McGovern Medical School Partnership

Established in 2019, the McGovern partnership is a facilitated acceptance program between Rice Humanities majors and the UT Health-McGovern Medical School.

The first of its kind in the United States, the program will admit eight humanities juniors every year, with the goal of bringing more intellectual diversity into the medical profession. This partnership program builds on Rice University’s long-standing relationship with the Texas Medical Center and on the School of Humanities’ Medical Humanities program.

Learn more

For more information about the facilitated acceptance program with McGovern Medical School, see the Frequently Asked Questions below.

Please also visit the McGovern Medical School website for more information. For more information, please contact humanities@rice.edu.

Facilitated acceptance program FAQs

Q: When can I apply?

A: You can apply in the fall semester the year before you intend to graduate. For many students, this will be fall of their junior year. If you plan to graduate in three years, it might be the fall of your sophomore year. If you plan to graduate in five years, it would be in the fall of your fourth year at the university. We do not accept applications off-cycle.

Q: What are the requirements for applying to to the facilitated acceptance program?

A: The requirements are U.S. citizenship; a declared Humanities major; 3.7 GPA (3.5 BCPM); and 510 MCAT (125 per section). But please also see below for the McGovern Medical School requirements, and the TMDSAS requirements.

Q: When will the application be available and how will the application process work?

A: The application will likely be posted in September 2020 with an application due date sometime in October. Please check this website for updates.

Here's how the application process will work:

• Students must submit the application form with three letters of recommendation, a personal statement and a transcript by the deadline. See the Office of the Registrar's website for transcript request information.
• Interviews with representatives from Rice and McGovern Medical School will be scheduled in late October.
• A background check will be performed following the interviews.
• Acceptance letters will be sent in November.
• Students who are accepted into the program must take the MCAT between January and June.
• Approved candidates will be invited to participate in a Summer Enrichment Experience at the McGovern Medical School between their junior and senior year at Rice.
• Students must complete the UT Health-McGovern Medical School application. See the medical school's application process page for more information and please refer to the TMDSAS website for application deadlines and important dates.

Q: How many students will be accepted each year?

A: Up to eight students will be accepted each year.

Q I am minoring in a Humanities program. Am I eligible to participate?

A: No, participation is for declared Humanities majors only.

Q: I plan to switch to a Humanities major but I will not have completed nine credit hours before my junior year. Am I eligible to participate?

A. To be eligible for this program, students must have a) completed three courses (9 credit hours) in a Humanities major by the end of the Spring of their sophomore year; or b) completed two courses (6 credit hours) in a Humanities major by the end of the spring of their sophomore year, and be enrolled in at least two courses (6 credits) in their major after the mid-semester (mid-October) drop deadline for Fall semester of their junior year. Any exceptions must be requested and approved in writing by the director of the Medical Humanities program.

Q: I am doing an area major with a substantial number of required Humanities courses as part of the major. Am I eligible to apply?

A. Area majors will be considered on a case-by-case basis. Please contact the director of Medical Humanities to discuss the details of your case, and note that if you are deemed eligible, the application will require that you submit documentation of permission from the director of Medical Humanities.

Q: I am majoring in a Humanities field and in a field outside of the School of Humanities. What if I’m accepted into the program, but then fail to complete the requirements for my Humanities major by the time that I graduate? What if I “drop” my Humanities major?

A: To qualify for facilitated acceptance, you must graduate with a Humanities major.

Q: I have completed the required number of credits in Humanities courses, but I am not majoring in the Humanities. Am I eligible to participate?

A: No, participation is for declared Humanities majors only.

Q: I plan to graduate in three years. Am I eligible to participate?

A: If you meet all of the other criteria by the Fall of the year prior to the year you expect to graduate, then you will be eligible to participate. (For example, if you enter Rice in Fall 2020, and plan to graduate in Spring 2023, then you would have to meet eligibility criteria by Fall of 2021.)

Q: If I am accepted into this program, does that guarantee admission to UT medical school?

A: No.

Q: If I am accepted into this program, am I required to attend UT medical school?

A: No.

Q: Could I be admitted to the Rice program but defer for a year to complete medical school required courses during a postbac year?

A: No.

Q: What are the requirements for applying to UT McGovern Medical School?

A: Those requirements are listed on the UT McGovern Medical School website, here.

Q: What are the TMDSAS Medical School Course Requirements?

A: Those courses are listed here.

Q: Can I get more guidance about applying to medical school from someone at Rice?

A: Yes, please visit the Office of Academic Advising for Pre-Health Professions.

Q: Will grades from required pre-med courses taken outside of Rice be treated the same as Rice courses in terms of TMDSAS premed GPA?

A: Yes.

Q: Can summer session courses count toward pre-med requirement?

A: Yes, but students should be aware that medical school admissions committees will note which courses were taken at Rice versus outside of Rice.

Q: Can study abroad courses count toward the pre-med requirements?

A: A few study abroad programs have agreements with Rice to transfer grades to the Rice transcript and count those grades toward the Rice GPA, but many programs only transfer credit, not grades. Please check the specific details for each study abroad program, and consult with the Rice Study Abroad Office.