Become a Spartan M.D.

• Medical Doctor (MD)
• MD/PhD
• MD/MBA
• Master of Public Health

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Certificate Programs

Through unique certificate programs, medical students can enhance their learning experience and develop practical skills leading into residency.

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Scholarship Opportunities

The college has different scholarship opportunites, two of which immerse students in leadership development, mentorship, and activities outside of the core curriculum.

• Bhanusali Innovation Scholars Program

  The Bhanusali Innovation Scholars Program was established by Dr. Dhaval Bhanusali, a board-certified dermatologist, researcher, and digital health entrepreneur based in New York City. A proud Spartan, Dr. Bhanusali has built a career at the intersection of medicine, innovation, and impact—launching ventures like Skin Medicinals, Aire Health, and ELM Biosciences while teaching at Mount Sinai Hospital. The scholarship and program opportunity is for students who share his entrepreneurial spirit and mindset. In partnership with the MSU Burgess Institute for Entrepreneurship & Innovation, this opportunity surrounds select MSU College of Human students with a world-class medical education and entrepreneurial ecosystem to help them transform their healthcare ideas into ventures that change lives.

  The Bhanusali Innovation Scholars Program includes:

  • structured programming
  • one-on-one venture coaching
  • startup funding pathways
  • mentorship from Dr. Bhanusali and other entrepreneurial leaders
  • full tuition scholarship
  • additional funds to be used towards ventures

  Interested applicants apply for the Bhanusali Innovation Scholars Program when submitting the MSU College of Human Medicine secondary application by completing a series of essays. Essay responses will be reviewed by CHM and Burgess Institute faculty and staff and select candidates will be invited to interviews. Interviews occur in December and January.

  • About the Donor

    Dhaval Bhanusali, MD, is a 2005 alum of the Michigan State University College of Natural Science and Honors College. After being admitted to medical school at 17 years old, he graduated from the College of Human Medicine in 2010. Dr. Bhanusali completed his residency at Mount Sinai, where he now serves on the faculty. He received the MSU Young Alumni Award in 2019. Dr. Bhanusali has been named one of Allure’s A-List for people changing the beauty world, a New York Times Superdoctor, the American Academy of Dermatology - Patient Care Hero of the Year, and a Crain’s NY Top 25 Healthcare innovator. 

    In the News: Spartan MD Invests in the Next Generation of Physician-Innovators with Landmark Scholarship Gift (November 11, 2025)

• Dean’s Scholars Program

  

  The Dean’s Scholars Program at MSU College of Human Medicine aims to recognize and support outstanding medical students dedicated to advancing health equity. As a community-based medical school, our students are uniquely positioned to engage with the multitude of patient populations in Michigan and learn to deliver care that will improve the health of all. We envision our scholars as future healthcare leaders who excel in patient care, research, and community service. By fostering leadership, a commitment to health justice, and a passion for public service, we aim to shape exemplary physicians who will transform healthcare and improve access for all. 

  The Dean’s Scholars Program is a 4-year program that includes curriculum enhancement opportunities for leadership development, specialized mentorship, scholarly research, and community engagement. Dean’s Scholars Program students also receive a full tuition scholarship at Michigan residency rates for a total of eleven (11) semesters of medical school. 

  Candidates for the Dean’s Scholars Program are selected during the admissions process and are invited to interview for the program. Three Dean’s Scholars are identified each year. Qualified candidates are those who have engaged in coursework and activities that demonstrate a commitment to addressing healthcare disparities and improving health outcomes; have leadership experience and demonstrate potential to grow as a leader; have exposure and experience working with different people, whether through their life experience or chosen activities; and have demonstrated strong academic performance in the classroom and on the MCAT.

  Meet our Dean's Scholars

  Dean's Scholars Alumni

• All Scholarship Opportunities

  Scholarship support through the Office of Admissions is made possible by both institutional commitment and the extraordinary generosity of our donors. These contributions directly impact our students—reducing financial barriers and empowering them to pursue careers in medicine. We are deeply appreciative of our donors, whose partnership helps advance our mission and invest in the next generation of physicians.

  Alice Dunne Chambliss Endowed Scholarship
  Alida Sherwood Larsen Endowed Memorial Scholarship
  Alonso S. Collar Memorial Scholarship
  Anne Murphy Janca Endowed Scholarship
  Chan Family Medical Education Endowed Scholarship
  Charles and Lois Thompson and Alexander and Irene Weiss Endowed Scholarship
  College of Human Medicine Dean’s Endowed Scholarship
  College of Human Medicine Endowed Competitive Medical Scholarship
  Daniel and Debra Edson Endowed Scholarship
  Dr. Alan Neiberg Scholarship in Human Medicine
  Dr. Alan Neiberg and Judith A. Neiberg Trust Endowed Scholarship in Human Medicine
  Dr. Barbara Fogle Mercer Endowed Scholarship for Medical Education
  Dr. David A. and Marilyn D. Milko Endowed Medical Education Scholarship
  Dr. Harry D. Brickley Endowed Scholarship in Human Medicine
  Dr. Jack Jones Spartan Cornerstone Scholarship
  Dr. Khan Nedd and Liza Nedd Family Endowed Scholarship
  Dr. Phillip and Janis Van Antwerp Potter Endowed Scholarship
  Ida and Theodore Goode Endowed Competitive Scholarship
  Kathryn and Steven Bandstra Scholarship for Rural Community Health
  Khaghany Family Endowed Scholarship
  Kotaiah and Ruckminamma Kareti Endowed Scholarship
  Madala Family Scholarship
  Maples/Kampfschulte Family Spartan Cornerstone Scholarship
  Mashkiki Endowed Scholarship in Human Medicine
  Meaningful Journeys Scholarship
  Michael Bowman, M.D. Endowed Scholarship in Human Medicine
  Michigan Great Lakes Opportunity Endowed Scholarship
  Ned Fawaz Arab-American Community Health Endowed Scholarship in Human Medicine
  Norman and Kristina Beachamp Merit Scholarship
  Saginaw Medical Excellence Scholarship
  Sinai Medical Staff Foundation Endowed Scholarship
  Spartan Cornerstone Challenge Endowed Scholarship in Human Medicine
  Steensma Family Endowed Scholarship
  The Green Endowed Medical Scholarship
  William H. and Helen Elias Morgan Scholarship
  Williams Human Medicine Scholarship
  Yamamoto Family Endowed Scholarship for Medical Students

  In addition to these scholarships awarded to entering students, the College offers many additional donor-funded scholarships to support students as they progress through the medical education program. These scholarships are awarded annually through an application process administered by the Office of Student Affairs & Services.

• Mission Excellence Scholarships

  The Mission Excellence Scholarship is awarded to select entering students who demonstrate strong potential to advance the College’s mission. Recipients are selected through holistic review of their application materials—no separate application is required—based on academic achievement, financial need, and meaningful engagement in activities that reflect a commitment to addressing health disparities and/or serving in physician shortage areas. Each award provides $20,000 for the M1 year and is renewable for a second year, for a total potential award of $40,000, contingent upon good academic standing.

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Other Admission Pathways

With a mission to serve all people, we have developed opportunities for those with nontraditional backgrounds to pursue medicine.

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MD ADMISSION REQUIREMENTS

MSU College of Human Medicine uses a mission-aligned selection process to identify candidates for our MD program. We admit individuals who demonstrate academic excellence; commitment to service and community; personal characteristics and competencies consistent with the profession of medicine; and potential to advance the mission of our college.

• General

  Each MSU College of Human Medicine applicant must:

  • Be a United States or Canadian citizen; or have a Permanent Resident or Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals (DACA) status within the United States
  • Have completed at least 90 hours of college course work at an accredited U.S. or Canadian institution; a bachelor’s degree must be conferred prior to matriculation
  • Have completed all prerequisite coursework
  • Have taken the Medical College Admissions Test (MCAT)
  • Have a valid U.S. or Canadian driver’s license and reliable vehicle (upon matriculation)
• Technical Standards

  Candidates for an MD Degree must possess certain abilities and skills. MSU College of Human Medicine has established a set of technical standards necessary for medical students to achieve the knowledge, skills, and levels of competency for medical education and graduation. Students must attest to meeting the technical standards at the time of interview, matriculation, and on an annual basis thereafter.

  Reasonable technical accommodation(s) can be made in some circumstances; however, the student must be able to perform in a reasonably independent manner with accommodation(s). If you believe you may need accommodation(s), please contact the MSU Resource Center for Persons with Disabilities

  Read MSU CHM’s Technical Standards
• Prerequisite Coursework

  All prerequisite coursework must be completed at an accredited college or university in the United States or Canada. Applicants who complete prerequisite courses at community colleges are encouraged to demonstrate competency by completing higher level courses in related subjects at an accredited U.S. or Canadian four-year institution.

  A grade of C+ (2.3 on a 4-point scale) or higher must be achieved in all prerequisite courses to meet minimum academic standards.

  The following courses are required for admission:

  • biochemistry
  • biology (upper level, e., 300 level or higher)
  • physics (two semesters)

   The following courses/subjects are strongly recommended:

  Behavioral Sciences	Humanities	Life & Physical Sciences	Mathematics
  anthropology sychology ociology	ethics (bioethics) history languages philosophy	anatomy bioinformatics genetics immunology microbiology neuroscience physiology	algebra data analysis and processing statistics

• Letters of Evaluation

  Applicants are required to submit a minimum of three letters of evaluation (maximum of four). Letters of evaluation should be written by individuals who know you well and can objectively assess your academic readiness for medical school, personal characteristics, and/or ability to engage with others in academic, clinical, or community-based settings. MSU College of Human Medicine requires one letter to be written by a science course instructor. While not required, applicants are encouraged to obtain a letter from a supervisor in a clinical setting. Letters from family members and/or friends are discouraged.

  All letters should be written on letterheads, signed, and submitted through the AMCAS Letters Service. Instructions for submitting letters via AMCAS are provided within the AMCAS application. Do not send any letters directly to MSU College of Human Medicine.

  Committee Letters & Letter Packets

  A committee letter, authored by a pre-health committee or pre-health advisor, and intended to represent your institution's evaluation of you, counts as one letter entry. A letter entry may consist of more than one letter. If the committee letter is accompanied by at least two of the individual letters it references, one letter entry will fulfill our requirement. However, if your committee letter is not accompanied by a minimum of two of the individual letters referenced in it, you will need to submit two more individual letters to meet our minimum requirement.

  A letter packet is assembled and distributed by your school. It may or may not include a cover letter from your pre-health advisor or committee, but it does not include a committee evaluation. A letter packet counts as one letter entry. If the letter packet contains at least three individual letters, it will fulfill our requirements. However, if the letter packet includes fewer than three individual letters, you will need to submit additional individual letters to meet our minimum requirement.

• Situational Judgement Test

  Applicants are required to take one situational judgement test, either the Casper Test (Altus Suite) or the AAMC PREview Exam. Please visit the Altus Assessments and/or AAMC websites for registration and available testing dates.

  NOTE: Applicants to our MD/PhD dual degree program may have a different testing deadline than our MD applicants. All applicants are advised to consult the list of Important Dates & Deadlines for the current application cycle. Applicants who test after the listed deadline will not be considered.

• Secondary Application

  Applicants who meet our residency and minimum academic standards will be invited to submit a secondary application. Those whose academic metrics are below our minimum standards will be screened for mission-alignment and achievement and may be sent a secondary application.

  Minimum Academic Standards

  • Undergraduate BCPM GPA ≥ 2.5, or
    • Cumulative post-baccalaureate BCPM of 3.0 with at least 20 credit hours in the sciences
    • Cumulative graduate BCPM of 3.0 with at least 20 credit hours in the sciences
  • MCAT Total Score ≥ 497 (approximately 40^th percentile)

  Tips for Success:

  • Prioritize submission of secondary applications to the schools you are most interested in. Ideally, you should submit your secondary application responses within two weeks.
  • Familiarize yourself with each school’s mission and only apply to schools with which your personal values and mission are well-aligned.

  Our mission statement: Michigan State University College of Human Medicine is committed to educating exemplary physicians and scholars, discovering and disseminating new knowledge, and providing service at home and abroad. We enhance our communities by providing outstanding primary and specialty care, promoting the dignity and inclusion of all people, and responding to the needs of the medically underserved.

  • Secondary Application Essay Prompts | 2027 Admission Cycle 

    1. How have your most meaningful experiences shaped what you envision doing in medicine 15 years from now? Describe one specific future accomplishment that would define your career’s success up to that point in time. (Please limit your response to 400 words or less.) 
    
    2. How have your personal experiences with, or observations of, systemic inequities shaped your perspective? Moving beyond generalities, describe how this perspective will uniquely influence your approach to patient care and your role in addressing health disparities as a future physician. (Please limit your response to 400 words or less.) 
    
    3. Each year, we review thousands of applications. Beyond what is in your primary application, what do you want the Admissions Committee to know about you as it relates to your fit for MSU CHM’s community-based mission? If you are an out-of-state applicant, we encourage you to address your interest in training and potentially practicing in Michigan. (Please limit your response to 400 words or less.) 

   

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“I have always wanted to make a difference in the world through service. I am passionate about advocating for children in underserved communities and amplifying marginalized voices to advance health equity. I chose MSU College of Human Medicine because of the university’s emphasis on community-focused medicine and public health.”
- Simi Neeluru, Class of 2028

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"I am so grateful for the Flint Campus for nurturing that sense of purpose for me. I could have easily become burnt out after experiencing what it was like to work in the American health care system. But the spirit of community and collaboration is so fundamental to the Flint community that I never lost track of my mission." 
- Brandon Leung, Class of 2025

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“What I find so remarkable about my time at the College of Human Medicine is that I learned not only how to be a doctor, but also an advocate for vulnerable populations on a larger scale. I think our curriculum really instills within us the social impact that medicine and healthcare can have on our communities that we serve.”
- Dennis Boynton, Class of 2025

 

Important Program Dates and Deadlines

• MD Program

  September 12	Last acceptable MCAT date
  October 15	Last acceptable AAMC PREview Exam date
  October 15	AMCAS Application Due
  November 12	Last acceptable Casper Test date
  November 30	Secondary Application and Letters of Evaluation Due
  February 19	Accepted applicants should engage with AMCAS Choose Your Medical School Tool and select the school at which they “Plan to Enroll”
  April 30	Accepted applicants must engage with AMCAS Choose Your Medical School Tool and select the school at which they “Commit to Enroll” Last day to receive a refund of your deposit
  July 13	MSU College of Human Medicine “Commit to Enroll” deadline

• MD/PhD Program

  August 15	Last acceptable MCAT date
  August 13	Last acceptable Casper Test date
  August 25	Last acceptable AAMC PREview Exam date
  September 1	AMCAS Application Due
  October 1	Secondary Application and Letters of Evaluation Due
  February 19	Accepted applicants should engage with AMCAS Choose Your Medical School Tool and select the school at which they “Plan to Enroll”
  April 30	Accepted applicants must engage with AMCAS Choose Your Medical School Tool and select the school at which they “Commit to Enroll” Last day to receive a refund of your deposit
  July 13	MSU College of Human Medicine “Commit to Enroll” deadline

• MD/OMS Program

  October 1	Last acceptable Casper Test date
  October 15	Last acceptable AAMC PREview Exam date
  November 1	Secondary Application and Letters of Evaluation Due
  November 12	Last acceptable Casper Test date
  January 20, 2027	National Matching Services (NMS) Oral & Maxillofacial Surgery (OMS) Match

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FINANCIAL AID & SCHOLARSHIP INFORMATION

The MSU Office of Financial Aid provides information regarding financial aid and loans for College of Human Medicine students.

All questions about your financial aid packet should be directed to the Office of Financial Aid via email (ofamed@msu.edu) or by phone (517) 353-2401.

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• Financial Aid Information

  The MSU Office of Financial Aid (OFA) and the College of Human Medicine partner to provide a range of financial aid and financial well-being resources for CHM students. With a specialized Medical Advising Team, OFA provides advising uniquely attuned to the financial aid needs of medical students. The College’s Director of Student Services, part of the College’s Office of Student Affairs and Services (OSAS), serves as the liaison to OFA and to other financial well-being resources. This partnership gives students the answers and responsiveness needed when they have financial aid questions or face unexpected financial challenges.

• Financial Aid Resources

  The first step to receiving financial aid assistance is to submit the Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA) form online. MSU FAFSA Code: 002290 

  The Association for American Medical Colleges (AAMC) Financial Information, Resources, Services, and Tools (FIRST) program provides guidance about paying for medical school, managing money, and successfully repaying your student loans.

• Financial Aid Contact

  Questions about financial can be directed to the Medical Advising Team within the Office of Financial Aid.

  • Email: ofamed@msu.edu)
  • Phone: (517) 353-2401

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  Mailing Address

  Office of Financial Aid
  Student Services Building
  556 E. Circle Drive, Room 252
  Michigan State University
  East Lansing, MI 48824

• Office Locations & Hours

  Appointments are required for in-person advising.

  Times are available Monday – Friday, 9:00 a.m. – 4:30 p.m. at:

  • 252 Student Services Building, East Lansing
  • 380 Secchia Center, Grand Rapids