Premed Postbac Linkages: Complete 2026–27 List

Last updated September 2026

One of the most annoying parts of researching postbacs is that linkage lists are scattered across ten different program websites, and the lists change every year. So we pulled them all into one place. Below you’ll find every current linkage at the programs in our top 10 career changer postbac rankings, followed by our take on whether linking is actually right for you.

Which Postbac Programs Have the Most Linkages?

Bryn Mawr has the most, with 14 partner medical schools. Columbia is next with 10 medical schools (plus a dental school), followed by Goucher (8) and Johns Hopkins (7).

Linkages at the Top 10 Career Changer Postbacs (2026–27)

A few notes: UVA doesn’t publish its list. Pitt lists UVA as a linkage partner, and others have reported a second linkage we couldn’t confirm. Columbia also lists Ben-Gurion’s international medical school, which isn’t currently accepting applicants. Lists change every year, so always confirm with the program before you apply!

What the List Tells You

Pitt is everywhere. Seven of the ten programs have a linkage with the University of Pittsburgh. Even better, Pitt doesn’t require or consider the MCAT for linkage applicants. The catch? You need to keep a 3.75+ GPA in your postbac, and any grade below a B can knock you out.

Some names show up a lot. Rutgers Robert Wood Johnson appears on six lists and Hofstra/Northwell on five. Boston University, Brown, NYU, and Weill Cornell each appear on four or more.

Lists shrink. Bryn Mawr had 18 linkage partners around 2018; today it has 14. According to Hopkins, GW’s medical school ended its outside postbac linkages in 2024, and Michigan ended all of its postbac linkages in 2025. The point isn’t that linkages are going away. It’s that the list you saw when you started researching may not be the list that exists when you apply. Don’t rely on a blog post from three years ago (including an old version of this one!).

What Is a Postbac Linkage?

A linkage is an agreement between a postbac program and a medical school that allows qualified students to apply for admission on an accelerated timeline. The biggest advantage is that you can potentially go straight from your postbac into medical school instead of spending a year applying during the traditional gap or glide year.

The big caveat: just because your postbac has a linkage doesn’t mean you’ll actually qualify to use it. Each medical school has its own GPA, testing, and application requirements, and some linkage spots are quite competitive.

A Linkage Is Not Guaranteed

Every linkage has its own rules. Some require a postbac GPA above 3.7 or 3.8. Some require an MCAT score; others let you skip the MCAT entirely. Some medical schools also accept only a limited number of linkage applicants from each postbac.

This is where good advising at the postbac itself matters. Your program director can help you figure out which linkage, if any, makes sense for your particular profile.

Advantages of Linkages

The obvious benefit is time. Instead of completing your postbac and then spending the next year applying, you may be able to start medical school immediately.

You also avoid much of the normal medical school application process: dozens of secondary essays, multiple interviews, and months of waiting. And depending on the linkage, you may be able to skip the MCAT entirely.

For a career changer who is already several years out of college, saving a year can be a big deal.

Disadvantages of Linkages

The biggest downside is that you give up flexibility. A linkage is generally a commitment to one medical school, so you don’t get to apply broadly and compare acceptances, locations, or financial-aid offers.

That can matter financially. If you’re an unusually strong applicant who might otherwise receive multiple acceptances or merit offers, linking may mean giving up some negotiating power.

You also give up the glide year. For some applicants that’s exactly the point. For others, an extra year to work, travel, do research, or simply live outside of school for a while is actually valuable.

Should You Try to Link?

It depends. If you’re confident about a particular medical school, meet the linkage requirements, and value saving a year, linking can be incredibly attractive.

On the other hand, if you want to apply broadly, compare financial-aid offers, or aren’t sure where you ultimately want to attend medical school, the traditional application route may make more sense.

One thing I would absolutely consider when choosing a postbac is whether the program gives you linkage options you would actually use. A program having 14 linkages isn’t automatically better than one having three if none of those 14 schools interest you.

Choosing a Postbac Based on Linkages

Linkages are worth considering, but they shouldn’t be the only reason you choose a program. Advising quality, cost, location, class structure, and your likelihood of actually qualifying for the linkage all matter.

If you’re comparing programs, check out our 2026–27 career-changer postbac rankings, where we compare linkages along with cost, cohort size, advising, and other factors.

If you’re trying to figure out which programs make sense for your own profile, we also offer 30-minute introductory strategy sessions.