SLAM is composed of the Student National Medical Association (SNMA), Latin American Medical Student Association (LAMSA), Asian Pacific American Medical Student Association (APAMSA), and Medical Student Pride Alliance (MSPA).
Is Tulane A Good Medical School? (Major Pros and Cons)
Tulane University School of Medicine is a private, not-for-profit medical school located in New Orleans, Louisiana. It was founded in 1834 and took the title of the 15th oldest medical school in the United States and the second most senior medical school in the deep south.
But do its age and tradition point to its quality?
We’ve been doing some digging, and here’s what we found out.
Is Tulane A Good Medical School?
Yes, TULANE is an excellent medical school. They offer students many paths to reach their MD degree and hold excellent research programs. The institution has many teaching hospitals, a diverse environment, and plenty of extracurricular opportunities through students’ clubs and organizations. Scholarships are available to help ease the burden of its high-cost tuition. But it’s not one of the most prestigious med schools and is yet still very competitive.
Read on to find out more about Tulane, learn about its pros and cons, and see if it’s a good fit for you.
Tulane: The Positives
Based on our research, here’s what we found to be the main positives of Tulane that make for its reputation as a good school.
1. Several paths to the MD degree
There are many paths to the MD degree at Tulane:
- The traditional, four-year MD program
- The MD/MBA
- The MD/MPH
- The MD/MS in Bioethics
- The MD/PhD
That means there are plenty of avenues to become accredited, qualified, and start your journey.
Not every med school has such a diverse range of MD paths!
2. Different graduate certificates
Tulane offers a Clinical Research Certificate and a Sports Medicine Certificate.
The Certificate in Clinical Research Program aims to deliver clinical professionals fundamentals of clinical research in less time than the MS degree program requires.
Tulane School of Medicine’s graduate certificate in sports medicine is a 100% online series of courses guided by experienced instructors.
3. Scholarship opportunities
Tulane offers students many financial aid packages to offset its high cost. These include merit and need-based scholarships, as well as service-based scholarships, such as the ROTC Scholarship Program.
There are also outside scholarship opportunities and several subsidized and unsubsidized credit, all of which are explained in Tulane’s graduate financial aid guide.
If you also want to pursue a PhD, know that PhD students receive full tuition and non-service-required and teaching assistantship stipends in the first two years. For the third year and beyond, earnings are usually Research Assistantships, carrying full tuition.
4. Diversity
Tulane takes diversity seriously. They have an Office of Multicultural Affairs and SLAM – a coalition of student-led organizations representing marginalized and underrepresented populations in medicine and advocating for racial, economic, and gender equity at Tulane University School of Medicine.
SLAM is composed of the Student National Medical Association (SNMA), Latin American Medical Student Association (LAMSA), Asian Pacific American Medical Student Association (APAMSA), and Medical Student Pride Alliance (MSPA).
And as you probably know, New Orleans is a super diverse place (as evidenced in the video below)…
5. Teaching hospitals
Tulane’s School of Medicine counts on excellent teaching facilities and hospitals. It includes many institutions, such as:
- Tulane Medical Center
- University Medical Center of New Orleans
- Southeastern Louisiana Veteran’s Healthcare System
- Southeastern Louisiana Veteran’s Healthcare System
- Ochsner Medical Center
- Tulane Lakeside Hospital
- Children’s Hospital
- Touro Hospital
- Northlake Behavioral Health System
- Veteran’s Affairs Medical Center at Alexandria
- East Jefferson Medical Center
- West Jefferson Medical Center
- Veteran’s Affairs Medical Center at Biloxi, Mississippi
- Baton Rouge General Medical Center
- Our Lady of the Lake Regional Medical Center
- Rapides Regional Medical Center
6. Opportunities for finding mentors
The Tulane Learning Communities (TLC) aim to enhance the social connectivity of the School of Medicine and provide direct mentoring to students through individual meetings and group social events.
7. Variety of clubs and organizations
The Tulane University School of Medicine Medical Student Government (MSG) governs all student-run organizations. It represents the TUSOM student body to the larger Tulane University community and New Orleans.
It centralizes academic interest groups, clinical specialty interest groups, national organizations, and student life groups.
8. A innovative culinary medicine program.
The Goldring Center for Culinary Medicine is the first-ever culinary medicine program integrated with a medical school. Students learn nutrition, health, and patient counseling from the first year.
9. Customized experience in academic programs
The Master Programs in Biomedical Science Graduate Program (BMS) takes an interdisciplinary approach to graduate education and research, allowing students to customize their experiences in their careers.
The program offers 18 different master’s degrees and a Ph.D. in biomedical sciences, giving candidates the ability to be collaborative, innovative, and creative.
TULANE: The Negatives
And while most of our research points to Tulane being reputable and decent, there are some negatives that students and applicants report.
1. Competitive admission
Although Tulane University School of Medicine is unranked, it’s very popular with students. The Tulane University School of Medicine admissions are competitive, and the acceptance rate is low.
The statistics for the class of 2025 points us what Tulane expect from prospective students:
- Average MCAT score: 508
- Average GPA: 3.52
- Matriculants: 190
- Applications: 17,228
Tulane invites approximately 600 applicants to interview each year. The college has not published its most recent acceptance rate. But it is possible to estimate its acceptance rate is 2–3 percent in the ballpark.
2. Ranking and prestige
Tulane university ranks 84th in the Best Colleges in the country. Unfortunately, the Medical School is unranked, not even in US New.
3. High tuition and cost of living.
Tulane’s 2021–2022 tuition and fees for Med School run $69,308. Adding room, board, and other expenses bring the estimated cost to $98,952 for a resident and $79,944 for a commuter.
Does Tulane accept AP credits?
Tulane awards credit for 4 or 5 on most AP exams and 5, 6, or 7 on most higher-level IB exams. That’s a huge plus!
Conclusion: Is Tulane a good medical school?
Tulane is a good option for med school. They offer students many paths to reach their MD degree and hold excellent research programs. The institution has many teaching hospitals, a diverse environment, and plenty of extracurricular opportunities through students’ clubs and organizations. Scholarships are available to help ease the burden of its high-cost tuition. Despite this, it is not one of the most prestigious med schools and is very competitive.
Of course, it’s not perfect (as the above negatives show). Still, it does provide an excellent student experience for the most part.
Sources:
Tulane University School of Medicine
Founded in 1834, Tulane University School of Medicine is a Private (not-for-profit) school located in New Orleans, LA. It is the medical school at Tulane University of Louisiana. The application deadline for Tulane University School of Medicine is November 15 and the application fee is $125.
Tulane University School of Medicine is ranked 113 rd in Best Medical Schools.The following statements briefly introduce Tulane University School of Medicine along with key academic facts.
- The average MCAT Score of enrolled students at Tulane University School of Medicine is 509 – the average MCAT score of U.S. medical schools is 512.
- The average GPA of enrolled students at Tulane University School of Medicine is 3.52 – the average GPA score of U.S. medical schools is 3.73.
- The 2023 medical school tuition at Tulane University School of Medicine is $71,262 – the average medical school tuition is $62,125.
- The acceptance rate* at Tulane University School of Medicine is 1.10% – the average acceptance rate of U.S. medical school is 3.52%.
- Total 796 medical school students have enrolled to Tulane University School of Medicine for academic year 2022-2023.
2023 Tulane University School of Medicine Tuition and Fees
The 2023 tuition at Tulane University School of Medicine is $71,262. The 2023 tuition and fees is increased by 2.82% compared to the previous year rate (2022). Tulane University School of Medicine’s tuition is 13.29% higher than average tuition of U.S. medical schools and similar to the average tuition of Louisiana medical schools.
The medical school tuition differs and more expensive than the regular undergraduate and graduate programs. The average undergraduate program tuition and fees at Tulane University of Louisiana is $62,844. The average graduate schools tuition and fees other than medical school is $63,244.
The average living costs including room and board and transportation costs is $23,846 and the personal miscellaneous expenses is $2,258.
| Tulane University School of Medicine Tuition and Fees | $71,262 |
|---|---|
| U.S. Private Medical School Average | $62,900 |
| Louisiana Private Medical School Average | $71,262 |
| Living Costs | $23,846 |
| Miscellaneous expenses | $2,258 |
| Books and Supplies | $1,500 |
| Undergraduate Program | $62,844 |
| Graduate Program | $63,244 |
4-Yeras MD Program Total Costs
The tuition for MD program varies by medical years depending on mandatory fees and required course works. The estimated COA (cost of attendance) for the standard four(4) years MD program at Tulane University School of Medicine is $399,748 based on the current tuition rate. The COA includes the costs for tuition and fees, room and board, transportation, books and supplies, and other personal miscellaneous expenses. The next table summarizes medical school costs for four(4) years by year and cost item.
| Year 1 | Year 2 | Year 3 | Year 4 | 4 Years Estimation | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Tuition and Fees | $71,262 | $71,262 | $71,262 | $71,262 | $285,048 |
| Room and Board / transportation | $23,846 | $24,491 | $29,725 | $23,266 | $101,328 |
| Books and Supplies | $1,500 | $1,500 | $750 | $150 | $3,900 |
| Miscellaneous Expenses | $2,258 | $2,258 | $2,754 | $2,202 | $9,472 |
| COA | $98,866 | $99,511 | $104,491 | $96,880 | $399,748 |
MCAT and GPA Scores
The average MCAT score of enrolled students at Tulane University School of Medicine is 509. Compared to the average MCAT of all medical schools, the MCAT score of Tulane University School of Medicine is around average of U.S. medical schools (the average score is 512).
The average GPA is 3.52 and it is lower compared to other medical schools (the average GPA is 3.73).| 2023 | |
|---|---|
| MCAT – Tulane University School of Medicine | 509 |
| U.S. Medical Schools | 512 |
| Louisiana Medical Schools | 508 |
| GPA – Tulane University School of Medicine | 3.52 |
| U.S. Medical Schools | 3.73 |
| Louisiana Medical Schools | 3.62 |
Acceptance Rate and Yield
The 2023 acceptance rate at Tulane University School of Medicine is 1.10% where 15,925 applicants have applied to and 190 students have accepted and finally enrolled to school. The acceptance rate at Tulane University School of Medicine is much lower (extremely difficult to get in) compared to other medical schools in united states (the average acceptance rate is 3.52%). Note that the acceptance rate means the percentage of applicants who are accepted and enrolled (not just accepted).
| Total | Residency | Gender | |||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Louisiana | Other State | Men | Women | ||
| Applicants | 17,225 | 482 (2.8%) |
16,743 (97.2%) |
7,131 (41.4%) |
10,077 (58.5%) |
| Enrolled | 190 | 32 (16.8%) |
158 (83.2%) |
92 (48.4%) |
98 (51.6%) |
| Acceptance Rate | 1.10% | 6.60% | 0.94% | 1.29% | 0.97% |
| U.S. Medical Schools | 3.52% | 10.29% | 1.04% | 3.48% | 3.56% |
| Louisiana Medical Schools | 2.61% | 16.60% | 0.51% | 2.59% | 2.62% |
New Students and Total Enrollment
For the academic year 2021-2022, total 190 first-time students have enrolled in Tulane University School of Medicine.By residency, 16.8% of new students is Louisiana residents and 83.2% of enrolled students from other States. By gender, 51.6% of enrolled students is women and 48.4% is men students.
A total of 796 students have enrolled to Tulane University School of Medicine. By gender, there are 404 male and 392 female students at Tulane University School of Medicine.
| 2022 | |
|---|---|
| Total Enrollment | 796 |
| Men Students | 404 |
| Women Students | 392 |
| First-time Students | 190 |
