Getting into Lewis Katz School of Medicine at Temple University
The Lewis Katz School of Medicine at Temple is one of the most openly humanistic schools in the country — its mission runs through North Philadelphia, and it interviews applicants in a way almost no one else does. Here's what its published numbers say and how it reviews — no admission odds, just verified facts and how to read them.
Updated September 2026 · 2026–2027 cycle · figures cited to Lewis Katz's official admissions pages
What is Lewis Katz's mission — and what does it signal?
Excellence in education, research, and care — and service to the underserved community of North Philadelphia.Lewis Katz, on its mission1 · underserved · community · humanistic
Temple's mission is unusually specific and place-based: it serves North Philadelphia, and it selects for humanism as much as metrics. The fit here is an applicant whose story is genuinely about caring for underserved communities — and who wants to train somewhere that treats that as the point, not a slogan. If service to the underserved is your core, few schools will feel more aligned.
What makes Lewis Katz's curriculum distinctive?
- Community-member interview: almost unique in US admissions — alongside faculty and student interviews, Temple includes an interview with a community member, a direct signal that it selects for humanism and how you relate to people, not just credentials.
- MD/MA in Urban Bioethics: a dual degree pairing medicine with urban bioethics — built for students who want to think rigorously about justice, ethics, and care in cities.
- St. Luke's regional campus: a regional campus option that broadens clinical training beyond the main Philadelphia site.
How does Lewis Katz review applicants?
Temple describes its review as individualized and holistic — weighing academics, MCAT, CASPer, letters, extracurriculars, work, and medical and community experience together (research is considered but not required). Because Temple posts no class GPA or MCAT, there is no published number to treat as a cutoff.1 What distinguishes a Temple file is demonstrated humanism and real community engagement.
Does Lewis Katz use the MMI — and what is the interview like?
Temple's interview is distinctive: three interviews — a faculty/committee interview, a blind faculty-plus-student interview, and a community-member interview — held September through April.1 The community interview in particular rewards applicants who are genuinely warm, reflective, and grounded in service; you can't script your way through it. Confirm the current format on Temple's official admissions pages.
How should I approach Lewis Katz's secondary?
Temple's secondary is where you make your service story concrete and show why a North-Philadelphia, humanism-first school fits you specifically. Given how central humanism is to Temple's review, generic answers stand out for the wrong reasons — write early and write honestly. Temple is on AMCAS with a required secondary and CASPer (AAMC PREview is not used for the 2027 cycle), and rolling review rewards early, complete applications.
How much does Lewis Katz cost?
Tuition and fees run approximately $61,072 (in-state) and $64,754 (out-of-state), as published.2 Living costs are separate. Confirm current figures on Temple's official pages before you apply.
Humanism isn't a tiebreaker here — it's the criterion.
The community-member interview says everything: Temple selects for how you treat and relate to people, backed by real service to the underserved. The honest read: a genuine, sustained service story told with humility fits Temple far better than a high stat line alone. That's a judgment about fit, not a prediction of admission, and we publish no odds.
See exactly where you stand — at Lewis Katz and every school on your list
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Frequently asked
What GPA and MCAT does Temple / Lewis Katz publish?
Temple does not publish a class MCAT or GPA, so we don't show one.
What is Temple's community-member interview?
Alongside faculty and student interviews, Temple includes an interview with a community member — a distinctive step that signals how much the school weighs humanism and how you relate to people, not just your record.
Does Temple require CASPer or PREview?
CASPer is required; the AAMC PREview exam is not used for the 2027 cycle. Always confirm current requirements on Temple's official admissions page.
Does Preceptorly show my chances at Temple?
No — we never estimate admission odds. We show Temple's published figures and how your record compares as context; the decision is Temple's.
Sources — Lewis Katz official pages
- Lewis Katz School of Medicine at Temple — how to apply (process, interview, requirements): medicine.temple.edu — how to apply; class size, entered 2026 (as printed): now.temple.edu
- Lewis Katz School of Medicine at Temple — MD program (mission, Urban Bioethics, campuses, cost): medicine.temple.edu — MD program
Figures are Temple's own published entering-class values (basis not labeled by the school) and are shown as the middle of a class, never a cutoff. Temple does not publish a class size, so none is shown. Temple publishes no acceptance rate, and neither do we. Tuition reflects published tuition/fees only. Confirm all current details on Temple's official pages. Preceptorly is not affiliated with Temple University and does not predict admission.