Early Decision MD

Feinberg has a small, selective Early Decision MD program (EDP).

While preference will be given to EDP applicants who have demonstrated a strong academic performance, equally important are other attributes such as interpersonal skills, service, medically-related experiences, humanitarianism, teaching, interest in research and other meaningful life experiences. Prospective EDP candidates should review the Entering Class Profile.

An early decision application requires that you apply (submit your AMCAS application) only to the Northwestern University Feinberg School of Medicine as your first choice medical school. If accepted, you must matriculate to Feinberg. If you apply to the EDP and are not accepted, you may then apply to other medical schools or you may remain under consideration for Feinberg’s regular MD admissions process. The EDP is not available for MSTP.

Due to the unique nature of this program and the abbreviated application timeline, you must be approved by the Office of Admissions to apply through the EDP. Candidates who wish to be considered should contact the Office of Admissions (med-admissions@northwestern.edu) well in advance of June 1 of the application year in which they wish to matriculate, noting that June 1 is the deadline for submitting the initial documents required for consideration. We will ask candidates to provide materials including their resume/CV (including information about their clinical experience/exposure), undergraduate transcript and MCAT score (official copy).

Our admissions office will be in touch via email regarding next steps. Please note that it is strongly recommended that individuals interested in the EDP plan to take the MCAT exam no later than early May of the application year so that scores are received by the Office of MD Admissions soon enough to be considered during the initial consideration of candidacy for the EDP. 

By Sept. 15 of the active application cycle, EDP applicants will be told one of three things:

• They were accepted.
• A decision on their application was deferred and they will be considered in the regular applicant pool.
• They were rejected.

Deferred EDP applications will receive a final decision from Feinberg in March.

Important Dates & Deadlines

All deadlines are 11:59 p.m. CST of the date noted.

Learn more at the AAMC Early Decision Program Guidelines.