Rutgers - Robert Wood Johnson Medical School (RWJMS) places 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. 

For general questions please email: rwjapadm@rwjms.rutgers.edu

COVID-19 Related Information for 2021 Applicants

Cancelled MCAT –  Though we will require an MCAT score, we do understand your new test date may fall after you submit your application. RWJMS will send secondary applications to those who have met our minimum undergraduate gpa threshold regardless of MCAT score upon receipt of their AMCAS application.  We will require an MCAT score prior to offering an interview.   

Pass/Fail Grades – RWJMS will accept pass/fail grades, for courses taken during the COVID pandemic. Ideally candidates will have science course grades from other semesters on their application.  We will always review your application as a whole and never focus on grades exclusively. 

Online Courses – As most undergraduate schools have gone to online courses during the pandemic, we will accept online courses from candidates who were enrolled during the pandemic. For students who are beyond undergraduate school, we will accept online courses undertaken to meet prerequisites regardless of the institution.

Virtual Experiences – The admissions committee will accept virtual experiences. We do expect you have a combination of experiences and will focus on your reflection and descriptions of your experiences. 

Applications must include letters of recommendation (Pre-medical Advisory Committee evaluation or three academic recommendations) and MCAT scores in order to be reviewed by the Admissions Committee. RWJMS requires three letters of recommendation (or committee evaluation) and allows up to 10 letters, the additional letters do not need to be from professors. We do welcome committee letters, but do not require them. If you have been away from course work for a number of years, we prefer recent letters and do not require those from professors.

Upon receipt of the AMCAS application, applicants will receive an email directing them to complete a secondary application as well as to submit an $80 application fee. The secondary includes one page of short answers to be returned by e-mail. The $80 application fee may be paid by credit card or mailed back by check. We will waive the secondary fee for all FAP recipients. Instructions on submitting the fee will be sent by email.

All applicants who receive a secondary application are required to complete the CASPer test titled CSP-10111-U.S. Medicine (find this on their website under explore dates, USA, medicine (allopathic)). You may register for the CASPer test and select our school as one receiving scores prior to receiving our welcome letter and secondary instructions. We will not require the Snapshot nor Duet. For more informtion on CASPer test Click Here.

If you have any questions, please email the Admissions Office.

Admission Requirements

The 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 December of the year of application. Early submission and completion of the application is strongly encouraged. The following undergraduate courses are required:

• 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 (One semester may be a statistics or biostatistics course. College Mathematics can include many types of mathematics, calculus or other courses.)
• *English: 2 semesters

**English requirement must include one semester of a college writing course. College approved "intensive writing courses" may substitute for English.

NOTE: 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. We look for applicants to have a cumulative undergraduate GPA of at least 3.0 and a total MCAT of 498 with with no section lower than a 123.

As a condition for admission and matriculation, all accepted students will be required to authorize RWJMS 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.