AD-2003 Admissions Protocol

1.0       Purpose

To ensure qualified applicants are accepted for admission to the Virginia Tech Carilion School of Medicine, a four-year, research-intensive medical education program.

2.0       Mission

To matriculate a competitive class of academically capable students who demonstrate passion for medicine, research, and community. 

3.0       Definitions and Abbreviations

• AMCAS: American Medical College Application Service
• CCV: Committee Confidence Vote
• MMI: Multiple Mini Interview
• MSAC: Medical Student Admissions Committee
• IHR: Individualized Holistic Review

4.0       Protocol

1. Virginia Tech Carilion School of Medicine (VTCSOM) admits as regular students only persons who:
   1. Possess either
      1. an earned baccalaureate degree conferred prior to matriculation, as evidenced by the submission of an official transcript(s) from the undergraduate institution OR
      2. an earned, combined masters or doctoral degree conferred prior to matriculation which by its program design has satisfied the granting university’s baccalaureate degree requirements, as evidenced by the submission of an official transcript(s) from the graduate institution
   2. Complete all coursework in a satisfactory manner in an educational institution located in the United States or Canada and approved by a regional accrediting body. No exceptions will be made to this policy.
   3. At matriculation, are beyond the age of compulsory attendance in Virginia, the only State in which the VTCSOM is physically located, and have graduated from high school.
   4. Apply through the Association of American Medical Colleges’ (AAMC) central application system, the American Medical College Application System (AMCAS). This centralized application system validates the information entered by the applicant.
2. Ability to benefit: The VTCSOM does not admit students under the Ability-to-Benefit criteria.
3. Student self-certification is insufficient.
4. Incentive compensation: VTCSOM does not provide a commission, bonus or other incentive payment based in any part, directly or indirectly, on success in securing enrollments or financial aid to any person or entity engaged in any student recruiting or admission activities or in making decisions regarding awarding Title IV funds.
5. State approval to offer the degree: VTCSOM is authorized to provide the Doctor of Medicine (M.D.) educational program by the State Council on Higher Education for Virginia (SCHEV). VTCSOM does not offer any part of its program through distance education.

5.0       Procedures

1. VTCSOM uses a Race-Neutral process.
2. Initial applications are received by the school through the AMCAS.
3. Applications are screened by the professional staff in admissions, and those candidates demonstrating that they meet the following minimum threshold qualifications are invited to submit a secondary application consisting of narrative-response essays:
   1. MCAT 504 and undergraduate GPA 3.0
   2. Applicants with an undergraduate GPA between 2.8 – 2.99, a graduate GPA of ≥3.7,  an MCAT of 511 or better, ≥1000 hours medical experience, and ≥1250 hours research
   3. Applicants with an MCAT 501-503 earned in 3 or fewer attempts, a minimum undergraduate GPA of 3.7, ≥1000 hours medical experience, and ≥1250 hours research
4. Essays are screened by admissions staff professionals, and approximately 330 applicants are invited annually to participate in interviews.
5. The VTCSOM utilizes a hybrid admissions process, using the Multiple Mini-Interview (MMI) scenario format combined with a traditional interview (TI) with a faculty member of the Medical Student Admissions Committee (MSAC).
6. Following the interview weekend, the applicant records are presented to either the Silver or Gold subcommittees of the MSAC by the assigned admissions subcommittee briefer.
   1. The admissions committee traditional interviewer may add comments to the applicant’s record.
   2. Subcommittee meetings will begin with asking MSAC members if they have any potential conflicts of interest that have not yet been disclosed.
7. Following the review of the entire applicant portfolio, the MSAC Silver or Gold subcommittee takes a Committee Confidence Vote (CCV) on the application.
   1. The committee confidence vote reflects the entire comprehensive review.
   2. A quorum of a Silver/Gold subcommittee is defined to be nine faculty members.
   3. A quorum of the full MSAC is defined to be thirteen faculty members.
   4. Admissions staff note the justification for the confidence level in the applicant’s record.
8. Prohibition against ex parte communications.
   1. Discussions regarding an applicant’s record or status for acceptance are restricted to meetings of the MSAC or MSAC subcommittees or between committee members.
   2. Individual notes may not be shared with non-committee members.
   3. Nothing herein precludes discussions between committee members or admissions staff in preparing a record briefing.
9. Limitations on MSAC members’ involvement with VTCSOM applications from relatives:
   1. All Admissions Committee members, interviewers, and screeners must attest annually that they have reviewed the Policy on Conflict of Interest and Recusal. Committee members are required to recuse themselves if they have or have had a family relationship with an applicant in the current admissions cycle, such as a current or former significant other, partner, spouse, child, sibling, or parent. In this situation, they must recuse themselves from all participation in the admissions process involving that applicant until a final determination of the applicant’s status has been made.
   2. This conflict of interest will be recorded in a conflict of interest form.
   3. All recusals are recorded in a document entitled “MSAC Recusals.”
10. Limitations on MSAC members’ involvement with VTCSOM applications from friends:
    1. If a MSAC member is aware of a medical school applicant’s interest in applying to VTCSOM and that applicant has been connected to the MSAC member by way of a significant social relationship, the MSAC member has a significant social relationship with a colleague who is related to the applicant, the MSAC member works with a colleague who is related to the applicant, the MSAC member serves in a mentorship or advisory role to the applicant, or there is another identified potential conflict of interest, they are required to make that information known to the admissions staff to reduce potential bias.
    2. This conflict of interest will be recorded in a conflict of interest form.
    3. If an applicant with a non-relative connection to a MSAC member is invited to interview, a committee of three admissions persons (MSAC Chair, MSAC Vice-Chair, and either the Assistant Dean for Admissions or the Director for Admissions) will meet to discuss the connection to decide if the familiarity with the applicant necessitates a recusal of the MSAC member from discussion and/or voting on the applicant. Any recusals will be recorded in a document entitled “MSAC Recusals.”
11. If an applicant with a non-relative connection to a MSAC member is invited to interview, a committee of three admissions persons (MSAC Chair, MSAC Vice-Chair, and either the Assistant Dean for Admissions or the Director for Admissions) will meet to discuss the connection to decide if the familiarity with the applicant necessitates a recusal of the MSAC member from discussion and/or voting on the applicant.  Any recusals will be recorded in a document entitled “MSAC Recusals.”
12. Four times per year -- typically October, December, March, and April -- the full admissions committee reviews the outstanding prospective candidates that have been reviewed and voted on by the Silver and Gold subcommittees, and members vote to offer a limited number of letters of acceptance.
13. The April full committee vote results in a limited number of immediate letters of acceptance, and the tabulated committee vote totals or vote percentages establish a ranked wait list for additional acceptances which may be offered up to the date of matriculation.

6.0       Reference Regulations

• 600.4(a)(2)
• 600.5(a)(3)
• 600.6(a)(2)
• 668.14(b)(22)(ii)
• 668.16(p)

7.0       Approval and Revisions

This protocol shall be subject to review at least once every year. 
It was adopted by the Medical Student Admissions Committee (MSAC) on January 21, 2026.