Skip to main content

Reapplying to Medical School

I was not accepted into medical school, what should I do now

a. Evaluate your reasons for pursuing medicine and weaknesses in your application

Whether or not you should reapply depends on a number of factors including the depth of commitment to a career in medicine and the overall strength of your academic preparation. Therefore, the first thing you should do is to honestly and realistically assess your position and identify the reasons for the rejections:

  • Were your grade point averages and/or MCAT scores competitive? 
  • Where can you make improvements in your application?
  • Did you apply to the "right" programs (i.e., those that matched your goals, interests, and credentials)?
  • Is this the path you wish to continue pursuing (i.e., is your heart truly in medicine?)

Click here for more information about taking a Gap Year to improve your application.

The UGA Pre-Professional Advising Office is available to meet with reapplicants to discuss their options.

b. Consider applying Early Decision (EDP)

Many medical schools will accept students with slightly below-average GPAs and MCAT scores through the Early Decision Program (EDP), if it is obvious that the applicant has a clear commitment to medicine and a strong desire to attend that particular institution.

c. Consider alternative career in healthcare

Many students fail to realize that there are a plethora of meaningful and rewarding careers in healthcare beyond simply being a physician. In fact, optometry, dental, allied-health, and nursing careers are rapidly growing in both popularity and in terms of the number of positions available across the country. Further many of these fields, though still competitive, have admission qualifications that are not as high as medical schools. For instance, the vast majority of physician assistant programs accept applicants with an average GPA in the range of 3.2 - 3.6.

While there are distinct differences in the pre-requisite requirements to gain admission into other graduate healthcare programs, a prospective medical school applicant will largely have most of the required courses and experience.

Feel free to meet with a Pre-Health Advisor to discuss other routes to a career in healthcare. We also encourage you to explore the following resources: