MD/PhD Program Admissions | NYU Langone Health

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MD/PhD Program MD/PhD Program Admissions

MD/PhD Program Admissions

At NYU Grossman School of Medicine’s Vilcek Institute of Graduate Biomedical Sciences, we are looking for MD/PhD candidates who are motivated both by an intense curiosity about the mechanisms behind human health and disease and by a need to explore biomedical problems from new perspectives. Such qualities combine to empower physician–scientists to translate research findings into groundbreaking healthcare.

We seek applicants who are eager to take on a challenging dual-degree training program. In return, we provide candidates with opportunities to work closely with our training faculty and access to state-of-the-art facilities and laboratories—all in the heart of Manhattan.

The MD/PhD is a rigorous and rewarding career path for the right candidates. If you have questions about whether an MD/PhD program is right for you, we recommend Science’s article on MD/PhD training and career options. You can also email us at MSTP@NYULangone.org with any questions.

Important Application Dates

The following 2023 dates apply to the most recent application cycle.

  • May 3: American Medical College Application Service (AMCAS) application opened (see details for the 2023 AMCAS application cycle)
  • May 31: AMCAS application opened for submission
  • June 24: initial application data transmitted to NYU Grossman School of Medicine’s MD/PhD program
  • October 5: NYU Grossman School of Medicine deadline for MD/PhD AMCAS applications
  • October 15: NYU Grossman School of Medicine deadline for MD/PhD secondary application materials

MD/PhD Program Admissions Timeline

The start date for our 2022–23 academic program is June 17, 2022. There are four steps to submitting a complete MD/PhD application.

Step One: Online Application

Submit your application online to AMCAS. The application for this cycle opened on May 3, 2023, and applicants can submit starting May 31, 2023.

All AMCAS application materials must be submitted by the deadline for consideration for NYU Grossman School of Medicine’s MD/PhD program. We encourage applicants to submit earlier; it can take AMCAS up to eight weeks to verify your materials before we invite you to complete the secondary application. We typically begin to evaluate MD/PhD applications in August and contact selected applicants for interviews on a rolling basis.

Please note that we receive approximately 400 MD/PhD applications per year, though the numbers vary from year to year.

Step Two: Recommendation Letters

Recommendation letters reflect your potential as a physician–scientist as judged by your college professors, instructors, premedical committees, or other comparable college bodies. We expect all of your research mentors to write and submit letters directly to AMCAS by the deadline. These letters can be taken from a composite letter from your undergraduate institution, as long as they are separate and not a group of short paragraphs from various mentors. There is no limit to the number of recommendation letters you can submit.

Letters sent directly to NYU Grossman School of Medicine or our offices are not reviewed.

Step Three: Secondary Application

The secondary application for our MD/PhD program includes essay questions that NYU Grossman School of Medicine asks of all MD applicants. It also provides you with the opportunity to expand on your research experiences and indicate our research faculty of interest.

In the secondary application, skip the section prompting you to select the dual-degree program to which you are applying; this question refers to MD/master’s degree applicants. As noted in the upper part of the secondary application, we are aware that you are applying to the combined MD/PhD program.

You are notified if items are missing from your application and when your application is complete and under review.

Step Four: Interviews

Interviews take place virtually in the fall, typically from mid-September to early December. Interview invitations are sent out between August and October. You will have multiple mini interviews on a Tuesday and research interviews on a Wednesday.

Please note that we invite approximately 100 applicants to interview and typically accept about half of those who are interviewed for a class of 10 to 14 students.

If you are selected for an interview, you will be asked to upload a passport photograph of yourself, in JPEG format, to the AMCAS system.

Interviews for the incoming class of 2024 will be conducted virtually.

MD/PhD Program Admissions Decisions

We notify applicants of offers of admission as soon as decisions are made, usually beginning in late November. You have until April 30 to decide whether to accept.

We invite all accepted applicants to our Revisit Day, where you can meet with more faculty and students as you make your decision to matriculate.

MD/PhD Program Applicant Eligibility

Applicants to our MD/PhD program must meet NYU Grossman School of Medicine’s admissions requirements, including the technical standards necessary to complete the program. Applicants are expected to demonstrate a strong background in scientific research and excellence in college coursework. We value research experience as a major component when evaluating your application. We are interested in what you learned from your research, how independent you were in thinking about it, and why a career in research excites you. We do not require a specific amount of research, but look for quality instead.

We evaluate each applicant holistically, taking into account such factors as engagement in undergraduate research, previous academic achievement, Medical College Admission Test (MCAT) scores, personal essays, letters of recommendation, and interviews. Applicants not invited for an interview are not considered for the MD program.

There is no age limit for applicants to our program, though most candidates are recent college graduates.

International Applicants

We accept applications from international students who have a bachelor’s degree from an accredited college or university in the United States or Canada.

Diversity and Inclusion

We foster an environment of diversity and inclusion by bringing together people with varied interests and backgrounds who are united in a passion for the biomedical sciences. We welcome all applicants, regardless of gender, race, ethnicity, gender identity, sexual orientation, socioeconomic status, religion, or disability, among other aspects of diversity.

Students with Disabilities

We are committed to providing equal educational opportunities to all students and hospitable working and learning environments to qualified students with disabilities. We welcome and encourage prospective students with disabilities to apply if they meet the technical standards necessary to complete the program.

It is our policy, in accordance with Title VI of the U.S. Civil Rights Act of 1964, Section 504 of the Rehabilitation Act of 1973, Title IX of the Education Amendments of 1972, Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) of 1990, ADA Amendments Act of 2008, as well as applicable state regulations and federal and state privacy laws, to desist from discriminating on the basis of gender, race, skin color, disability, or sexual orientation in any educational program or activity.

Contact Us

If you have questions about our MD/PhD program’s admission process that are not answered here, please contact us at MSTP@NYULangone.org or 212-263-5648.