Case Western Reserve University, School of Medicine Admission
Case Western Reserve University, School of Medicine Undergraduate Program
Case Western Reserve University, School of Medicine Application

The Facts

Case Western Reserve University is a rather large, private institution located in the city of Cleveland, Ohio, and has a combined graduate and undergraduate population of over 15,000 students. The university's School of Medicine, however, is significantly smaller, and is home to about 587 graduate medical students. The average age of enrollment is around 24, and it is fairly rare for any of the students to enter the school directly from their undergraduate education. The school is perhaps best known for its nontraditional and rather flexible curriculum, as well as its emphasis on patient-based learning. The school offers MD degrees on various tracks, including a Patient-Based Learning program, as well as a Physician Development Program, which is a case-based system. The school also offers combined degrees in the MD/Phd in physiology, engineering, and biophysics, as well as the BA/MD in conjunction with the undergraduate colleges.

Admission to Case Western's School of Medicine is extremely competitive among the many students who apply; last year, over 7,300 students applied for admission to the school, and approximately 35 of those students were accepted. Eventually however, only about 12 of the admitted students actually enrolled for the coming semester. The admitted students had average MCAT scores of 10.4 in Biology, 10.2 in Physics, and a 10.0 in Verbal, as well as an average undergraduate GPA of about 3.8. Students are notified of their admissions status on a rolling basis, and are able to take advantage of the school's early application program if they so choose.

Graduating students most frequently specialize in family medicine, surgery, pediatrics, Radiology, ob/gyn, orthopedic surgery, psychiatry, emergency medicine, anesthesiology, neurology, opthamology, pathology, urology, transitional medicine, neurosurgery, physical medicine, as well as plastic surgery.

Clinical Programs

Students at the School of Medicine have plenty of opportunities to practice skills in a clinical setting. Students are able to have patient contact as early as their first year, who's progress they follow for two years. Third year required rotations include medicine, ob/gyn, pediatrics, psychiatry, surgery, neuroscience, as well as family medicine. Clinical training takes place at area affiliated hospitals and clinics including the University Hospitals of Cleveland, Metro-Health Medical Center, Saint Luke's, VA Cleveland, Mount Sinai Medical Center, as well as the Henry Ford Health System.

What's Good

"You are given so much patient contact, which really helps give human faces to the conditions you are learning about."

"The faculty here is outstanding, and they have a wonderful way of making facts and figures relevant to practice."

"There are a multitude of fantastic research facilities and hospitals in the Cleveland area, so job prospects are quite good."

What's Bad

"Things do get extremely competitive between students, and it can take your focus off of what you should be doing."

"There is never enough financial aid given out, even though the program is so small."

"There is never enough on campus graduate housing, and housing in the city itself is quite expensive."

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