In This Section

Requirements

An individualized holistic review of each complete application including, but not limited to, the candidate's academic history, the college attended, MCAT scores, CASPer results, recommendations, extracurricular activities, work experience, medically related experience, and community service activities is used to select candidates for interview. While not required, many students have participated in research activities.

There is no academic cutoff for consideration.

Coursework

Applicants should demonstrate preparation for the rigors of medical school and competency in the sciences achieved through a broad range of science coursework and the MCAT exam.  While there are no absolute course requirements, it is recommended that students complete coursework in Biology, Chemistry (both general and organic), Biochemistry, Physics, Psychology and Sociology. In addition, students should have a broad humanities education and strong writing skills. The Office of Admissions will only evaluate courses completed at a US or Canadian University. 

If recommended coursework in Biology, Chemistry or Physics has been completed online, at a community college, through AP credits or through a study abroad program, we prefer to see classroom-based, upper-level science coursework in that discipline. 

Coursework completed online or with P/F grades due to COVID will not negatively impact the review of your application.

MCAT

Applicants must submit the Medical College Admissions Test (MCAT) of the Association of American Medical Colleges; LKSOM will consider applicants for entering 2024 with MCAT scores from 2021, 2022, and 2023. The last MCAT we will consider for the Entering 2024 application cycle is September 2023.

Applications are considered with the most recent MCAT results (both section and total). 

Applicants have the option to provide SAT & ACT scores and upload copies of the scores via the supplemental application.

MCAT Prep: Learn more about Temple University’s MCAT Biochemistry Online course.

Supplemental Application 

The supplemental application is used to help us identify your unique interest in Lewis Katz School of Medicine at Temple University. A $100 non-refundable application fee is collected online when you submit your LKSOM supplemental. The supplemental application fee is automatically waived for candidates who were approved for the AAMC FAP program prior to submitting an AMCAS application.

Through your supplemental application, applicants can:

  • Complete the supplemental application and pay the supplemental application fee
  • Upload USCIS documentation (permanent residents or refugee/asylee status)
  • Send updates to Temple (additional letters, unofficial transcripts, etc.)
  • Monitor the receipt of checklist items including letters of recommendation, CASPer, Institutional Action letter (if applicable), etc. Once all checklist items have been received, an email will be sent confirming that your application has been placed Under Review

Letters

LKSOM participates in the AMCAS Letters of Evaluation Program. Letters can be sent to AMCAS through the AMCAS Letter Writer Application or Interfolio. All letters should be on letterhead and contain the letter writer's signature.

If LKSOM is designated as a recipient of the letter on the AMCAS application, AMCAS will release the electronic copy to LKSOM. All letters designated for LKSOM must be received before your application will go under review.

LKSOM will consider letters of recommendation from a premedical committee, a packet from a school letter compilation service, or three (3) individual letters. Although we will consider your application with all letters provided, if you are applying with a packet or individual letters, we prefer that you provide between three (3) and six (6) letters.

If submitting a compilation packet or individual letters, we prefer, but do not require, two (2) letters from professors with whom you completed course work from the AMCAS course classification of Biology, Chemistry, or Physics.

  • We welcome letters from research experiences, but prefer them in addition to the requested science letters from professors with whom you completed coursework.
  • One (1) additional letter is required from a non-science professor, work experience, or service activity.
  • A premedical committee letter does not need a specific number of science/non-science letters.

At any point in the application process, you are welcome to submit additional letters to support your application and encouraged to use the AMCAS letter service to transmit these letters.

Institutional Action

Applicants who indicate that they were the recipient of an institutional action on the AMCAS application are required to have the school where the institutional action occurred to provide an official statement. This document should outline the details of the event and the outcome of the institutional process. Applicants with an institutional action will not be placed Under Review until this letter has been received.

On the supplemental application, you will have the opportunity to update your response from your AMCAS application. Applicants who receive an institutional action after the AMCAS application has been submitted are required to send a letter to the Office of Admissions with details of the event.

The supplemental application contains instructions for how the appropriate institutional official (Dean of Students, Judicial Officer, etc.) can provide this statement. A statement about the Institutional Action in your pre-health committee letter does not meet our requirement.

Situational Judgment Test

All applicants to the MD program are required to complete CASPer, an online open-response situational judgement test (SJT) to assist with our admissions process. CASPer is a scenario based test which assesses for non-cognitive skills and interpersonal characteristics that we believe are important for success in our program and will complement the other tools that we use for applicant screening and selection.  LKSOM will not use DUET or Snapshot for the entering 2024 application cycle.

Applicants can register for the Altus Suite for Medicine (UME) (CSP10111 – US Medicine) test at https://acuityinsights.app/.

CASPer test results are valid for one admissions cycle. LKSOM will consider your 2024 application with CASPer tests taken between May 4, 2023 and January 7, 2024.

LKSOM does not use the AAMC PREview™ Professional Readiness Exam in the admissions process.