How to Get into John Hopkins Medical School

For over 125 years, Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine (JHU SOM) has been a preeminent medical institution. With its ground-breaking discoveries, the institute has significantly advanced biomedicine and is linked to 16 Nobel Prize winners. To put it another way, they rank among the top of the best.

Among the oldest and most historically forward-thinking medical schools in Maryland and the United States, Hopkins' medical school consistently draws many of the industry's top talent as faculty and students.

However, candidates must do some essential introspection given their intimidating reputation.

If you can relate to all of this, you might be a fantastic fit for Johns Hopkins Medical School. 

If you want further details about getting into Hopkins' medical school, this article is for you. We have enumerated the steps and the different requirements needed for you to become a successful candidate. 

Why Johns Hopkins Medical School? 

The Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, founded in 1876, is situated on the same campus as Johns Hopkins Hospital (founded in 1889) in Baltimore, Maryland. 

Johns Hopkins was the first medical school to admit women and the first to require an undergraduate degree from prospective students.

A historically noteworthy institution, the school has consistently been rated in the top 3 for the number of National Institutes of Health (NIH) competitive research funds received. The Johns Hopkins Medical School places a high priority on faculty involvement in its educational programs. 

In addition to guiding each "molecule," a faculty member instructs medical students in their Clinical Foundations of Medicine course. 

During all four years of medical school, this faculty member serves as the student's principal advisor, and it is not unusual for advisors to entertain their "molecules" at their residences. 

Johns Hopkins Hospital, the school's primary teaching hospital, serves as the prior training site for students. The university also has ties to the Howard County General Hospital, Suburban Hospital, the Johns Hopkins All Children's Hospital in St. Petersburg, Florida, and Sibley Memorial Hospital in Washington, D.C. 

Programs Offered at Johns Hopkins Medical School

At Johns Hopkins School of Medicine, several excellent medical programs are available. Thus, there are many possibilities to suit your needs. 

Programs available include: 

Doctor of Medicine

The four-year, conventional MD program is enhanced at Johns Hopkins Medical School. Many other medical schools now adopt the leadership method that Johns Hopkins invented. Their recently launched Genes of Society program elevates the curriculum for medical school considerably. 

Students in the MD program begin with an Intersession on Health Care Disparities. Students take part in these sessions every three months throughout the entire four years of the MD program. These sessions give students a vacation from their regular coursework in addition to being instructive. 

The first two years of the MD program are covered through Genes to Society. Biology, physiology, and genetics are all covered in Genes to Society. It specifically looks at the effects on society and the environment. 

Year 1 and Year 2 Longitudinal Ambulatory Clerkships focus on having students work in outpatient and community settings. They can interact with patients in this setting. The days of learning only in a classroom setting and through simulations are over.

Throughout their first year in the program, students select their Scholarly Concentration. Each student is paired with a mentor to assist them. 

The second year of the MD curriculum includes the transition to the wards. The next step is rigorous clinical training for the students.

Doctor of Medicine / Master of Business Administration

Due to the existence of an MBA program at Johns Hopkins University, this dual-degree option is kept internal. So how do you apply for the dual degree option? 

Send your medical school application in. Your application will be sent from the School of Medicine to the MBA program if you are admitted to the School of Medicine. Your acceptance will be decided by the admissions committee that evaluates MBA applicants. If accepted, you will enroll in a dual-degree program. 

The four-year MD program can still be finished even if you are not admitted. 

Medical Scientist Training Program – Doctor of Medicine / Doctor of Philosophy

The Medical Scientist Training Program (MSTP) at Johns Hopkins University prepares students to practice medicine through laboratory work and clinical care to become physician-scientists.

Master of Science in Health Care Management (MD)

Pre-med students who aspire to hold executive positions throughout their medical careers might consider the MD/MS in Health Care Management. This dual degree will help you get ready for that.

How to Get into Johns Hopkins Medical School: Comprehensive Guide

Johns Hopkins participates in the American Medical Colleges Application Service (AMCAS). 

Once AMCAS has verified your primary application, it will be sent to Johns Hopkins Medical School. By October 15, Hopkins needs to receive your AMCAS application.

However, we advise submitting your AMCAS by mid-June so you can be validated by mid-July.

You will automatically receive a link to Johns Hopkins' secondary application after they have received your validated AMCAS application. The deadline for secondary application submissions is November 1. Again, we suggest you submit your secondary by the end of August at the latest. 

For your reference, here are the requirements and essential data on how to get into Johns Hopkins Medical School:

Johns Hopkins Medical School Acceptance Rate

Being accepted into the highly esteemed Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine program is not simple. It is understandable why it is occasionally perceived as highly competitive from the outside, with an admit rate of 6.3%.

Once inside, students encounter a friendly, cooperative environment where personal passions are promoted, and one another's accomplishments are honored.

Johns Hopkins Medical School Coursework Requirements

Johns Hopkins Medical School is no different from many American medical schools in having rather strict admissions standards. 

The following are the most critical conditions and prerequisites for applicants to JHU SOM.

Biology

You must have completed at least one year (eight semester hours) of laboratory-based college biology. The Johns Hopkins Medical School website also suggests a few additional stand-alone biology courses. This involves methods in mammalian or molecular biology and a semester in genetics.

Chemistry

JHU SOM needs regular college chemistry in a lab for one year (eight semester hours). Additionally, you must have completed at least three hours of biochemistry (without a lab) and one semester (four semester hours) of organic chemistry in a lab.

Physics

Numerous physics-related topics, such as optics and electricity, are essential in medicine. Applicants to JHU SOM must have completed eight semester hours, or one year, of regular college-level physics study (in a lab).

Humanities, Social, and Behavioral Sciences

A comprehensive and accepting perspective of the complexity of people is highly valued at Johns Hopkins Medical School. You must complete a minimum of 24 semester hours in the humanities (such as English, History, Philosophy, and the arts), social sciences (such as Sociology, Political Science), and behavioral sciences (such as Psychology, Psychiatry), all together.

Mathematics 

Students must have a solid foundation in math because it is essential for medical professionals. Calculus and statistics must be studied for at least six semester hours to meet Johns Hopkins Medical School's math requirements. The JHU SOM website also advises applicants to enroll in at least one semester of epidemiology, statistics, or both.

Johns Hopkins Medical School GPA Statistics 

Academic requirements are stringent for Johns Hopkins' medical program candidates due to the institution's strong reputation. The successful applicants' average GPA is 3.94. This indicates that achieving a GPA of 3.90 or higher is essential. Your chances of admission to JHU SOM will increase even further if you score above average.

Johns Hopkins Medical School MCAT Statistics

Since Johns Hopkins Medical School is competitive, you require a high MCAT score. A better MCAT score is preferred, much like your GPA. The average MCAT score for the JHU SOM class 2024 was 521, placing them in the 99th percentile of all test takers. 

Johns Hopkins Medical School Tuition and Scholarships

The first-year tuition and fees at Johns Hopkins cost USD 62,850 for the 2023–2024 academic year. They calculate a first-year total cost of attendance of USD 98,826 when housing and board, books, travel fees, and other indirect costs are added in.

Although this is high, Johns Hopkins offers more than 150 need-based scholarship and loan programs, and 85% of its students get financial aid of some type. Medical students receive USD 40 million in financial assistance each year.

Johns Hopkins Medical School Application Timeline

To get into the Johns Hopkins School of Medicine, complete the AMCAS form. 

You will need the following dates and deadlines during the application process, which are shown below:

Note:

Johns Hopkins Medical School Extracurricular Activities

You must have lab or research work and experience shadowing on your resume. 

Fortunately, shadowing is very simple to set up. If you are wondering how to ask to follow a doctor, the procedure is simple. 

It is important to remember that your request will not be the first one your preferred doctor has gotten, either that year or in the past. 

As a result, trust that you only need to politely and sincerely express your desire and a brief justification for why you want to pursue a medical career.

Most doctors are willing to assist, but you should try go to a doctor you have a strong relationship with.

Johns Hopkins Medical School Personal Statement 

All medical school applications, but especially those to the Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, place great weight on your AMCAS personal statement. It would help if you tried to cover the non-coursework abilities listed above but do not sacrifice presenting your story.

Your personal statement's honesty and narrative quality should precede a two-page list of carefully chosen remarkable attributes. It is significantly more vital to convey your story openly and honestly.

Your essay should answer the question, "Why do you want to be a doctor?" Reading through approved applicants' medical school personal statement samples is a beautiful place to start; pay attention to how they incorporate accomplishments without listing them or simply "telling them."   

Johns Hopkins Medical School Essays

The Johns Hopkins Medical School secondary essays are what you will look at after submitting your AMCAS application. Although the conditions and requirements we listed above are crucial, the less obvious skills and qualities frequently distinguish candidates.

Top-tier medical schools want to know that you have a background and something to contribute to the school that goes beyond academic excellence. They want to see that you have a history of compassionate service, have fought and overcome obstacles, and will be a future leader in the healthcare industry.

Additionally, they want to know if you can explain these qualitative features. Your Johns Hopkins Medical School secondary essays serve this purpose, which is why they are crucial to your application.

Johns Hopkins Medical School Interviews 

Johns Hopkins employs a conventional medical school interview approach to determine whether they feel the same way about you in person as they do on paper. Each invited candidate will meet with a faculty member and a fourth-year medical student for two interviews. 

Above all else, keep in mind to conduct your study and ensure that your prepared remarks are congruent with the topics you covered in your application and secondary essays. 

Make sure your excitement for a particular program or area of research translates into your interviews if you express it in your essays.

When writing essays and mentioning specific disciplines or research areas, you should consider whether you could discuss them in-depth in an interview. In other words, choose topics that genuinely interest you to ensure your responses sound sincere.

Finally, suppose you have a special connection to Johns Hopkins. In that case, you can go into further detail during your interview or during the downtime and small talk that precede it. The in-depth conversation is prevented by the limitations of the supplementary prompts.

Perhaps you touched on this relationship in one of your essays, but you could not adequately describe it. That opportunity arises during the interview process.

Johns Hopkins Medical School Recommendation Letter 

You have three ways to meet the Johns Hopkins Medical School's letter-of-recommendation criteria. You may submit one of the three-letter kinds listed below:

Committee Letter

Applicants with an official committee and advisor must submit one committee letter.

Letter Packet

The career services department at your college can frequently put these letters together and send them to the Johns Hopkins School of Medicine.

Faculty Letter/s

For this option, you will need two letters from two different science instructors who have taught you and one from a non-science faculty member who has taught you.

Suppose you are applying to Johns Hopkins School of Medicine's M.D.-Ph.D. program. In that case, you will also need two additional letters of reference from faculty members with whom you have collaborated on research.

Summary Table: How to Get into Johns Hopkins Medical School 

Additional FAQs – How to Get into Johns Hopkins Medical School