Best Medical Schools in Arizona

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Choosing a medical school is one of the most essential decisions a future doctor will make. According to recent statistics, Arizona has emerged as a popular state for aspiring medical students.

Students cite its warm climate, thriving economy, and low cost of living as reasons for choosing the state.

Let’s take a look at Arizona’s best medical schools, profile their acceptance rates, tuition fees, and all other relevant facts and data to help you in your search for where to apply.

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List of Medical Schools in Arizona

University of Arizona College of Medicine – Phoenix

  • Acceptance Rate: 2.79%
  • Location: Phoenix, AZ
  • Tuition:  $35,408 (in-state) and $55,542 (out of state)
  • MCAT: 515
  • GPA: 3.78
  • Cost of Living relative to National Average: +3%

Established in 2007 as a branch campus of the University of Arizona College of Medicine – Tucson, UAZ Phoenix medicine became an independent institution in 2012.

Since its foundation, over 600 students have trained and graduated and today the college gets more than $11 million in annual grants to fund research and teaching among its 2,591 faculty members.

In addition to its MD program, the school also offers dual degrees MD/MBA, MD/PhD, and MD/MPH.

Phoenix’s unique Distributive Clinical Model also gives students the opportunity to gain hands-on training in nine facilities spread over Arizona state.

Consequently, 40% of all graduating students secured residencies in Arizona, with 70% of all students securing residencies close by.

2022 data shows 4,053 applications and 36 interviews.

Required courses for admission include:

  1. Chemistry
  2. Biology
  3. Behavioral Sciences
  4. English
  5. Mathematics
  6. Humanities

One of UAZ Phoenix medicine’s key strengths is its class diversity, spearheaded by the Pathway Scholars Program. The Program has assisted Arizona students who have faced unusual or greater-than-average challenges in preparing to be competitive applicants to medical school.

Check out the video below for an introduction to UAZ Medicine’s Phoenix campus…

University of Arizona College of Medicine – Tucson

  • Acceptance Rate: 2.3%
  • Location: Tucson, AZ
  • Tuition:  $35,942 (in-state) and $44,532 (out of state) 
  • MCAT: 508
  • GPA: 3.72
  • Cost of Living relative to National Average: +3%

Founded in 1967 as the state’s first medical school, UAZ Medicine Tucson is among the top medical schools in the country for research, primary care, and diversity (US News).

University Medical Center Banner Tucson, one of Arizona’s best hospitals, is the school’s primary affiliate academic hospital.

The school is able to offer its graduates over 70 residency and fellowship opportunities, as well as train medical students in a range of medical specialties in a practical setting, thanks to its collaboration with the hospital.

Besides the traditional MD program, AUZ Tucson also has an MD/Ph.D. dual program, a pre-medical admissions pathway (P-MAP), an honors early assurance program (HEAP), and an accelerated pathway to medical education (APME).

2021-2022 data for their MD program showed 7371 applications (771 in-state) and 542 interviews (302 in-state).

You’ll need to complete coursework in:

  • Physiology
  • Biochemistry
  • Social and behavioral sciences
  • Statistics

Applicants are also required to take the MCAT.

Check out the video below for an introduction to AUZ Tucson…

A.T. Still University of Osteopathic Medicine

  • Acceptance Rate: 7%
  • Location: Mesa, AZ
  • Tuition:  $62,526
  • MCAT: 504
  • GPA: 3.52
  • Cost of Living relative to National Average: +2%

ATSU-SOMA is a private medical school near Phoenix founded in 2007.

Related: Is ATSU A Good Medical School? (Major Pros & Cons)

In addition to their solid DO program (taught on a 1+3 model, placing students in clinical settings much earlier), the institutions’ audiology and occupational therapy programs are among the best in the country (US News).

Enrolled DO’s spend their first year of clinical training in Mesa, with the remainder of their training taking place at one of the linked Community Health Centers located across the country.

Admission requirements include coursework in the following subjects:

  1. General Biology – one year with laboratory (8 semester hours or 12 quarter hours)
  2. Physics – one year with laboratory (8 semester hours or 12 quarter hours)
  3. General or Inorganic Chemistry – one year with laboratory (8 semester hours or 12 quarter hours)
  4. Organic Chemistry – one year with laboratory (8 semester hours or 12 quarter hours)
  5. English – one year (6 semester hours or 8 quarter hours)
  6. Recommended courses: Genetics, Biochemistry, Immunology, Anatomy, Physiology, Cellular Biology (Molecular, Physiology, etc) & Microbiology

You’ll also be required to take the MCAT.

The video below provides a nice intro to ATSU-SOMA…

Midwestern University Arizona College of Osteopathic Medicine 

  • Acceptance Rate: 4.38%
  • Location: Glendale, AZ
  • Tuition:  $76,397
  • MCAT: 508
  • GPA: 3.54
  • Cost of Living relative to National Average: -5%

AZCOM was established in 1995 as the Arizona affiliate of the American College of Osteopathic Medicine and Surgery.

Today it has approximately 2,900 students spread over five schools, offering fourteen fields of study. The DO program takes about 250 students annually.

To apply, you’ll need prereqs in the following:

  1. Biology with lab
  2. General chemistry with lab
  3. Organic chemistry with lab
  4. Physics
  5. English composition

In addition, applicants also need two letters of recommendation and an MCAT score.

The AZCOM Bridges Program takes medical admissions from students entering either the Biomedical Sciences MA Program or the second year of the Biomedical Sciences MBS program at Midwestern University.

The University is able to offer practical clinical experience to its students through its three on-campus clinics and offer medical services to the neighborhood.

55% of all graduates specialize in family and internal medicine, with AZCOM boasting a 95% residency match rate.

For more on the benefits of the school, check out the video below…

Mayo Clinic Alix School of Medicine

  • Acceptance Rate: 2.1%
  • Location: Phoenix, AZ, and Scottsdale, AZ
  • Tuition: $62,500
  • MCAT: 520
  • GPA: 3.91
  • Cost of Living relative to National Average: +3%

A part of the Mayo Clinic’s teaching network, which includes schools in Minnesota, Arizona, and Florida, MCASOM is ranked in the top 40 in the country for research, primary care, and anesthesiology (US News).

The school’s preclinical seminars occur in Scottsdale, while clinical rotations happen at the Mayo Clinic Hospital in Phoenix, the 11th best hospital in the U.S.

Students are encouraged to explore their research interests from their first semester, and around 80% of all Mayo students publish a scientific paper by graduation.

MCASOM doesn’t have any specific prerequisite course requirements but states a preference for candidates with a strong background in life and social sciences.

2022 admission statistics for the MD program show 4681 applications, 726 interviews, and 198 acceptances. Arizona campus has 43 students on the 4-year track, with a 3.94 median cumulative GPA,, 521 median MCAT, and 30% of admissions from underrepresented communities.

You can take a campus tour of the Arizona campus’ in the video below…

What Factors Do Medical Students Consider When Applying?

Any medical student applying for one of Arizona’s schools needs to answer each of the following questions.

  1. How good is this school?

When applying for residency programs in competitive specialties, attending a top medical school can sometimes be as significant as your grades. Although there is no accepted ranking for medical schools, the school’s acceptance rate can often be a reasonable indicator of how selective it is.

  1. Can I get in?

Often related to school ranking, this is a basic detail anyone applying needs to consider. Although schools consider a variety of factors beyond your academic metrics, it’s crucial to ensure your own MCAT, GPA, and prerequisite coursework meet the minimum entry requirements of your prospective school.

  1. Can I Afford it?

Finances are one of the most significant barriers to entry for any student when choosing a school. Aside from tuition, one of the most significant costs that students must consider is the cost of living. These expenses can range from rent and groceries to utilities and transportation. Given that most American communities measure this cost to a predetermined national average, it is one of the simpler factors to evaluate.

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