Yale School of Medicine Requirements, Tuition, and More

We’re covering everything you need to know as you consider applying to the Yale School of Medicine. You’ll learn about acceptance rates, application deadlines, average MCAT scores, tuition, curriculum, and more.

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Founded in 1810 in New Haven, Connecticut as The Medical Institution of Yale College, Yale School of Medicine formally opened its doors in 1813. Over the last two centuries, Yale has pioneered numerous medical breakthroughs: Yale physicians and researchers were first in the United States to use the X-ray, antibiotics, and chemotherapy, and also the first to identify Lyme disease. More recent research milestones include developing the first reliable method for early detection of autism and the identification of genes associated with macular degeneration, dyslexia, Tourette’s syndrome, and many others.

Yale School of Medicine is home to 62 National Academy of Science members, 40 Institute of Medicine investigators, and 16 Howard Hughes Medical Institute investigators. With a total enrollment of 391 full-time students (49.6% female / 50.4% male) and 1,650 full-time faculty, the school has an impressive faculty-student ratio of 4.2:1. The institution offers numerous dual-degree programs including joint MD/PhD, MD/MPH, and MD/MHS programs.

When the time comes to gather research for their required thesis, Yale School of Medicine students have access to the institution’s Harvey Cushing/John Hay Whitney Medical Library, one of the largest medical libraries in the country. Among its vast collection are rare medieval and Renaissance manuscripts, over 300 medical incunabula, and works by Hippocrates, Galen, and Vesalius, to name a few. 
Students looking to enrich their education have a choice of more than 80 community service and student organizations that cover a wide variety of interests including addictive medicine, women’s health, surgery, youth advocacy, bioethics, and many more. Students interested in working with local high school students in the Yale lab facilities might be drawn to the Anatomy Teaching Program. Those with a desire to help the New Haven community, particularly the underserved and uninsured, will benefit from helping out at the HAVEN Free Clinic or working with the Neighborhood Health Project.
The curriculum, launched in 2015, emphasizes flexibility, close faculty mentoring, self-responsibility, and the development of a scientific habit of mind. Attendance is not taken and performance is evaluated through anonymous qualifying exams, clinical clerkships, and engagement that occurs in intimate seminars and conferences.

Fundamental to the Yale curriculum is the philosophy that students are mature adults and should be treated as such. Thus, attendance is not taken, students evaluate themselves and their peers, and students may also choose to take or forego anonymous qualifying exams at the end of each course. Worth mentioning, too, is that students are not issued grades in the first two years of study and there is no class ranking. Instead, Yale med students are evaluated through small-group teaching sessions and through direct interaction with faculty members. As a result, students should expect questioning during discussions and lab sessions as a part of the evaluation process. 
The philosophy behind this mode of learning is that when students compete for grades, they tend to focus on preparing for tests, not their futures. The Yale philosophy is that when students are not forced to compete for rank, morale and camaraderie increase—and so does free time, which allows students to pursue elective courses, dual-degrees, and community service projects.
The curriculum is broken up into the following modules:
The Integrated Basic and Clinical Science Curriculum consists of eight introductory master courses; three longitudinal courses in ethics, anatomy, and research; and nine longitudinal threads covering biochemistry, genetics, pathology, pharmacology, and more. These courses are spread out over the first 18 months of study.
Pre-clerkship Clinical Curriculum teaches students to work effectively with nursing students and physician associate students in clinical environments. Through this, students learn how to examine and communicate with patients, develop critical thinking skills, and better understand the role of a student-doctor in a patient’s care. This curriculum spans the first 18 months of study and is augmented by the Interprofessional Longitudinal Clinical Experience (ILCE). ILCE pairs groups of three or four students with faculty “coaches” who work alongside them in various clinical settings, teaching them to develop their identities as future physicians.
Medical Coaching Experience (MCE) occurs in year two and, like the ILCE curriculum, small groups of students are again paired with faculty mentors who help prepare them to successfully complete the standardized history and physical exam assessment, and develop the skills they need for their clerkships.
Following MCE, students complete the Integrated Clerkship curriculum, which consists of four 12-week blocks organized around the following themes: internal medicine and neurology; surgery and emergency medicine; obstetrics and pediatrics; and primary care, psychiatry, and pediatrics.
Advanced Training occurs in the final months of medical school and offers greater flexibility, granting students the ability to solidify their career path, pursue clinical experiences through electives and sub-internships, research, work on their thesis, apply for residency, and study for the USMLE.
In addition to the MD track, Yale School of Medicine offers the following dual-degree programs:
MD/PhD – this program is ideal for those interested in learning how physician-scientists can advance patient care through clinical medicine and research. The program boasts a wide variety of clinical and research opportunities that connect students with divisions, departments, and schools across the university.
MD/Master of Public Health – this customizable, 20-course program is suited for those interested in a career in public health. It ensures a solid grounding in basic and applied sciences.
MD/Master of Health Science – this joint-degree program is for those students who are completing a full fifth year of research.

After more than two centuries in medical education, it should come as no surprise that the Yale School of Medicine has made a huge impact. Its contributions to the medical field include:

• First x-ray performed in the United States
• First success with antibiotics in the United States
• First use of chemotherapy to treat cancer
• First to identify Lyme disease
• Discovered the genes responsible for high blood pressure, osteoporosis, dyslexia, and Tourette’s syndrome
• Pioneered early work on the artificial heart
• Created the first insulin pump
• Discovered how the cell and its components function at the molecular level

• #3 for Psychiatry
• #3 for Neurosurgery
• #6 for Emergency Medicine
• #7 for Neurology
• #9 for Internal Medicine

In the 2018-2019 admissions cycle, Yale School of Medicine received 4968 applications. 687 candidates were offered an interview (13.8% interview rate), 269 were accepted, and 104 ultimately enrolled.

The acceptance rate if 5.4%.

Tuition at Yale School of Medicine is $61,140. 75% of students receive financial aid.

Here is the application cycle:

• Early June: AMCAS application open
• October 15: AMCAS application due
• November 15: Letters of recommendation and Yale secondary application due
• August – February: Interview invites sent out
• March: Decision notifications sent

The application fee is $95. Yale School of Medicine does not recruit on a rolling basis.

Students accepted to the Yale School of Medicine in 2019 had a median undergraduate GPA of 3.89 and median MCAT scores as follows:

• Total MCAT score: 521
• Chemical & Physical: 130
• CARS: 129
• Biological & Biochemical: 131
• Psychological, Social, & Biological: 131

In the Yale School of Medicine Class of 2019, 85 graduating students matched with residency programs. The most popular specialties were: Dermatology, Internal Medicine, Obstetrics and Gynecology, Pediatrics, Surgery, Emergency Medicine, Neurology, Ophthalmology, and Psychiatry.
Students most commonly matched with residency programs at the following institutions:

• Yale-New Haven Medical Center (15)
• Brigham & Women’s Hospital (7)
• Massachusetts General Hospital (5)
• University of Michigan Health System (5)
• Hospital of the University of Pennsylvania (5)
• University of Washington Affiliated Hospitals, Seattle (5)
• University of California – San Francisco (5)