March 6, 2025
Written By
Figuring out which medical schools in New York to apply to can feel like academic roulette. You’ve got a spreadsheet of stats, a dozen browser tabs open, and advice flying in from every direction. But here’s the truth: applying to medical schools in New York is a waste of time if you don’t know what you’re doing.
In this article, we break down the top medical schools in New York, with insights into what makes each one tick—beyond just the MCAT averages. You’ll learn how they differ in mission, teaching style, financial aid, what they really want in an applicant, and more.
And if you're looking for more than just a guide—if you want a mentor who knows what it takes to get accepted and helps others do the same—Premed Catalyst can help. Our premed mentorship and application advising helped 100% of on-time applicants in the 2024–2025 cycle get accepted to med school.
Book a free strategy session today to work toward a New York med school acceptance.
If you’re applying to med school in New York, you’re not choosing between “good” and “bad.” This state doesn’t mess around. It has more med schools than any other in the country, and every one of them is its own beast.
Some offer free tuition. Some admit mostly in-state students. Some make you bleed for an acceptance. That’s why stats matter—but only when they’re paired with strong narratives.
Below is a snapshot of each New York med school’s basic data: degree type, average GPA and MCAT, tuition, class size, and acceptance rate. Use it as a gut check on what schools you should really be applying to.
Columbia VP&S is one of the most prestigious and competitive medical schools in the country, with an acceptance rate under 2% and an academic environment built for high performers who want to lead in medicine.
This is where world-class research, early clinical exposure, and flexible, student-driven training come together. From the Differentiation & Integration block to rotations at NewYork-Presbyterian and Harlem Hospital, Columbia offers the kind of breadth and depth that shapes future physician leaders.
Here’s what you’re up against:
There’s room to carve your own path here, whether that’s through the Columbia-Bassett rural health track, a research-intensive MD-PhD, or dual degrees like MD-MPH and MD-MBA. And while the sticker price clears six figures, Columbia’s loan-free financial aid and full-tuition scholarships for families under $125K mean it’s more accessible than it first appears.
Sound like a fit for you? Our guide covers how to get into Columbia Medical School.
Columbia isn’t just flexing rankings—it’s backed by substance. You’re learning from over 2,600 faculty, including Nobel Prize winners and research giants. The school pulls in more than $625 million in NIH funding, which means if you want to be on the front lines of medical discovery, you’re in the right place. Clinical exposure isn’t limited to theory, either. Students train across 1.8 million patient visits a year, from primary care to high-acuity cases, that’ll stretch your thinking and your skills.
And when it comes time to match? Columbia grads land some of the most competitive residencies in the country—think internal medicine, psych, ortho, and beyond. Whether you’re heading for research, rural health, leadership, or global medicine, Columbia’s flexible degree programs let you tailor the path to match your ambition.
Columbia doesn’t do one-size-fits-all. Whether you’re gunning for academic medicine, rural care, research, or leadership, there’s a track that lines up with your goals.
MD Pathways:
Dual Degree Options:
Weill Cornell is one of the most selective med schools in the country.
Tucked into Manhattan’s Upper East Side and partnered with NewYork-Presbyterian, Rockefeller University, and Memorial Sloan Kettering, it’s where Ivy League prestige meets high-powered clinical exposure. If you’re applying here, understand that the bar is high.
Key Stats:
Interested in applying? Learn just how to get into Weill Cornell Medical College.
If you want to train with world-class researchers, treat patients in world-class hospitals, and graduate with zero student debt—this is the place. Weill Cornell’s clinical network includes some of the most advanced institutions in the country, and their curriculum throws you into real-world medicine early. From day one, you're learning in labs, at the bedside, and alongside physicians who literally write the textbooks.
The school’s debt-free financial aid model has removed a major barrier for talented students from all backgrounds. And in a city where rent is more brutal than biochem, their subsidized housing makes a difference. But make no mistake—Weill Cornell expects initiative. You’ll need more than great stats. Leadership, research, curiosity, and a clear sense of why medicine are what make applicants stand out.
Weill Cornell doesn’t just offer a med school experience—it offers a launchpad for whatever kind of physician you want to become. Whether you're aiming for hospital leadership, public health, or bench-to-bedside research, there’s a pathway that fits.
MD Pathways:
Dual Degree Options:
Icahn is where research, equity, and innovation collide. Situated at the crossroads of the Upper East Side and East Harlem, it gives students front-row access to both elite institutions and underserved communities. It’s academically intense, clinically diverse, and mission-driven—perfect for applicants who care about more than just prestige.
Key Stats:
Is this the right NY medical school for you? Learn how to get into Ichan School of Medicine.
Icahn is built for students who want to lead change, not just match into residency. With over 4,500 faculty and more than 350 research labs, this is a place where academic rigor meets real-world impact. Students get hands-on clinical experience early—training across eight hospital campuses, including Mount Sinai Hospital, Mount Sinai West, and Elmhurst. That exposure isn’t just broad—it’s rooted in serving vulnerable populations.
If you’re drawn to social justice in medicine, this place walks the walk—like with EHHOP, a student-run clinic for uninsured East Harlem residents. And with 94% of students involved in research, the school makes good on its promise to develop physician-scientists and advocates, not just test-takers.
Financially, Icahn isn’t debt-free like Weill Cornell, but it’s doing something about it. Their Enhanced Scholarship Initiative caps debt at $75K for students who qualify, a move that puts their average student loan burden well below the national average.
Icahn keeps its offerings lean but meaningful, with pathways that reflect its research-first, equity-focused ethos. One standout is the FlexMed Program, which lets undergrads lock in a med school seat early—no MCAT, no traditional premed checklist required. That flexibility opens the door for more diverse, interdisciplinary applicants.
MD Pathways:
Albert Einstein is one of the most mission-driven, research-forward, and financially accessible medical schools in the country—and it just changed the game. With its new tuition-free model for all students (yes, really), Einstein is attracting a wave of high-achieving, purpose-driven applicants who care about medicine and the communities it serves. If you're looking for a program that values compassion and impact as much as stats, this one's for you.
Key Stats:
Feel called to this NY medical school? Learn how to get into Albert Einstein College of Medicine.
Einstein isn't chasing headlines—it’s rewriting what access to elite medical education can look like. Thanks to a $1 billion donation, the school became tuition-free for all students in 2024, instantly removing one of the biggest barriers to entry. But it’s not just about affordability. With 1,500+ faculty and millions in NIH research funding, Einstein has built an environment where intellectual rigor meets social responsibility.
Students train across the Einstein-Montefiore health system, gaining exposure to both complex specialty care and underserved communities in the Bronx. And the school doesn’t just talk about diversity—it recruits students who’ve lived it. If your story includes long-term service, public health work, or lived experience in marginalized communities, this is the kind of place that values that deeply.
Einstein offers a range of programs that reflect its focus on research, public health, and ethics. Whether you're pursuing academic medicine or building a career in policy, global health, or bioethics, there’s a track here to support it.
MD Pathways:
Dual Degree Options:
Let’s talk about what everyone wants to know: NYU Grossman is tuition-free. That’s not a typo. Every MD student gets a full-tuition scholarship, no strings attached. But the real flex? It’s not just affordable—it’s elite. This place pulls in some of the most competitive applicants in the country and trains them in the middle of Manhattan at NYU Langone, one of the top hospitals in the world.
You’re getting early clinical exposure, tight mentorship, high-stakes research, and a clear path to top-tier residencies—without selling your soul to debt. If you’ve got the stats and the story, Grossman is one of the best medical schools in New York.
Key Stats:
At NYU Grossman, the curriculum is tight, efficient, and starts you in the hospital fast. You’ll rotate through NYU Langone, Bellevue, and other elite sites. Clinical exposure begins in year one. Research isn’t just encouraged—it’s expected.
And the school’s reputation? Powerful enough to open doors across every specialty and coast. Grossman is where top applicants go to train hard, finish strong, and come out ready to lead in medicine—without a six-figure price tag hanging over their heads.
NYU Grossman offers a streamlined path, but it’s anything but one-size-fits-all. Whether you're headed into surgery, bioethics, or public policy, there’s a lane for you.
MD Pathways:
Dual Degrees:
NYU Grossman Long Island School of Medicine isn’t just another med school—it’s a mission-driven institution laser-focused on addressing the primary care physician shortage. Offering a three-year, tuition-free MD program, it’s designed for students committed to serving communities in need.
With a curriculum that integrates early clinical exposure and a direct pathway to residency at NYU Langone Hospital—Long Island, it’s a fast track for those ready to make an impact without the burden of medical school debt.
Key Stats:
This New York medical school’s accelerated program means you’ll be in the field faster, with a curriculum emphasizing primary care disciplines like internal medicine, pediatrics, obstetrics and gynecology, and general surgery. Students benefit from personalized mentorship, early patient interactions, and a culture that values collaboration over competition. It’s a rigorous path, but one that prepares you to lead in community health settings.
NYU Grossman Long Island keeps it focused: a three-year MD program tailored for those committed to primary care. While it doesn't offer dual-degree programs, the curriculum is rich with opportunities for clinical research and community engagement, ensuring graduates are well-equipped to tackle real-world healthcare challenges.
Rochester doesn’t do cookie-cutter. This is the school that pioneered the biopsychosocial model, which means they train you to see more than just symptoms. You’ll learn to treat the whole person, not just the disease. And from day one, you’re out of the lecture hall and into real patient care.
URSMD flies under the radar compared to NYC giants, but make no mistake—it’s a powerhouse for students who want early clinical exposure, serious research, and a curriculum that actually reflects how medicine works in the real world.
Key Stats:
Interested in applying here? Learn how to get into University of Rochester School of Medicine.
Rochester builds thinkers—not just test-takers. The Double Helix Curriculum weaves together basic science and clinical skills from year one, with the biopsychosocial model baked into every case, lecture, and patient interaction. You won’t just memorize pathology—you’ll learn to understand how a patient’s mental health, social support, and environment shape their care.
And with access to 350+ research labs, students can dive into public health, clinical trials, or wet lab work without begging for a PI’s attention. Add in a tight-knit class size, strong match outcomes, and a community-first ethos, and Rochester hits that rare sweet spot: academically rigorous and socially grounded.
Rochester gives you room to build the physician identity that fits your path with degree options that reflect medicine’s complexity.
MD Pathways:
Dual Degrees:
Stony Brook’s Renaissance School of Medicine (RSOM) offers a compelling blend of academic rigor, research opportunities, and clinical exposure—all at a more accessible price point than many private institutions. As part of the SUNY system, RSOM provides in-state tuition benefits, making it an attractive option for New York residents seeking a high-quality medical education without the hefty price tag.
The school's commitment to public service and community health is evident in its curriculum and clinical training programs, preparing students to serve diverse populations across Long Island and beyond
Key Stats:
Does this NY medical school sound like a fit? Learn how to get into Stony Brook Medical School.
RSOM's LEARN curriculum—an acronym for Learning, Experiential, Adaptive, Rigorous, and Novel—integrates basic sciences with clinical experiences from the outset. This approach ensures that students are not only grounded in medical knowledge but also adept at applying it in real-world settings. Clinical training is robust, with students rotating through Stony Brook University Hospital, Stony Brook Southampton Hospital, and Stony Brook Eastern Long Island Hospital, among others.
These diverse settings provide exposure to a wide range of patient populations and medical conditions. Furthermore, RSOM's affiliation with the Mount Sinai Health System enhances opportunities for research and specialized clinical experiences.
RSOM offers several pathways for students to tailor their medical education:
Situated in the heart of Brooklyn, SUNY Downstate College of Medicine offers a unique blend of rigorous medical education and a deep commitment to serving diverse urban communities. As the only academic medical center in Brooklyn, it provides students with unparalleled clinical experiences across a wide range of patient populations.
SUNY Downstate is built for New Yorkers—literally. With over 85% of students hailing from in-state, this public med school makes it clear who it’s designed to serve.
The institution emphasizes health equity, cultural competence, and community engagement, preparing future physicians to address the complex healthcare needs of underserved populations.
Key Stats:
This is the definition of real-world medicine. SUNY Downstate throws you into the deep end early with rotations at some of NYC’s busiest hospitals—Kings County, University Hospital, and more. You’ll learn to treat every kind of patient in every kind of situation.
The Integrated Pathways curriculum blends clinical training and basic science from day one and centers everything around social justice, public health, and equity. And with the Brooklyn Free Clinic, students run the show—seeing patients, writing notes, making calls, and learning how to care when resources are scarce. If you want high-volume clinical reps and a program that values grit over flash, Downstate is the real deal.
Downstate doesn’t just teach medicine—it offers programs built for future physicians who want to lead hospitals, shape public health policy, or drive research that actually changes lives.
MD Pathways:
SUNY Upstate is where you train to serve real communities with real needs. With over 80% of students coming from in-state, this program is built for future physicians who want to serve real communities—not just pad their resumes.
Located in Syracuse, it offers everything you'd expect from a solid state school: affordable tuition (especially for NY residents), a grounded curriculum, and tons of clinical reps. But it’s more than that.
This school is unapologetically focused on producing physicians who show up for rural and underserved populations—not just talk about it on their secondaries. You won’t be tucked away in a classroom for two years. From day one, you’re learning how to practice medicine where the stakes are high and resources are tight.
Key Stats:
SUNY Upstate is built for future doctors who want to do more than coast into a big-name hospital job. You’ll rotate through upstate hospitals that serve both urban and rural communities, and programs like the Rural Medical Scholars Program actually equip you to practice where physicians are in short supply.
The curriculum is hands-on, patient-first, and designed for people who want to work—not just study. If you're serious about becoming a physician who matters in the places that need you most, this is one of New York’s most practical, purpose-driven programs.
Upstate doesn’t waste your time with filler. It gives you legit paths to build a career that’s clinical, community-based, research-driven, or policy-oriented—your choice.
MD Pathways:
Jacobs doesn’t just favor in-state students—it builds its classes around them. With nearly 90% of seats going to New York residents, this is the definition of a home-state advantage. Add in low tuition, a new downtown campus, and one of the most grounded missions in the state, and you’ve got a school that doesn’t play prestige games—it just trains good doctors. Clinical exposure is early and heavy, with rotations at major hospitals like Buffalo General and Oishei Children’s. If you're cost-conscious, community-driven, and ready to put in the work without the ego, Jacobs delivers.
Key Stats:
Jacobs delivers a no-frills, high-impact medical education. The “Well Beyond” curriculum gets you into clinical settings early—at places like Buffalo General, Oishei Children’s, and Roswell Park. You’ll learn how to care for real patients, not just memorize for board exams.
The school’s focus on community medicine and research access means you’re not competing with a million other students for opportunities. You’ll get mentorship, clinical hours, and research time—without the elbow-throwing.
Bonus: Buffalo’s cost of living is low, so your student loan stress won’t hit DEFCON 1.
Jacobs gives you room to build the kind of doctor you want to be—whether that means bench science, public health, or running your own hospital someday.
MD Pathways:
Albany Medical College is one of the oldest private medical schools in the U.S., offering a rigorous education with a strong emphasis on clinical experience and community service. Situated in New York's capital, the college provides students with access to a diverse patient population and a variety of clinical settings. Its commitment to affordability and comprehensive training makes it an attractive option for aspiring physicians.
Key Stats:
Albany Medical College offers a curriculum that integrates early clinical exposure with a focus on serving diverse communities. Students benefit from training at Albany Medical Center, one of the busiest trauma centers in New York State, and other affiliated hospitals. The school's emphasis on community health and hands-on experience prepares graduates to address a wide range of healthcare challenges effectively.
Albany Medical College provides several pathways for students to tailor their medical education:
NYMC is where you go if you want a serious medical education without the NYC price tag. This New York medical school offers a rigorous curriculum, diverse clinical rotations, and a commitment to serving underserved communities. With a strong focus on public health and global medicine, NYMC prepares you to be a physician who makes a difference.
Key Stats:
NYMC leans hard into what matters: early clinical training, community impact, and real-world public health. You’ll rotate through hospitals like Westchester Medical Center and NYC Health + Hospitals/Metropolitan, getting exposed to both suburban and urban patient populations. There’s also a strong pipeline into global health—think exchange programs and humanitarian electives.
NYMC provides several pathways for students to tailor their medical education:
Zucker is where you go if you want to be in the thick of it from day one. Forget sitting in lecture halls for two years before seeing a patient. Here, you’re in scrubs and learning hands-on within weeks. Their curriculum is built around real clinical experiences, not just theory. And with Northwell Health as a partner, you’re plugged into one of the largest health systems in New York.
Key Stats:
In your first 100 days at Zucker, you’re in the hospital—not just shadowing, but learning clinical skills alongside EMTs. Their signature approach, PEARLS (Patient-Centered Explorations in Active Reasoning, Learning and Synthesis), ditches passive lectures for team-based, case-driven learning that forces you to think like a doctor.
You’re not grinding through flashcards alone. You’re solving real cases with your peers, guided by faculty who know how to train decision-makers. And since you’re part of the Northwell Health system from day one, you’re getting exposure to 20+ hospitals, including tertiary centers, safety-net clinics, and specialty hubs that serve everyone from Long Island suburbs to NYC’s underserved. This is a med school designed for the medicine you’ll actually practice.
Zucker offers several pathways to tailor your medical education:
CUNY Med is one of the few BS/MD programs in the country designed to get more underrepresented, mission-driven students into medicine and fast. You commit early, you skip the MCAT, and you train with purpose. The seven-year program combines undergrad and medical school into one continuous path, cutting down on debt and time and ramping up clinical exposure way earlier than most traditional tracks.
Key Stats:
CUNY Med was built to train primary care doctors who show up in places most physicians won’t. Students start clinical exposure early and learn in some of the most diverse neighborhoods in the country. You’ll be surrounded by peers who’ve walked similar roads and faculty who care more about what you stand for than where you went to high school. If your dream is to be the kind of doctor who serves, listens, and leads in underserved communities, this school gets you there—without fluff and without the MCAT.
CUNY Med offers one path, and it’s focused:
NYITCOM is one of the largest osteopathic med schools in the country, and every year, hundreds of students start their DO journey here. You won’t get a hand-holding experience, but you will get options: multiple rotation sites, flexible learning pathways, and a curriculum built to emphasize patient-centered care and modern tech.
It’s not perfect (rotations can be hit or miss), but if you're motivated and adaptable, NYITCOM gives you a shot at becoming a well-rounded physician with a solid clinical foundation.
Key Stats:
This is a school that leans into flexibility and scale. You’ll get early clinical exposure and a problem-based learning model that emphasizes independent thinking. NYITCOM’s use of simulation and telehealth technology is strong, and they prep you well for the future of medicine.
But make no mistake—this is a big operation. You’ll need to hustle to secure strong rotations, especially in NYC where competition is fierce. What makes NYITCOM stand out isn’t prestige—it’s opportunity. You get out what you put in, and if you’re ready to advocate for yourself, you can build a med school experience that works for your goals.
NYITCOM offers several tracks to help you shape your education beyond the DO:
TouroCOM doesn’t just talk about diversity and equity—it builds its curriculum around it. This DO school was created with a clear mission: train more doctors from underrepresented backgrounds and put them where they’re needed most. Whether you’re in Harlem or Middletown, the goal is the same—early exposure, clinical reps that matter, and a focus on underserved care.
Key Stats:
TouroCOM leans hard into its mission: get more underrepresented students into medicine and get more doctors into the communities that need them. Students start clinical exposure early and rotate through hospitals serving high-need populations.
In Harlem, you’ll work at a student-run free clinic serving uninsured patients. In Middletown, you’ll get experience in rural and suburban medicine. It’s also one of the few DO schools using a flipped-classroom model, which means lectures happen at home—class time is for working through real medical cases. You’ll be expected to think, speak up, and get hands-on. This isn’t passive learning—it’s prep for real medicine.
TouroCOM offers more than just a single-track DO experience—you’ve got options:
LECOM Elmira is a no-frills, mission-driven DO program that gets straight to the point: training physicians to serve underserved and rural communities. As the newest addition to the LECOM family, Elmira offers a focused, problem-based learning (PBL) curriculum designed for self-motivated students who thrive in collaborative, case-driven environments.
Key Stats:
LECOM Elmira is built for students who want to get their hands dirty early and often. The PBL curriculum means you're not sitting through endless lectures. Instead, you're diving into real-world cases from day one, developing critical thinking and clinical reasoning skills in small groups.
With a strong emphasis on serving rural and underserved populations, you'll gain experience in diverse clinical settings, preparing you to make a tangible impact where it's needed most. The program's affordability and focused mission make it an attractive option for those committed to primary care and community health.
LECOM Elmira offers a straightforward path:
4-Year DO Program: A problem-based learning curriculum with early clinical exposure designed to prepare students for primary care practice in underserved areas.
Not every dream med school sits on the California coast. Maybe your family’s back east. Maybe your MCAT fits better elsewhere. Whatever the reason, we’ve got your back.
Below, you’ll find insider guides to medical schools in other states:
With 18 schools and wildly different missions, curricula, and class profiles, the best strategy for applying to New York med schools is simple: don’t waste time applying somewhere that was never going to say yes in the first place.
You’re not just looking for schools that sound impressive—you’re looking for schools where your stats, story, and mission actually fit. Columbia wants research killers. CUNY wants future primary care doctors from underserved backgrounds. NYU wants focus. You need to know what they’re looking for—not just what you’re hoping to get.
Start with MCAT and GPA medians, but go deeper. Look at interview rates for in-state vs. out-of-state. What’s the class size? What percentage of students are reapplicants? What programs prioritize diversity? That’s the kind of context that separates a smart application from a wasted one.
For example:
You’re out-of-state and applying to SUNY Downstate? Your chances are automatically slimmer. Got a 509 MCAT and applying to Cornell? Not unless you’ve got something very rare elsewhere.
Be real with yourself, and then be strategic.
Secondary essays are the hidden beast of the med school cycle. Some NY schools ask for two essays. Others hit you with seven plus “if applicable” prompts. Multiply that by ten or more schools and you’re looking at dozens of essays—all on tight deadlines when your summer is already full.
Build a system before you need it. Know which schools require what. Schedule your writing. Create reusable content where it makes sense. And for the love of your future sanity—don’t write secondaries the day before they’re due.
Every school talks about mission. But here’s the truth: they actually care about it. You need to show them—not tell them—that you fit.
If a school emphasizes:
Your “Why Us” essays should sound like you already belong, not like you skimmed their website.
You don’t need more “general advice.” You need someone who’s been through this gauntlet and made it out clean. At Premed Catalyst, our mentors are real med students who’ve been accepted to top schools and now coach others through the same process.
We help you:
If you want med schools in New York, or anywhere, to take you seriously, you’ve got to play the application timeline like your future depends on it. Because it does.
Every year, thousands of applicants miss their shot because they submit late, scramble on secondaries, or ghost their letters of rec. Don’t be that applicant.
January–March: Lay the Groundwork
April–May: Application Season Begins
June: Submit Early or Get Buried
July–August: Secondary Season = Survival Mode
September–March: Interview & Decision Season
Even smart, motivated premeds make avoidable mistakes—and in a cycle this competitive, one misstep can cost you interviews. Here’s what we see trip up applicants the most, and exactly how to avoid them.
You applied to 10 top-20 schools with a 509 MCAT and no research. Why? You “dreamed” of Columbia but never bothered to see if your background aligned with their mission. Applying to schools because they’re famous isn’t strategic—it’s self-sabotage.
How to fix it: Build a list based on your actual profile—stats, mission fit, and state residency.
You worked on your personal statement for months but hit submit in August. Congrats—you just joined the late pile. Med schools review on a rolling basis. The later you apply, the fewer interview spots remain.
How to fix it: Aim to submit your primary by mid-June. Secondaries within 7–10 days of receiving them. No excuses.
Your personal statement sounds like ChatGPT wrote it on a Sunday night. It's technically correct and completely forgettable. You listed accomplishments, but there’s no heart. No story. No “why.”
How to fix it: Your app should sound like a human who actually cares. Talk like you’re speaking to one person. Be vulnerable.
Clinical hours. Shadowing. Soup kitchen. Fundraising. Peer tutoring. EMT. Peer mentor.
You’ve done it all—but none of it connects. There’s no theme, no depth, no arc.
How to fix it: Pick 2–3 pillars you care about. Go deep. Build impact. Your activities should tell a coherent story, not a randomized checklist.
Ctrl+C, Ctrl+V.
You reused your “Why Us” essay for five schools and wonder why they ghosted you. You didn’t even mention their curriculum or mission. Just a vague compliment and your own resume.
How to fix it: Write secondaries like you’re already a student there. Be specific. Name programs, professors, clinical sites, and tie them back to your goals.
You asked your orgo professor for a letter two weeks before the deadline. She barely knows your name. Your PI said, “sure,” then forgot. You’re stuck waiting and panicking.
How to fix it: Ask early. Ask intentionally. Give letter writers a deadline, a brag sheet, and a reason to vouch for you.
You thought you could wing the whole thing. But med school apps are more than just writing—they’re strategy, positioning, timing, and knowing what not to include. You got overwhelmed and submitted something “good enough.”
How to fix it: Get real guidance. Premed Catalyst mentors have been through this, and we don’t just review your app, we help you build it from the ground up. From timeline to essays to school list, we’re here to help you avoid the mistakes that tank most applicants.
New York is stacked with top-tier med schools—Columbia, Weill Cornell, Icahn at Mount Sinai, Albert Einstein—but “top” doesn’t mean the same thing for everyone. Some schools lead in research, others in community medicine. Some push academic publishing; others build outreach into the curriculum. The real question isn’t which school is highest ranked—it’s which one fits you.
A few non-negotiables:
Yes—New York is one of the most IMG-welcoming states in the country. In 2022, 793 international medical grads matched into NY residencies—nearly half of the total slots. The state doesn’t cap USMLE attempts or impose strange time limits, but if you did clerkships outside your home country, make sure your school is NYSED-approved. With tons of hospitals, residency programs, and patient diversity, New York is a solid landing zone for IMG applicants.
In NYC, community service and outreach are critical. You’ll be training in one of the most socially complex places in America. Schools expect you to engage with that—not avoid it.
Top programs don’t just talk about outreach; they build it into the curriculum:
If you’re not passionate about service, these schools will see right through you. But if you are? This is your stage.
If you’re juggling stats, mission statements, tuition numbers, and still wondering how to get into medical schools in New York, you need more than a guide. You need real mentorship.
At Premed Catalyst, we don’t let you guess. We help you build a list that fits you—your story, your strengths, your future. Our premed mentorship and application advising help you craft a narrative that hits hard with admissions committees, including for medical schools in New York. You’ll be guided by medical students who’ve already gotten in and are now helping others do the same.
The results speak for themselves: 100% of our on-time applicants from the 2024–2025 cycle got accepted.
Book a free strategy session, and let’s make you competitive for New York med schools.