Medical School Linkages
An exciting feature of our program is the strong links we have formed with many medical schools that offer conditional early acceptance to our students. Bryn Mawr offers the largest selection of linkage medical schools, and we have some of the longest standing relationships with these schools.
You may apply to only one of these schools during the postbac program. Applicants to our linkage schools are evaluated on their qualifications and performance to date, as well as their ability to complete certain requirements established by the school. You must continue to maintain good performance at Bryn Mawr and, in most cases, you will need to take the MCAT. If qualified, you will be accepted on a conditional basis and will begin medical school immediately after completing Bryn Mawr’s one-year program.
While the linkage option is open to all postbac students, and is a popular choice, it may not be right for you. For example, you may look forward to taking a year off before medical or dental school for a variety of reasons or may want to go to a school that is not part of the linkage agreement. You may also not meet the criteria for being an eligible or strong applicant through linkage.
There are many factors to consider, and in-depth discussion about your decision begins a few months after starting the program. You will not need to decide about the linkage option until you are well into your year as a postbac.
The Linkage Option
As medical and dental schools change their plans and policies year to year, we tentatively expect to have formal arrangements with 14 medical schools and one dental school during the upcoming year:
- Alpert Medical School of Brown University
- Boston University School of Medicine
- Case Western Reserve University School of Medicine
- Geisel School of Medicine at Dartmouth
- New York University Grossman School of Medicine
- Philadelphia College of Osteopathic Medicine
- Pritzker School of Medicine at the University of Chicago
- Rutgers Robert Wood Johnson Medical School
- Sidney Kimmel Medical College at Thomas Jefferson University
- SUNY Downstate Medical Center College of Medicine
- University of Pennsylvania School of Dental Medicine
- University of Pittsburgh School of Medicine
- University of Rochester School of Medicine and Dentistry
- Weill Cornell Medical College
- Zucker School of Medicine at Hofstra/Northwell
Keep in mind, you will not need to decide about the linkage option until you are well into your year as a postbac. There are many factors to consider, and in-depth discussion about your decision begins a few months after starting the program. Throughout the fall semester, you will have ample opportunity to virtually visit the linkage schools, meet with their admissions deans, and engage with postbac alums who have chosen the linkage option. You can then discuss your options with the Director to make an informed, realistic decision about how to proceed.