FAQs

DM will consider any student with a minimum cumulative GPA of 3.0.

Income eligibility is based on many factors including, but not limited to, geographic location and family size. Students whose families have an adjusted gross income of over $100,000 are not eligible. You can find this information on your parents’ tax return.

Decision Medicine will only accept applications from students who live and attend high school in San Joaquin County. No exceptions will be made.

DM will only accept applications from students who are sophomores or junior at the time they submit an application and MUST be 16 years old by the first official day of the program. There are NO exceptions as this is a requirement of many of our host sites.

You must be 16 years old by the first official day of the program which does not include the Orientation.

While we greatly appreciate the significant motivation and academic excellence it takes to skip a grade, all students must be 16 years old by the first official day of the program. This is a requirement of many of the hospitals and other host sites we visit during the program. No exceptions can be made.

All eligible applicants to DM must be low-income as defined above. Many, though not all, of our students will be the first in their families to attend college. There are many other similar programs that will motivate and challenge you. Please see question below regarding other programs and resources.

Yes. There are a variety of similar programs that we would encourage you to explore and consider. Please visit:

• https://health.ucdavis.edu/diversity/k12_outreach.html
• http://med.stanford.edu/cssec/summer-internship.html
• https://med.stanford.edu/medcsi/about.html
• https://med.stanford.edu/psychiatry/special-initiatives/CNIX.html
• http://misahealth.com/programs/
• https://universitycollege.tufts.edu/high-school/programs/mini-med-school-advanced-topics-in-medicine
• https://www.nslcleaders.org/youth-leadership-programs/summer-medical-programs/#section-2
• https://www.pacific.edu/about-pacific/summer/precollege-summer-program/learning

No. All completed applications must be submitted by March 2 at 11:59 p.m. Applications submitted after the deadline cannot be accepted for any reason.

Applicants should allow at least 30 minutes to complete the application. The application cannot be saved and must be completed in one session; applicants may be timed out.

We strongly recommend typing essay responses in a Word or Google document and copying them into the application before submitting.

Please plan to submit your application well before the deadline. In past years, applicants have missed the deadline due to unexpected circumstances such as power outages or internet disruptions. Submitting early helps avoid these situations.

1. Why are you interested in a career in medicine? How would this career path benefit you, your family and/or your community?  (250 words max)
2. Please describe a time in the last year when you had to demonstrate your leadership or problem-solving abilities in an academic or extracurricular activity (e.g. student organization, class, sports team, volunteer group, church, etc.). (100 words max)
3. Describe any responsibilities or volunteer opportunities you have at home, school, church or in the community which relate to your career choice of becoming a physician.  (100 words max)
4. Please list your top three extracurricular activities. These are any activities outside of school work that are most important to you or take most of your free time (job, sports, clubs, etc.) (20 words max)

Complete applications for DM are due on or before March 2. Incomplete applications will not be accepted after this date for any reason. Please plan ahead

Decision Medicine is a competitive program. Each year, we typically receive 125+ applications for 24 available spots.

We look for students who demonstrate a genuine interest in becoming a physician, along with motivation to learn, grow, and engage fully in the program. While academic performance is an important part of our review process, we also understand that students come from diverse backgrounds and circumstances.

Applicants with a minimum GPA of 3.0 will be considered, particularly those who show an upward trend in their academic performance and strong motivation through their application and essays.

All applications are first screened by San Joaquin Medical Society (SJMS) staff to confirm eligibility. Eligible applications are then reviewed and scored by Decision Medicine Program Facilitators and SJMS member physicians.

Based on this review, selected applicants will be invited to participate in an in-person panel interview, tentatively scheduled for Saturday, April 11, 2026.

The final 24 students are selected by the interview panel after reviewing:

• The completed application and essays
• Verified GPA
• Cumulative personal interview score

Applicants will be notified of their final status by email following the interview process.

Students will be notified via email in early April. Please do not call our office to check on the status of your application. Make sure to keep an eye on your junk mail as our emails occasionally are filtered out. Additionally, we post important updates on our Facebook and Instagram pages.

Applicants must attend the scheduled interview day to be considered for program selection. However, we may be able to schedule an alternative time in the afternoon following your test. Please plan accordingly.

Decision Medicine receives over a hundred applications from well-qualified students. We carefully and thoughtfully review all applications before we make any admission decisions. However, we are limited in the number of students who are selected for DM each year. Please understand that your application was reviewed carefully and that our decision wasn't an easy one to make. We are unable to reconsider our enrollment decisions. All decisions are final.

Students accepted into Decision Medicine are asked to sign a program agreement which confirms you are available to attend each day of the program including Orientation and Celebration Banquet. Students who cannot participate in each scheduled activity are not eligible to participate in Decision Medicine.