FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS
1. Do I have to major in a science in order to get accepted?
A. No, your major is not important as long as you have completed all the premedical course requirements.

2. What are the prerequisites for admission?
A. These can be found on this web site under "Application Process - Admission Requirements".

3. Will it help my chances of admission if I go to ECU for my undergraduate education?
A. We do not give special preference to applicants from ECU, since that would discriminate against students from the dozens of other fine colleges and universities in the region. The three largest schools in the state (ECU, NCSU, and UNC-CH) typically provide the largest numbers of applicants and matriculants.

4. How do I apply to the Brody School of Medicine?
A. This can be found on this web site under "Application Process - Application Procedure".

5. What does the Admissions Committee consider as they evaluate applicants?
A. The Admissions Committee considers the totality of numerous factors when evaluating an application for admission to the School of Medicine. These include academic achievement as reflected by course work and grade point average (GPA), performance on standardized exams such as the Medical College Admissions Test (MCAT), experiential knowledge of the medical field, service activities in the community, letters of recommendation, interviews, fit to the legislatively-mandated mission of the School of Medicine, and any other relevant available information.

6. What are average MCATs & GPA scores of the entering class?
A. In recent years the average GPA of the entering class has been about 3.5, and the average numerical score on the MCAT has been 27 (9, 9, & 9). As much as possible, we strive to use numerical data (such as GPAs and MCAT scores) more as a "safety gauge" than as an absolute measure of worthiness. You can find out more about recent entering classes on this web site under "Student Body Profiles".

7. When should I take the MCAT?
A. If you have completed the premedical course requirements, and if you have had time to prepare for the exam, we recommend that you take the exam in April of the year prior to expected matriculation (for example, in April 2003 for expected August 2004 admission). This will allow you the opportunity to retake the exam in August (if your April scores don't meet your expectations) and have these new scores considered by the Admissions Committee during the current cycle. Like many schools, we require that the MCAT be taken within three years of application to the school (so that, for applications to the 2003-entering class that are received during the summer and fall of 2002, MCAT scores from April 1999 to August 2002 will be valid).

8. If my undergraduate grades are non-competitive, will taking classes or getting a masters' degree help?
A. The Admissions Committee does tend to consider recent academic work as more reflective of an applicant’s current ability and potential than academic work done in years past. AMCAS puts all undergraduate-level coursework performed after receipt of the initial baccalaureate degree on a separate line, so that your second-degree GPA should be easy to distinguish from the GPA of your first degree.

9. Can you help me find opportunities for medical employment or volunteer activity?
A. While we unfortunately cannot act as brokers of employment or volunteer opportunities, there are various organizations on most undergraduate campuses that can assist you in this (for example, see the ECU Volunteer Center website at http://www.ecu.edu/volunteer/). In addition, the designated pre-medical advisors at colleges and universities typically are familiar with local opportunities.

10. Who should I ask to write my letters of recommendation?
A. We require three academic references (from individuals who have taught you coursework for a grade), and two of these should be from faculty members who have taught you science courses. Alternately, a single letter from the Pre-Medical Advisory Committee at your undergraduate school will meet this requirement. It is certainly acceptable to also have letters from employers or personal acquaintances as part of your application, but they will not take the place of the required academic letters.

11. Do letters from ECU alumni / celebrities / politicians help?
A. A letter from an individual who knows an applicant well and thus reveals aspects of that applicant's accomplishments or character is very helpful to the Admissions Committee, regardless of the status of the letter's author. Conversely, a letter from a well-known person who does not really know the applicant usually has little influence in the Admissions Committee's deliberations.

12. If I am not a North Carolina resident, should I submit an AMCAS application?
A. As a state-supported school with a legislatively-mandated mission to train physicians to serve the state, very strong preference is given to residents of North Carolina. In fact, no non-residents have been admitted to our program for nearly 20 years.

13. If I am not a US citizen, should I submit an AMCAS application?
A. Permanent residents of the US who are also residents of North Carolina will be considered by the Admissions Committee.

14. What is the Early Assurance Program?
A. Under this program, four of the 72 seats in the Brody School of Medicine entering class are reserved (four years in advance) for Merit Scholars entering ECU as freshmen. Students who are awarded a position in this program must maintain certain academic standards and participate in various activities to remain eligible for their seat in the entering class. An appropriate number of alternate candidates are also selected and encouraged to participate in program activities. Further information can be found on this web site under "Application Process - Early Assurance Program".

15. What is the Early Decision Program?
A. The Early Decision Program (EDP) is a national program in which most of the nation's medical schools participate. If applicants are certain that a particular medical school is where they want to attend, then they can apply to that one participating medical school by the school's deadline date (usually August 1). They will be notified by that school regarding their acceptance by October 1, and if accepted they can only attend that school. If not accepted under the Early Decision Program, applicants will automatically be placed in the regular applicant pool by the school and may then apply to additional schools.

16. Can I apply as an Early Decision candidate if I'm not taking the MCAT until August?
A. No, because notifications must be made by October 1 and MCAT scores from the August exam will not be received until mid-October.

17. Can I apply to the Brody School of Medicine if I'm in another graduate program?
A. Applicants who are formally enrolled in a terminal degree program are generally not considered for admission to medical school prior to their completion of that program. The reason for this is apparent: acceptance into our program would require such applicants to withdraw from their current programs, leaving those programs with vacant positions (and often creating problems in the associated service, research, and other activities there).

18. What if I miss your deadline for returning the supplemental application?
A. Our policy is to not grant deadline extensions for any reason involving applicant tardiness. We may occasionally grant a brief extension if an applicant can provide independent documentation that it was the actions of others which caused the deadline to be missed.

19. How many interviews will I get?
A. This can be found on this web site under "Application Process - Interview".

20. Can I get feedback from my interviewers on my chances for admission?
A. Interviewers are instructed not to give feedback to applicants, since they have not reviewed the applicant's application and would therefore be giving advice based solely on information obtained during the interview. The Associate Dean for Admissions will, however, meet with unsuccessful applicants at a mutually agreeable time to provide feedback if desired.

21. Can I add information to my application after the interview?
A. Applicants are encouraged to send in any additional information that might enhance their application credentials (such as fall semester grades, induction into honor societies, and so forth).

22. How long will it take to hear something from the Admissions Committee?
A. The Admissions Committee will initially deliberate an individual's application within two to three weeks of the interview. However, in most cases (about 95% of the time) the Admissions Committee will not make a final decision at that first presentation. At regular intervals throughout the interview season (August to April), the Admissions Committee reviews all applicants who have been interviewed up to that point (so that each applicant is viewed in comparison with the entire applicant pool, and not just the group with whom they were considered at their initial Committee appearance). Once the Admissions Committee is certain of the action they wish to take on an applicant, a letter is sent to the applicant. Conceivably, someone could interview in August or September and not hear from the Admissions Committee until late April or early May (when all decisions are made). For applicants in this situation, just remember that "no news is good news": if you haven't heard from us, that means you're still under active consideration and still eligible to receive an offer.

23. Can I call to check on the status of my application?
A. Yes, but the information we are able to provide is usually limited to the number of times an application has been before the Admissions Committee.

24. Is it easy to get a deferral for a year if I'm accepted?
A. The Brody School of Medicine has historically not granted requests for deferred entrance, feeling that only events which are extraordinary in nature and clearly outside of the applicant’s control would generally justify delay of matriculation.

25. How big is the wait list, and what are the chances that someone on that list will be offered a seat?
A. The alternate pool is usually smaller than the entering class size of 72, since recent experience tells us that only a dozen or so seats will open up between early May and the start of classes in early August. The list is not ranked, so that the Admissions Committee can utilize any new information that may become available (spring semester grades, etc.).

26. What is the Summer Program for Future Doctors?
A. This can be found on this web site under "Summer Program for Future Doctors".

27. Are there opportunities for transfer (Advanced Standing) into the School of Medicine?
A. Advanced standing opportunity at the Brody School of Medicine is based on the availability of open positions (seats). Vacancies in our classes are generally not identified with certainty until late April of the preceding academic year (i.e., April 2003 for the fall of 2004). Due to our curriculum structure, students (particularly those in foreign schools, and often those in American schools) must usually complete two years at their original institution before being eligible for transfer to BSOM at ECU. As a general rule, applicants must be enrolled in an M.D. program at the time of application and must have successfully passed Step I of the USMLE. Very strong preference is given to residents of North Carolina, and no non-residents have been accepted for enrollment (in either the first year or for advanced standing positions) for many years.

28. Can I get credit for coursework done in dental or other health professional schools?
A. No.

29. Do you offer combined degree programs, such as MD/PhD and MD/MBA?
A. This can be found on this web site under "Curriculum".

30. What can I do if I'm not accepted?
A. We typically have between 700 and 800 NC applicants each year for our 72 positions, and only have to offer around 100 people to fill the class. Therefore, we are forced to turn down many good applicants each year. For the past several years, approximately 50% of each entering class has been composed of re-applicants. More information can be found on this web site under "Application Process - What If I'm Not Accepted?".

31. Can I apply to the Brody School of Medicine if I have a criminal record?
A. All schools in the University of North Carolina system (including the Brody School of Medicine at East Carolina University) are required to inquire if potential students have any past or pending criminal offenses. Therefore, we ask each applicant completing our Supplementary Application to answer the following questions:
Your “yes” answer to one or more of these questions will not necessarily preclude your being admitted. However, your failure to provide complete, accurate, and truthful information on this application will be grounds to deny or withdraw your admission, or to dismiss you after enrollment. For the purpose of the following six questions, “crime” or “criminal charge” refers to any crime other than a traffic-related misdemeanor or an infraction. You must, however, include alcohol or drug offenses whether or not they are traffic related.

A. Have you ever been convicted of a crime?

B. Have you ever entered a plea of guilty, a plea of no contest, a plea of nolo contendere, or an Alford plea, or have you received a deferred prosecution or prayer for judgment continued, to a criminal charge?

C. Have you otherwise accepted responsibility for the commission of a crime?

D. Do you have any criminal charges pending against you?

E. Have you ever been expelled, dismissed, suspended, placed on probation, or otherwise subject to any disciplinary sanction by any school, college, or university?

F. If you have ever served in the military, did you receive any type of discharge other than an honorable discharge?

The answers to these questions are not considered by members of the Admissions Committee as they conduct their deliberations. Any applicants judged by the Committee to be deserving of an offer who do have a previous criminal record are referred to a Subcommittee, which reviews the prior offenses on a case-by-case basis. An applicant’s eligibility for admission as determined by this Subcommittee will be based upon a careful weighing of the totality of circumstances surrounding the offense. In its deliberations, the Subcommittee strives to be consistent with state medical licensure policies, and to recognize the US justice system principle that a person's debt to society is fulfilled once punishment is administered.

32. Can I have the $60 Supplementary Application fee waived?
A. The BSOM Office of Admissions will consider requests to waive our $60 Supplementary Application fee if payment of this fee would constitute a true financial hardship to an applicant. To qualify for a fee waiver, the applicant must generally be enrolled full time in an educational program and qualify for financial aid at that institution. Applicants who do not qualify for financial aid or who are currently employed are seldom granted BSOM fee waivers. Since decisions regarding such requests are made on a case-by-case basis, the provision of an AMCAS Fee Waiver does not necessarily ensure that BSOM will grant one as well. In order to be considered for a waiver of the $60 application fee, a letter from the Financial Aid Officer at an applicant’s current institution documenting enrollment and financial need is required.