MD Application & Requirements
MD Application & Requirements
Admissions Timeline
The SFESOM MD Admissions application cycle runs from May to March each year, with screening, reviews, interviews, and acceptances occurring on a rolling basis throughout the cycle.
| MAY | JULY | AUGUST | SEPTEMBER | OCTOBER | MARCH |
AMCAS applications become available |
Secondary application invitations begin |
August 1: August 12 & 13: August 22: |
September 1: |
(rolling) |
Final admissions notifications are made |
Application Requirements
All applicants to the Spencer Fox Eccles School of Medicine at the University of Utah must meet the minimum MCAT and GPA requirements in order to be eligible for a secondary application. Upon meeting these requirements, the SFESOM Admissions Committee considers all aspects of the medical school application through a mission-aligned review process.
Applicants interested in applying to the MSTP program (formerly MD-PhD) should also review the respective criteria and requirements for that program.
The SFESOM MD Program does not accept Early Decision Program (EDP) applications.
View the sections below for the specific criteria required for the SFESOM MD application:
Bachelor's degree
- An applicant’s bachelor’s degree must be completed at a regionally accredited institution in the United States or Canada prior to matriculation to the Spencer Fox Eccles School of Medicine at the University of Utah.
- If an applicant does not have a bachelor’s degree but has earned a doctoral-level (terminal degree) from a regionally accredited U.S. or Canadian institution that did not require a bachelor’s degree for entrance, they may apply if they will earn or have earned the doctoral degree by July 1 of the year they will begin medical school.
No specific or recommended undergraduate major required
- The degree may be in the discipline of the applicant's choosing, as long as required premedical coursework has been completed. The SFESOM recommends that students choose a major field for which they have enthusiasm and interest.
The SFESOM employs a matrix model when considering an applicant's GPA and MCAT scores.
Applicants with MCAT scores and undergraduate GPA within the following ranges are encouraged to apply to our program:
- An MCAT Total of 494-497 and an undergraduate GPA of 3.80 or higher
- An MCAT total of 498-499 and an undergraduate GPA of 3.60 or higher
- An MCAT total of 500 and an undergraduate GPA of 3.00 or higher
ADDITIONAL INFORMATION:
Only an applicant's total cumulative undergraduate GPA as calculated by AMCAS will be considered with their application. Post-Baccalaureate GPA is factored into the undergraduate GPA, however graduate GPA will not be considered.
SFESOM does not consider MCAT subsections and will use an applicant's highest overall MCAT score in the matrix.
All applicants are required to take the MCAT within four (4) years of their matriculation to medical school.
Only MCAT exams taken after January 2023 through August 2026 will be considered for the 2026-2027 application cycle.
Visit the AAMC MCAT Testing Calendar for specific dates, deadlines, and testing information.
All SFESOM applicants must complete the AAMC PREview Exam for their secondary application to be considered complete and reviewed for an interview.
There is no minimum required score.
The AAMC PREview Exam must be taken within four (4) years of matriculation, and only the highest score will be considered. Exams taken between January 2023 and August 2026 are valid for the 2026-2027 cycle.
Additional Information:
Applications without a submitted PREview score by their provided secondary application deadline will be marked incomplete and held until the score is released. Applicants who do not complete the PREview exam by August of the application year will not be considered for interview.
Applicants are encouraged to complete the AAMC PREview Exam as early as possible due to the nature of the rolling admissions process, with priority interview consideration given to applicants whose scores are received by July of their application year. Applicants can begin registering for the exam in February, with exam dates available from March – August.
Visit the PREview Registration website for the most up-to-date exam registration dates and testing deadlines. Testing accommodations can be requested through AAMC.
Applicants are encouraged to participate in a variety of experiences that are of interest to them and support their goals toward becoming a physician.
All experiences must have occurred since high school graduation and are encouraged to align with the AAMC Premed Competencies for Entering Medical Students.
Please note that the experience categories below are provided as application guidance. Any hour amounts listed are provided as a reference, not as minimum threshold requirements. Hour amounts are only one factor in the overall application review. Each applicant is encouraged to list their own unique experience descriptions to present their strongest application.
- Prerequisite courses must be taken for credit and a passing grade at a regionally accredited institution in the United States or Canada prior to matriculation to medical school.
- Courses completed through regionally accredited online institutions, two-year institutions, community colleges, and/or concurrent enrollment programs are also accepted.
- Acceptance is conditional pending successful completion of prerequisite coursework requirements.
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Due to online courses being mandatory at most colleges during the COVID-19 pandemic, applicants will not be required to earn a letter grade to meet our premedical coursework requirements beginning Spring 2020, per their individual institution's grading policies during that time period.
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REQUIRED COURSEWORK:
| General Chemistry | Two (2) courses completing a general chemistry series with all course-required labs* |
| Organic Chemistry | Two (2) courses completing an organic chemistry series with all course-required labs* |
| Physics | Two (2) courses with all course-required labs* |
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Biology
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Two (2) courses with all course-required labs*
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| Writing/Speech |
Two (2) courses
|
| Social Science |
One (1) course
|
| Humanities |
One (1) course
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*Course-required labs: Lab courses that are required to complete a given course as offered by the institution. If a course does not have a required lab component, students are not required to take an additional lab to meet SFESOM requirements. If students are unsure if a course in question has a required lab, it is recommended to contact an academic advisor within their institution.
ADDITIONAL INFORMATION:
- One course may not be used to fulfill two requirements.
- Advanced Placement (AP), International Baccalaureate (IB), College Level Examination Program (CLEP), independent study, and correspondence courses do not satisfy these requirements and will not be counted. *Exception: AP Chemistry credit earned with a score of 4 or 5 can fulfill one (1) semester of general chemistry. AP Chemistry credit must be posted on the official transcript in order to be counted.
- Courses in mathematics, statistics, physiology, anatomy, human behavior, foreign language, or research methods are recommended but are not required.
- Applicants should consider courses that will help develop skills in independent thinking, decision-making, communication, and research, as these are invaluable skills physicians regularly employ throughout their careers.
- Coursework does not expire, though it is strongly recommended that applicants contact the premedical advisor at their institution for assistance in planning the specific course work that meets necessary requirements, expectations, and criteria.
Applicants are required to submit a minimum of three (3) letters.
- Individual letters, letter packets, and committee letters are all accepted by SFESOM. Please refer to the letter types accepted by AMCAS for more information.
- All letters must be submitted to the AMCAS Letter Service with the AMCAS application to be eligible to receive a secondary application.
- If an applicant is having difficulties obtaining their letters within the provided timeline, or has any questions regarding letter requirements, please contact the Office of Admissions at md.admissions@hsc.utah.edu for assistance.
Additional information:
- Letters are recommended to be dated within a year of application.
- Letters are recommended to include a signature from the letter writer. Electronic or digital signatures are accepted.
- Use of letterhead is preferred but not required.
- Applicants are encouraged to consider requesting letters from those who may know them well, who can speak to their abilities and experience (academic and otherwise – leadership, service, personal growth, etc.), and can write a strong letter.
To be eligible for admission to the MD program, applicants must:
- Hold a United States permanent resident card, or
- Be a refugee/asylee and hold permanent status in the United States, or
- Be a visa holder who qualifies for the Utah House Bill 118 non-resident tuition waiver or
- Be a visa holder who graduated from a Utah college or university*
AND
- Complete a bachelor’s or doctoral level degree from a regionally accredited institution in the United States or Canada prior to matriculation
- Complete all SFESOM admissions requirements (listed above)
*Visa holders who graduated from a Utah college or university but not a Utah High School are ineligible for the Utah House Bill 118 non-resident tuition waiver at this time.
*Visa holders who do not meet Utah House Bill 118 requirements may or may not be eligible to apply for Title IV federal and state financial aid, as eligibility varies by status. See the “Eligible Visa Holders” tab on the Residency & Non-Residency page for more information.
For DACA & Undocumented Students:
To be eligible for admission, DACA and undocumented applicants must qualify for Utah House Bill 144 or have graduated from a Utah College or University and complete all SFESOM admissions requirements.
Students with DACA or undocumented status are not eligible for Title IV federal and state financial aid, however, they may be eligible to apply for University of Utah institutional scholarships. Many students apply for private loans to cover their cost of attendance.
Upon acceptance, DACA or undocumented students may qualify for reduced tuition through a non-resident tuition waiver if they meet the eligibility requirements for Utah House Bill 144.
For more information on House Bill 144 and non-resident tuition waivers, please visit the U of U Non-Resident Tuition Waiver website.
To learn more about residency for seat allocation and tuition purposes, please see our residency and non-residency page.
Applicants who indicate Idaho as their legal state of residence on their AMCAS Application for the MD Program are required to complete Idaho State Certification in order to be considered for one of the 10 Idaho acceptances at SFESOM. Idaho residents who do not have Idaho State Certification do not meet requirements for admission and are ineligible to apply to our program.
Upon acceptance, certified Idaho students will pay in-state tuition rates, with the state of Idaho providing funding for the difference between in-state and out-of-state costs.
Note: MD-PhD/MSTP applicants from the state of Idaho are considered non-residents and are not required to complete the Idaho state certification. MD-PhD/MSTP students at SFESOM are fully funded by the MSTP program and are ineligible to receive Idaho state funding.
CONTACT:
Idaho State University
Office of the Registrar, Residency Specialist
921 S. 8th Ave
Mail Stop 8196
Pocatello, ID 83209-8196
Phone: (208) 282-2661
Fax: (208) 282-4231
Email: irdw@isu.edu
All Idaho State Certifications are processed through the Idaho State University Registrar's Office, and completed certifications must be submitted with the applicant's Secondary Application by their provided deadline date.
Due to application volume and processing times, it is strongly recommended to apply for Idaho State Certification at time of AMCAS application, or as early as one is able. For reapplicants, State Certification must be completed every application year.
Applying for State Certification
- Complete the Idaho Residency Determination Worksheet (IRDW) and additional instructions located on the Idaho State University Office of the Registrar website.
- Deliver the completed IRDW and supporting documentation to the Idaho State University Office of the Registrar via email, postal mail or in person.
Elements of the Application Process
If invited to complete a Secondary Application, applicants will be required to submit the application fee and all application materials by the deadline provided at the time of invite.
- Secondary Application Fee - $110.00 (non-refundable)
Fee Waivers
- The SFESOM does not offer fee waivers, but will honor fee waivers granted by the AAMC Fee Assistance Program and their guidelines.
- Applicants applying for AAMC fee assistance should submit their SFESOM application after the AAMC waiver has been granted to guarantee eligibility for fee exception. Waivers cannot be applied retroactively.
- Visit the Fee Assistance Program webpage to learn about program eligibility and requirements, program benefits, FAQs, and more.
All applications to the SFESOM must be submitted through the American Medical College Application Services (AMCAS) website.
AMCAS Applications must be submitted between May and September of the application year, with a SFESOM priority consideration submission date of August 1 and a final submission deadline of September 1.
AMCAS Application Updates:
- Once an application has been verified by AMCAS, information cannot be added or deleted from it.
- The SFESOM Office of Admissions is unable to make any changes to an AMCAS application, however any changes to an applicant's degree information after submission of the AMCAS application must be reported to the Office of Admissions at md.admissions@hsc.utah.edu.
- Any updates to an applicant's name, address, legal state, phone number, email, or other contact information must be updated by the applicant through the AMCAS system.
- Please refer to the AMCAS Application FAQ page with any questions. If the question is not addressed in the FAQ section, you may contact AMCAS directly.
SFESOM Secondary Application Essays
- Connection to Utah Explanation
Applicants will provide a brief explanation about their connection to the state of Utah.
- Mission Alignment Essay
Applicants will be asked to explain what element of the SFESOM Mission Statement stands out most to them and how they have demonstrated alignment with that mission element in their preparation for medical school.
- Healthcare Challenges Essay
Applicants will be asked to address a healthcare challenge they have experienced in their communities or in communities they have served and consider contributing to a solution as a future physician.
- Reapplication Essay
Reapplicants to the Spencer Fox Eccles School of Medicine at the University of Utah will be asked to share how they have reshaped and reaffirmed their goals to become a physician and what motivates them to reapply to the SFESOM.
- Personal Statement
The Personal Statement is submitted with the AMCAS application, and will be reviewed as part of an applicant's Secondary Application. Applicants should consider why they want to be a physician and use this essay as an opportunity to genuinely express their reasons and passion for choosing this career path.
Secondary Application Updates:
- Once a Secondary Application has been submitted, no changes or updates can be made to the application. It is encouraged for applicants to complete all activities and application requirements by their provided Secondary Application deadline.
MD Program interviews at SFESOM for the 2026-2027 Application year will take place in person on our Salt Lake City campus.
Each interview day will consist of the following:
- Two Traditional Interviews. Traditional interviews will be one-on-one interviews, lasting 30 minutes each.
- One group assessment. Group assessments will be conducted in small groups, providing a low-stakes hypothetical scenario to assess attributes like teamwork, communication, and problem solving.
- Q&A with current SFESOM medical students and a campus tour.
Additional information will be communicated to applicants upon invitation to interview.