Medical Schools in Arizona: How to Get In (2024)
/Learn how hard it is to get into Arizona medical schools and the strategies you can use to increase your admissions odds
There are five medical schools in arizona
Part 1: Introduction
Part 2: List of medical schools in Arizona: 2023 rankings & admissions statistics
Part 3: Arizona medical school profiles
Part 4: Arizona medical school admissions strategies
Part 5: Frequently asked questions
Appendix A: Arizona medical schools by degree type
Appendix B: Arizona medical schools by institution type
Appendix C: Arizona medical schools by region
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Part 1: Introduction
There are many reasons why plenty of aspiring doctors include Arizona medical schools on their list. Among them are the state’s warm climate and low cost of living, not to mention the fact that one of the best medical schools in the U.S., the world-renowned Mayo Clinic Alix School of Medicine, has a campus there.
There are a total of five medical schools in Arizona with two offering degrees in osteopathic medicine, or a DO, and three offering degrees in allopathic medicine, or the traditional MD.
Applicants to medical schools in Arizona face tough competition when vying for a spot in their top choice program’s incoming class. Our goal in this guide is to do more than simply make a list of the medical schools in Arizona and help you understand the requirements you’ll need to meet as an Arizona medical school applicant.
We’ll break down the current rankings, tuition, and average GPA and MCAT scores for Arizona medical schools along with a short profile of each, and provide helpful strategies for crafting an outstanding application.
Suggested reading: (Medical School Requirements in 2024: The Definitive Guide)
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Part 2: List of medical schools in Arizona: 2023 rankings & admissions statistics
When applying to Arizona medical schools, it’s prudent learn more about the competition, whether you’re an Arizona resident or out-of-state applicant. We’ve listed the most important information in the table below so you can understand what you’re up against.
While compiling this information, we observed the following trends:
Two Arizona medical schools appear in the 2023 U.S. News Best Medical Schools (Research) ranking. One is in the top 15.
(Suggested reading: Do Medical School Rankings Matter?)
Tuition at Arizona’s public medical schools is significantly lower for in-state students.
In-state applicants tend to matriculate at higher rates to Arizona’s public medical schools.
Numbers in parentheses reflect each medical school’s national ranking, whereas numbers outside parentheses reflect each Arizona medical school’s relative rank. Relative rankings help us answer the question, “Which are the ‘best’ medical schools in Arizona?”
(Note: We strongly advise you to sign up for MSAR for the most up-to-date and comprehensive data on individual MD programs and to sign up for Choose DO for DO program data.)
| Arizona Medical Schools | |||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Mayo Clinic Alix School of Medicine | $64,000 OOS |
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| University of Arizona College of Medicine Tucson* | $57,628 OOS |
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| A.T. Still University School of Osteopathic Medicine | $69,056 OOS |
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| Midwestern University Arizona College of Osteopathic Medicine | $81,456 OOS |
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| University of Arizona College of Medicine Phoenix* | $58,758 OOS |
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Part 3: Arizona medical school profiles
A.T. Still University School of Osteopathic Medicine
The A.T. Still University School of Osteopathic Medicine (ATSU-SOMA) places a strong focus on treating patients from underserved populations and continuing clinicians’ commitment to osteopathic principles. ATSU-SOMA describes osteopathic medicine as whole-person healthcare, and this ethos is reflected in the medical school’s curriculum. Students will participate in the 1+3 model, which allows for early clinical exposure through standardized patient encounters and workshops on osteopathic principles. Moreover, students can learn at a center on campus dedicated specifically to osteopathic medicine, the A.T. Still University Osteopathic Medicine Center Arizona.
Early in the second year of medical school, ATSU-SOMA students will rotate with clinical preceptors in one of twelve community health center partners. These sites are located throughout the country, including sites in Texas, California, Illinois, Pennsylvania, Hawaii, and Arizona.
Mayo Clinic Alix School of Medicine
The Mayo Clinic Alix School of Medicine is affiliated with the internationally recognized Mayo Clinic in Rochester, Minnesota, and has been around since the 1970s. In 2015, Mayo expanded by opening new campuses in Arizona and Florida. The Arizona campus has an intimate class size of approximately 50 students per year, which demonstrates the institution’s prioritization of individualized learning and career development. Additionally, students will benefit from studying on a sprawling, newly constructed campus, including a large anatomy lab, dedicated study spaces, and a multidisciplinary simulation center.
Students will pursue a two-year preclinical and two-year clinical curriculum; however, students will personalize their experience by opting into selectives interspersed through the core course content. Selectives are one- to two-week blocks that allows students to focus on specific research, specialty, or extracurricular interests for protected time. Moreover, Mayo places a strong emphasis on research; third-year students learn the fundamentals of biomedical research and are paired with a research project adviser to conduct a self-directed research investigation.
(Suggested reading: How to Get Into Mayo Clinic Alix School of Medicine)
Midwestern University Arizona College of Osteopathic Medicine
The Midwestern University Arizona College of Osteopathic Medicine (AZCOM) was established in 1964; however, it has recently expanded its class size to 250 students per year due to the growing need for community-oriented physicians in Arizona. Students will complete a two-year preclinical and two-year clinical curriculum that is known for an integrated ultrasound curriculum, an example of AZCOM’s adaptability towards new innovations in healthcare.
Moreover, students will enjoy a 156-acre scenic campus in Glendale, which is only 15 miles away from bustling Phoenix. Notable campus facilities include the clinical skills and simulation center, which has a mock operating room, emergency room, and clinical examination rooms, and the wellness and recreation hall.
University of Arizona College of Medicine Phoenix
Students at the University of Arizona College of Medicine Phoenix will participate in the recently redesigned Phoenix MD curriculum. The first two years focus on blocks organized by organ systems with integrated lessons on doctoring skills and exposure to clinical settings.
The second two years are designed to immerse students into clinical rotations. The medical school highlights that students will participate in a “distributive clinical model,” rotating at nine state-of-the-art clinical affiliates, thus allowing students to see a wide breadth and depth of clinical practice. Examples of these clinical sites include the community-oriented Abrazo Community Health Network and the academic-medical-hub Mayo Clinic. During this time, students will additionally pursue broader topics related to healthcare delivery, such as aging, multidisciplinary education, ethics, and biomedical informatics.
University of Arizona College of Medicine Tucson
The University of Arizona College of Medicine Tucson redesigned its curriculum to focus more holistically on the human body and medical knowledge; more specifically, students will have earlier clinical exposures that are integrated into their basic science curriculum. Students will progress through three phases of learning: the 18-month pre-clerkship phase, the 12-month clerkship phase, and the 14-month transition to residency phase. Notably, the medical school has several committees focused on education developments; students are selected to represent their classes when modifications to the curricula are under consideration.
Additionally, University of Arizona College of Medicine Tucson prioritizes serving underserved communities. For example, the Commitment to Underserved People (CUP) is a student-directed program through which students serve and lead the care of Central American refugees who reside in Arizona.
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Part 4: Arizona medical school admissions strategies
Strategy 1: Take a data-driven approach when determining which Arizona medical schools to apply to
When developing your medical school list, you’ll want to pay close attention to the average GPA and MCAT scores of each Arizona medical school. There is significant variability with regard to stats, so you’ll want to make sure your numbers fall within a few points of the listed averages before adding them to your list.
Students often add reach schools to their lists, thinking it won’t hurt to apply. However, crafting outstanding secondary essays takes time, and if you spend time on applications to schools where your odds are low, you’ll be doing so at the expense of applications to schools where you actually have a strong chance of admission.
For example, if you have a 3.8 GPA and a 513 MCAT score, you would be an excellent candidate for either of the University of Arizona schools. However, unless you have extraordinary extracurricular accomplishments such as multiple publications, you would be highly unlikely to gain admission to the Mayo Clinic.
Instead, focus on maximizing your odds at schools where you have a strong chance of acceptance.
Strategy 2: Review each Arizona medical school’s mission and demonstrate fit in essays and interviews
Each medical school in Arizona has programs, research opportunities or an outlook on medical practice that make it distinct. Mentioning how you can contribute to these areas in your application will help you stand out with adcoms.
For instance, if you have a passion for data and coding, your skills would be sought after during clinical rotations at the University of Arizona College of Medicine Phoenix. Students have the opportunity to explore biomedical informatics during that time.
The University of Arizona Tucson website states, “Since our founding, the UA College of Medicine has focused on medical care in underserved populations, including border communities, Native American communities and less-developed countries.” If assisting underserved communities is your passion, show how you have done so in your application.
There are other ways of approaching uniqueness other than specific programs or opportunities. Think through your experiences and how you can relate those to a school’s mission statement or teaching methods.
The Mayo Clinic Alix School of Medicine lists its core principles as being ‘lead, transform and heal.’ How have your experiences aligned with the Mayo Clinic’s philosophy of the physicians its aims to foster? Have you taken the lead in a healthcare setting? Have you demonstrated an ability to make altruistic decisions?
If your extracurricular experiences align closely with a school's focus, be sure to mention this in secondary applications and during interviews! This is what is means to “demonstrate fit” with a school.
(Suggested reading: How to Ace Medical School Interviews)
Strategy 3: Which medical schools in Arizona require the MMI?
Interviews are a crucial part of adcoms’ ability to gauge your fit as a candidate. Therefore, being thoroughly prepared for the style of interview you will encounter can greatly increase your chances of acceptance.
Many schools are now employing a multiple-mini interview (MMI) strategy in which candidates are asked questions targeting their critical thinking and communication skills. The medical schools in Arizona that use this method are in the University of Arizona College of Medicine system, namely Tuscon and Phoenix.
The MMI format for these schools is a little different at each. UACOM Tuscon conducts their interviews online, each lasting around 7 minutes with a two minute break between them. The total process should take about 60 minutes.
UACOM Phoenix requires you to go through 10 interviews with 10 different interviewers lasting 7 minutes each.
Doing well in the MMI format comes down to practice and forethought. While you can’t memorize answers to questions or be certain what will be asked, thinking through possible scenarios can help you prepare.
Utilizing practice questions and ensuring you use a timer while doing so, is a great way to improve your chances. You’ll have two minutes to consider a question before discussing it with your interviewers. Try doing a mock interview with a friend, family member or academic advisor.
(Suggested Reading: How to Ace Medical School Interviews (Questions Included))
Strategy 4: Organize your time around the number of secondary essays
Medical schools require their primary applications through AMCAS and after initial screening will send their secondary applications. Part of these applications are the secondary essays but the number of them varies by school.
Sending out more applications can increase your chances of acceptance to medical school, but that means an increase in time commitment to ensure each essay is written to a high standard. If you take into consideration how many essays each school requires, you are likely to better manage your time and plan accordingly.
In practice, this will come down to personal style. You may wish to work on applications that require more essays first or fewer. What’s important is planning so that each essay is well thought out and clearly written showcasing your quality as a candidate.
For reference, we have included the number of secondary essays for each medical school in Arizona below. For Mayo’s essays, see our examples and analysis here. In addition, you can find all the most recently released secondary essay questions here.
| Arizona Medical Schools | |
|---|---|
| Mayo Clinic Alix School of Medicine | |
| University of Arizona College of Medicine Tuscon | |
| University of Arizona College of Medicine Phoenix | |
| Midwestern University Arizona College of Osteopathic Medicine | |
| A.T. Still University School of Osteopathic Medicine |
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Part 5: Frequently asked questions
What college in Arizona has the best medical program?
What determines the “best” medical program is subjective as this comes down to what kind of community you ultimately want to serve (rural, urban, underserved), what type of program you’re considering (MD, DO, MD-PhD, etc.), and a particular school’s facilities as well as their national rankings. You’ll have to weigh these differences when working out which school has the best medical program in Arizona.
That said, Mayo and the University of Arizona College of Medicine Tuscon are the only schools in Arizona that are ranked by US News. Mayo consistently appears near the top of national rankings for its program and UA COM appears in the top 75. While this is a great overall measure of the quality of the schools themselves, it’s not the only method of comparison.
How hard is it to get into medical school in Arizona?
Getting into medical school in any state is tough. According to AAMC data, there were a total of 52,577 applicants to medical schools nationally while only 22,981 matriculated during the 2023-2024 cycle. That means less than half or about 43.7% of med school applicants got in somewhere.
When it comes to medical schools in Arizona specifically, the odds may be in your favor if you’re a resident. For example, the University of Arizona - Tucson received 7,023 applications for just 118 spots. Keep in mind, that most students are applying to between 15-30 med schools across the country to maximize their chances of entry. Furthermore, of the applications UA - Tuscon received, 90% came from out-of-state while 75% of matriculants were in-state residents. This shows a clear preference for Arizonans. While UA - Phoenix also received almost 90% of its applications from out-of-state, its 2023 entering class comprises a 50/50 split between in and out-of-state residents.
How much is med school in AZ?
According to our research, the cost of a med school education in Arizona ranges from about $41,000 per year to about $82,000. Your final bill will depend on where you choose to go to school, whether or not you’re an Arizona resident and the cost of living in the city where your school is located.
Which city in Arizona has the best healthcare?
If you’re considering med school in Arizona, it’s only natural to want to attend school where the best healthcare is available. Downtown Phoenix is known for its superb hospitals but for overall quality of health among residents Scottsdale recently broke into the top-10 healthiest cities in the nation.
Final thoughts
Attending medical school in Arizona is a dream for many premed hopefuls, so be prepared to face stiff competition. By optimizing your school list and communicating fit through secondaries and interviews, you’ll be able to maximize your admissions odds at your top choice programs.
About the Author
Dr. Shirag Shemmassian is the Founder of Shemmassian Academic Consulting and one of the world's foremost experts on medical school admissions. For nearly 20 years, he and his team have helped thousands of students get into medical school using his exclusive approach.
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Appendix A: Arizona medical schools by degree type
Allopathic medical schools in Arizona (MD)
Mayo Clinic Alix School of Medicine
University of Arizona College of Medicine Phoenix
University of Arizona College of Medicine Tucson
Osteopathic medical schools in Arizona (DO)
A.T. Still University School of Osteopathic Medicine
Midwestern University Arizona College of Osteopathic Medicine
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Appendix B: Arizona medical schools by institution type
Public medical schools in Arizona
University of Arizona College of Medicine Phoenix
University of Arizona College of Medicine Tucson
Private medical schools in Arizona
A.T. Still University School of Osteopathic Medicine
Mayo Clinic Alix School of Medicine
Midwestern University Arizona College of Osteopathic Medicine
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Appendix C: Arizona medical schools by region
Medical schools in Metro Phoenix
A.T. Still University School of Osteopathic Medicine
Mayo Clinic Alix School of Medicine
Midwestern University Arizona College of Osteopathic Medicine
University of Arizona College of Medicine Phoenix
Medical schools in Tucson
University of Arizona College of Medicine Tucson
