Frequently Asked Questions
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Go to the School of Medicine Registrar’s Office Forms page website, http://medschool.duke.edu/modules/som_registrar/index.php?id=3, scroll down to Transcripts, click on Transcript request. Download and print the form. Requests must have an original signature but can be faxed to 919-684-4432.
The first step is The Primary (AMCAS) Application – American Medical College Application Service. The American Medical College Application Service (AMCAS) provides a standardized primary application service for most (>95%) of allopathic medical schools. The AMCAS becomes available in April for the class entering in the fall of the following year. AMCAS begins accepting applications on June 1. Before your application is complete, AMCAS must receive an official transcript from every college you have attended; AMCAS begins accepting transcripts on March 15. You can verify if AMCAS has received your materials via telephone. You should complete the AMCAS as early as possible, and submit it no later than mid-September (otherwise, you may miss the application deadline of some medical schools). Assuming you have correctly filled in all application information, it takes AMCAS about one month to process your application and send it to the medical schools. Medical schools differ in their deadlines for receiving the AMCAS; they require it by October 15, November 15, or December 15, depending on the school.
The mean MCAT score and GPA for the years 2002-2009 have been in the range of 34/45 MCAT and 3.74/4.00 GPA respectively. The MCAT scores for entering students have ranged from 23 to 44.
Almost every medical school requires the following courses, and though not explicitly stated, expect you to have obtained an A in each of them: Introduction to Biology (two semesters), General Chemistry (two semesters), Organic Chemistry (two semesters), and Physics (two semesters). A significant number of schools also require 4-6 courses in the humanities (e.g., English, History, Philosophy, etc.), and a few require a year of calculus. You should always determine a school's requirements before you apply.
Admission to Duke requires at least 90 hours of approved college credit, including:
- One year of college English or a university writing course
- One year of inorganic chemistry/one year of inorganic chemistry lab
- One year of organic chemistry/one year of organic chemistry lab
- One year of physics/one year of physics lab
- One year of biology or zoology/one semester of biology lab
- One semester of calculus plus one semester of an additional college-level math, such as statistics
We recommend that you take an introductory course in biochemistry during the senior year, if possible. All science requirements must be completed not more than seven years before you enter medical school.
The estimated cost of attendance for a first year medical student for 2009-2010 will be $70,891. Please go to the Financial Aid Office website, estimated budgets for a breakdown on the expenses. http://medschool.duke.edu/modules/som_aid/index.php?id=4
Average debt for the graduating Class of 2009 is $114,700 (that includes all previous educational debt). However, the range for all those that borrowed is $8500 to $234,166.
The Duke University School of Medicine curriculum is unique. Students here learn the core basic sciences in the first year, complete core clinical clerkships in the second year, devote the entire third year to scholarly investigation, and fulfill elective rotations in the fourth year. By condensing the traditionally structured training from four years into three, we provide students ample opportunity to pursue their own independent interests. For more information, please go to http://medschool.duke.edu/modules/som_curriculum/index.php?id=2
There's a lot to do at Duke outside of classes and labs. Our medical students participate in literally dozens of activities, from service to social, beginning with a class-wide campout during orientation. Here's a quick look at just a few extracurricular events.
Starting with a day-long retreat off-campus prior to the week-long orientation, Duke offers plenty of opportunities for students to bond and blow off steam. Each year brings events like the black-tie Davison Ball, a Durham Bulls baseball night sponsored by the Alumni Association, Super Bowl and Halloween parties, a campout for Duke basketball tickets, and the Student-Faculty Show.
Student volunteers staff free clinics in rural, underserved areas through the North Carolina Student Rural Health Coalition, collect and wrap gifts for needy families during an annual "Share the Holidays" party, salvage medical supplies and ship them to developing nations through the Duke Medical Gleaning Program, volunteer in middle school classrooms, volunteer at a local homeless shelter each Monday night, and work on Medical Center-wide projects like the Cancer Patient Support Program and Children's Miracle Network telethon.
Almost every national group for medical students has a chapter at Duke, including the American Medical Association Medical Student Section, the Student National Medical Association, the Christian Medical and Dental Society, the American Medical Women's Association, and Asian Pacific American Medical Student Association.
All students belong to the Davison Society -- named for the medical school's first dean--and elect representatives to the Davison Council. The council, which meets biweekly, communicates student interests to the School of Medicine administration and faculty, alumni, and community. Students are also invited to sit on virtually every major committee in the Medical Center, from the admissions committee to the judicial board to the Institutional Review Board (which reviews all clinical trials in the Medical Center.)
Application to residency programs is handles by the Office of Student Affairs. Updated information will be available soon at http://medschool.duke.edu/modules/index.php?id=2
