Loma Linda University MD Admissions Guide (2027)

Quick facts

• Entry cycle: Fall 2027; AMCAS is due November 2, 2026, and the secondary and letters are due November 16. Timeline
• MCAT: required, with 2024 the earliest accepted test year for this cycle; no minimum score is published. Requirements
• Experience: physician shadowing and direct patient-care exposure are required. Requirements
• Interview: exactly two one-on-one virtual interviews, primarily September through March. Requirements
• Mission: selection considers commitment to the school's Christian, Seventh-day Adventist mission; religious affiliation alone does not determine admission. Selection criteria
• International applicants: eligible under published academic, English-language and financial-documentation conditions. International students

Admission requirements

Applicants are expected to complete a bachelor's degree at an accredited U.S. or Canadian institution before matriculation. Rare consideration may be given to an exceptional mission-aligned applicant with at least 90 semester or 135 quarter hours and all requirements completed. Requirements

Required study at an accredited U.S. or Canadian college includes one year of biology with lab, excluding microbiology and anatomy or physiology; one year of general or inorganic chemistry with lab; one year of organic chemistry with lab; one term of biochemistry; and one year of physics with lab. Required science pass/fail grades are not accepted except for winter and spring 2020. Requirements

AP credit cannot directly satisfy the required sciences, but transcripted AP can be followed by upper-division study in the same area. Accredited online courses and labs and community-college work are accepted, although in-person and four-year-institution study are recommended. Requirements

The MCAT is required no later than September before matriculation. A score more than three years old at matriculation is excluded, making 2024 the earliest accepted test year for Fall 2027. The current official pages publish no minimum GPA or MCAT; entering-class averages are descriptive, not thresholds. Physician shadowing and direct patient-care exposure are required. Requirements

Applicants use a committee letter or packet when their school offers one. Otherwise they submit three to six individual letters, including at least one from a science professor who taught them, through AMCAS. International applicants educated outside the United States or Canada need at least one year at an accredited U.S. or Canadian institution before applying, including Loma Linda's required courses, and must meet published English-proficiency and funding requirements. Requirements International students

Important dates

For regular Fall 2027 entry, AMCAS is due November 2, 2026, and the secondary application and recommendations are due November 16. All applicants receive a secondary after Loma Linda receives AMCAS. The fee is $85 and is automatically waived for AAMC Fee Assistance recipients. Timeline Requirements

Regular applications are reviewed July through January. Interview invitations are sent primarily September through March, and rolling decisions run November through June until the class is filled. Wait-list notice is provided by the end of May, while alternate-list offers may continue through the start of classes. Timeline

The Fall 2027 Commit to Enroll deadline is June 10, 2027. Orientation and matriculation are July 26, and the White Coat Ceremony is July 29. The Early Decision Program has separate 2026 deadlines and should be used only by applicants choosing that plan. Timeline

How selection works

A complete file includes a verified AMCAS application, current MCAT, secondary and fee or waiver, and required recommendations. Loma Linda describes holistic review of academic record, MCAT, medical and service experiences, leadership, recommendations, interpersonal and intrapersonal competencies, and interviews. Requirements Selection criteria

The school gives preference to academically qualified Seventh-day Adventist applicants whose goals align with its mission, while also admitting applicants of other faiths who are committed to Christian beliefs and principles. It says no applicant is accepted on religious affiliation alone. This mission consideration is material to selection but does not replace academic, experiential and interview review. Selection criteria

Only interviewed applicants are considered for admission. After the two interviews, the file returns for Admissions Committee review and decisions are communicated by email and portal on a rolling basis. Decisions are final and cannot be appealed. Numerical weights, interviewer rating anchors, committee voting and alternate-list ranking are not published. Requirements

Interview details

Confirmed

Invited applicants complete exactly two one-on-one interviews. The current official process says interviews are virtual and occur primarily from September through March. Interview discussion is intended to explore motivation for medicine and alignment with Loma Linda's integrated faith-and-science mission. Requirements

Only applicants who interview are considered for admission. The complete file, including the interviews, is then reviewed for a rolling decision. Requirements

Not published

The current pages do not publish interview duration, interviewer roles, whether either interviewer sees the application file, prompt categories beyond motivation and mission alignment, scoring dimensions or anchors, interview weight, committee-vote mechanics or alternate-list ordering. Invitation instructions control applicant-specific logistics.

Who this program may suit

Loma Linda's MD program explicitly integrates medical science, clinical education, Christian faith and whole-person care. Its selection criteria make alignment with that mission a real admissions consideration. Applicants should explain that fit with a specific service, clinical or community experience and a clear account of how their beliefs or values shape care for patients. Selection criteria MD program

AdventHealth Orlando and Kettering Health are optional binding regional placements for years three and four. Applicants express interest on the secondary, but these are clinical-year placements within the same Loma Linda MD admissions program, not separate first-year school identities. Regional campuses

Practice and next step

Record one response that explains why medicine and why Loma Linda's mission matter to you. Use a specific patient-care, shadowing or service experience, describe what you did and learned, and connect that learning to whole-person care without relying on generic faith language.

Review whether the response answers both motivation and mission fit, shows reflection and respects people with different backgrounds. Choose one weakness, record the answer again and compare both attempts for specificity, humility and coherence. Then practise a second story so each one-on-one conversation can reveal a different part of your preparation.

Frequently asked questions

Does Loma Linda publish a minimum GPA or MCAT?

No current official minimum is published. The MCAT is required, and for Fall 2027 the earliest accepted tests are from 2024. Requirements

What experience is required?

Physician shadowing and direct patient-care exposure are required, alongside the academic prerequisites. Requirements

What is the interview format?

Applicants complete exactly two one-on-one virtual interviews, primarily September through March. Duration and scoring are not published. Requirements

Can international applicants apply?

Yes. Applicants educated outside the United States or Canada must complete at least one year, including required courses, at an accredited U.S. or Canadian institution and meet published English and funding conditions. International students

Sources

Verified August 11, 2026. Current official sources used:

• Admission requirements and process — degree, prerequisites, MCAT, experience, letters, file completion and virtual interviews.
• Fall 2027 application timeline — application, review, interview, decision, enrollment and Early Decision dates.
• Selection criteria — holistic and mission-aligned review.
• International students — eligibility, U.S. or Canadian study, English and financial documentation.
• Medicine MD program and regional campuses — program identity and optional clinical-year placements.