What is the FlexMed Program at Mount Sinai?

The FlexMed Program is a unique early assurance program that allows well rounded, exceptional college sophomores, who desire a career in medicine, the opportunity to obtain early admittance to the Icahn School of Medicine at Mt Sinai. The goal of the program is to provide bright, creative students with varied backgrounds and well-rounded educations the opportunity to consider the medical profession. The FlexMed program emphasizes the value of studying the sciences as well as the humanities so much so that it is also known as the Mt Sinai humanities and medicine program. Strong applicants will have interests other than basic sciences. For example, one of our previous advisees was passionate about literature and how to combine literature with medicine.

The FlexMed program is one-of-a-kind and if accepted, students continue with their undergraduate education at their institution while being exempt from some of the traditional pre-med requirements. Students typically apply during the winter of their sophomore year and learn of the decision by the summer; thus, students are free to continue with their education in any major without the usual stresses of a pre-med student. It is not meant to accelerate the timeline to medical school but allow students the flexibility to pursue their passions. Find out more about the FlexMed Program or keeping reading below!

Why Choose the FlexMed Program at Mount Sinai?

The most common reasons we’ve heard:

Because of the early assurance, ambitious students have the flexibility to tailor their remaining undergraduate education to truly delve into one’s passions, including interests outside medicine
The MCAT exam is not required!
Students are allowed to defer the acceptance in order to take time off in between the undergraduate education and medical school for up to 2 years

Applications

FlexMed Application Timeline:

August – FlexMed application opens
January 15 – FlexMed Application is due
Mid-March – Interview invitations sent out
April – FlexMed interview period
July – FlexMed decisions released

Start planning your FlexMed application the summer after your freshman year of college or your first semester of sophomore year of college. Applications are typically due January or February of your sophomore year. Contact us below if you have questions about the FlexMed application.

In order to apply to the FlexMed Program:

Students must be in their second year of college at an accredited 4-year college/university within the United States or Canada working towards their first bachelor’s degree
Students must have completed ONE academic year of college biology, chemistry or physics prior to January 15 of their sophomore year (AP/IB scores cannot be used to substitute for this requirement, if students have AP/IB scores then higher-level courses must be taken)
Applicants must have taken either the SAT or ACT
Student must submit their high school transcript as well as college transcript including grades from the fall semester of their sophomore year
There are 3 required letters of recommendation:
- Students are encouraged to provide one letter from a high school teacher/guidance counselor or college professor/faculty advisor, one from professors in the sciences, and the third from other academic and/or professional references such as research mentors/supervisors
- Recommendation letters should provide the Admissions Committee with insight into the applicant’s motivation for a career in medicine.
Complete the application which includes 3 short essays (~300 words each) by Jan 15 of the sophomore year
Applicants should demonstrate participation in school, research, community or other activities that demonstrate service and collaborative leadership along with exposure to medicine
There is a required in-person interview for selected students: the interview day consists of two 30-minutes interviews with faculty members as well as a tour of the medical school (interviewers holistically assess the following core areas: academics, clinical exposure, community service, research and other extracurricular activities)
Details regarding the specifics of what qualifies under college biology, chemistry and physics is available on the FlexMed Program webpage under “Application requirements”
More information can also be found on the FAQ’s page

Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai FlexMed Application Essay Prompts 2021:

Essay 1) Please describe something in your life that has given you a great sense of personal, academic, or professional accomplishment. (300 words)

Essay 2) Please describe something in your life that has given you a great sense of personal, academic, or professional disappointment. (300 words)

Essay 3) Describe how FlexMed will change your educational plan and enhance your future career in medicine. Please concentrate on how you will use the flexibility afforded by FlexMed, and not on the FlexMed requirements. 300 words.

Essay 4) Describe your activities, with additional characters for your most meaningful activities.

Need help with editing your FlexMed application? Look at our FlexMed Application packages for essay editing, application strategy advising, and mock interview preparation.

Need Editing Help With
Tufts Secondary Essays?

Get the Cracking Med School Admissions team’s expertise through our secondary essay editing packages. If you have questions, email us at info@crackingmedadmissions.com or contact us.

FlexMed Interview

FlexMed interviews are traditional one-on-one interviews. But, they have some scenario-based questions. Download our interview guide below to get sample questions for your FlexMed interview.

Want to learn more about how to prepare for your medical school interview?

Read our 2 popular medical school interview blog posts here:

The Cracking Med School Admissions team has helped several students get accepted to FlexMed and Mount Sinai School of Medicine! Make sure to contact us and get our help.

download your interview guide

If you are prepared, the interview gives you the perfect opportunity to standout and shine by sharing with people what you are passionate about.

FlexMed Admissions Statistics

According to the FlexMed website, they receive around 800 applicants each year.

# of studnets who apply: ~800
# of students who receive an interview: 140-160
# of students who are accepted into the FlexMed Program: 50-60
Recent average SAT of accepted students: >1350

Your medical school application Coaches, Mentors, & Cheerleaders

We Personally Advise Every Student We Work With

Rachel Rizal, M.D.

Changing the trajectory of people’s lives

Undergraduate
Princeton University

Medical School
Stanford School of Medicine

Residency
Harvard, Emergency Medicine

Awards & Scholarships
Fulbright Scholar
USA Today Academic First Team
Tylenol Scholarship

Rishi Mediratta, M.D., M.Sc., M.A.

Advising students to attend their dream schools

Undergraduate
Johns Hopkins University

Medical School
Stanford School of Medicine

Residency
Stanford, Pediatrics

Awards & Scholarships
Marshall Scholar
Tylenol Scholarship
Global Health Scholar

Each year, the Cracking Med School Admissions team
helps students get accepted to top medical schools.
We can help you get accepted!

Contact us today.

The Insider’s View on Tufts Medical School's Pre-clinical years

Advising:

After acceptance in the FlexMed Program at Mount Sinai, students’ progress will be reviewed on a semesterly basis with the Medical Education Leadership Team. All decisions will be made by the team regarding fulfilling requirements.

For retention in the FlexMed Program at Mount Sinai, students must fulfill these requirements during college:

One academic year of biology (not AP or IB). Molecular content is required.
One academic year of chemistry (not AP or IB)
One academic year of English writing intensive coursework (not AP or IB)
One semester of physics (you can apply AP or IB physics in high school with a score of 4 or higher to meet this requirement)
One academic year of lab work in biology and/or chemistry
One semester of health policy, public health, or global health studies
One semester of ethics
One semester of statistics (biostatistics is preferred)
A senior thesis or its equivalent in an area of academic concentration
An in-depth experience providing exposure to human illness and healthcare delivery

Earn a B or better in all required coursework with a minimum cumulative GPA of 3.5
Students are not permitted to take the MCAT as part of their acceptance to the FlexMed program
Should a student decide to apply the traditional route to medical school, they must forego their seat within the program
Students are encouraged to take time off following their undergraduate studies to explore professional and academic interests for up to 2 years prior to matriculation at the medical school if they desire
For those students who have not taken upper level science courses, namely biochemistry and organic chemistry, there is a 4-week summer enrichment program prior to beginning the first year of medical school

For the 4 years of medical school, you will be at Icahn School of Medicine at Mt Sinai taking courses to fulfill your M.D. degree. These include your pre-clinical coursework as well as clinical rotations among 8 hospitals within Mt Sinai Health Network in NYC.

Read more about Mount Sinai School of Medicine in our detailed Mount Sinai school profile.

What students are saying about Why FlexMed School

The extra time not studying for my MCAT gave me more time to be involved in my campus newspaper. I was able to pursue more journalism pieces and even submitted to my local newspapers!

I loved not having the pressure to get into medical school throughout my last two years of college. It gave me space to pursue my passions without worrying about an A- instead of an A in my science classes.

What an amazing group of talented people! The FlexMed cohort is truly inspiring and they look for ways to tackle healthcare issues from film to writing to public policy.

I had more time to focus on my senior thesis at Princeton on HIV prevention in developing countries.

The Insider’s View on Icahn Mount Sinai Medical School's clinical Years

Read more details on our “Cracking Mount Sinai Medical School Admissions” blog post.

This blog post has all the latest updates and research.

For more information about Mount Sinai Medical School Student Life:

With its focus on rounded education, students take courses through the Academy for Medicine and the Humanities to allow for learning and independent scholarship
Unique InFocus weeks throughout the 4 years, allow students the opportunity to immerse themselves in didactics like evidence-based research, advocacy, career planning, health systems science and reflection, all without concurrent coursework
With access to renowned faculty, there is ample opportunity to explore a wide variety of fields and mentored research experiences
Through the longitudinal clinical experience program, student begin caring for chronic ill patients in pairs within weeks of beginning medical school
Through its partnerships, students have the opportunity for unique global health experiences
Read more about the Icahn School of Medicine curriculum here and on their official website

Housing

Where do students live?

Students mainly live in student housing in the Upper West Side of Manhattan.

Getting around:

There’s great public transportation in Manhattan New York City. You will not need a car for your clinical rotations.

financing

Financial Considerations:

You can apply for grants and financial aid with Mount Sinai’s financial aid office.
Mount Sinai School of Medicine Full-time Tuition:
- ~$61,000 tuition and fees plus ~$15,000 room and board (subsidized housing)
Average indebtedness of graduates: ~$142,000

The Mount Sinai FlexMed Program: Tips To Get Accepted

Table of Contents

Why Choose the FlexMed Program at Mount Sinai?