LEWIS KATZ SCHOOL OF MEDICINE

About the Program

Each year, the Lewis Katz School of Medicine at Temple University (LKSOM) welcomes a diverse class of students who have achieved academic excellence and demonstrated a commitment to serving others. Temple is renowned for its culture of service. We place particular emphasis on attracting future physicians who will provide care for underserved populations. Through their commitment to fulfilling the medical needs of our North Philadelphia neighbors and surrounding communities, our faculty pass on this tradition to our students.

LKSOM is dedicated to excellence in education, research and patient care, achieved by faculty, staff and learners who represent and serve our diverse society. The school provides:

• education that is patient-centered, instilling in learners the school's ethic of human service and lifelong learning;
• research that advances and integrates basic and clinical science; and
• patient care that is administered with compassion and understanding, utilizing contemporary knowledge and techniques.

LKSOM confers the Doctor of Medicine degree as well as offers the following dual degree programs: MD/PhD, MD/MA in Urban Bioethics, MD/MPH and MD/MBA.  

The MD curriculum is a four-year program that is divided into two phases: pre-clerkship and clerkship. Our commitment is to train students to provide outstanding quality patient care and to conduct medical research with the utmost in professionalism.

Time Limit for Degree Completion: 6 years

Campus Location: Health Sciences Center of Temple University in Philadelphia, PA and St. Luke's University Health Network Regional Campus in Bethlehem, PA

Full-Time/Part-Time Status: The MD program must be completed on a full-time basis.

Ranking: In 2023, U.S. News & World Report ranked the Lewis Katz School of Medicine at Temple University number 68 in Research and among the Best Medical Schools.

Job Prospects: Graduates of the MD program typically continue their training in Accreditation Council for Graduate Medical Education (ACGME) accredited residencies and fellowships in all disciplines of medicine throughout the United States. Following residency, graduates enter careers in academic medicine, private practice, research and industry.

Non-Matriculated Student Policy: All students must be full-time matriculants.

Financing Opportunities: Financial support opportunities include scholarships, loans and federal work study.

Admission Requirements and Deadlines

Application Deadline:

AMCAS® Application: December 15
Transcript submission to AMCAS®: December 29
Supplemental materials, including fee and letters: January 15

Candidates apply through the American Medical College Application Service® (AMCAS®). The application deadline is December 15 of the year preceding matriculation. Temple considers applications from U.S. citizens or those with permanent resident or refugee/asylee status with the United States Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS).

When Temple has received a verified application from AMCAS ®, candidates are sent an email with details for access to the online LKSOM supplemental application. Applications are considered complete when a supplemental application, supplemental fee and required letters of recommendation are received.

The supplemental application is used to help identify the applicant's unique interest in Lewis Katz School of Medicine at Temple University. A $90 non-refundable application fee is collected online when you submit your LKSOM supplemental application. The supplemental application fee is waived for candidates who were approved for the Association of American Medical Colleges (AAMC) Fee Assistance Program (FAP) prior to submitting an AMCAS® application.

Letters of Reference: LKSOM considers letters of recommendation from a premedical committee, a packet from a school letter compilation service, or three individual letters:

• Premedical committee letters do not need a specific number of science/non-science letters.
• If submitting a compilation packet or individual letters, we prefer, but do not require, two letters from professors with whom you completed coursework from the AMCAS® course classification of Biology, Chemistry or Physics. One additional letter is required from a non-science professor regarding work experience or service activity.
• LKSOM welcomes letters from research experiences but prefers they be included in addition to the requested science letters from professors with whom you completed coursework.

LKSOM participates in the AMCAS® Letter Service. Letters can be sent to AMCAS® through the AMCAS® Letter Writer Application or Interfolio. All letters should be on letterhead and contain the letter writer's signature.

If LKSOM is designated as a recipient of the letter on the AMCAS® application, AMCAS® will release the electronic copy to LKSOM. All letters designated for LKSOM must be received for your application to undergo review.

At any point in the application process, applicants may submit additional letters to support their application and are encouraged to use the AMCAS® Letter Service to transmit those letters.

Coursework Required for Admission Consideration: Applicants should demonstrate preparation for the rigors of medical school and competency in the sciences achieved through a broad range of science coursework and the MCAT® exam. While there are no absolute course requirements, it is recommended that students complete coursework in Biochemistry, Biology, Chemistry (both general and organic), Physics, Psychology and Sociology. The Office of Admissions will only evaluate courses completed at a U.S. or Canadian college/university.

If recommended coursework in Biology, Chemistry or Physics is completed using AP credits, online, at a community college or through a study abroad program, we prefer to see classroom-based, upper-level science coursework in that discipline.

Master's Degree in Discipline/Related Discipline: A master's degree is not required.

Bachelor's Degree in Discipline/Related Discipline: A baccalaureate degree is required. Students who matriculate through the Temple University Accelerated Health Scholars program will earn their bachelor's degree after the first year of medical school.

LKSOM prefers a minimum of 90 semester hours from a U.S. or Canadian college/university. Coursework should be directed to the needs of premedical students. Courses designed for non-science majors or allied health students are not accepted.

Although the Admissions Committee holds no preference for science majors, all applicants, whether science majors or not, must demonstrate capacity for excellence in the sciences. In addition, students should have a broad humanities education and strong writing skills.

Statement of Goals: Applicants must submit a personal statement with their application.

Standardized Test Scores:
MCAT®: Required. Every applicant must take the Medical College Admission Test (MCAT®) of the Association of American Medical Colleges within three years of matriculation, and no later than September of the year in which the candidate applies. Applications are considered with the most recent MCAT® results, both sections and total. No minimum score is required for application.

Casper: All applicants to the MD program are required to complete an online assessment to assist with our selection process. Casper is an online, video-scenario test that assesses for non-cognitive skills and interpersonal characteristics that we believe are important for success in our program and complements the other tools that we use for applicant selection. Applicants can register for the U.S. Medicine test (CSP-10111) at https://acuityinsights.app/. Casper test results are valid for one admissions cycle.

Program Requirements

General Program Requirements:

Required Courses:

Course List

Code	Title	Credit Hours
Year 1
MEDS M101	Fundamentals of Anatomy	0
MEDS M102	Fundamentals of Medicine 1	0
MEDS M103	Biological Systems I: Cardiovascular, Blood, Respiratory and Renal Systems	0
MEDS M104	Biological Systems II: Gastrointestinal, Endocrine, Bone and Reproductive Systems	0
MEDS M105	Biological Systems III: Nervous and Musculoskeletal Systems	0
MEDS M106	Biological Systems IV: Inflammation, Immune System and Skin	0
MEDS M107	Doctoring 1	0
Year 2
MEDS M210	Diseases of Renal/Endo/Repro	0
MEDS M212	Microbiology/Inf. Dis.	0
MEDS M214	Diseases of Cardio/Resp	0
MEDS M217	Doctoring 2	0
MEDS M222	Diseases IV: GI/Hem-Onc/MS	0
MEDS M224	Diseases III: CNS	0
Year 3
Third-Year Preparation
FAMP M360	Family Medicine	0
INTM M301	Medicine	0
NEUR M370	Neurology	0
OBGY M320	Obstetrics/Gynecology	0
PEDI M330	Pediatrics	0
PSYM M340	Psychiatry	0
SURG M350	Surgery	0
Elective (1 block): Students must complete a 4-week elective block during their third year. Choose one 4-week elective or two 2-week electives. Electives are offered in several specialties, including surgical and medical subspecialties.
Year 4
EMMD M403	Emergency Medicine	0
Select one from the following:
INTM M850	Medicine Subinternship
PEDI M860	Pediatrics Subinternship
SURG M870	Surgery Subinternship
Select one from the following:
INTM M530	Medical ICU (MICU) - Critical Care
PEDI M685	Neonatal ICU (ICN) - Critical Care
PEDI M690	Pediatric Pulmonary ICU/PICU
SURG M769	Surgical ICU (SICU) - Critical Care
Electives (6 blocks): Students must complete six 4-week elective blocks in their fourth year. Students may choose any elective offered, including clinical and non-clinical experiences. Electives give students the opportunity to learn more about the specific field and, in clinical rotations, to continue to participate in patient care and improve clinical skills. Non-clinical experiences include Advanced Anatomy and a Research or an Academic Medicine block.
Select one from the following: 1
MEDS M908	Faculty Mentored Scholarly Experience 3a
Seventh Elective Block
MEDS M992	Doctoring 4/Capstone	0

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Students may elect to do a year-long Scholarly Project in their fourth year. The project can be in clinical or basic science research, education, or school or community engagement. They have an advisor for the project and complete a Poster Presentation at the end of the year. If students do not choose to complete a Scholarly Project, they must complete a seventh elective block.

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