Frank H. Netter MD School of Medicine Admission Policies 2021-2022

Admissions Committee Summary

The Admissions Committee is responsible for performing the essential function of evaluating candidates for admission to the Frank H. Netter MD School of Medicine at Quinnipiac University. The role of the Admissions Committee is to ensure that the quality and diversity of the class match the mission of the school to train highly qualified, culturally sensitive, patient-centered physicians. The committee strives to select students who represent a range of values and beliefs, interests and experiences, as well as intellectual and cultural viewpoints.

Each applicant will be evaluated on their capability to become a competent physician, as well as, on their potential to contribute to the educational experience of their fellow students at Quinnipiac University. It is the responsibility of the Admissions Committee to ensure that the Netter School selects students with academic promise and personal attributes that will allow for success in their medical studies, and also develop into skilled and empathetic physicians with a high degree of professionalism and strong communication skills.

As a model for selecting students, the admission process looks at each candidate's application holistically — taking into account their Experiences, Attributes and Metrics.

Admissions Committee Membership

The Admissions Committee will consist of the associate dean for admissions (ex-officio member), a chair (non-voting; note also that the associate dean for admissions can be appointed as the Admissions Committee chair), one other non-voting ex-officio member, and 22 voting members. The voting members of the Admissions Committee include medical sciences faculty, clinical faculty, and medical students.

The voting committee members determine admissions policy. For decisions on individual medical school candidates, the committee is divided into two equivalent subcommittees; each subcommittee reviews applications and makes decisions on individual candidates by their voting (“Accept,” “Wait List,” or “Deny”). The roles of each voting member are to review the applications of candidates they will be interviewing and voting on during committee meetings, conduct interviews, and attend Admissions Committee meetings on a regular basis during the interview cycle.

The voting members for each subcommittee can include up to:

Seven Department of Medical Sciences faculty members appointed by the chair of the medical sciences department. They are appointed to three-year renewable terms.

Two Clinical faculty members appointed by the chairs of clinical departments. They are appointed to three-year renewable terms.

Four (two active per meeting; two alternate) Second-year medical students are appointed by the associate dean for students in consultation with the associate dean for admissions. They are appointed for a one-year term.

The associate dean for admissions and the chair of the admissions committee do not vote. The assistant dean for health career pathways serves as an ex-­officio, non-voting member of the Admissions Committee.

At the beginning of each admissions cycle, committee members are required to sign a Conflict of Interest form.

Interviewer Pool Membership

Members of the interviewer pool make an important contribution to selecting our medical students by performing interviews. The pool is composed of medical students, faculty and staff.

Admissions Training

Each year, the Office of Admissions will provide interview training, a copy of the Netter SOM Admissions Policies document, the Netter SOM Interview Handbook, and other AAMC literature pertaining to medical school admissions and holistic review of medical school applicants. All new interviewers will also review an asynchronous Implicit Bias training module. 

Application Screening and Interview Procedures

Overview

Applicants to the Netter School of Medicine are required to apply through the American Medical Colleges Admissions Service (AMCAS). Verified AMCAS applications are screened by the Office of Admissions staff to determine eligibility for receiving an invitation to submit a secondary application. Candidates who submit a secondary application are screened by trained admissions staff and select faculty. The screened applications are then reviewed by the associate dean for admissions and the chair of admissions, who decide on who is invited for an interview. Candidates who choose to be interviewed are evaluated by the Admissions Committee.

Preliminary Selection Process

The Office of Admissions will invite qualified applicants the opportunity to submit a secondary application. Applicants invited to submit a secondary application must attest to reading our Technical Standards before they are able to submit the secondary application. Applicants who do not meet the criteria established by the Admissions Committee are notified via email of the decision not to move forward with their application.

Selection to Interview 

Members of the Office of Admissions and select faculty review all completed AMCAS and secondary applications. Applicants are reviewed holistically (i.e., their experiences, attributes and metrics) using the applicant’s portfolio (AMCAS Application and Secondary Application). These reviews are guided by the Guidelines and Rules for Offering an Interview, written and approved by the Admissions Committee.  

Guidelines and Rules for Offering an Interview

The Admissions Committee is charged with selecting students who fit the mission and vision of the Netter School of Medicine. The ultimate goal of our institution is to train highly qualified, culturally competent physicians. In addition to being academically strong, we place great emphasis on selecting candidates for attributes and experience that align with our mission and also enhance the inclusive and diverse culture that we hope to establish and maintain. In selecting applicants for an interview, and ultimately for matriculation, we consider the following attributes to be important:

Diversity: race, ethnicity, gender, gender identity, sexual orientation, upbringing (e.g., urban, rural), socioeconomic status, and whether they are the first generation of their family to attend college.

Maturity and Character: empathy, integrity, resilience (i.e., “grit”), adaptability, persistence, and cross-cultural awareness.

Skills and Abilities: motivation, aptitude, interpersonal communication, curiosity and critical thinking.

In addition to being mindful of the attributes listed above, we request that application screeners, appointed by the associate dean for admissions, consider the following characteristics when deciding to recommend an applicant for an interview:

Necessary

  • Evidence of exposure to medical practice (e.g., physician shadowing, clinical volunteering, etc.).
  • Evidence of community engagement/citizenship.
  • Evidence of the capacity to handle the academic rigor of medical school.
  • Strong letters of recommendation from referees with in-depth knowledge of the applicant.

Desirable

  • Evidence of exposure to medical practice (e.g., physician shadowing, clinical volunteering, etc.).
  • Work, volunteer and/or shadowing experience in clinical setting(s) that are substantively related to primary care, rehabilitative medicine, and/or global health.
  • Explicit statement of interest in primary care, rehabilitative medicine, and/or global health made in AMCAS and/or secondary application essays.
  • Substantive evidence of distance traveled.
  • Substantive evidence of tenacity/overcoming personal obstacles.
  • Work, scholastic or volunteer experience that has positively impacted medically underserved or vulnerable populations.
  • Work experience that demonstrates personal growth and maturity.
  • Research experience that has culminated in a favorable letter of recommendation from mentor(s) with or without related publications in the peer-reviewed literature.
  • Evidence of a well-rounded education, including classes in the humanities.

The following cohorts shall be prioritized to receive early interview scheduling, if possible:

  • Individuals from SES disadvantaged backgrounds.
  • Underrepresented in medicine applicants.
  • Military veterans.
  • Fluent or advanced Spanish language speakers.
  • Those with truly exceptional academic credentials (GPA and MCAT).

In addition to these guidelines, screeners are also instructed to consider the following criteria:

  1. Netter-Identified Diversity Categories: socioeconomically disadvantaged, African American and Hispanic/Latino, Spanish language proficient, and Armed Service Veterans.
  2. Educational Diversity: applicants from challenging socioeconomic backgrounds; applicants graduating from a Historically Black College or University, a Hispanic Serving Institution, Tribal College/University, or from a Minority Serving Institution; age; language; geography; gender; military service; self-disclosed disability; LGBTQ+ (gender identity/orientation).
  3. Experiences (medical/clinical): EMT; hospital; hospice; nursing home; clinic; doctor’s office; shadowing; or medical service trips.
  4. Community Service: social service; educational; public health; environmental; mental health; or faith-based.
  5. Extracurricular Activities: student clubs/organizations; art; music; theatre; athletics; Greek life; or part-time employment.
  6. Leadership (appointed/elected): student government; club/organization; athletics (e.g., captain); or activity officer.
  7. Intellectual Curiosity: academic research; clinical research; membership in academic associations; entrepreneurship; innovation of any kind; participation in college level academic enrichment programs; fellowships; publications/professional meetings.
  8. Full-Time Work Experience
  9. Secondary Application Personal Statement: motivation for career in medicine; interest in a primary care specialty, evidence of compassion, empathy and self-awareness; evidence of collaboration/ teamwork, adaptability and growth.

The screeners complete an evaluation form that includes a summary recommendation on how well the applicant might “fit” the Netter SOM (e.g., “Poor Fit,” “Questionable Fit,” “Acceptable Fit,” “Strong Fit,” “Ideal Fit”). The associate dean for admissions and the chair of admissions review their evaluations and decide whether or not to invite the applicant for an interview.

The Interview

The interview day and interviews are conducted virtually with the Zoom platform. Interview days are on Mondays, Fridays and some Wednesdays. Invitations to interview are sent via email by the Office of Admissions. Applicants are asked to choose from several available interview dates. Once the applicant selects an interview date, the Office of Admissions sends a confirmation email with the interview day itinerary.

Admissions Committee Decision

Overview

After each interview, the two assigned interviewers complete an electronic rating form; interviewers can view the evaluation of the other interviewer. Prior to each Admissions subcommittee meeting, the chair of the Admissions Committee sets the agenda. After discussion of a candidate’s application and their interview performance, the committee votes on whether to Accept, Deny, or Wait List an applicant. Votes are confidential and cast electronically. The outcome of votes can only be seen by the associate dean for admissions, the chair and the admissions staff members who are assisting with the voting process. As voted by the Admissions Committee, members may take notes during candidate deliberations, but those notes are to be destroyed at the conclusion of the meeting.

Because applicants are admitted on a rolling basis, the Admissions Office and the Admissions Committee will do everything within their power to ensure that desired candidates who interview late in the admissions cycle have the opportunity to attend the Netter SOM. 

Decision Procedures

  • No vote can be held unless a quorum is present. A quorum is defined as a 2/3 majority of the active voting membership of a subcommittee. The associate dean for admissions, the chair of the Admissions Committee, and the assistant dean for health careers pathways do not vote and do not count toward a quorum. Student votes can never represent the majority of the vote.
  • A simple majority of the total subcommittee voting membership is required for any final action on a candidate (“Accept,” “Deny,” “Wait List”). If consensus is not reached, the candidate’s application is brought back before the committee at a future meeting.
  • If the Admissions Committee votes to wait list an applicant, the committee then ranks the applicant by assigning a score of 1-10, with 1 being a low score. The dean or his/her designated staff member, throws out the low and high score, computes the average score and standard deviation. If Wait List applicants have the same average score, the lower standard deviation acts to break the tie. Wait List applicants are offered admission based on their ranking.  

Offer of Admission

Within a week of the Admissions Committee’s decision, applicants are sent an email with the committee’s decision on their candidacy. Accepted applicants intending to enroll must submit a deposit of $100 (refundable until April 30). Candidates are strongly encouraged to follow all current AAMC Traffic Rules related to medical school admissions. Accepted applicants are also sent information about financial aid, an invitation to Second Look Weekend, information about immunizations, housing information, and the Technical Standards document.

Matriculation will become official after the student has satisfied all admissions requirements, met the technical standards, and successfully passed the criminal background check.

Final Authority of Admissions Committee

The final authority for admissions decisions rests solely with the voting membership of the Admissions Committee. No individual or other constituted body can exert influence over an Admissions Committee decision or reverse an Admissions Committee decision