Getting Started

The Admissions Committee of the faculty gives serious consideration to all candidates showing the potential to meet the rigorous academic requirements of a highly structured curriculum.

Admissions Criteria

To be considered for admission to Ross University, our Admissions Committee will look at a variety of factors in determining suitability for our program including:

  • Cumulative GPA
  • GPA in pre-med course work
  • Competitiveness of the undergraduate school and curriculum
  • Performance in advanced Biology and Chemistry courses
  • MCAT exam
  • Graduate work and records
  • Letters of recommendation (at least 1 academic)
  • Personal essay
  • Work history, and professional or volunteer experiences
  • Personal interview

The Personal Interview

Ross University strongly believes in the value of a personal interview with prospective students. Applicants whose credentials are judged to be indicative of the potential for successful completion of the prescribed medical school curriculum will be invited for an interview, generally within two to four weeks after initial application materials have been received. The interview helps assess your overall personal and academic background, maturity, adaptability, character, aptitude, and most importantly, your motivation to become a doctor. However, applicants are advised that being granted an interview is no guarantee of acceptance though the interview itself does play a significant part in the decision by the Admissions Committee.

MCAT

In most cases Ross University requires scores for the Medical College Admission Test to be submitted by the applicant prior to the interview. There are some situations where the MCAT may be waived: specifically, if the candidate for admission has earned a doctorate in a scientific field and/or a professional doctoral degree in another health-related field, or if the candidate for admission is a non-U.S. resident and has completed preparatory coursework outside of the United states in a country where the MCAT is not administered. Applicats who have taken the MCAT more than once must submit all test results prior to enrollment. Ross University’s MCAT institutional code number is 906. To learn more about the MCAT, go to their web site at http://www.aamc.org/students/mcat/

Inquiries concerning application, test dates, and locations for the MCAT should be directed to:

Medical College Admission Test Registration

The American College Testing Program
P.O. Box 4056
Iowa City, Iowa 52243
319-337-1357

Pre-requisites

Ross University requires at least 90 credits of college work, but strongly recommends that the applicant complete four years in a liberal arts college before entering medical school. The coursework should include the following prerequisite courses:

Inorganic or General Chemistry (with labs)

One year (8 hours)

Organic Chemistry (with labs)

One year (8 hours)

General Biology or Zoology (with labs)

One year (8 hours)

Physics (with labs)

One year (8 hours)

Mathematics (College-level)

One semester (3 hours) (preferably to include Calculus or Statistics)

English

One year (6 hours)

It is also strongly advised that courses providing a broad background in the humanities be part of the pre-medical preparation.

Policy on Non-discrimination

The University does not discriminate on the basis of race, color, national origin, gender, religion, disability, or age in admission to, access to, treatment in, or employment in its programs and activities. It is the policy and practice of the University to comply with the Americans with Disabilities Act as applicable and practical in Dominica. No qualified individual with a disability will be denied access to or participation in services, programs, or activities of Ross University.

Notification

Persons whose applications are incomplete, or whose qualifications are not acceptable, will be so notified. The Admissions Committee's decision is communicated by letter to the applicant as soon as possible.

Click here for application checklist.

International Students

Applicants who have completed their undergraduate studies in countries having an educational system different from that of the United States will be evaluated on their merits but will be expected to have completed a pre-medical curriculum including the pre-requisites comparable to that described above. All required documents, if originally in a foreign language, must be accompanied by a notarized English translation. All transcripts documenting post-secondary course work completed in institutions outside the United States must also be evaluated by an approved international credential evaluation service.

If you've earned less than sixty (60) upper-division credits from an English language college or university, you'll need to provide us with your official record of scores for the Test of English as a Foreign Language (TOEFL).

Transfer Applicants

Students enrolled, or previously enrolled, in a limited number of medical schools may apply for admission with advanced standing. Such applicants must arrange with the medical school they are currently attending for an official transcript of their academic record to be sent to Ross University. Students who have taken the USMLE Step 1 or Step 2, successfully or not, must also provide copies of their test results.

Additionally, transfer students must meet all the requirements for admission to Ross University; namely they should have earned a bachelor's degree or equivalent from an American, Canadian, or other international recognized college or university. Occasionally applicants qualify for admission upon completion of 90 credits (i.e., three fulltime years) of post-secondary studies.

Prerequisites for Transfer Applicants

The pre-medical studies of transfer students must include the following prerequisite courses: one year of inorganic or general chemistry with labs, one year of organic chemistry with labs, one year of general biology or zoology with labs, one year of physics with labs, college-level mathematics (preferably to include calculus or statistics), and one year of English.

MCATS for Transfer Students

Students interested in transferring into the Basic Sciences curriculum (semesters 1-4), are required to provide MCAT scores as a prerequisite for admission to Ross University. Transfer applicants interested in placement into the Clinical Sciences curriculum, are not required to provide MCAT scores.

Transfer candidates who have completed part or all of the basic sciences will be placed in the appropriate semester of the Ross University curriculum. Those who have successfully completed all of the basic sciences may be eligible for admission directly to the AICM (Advanced Introduction to Clinical Medicine).

For candidates who have not successfully completed the basic sciences, the level of placement in the curriculum will be determined by the Admissions Committee in consultation with the Promotions Committee.

For candidates who have successfully completed the basic sciences and are eligible to sit for the USMLE Step 1 (or have already completed Step 1), the level of placement in the curriculum will be by the Dean of Clinical Sciences. Typically, transfer candidates in this category will be admitted to the AICM.