Premedical Requirements
Prospective medical students must have earned 68 semester hours or the equivalent in an accredited US or Canadian college or university.
- Biology/lab (8 hours)
- Inorganic Chemistry/lab (8 hours)
- Organic Chemistry/lab (8 hours)
- Physics/lab (8 hours)
- Math/Statistics (6 hours) - Any college-level math course
- English (6 hours)
- Humanities Courses (6 hours) – (includes additional English course work, Languages, Art, Music, History, Philosophy, Religion, etc.)
Also Recommended:
- Anatomy & Physiology
- Cell Biology
- Biochemistry (Strongly Suggested)
- Developmental Biology & Embryology
- Genetics
- Neuroscience
The Medical College Admissions Test
The MCAT is required of all applicants and can be taken at any time, but no later than January of the year that you are seeking admission. Only MCAT scores taken within the last 3 years prior to matriculation will be considered.
For MCAT information, see: https://students-residents.aamc.org/applying-medical-school/taking-mcat-exam/
AMCAS and Secondary Applications
For AMCAS information, see: https://students-residents.aamc.org/applying-medical-school/applying-medical-school-process/applying-medical-school-amcas/
The American Medical College Application Service (AMCAS) application must be used by all prospective applicants to the College of Medicine. The deadline for filing the completed AMCAS application is December 15 of the year immediately preceding the school year in which the applicant expects to enter medical school. Once AMCAS has notified HUCM Admissions that the application has been verified, the College of Medicine will invite, via email, the applicant to submit a secondary application.
Technical Standards of the College of Medicine
A physician must have the knowledge and skills to function effectively in a broad variety of laboratory and clinical situations. Students matriculating in and graduating from Howard University College of Medicine must be able to meet the technical requirements of the academic program and not pose a threat to the well-being of patients or themselves.
The COM faculty has declared that matriculating students and candidates for admission should have the capabilities and skills described below in order to graduate.
The COM requires compliance with these technical standards with or without accommodation. Access the complete Technical Standards of the College of Medicine.
Other Admissions Facts
- Applicants must demonstrate academic achievement and potential as well as appropriate intellectual personal and social traits.
- Applicants must demonstrate an interest in solving the problems associated with health disparities and should have experience working or volunteering with underserved communities.
- Applicants should have competitive grades and MCAT scores: Science GPA of 3.0 and a MINIMUM total MCAT of 22 (Old MCAT) or 494 (New MCAT).
If you are accepted to the College of Medicine:
Students who have accepted our offer of admissions are expected turn medical forms (physical, immunization, and history), transcripts (if classes were taken after verification), financial information (for international students only) no later than June 30.
Criminal Background Checks
To maintain the safety and well-being of patients, maintain the ability of accepted applicants and enrolled medical students to become licensed as physicians, and reduce liability concerns affecting medical schools and their affiliated clinical facilities, AAMC recommends a criminal background check for all enrolled medical students.
Students conditionally admitted as incoming freshmen into the Howard University College of Medicine (HUCM) will be subject to a Criminal Background Check (CBC) through the AMCAS facilitated CBC of the American Association of Medical Colleges (AAMC). In order to matriculate into the COM, all new entrants MUST satisfactorily pass the criminal background check. Additionally, a second background check and drug screening will be administered, and must be satisfactorily passed, prior to matriculation into the junior year of study.