If you already have a bachelor’s degree and are looking for options to continue your education in the medical field, Louisiana has three medical schools that award the Doctor of Medicine (M.D.) degree. This article focuses on those schools. Louisiana also has VCOM-Louisiana in Monroe, which awards the Doctor of Osteopathic Medicine (D.O.) degree. Two of the M.D.-granting schools are state-supported LSU institutions, so Louisiana residency can be an important admissions consideration. Admissions remain competitive, so prepare your application carefully.
Read on to examine your options for earning an M.D. degree in Louisiana.
Top Medical Schools in Louisiana
1. Louisiana State University Health Sciences Center
Founded in 1931, the Louisiana State University Health Sciences Center in New Orleans is home to one of the two medical schools in the Louisiana State University System. The M.D. curriculum begins with a 21-month preclerkship phase that includes discipline-based, organ system-based, and longitudinal courses focused on clinical and communication skills. After the preclerkship phase, students complete a clerkship-preparation course, seven core clinical clerkships, and a career-planning elective. Students take the USMLE Step 2 examination after their third year and must pass it to graduate.
The preclerkship phase uses lectures, team-based learning exercises, small-group discussions, and clinical-skills laboratory sessions. These learning experiences help students build the foundation they need to become a medical doctor. In addition to the M.D. degree, the school offers an M.D./Ph.D. program, an M.D./MPH dual degree, and an integrated OMS/M.D. program. LSU Health New Orleans also includes schools of Allied Health Professions, Dentistry, Graduate Studies, Nursing, and Public Health.
The school traces its clinical history to Charity Hospital, which LSU Health New Orleans says was replaced by University Medical Center New Orleans. Its educational facilities include the Russell C. Klein M.D. Center for Advanced Practice, which has a 32-station demonstration laboratory for cadaveric surgery, simulation classrooms, and a simulation operating room.
LSU Health New Orleans’ admissions criteria emphasize opportunities for prepared Louisiana applicants while also allowing applications from other states. Applicants must apply through AMCAS, submit the LSU secondary application, and provide the required recommendation letters or a pre-med committee recommendation. The school currently publishes a 30-hour policy: applicants may complete 30 or more post-baccalaureate hours in biology, chemistry, physics, or mathematics, and the admissions committee may use the GPA for those hours in the medical school application process.
2. Louisiana State University Health Sciences Center – Shreveport
Established in 1965, LSU Health Shreveport School of Medicine is the other medical school in the Louisiana State University System. For the 2025–26 academic year, LSU Health Shreveport reports 612 School of Medicine students and 609 residents and fellows. The M.D. program is a comprehensive four-year course of study. Students begin engaging with patients in their first year and build skills through standardized-patient experiences and clinical-skills training.
LSU Health Shreveport also includes a School of Graduate Studies and a School of Health Professions & Sciences. The School of Graduate Studies offers Ph.D. programs, master’s degrees, and a combined M.D./Ph.D. program. The School of Health Professions & Sciences offers programs in fields such as physician assistant studies, public health, communication disorders, occupational therapy, and physical therapy.
As a state-supported institution, LSU Health Shreveport says that a substantial majority of each matriculating class should be Louisiana residents. Its admissions FAQ states that approximately 20% of matriculants were from out of state in the most recently described cycle. In recent years, incoming students have averaged a 3.7 GPA, and the average MCAT score for accepted applicants in the last cycle was 507.
Applicants apply through AMCAS and must take the MCAT. They must also submit a secondary application and recommendation letters. Prospective students should review the school’s current admissions pages before applying because requirements and policies may change.
3. Tulane University
Founded in 1834 and located in New Orleans, Tulane University’s School of Medicine identifies itself as the 15th-oldest medical school in the United States. Tulane offers a four-year M.D. program. Combined degree options include the M.D./MPH, M.D./MBA, M.D./MS in Bioethics and Medical Humanities, and M.D./Ph.D.
Tulane’s M.D./MPH and M.D./MS programs can be completed in four years, while the M.D./MBA is a five-year program. Tulane Pathways to Medicine provides selected Tulane undergraduates with early-assurance admission after they complete their four years of undergraduate education and meet the program’s requirements. Tulane also offers the TRuMEd rural medical education program and international opportunities.
Tulane University School of Medicine lists more than 30 centers and institutes supporting education, research, and patient care, including programs related to hemophilia, culinary medicine, genetics, mental health, and cancer. Admissions are highly competitive. For the Class of 2029, Tulane received 13,814 AMCAS applications for a class of 190 students. The incoming class had an average MCAT score of 510 and an overall undergraduate GPA of 3.70.
Applicants apply through AMCAS and complete Tulane’s secondary application. A complete application also includes an MCAT score and recommendation letters. Interviews are by invitation, and approximately 600 applicants are invited each year. CASPer and DUET are optional; Tulane says applications and interview invitations are considered with or without these results. International students are welcome to apply through the same admissions process as domestic students. Tulane does not accept transfer students.
Applicants should check each school’s eligibility rules carefully. Tulane welcomes international applicants and uses the same admissions process for domestic and international students. LSU Health New Orleans does not accept international applications, while LSU Health Shreveport considers only U.S. citizens, permanent resident aliens, or asylees. Schools such as Louisiana State University Health Sciences Center and Tulane University offer clinical-training and simulation resources that can help students gain practical experience.
We hope this list of M.D.-granting medical schools in Louisiana was helpful. Make sure to check out our Study in the USA Page and the Available Courses for International Students for more information about studying in the United States!
