UMass Chan MD Admissions Guide (2027)

Quick facts

• Cycle: Fall 2027; AMCAS due October 11, 2026, AMCAS transcripts October 25 and supplementary materials December 1 at 11:59 p.m. ET. Application timeline
• Tests: MCAT and AAMC PREview are required for a complete file; accepted dates are January 1, 2023 through September 30, 2026. How to apply
• Interview: brief prerecorded Kira Talent responses, due within five days of notification, followed for selected applicants by live virtual structured one-on-one interviews. Interviews
• Eligibility: U.S. or Canadian citizens or permanent residents, DACA recipients, refugees and asylees may apply; Massachusetts residency is not required. How to apply
• Letters: three to six; a committee letter is expected when available. How to apply
• Identity: PURCH and LEAD@Lahey are optional tracks selected through the single UMass Chan secondary and do not create separate School Pages. PURCH and LEAD@Lahey application

Admission requirements

Applicants normally need a bachelor's degree from an accredited U.S. or Canadian institution. A graduate of a college outside the U.S. or Canada must complete at least one full year of biomedical-science study at an accredited U.S. or Canadian institution before applying. Eligible statuses include U.S. or Canadian citizenship or permanent residence, DACA, refugee or asylee status. Both Massachusetts residents and nonresidents may apply. Academic requirements How to apply

Required courses are two semesters each of biology with lab, physics with lab and English composition, literature or writing-intensive coursework, plus one semester of statistics. Chemistry may follow one of three sequences: two general plus two organic plus one biochemistry; two general plus one organic plus one biochemistry; or one general plus two organic plus one biochemistry. General and organic chemistry include labs. Traditional grades are required except specified 2020 institutional grading circumstances. Academic requirements

For 2027 matriculation, accepted MCAT and AAMC PREview dates are January 1, 2023 through September 30, 2026; a file is incomplete until both results arrive. The current official pages reviewed do not publish a minimum GPA, MCAT or PREview score. How to apply

UMass Chan accepts three to six letters. A committee letter is expected when available; without one, applicants should submit two letters from biology, chemistry, biochemistry or physics professors plus other appropriate letters. The MD secondary fee is $100 and is waived for AMCAS Fee Assistance recipients. How to apply

Important dates

For 2027 matriculation, AMCAS submission begins in early May 2026. Early Decision AMCAS is due August 1, the complete Early Decision file is due September 1 and decisions are released by October 1. Application timeline

Regular MD AMCAS applications are due October 11, 2026. Transcripts are due to AMCAS October 25, and supplementary application materials are due December 1, 2026 at 11:59 p.m. ET; extensions are not granted. Interviews are typically held September through March. Application timeline How to apply

Plan to Enroll is available February 20 through April 29, 2027. Applicants selecting UMass Chan must hold only that acceptance from April 30 through July 15, while wait-list positions may remain. Commit to Enroll is required between July 15 and the first day of classes in August 2027; the exact orientation and class date is still to be determined. Application timeline

How selection works

The Admissions Committee uses rolling review after all supporting documents are received. Representative faculty and medical students consider academic preparation and test performance alongside service, extracurricular accomplishment, communication, research or medically related service, motivation, preparedness, resilience, teamwork and other physician attributes. Selection criteria

UMass Chan first reviews AMCAS applications before inviting applicants to submit a secondary. At the interview stage, every invited applicant begins with recorded Kira Talent responses; performance determines whether the applicant advances to live structured one-on-one interviews. How to apply Interviews

No numerical component weights, Kira advancement threshold, interview scoring anchors or committee voting rules are published.

Interview details

Confirmed

Interviews are invitation only and typically run September through March. The first phase is a series of brief recorded responses in Kira Talent, due within five days of notification. Based on that performance, applicants may advance to live virtual structured one-on-one interviews scheduled through PeopleSoft. The process examines communication, interpersonal skill, ethics, critical thinking, teamwork and understanding others' perspectives rather than scientific knowledge. Interviews

PURCH applicants complete an additional virtual MMI with UMass Chan-Baystate; LEAD@Lahey applicants complete an additional virtual open-file one-on-one structured interview with the Lahey regional campus. These track interviews are additional to the parent MD process. PURCH and LEAD@Lahey application

Not published

The school does not publish the number or time limit of Kira prompts, number or duration of regular live interviews, regular interviewer roles or file access, scoring anchors, relative weights or applicant-specific dates.

Who this program may suit

UMass Chan's MD selection criteria emphasize service, communication, motivation and the ability to help meet health needs through practice, public service, education or research. Applicants should connect these priorities to specific past actions rather than rely on general claims about public medicine. Selection criteria

PURCH at UMass Chan-Baystate and LEAD@Lahey are optional tracks within the same MD application. Applicants opt in through the secondary and remain considered for the traditional MD program if not selected for a track. Each track has an additional regional interview and approximately 25 positions per cycle. PURCH and LEAD@Lahey application

Practice and next step

Use a timer to record a concise response to a scenario involving competing patient-access needs. State the decision, identify the people affected, explain the tradeoff and name one practical next step. Review whether your reasoning is explicit and balanced, then change one weak assumption and record a second response. Compare structure, empathy and decisiveness across the two attempts.

Frequently asked questions

Is AAMC PREview required?

Yes. UMass Chan says the application is incomplete until PREview results arrive; for 2027 matriculation it accepts tests from January 1, 2023 through September 30, 2026. How to apply

What happens in the regular MD interview?

Applicants first record brief Kira Talent responses. Based on performance, they may be invited to live virtual structured one-on-one interviews. Interviews

Can non-Massachusetts applicants apply?

Yes. Both residents and nonresidents may apply, subject to the published citizenship or immigration-status rules. How to apply

Are PURCH and LEAD@Lahey separate medical-school applications?

No. Applicants select them through the UMass Chan secondary and are also considered for the traditional MD program. PURCH and LEAD@Lahey application

Sources

Verified August 12, 2026. Current official sources: How to apply, 2027 application timeline, Academic requirements, Interviews, Selection criteria, PURCH and LEAD@Lahey application, and Residency classification.