Getting into Saint Louis University School of Medicine

What is SLU’s mission — and what does it signal?

“Our mission is to pursue excellence in education, research, clinical care and community engagement through professional development, collaboration and social justice.”Saint Louis University School of Medicine²

Two phrases carry the weight: community engagement and social justice. SLU’s Office of Ignatian Mission in Medicine describes the school as guided by the Jesuit value of cura personalis, care for the whole person.⁶ The admissions FAQ makes the same point in applicant terms, saying your capacity for empathy, ethics, communication and cultural humility is “just as important as your test scores.”⁴ The signal is that SLU wants evidence of how you treat people and serve communities, and it requires an exam, the AAMC PREview, built to look at exactly those competencies.⁴

What makes SLU’s curriculum and programs distinctive?

SLU divides the M.D. into three phases across four years: an 18-month pre-clerkship phase, a 12-month clerkship phase built around seven general medical departments, and an 18-month post-clerkship phase focused on career specialization.⁵ The school says the 18-month pre-clerkship phase lets students start clinical rotations earlier and adds six extra months of clerkship and clinical experience before graduation.² It also lists:

• Two longitudinal threads: a curriculum on Health Care Ethics and one on Leadership and the Business of Medicine, both visible in the Phase 1 course list.²
• Active learning: small-group activities, team-based learning, peer instruction, simulation and case-based tutorials across the four years.²
• Hands-on skills space: a Clinical Skills Center with trained standardized patients and a Simulation Center for practicing procedures before real patient care.²

Students must take and pass Step 1 between the first and second phases. SLU also notes its history: founded in 1836, it awarded the first medical degree west of the Mississippi River.²

How does SLU review applicants?

SLU says it uses a holistic process, weighing academics alongside experiences, perspective, interests and core character traits. It lists no formal GPA requirement and a minimum total MCAT score of 502.⁴ That 502 is a floor SLU states, not a target. When you have several scores, the committee focuses on your highest total from a single sitting; the test must be completed by September 2026 for this cycle, and SLU does not consider scores from before January 2023.⁴²

The coursework list is specific: 8 credit hours each of general biology or zoology, general chemistry, organic chemistry and physics (each with a lab), plus 6 of English and 12 of other humanities and behavioral sciences.¹ AP credit cannot be used for biology or chemistry, courses completed online cannot satisfy the basic prerequisites, and the committee prefers that you complete at least half of your science coursework at a four-year institution.¹ SLU says applications from well-qualified students are seriously considered regardless of state of origin, and it also gives some additional consideration to qualified SLU students and to the qualified family of School of Medicine alumni.¹

What is the SLU interview like?

SLU says your interview is conducted virtually through its AMP application software, so there is no campus travel.⁴ The program page describes a virtual interview with a member of the admissions committee, with an itinerary that includes a presentation by the Dean of Admissions, a virtual tour of the campus and a student panel.² None of the pages we reviewed names the interview style or the number of conversations, so we do not label it. SLU does say interview slots fill quickly and that you should make every effort to attend your assigned date.³ Applications are reviewed on a rolling basis; notification starts Oct. 15 and final decisions are released by April 30.⁴³

What are SLU’s secondaries like?

After your AMCAS primary is processed, SLU emails an invitation to its own supplemental application, due Dec. 15, with a $100 service fee that an AMCAS fee waiver may cover.³² The prompts are not published on the pages we reviewed, so pull the current wording after you are invited. If you used a writing-intensive course to replace the English requirement, SLU asks you to include the course description in your secondary.¹ Letters are capped at three: one pre-medical committee letter plus up to two others of your choosing, or, without a committee, no more than three individual letters with one from a science professor.³ SLU also asks for a recent photograph and lists a PREview registration deadline of Sept. 30.³

What does SLU cost — and how does the timeline work?

SLU lists 2026–2027 tuition of $71,360 for first-year students, with first-year fees of $2,404 listed separately; the cost page shows one tuition figure and does not split it by state of residence.⁷ The AMCAS primary deadline is Nov. 15, the supplemental and all supporting materials are due Dec. 15, and applicants holding multiple acceptances have until April 30 to decide.²³ Because SLU uses your PREview score after the interview, take the exam early enough that your score is in by the application deadline.⁴

Who SLU tends to fit

SLU tends to fit applicants whose record shows sustained service and a reason to care about the whole person, since the mission, the Jesuit framing and the required PREview all point there.²⁴⁶ It suits someone who wants to reach patients sooner, because the 18-month pre-clerkship phase moves students into clerkships earlier.²⁵ It is open to applicants from any state: qualified applicants are considered regardless of state of origin.¹ Practical fits include a candidate who can take the PREview on schedule, finish the lab-based prerequisites in person rather than online, and interview comfortably by video.¹⁴ It fits less naturally an applicant who relies on AP credit for biology or chemistry, who completed prerequisites online, or who wants published secondary prompts and a published class size before applying.¹²