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US Medicine · 2027 Entry

Alice L. Walton School of Medicine (MD) Medical School2027 Entry Requirements & Interview Format

Location Bentonville, AR, United StatesEstablished 2021Interviews October–FebruaryDecisions Rolling; final decisions by March 30
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Full guide

How to get into Alice L. Walton School of Medicine (MD) medicine

Step-by-step: entry requirements, MCAT prep, personal statement, interview format and the key deadlines.

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Interview guide

Prepare for the Alice L. Walton School of Medicine (MD) interview

Format breakdown, school-specific sample questions, FAQs and prep tips from tutors who interviewed here.

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Overview

About Alice L. Walton School of Medicine (MD)

The Alice L. Walton School of Medicine is a new private MD program in Bentonville, Arkansas that waives tuition for its first five cohorts of students, founded with philanthropic support from the Walton family and located near Crystal Bridges Museum of American Art. Its curriculum integrates the arts and humanities into medical education, aiming to train physicians with enhanced empathy, creativity, and whole-person care capabilities. The inaugural cohort of 48 students enrolled in July 2025, making it one of the newest MD programs in the United States.

What makes it different

Alice Walton School of Medicine waives tuition for its first five cohorts — among very few US MD programs to do so. Its unique arts-integration model — with proximity to Crystal Bridges Museum of American Art — offers a genuinely differentiated medical education. The lack of student debt burden and the distinctive curriculum make it attractive to applicants who value humanistic medicine and financial accessibility.

Course & teaching

Integrated curriculum. 4-year MD (tuition waived for the first five cohorts) integrating arts, humanities, and narrative medicine throughout the curriculum. Year 1–2 blend foundational biomedical science with structured arts and humanities modules, including engagements with Crystal Bridges Museum. Year 3–4 clinical rotations at affiliated regional hospitals and community health sites.

Research strengths

Alice L. Walton School of Medicine (MD) has notable research strength in Narrative medicine, Whole-person care, Arts-based health interventions, Primary care, Health equity.

Interview

Alice L. Walton School of Medicine (MD) interviews via Multiple Mini Interview (MMI) with arts-integrated and humanities components. Alice Walton School of Medicine conducts an MMI format that is unusually differentiated by humanities and arts-integration components, reflecting the school's unique curricular identity. Stations assess standard medical ethics and communication competencies alongside creative thinking, aesthetic reasoning, and whole-person patient engagement — consistent with the curriculum's emphasis on the art as well as the science of medicine. The full interview day includes campus tours of the Bentonville arts and innovation ecosystem.

Intake

Inaugural cohort of 48 students (July 2025); planned ramp-up.

At a glance

Founded in 2021, based in Bentonville, AR. Programmes offered: Humanistic Medicine, Primary Care, Arts & Narrative Medicine, Community Health, Whole-Person Care.

Entry requirements

What you need to apply to Alice L. Walton School of Medicine (MD)

Admission overview
Bachelor's degree and MCAT required. Applications submitted via AMCAS with a November 1 primary deadline. Eligibility is limited to US citizens and permanent residents, and the AAMC PREview Professional Readiness Exam is highly recommended. The school values intellectual breadth, engagement with the arts or humanities, clinical experience, and community service. No specific major required; interdisciplinary backgrounds are actively sought. Secondary application required.
MCAT median
513 (range 508–518)
GPA median
3.80 overall / 3.76 science (BCPM)
Acceptance rate
4.0%
Class size
48
In-state preference
None
CASPer
Not required
AAMC PREview
Not required
Holistic review emphasis
Arts and humanities engagement, whole-person care philosophy, clinical experience, and intellectual breadth.
Notes
Estimates from publicly available program statements; first cohort of 48 enrolled July 2025 — verify all figures with official AWSOM admissions office.
Specialities offered
Humanistic Medicine, Primary Care, Arts & Narrative Medicine, Community Health, Whole-Person Care
Interview

How Alice L. Walton School of Medicine (MD) interviews applicants

Format
Multiple Mini Interview (MMI) with arts-integrated and humanities components
Interview window
October–February
Decision date
Rolling; final decisions by March 30
Post-interview chances
Not yet published; as a new program, post-interview acceptance data are unavailable.
Tutor insight
The tuition-free model will attract highly competitive applicants who might otherwise target top-10 schools — do not underestimate the selectivity. Make your application arts-integration narrative concrete: interviewers will probe whether your engagement with the arts or humanities is genuine or just a résumé line. The school is brand-new with no residency match data; weigh this carefully and consider whether the humanistic curriculum and debt-free training outweigh the uncertainty of a nascent program. Bentonville is a small city — be prepared to discuss how you will thrive in that environment.
Practice

Practise for your Alice L. Walton School of Medicine (MD) interview

PrometheusQuestion Bank621 medicine questions inside

Interview questions matched to Alice L. Walton School of Medicine (MD)

Two questions our tutors flagged as a strong fit for Alice L. Walton School of Medicine (MD)’s interview style. Try answering them out loud, then open Prometheus for the model answers and follow-up tips.

HardMMIQ1

Patient Advocacy: Navigating a Language Barrier with a Dying Patient

You are a medical student on a palliative care rotation. Your patient, a 74-year-old Korean-speaking man with end-stage pancreatic cancer, appears increasingly distressed during rounds. His adult son, who speaks English fluently, has been translating. The attending notices the patient's eyes fill with tears when a treatment timeline is discussed but the son's translation to English omits any emotional content, reporting only that his father 'understands.' What do you do?

Likely follow-up · What are the ethical problems with relying on a family member for medical interpretation in a serious illness conversation?

3 expert tips in Prometheus
HardMMIQ2

Role Play: Motivational Interviewing for a Lifestyle Change

Role-play station. You are a medical student in a primary care clinic. A 45-year-old patient (played by an actor) has prediabetes and was advised at the last visit to increase physical activity and change their diet. They have made no changes and say, 'I know I should exercise, but honestly I just don't have the time, and I've tried diets before and they never work.' Your task is to talk with the patient about this. Begin.

Likely follow-up · How did you resist the urge to simply lecture the patient about what they 'should' do?

3 expert tips in Prometheus
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FAQ

Alice L. Walton School of Medicine (MD) — frequently asked questions

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