Louisiana Medical Schools—2026-2027 Guide to Acceptance

Are you considering applying to medical school in Louisiana?  If so, look no further than our guide to the Pelican State.

But what’s it like to attend medical school in Louisiana, and how do you get accepted?

In this post, we’ll break down everything you need to know about going to medical school in Louisiana, including where the medical schools are located, what it’s like to live in Louisiana, how to apply, and tips for gaining acceptance to medical schools in Louisiana.

Laissez les bon temps rouler (let the good times roll)!

Are you applying to other states? Utilize our State Guide series for an in-depth look at the application process in various states across the country.

How Many Medical Schools Are in Louisiana?

There are currently 3 accredited allopathic medical schools in Louisiana and 1 osteopathic school.

However, a new MD medical school is on the way. The HBCU-associated allopathic medical school, the Xavier-Ochsner College of Medicine, is slated to open a New Orleans (NOLA) campus in the near future.

Additionally, the University of Queensland-Ochsner is an international Australian allopathic school that rotates at Ochsner facilities. More on all of these medical schools below.

List of Medical Schools in Louisiana

Allopathic Medical Schools in Louisiana (MD)

1. Tulane University School of Medicine
2. Louisiana State University Health Sciences Center in New Orleans
3. Louisiana State University Health Sciences Center at Shreveport
4. Honorable mention: University of Queensland-Ochsner
5. Honorable mention: Xavier University College of Medicine

Tulane University School of Medicine

TUSOM is a private institution in Louisiana. Founded in 1834, it’s also one of the oldest medical schools in the US. Located in the central business district of New Orleans, the medical school was originally established to combat yellow fever, smallpox, and other virulent diseases in one of the world’s busiest international ports.

TUSOM’s mission statement is:

We improve human health and foster healthy communities by discovering and translating the best science into clinical practice and education, delivering the highest quality patient care, and preparing the next generation of distinguished clinical and scientific leaders.

TUSOM has continued to offer groundbreaking research and innovative treatments for nearly 200 years, from the invention of the binocular microscope to discoveries in hypertension, cancer genetics, and translational research.

Regarding your medical school experience, TUSOM has a 2-year pass/fail preclinical curriculum and a clinical grading system that includes honors, high pass, pass, and fail. Applicants should be aware of a 25-hour community service requirement for the preclinical years, which is a great way to engage with your classmates and the city.

Then, as an MS4, you have a required 2-week block of community service, which requires you to be in New Orleans. The clinical experience is very strong, and the pathology in Louisiana is diverse. Students have the option of rotating throughout the state, which is valuable for those interested in rural healthcare.

For those interested in additional degrees, Tulane offers a 5-year MD/MBA program with the Freeman School of Business, the 5-year MD/MPH program at the Tulane School of Public Health and Tropical Medicine, MD/MS in Bioethics & Medical Humanities, and an MD/PhD physician-scientist training program.

Students who are a good fit for TUSOM not only have a well-rounded CV with a focus on service, but also a connection to Louisiana and the city. Although Tulane is a private institution, applicants who would be good advocates for the underserved patient population in Louisiana are prioritized.

Additionally, for undergraduates at Tulane, there is the Tulane Creative Scholars program, a BS/MD program with guaranteed acceptance to TUSOM that is MCAT-optional.

Median Academic Scores of Matriculants:

• Median GPA: 3.67
• Median MCAT: 510

Tulane University School of Medicine Secondary Questions.

In-State vs. Out-of-State Preference:

Louisiana State University Health Sciences Center in New Orleans (LSUHSC-New Orleans)

LSUHSC-New Orleans was founded in 1931 and is located in the central business district on the other side of the I-10 overpass from TUSOM.

LSUHSC-New Orleans’ mission statement:

The mission of the Louisiana State University School of Medicine New Orleans is to serve state and regional communities through excellence in teaching the next generation of physicians and scientists, advancing biomedical knowledge, and providing skilled and compassionate clinical care to all.

Applicants from Louisiana are given significant priority, as the school’s goal is to produce clinicians who will practice in the state.

For your medical school experience, LSUHSC-New Orleans offers a graded preclinical curriculum and an honors/high pass/pass/fail clinical grading system. Students rotate all around the state with options to rotate at Our Lady of the Lake Hospital Baton Rouge, a private hospital with a level 1 trauma center, and Ochsner University Hospital and Clinics in Lafayette.

Additional degrees offered include a 4-year MD/MPH and an MD/PhD physician-scientist training program.

With a strong clinical presence in Louisiana, students at LSUHSC-New Orleans have the opportunity to learn at some of the state’s premier institutions in a robust clinical environment. The volume and complexity of patients seen during your time at LSUHSC-New Orleans will prepare you well for residency.

Regarding acceptance, applicants from Louisiana are given priority; however, those who demonstrate a strong connection to the city and have a strong application will also receive significant consideration.

Median Academic Scores of Matriculants:

• Median GPA: 3.82
• Median MCAT: 509

Louisiana State University Health Sciences Center – New Orleans Secondary Questions.

In-State vs. Out-of-State Preference:

Louisiana State University Health Sciences Center-Shreveport (LSUHSC-Shreveport)

Officially established in 1966, LSU Health Sciences Center-Shreveport is the only allopathic medical school in North Louisiana, making it a vital center for medical education, research, and healthcare in the state.

LSUHSC-Shreveport’s mission is to:

“TEACH, HEAL, and DISCOVER, in order to advance the well-being of the State, region, and beyond.”

From day one, medical students gain hands-on experience working with patients while learning through lectures, small-group sessions, standardized patient encounters, and clinical skills training.

If you’re passionate about research, the school partners with both the School of Graduate Studies and Louisiana Tech to offer joint PhD programs. There is also a Research Distinction Track for students who want to delve deeper into research, as well as opportunities to join the American Medical Student Research Journal, which was founded by LSUHSC-Shreveport med students in 2013.

Similar to its counterpart in New Orleans, LSUHSC-Shreveport prioritizes students from Louisiana and boasts a robust clinical experience in North Louisiana, notably Willis-Knighton Medical Center, Shriners Hospital for Children, and Rapides Medical Center. You are bound to have an excellent clinical experience at the Port City and be well-prepared for residency.

Median Academic Scores of Matriculants:

• Median GPA: 3.80
• Median MCAT: 505

Louisiana State University Health Sciences Center – Shreveport Secondary Questions.

In-State vs. Out-of-State Preference:

Lagniappe: University of Queensland-Ochsner

In Louisiana slang, a lagniappe means a little something extra. Here we have an honorable mention of the University of Queensland-Ochsner, which is an international allopathic medical school that rotates at Ochsner facilities.

The school has a main campus in New Orleans with a full complement of residency programs, and an upcoming campus in Lafayette, also known as Acadiana or Cajun Country, which is arguably home to the best food in the state. Ochsner Lafayette inaugurated their first general surgery residency class in 2024 and is set to open an internal medicine program in the next few years.

Regarding the education at UQ-Ochsner, there are 80 to 100 UQ-Ochsner medical students in each class who spend their preclinical years at the University of Queensland in Brisbane, Australia, and move to Louisiana to complete their clinical rotations.

Unlike other international medical graduates (IMGs), they have guaranteed clinical sites and therefore, circumvent the hassle that some IMGs and osteopathic students face in trying to secure clinical rotations.

Additionally, the faculty is strong, with a world-class teaching facility and ample research resources. Oschner is the premier destination for surgical oncology, thanks to its partnership with MD Anderson, as well as for abdominal and cardiac transplant services.

These students have access to cutting-edge academic resources and robust clinical sites for primary care, perform at the same level as US MD graduates, and match well into competitive specialties. They also graduate 6 months earlier than US MD graduates, leaving time for research and completing Step 3 prior to residency.

This international school offers a unique option for medical training that is considered higher quality than pursuing the Caribbean route or becoming a DO. You’ll graduate with an MD degree and extensive clinical experience in the US.

Lagniappe: Xavier University College of Medicine (XOCOM-NOLA)

For those looking to apply in the upcoming years, the Xavier University College of Medicine is expected to open in New Orleans and may become an option for incoming college freshmen by the time they’re eligible to submit an AMCAS application.

Not to be confused with Xavier University School of Medicine in Aruba or the proposed Xavier University College of Osteopathic Medicine in Cincinnati, XOCOM-NOLA will be America’s only Catholic Historically Black College and University (HBCU).

Being the fifth allopathic HBCU to open, this is a significant milestone, and their medical campus will be located in the downtown Central Business District (CBD) next to the Caesars Superdome.

Though final touches are in the works, the school’s mission is as follows:

“As XOCOM advances healthcare equity and expands the physician workforce in the Gulf South, the medical school will also help the BioDistrict lead the region in healthcare excellence and promote inclusive, equitable job growth.”

Students with the following attributes will be a good fit:

1. Well-balanced research portfolios
2. A track record of serving underserved populations
3. A tie to Louisiana and a desire to practice in Louisiana

List of Osteopathic Medical Schools in Louisiana (DO)

1. Edward Via College of Osteopathic Medicine

Edward Via College of Osteopathic Medicine (VCOM)

The Edward Via College of Osteopathic Medicine was originally established in 2002 in Virginia, and its Louisiana campus opened in 2020. It is the only osteopathic school in Louisiana and is affiliated with the University of Louisiana at Monroe.

VCOM’s mission statement is:

The MISSION of the Edward Via College of Osteopathic Medicine (VCOM) is to prepare globally minded, community-focused osteopathic physicians to meet the needs of rural and medically underserved populations and advance research to improve human health.

VCOM-Louisiana places a strong emphasis on primary care. The new campus addresses the significant physician shortage in Louisiana, which currently ranks 39th in the US for per capita primary care physicians. A whopping 81% of the state has been designated as a health professional shortage area by the Louisiana Department of Health.

This leaves a great deal of room for VCOM graduates to make a significant impact in the lives of the Gulf region’s underserved citizens.

VCOM-Louisiana offers three different degree paths depending on your career goals: a Master’s in Biomedical Sciences, a Master’s in Applied Healthcare Data Analytics, and the Doctor of Osteopathic Medicine (DO) degree. The DO program integrates clinical practice into the curriculum from the outset, allowing students to learn medical theory while gaining practical experience simultaneously.

How Much Is Medical School Tuition in Louisiana?

So, how much does medical school cost in Louisiana?

Louisiana Tuition Costs (2025 Data From MSAR)

View the most recent AAMC tuition data.

• Additional fees not included.

But keep in mind that tuition is far from the only cost you’ll face. Medical school applications also come with several additional costs that can add up, including primary application fees, secondary application fees, exam fees, study resources, and interview travel expenses.

How Much Do Med School Applications Cost? This is the Full Price Analyzed.

Additionally, several other financial factors should be considered, including housing, transportation, food, exercise, and entertainment. Fortunately, the cost of living in Louisiana is 4% below the national average.

What It’s Like to Go to Medical School in Louisiana

While Louisiana’s official state nickname is the Pelican State after the state bird that appears on its flag, it also has several other nicknames, including the Bayou State, the Creole State, and Sportsman’s Paradise.

The weather in New Orleans is typically subtropical, with temperatures ranging from the high 90s and 100% humidity from June to September, followed by a pleasant 70s-80s in October and early November.

And along with the changing seasons comes the festival seasons, which include the Red Dress Run in the Warehouse District and White Linen Night, followed by Dirty Linen Night the next week—all of which take place in August. If you’re unfamiliar, these unique and rowdy festivals are definitely worth looking into.

And while it’s the Deep South, it actually does get cold(ish)! From late November to February, you can expect low-40s to low-30s. The snowstorm that hit Louisiana in January 2025 tied a 130-year-old record.

From late February to early March, it’s carnival season, also known as Mardi Gras. For those unfamiliar with this celebration, be prepared for a month of parades and festivities!

In the chilly weather (40s-50s), you can count on eating many king cakes, spending time with friends, and watching parades every weekend with locals and tourists, essentially celebrating the entire time. Louisiana medical schools have Fat Tuesday Week off because all the roads in the city are blocked (and this goes for some Monday and Thursday night football games as well).

Believe it or not, Mardi Gras season is family-friendly unless you decide to go to the tourist areas—the home of drunken debauchery, girls gone wild, and poor decisions. Unless you enjoy being squished like sardines on Bourbon St. while stepping in mystery liquid, be my guest. Also, a pro tip for Bourbon St., please wear closed-toe shoes!

From March to May, the weather is immaculate in the mid-70s, and there is a festival for everything, ranging from fried chicken, po-boy, and the classic NOLA sno-ball. Additionally, for music lovers, there’s the Jazz Fest in May. And before you imagine a dimly-lit cabaret stage with a lone trumpeter amidst dry martinis on red velvet tablecloths, take a look at 2025’s lineup.

If you hate live music and festivals, Louisiana isn’t an ideal place for you.

Something that sets Louisiana apart, too, is the people. The physicians from Louisiana who train outside of the state often come back with their Louisiana values intact. They are always welcoming and want to get to know you on a personal level, unlike larger programs where it is difficult to establish mentor-mentee relationships with faculty.

Lastly, things move very slowly in the Big Easy. You may be successful with research or founding a new healthcare startup, but be aware that you may face significant barriers.

Tips for Acceptance at Louisiana Medical Schools (MD and DO)

1 | Gain Experience with Underserved Communities

In Louisiana, you will be managing some of the sickest patients in the country. It’s a regular occurrence to be treating patients with AIDS, tuberculosis, complex polytrauma/burns requiring every service in the hospital, late-stage cancers, or everything at once. To make matters worse, Louisiana is also criminally underserved, with 81% of the state being designated a health professional shortage area by the Louisiana Department of Health.

A major focus of each school in Louisiana is supporting the underserved, which means it’s critical to demonstrate to admissions committees why you’re passionate about serving this community and addressing healthcare disparities. Even better, provide examples of how you have already served the underserved in Louisiana during undergrad, and how you plan to continue your medical practice in the state once you’re a board-certified physician.

Use authentic anecdotes from your past and your dreams for the future. Demonstrate this drive of yours through your extracurricular activities, such as volunteering at hospitals in urban, underserved areas.

By demonstrating a consistent commitment to these activities and consistently going above and beyond, it’s likely that your extracurricular supervisor will be happy to write a strong letter of recommendation that corroborates and highlights your desire to help the underserved.

2 | Illustrate a Passion for Practicing in Louisiana

This cannot be stressed enough. To be considered for a Louisiana school, your grades may take a back seat to your connection to Louisiana, as medical schools aim to train physicians who will stay in the state, which is deeply underserved.

Both TUSOM and LSUHSC-Shreveport ask direct questions about your relationship with Louisiana and how you would specifically help remedy the health disparities in the state, as well as the city of New Orleans. Be prepared to tell your story during your interview.

Most students blend together, but geographic ties will set someone apart from the pack.

3 | Understand That Louisiana Is Not for Everyone

According to our Insider, who also says this with love, Louisiana rightfully deserves the title of “worst state in the country.” Aside from termite swarms, flash flooding, and giant cockroaches, infrastructural disasters will have a direct impact on your medical education.

Power will go out for no reason, and you’d still be charged a $300 monthly bill. And have you heard of a “boil water advisory?” To those unfamiliar, it’s when there is a break in the supercentenarian system of lead pipes in the city, causing sewage to leak into your drinking water. Hence, you boil your water before you drink it and try not to think about it.

To add to the biblical levels of natural disasters and anemic infrastructure plaguing Louisiana, the state is also severely lacking in safety. When traversing New Orleans, you have to have a block-by-block knowledge of the safe and unsafe areas in the city.

In general, if you walk alone at night near the medical campus in the Central Business District (CBD), you’re asking for trouble. For nuclear families who want a house, yard, and a dog where things are quiet by 10 pm, options are limited in NOLA, but abundant in Shreveport or Monroe.

If you have been living in a sheltered suburb your whole life with accessible public transportation and stalwart city infrastructure, it’s important to ask yourself if you will be able to survive the unpredictability you will experience in this state.

How to Apply to Louisiana Medical Schools (MD)

To apply to allopathic medical schools in Louisiana, you’ll need to use the American Medical College Application Service (AMCAS), which is the AAMC’s centralized medical school application processing service.

This is the main application method for entering first-year classes at the vast majority of US medical schools, so regardless of the number of schools to which you wish to apply, you only need to submit one set of application materials to AMCAS, and the system handles the rest.

Here’s what you need to know about applying to med schools in Louisiana.

1 | Application Requirements

Your primary application consists of several components, each of which is crucial to your acceptance.

A strong primary application is composed of your college transcripts, including your GPA, MCAT score, a narrative-driven personal statement, strong letters of recommendation, and a detailed and diverse Work and Activities section.

In addition, you may be encouraged or required to take a situational judgment test, either the AAMC PREview exam or Acuity Insights.

At the time of this article, Tulane recommends both aspects of Acuity Insights—Casper and Duet.

Casper is a computer-based situational judgment test administered by Acuity Insights. It was created to evaluate who applicants are beyond their grades and hard skills. Instead, the test assesses your soft skills, including professionalism, communication, empathy, and ethical decision-making.

Duet is a brief value alignment assessment that asks you what you look for in a medical school and then matches you with schools with similar values.

LSUHSC-NOLA recommends Casper but not Duet, and LSUHSC-Shreveport neither recommends nor requires Casper or Duet.

The AAMC PREview Professional Readiness Exam is another situational judgment test designed to assess a premed’s professionalism—but this one was developed by the AAMC, essentially in response to the popularity of Casper.

At this time, AAMC PREview is not required by any Louisiana medical school. However, LSUHSC-NO is among 37 med schools across the US considering incorporating PREview into future application cycles. While they can view scores, they won’t be using PREview scores to evaluate applications for the 2025 application year.

Once you submit your primary application, a secondary application will likely be sent to you within two to four weeks. Unlike the primary application, you will submit your secondaries directly to each school from which you received them.

If you catch the admissions committee’s interest, you could receive an invitation to interview at any point between the end of August and the spring of the following year.

Learn about the complete application process and how to succeed at each step with our How to Get Into Medical School Guide.

2 | Application Deadlines

While the AMCAS application opens during the first week of May, the actual submissions occur at the end of May or early June. If you plan to start medical school in the fall of 2027, you must begin the application process in the spring of 2026.

It is essential to understand that the technical deadlines for your application do not accurately reflect the reality of the situation.

Applications are reviewed on a rolling basis, meaning they are assessed as they are received. The first people to submit are the first to receive secondaries, and then they are the first to receive interview invitations. Schools can only accept so many students, so the longer you delay submitting your application, the worse your chances of acceptance.

We cannot stress this enough: applying as soon as submissions open is crucial to your success. That also applies to submitting your secondaries and securing interviews. For the vast majority of medical schools throughout the country, interviews typically begin in September and continue through March of the following year.

Here’s what you should be working on month-by-month: Medical School Application Timeline and Monthly Schedule. (Updated every application cycle.)

How to Apply to Osteopathic Medical Schools in Louisiana

Applying to Louisiana’s only osteopathic (DO) school is quite similar to applying to the state’s MD schools. The primary application for DO schools is also composed of your transcripts (GPA), MCAT score, personal statement, letters of recommendation (evaluation), and an experiences and achievements section.

However, there are a couple of major differences. For one thing, you’ll apply through the American Association of Colleges of Osteopathic Medicine Application Service (AACOMAS) instead of AMCAS.

The other main difference is that you’ll need to demonstrate your familiarity and experience with osteopathic medicine. Your DO personal statement directly asks why you want to become an osteopathic doctor (DO) instead of an MD, and one of your letter of evaluation writers must be a DO.

Learn more about the DO application process: AACOMAS Application Guide for DO Schools.

Bottom Line: Is Going to Medical School in Louisiana Right for You?

Medical schools in Louisiana offer excellent opportunities to hone your research and clinical skills, but beyond the school’s resources, it matters whether or not you enjoy the community and environment you’ll call home for the next four or more years.

And when it comes to Louisiana, there’s a lot to love, and even more to get used to.

Pros of Medical School in Louisiana

• Strong clinical experience and exposure
• World-class food scene
• Vibrant music scene
• Tons of festivals
• Strong Southern Hospitality
• Warm, tropical weather
• The physicians you work with genuinely want to get to know you

Cons of Medical School in Louisiana

• Ranked the worst state in the US
• Ranked the worst economy in the US
• Some of the highest poverty rates in the US
• Terrible pollution
• Obesity rates are high
• High violent crime rates
• Natural disasters are prevalent (hurricanes and flash floods)
• Power outages are common
• Extremely hot and humid weather
• Tons of bugs (mosquitoes, termites, cockroaches)
• Boil water advisories
• Crumbling infrastructure (Just look at @lookatthisfuckinstreet on Instagram)
• Relocation for clinical rotations (moving cities)

Louisiana offers a world-class food and entertainment scene alongside an enlightening and rewarding clinical experience. But it comes with its fair share of challenges.

In our Insider contributor’s opinion, the type of person who would do well in Louisiana is a self-starter and maverick who doesn’t take themselves too seriously but takes their work seriously, maintaining a strong drive for excellence in spite of the many roadblocks they will face living in Louisiana.

To secure a spot in a Tier I residency coming from Louisiana, you must excel academically (crush Step 2), given the limited opportunities and connections compared to other prestigious institutions.

It’s all about compromise. You will graduate from med school here ready to take care of patients on day one and be exposed to more complex pathology than your peers. Although ranked the “worst state” in the US, it presents many opportunities to become the best physicians for your patients.

Laissez les bon temps rouler!

What Adcoms Are Looking For

Regardless of the state where you’re applying, admissions committees are looking for students who demonstrate genuine engagement with their communities, personal resilience, and the ability to contribute meaningfully to their incoming class. Academic achievements alone won’t distinguish your application—what matters is authentic passion and sustained commitment to your goals.

Med School Insiders can help you develop a standout application that resonates with admissions committees in each of the states you’re applying to.

Whether you need a comprehensive application strategy, detailed essay feedback, or interview preparation, our services are tailored to meet your individual circumstances and goals. Don’t leave your medical school dreams to chance—contact us today to find out how you can transform your application from good to truly memorable.

Thank you to one of our Insider contributors from Tulane University School of Medicine for this guide.