Application Period
The application and all related materials must be received by AMCAS by November 15. Quillen College of Medicine also participates in the AMCAS Early Decision Program (EDP). The application period is June 1 – August 1. EDP applicants are notified of admission decisions by October 1. For more information about EDP, visit the AMCAS website.
The complete application period for the Quillen College of Medicine is June 1 - November 15 of the year prior to admission.
Important: Please use your full name when applying (this includes the use of your full middle name).
MCAT®
In an effort to obtain predictive information, all applicants are required to report scores from the Medical College Admission Test (MCAT) by the close of the current application period. Scores earned on the MCAT taken after the application deadline will not be considered. Acceptable scores may not be more than three years old. To meet this requirement, applicants to the 2026 entering class may submit competitive scores from any administration of the MCAT taken from January 2022 through September 2025.
Applicants are advised to prepare adequately and thoroughly for this important examination and are encouraged to complete the MCAT early enough that if unforeseen or uncontrollable circumstances preclude the applicant's peak performance there would be time for a repeat prior to the application deadline.
Applications with MCAT scores below 497 will not be deemed competitive for further consideration.
Information regarding the MCAT may be obtained from the applicant's premedical advisor or by contacting MCAT Testing at the Association of American Medical Colleges website.
Application Process and Acceptance Policies
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Initial Screening
Upon receipt of your verified application from AMCAS, the admissions committee begins the initial screening process. This includes determining residency, evaluation of academic preparedness, MCAT scores, etc. If the committee feels an applicant is competitive, an e-mail providing appropriate instructions will be sent asking the applicant to submit supplemental information. Further refinements in our supplemental application are required before proceeding. If the committee determines an applicant is not competitive, an email will be sent stating that the application has been terminated.
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Supplementary Information
Selected applicants will be provided a web link allowing access to all necessary forms and instructions. The requested information includes payment of a $50 supplementary application fee (waived for FAP recipients, active duty military and honorably separated veterans), additional personal information, and recommendations from the preprofessional advisory committee (or the advisor and two basic science professors, if no committee exists) at the applicant's undergraduate institution. See section on Letters of Evaluation for additional information. Employer evaluations may also be submitted. This information, when requested, must be completed within 14 days of the date on which the information was requested. Letters should be forwarded to AMCAS early in the processing year.
Requirement! All applicants progressing to our supplemental application stage are required to take and have their scores reported to us on Acuity Insights. Complete information about this requirement is below.
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Letters of Evaluation
The Admissions Committee recommends that you provide us with a pre-professional committee evaluation from your school if one is available to you, but we no longer require it. If you do not provide a committee evaluation we ask that you provide a minimum of three (3) evaluations from faculty members, advisors, or others who are most familiar with you and who can and will add information about you as a student and as a person. Those with information about your academic abilities (especially in the sciences), leadership, problem solving skills, altruism, communication skills or ability to function as a member of a team are most valuable to us.
Quillen College of Medicine participates in the AMCAS letters process. AMCAS letters is a centralized service that enables medical schools to receive all letters of recommendation/evaluation electronically via the American Medical College Application Service (AMCAS), and enables applicants to have their authors send all letters of recommendation and evaluation to be considered by schools participating in this service to AMCAS rather than to each school. Applicants who have received a request to submit supplemental information should complete the Letters of Evaluation Section of their AMCAS application, print the AMCAS Letter Request Form(s) for their evaluators, assign letters for QCOM on the AMCAS Application Medical Schools tab and resubmit.
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Acuity Insights
All applicants progressing to the secondary application stage are required to take the Acuity Insights Casper exam and report scores to Quillen.
Casper is designed to evaluate core personal characteristics considered important for success in medical school and practice. It consists of a series of hypothetical, everyday situations presented through a variety of formats including text, animation or live-action video. Each situation relates to one or more personal characteristics. Examinees are asked how they would respond or behave in the situation portrayed.
Beginning with the 2025-2026 application cycle, Duet is no longer required.
Advanced registration is required.The Acuity Insights fee is not part of the QCOM application fee. These fees are waived for applicants eligible for the AAMC-FAP.
Early scheduling is advised and applicants should anticipate a four-week turnaround in score reporting. Applicants should schedule sufficient time to allow for the reporting of results by the due date of their supplemental application information when requested. Scores from tests taken past the December 4, 2025, test date will not be accepted. Consideration for interviews will not occur until these scores are officially reported to us.
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Screening for Interview
After supplemental materials are received, the committee screens the file again to determine if the applicant will be invited to interview. Invitations to interview are sent via e-mail.
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Interview
The personal interview is an important part of the admission process. Well-qualified applicants may be invited for personal interviews with members of the Admissions Committee. Interviews are held at the request of the Admissions Committee, and all related expenses are the sole responsibility of the applicant. Not all applicants are interviewed, and the invitation to interview does not guarantee or imply any specific action on the part of the Admissions Committee. Interviews will begin in September and continue through March or as long as needed.
All interviews for the Entering Class of 2026 will be virtual.
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Admissions Committee Review
After interviews, complete applications are submitted to the admissions committee for further review according to the current policy as determined by the committee. This review usually results in one of three actions: acceptance, termination, or hold for further consideration.
Notice of Acceptance
Acceptance offers are decided by the committee and sent over the Dean’s signature.
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Maximum Time for Applicant's Response to Accept Offer
14 days or in compliance with the AAMC recommendations.
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Termination of Application
Termination of consideration may occur at any point during the application process. Termination of application letters are emailed.
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Active Hold List
Applicants who are neither accepted nor terminated by action of the Admissions Committee may be placed on “hold” for further consideration. The applicant’s information is added to the Hold List according to the ranking score determined by the committee. This list serves as a guide to the committee throughout the year as they work to fill the entering class. Those achieving "hold" status will either be accepted or terminated later at the discretion of the committee. Prompt notification is provided.
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Deposit to Hold Place in Class
The Quillen College of Medicine no longer requires a class deposit.
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Choose Your Medical School Tool (CYMS)
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Criminal Background Investigation (CBI)
All accepted applicants will be required to undergo a Criminal Background Investigation (CBI) as provided by AMCAS. All acceptances are contingent on a favorable evaluation of the results of this CBI.
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Requests for Deferred Entrance
Accepted applicants may request deferred entrance into the College of Medicine for a period of one year. This may be accomplished by the applicant addressing a letter to the Admissions Committee requesting deferred matriculation and explaining the reason for the request for later admission. The request will be considered provided it is received at least 30 days prior to the beginning of classes. Such requests should be forwarded to the Office of Admissions by emailing sacom@etsu.edu. Requests for deferred matriculation received less than 30 days before the beginning of classes will not be considered. Deferred applicants are required to complete the AMCAS web application as a deferred matriculant by August 1 for the next entering class. Deferred applicants must agree neither to seek nor accept admission at any other school for the deferred entering class year.
Advanced Standing Applications
Transfer positions at Quillen College of Medicine are extremely rare. Transfer applications to the College of Medicine may be accepted from qualified students for admission to the third year of the curriculum on a space available basis. The selection of transfer students is highly competitive. In order to qualify, an applicant must have met all requirements for a first-year applicant. In addition, applicants must have successfully completed a curriculum which is acceptable to the Admissions Committee and be "in good standing" with, or eligible to return to, their previous Liaison Committee on Medical Education accredited medical school. Preference for admission will be afforded to qualified residents of Tennessee who are U.S. citizens, and to veterans of U.S. military service. Transfer applicants must have their scores from USMLE Step 1 officially reported to the College of Medicine, when available. In order to receive the M.D. degree from East Tennessee State University, a student must complete, at a minimum, the last two full years of study at that institution. Transfer students who are accepted are subject to all rules and regulations of the college and university. Since transfer applications are available only on an extremely limited basis, interested parties are urged to contact the Admissions Office concerning the availability of positions and deadlines for applications.
Reconsideration of Admissions Committee Decisions
The Admissions Committee makes every effort to consider all available information in making any admissions decision. It is the policy of the committee that it will not review or reconsider any admissions decision unless significant new information is brought to light which was not available at the time of the original decision. The Admissions Committee also solely reserves the right to determine the significance of any new information presented. Requests for reconsideration are rarely granted.
The Quillen College of Medicine Admissions Committee has total authority with everything
to do with admissions. They determine and approve all policies, processes, procedures
and decisions related to the selection of medical students for Quillen. There are
no outside influences!