Requirements & Standards

To qualify for admission to the UC College of Medicine, students must:

• Be a United States citizen or permanent resident (with a permanent residency visa).
• Have completed a minimum of 90 semester hours at a U.S. accredited four-year degree-granting institution of higher education.  Students who have received a degree from, or are enrolled full-time in, an undergraduate college outside of the United States, must have a graduate degree from a U.S. college or university or complete at least 20 hours of science coursework. 
• Complete all degree requirements from any professional or degree-granting graduate program in which they are currently enrolled.

 A baccalaureate degree is encouraged but not required.

All majors are valued. Students are expected to engage in a rigorous academic program grounded in the basic principles of the sciences fundamental to medicine and the psycho/social nature of humans. Applicants are expected to have the knowledge usually obtained in one-year courses in biology, general and organic chemistry, physics and mathematics. 

Highly competitive applicants have completed coursework in the social, cultural and behavioral sciences. Knowledge of the basic principles of statistics and computer literacy are strongly recommended. All applicants should have acquired effective learning, communication and problem-solving skills.

Admission and Graduation Standards

The University of Cincinnati College of Medicine strives to graduate physicians of the highest quality.  The College has a tradition of training outstanding clinicians committed to the delivery of excellent patient care, training leaders in biomedical research and promoting careers in academic medicine. 

The College provides the opportunity to achieve diverse goals in medicine. Regardless of the professional role chosen, a graduate from the College of Medicine is expected to have a strong commitment to serve his/her community, to adhere to high ethical standards, and to be sensitive to individual, cultural, and ethnical differences existing in society.

The admissions process will select those applicants who have demonstrated an ability to excel in a rigorous academic program and who present evidence of significant academic and personal achievement.  The accepted student is expected to have acquired a firm understanding of the sciences preparatory for the study of medicine and be knowledgeable of the basic social, cultural and behavioral factors that influence individuals, families and communities.  In addition, the accepted student is expected to have acquired effective learning, communication and problem solving skills.

All students are expected to act as professionals and to be responsible for their own behaviors and actions.  Professional behavior would include such things as showing up, being prepared, and completing all assignments and responsibilities attendant to the diagnosis and care of patients.

Candidates will continually demonstrate integrity, honesty, caring, fairness, respect for others and self, empathy, maturity, dedication and the ability to distinguish and practice confidentiality. Working with others in an effective, mature and sensitive manner with all members of the medical community, healthcare teams and medical school community is required. 

Candidates are expected to make an effort to understand prejudices and preconceptions that might affect patient, medical community or collegial relationships; especially in the areas of race, ethnicity, gender, disability, sexual orientation, age, and religion.

It is the goal of the College of Medicine to provide an environment facilitating success in medical school.  Although each entering student has impressive credentials, we realize each student is unique and individual needs may vary; therefore, we encourage you to contact the Office of Student Affairs if you have any questions. 

The Admissions and Graduation Standards and the Essential Technical and Health Standards will be periodically reviewed and modifications will reflect the changing medical education curriculum and educational environment.

• View the additional admission standards: Technical and Health Standards and Patient Health and Safety Standards.

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