The Admissions Committee is a standing committee of the faculty that makes annual recommendations to the dean regarding the criteria for admission; screens and reviews applications; and interviews, ranks, and selects among applicants in accordance with the priorities set by the School of Medicine.
Composition
The Admissions Committee is chaired by the associate dean for admissions and is composed of no fewer than twenty-five (25) faculty members as follows:
- No fewer than seventeen (17) members of the faculty at-large, who may be self-nominated, selected by either the Faculty Council or the associate dean for admissions, and approved by the dean;
- No fewer than six (6) members of the faculty who teach in the MD/PhD program, who may be self-nominated, selected by the MD/PhD program director and associate dean for admissions, and approved by the dean;
- No fewer than two (2) members of the faculty who teach in the MD/OMS program, who may be self-nominated, selected by the MD/OMS program director and associate dean for admissions, and approved by the dean;
- Several student members, who may be self-nominated, have completed the third year of the MD curriculum, are in good academic standing, and selected by the associate dean for admissions, such that the number of student members combined with the alumni members does not exceed one-third (1/3) of the total committee membership.
- Optional alumni members, who may be self-nominated, have graduated from the Zucker School of Medicine, and selected by the associate dean for admissions, such that the number of alumni members combined with the student members does not exceed one-third (1/3) of the total committee membership.
Terms for Admissions Committee faculty and alumni members are three (3) years with an option to renew indefinitely. Terms for Admissions Committee student members are a maximum of two (2) years, and automatically terminate upon graduation.
Dual Degree Program Subcommittees:
All applicants accepted into the MD/PhD dual degree program and the combined MD/Oral Maxillofacial Surgery (OMS) residency program are voted on by the Admissions Committee. The Admissions Committee reviews recommendations about admission for MD/PhD and MD/OMS applicants from the following two non-voting subcommittees:
MD/PhD Subcommittee: The MD/PhD Subcommittee consists of no fewer than eight (8) faculty members who teach in the MD/PhD program, who may be self-nominated and are vetted and approved by the MD/PhD program director and associate dean for admissions. A minimum of two (2) members of the MD/PhD Subcommittee must also be members of the Admissions Committee. Following a post-interview screening by the Admissions Committee, the MD/PhD Subcommittee reviews the remaining MD/PhD applicants. After discussion, the MD/PhD Subcommittee submits its recommendations for acceptance, waitlist, and rejection to the Admissions Committee for further evaluation and a vote.
MD/OMS Subcommittee: The MD/OMS Subcommittee consists of the MD/OMS program director and no fewer than three (3) faculty members, who may be self-nominated, and are vetted and approved by the MD/OMS program director and associate dean for admissions. Following a post-interview screening by the Admissions Committee, the MD/OMS Subcommittee reviews the remaining MD/OMS applicants. After discussion, the MD/OMS Subcommittee submits its recommendations for the OMS residency match list to the Admissions Committee for further evaluation and a vote.
Rules of Operation:
A quorum for the Admissions Committee shall consist of ten (10) members, of which no more than two (2) may be a student or alumnus.
The Admissions Committee has the final authority for making admission decisions for all applicants pursuing an MD, MD/PhD, and MD/OMS degree, and this authority cannot be challenged, overruled, or rejected. All applicants accepted and waitlisted at the Zucker School of Medicine are voted on by the Admissions Committee.
All members of the Admissions Committee and its subcommittees must recuse themselves from the screening, interview, presentation, deliberation and vote (as applicable) about an applicant with whom they have a conflict of interest, as defined in the Policy on Educationals Conflicts of Interest and Recusal annually.
Admissions Committee meetings are closed, except for invitees. All deliberations are confidential.
Waitlist Procedure:
The Admissions Committee formally approves all MD applicants on the waitlist as acceptable for admission. The Admissions Committee votes annually to formally delegate the authority to accept MD program applicants from the waitlist to a subset of the Admissions Committee, composed fo the associate dean for admissions and four other Admissions Committee members. When/if a spot in the class becomes available, this group of five admissions committee members selects an individual from the waitlist based on criteria previously approved by the Admissions Committee to create a balanced and diverse class.
The Admissions Committee formally approves all MD/PhD applicants on the waitlist as acceptable for admission. The Admissions Committee votes annually to formally delegate the authority to accept the MD/PhD program applicants from the waitlist to the MD/PhD Subcommittee. When/if a spot in the class becomes available, the MD/PhD Subcommittee selects an individual from the waitlist based on criteria previously approved by the Admissions Committee to create a balanced and diverse class.
The MD/OMS program does not have a waitlist because it is part of a residency match.
When a final class is assembled, the Admissions Committee receives a report from the associate dean for admissions that includes how many waitlisted individuals were admitted and on what general bases the admissions decisions were made.
References to Regulations and/or Other Related Policies:
Faculty Bylaws
LCME Element 10.2: Final Authority of Admission Committee
Policy on Educational Conflicts of Interest and Recusal
Last Updated: July 2022