Students must be a rising senior in college or a post graduate student. Academic prerequisites are passing grades in Organic Chemistry (Part 1) and your other science and math courses to prove a solid background in the major biological and physical sciences that are preparatory for medical or dental school.
A cumulative science GPA of 2.75 or higher is strongly recommended for realistic consideration. Other factors may include a passion for health professions, motivation to help people, and personal story as it relates to your journey.
The program consists of pre-medical or pre-dental applicants with at least one year remaining before desired application to professional school. All such participants are either rising seniors or postgraduates. MED is designed to increase opportunities in the health professions for individuals who have lacked opportunities, access, and resources and who demonstrate educational promise and commitment to health careers. Current applicants to professional school whose results are still pending by the program鈥檚 deadline are invited to submit an application along with an explanation of the circumstances. The program typically enrolls at least 90 students per summer (70 pre-medical, 20 pre-dental).
North Carolina residents receive preference and typically constitute 80-85% of participants. Applicants from other states are also welcome to apply.
Note: MCAT / DAT scores are not required for admittance to the MED Program.
There is no cost to apply or attend the MED Program. The School of Medicine and Adams School of Dentistry cover all instructional costs (i.e. tuition, texts, housing, etc.) for all participants. A stipend is awarded to qualifying applicants.
The University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill is committed to equality of educational opportunity and does not discriminate against applicants, students, or employees based on color, national origin, religion, sex, or handicap. Moreover, the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill is open to all people of all races and actively seeks to promote racial integration.
Application Dates/Deadlines
Application Opens: Monday, October 14, 2024
Application Deadline: Tuesday, January 21, 2025
Application Requirements
The MED application is comprised of two components:
an online component
demographic information
2 essay questions
2 letters of recommendation (letter writers will be able to upload letters)
additional documents you must mail in
Transcripts – all official transcripts from institutions you received science course credit (including community colleges)
Financial aid documentation – you will need to submit one of the following: Student aid report or FAFSA or tax information
Resume/CV
Instructions for Mailing Items
Students can have transcripts sent directly from the colleges/universities to the address below OR students may collect transcripts, financial documents, & resume and mail together in one packet.
Mailing through the United States Postal Service (USPS):
Lisa Long
The University of North Carolina
CB #7530
Chapel Hill, NC 27599
Mailing through UPS, FedEx, DHL or Amazon:
Lisa Long
The University of North Carolina
CB #7530
150 Medical Drive, 3307 Roper Hall
Chapel Hill, NC 27514
Application FAQs
Applicants must have completed at least three years of college course work including Organic Chemistry (Part 1) and possess a strong background in the major biological and physical sciences that are preparation for medical and dental school. A cumulative science GPA of 2.75 or higher is highly recommended. Criteria for selection are based on a number of factors, including educational promise, a strong commitment to a health career, and lack of past opportunities. You must be considered underrepresented in medicine/dentistry in some way to be eligible. Refer to question below regarding underrepresented status for clarification. The program is designed for rising seniors in undergraduate school and post-graduates. There is no age limit and you do not have to currently be enrolled in school. As long as you fulfill the requirements of the program, your application will be considered with the same consideration as other applicants.
Yes, non-North Carolina residents are encouraged to apply. Each summer approximately one-third of the participants are from other states.
Eligible: US Citizens or Permanent Resident Alien (green card)
Ineligible: Any visa type that is NOT Permanent Resident Alien
Yes, students currently applying to medical and dental schools are able to apply. .
If you have completed the AMCAS or the AADSAS application and applied to either 黑料网 or Adams School of Dentistry, you will be asked to upload a pdf of your application. You will still need to complete the online MED application and mail in transcripts & financial information by the deadline.
Re-applicants are eligible to apply. Re-applicants will need to complete all aspects of the application and have transcripts & financial documents mailed to the office.
*Please note, we need all elements of the transcripts mailed in as previous applications are archived at the end of the cycle.
Current online MED Application
Transcripts/updated transcripts
Letters of recommendation – please ask your letter writers to resubmit the letters from last year to the new application if you choose to use those letters again. We strongly recommend re-applicants submit at least one new additional letter of recommendation.
Dates for the MED 2025 applications will open in the Fall of 2024
The exact date for MED 2025 applications will be announced in the Fall of 2024. It is usually in January.
Links to the application will be right on this website.
Under the state drop down menu, please choose “OC”, which stands for “Out of the Country.” List your birth city as, “City, Country”
2.75
2.75
All biology, chemistry, math, and physics courses should be included. This includes courses in biology, chemistry, biochemistry, genetics, physics, and mathematics. Courses in psychology, sociology, public health, etc should not be included. Courses should also be included that were taken at other institutions and during postgraduate work.
Tally all your math and sciences courses to determine an average. We will do the official calculations for application review purposes.
Our program requires one level of organic chemistry because students are at a disadvantage in the biochemistry course if they have not successfully completed the first session of organic chemistry prior to MED. This requirement is met with successfully passing Organic Chemistry I with a grade of C or higher.
This means you have taken and successfully completed (a grade of B or higher) classes in the biological and physical sciences.
You should explain any poor performance in courses, repeated courses, course withdrawals, etc. in writing and submit with your transcripts.
Leave blank or enter expected date of graduation if you have not completed your degree yet.
You should list the highest score in each section of each test that you have taken, even if the scores are from tests taken at different times. You list scores for all tests that you have taken, no matter how long ago the tests were taken. Official copies of test results are NOT required. It is NOT required that you have taken the MCAT/DAT
Transcripts must be mailed to our office. Please see instructions on the Requirements page.
Please mail official transcripts from the following:
current academic institution
past degree granting academic institution
any institution you completed science coursework
This includes summer session courses and bi-institutional programs, such as the Robertson Scholar鈥檚 Program. Please note, you do not need to submit any community college transcripts with ONLY non-science courses; if a science course(s) was completed, you must submit an official transcript.
Yes. Even if you received transfer credit for courses taken at an institution, you still need to mail an official transcript from the other institution if those courses/credits were science courses. Grades and credit hours for transferred courses do not routinely appear on primary institution transcripts.
Applications will not be considered complete until all components, included transcripts, are received. They follow the same deadline as the main application. Mailed materials must be received or postmarked by that date.
You should contact the MED Program directors via email.
Two academic letters of recommendation are required. At least one of your required letters of recommendation should be from a science professor who knows you academically/professionally, who is able to speak on your academic standing, and your ability/suitability to pursue a degree in medicine and dentistry. The best letters of recommendation are personal, and thus should come from people who you know well and that know you well. Your second letter can be another science or non-science professor or a health professional who has supervised you or whom you have shadowed. A third letter from a non-academic person can also be submitted for additional support.
A standard formal letter is appropriate. The letters should be uploaded to your application via you the upload link on your application homepage. It can be addressed to the 鈥淢ED Program Admissions Committee.鈥�
The word limit is 750 words for each question. Please answer each question separately in the given slots. There may be some overlap since your question responses may be related, but all questions must be answered separately.
All applicants must submit financial documentation. You can submit one of the following:
Student aid report
FAFSA
Latest tax form
The only acceptable forms of financial documentation are the Student Aid Report (SAR) compiled from your most current FAFSA application or IRS Tax Forms (not W-2 Forms). You should submit the most current financial documentation available.
If you are an undergraduate/graduate student, who is claimed by their parents/guardian, then submit a copy of the most current year SAR and/or your parents/guardian tax forms (not W-2s)
If you are an undergraduate/graduate student, who is not claimed by their parents/guardian, then submit a copy of the most current year SAR.
If you not currently an undergraduate/graduate student and are working, who is not claimed by their parents/guardian, then submit a copy of your most current year IRS Income Tax Return forms (not W-2s).
You are considered independent if you were not or will not be claimed on anyone鈥檚 taxes. You are considered dependent if you were or will be claimed on another鈥檚 taxes.
The SAR is a summary of the Federal Application for Student Aid (FAFSA). FAFSA applications are available online at are used to assess financial need. Do not send a copy of the FAFSA. Several days after submitting your FAFSA, you will be able to access a SAR, which should be mailed to our office.
If you are no longer in school, a copy of your most recent Income Tax Return will suffice for our records. If you are claimed as a dependent on your parent(s) taxes, you must also submit a copy of their latest income tax returns.
No. our office is separate from the 黑料网 undergraduate campus. Therefore, we will not receive documents sent to 黑料网-CH. Please mail the SAR directly to our office.
No. All fields in the entire application should be completed. If a certain question does not pertain to you, simply put N/A, but do not leave the item blank.
Please check to see that you have filled out all fields before proceeding forward. Review the page being saved. All errors will be annotated in RED.
You may need to complete the application using a different browser, and clearing out your cookie cache. Otherwise, please take screen shots of 1) the page that shows what you keyed into the form, 2) of the error. Specify the section with the problem and email this and the screenshots to lisa_long@med.unc.edu and any additional explanation of your application issue.
*Note – please do not take a picture of your screen with a camera. It is more difficult to view than the screenshot.
Try cleaning out your cache of websites and then try to log in to our system. When your cache of internet sites is full, our system does not work too well. You may also encounter problems with one browser and may need to switch to a different browser. If you are still unable to log in, please contact our office.
The photograph should only be a head-shot of only you, and professional. Passport style photographs are the most professional and best suited for this type of application. Photos are not required, but optional if students want to include.