MD Admissions

Special Programs

The Perelman School of Medicine at the University of Pennsylvania offers several special programs that allow students to become a part of our community through non-traditional channels or prepare to apply to a medical school in the future.

Johnson Scholars Program:

The Johnson Scholars program is a collaborative effort between the Perelman School of Medicine, La Casa Latina, and the Makuu Black Cultural Center aimed at increasing the medical school attendance of Penn undergraduate students from groups underrepresented in medicine, including first-generation and low-socioeconomic students. Through a progressive set of tiered experiences, careful guidance, and selected milestone achievements, successful completion of the four-year program will enable participating students to be highly competitive for medical school admission. 

• The tentative program schedule
• Online Application 

Penn Access Summer Scholars (PASS) Program:

The Penn Access Summer Scholar (PASS) program is a pre-medical enrichment program that supports the recruitment of experientially diverse cohorts of students for the Perelman School of Medicine. The program consists of two consecutive summers (after undergraduate sophomore and junior years) of mentored research on Penn's campus coupled with a program of enrichment that fosters the development of a physician identity as well as prepares students for the transition to medical school. Students are selected from 10 partnering institutions, including five Historically Black Colleges and Universities (HBCUs) (Howard University, Morehouse College, Oakwood University, Spelman College, and Xaiver University of Louisiana), 4 non-HBCUs (Bryn Mawr College, Haverford College, Princeton University, and the University of Pennsylvania), and the STEMM Prep Program. Students who successfully complete the PASS program are eligible for linkage admission to the Perelman School of Medicine. For more information, and to apply, interested students should contact their health professions advising office or the program director for students in the STEMM Prep.