Medical Schools in Massachusetts: How to Get In (2024)
/Which are the best medical schools in Massachusetts? Discover the Massachusetts medical schools rankings, plus strategies to get into the Massachusetts medical school of your choice
there are four medical schools in massachusetts
Part 1: Introduction
Part 2: List of medical schools in Massachusetts: 2023 rankings and admissions statistics
Part 3: Massachusetts medical school profiles
Part 4: Massachusetts medical school admissions strategies
Part 5: Frequently asked questions
Appendix A: Massachusetts medical schools by degree type
Appendix B: Massachusetts medical schools by institution type
Appendix C: Massachusetts medical schools by region
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Part 1: Introduction
Located in the heart of New England, Massachusetts is notable for its rich history (the American Revolution started there), its fantastic sports teams (the Boston Celtics and Red Sox, to name a couple), and its many famous vacation destinations, including Nantucket, Cape Cod, and Martha’s Vineyard. It is also a proud host to four world-recognized medical schools, including the best-ranked program in the country, Harvard Medical School.
Whether you elect to attend medical school in the bustling city of Boston or in the more suburban environment of Worcester, you will receive a terrific medical education at each of Massachusetts’ academically excellent institutions.
In this guide, we’ll go over the statistics, strengths, and distinct characteristics of each of the four Massachusetts medical schools, with the hopes of helping you select the right program for you. This informed approach will allow you to prepare strong application materials and optimize your likelihood of receiving an admissions offer from the Massachusetts medical school of your choice.
Suggested reading: (How Hard Is It to Get into Medical School?)
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Part 2: List of medical schools in Massachusetts: 2023 rankings and admissions statistics
We’ve compiled various statistics related to Massachusetts medical schools, including their rankings, locations, and average GPAs and MCAT scores. While gathering this information, a few main takeaways were observed:
All four Massachusetts medical schools appear in the 2023 U.S. News Best Medical Schools (Research) ranking, with three in the top 50 and one in the top 5.
Massachusetts’ one public medical school (the University of Massachusetts T.H. Chan School of Medicine) has a high percentage of in-state residents in its first-year class.
Massachusetts medical schools boast high academic statistics; Tufts University School of Medicine has the lowest average GPA and MCAT score at 3.8 and 515.
In the table below, each Massachusetts medical school’s national ranking is listed inside parentheses, whereas each school’s relative rank is shown outside parentheses. Relative rankings help us answer the question, “Which are the ‘best’ medicals school in Massachusetts?”
(Note: We strongly recommend that you sign up for MSAR for the most up-to-date information on MD programs and that you sign up for Choose DO for DO program data.)
| Massachusetts Medical Schools | |||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Harvard Medical School | $71,032 OOS |
9.1% OOS |
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| Boston University School of Medicine | $71,202 IS |
8.3% OOS |
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| University of Massachusetts T.H. Chan School of Medicine* | $67,718 OOS |
13.3% OOS |
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| Tufts University School of Medicine | $69,036 OOS |
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Part 3: Massachusetts medical school profiles
Boston University School of Medicine
Boston University School of Medicine (BUSM) empowers its students to understand their new community by teaching them about the various Boston neighborhoods, patient populations, healthcare disparities, and community-oriented clinical resources upon arrival to campus. Students will complete a traditional two-year preclinical curriculum, which ends with a dedicated period to study for the USMLE Step 1 examination, before completing a two-year clinical curriculum.
Additionally, BUSM places a strong emphasis on an individualized learning experience; students may participate in non-graded experiences called Extracurricular Enrichment Activities (EEA) to supplement their core BUSM education with areas of their own interest. Examples of EEA include a nutritional course, the Medical Mandarin Club, the Medical Technology and Innovation eight-session series, and the Surgery Enrichment Activities, which incorporate medical students into the various aspects of academic surgery, such as grand rounds and clinic.
Harvard Medical School
Harvard Medical School has two separate curricular tracks: Pathways and Health Sciences & Technology (HST). Students may apply to the Pathways track, the HST track, or both. The Pathways track provides students with an accelerated fourteen-month pre-clerkship curriculum and, as a result, expedited entry into the core clerkship year for early clinical exposure. Additionally, dedicated research time is allocated throughout the curriculum.
The HST track is a curriculum offered by both Harvard Medical School and the Massachusetts Institute of Technology. It is designed for students who have a strong interest in biomedical research, physical science, or molecular science. In addition to the traditional preclinical and clinical coursework, HST students will learn foundational biomedical sciences concepts.
Harvard medical students will have the opportunity to rotate at state-of-the-art clinical sites at Massachusetts General Hospital, Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center, and Brigham and Women’s Hospital.
(Suggested reading: How to Get Into Harvard Medical School: Requirements and Strategies)
Tufts University School of Medicine
In 2019, Tufts University School of Medicine revamped its curriculum by condensing the preclinical years, which allows students to enter the clinical curriculum in an expedited fashion. In addition to gaining earlier clinical exposure, students also integrate four core “threads” of medicine into their lessons over the four years: healthcare systems, population health, the patient experience, and personal and professional development.
Tufts additionally has several longitudinal programs, including the Community Service Learning (CSL) initiative and the Student-As-Teacher (SAT) program. The CSL initiative creates opportunities for students to engage with the Boston community through various service experiences. The SAT program teaches medical students preparing to transition to clinical educators (residents, fellows, and attendings) how to construct effective lessons for the adult learner. Moreover, a select group of Tufts students are selected to participate in the Maine Track; these students will complete an immersive, nine-month, community-based clerkship curriculum in rural areas of Maine instead of completing their core clerkships in Boston.
University of Massachusetts T.H. Chan School of Medicine
The University of Massachusetts T.H. Chan School of Medicine updated its curriculum, now known as the Vista Curriculum, in 2022. The redesign weaves in longitudinal biomedical topics over the four years of medical school, including anatomy, histology, embryology, physiology, pharmacology, imaging, nutrition, cancer concepts, health systems science, health equity and diversity, societal forces in health and disease, and patient and provider wellness.
Additionally, select students will now can participate in a three-year MD program for individuals interested in careers in family medicine, internal medicine, pediatrics, and psychiatry. Students interested in this three-year MD path will apply to the accelerated program in the fall of their first year of medical school.
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Part 4: Massachusetts medical school admissions strategies
Strategy 1: Employ a data-driven process when determining which Massachusetts medical schools you should apply to
The GPA, MCAT, and interview data listed above demonstrate that Massachusetts medical schools are all highly competitive. Thus, it is important to assess your own academic achievements and choose schools that align with your statistical profile—this will help ensure that you are submitting a competitive application to Massachusetts medical schools.
For example, with a 3.9 GPA and a 519 MCAT, you are likely a competitive applicant at any of the four Massachusetts medical schools. However, with a 3.7 GPA and a 514 MCAT, it may be challenging for you to receive admission anywhere in Massachusetts.
It is also important to note that the University of Massachusetts matriculates a high percentage of in-state Massachusetts residents. Therefore, if you are from the Bay State, it is in your best interest to apply here.
(Suggested reading: How Many Medical Schools Should I Apply To? Which Ones?)
Strategy 2: Reflect on what makes each Massachusetts medical school unique and use this insight to choose programs that fit your strengths and career aspirations
It is crucial to reflect on your own professional goals when you select which medical schools to apply to.
For example, if you hope to pursue a career as an academic clinician, you will likely benefit from attending Harvard Medical School and rotating through the various Harvard-affiliated academic medical centers. On the other hand, if you are keen to practice in more rural or suburban areas, you may benefit from studying at the University of Massachusetts or pursuing the Maine Track at Tufts.
Strategy 3: Consider organizing your time around your secondary essays
After you’ve completed all of the hard work crafting a superb personal statement, gathered outstanding letters of recommendation, and ensured your AMCAS Work and Activities section is the best it can be, you may think you can sit back and relax, but don’t put your feet up just yet. Soon, a flood of secondary application requests will come barrelling in and to get them done within the tight turnaround times they often require, you’ll need to think strategically.
All of the medical schools in Massachusetts require students to write secondary essays, but they all have different numbers of prompts and a variety of required lengths. For Harvard, you’ll need to write at least two 4000 character essays, while UMass will have you write at least seven essays of around ~200 words each.
Planning ahead of time how you can best approach this task given your personal working style will go a long way to ensuring your essays are as clear and polished as possible at submission. During the fraught medical school admissions process, it’s a good idea to take every advantage you can, and that means a having a solid plan!
To get you started, we’ve created the table below listing the number of secondary prompts for each med school in Massachusetts below.
| Massachusetts Medical Schools | |
|---|---|
| Boston University School of Medicine | |
| Harvard Medical School | |
| Tufts University School of Medicine | |
| University of Massachusetts Medical School |
Strategy 4: Prepare responses for interviews
If you’ve been invited to an interview at one of these top schools, give yourself a huge pat on the back at making it to the final stage of the med school admissions process! At this point, you need to make sure you go into interview day calm and collected with thorough responses to any questions they may ask you.
To achieve this, consider how you might answer common questions and rehearse your responses with a friend or family member. You’ll want to cover as many bases as you can when it comes to question topics, so include questions such as “Why medicine?” along with “Where do you see yourself in 15 years?” or “How would you fix America’s healthcare system?”
Adequate preparation for your interview will ensure that you wow your interviewer with your in-depth knowledge of the school and your reasons for pursuing a career in medicine.
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Part 5: Frequently asked questions
What are the best medical schools near Massachusetts?
If you’re looking to attend a top medical school but the price tags of medical schools in Massachusetts, their stats, current research projects, or some other characteristic doesn’t entirely line up with what you’re looking for, you may want to broaden your search to nearby states. The northeastern US has some of the best medical schools in the country, so if you have the grades and ambition to succeed it’s a good idea to look at the entire region.
For example, you’ll find the top-ranked Warren Alpert School of Medicine at Brown University in Rhode Island, the Yale School of Medicine in Connecticut, and the Geisel School of Medicine at Dartmouth in New Hampshire.
Outside of the ivy league, there’s the NYU Grossman School of Medicine in New York and further south into Maryland you’ll find the number 2 medical school in the country, the Johns Hopkins School of Medicine.
Is a 3.7 GPA low for med school?
We routinely get questions from students asking if ‘X’ GPA is too low for medical school and the answer to this question is essentially, it depends.
Your MCAT scores will usually be considered along with your GPA as an important indication of your total academic ability. Taken together, your MCAT scores may help to offset a low GPA but we caution against putting too much faith in getting an MCAT bump if you’re worried about your GPA being too low. For top schools in Massachusetts, both your MCAT and GPA will have to be good.
Your life experiences will also come into play during the holistic admissions process, meaning if you had a bad semester that dented your GPA due to a situation outside of your control (such as the death of a family member) this could also be considered by adcoms as noteworthy.
A better question to ask would be “Is X GPA low for X medical school?” While some schools explicitly list a minimum GPA requirement, you can infer what they would consider acceptable by looking at the stats of their matriculants.
The four medical schools in Massachusetts represent a powerhouse of institutions nationally. All of them are ranked within the top-100—with all but one in the top-50 and including the number one ranked Harvard Medical School. As such, they can all afford to be highly selective, demanding top-tier stats from applicants.
That said, no one GPA is “too low” but if you’re worried your grades may be holding you back, you can strategically apply to schools where you’re more likely to get in or spend a year in a post-bacc program to bolster your GPA.
Final thoughts
Though Massachusetts’ four medical schools differ in their curricula and focuses, each is strong in its own right, not to mention highly competitive. Thus, it is important to select programs that align with your strengths, interests, and statistical profile. By targeting schools at which you have good odds of acceptance and crafting school-specific secondary essays and interview questions, you can maximize your success when applying to medical schools in Massachusetts.
About the Author
Dr. Shirag Shemmassian is the Founder of Shemmassian Academic Consulting and one of the world's foremost experts on medical school admissions. For nearly 20 years, he and his team have helped thousands of students get into medical school using his exclusive approach.
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Appendix A: Massachusetts medical schools by degree type
Allopathic medical schools in Massachusetts (MD)
Boston University School of Medicine
Harvard Medical School
Tufts University School of Medicine
University of Massachusetts T.H. Chan School of Medicine
Osteopathic medical schools in Massachusetts (DO)
There are no osteopathic medical schools in Massachuetts.
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Appendix B: Massachusetts medical schools by institution type
Public medical schools in Massachusetts
University of Massachusetts T.H. Chan School of Medicine
Private medical schools in Massachusetts
Boston University School of Medicine
Harvard Medical School
Tufts University School of Medicine
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Appendix C: Massachusetts medical schools by region
Medical schools in Boston
Boston University School of Medicine
Harvard Medical School
Tufts University School of Medicine
Medical schools outside of Boston
University of Massachusetts T.H. Chan School of Medicine
