Kaiser Permanente is an integrated healthcare system that provides medical care and health coverage and promotes health and wellness, supporting its founding idea—one the Kaiser Permanente School of Medicine shares—that everyone deserves the chance to live a healthy life. For nearly 80 years, Kaiser Permanente has pursued its mission to provide high-quality, affordable healthcare services and improve the health of its members and communities it serves. Kaiser Permanente's social mission is reflected in its commitment to health equity for all and a culture of inclusion of diverse points of view and backgrounds.
Our students will have the opportunity to provide care in the healthcare system's medical offices and hospitals, and to be part of an integrated curriculum that brings together Biomedical, Clinical, and Health Systems Sciences.
Currently, the school has provisional accreditation from the Liaison Committee on Medical Education (LCME) to recruit and matriculate students, provisional approval from the California Bureau for Private Postsecondary Education (BPPE), and is a candidate for accreditation with WASC Senior College and University Commission (WSCUC) to offer degree programs.
As a new medical school, the Kaiser Permanente Bernard J. Tyson School of Medicine is in the process of obtaining initial accreditation from LCME and WSCUC, followed by full approval from California BPPE.
We encourage you to visit KPSOM’s accreditation page online to learn more.
The school is a private non-profit institution.
The school will waive all tuition and fees for classes entering in the fall of 2020 through 2025. This waiver will be available for each class for all four years of enrollment. We know that medical school is expensive, and that debt can impact students’ future career choices as well as the type or location of their clinical practice. Our hope is to minimize those concerns for our students.
Each cohort will have 48 to 50 students.
The school welcomes students who are committed to its mission and are intelligent, curious, and creative, and who aspire to deliver outstanding care to patients and uphold the highest values of the profession. A passion for learning paired with a collaborative spirit will help our students excel in an educational environment focused on excellence, well-being, and teamwork. To promote inclusivity, we seek a student body that represents different backgrounds, characteristics, attributes, points of view, life experiences, and identities.
Our program is allopathic, meaning all graduates will receive a Doctor of Medicine degree.
Yes, we welcome our students to pursue other programs with nearby universities.
Learn more about opportunities for other degrees here.
No. We encourage you to follow your own career path.
The school is not part of a university. However, we collaborate with nearby universities on various programs.
Pass/Fail Grades: Kaiser Permanente Bernard J. Tyson School of Medicine will accept Pass/Fail grades, without prejudice, for courses taken by applicants during the COVID-19 pandemic. It has always been the school’s practice to consider grades in the context of numerous other aspects of the application, and an international crisis certainly provides a unique and compelling circumstance.
The MCAT must be taken no later than September 2024. The oldest acceptable MCAT date is July 2022.
The school will accept Pass/Fail grades, without prejudice, for courses taken by applicants during the COVID-19 pandemic (applicable for the spring, summer, fall 2020, and spring 2021 quarter or semester). It has always been the school’s practice to consider grades in the context of other aspects of the application, and an international crisis certainly provides a unique and compelling circumstance.
The school will accept online coursework taken in spring, summer, and fall 2020, as well as spring and fall 2021. We do not recommend taking all prerequisite courses through online coursework. Please note that online bachelor’s degrees will not be considered in the application process. Bachelor’s degrees must be earned from an accredited college or university by the time of matriculation.
Our academic requirements include the following:
In addition, applicants should be able to explain why they believe the school would be a good fit for their academic interests and professional goals.
Required and recommended prerequisite courses can be found on the website here.
No. Although we will accept applications with courses pending, all coursework is required to be completed before you begin your first year at the school.
The school will consider applications from U.S. citizens, permanent residents of the U.S. (green card holders), and Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals (DACA) recipients. Applicants must have a bachelor’s degree from an accredited college or university in the U.S. or Canada.
The school is currently unable to accept international students on student visas.
Yes, students with DACA status are eligible to apply to the school.
Because the school’s curriculum is integrated to include classroom learning and clinical practice across all four years of education, we do not accept transfer students.
Applicants are asked to complete the MCAT no later than September 2024; For the 2025 application cycle, the school considers MCAT scores dating back to July 2022. There are no minimum requirements for quantitative measures like MCAT scores or GPA.
No. Our location in Pasadena, California, located just 10 miles from downtown Los Angeles, provides an ideal educational environment. However, we admit a student body that hails from all over the country.
We don’t require students to commit to any particular specialty. We encourage you to explore your interests at the school.
Students will be responsible for finding housing in Pasadena or the surrounding areas. We will be happy to help you identify your own housing and connect with classmates.
We expect our students to matriculate with the class into which they’re accepted. However, if you face extenuating circumstances, we will consider them.
For admissions questions, you may leave a voicemail at 888-KPMED4U and we will respond as soon as possible, or fill out an inquiry form here .
To apply, you’ll need to complete the American Medical College Application Service (AMCAS) application and fulfill subsequent AMCAS requirements such as submitting transcripts, letters of recommendation, and MCAT scores. You’ll also need to complete our school’s Secondary Application. View our Application Process.
AMCAS applications are due no later than October 1, 2024.
All applicants who complete the Primary Application through AMCAS and submit an MCAT score will be invited to submit our Secondary Application.
The school’s Secondary Application is due no later than November 1, 2024.
Yes. Beginning cycle 2024-2025, KPSOM will require the Association of American Medical Colleges Professional Readiness Exam (AAMC PREview ). The exam will be required for regular MD program & MD-PhD applicants. For more information regarding the PREview exam requirement, please view the Application Requirements.
We send offers of admission on a rolling basis beginning October 2024 through May 2025. View our Application Timeline.
No, online bachelor’s degrees will not be considered in the application process.
Yes, community college courses will be considered.
The school will accept application updates only from candidates who are invited to be interviewed. For the 2025 application cycle, the school will send out invitations for interviews on a rolling basis beginning in July 2024.
To get started, visit the AMCAS website .
Yes, KPSOM offers an MD-PhD dual degree program in conjunction with the California Institute of Technology (Caltech). For information and FAQs, visit the MD-PhD Program page.