Reviewed by:
Former Admissions Committee Member, Hofstra-Northwell School of Medicine
Reviewed: 4/26/24
If you have your eyes on a Mississippi medical school, this guide will walk you through everything you need to know, including acceptance rates, admissions requirements, statistics, tuition estimates, and more.
Considering attending medical schools in Mississippi? Read on to gain the knowledge you need to build a successful med school application.
Mississippi has two medical schools:
Which school you should apply to depends on your career goals: MD hopefuls should apply to the University of Mississippi and DO aspirants should apply to William Carey. If you’re unsure which pathway is right for you, there’s no reason you can’t apply to both schools.
Med schools typically boast low acceptance rates, selecting only the most competitive students into their exclusive programs. The University of Mississippi School of Medicine doesn’t release acceptance rates, but it’s estimated to be approximately 37%. However, this percentage may be much lower simply because it’s a medical school.
Relatively low acceptance rates are prevalent at all med schools, and it’s best not to put too much stock into these percentages. No matter a school’s acceptance rate, crafting a polished application always boosts your chances of acceptance.
Before starting a Mississippi medical school application, you should research each school. Gathering foundational knowledge before jumping in head-first helps you customize your application, ensuring you stand out from the crowd. It also helps you ascertain whether the school is a good fit for you. Below is a comprehensive look at both of Mississippi’s medical schools.
The School of Medicine and six other health science schools are based out of the University of Mississippi Medical Center, the only academic health center in the state.
The school’s mission is to train “skilled and compassionate physicians to provide high-quality and equitable health care particularly to the state’s residents, including diverse and underserved populations.” The University of Mississippi School of Medicine prepares students to provide expert care through its innovative program, state-of-the-art research opportunities, and clinical practice.
The school emphasizes the value of diversity in its students, faculty, administration, and staff in upholding its mission. The University of Mississippi School of Medicine understands that “Diversity and inclusion enrich the learning environment and better prepare physicians to offer quality care to everyone.” To apply to the School of Medicine, you must satisfy all prerequisites:
If you satisfy these requirements and have valid MCAT scores, you can fill out an AMCAS application and provide three recommendation letters. Once your application is processed and reviewed, you’ll receive an email to fill out the Secondary Application. From there, you can select which method you’d like to use to qualify for admission:
You can list the number and names of courses you’ve taken that this option requires or the courses you plan to take.
You can list the courses you’ve taken or planned to take “whose content maps to learning objectives that can provide the desired competencies. This option applies only to students at schools with course-competency maps previously approved by the SOM admissions committee.”
You can list the courses you’ve taken or plan to take that “comprise eligible novel curricula. This option applies only to students at schools with novel curricula previously approved by the SOM admissions committee.”
The admissions committee selects applicants for interviews based on their life experiences, personal characteristics, AMCAS applications, and metrics like GPA and MCAT scores. The University of Mississippi Medical Center conducts MMI interviews.
These MMIs are set up in stations, each providing a 10-minute scenario. They aim to measure your “personal competencies such as oral communication skills, service orientation, respect for others including compassion and empathy, critical thinking and decision making, teamwork, awareness of ethics, maturity, coping skills and opinions on healthcare issues.”
The School of Medicine doesn’t release comprehensive class profile data but shares what a typical entering student’s MCAT scores and GPA look like:
In terms of selection criteria, the School of Medicine prefers Mississippi residents. They also look for evidence, quality, and quantity of experiences, such as:
Tuition at the School of Medicine costs approximately $31,000 per year.
According to U.S. News World and Report, the William Carey University College of Osteopathic Medicine (WCUCOM) is the other med school in Mississippi.
WCUCOM’s mission is to “prepare men and women to become osteopathic physicians through an emphasis on primary care, lifelong learning, research and scholarly activities, service, including osteopathic clinical service, and graduate medical education.” The school uses a community-based training model so graduates can serve patient needs.
The William Carey University College of Osteopathic Medicine has the following goals:
To apply to the College of Osteopathic Medicine, you must complete these prerequisite courses:
You must complete at least 90 semester hours in a bachelor’s degree from an accredited college or university.
Once you’ve fulfilled these prerequisites, you can submit an AACOMAS application. You must also complete a WCUCOM secondary application and submit three letters of recommendation:
When you complete your application file, you may be selected for an interview, where you can visit WCUCOM and talk with students and faculty, allowing the admissions committee to gain a more comprehensive picture of who you are behind your transcripts and MCAT scores.
According to recent class profile data, the college had 524 students: 301 males and 223 females. As for first-year students:
Applicants are rated based on their academic aptitude, including the results of their MCAT, GPA, and the difficulty of classes taken. The William Carey College of Osteopathic average MCAT score isn’t clear, but the admissions committee seeks students who score at least 500 and above. They also seek students whose cumulative and BCPM GPAs are higher than 3.4.
All students are encouraged to apply, although the admissions committee prefers Mississippi or Gulf South residents. Tuition costs approximately $46,000 per year.
Getting accepted at any med school can be challenging, but there are ways to ensure your application receives the attention it deserves. These tips can help you gain admission at either of Mississippi’s medical schools.
Starting early ensures you’ll have time to gather the necessary materials. It also gives you time to polish your application, so any mishaps or setbacks won’t derail you. Remember, writing a compelling personal statement takes time.
A high GPA and MCAT score strengthens every med school application. These metrics show academic excellence and that you can handle the rigorous instruction med school has to offer. An excellent way to check your standing is to evaluate available class profile data.
For example, University of Mississippi medical school students, on average, score 504 on the MCAT and boast a 3.7 GPA. At WCUCOM, the admissions committee seeks students with MCAT scores above 500, a 3.4 BCPM GPA, and an overall GPA of 3.4 or 3.5. If your GPA and test scores are higher than these averages, your application is more competitive!
Recommendation letters paint a picture of you from a third-party perspective, backing up every wonderful thing you’ve shared in your application. You should ask for recommendations as soon as possible so your recommenders have enough time to write stellar letters.
Ensure you check admissions requirements and obtain letters from the right recommenders. While the University of Mississippi gives students some free rein on their referees, you must seek out one physician (ideally a DO) and two science professors if you apply to WCUCOM.
Ensure your recommenders can speak about your character, your achievements, or your medical-related experience to date.
Applying to medical school is a colossal step toward becoming a physician. It can be challenging to know when your application is ready for submission and whether or not it’s polished.
Admissions consultants take the guesswork out of the med school application process. They help you polish your application, give you the insight you need to tailor it and ensure you represent the best, most authentic version of yourself. Remember, you don’t have to soldier through the process alone!
Still have questions about Mississippi medical schools? Check out these FAQs.
Yes, applicants may apply through the school’s Early Decision Program if they wish. If you apply through early decision, know that it’s binding, meaning you must enroll if accepted. You can apply through early decision if you have a 3.6 BCPM GPA, a 3.7 overall GPA, and an MCAT score of 504 or above.
No, all applicants follow the same pathway and timelines.
If you’re applying to the School of Medicine, you must have at least 35 hours of shadowing experience, but no shadowing experience is necessary at WCUCOM.
You can still apply to either school, even if you don’t live in Mississippi or Gulf South. If you’ve researched both schools and feel one or both would be an excellent fit, you should apply. However, remember that the admissions committees prefer Mississippi residents.
If you want to be a competitive applicant at both schools, aim to score at least 504 on the MCAT or higher (the average MCAT score at the School of Medicine is 504, and WCUCOM seeks students who score above 500).
There are two medical schools in Mississippi.
It depends on whether you’re seeking an MD or DO, but both colleges can offer the quality instruction you need to succeed.
Yes, Mississippi has two medical schools: one allopathic and one osteopathic.
If you live in Mississippi and are passionate about helping your state’s underserved populations, attending a Mississippi med school may be a good choice. Applying to med school requires organization, time management, and patience. The process can be intimidating to some, but it doesn’t have to be.
If you begin the process early, boost your GPA and MCAT scores, secure stellar letters of recommendation, and seek an admissions consultant’s help, the process will be easier to manage. Whatever school you choose, you can feel empowered knowing you have the knowledge and tools to produce the perfect application.
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