Admissions Policies

UA College of Medicine – Tucson and Phoenix

Admissions Policies

The University of Arizona College of Medicine offers full, four-year medical education programs in Tucson and Phoenix.

Both programs participate in the American Medical College Application Service (AMCAS), and both follow the recommended application and acceptance procedures of the Association of American Medical Colleges (AAMC). These can be found in the most recent copy of the Medical School Admissions Requirements Guidebook, published annually by the AAMC.

As our class size grows, up to 50 percent of those admitted each year can come from out of state. Arizona residents, Native Americans who are residents on reservations contiguous with the state of Arizona, and applicants from Montana and Wyoming, as part of the Western Interstate Commission of Higher Education agreement, make up the balance of each entering class. We encourage students to apply who are determined to best meet the medical needs of our diverse state.

In evaluating applications, the Admissions Committees consider many factors. In addition to an applicant’s academic record and performance on the MCAT, personal statement, interviews and letters of recommendation, the committees look closely at background and personal qualities that reflect motivation, integrity, maturity, altruism and leadership abilities. Clinical, research and community-service experience are viewed favorably, as is a sincere interest in practicing in medically underserved areas, urban or rural. Since many of the patients who receive care at UA-affiliated teaching clinics and hospitals speak Spanish as their primary language, it is useful for UA students to be conversant in Spanish. No preference is given to any particular type of undergraduate major.

With the limited number of positions that can be offered to prospective medical students, The UA medical school expects that students accepted will matriculate in the year in which they are accepted. Thus, prospective students should only apply if they anticipate being able to accept admission in the year offered. However, in unique circumstances, accepted students may request a one-year deferral of matriculation.  The request must be submitted via email to the Director of Admissions and should include a detailed description of the reason for requesting the deferral.

The UA medical school (Tucson campus) will consider requests for transfer into the 3rd year of our program from Arizona residents who are currently enrolled in a US or Canadian allopathic medical school.  Opportunities for transfer are limited by attrition, therefore, we cannot guarantee that there will be openings in any given year.

For the Class of 2016 - Tucson : The grading system in the first two years is Pass/Fail.  Students will not have the option of putting a graph of  Medical Knowledge scores for the first two years in the school letter when applying to Residency programs. 

The University of Arizona College of Medicine abides by the UA policy to provide equal opportunity in its admissions processes without regard to race, color, religion, sex, national origin, age, disability, veteran status or sexual orientation.