Admission Policies
Admission Policy
This page outlines admission policies established by the Committee on Admissions.
Deferral Requests
The University of Illinois College of Medicine expects that applicants accepted to the College of Medicine matriculate in the cycle year to which they were accepted. In limited and rare circumstances, an accepted applicant may be granted a one-year deferral of matriculation after approval by the Committee on Admissions.
Definitions
Limited and rare circumstance: a unique and unexpected situation that presents itself after an applicant has applied to medical school during a particular admissions cycle. Some examples include
- The development of a serious illness
- An unanticipated family hardship
- A meaningful educational opportunity
- A requirement to complete military service
Deferral: the delay of matriculation from the current admissions cycle to the next year’s admission cycle.
Procedure
An accepted applicant must submit a written deferral request for to the Committee on Admissions (COA) before the Committee’s May meeting of the active cycle year. The COA will evaluate the request and render a decision. There is no appeals process for the COA decision. The COA may impose conditions to a deferral when deemed appropriate. An applicant who is granted a deferral will be instructed to not apply to other medical schools during the deferred year. If an applicant who is granted a deferral applies to other schools during the deferred year, the admissions offer will be rescinded.
The granting of a deferral initiates a series of events related to AMCAS and the reapplication process as described below.
- A new AMCAS application must be submitted for the next year’s application cycle, including the UICOM supplemental application.
- A deferred applicant is not required to pay a new application fee to AMCAS if they are only applying to UICOM and not applying to other schools during the application cycle. (note: if the applicant intends to apply to other medical schools, the deferred applicant is responsible for all AMCAS fees associated with the application; the admissions offer to UICOM will be rescinded)
- To activate the acceptance process in the subsequent application year, the deferred applicant must follow the deadlines associated with applying to UICOM, must submit a statement of activities during the deferral year, and must follow the AAMC Choose Your Medical School deadlines. Failure to comply will result in rescission of the admission offer.
approval
Approved by Committee on Admissions: January 18, 2023
Approved by College of Medicine Executive Committee: February 8, 2023
Medical Student Transfer Policy
The University of Illinois College of Medicine (UI COM) will not routinely consider requests for transfer from another medical school. There are many complexities to evaluating admissions criteria and curricula at medical schools other than UI COM. Transfer requests are rarely considered and rarely accepted.
In the rare circumstance that a transfer may be considered, applications will be considered only for entry into Phase II of the Illinois Medicine Curriculum. Applicants must have attended an LCME-accredited US medical school with a curriculum that is comparable to the Illinois Medicine Curriculum. UI COM must have availability in the class the candidate would enter to accommodate the additional student.
Conditions for Consideration
- Applicants must have a compelling and unique reason to transfer to UI COM
- Applicants must meet the pre-matriculation academic and non-academic qualifications necessary of a UI COM matriculant
- Applicants must be in good academic standing at their current medical school
- Applicants must have passed USMLE Step I
- Applicants must not have been denied acceptance to UI COM during a previous application cycle
- Applicants will not be considered if transferring from dental schools,* osteopathic medical schools, pharmacy schools, chiropractic schools, veterinary schools, non-US medical schools, or other professional schools apart from LCME-accredited allopathic medical schools
*UICOM does participate in an Oral and Maxillofacial Surgery program with the UIC College of Dentistry. Participants are graduates of an accredited dental school and complete Phases 2 and 3 of the MD curriculum, a graduate program in dentistry, and one year of residency in general surgery in a prescribed six-year sequence. Upon completion they receive the MD degree and an Advanced Certificate in Oral and Maxillofacial Surgery. Initial application is through the UIC College of Dentistry.
Transfer Application Process
- The applicant must submit a written request for transfer to the Committee on Admissions (COA) detailing the compelling and unique reason for transfer This must be submitted before the January meeting of the COA. If COA determines that there is no compelling or unique reason to consider transfer, no further action is needed. The candidate will be notified. If a compelling and unique circumstance is determined to be present, the remainder of this process will be followed. All of the remaining steps must result in a positive outcome for the process to continue.
- The COA chair, or designee, will consult with appropriate representatives from Educational Affairs and Student Affairs to determine whether there is availability to accept a transfer student.
- The applicant must submit a copy of their AMCAS application, their current medical school transcripts, and USMLE Step I score report.
- The applicant must submit a letter of recommendation or support from the dean of student affairs (or equivalent) of their current medical school. The letter must indicate that the applicant is in good academic standing and is expected to have completed a curriculum consistent with the Illinois Medicine Curriculum. This letter should be sent directly to the UI COM Office of Medical College Admissions.
- The COA chair, or designee, will meet with appropriate parties within Educational Affairs and Student Affairs to discuss.
- The applicant must be interviewed by a member of the COA or an appropriate designee.
- The Committee on Admissions will make a final decision regarding the transfer conditions.
- The applicant will be assigned a UI COM campus in consultation with the appropriate deans of student affairs and educational affairs prior to being presented with an offer of acceptance.
Medical Student Transfer Policy
COA Approval Date January 18, 2024, revisions approved November 20, 2025, January 5, 2026
CCIA Approval Date November 21, 2025, revisions approved Jan 7, 2026
Approval by the College Committee on Instruction and Appraisal: November 21, 2025