How to Apply
Explore our application process, and learn about deadlines, prerequisites and requirements, and our selection process.
Technical Standards
Robert Wood Johnson Medical School places a high value on a balanced undergraduate education. While this balance will vary with the background and interests of the individual, it is expected that applicants will have exposed themselves to course work in the humanities, behavioral sciences, and liberal arts as well as premedical sciences.
We encourage applications from individuals with diverse backgrounds and careers in other disciplines. Preference for admission is given to residents of the State of New Jersey. However, the importance of geographic diversity is recognized, and out of state applicants with outstanding credentials are encouraged to apply.
Every medical student is required to sign that they can meet these essential functions.
Additional Requirements
The Medical College Admission Test (MCAT) and a minimum of three years of college consisting of 90 semester hours of college work (exclusive of military and physical education) are required. By the time of matriculation, applicants must have completed their bachelor's degree. The MCAT must be taken within three years preceding the application and no later than October of the year of application. Early submission and completion of the application is strongly encouraged.
Required Undergraduate Courses
- Biology or Zoology (with laboratory): 2 semesters
- Inorganic or General Chemistry (with laboratory): 2 semesters
- Organic Chemistry (with laboratory): 1 semester
- Biochemistry: 1 semester
- Physics (with laboratory): 2 semesters
- College Mathematics: 2 semesters (includes many types of mathematics; one semester may be a statistics or biostatistics course)
- English or writing intensive coursework: 2 semesters*
*English requirement must include one semester of a college writing course. College approved "intensive writing courses" may substitute for English.
We do allow AP credit and community college coursework to fulfill our prerequisite requirements. Applicants who have earned baccalaureate degrees outside the US or Canada are required to complete, prior to applying, at least one year of formal coursework in the sciences (about 30 credit hours for which letter grades are available) in a US-chartered college or university whose grades can be reported and verified by AMCAS. We look for applicants to have a cumulative undergraduate grade point average (GPA) of at least 3.0 and a total MCAT of 498 with no section lower than a 123.
Other courses which are not required for admission but may be helpful include courses that explore the cultural and social factors influencing well-being, anatomy and physiology, cell and molecular biology, biostatistics, and Spanish.
As a condition for admission and matriculation, all accepted students will be required to authorize Robert Wood Johnson Medical School to obtain a criminal background check. Students may also be required to obtain a background check themselves or authorize clinical training facilities to conduct this check, and to permit the results to be provided by the reporting agency to Rutgers and/or to clinical facilities.
The Admissions Committee reserves the right to waive or impose specific requirements at its discretion.
Tips and Insights
American Medical College Application Service
Robert Wood Johnson Medical School participates in the American Medical College Application Service (AMCAS), and the AMCAS Letter Service. If you wish to submit an application for admission into the first-year class, apply directly through AMCAS. The application submission deadline for the current cycle is December 1, however we strongly encourage early submission.
Offers of admission will be made at two points within the cycle: late-December and mid-March. Interview invitations will start in September.
We do participate in the early decision program as well as in many dual degree programs. Applicants considering early decision are required to contact the admissions office prior to submission.
Letters of Recommendation
Applications must include letters of recommendation (Pre-medical Advisory Committee evaluation or three academic or professional recommendations) and MCAT scores in order to be reviewed by the Admissions Committee. Robert Wood Johnson Medical School requires three letters of recommendation (or a committee evaluation) and allows up to 10 letters.
The three letters should be academic or professional. We encourage applicants to choose a mix of letters and prefer that at least one letter be from a science faculty member. Letters should provide the admissions committee with a sense of the applicant’s professional and personal competencies. We acknowledge that applications who have been out of school for some time may have difficulty securing recent academic letters and we welcome alternative relevant letters.
Secondary Application
Upon receipt of the AMCAS application, applicants who meet the academic minimum thresholds will receive an email directing them to complete a secondary application as well as to submit an $80 application fee. Secondary fees are waived for those who qualify for the Association of American Medical Colleges (AAMC) Fee Assistance Program (FAP).
Situational Judgement/Competency Tests
Robert Wood Johnson Medical School requires applicants to submit either one of the following tests:
- Casper by Acuity "Medicine (CSP-10111)" Test
- Under "Dates and Fees," use the filters to search for the test information by selecting the US, the applicable admissions cycle, and the option for "Allopathic Medicine."
- We are not requiring, nor will we receive the Snapshot or Duet results advertised by Acuity.
- AAMC PREview Professional Readiness Exam
- Use the "Log In To The AAMC PREview Portal" button and register for either test. Select Robert Wood Johnson Medical School to receive scores prior to receiving our welcome letter and secondary instructions.
Primary Accelerated Continuity Care Experience (PACCE)
Applicants who wish to participate in the three-year PACCE accelerated track are asked to denote their interest in the Robert Wood Johnson Medical School secondary application. Interest, or lack thereof, does not impact the holistic review of the application or bear any significance on admissions decisions. Interested applicants who are offered acceptance will have the opportunity to apply for PACCE in the spring, and will receive a notification of decision prior to the plan to enroll date.
COVID-19 Information for Applicants
Pass/Fail Grades
Robert Wood Johnson Medical School will accept pass/fail grades for courses taken during the COVID pandemic. Ideally, candidates will have specific grades for most of the science courses on their application. We will always review your application as a whole and never focus on grades exclusively.
Online Courses
Because many undergraduate schools transitioned to online learning, we will accept online courses from candidates who were enrolled during the pandemic. Ideally, you will have primarily in-person coursework and some in-person labs or hands-on research experience.
Virtual Experiences
Virtual experiences are permitted; however, we expect applicants to have in-person experiences as well. Shadowing is not and has not been required. The Admissions Committee is looking for evidence of your exploration of the medical profession, passion for the profession, and service orientation. This evidence can take many forms.
More Information
Learn more about the Robert Wood Johnson Medical School admissions requirements and application process on the AAMC's Medical School Admission Requirements Report.
Multiple Mini Interview
Robert Wood Johnson Medical School utilizes live video conference interviews.
All applicants invited for interview will complete a seven-station live video conference multiple mini interview (MMI) hosted by the Admissions Committee. Robert Wood Johnson Medical School is a strong advocate for the strengths of the MMI. We believe this interview process allows you to interact with a number of faculty while focusing on your responses across multiple scenarios. The individual committee members who participate in the MMI sessions will not have access to primary or secondary applications during the MMI session. While students can discuss their backgrounds, qualifications, and experiences during their interview, it is important to understand that the stations and scenarios will be the focal point.
Virtual Information Session
Interviewed applicants will be invited to attend a student-hosted virtual information session on a non-MMI day where they will have the opportunity to meet our Admissions Ambassadors, partake in a virtual school tour, question and answer session, and receive a comprehensive review of the educational program, including the curriculum, student life and organizations, and enrichment opportunities. Campus tours will also be made available later in the cycle.
We look forward to getting to know you and sharing our Robert Wood Johnson Medical School mission and culture!
Guided By Our Mission
We aspire to be a nationally recognized medical education program that prepares medical learners to become resilient and adaptable physicians who provide high value, ethical and appropriate healthcare in an ever changing system; communicate respectfully and effectively in a patient- and family-centered fashion; collaborate with other health care professionals to devise treatment plans and strategies for adherence and self-care, tailored to the needs and preferences of the patient; integrate the scientific underpinnings of clinical medicine and best evidence into daily practice; and distinguish themselves as medical professionals in discovery, service and leadership; and that prepares educational leaders to teach, mentor and disseminate educational innovation, discovery, and methodology.
With this mission in mind, our admissions process focuses on recruiting students whose interests, values, and goals align with our institution. Our medical students are chosen based on a holistic review with a desire to ensure these students will benefit from our school's mission and values. In addition to a solid academic foundation, these students have strong interpersonal and communication skills, and demonstrate resilience, compassion, ethics, and cultural competence and humility. We choose our students based on their unique life experiences, their meaningful engagement in diverse activities, their academic pursuits, and their personal competencies:
- Integrity and ethics
- Reliability and responsibility
- Sensitivity to diversity and cultural competence
- Desire to learn and capacity to learn
- Orientation to service
- Resilience and adaptability
- Social/interpersonal and team skills
Admission is determined on the basis of:
- Academic achievement in a balanced undergraduate education
- Results of the MCAT
- Pre-professional committee evaluations
- Extracurricular involvement
- Motivation
- Character
- Interview
- Other recommendations
Advanced Standing Applicants (Transfers) Status
The Admissions Committee determines whether advanced standing applications will be considered in the upcoming years. Currently we are not considering transfer applications.
Transfer Procedures
- Applications must be received by the Office of Admissions no later than January of the year for transfer with advanced standing. Applicants must be US citizens or permanent residents. The Admissions Committee will review the M1 and M2 coursework and performance, United States Medical Licensing Examination (USMLE) Step 1 scores, letters of recommendations and a letter from the Dean. Interviews are by invitation and will be an MMI interview as well as a traditional interview.
- Students in foreign medical schools should submit scores from the USMLE Step 1. No student will be considered without previously passing Step 1 of the USMLE on the first attempt.
Note: In order to be considered for transfer admission, applicants must be attending Liaison Committee on Medical Education (LCME) accredited medical schools, foreign medical schools or American osteopathic medical schools. Some foreign medical schools have sought approval from the New Jersey Board of Medical Examiners for clinical clerkships in New Jersey. Applicants from medical schools that have been disapproved are ineligible for admission. - The chair of the Admissions Committee will convene an ad hoc committee to review applications for transfer and participate in the interview process.