively—more than most schools allow—giving you the opportunity, hopefully, to stand out from that crowded applicant pool.
Don’t be intimidated by the length of this secondary. Instead, see it as a chance to more fully communicate with the admissions committee. Below, we’ve broken down each secondary essay prompt and provided guidance on crafting responses that will allow you to shine.
Question 1: Yale School of Medicine values diversity in all its forms. How will your background and experiences contribute to this important focus of our institution and inform your future role as a physician? (500 words)
Fortunately, this is your standard “diversity prompt.” Take a look at our deep-dive into how to ace diversity essays, which includes an example essay you can use as a guide.
The goal with this prompt, as with all diversity prompts, is to show what makes you unique (culturally, intellectually, geographically, skill-based, etc.) and how your unique background and perspective will allow you to add (in a way only YOU can!) to the future of medicine.
Remember to connect your diversity answer back to Yale if you have any extra room, explaining how you’d bring your own unique personality, background, and experience to the Yale campus and to New Haven.
Question 2: Please answer either one of the following questions. (500 words)
MD applicants: Please answer either one of the following questions.
MD/PhD applicants: Please answer question 2 as it pertains to your proposed PhD research.
While there is great emphasis on the physician-patient relationship. Yale School of Medicine also emphasizes the importance of training future physicians to care for communities and populations. Describe how your experiences would contribute to this aspect of the mission of the Yale School of Medicine.
Research is essential to patient care, and all students at Yale School of Medicine complete a research thesis. Tell us how your research interests, skills and experiences would contribute to scholarship at Yale School of Medicine.
Question 3: This section is optional. It should be used to bring to the attention of the Admissions Committee any important information (personal, academic, or professional) not discussed in other sections of your Yale Secondary Application. Please limit your response to 500 words.
Gain instant access to med school secondary essay examples for every single prompt required by every medical school in the United States and Canada. Subscribe today to lock in the current investments, which will be increasing in the future for new subscribers.
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Part 5: Yale Medical School interviews
Just a fraction of applicants receive invitations to interview at Yale, so if you do, take pride in having made it to this stage of the application process.
In the 2023–2024 application cycle, all interviews were held virtually.
Your Yale School of Medicine interview day will consist of an orientation meeting with the Director of Admissions, one 20–30 minute interview with either the Director or Assistant Director of Admissions, and two 45-minute interviews with Admissions Committee members. You’ll also get to attend two meet and greets—one with a YSM faculty member and one with current students—as well as a financial aid presentation.
Prepare to ace your medical school interview by reviewing the interview feedback on Yale’s Student Doctor Network page to learn what interview questions you might face, and be ready to answer common questions such as “Why Yale?” and “Why medicine?” Additionally, know your own application materials forward and backwards, and be prepared to discuss anything you’ve mentioned in them, such as your extracurriculars, coursework, or essay subjects.
Final thoughts
An acceptance from Yale School of Medicine will require more than just excellent grades, MCAT scores, and extracurricular achievements. By following the advice in this guide, you’ll be well equipped to write exemplary secondary essays that will get you one step closer to earning your white coat from Yale.
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.