*COVID-19 UPDATE*

June 2020

Letter to prospective applicants from Associate Dean of Admissions [PDF]

May 2021 

FAQ’s

1. Due to the COVID-19 pandemic, both my lecture and lab prerequisite courses are only being offered online and the grading option for the lab was changed to mandatory Credit/No Credit (CR/NC). How will this affect meeting the minimum requirements?
   The University of New Mexico School of Medicine (UNM SOM) Committee on Admissions is aware of the disruption in coursework for many current students as a result of the COVID-19 pandemic. We understand that there may be no choice but to take lecture and lab courses online due to COVID-19. For the 2022 Admissions Cycle, we will accept lectures and labs taken both online and in person. In addition, while letter grades for prerequisite coursework are still preferred, we understand the difficulty this may pose for many. The Committee on Admissions will accept CR/NC coursework for future admissions cycles until further notice. Applicants will have an opportunity to explain the circumstances for receiving CR/NC versus a letter grade on the secondary application. Please note, however, that documentation will be requested to verify that applicants did not have the option to receive a letter grade.

2. How will the CR/NC grade impact my grade point average (GPA)?
   Grades of CR/NC do not affect the GPA. Courses taken for CR/NC will be identified and the committee be informed that one or more courses were taken CR/NC, but no grade will be factored into the overall GPA.

3. Due to the COVID-19 pandemic, most prerequisite labs have only been offered online. Will online labs be accepted? Should I wait to take it in person? Which would look better on my application?
   Yes, online labs will be accepted. We understand that there may be no choice but to take labs online due to COVID-19. For future admissions cycles, we will accept labs taken online for the semesters/quarters affected by COVID-19 until further notice. The committee will not give preference to taking labs in person versus taking them online.

4. Due to the COVID-19 pandemic, will the MCAT be waived as a minimum requirement?
   No. An MCAT score is still a requirement for admissions consideration. Please visit the MCAT Coronavirus page for more information regarding the MCAT Exam at https://students-residents.aamc.org/applying-medical-school/article/coronavirus-covid-19-and-mcat-exam/

5. Due to the COVID-19 pandemic will UNM SOM consider lowering the MCAT minimum score?
   No. The minimum total MCAT score for consideration will remain at 494. Please visit the MCAT Coronavirus page for more information regarding the MCAT Exam at https://students-residents.aamc.org/applying-medical-school/article/coronavirus-covid-19-and-mcat-exam/

6. Due to the COVID-19 pandemic, I am no longer allowed to continue clinical shadowing until further notice. Although I do have some hours, it is not as many as I anticipated. What would be considered an acceptable amount of clinical shadowing hours to support my application? If I am unable to get those hours, how will this affect the review of my application?
   There is no minimum number of clinical shadowing hours required to apply to the UNM SOM. Applicants are evaluated based on their knowledge, the quality of their experiences and how they can articulate those experiences. Additionally, the Committee on Admissions will consider virtual experiences for future admissions cycles. Review the Virtual Online Experiences page for a few resources for online shadowing opportunities. 

7. Due to the COVID-19 pandemic, my school has informed me that they are unable to provide me with a committee letter of recommendation. How will this impact my application?
   This will not impact your application. The UNM SOM has no requirement on committee letter of recommendation packets. The committee prefers individual letters directly from the letter writer versus a summarized committee letter.

8. Due to the COVID-19 pandemic, I am no longer allowed to continue my community service experience until further notice. What would be considered an acceptable amount of community service hours to support my application? If I am unable to get more hours, how will this affect the review of my application?
   There is no minimum number of community service hours required to apply to the UNM SOM. The committee believes that individuals who have participated in such activities are more likely to relate well to other people, an essential aspect of the physician-patient interaction. Additionally, the Committee on Admissions will consider virtual experiences for future admissions cycles. Review the Virtual Online Experiences page for a few resources for online community service opportunities.

9. Due to the COVID-19 pandemic, I am no longer allowed to continue my research experience at my institution until further notice. How will this delay in my research experience impact the consideration of my application?
   There is no research requirement to apply to the UNM SOM regular MD program. If an applicant has research experience, they are evaluated based on their knowledge of the research process by articulating those experiences. However, applicants applying to the Combined MD/PhD program, where research experience is required, may consider delaying the submission of their application until the research can resume.

10. Due to the COVID-19 pandemic, I am not able to begin my new clinical/volunteer/research experience until after I submit my AMCAS application, will I be able to make any changes or updates to my application to include these new experiences?
    No. The AMCAS application does not allow updates to the clinical/volunteer/research experiences after submission. There are limited changes that can be made to the primary AMCAS application post submission. For a list of the approved post submission changes, please visit the following AAMC website: https://students-residents.aamc.org/applying-medical-school/article/amcas-postsubmission-actions/. If you are able to continue or begin a new experience after your application has been submitted, we recommend that you discuss it during your medical school interview.

11. Will I have an opportunity to describe how COVID-19 has impacted my 2022 application?
    Yes, there will be a question in the secondary application that will allow applicants to describe how COVID-19 has affected their pathway to medical school and describe any academic, personal, financial, or professional barriers that COVID-19 may have presented for them.

For additional AMCAS Covid-19 FAQs please go to Coronavirus - Covid 19 and AMCAS.