Mercer University School of Medicine Acceptance Rate 2025

Let’s get right to the point: the Mercer University School of Medicine acceptance rate is low. It’s competitive to say the least. High GPA and MCAT expectations, demanding admissions requirements, and a pool of mission-driven applicants mean there’s no room for a weak link in your application. So, how do you stand out? How do you beat the odds?

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In this guide, we’ll cover everything you need to know about getting into Mercer University School of Medicine in 2025. You’ll learn how selective the process is, the academic benchmarks successful applicants meet, what sets Mercer apart, and the strategies that can give you an edge.

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If you want to see exactly what a successful medical school application looks like, we created a free resource that gives you access to 8 full AMCAS applications that earned real acceptances to top programs like UCLA and UCSF. You’ll see personal statements, activity descriptions, and more, so you know how to build an application that makes AdComs take notice.

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How Hard Is It to Get Into Mercer University School of Medicine?

For the 2025 entering class, Mercer University School of Medicine (MUSM) received roughly 1,211 applications. Of those, only 174 students matriculated.

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That puts the Mercer University School of Medicine acceptance rate at about 14.4%.

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But before you get too excited, here’s the catch: Mercer only accepts Georgia residents. If you’re out of state, your odds are literally zero.

Average GPA & MCAT Scores

Mercer’s accepted students aren’t hitting Ivy League numbers, but they’re still academically strong. The average overall GPA is 3.72, with a science GPA around 3.62. The average MCAT score? 503.

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For comparison, national averages for matriculants hover around a 3.84 GPA and a 513 MCAT. So Mercer’s numbers are lower, but they still have cutoffs. You’ll need at least the 24th percentile on the MCAT and a combination of GPA and MCAT that passes their internal screening formula.

Mercer University School of Medicine Admissions Requirements

To be considered for admission, you must meet the following:

• Georgia residency — non-residents are not eligible.
• Bachelor’s degree from an accredited institution by the time you matriculate.
• Required coursework (with labs unless noted):
  
  • General Biology: 1 year
  • General/Inorganic Chemistry: 1 year
  • Organic Chemistry: 1 year (a semester of Biochemistry may replace the second semester)
  • Physics: 1 year
• MCAT: Taken on or after April 1, 2022, with at least the 24th percentile.
• AAMC PREview: Required situational judgment test assessing professional competencies.

Mercer University School of Medicine Tuition & Financial Aid

For the 2024–2025 academic year, tuition for Mercer’s Doctor of Medicine (MD) program is $45,763. That’s about 32% lower than the national medical school average and 14% lower than the average for private Georgia medical schools.

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When you factor in living costs, books, and other necessities, the estimated annual Cost of Attendance (COA) comes in at about $73,343. 

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To help manage costs, Mercer’s Financial Planning office guides students through federal, institutional, and outside funding opportunities. The first step is completing the FAFSA to unlock federal loan eligibility. Mercer also offers scholarships based on academic merit, financial need, and Georgia residency, plus access to outside awards through tools like ScholarshipUniverse. 

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The size and availability of these awards vary, so early applications and proactive searching can make a big difference.

What Sets Mercer University School of Medicine Apart

Let’s be real: every med school has its strengths, but Mercer’s not trying to compete on prestige alone. Its superpower? Delivering boots-on-the-ground impact in rural Georgia with a genuine, mission-driven approach. Here’s why Mercer stands out:

Mission-Driven Focus on Rural & Underserved Georgia

Mercer’s core mission is crystal clear: educate physicians to meet the primary care needs of rural and medically underserved areas of Georgia. This isn’t lip service. Over 60% of graduates practice in Georgia, and of those, more than 80% serve in rural or underserved communities.

Integrated Multi-Campus System

Mercer isn’t rooted in one city. It has locations throughout Georgia. You’ve got full MD programs in Macon, Savannah, and Columbus, with Valdosta offering third- and fourth-year rotations. These regional sites are more than convenient. They’re immersive: you train within the communities you’ll serve.

Patient-Based Learning (PBL) Curriculum

Forget endless lectures. Mercer’s Problem-Based Learning (PBL) model encourages small‑group discussions and real‑world problem solving from day one. It’s team‑based, self‑driven learning to mirror how doctors actually collaborate in clinical practice, and build analytical muscles for boards like the USMLE.

Strong Affiliated Teaching Hospitals

Mercer students train at some of Georgia’s most vital centers. Atrium Health Navicent (Macon) and Memorial Health University Medical Center (Savannah) are both Level I trauma centers. These affiliations offer real hands-on experience early on and deep, meaningful exposure to complex and rural medicine.

Broad Academic Offerings & Health Sciences Integration

Mercer doesn’t stop at the MD. You’ll find graduate degrees in Preclinical Sciences, Family Therapy, Biomedical Sciences, and Rural Health Sciences. Plus, the School of Medicine is part of the Health Sciences Center, spanning Macon, Atlanta, Savannah, and Columbus, creating an interdisciplinary hub for healthcare education.

How to Get Into Mercer University School of Medicine

Getting into medical school starts with knowing what each school values. For Mercer, that’s future physicians who are academically strong, deeply committed to service, and dedicated to improving healthcare in Georgia. Your GPA and MCAT open the door, but it’s your story, your experiences, and your vision for your career that keep you in the running. Every part of your application should build that narrative.

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Here’s exactly how to do that.

Apply as Early in the Cycle as Possible

Mercer University School of Medicine accepts applications via AMCAS (American Medical College Application Service), using school code GA‑832, and conducts rolling admissions. That means review, interviews, and offers are issued on an ongoing basis. So, if you apply late, you’re fighting for what’s left.

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Below is the application timeline you should follow to stay in the running:

Craft a Personal Statement That Stands Out

Your personal statement for Mercer University School of Medicine is your narrative. It weaves your experiences together to tell one cohesive story about who you are, what you care about, and the doctor you’re becoming.

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Mercer looks for applicants committed to serving Georgia’s underserved communities, so your experiences need to act as your proof of that. If you say you care about rural healthcare access, then you should show experiences in rural clinics, mobile health units, or community outreach programs that directly address those needs. 

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Don’t just declare your values. Illustrate them with actions you’ve already taken and the lessons you’ve learned.

Demonstrate Your Fit for FAU’s Mission

Secondary essays give this AdCom insight into your values, resilience, understanding of rural and underserved medicine, and fit with Mercer’s mission. Below are the prompts from the most recent 2025–2026 cycle, followed by advice for how to approach each one.

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1. Please address any institutional action, including honor code or conduct code violations, from your time as an undergraduate and graduate student. Applicants may answer “None” if the action was deleted, expunged, or otherwise removed from their record. (230 words)
   If you have no incidents, write “None” and move on. Filler will only weaken your application. If you do have a record, own it completely without defensiveness. Briefly describe the situation, sticking to facts, and avoid overexplaining or shifting blame. The bulk of your answer should focus on what you learned and how you’ve demonstrated integrity since then. Think concrete changes in behavior, leadership roles, or mentorship opportunities where you modeled better decision-making.
   
   
2. If you wish to discuss your perceptions of your academic readiness for the rigors of a medical school curriculum or explain poor grades in college coursework or MCAT scores to the Admissions Committee, please do so below. (230 words)
   This is your chance to reframe weaknesses as evidence of resilience. Acknowledge the challenge without sugarcoating, then pivot quickly to the steps you took to improve, like specific study strategies, time management adjustments, tutoring, or structured review plans. Highlight any upward GPA trend, strong recent coursework, or MCAT improvement as proof that you can now handle medical school demands. End with a confident statement showing you’re not just ready but hungry for the challenge.
   
   
3. Describe your personal experience with rural medicine. (230 words)
   Go beyond just stating you’ve “worked in a rural clinic.” Paint a vivid picture of what you saw, who you served, and what unique challenges rural patients face. Share a specific story that illustrates a need you witnessed firsthand, whether it’s transportation barriers, limited specialists, or the importance of community trust. Then connect the dots: explain how this experience deepened your understanding of rural health disparities and solidified your commitment to practicing in similar communities.
   
   
4. The mission of Mercer University School of Medicine (MUSM) is to educate physicians and health professionals to meet the health care needs of medically underserved and rural areas of Georgia. Summarize your work and learning experiences that you believe reflect congruence with this mission. Based on your understanding of our mission, where and what do you envision yourself doing after completion of medical school and residency? (230 words)
   This is where you prove you’re not just “okay” with Mercer’s mission. You embody it. Start by highlighting specific experiences that show you’ve already invested in underserved or rural care. Be concrete: name organizations, describe roles, and share measurable impact. Then lay out a clear, believable vision for your future. Include location (rural Georgia), specialty (often primary care or family medicine), and the population you aim to serve. Show that your goals are both personally meaningful and directly aligned with Mercer’s values.
   
   
5. Please briefly explain to the Admissions Committee experiences, attributes, or qualifications you believe are unique to you that will strengthen the educational environment at MUSM. (230 words)
   Don’t rattle off a laundry list. Pick one or two defining qualities and unpack them. Maybe you bring cultural fluency from growing up in a bilingual household, or resilience from being the first in your family to graduate college. Show, don’t just tell, by giving quick examples of when you’ve leveraged these strengths in team settings. Then connect them to how you’d contribute to peer learning and campus culture at Mercer. Think mentorship, group projects, or community outreach.
   
   
6. Please explain factors that you could not highlight above that would help the Admissions Committee better understand your unique circumstances. If you’d like to highlight updates since submitting your primary AMCAS (e.g., volunteer experiences), summarize them here. (230 words)
   Treat this as a “bonus round” for context or updates that genuinely add value. If sharing life circumstances, focus on how they’ve shaped your perspective and perseverance. If providing updates, be specific about dates, roles, and impact, especially if they reinforce your fit with Mercer’s mission. Keep it concise and relevant, avoiding generic “I worked hard” statements.
   
   
7. Describe your body of work in service to the underserved and reflect on its importance in preparing you for the practice of medicine. (230 words)
   Think breadth and depth. Show a consistent pattern of serving marginalized communities, not just one-off experiences. Give a mix of clinical and non-clinical examples, emphasizing what you learned about patient needs, systemic barriers, and the power of continuity in care. Reflect on how these experiences taught you empathy, adaptability, and problem-solving—skills you’ll carry into your medical career. End with a statement that ties your service directly to your readiness to serve rural Georgia.

Get Recommendations That Highlight Your Readiness

Mercer requires either a committee letter or three individual letters. They’ll accept up to seven, but quality will always beat quantity. At least one letter of recommendation should come from a science faculty member who has taught you. Mercer also strongly recommends including a letter from a physician or healthcare professional you’ve worked with or shadowed.

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All letters are submitted through AMCAS, and they need to be in before your interview can even be considered.

Leave a Lasting Impression in the Interview

Mercer University School of Medicine conducts its interview in a traditional format, not an MMI. Interviews last about 30–45 minutes and are held virtually via Zoom.

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Two interviewers sit together in a breakout room to evaluate each applicant. One is likely a member of the Admissions Committee, and the other is a basic science or clinical faculty member or a senior medical student.

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The interview is an open‑file review, which means both interviewers have full access to the primary application, secondary materials, and letters of evaluation.

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Following that formal interview, each applicant spends roughly an hour with Mercer Ambassadors—current second‑year medical students—during a lunch interaction. Although Ambassadors do not have access to application files, they submit written feedback about their impressions, and the AdCom considers that input during the final evaluation.

Is Mercer University School of Medicine the Right Fit for You?

Every med school has a different mission, and the best fit depends on whether your goals line up with theirs. So, let’s look at whether you could be a good fit at Mercer.

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Mercer University School of Medicine is a good fit if…

• You want to practice medicine in Georgia, especially in rural or underserved communities.
• You’re committed to primary care or other patient-centered specialties.
• You value small class sizes and close faculty mentorship.
• You want early and consistent clinical exposure throughout your training.
• You appreciate a mission-driven curriculum designed to address healthcare shortages.
  
  

Mercer University School of Medicine may not be a good fit if…

• You’re aiming for a career primarily in academic research or bench science.
• You want to specialize in highly competitive, ultra-subspecialized fields without a focus on primary care.
• You’re not interested in committing to practice in Georgia after graduation.
• You prefer a large urban campus with a big medical center feel.

Other Medical Schools in Georgia

If you're applying to Mercer University School of Medicine, chances are mission fit is a big deal to you. But there are several medical schools in Georgia, and each one offers something different. Some are more research-oriented, others prioritize primary care or public health. 

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Exploring all your in-state choices doesn’t mean you’re not committed. It means you’re being strategic. 

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Emory University

See Real AMCAS That Earned Real Med School Acceptances

Mercer’s mission-driven admissions process means you’re competing with applicants who aren’t just academically strong. They’ve built experiences that align perfectly with the school’s values. The reality? Even one weak spot in your application can be the difference between “Congratulations” and “We regret to inform you.”

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The fastest way to understand what works is to see it in action. That’s why we put together a free collection of 8 complete AMCAS applications from students who earned acceptances to some of the most selective medical schools in the country, including UCLA and UCSF. You’ll get an unfiltered look at personal statements, activity descriptions, and more, so you can model your app after what works.

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Get your free resource here.