Submission deadlines and admission timeline

Item	Date
Application window	June 1-Oct. 1
Deadline for completed application (verified AMCAS application, secondary application, application fee, and letters of recommendation)	Oct. 15
Invitations for interviews are sent	Beginning early October
Campus interviews take place	November, December, January, and February
Initial offers and alternate list offers sent to candidates	Beginning mid-November

Prerequisites and requirements

Before you begin the application process, review the academic and test prerequisites and technical standards required of all students applying for admission to the Mayo Clinic M.D.-Ph.D. Program at Mayo Clinic Graduate School of Biomedical Sciences and Mayo Clinic Alix School of Medicine.

Please note, transfer students are not accepted.

Location enrollment options

Applicants can choose to apply and enroll in the M.D.-Ph.D. Program at either the Minnesota campus or Arizona campus.

How to apply

Online application and application fee 

The first step of the application process is to apply online to Mayo Clinic Alix School of Medicine through the American Medical College Application Service (AMCAS).

Within the AMCAS online application, you’ll be able to indicate your desire to apply for the Combined Medical Degree-Ph.D.

Applications are accepted from June 1 through Oct. 1 of each year. After the initial application is received, applicants will be contacted regarding the M.D.-Ph.D. secondary application.

Early submission of application materials is strongly encouraged, as the deadline for completed applications is Oct. 15.

A completed application is composed of:

• Verified AMCAS application
• $120 processing fee (unless granted a fee waiver by AMCAS)
• Secondary application
• Letters of recommendation

Secondary application

After submitting an initial AMCAS file, select candidates will be invited to submit a secondary application. This secondary application includes campus selection.

If selected to complete a secondary application, please note that within the secondary application, there is a checkbox at the bottom to indicate your interest in consideration for the M.D.-only program at Mayo Clinic or the Ph.D.-only program at Mayo Clinic. If you check this box and you are not selected to interview for the M.D.-Ph.D. Program, you may be considered for one or the other.

The deadline for submitting the secondary application is Oct. 15.

Letters of recommendation

The Mayo Clinic M.D.-Ph.D. Program requires a minimum of three individual letters of recommendation, or one committee letter submitted through the AMCAS Letter Service. Additional letters of recommendation may be submitted through the AMCAS Letter Service or be sent directly to the Mayo Clinic M.D.-Ph.D. Program as outlined below. It is particularly important to include recommendations from research mentors or supervisors. The deadline for receipt of letters of recommendation is Oct. 15.

• Upload through AMCAS Letter Service
• Fax to 507-293-0838 (Mayo Clinic M.D.-Ph.D. Program)
• Email to: mayoclinicmdphd@mayo.edu (must come directly from the recommender's email address)
• Mail directly to the Mayo Clinic M.D.-Ph.D. Program at the below address:

Rochester, Minnesota campus

Mayo Clinic M.D.-Ph.D. Program
Attn: Lisa Hurley
Guggenheim Building, Room 2-24
200 First St. SW
Rochester, MN 55905

Scottsdale, Arizona campus

Mayo Clinic M.D.-Ph.D. Program
Attn: Jorge Pita Abarca
13400 E. Shea Blvd.
Scottsdale, AZ 85259

Selection criteria and application review process

Applications are reviewed on a rolling basis. The review of your application occurs after all materials of a complete application have been received. A complete application includes a verified AMCAS application, secondary application, letters of recommendation, and processing fee.

The Admissions Committee takes into consideration the many factors that make up an applicant, including:

• Depth and breadth of research experiences
• Exposure to and the exploration of medicine
• Leadership experience, community and volunteer service, artistic and athletic endeavors, along with work experiences
• Academic performance and GPA
• MCAT score/percentile
• Personal statement
• Letters of recommendation

Campus interviews

The second step of the admissions process is the interview. 

Interview process

Prospective students selected for an interview are contacted via email starting in early October. Candidates are invited to interview for either the Minnesota or Arizona campus on one of the scheduled M.D.-Ph.D. Program interview dates. Interviews are conducted virtually.

Interview events

Interview events are held in November, December, January, and February. During interview events, candidates receive an in-depth orientation to the program, participate in interviews with members of the M.D.-Ph.D. Admissions Committee, have the opportunity to meet faculty members of their choice, and spend time talking with current students.

Admissions offer and in-person visit

If offered admission, you may elect to make an in-person visit to campus. During this visit, you may meet potential thesis mentors, tour the campus and community, and gather more information to help you decide among the programs to which you have been admitted.

In-person visit travel expenses are supported up to a predetermined limit.

Acceptance of offer is required as outlined in the Association of American Medical Colleges (AAMC) ‘Traffic Rules’.