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 15th at 5:00PM (Arizona Time)- whichever comes first.  We will not offer any extensions. 

• The oldest MCAT score we will accept for the 2023-24 application cycle: January 2020.
• The last MCAT that we will accept for the 2023-24 application cycle is September 9th, 2023.
• 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 College of Medicine - Tucson, 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.

Required Number of Hours of Completed Coursework

Location of your college/university	Required hours (total)	Required hours  (upper-division classes)
If you completed a degree outside U.S.A. or Canada	60 (semester system) OR 90 (quarter system)	30 (semester hours) OR 45 (quarter hours)

Upper-division coursework counts towards the total number of required hours.

2023-2024 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. 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 will be asked to provide pre-requisite courses when filling out their Secondary application. Pre-requisites will be verified if the applicant is selected to interview. 

Required	# of Quarters/Semesters	Additional Recommendations
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.
• 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 2023-24 application cycle is January 2020.