**UPDATED 5/2/2022**
Below are the changes we are making for the 2022-23 Application Cycle.
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We have extended our primary application deadline to November 14th, 2022 and our secondary application deadline to December 16th, 2022 (or 21 days from the date you received your secondary by 11:59 pm AZ time, whichever day comes first) to give students extra time to apply.
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We are adding a question on the Secondary application-"How did COVID19 impact your application process?"
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Students can submit their AMCAS application without their MCAT. We will place your application on a MCAT hold. Notify us when you are taking the MCAT.
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We will only be accepting pass/fail grades for 2020-2021 Spring/Summer/Fall courses.
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The latest MCAT we will accept for the 2022-23 application cycle is January 2020. Applicants must have taken the MCAT between January 2020 and September 2022.
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The Multiple Mini Interviews (MMI) will be held online this year.
We will continue to be flexible as this all unfolds. Please contact the Admissions office if your MCAT test date was cancelled or changed by AAMC or any other extenuating circumstances.
There is no "ideal applicant" to the University of Arizona College of Medicine – Tucson. We look for exceptional applicants with a variety of personal and professional strengths, who will contribute to our diverse and well-rounded student body.
Academic Requirements
The College of Medicine – Tucson values academic diversity. We don't favor science majors over non-science majors during the application review process.
Our admissions committee looks for a well-rounded educational background, including:
- an appreciation of the humanities,
- respect for ethics in personal and professional life,
- critical thinking and complex problem-solving skills,
- and a solid foundation in the sciences.
Secondary Application
To earn a secondary application, you must have a 3.0 overall undergraduate GPA, 3.0 BCPM overall undergraduate GPA and at least a 498 MCAT. Upon further review applicants who do not have a 3.0 undergraduate GPA, but who have taken at least 12 credits of either post-baccalaureate or graduate coursework in premedical hard sciences and earned at least a 3.0 GPA in that coursework, may still receive a secondary application, though not guaranteed. If you receive a secondary application you must submit within the 21 days from the date the secondary was initially sent to you by 11:59 pm AZ time, or December 16th at 5:00PM (Arizona Time)- whichever comes first. We will not offer any extensions.
- The oldest MCAT score we will accept for the 2022-23 application cycle: January 2020.
- The last MCAT that we will accept for the 2022-23 application cycle is September 10th, 2022.
- Please refer to the AMCAS course classification guide when calculating your overall undergraduate BCPM and overall undergraduate GPA as it may be different from your local school's GPA calculation.
- Please note, we do not offer refunds for secondary fees.
Undergraduate Degrees
A bachelor's (baccalaureate) degree is required for all accepted students in order to matriculate in the fall. All applicants must expect to receive their bachelor's degree before their expected matriculation date. If a bachelor's degree is completed outside of the United States or Canada, there are coursework hour requirements that must be completed in order to matriculate. AMCAS does not verify international coursework, therefore all prerequisite courses must be taken at an accredited college or university within the United States or Canada.
*Applicants that are accepted into the Accelerated Pathway to Medical Education (APME) program and matriculate into the COM-T MD program are not required to obtain a bachelor's degree.
Required coursework hours for applicants who have completed a degree outside of the United States or Canada
If you completed a degree outside of the United States or Canada, you must complete a minimum number of hours of coursework at an accredited college or university within the United States or Canada before your expected matriculation date.
Location of your college/university | Required hours (total) | Required hours (upper-division classes) |
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If you completed a degree outside U.S.A. or Canada |
60 (semester system) |
30 (semester hours) OR 45 (quarter hours) |
Upper-division coursework counts towards the total number of required hours.
2022-2023 Core Academic Prerequisites & Recommended Classes
Due to COVID-19, we will accept pass/fail courses for 2020-2021 Spring/Summer/Fall courses.
The following courses are required starting in 2020 for the class entering in 2023. Regardless of your major, you must have completed the following prerequisites prior to your first day of medical school. The new requirements are designed to better prepare students for the rigors of the medical school curriculum. It is important for students to have exposure and experience in the various content areas for a smoother transition with medical school coursework.
*Applicants invited to interview with the UA College of Medicine-Tucson will be asked to provide a pre-requisite check prior to their interview. Please fill out the following pre-requisite excel sheet and return it to the Admissions office no later than the Monday prior to your scheduled interview. Enter the course name in the corresponding column in the excel sheet. Please make note if you have any outstanding pre-reqs and what your plans are to complete them. You may be in the process of completing pre-requisites when you apply, but they must be completed by matriculation* com-t_2022-2023_prerequisites_workbook.xlsx
Required | # of Quarters/Semesters | Additional Recommendations |
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Physiology | 2 semesters or 2 quarters | Labs recommended when applicable |
Biochemistry (or 1 semester Biochemistry/1 semester of Genetics) | 2 semesters or 2 quarters | Labs recommended when applicable |
Social & Behavioral Sciences (e.g. Psychology, Sociology, Public Health) | 1 semester or 1 quarter | Labs recommended when applicable |
Statistics (Biostatistics recommended) | 1 semester or 1 quarter | Labs recommended when applicable |
upper-division of any two from different disciplines of the following: Molecular Biology, Cell Biology, Histology, Microbiology, Pharmacology, Pathology, or Immunobiology OR can use 1 semester of any Genetics course if taken 2 semesters of Biochemistry (includes lower division) |
2 semesters or 2 quarters | Labs recommended when applicable |
English (or other writing intensive course) | 2 semesters or 2 quarters | -- |
Recommended | # of Quarters/Semesters | Additional Recommendations |
Second Language | -- | Conversational proficiency recommended |
For University of Arizona students, please refer to courses that have been approved and listed by Pre-Health Professions Advising Center in Colleges of Letters, Arts, and Science:https://theacenter.arizona.edu/ua-college-medicine-tucson-prerequisites
For updated information on the UA Department of Physiology courses, please review physiology_course_recommendations_with_course_descriptions.pdf
Notes about core prerequisites:
- You can apply while in the process of completing these courses.
- We do not accept labs or research for the pre-requisite courses.
- We do not allow double dipping. You cannot use one course to fulfill multiple pre-requisites.
- All core prerequisites must be completed at an accredited college or university within the United States or Canada, regardless of prior completion.
- Community college coursework is accepted.
- Core prerequisite courses must be graded with a “C” or better. P/F Credit is not accepted.
- College course credit awarded for AP science courses may fulfill the relevant core prerequisites. The admissions committee will also expect to see advanced-level undergraduate courses in the science disciplines for which the AP credit was awarded.
- CLEP, AP and IB credits are acceptable only if shown on a college transcript from an accredited undergraduate degree-granting institution. If they show as a grade of "G" on transcripts, we will ask for your scores.
Medical College Admissions Test (MCAT)
Applicants to the College of Medicine must take the MCAT. The oldest MCAT that will be accepted for the 2022-23 application cycle is January 2020.
Competencies
Our admissions process considers many factors and is designed to view you as a whole person—not just a collection of scores. The factors that we consider include the competencies defined by the Association of American Medical Colleges:
Interpersonal
- Service orientation
- Social and interpersonal skills
- Cultural competence
- Teamwork
- Oral communication
Intrapersonal
- Integrity and ethics
- Reliability and dependability
- Resilience and adaptability
- Capacity for improvement
Thinking and reasoning
- Critical thinking
- Quantitative reasoning
- Scientific inquiry
- Written communication
Science
- Living systems
- Human behavior