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US Medicine · 2027 Entry

Oregon Health & Science University School of Medicine (MD) Medical School2027 Entry Requirements & Interview Format

Location Portland, OR, United StatesEstablished 1887Interviews (2027 entry) October 2026–February 2027Decisions (2027 entry) March 30, 2027 (AAMC standard)

Photo: Cacophony · CC BY-SA 3.0 · cropped

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Overview

About Oregon Health & Science University School of Medicine (MD)

Oregon Health & Science University School of Medicine, founded in 1887, is the only institution in Oregon with authority to grant the MD degree and serves as the state's sole academic medical center. Located on a hilltop campus above Portland, OHSU is the Pacific Northwest's most prominent academic health sciences university.

The school trains physicians with a strong emphasis on research, rural health workforce development, and underserved community medicine across Oregon's diverse geographic landscape.

What makes Oregon Health & Science University School of Medicine (MD) different

OHSU is the only institution in Oregon that grants MD degrees, giving it a unique statewide workforce development mandate. The school is affiliated with the OHSU Hospital — a level I trauma center and the state's only academic medical center. OHSU offers strong dual-degree pathways including MD/PhD (MSTP), MD/MPH, and MD/MBA.

The school's Area Health Education Center (AHEC) program places students in rural and underserved Oregon communities for training rotations.

Oregon Health & Science University School of Medicine (MD) course & teaching

Integrated curriculum. 4-year MD. Years 1–2: integrated science and clinical skills curriculum at the OHSU hilltop campus. Years 3–4: core clerkships at OHSU Hospital and Health System, including trauma, oncology, and rural AHEC training sites across Oregon. MSTP, MPH, and MBA dual-degree tracks available.

Oregon Health & Science University School of Medicine (MD) research strengths

Oregon Health & Science University School of Medicine (MD) is strong in these research areas:

  • Cancer biology and oncology
  • Neuroscience and neurodegeneration
  • Cardiovascular disease
  • Rural health disparities
  • Infectious disease

How the Oregon Health & Science University School of Medicine (MD) interview runs

Format: MMI (multiple stations, typically 8–10, in-person or virtual)

OHSU School of Medicine uses a Multiple Mini Interview (MMI) format comprising 8–10 stations of approximately 8 minutes each with 2-minute preparation windows. Stations are held at the OHSU hilltop campus in Portland and cover ethical dilemmas, communication scenarios, collaborative problem-solving, policy discussions, and reflective prompts. Assessors include faculty clinicians, trained community members, and standardized patients.

The full interview day spans approximately 4–5 hours and includes an admissions overview, a student-led tour of the OHSU clinical campus and Oregon Simulation Center, and informal interaction with current students. As the only MD-granting school in Oregon, OHSU's MMI specifically tests applicants' awareness of Oregon-specific health challenges and rural access issues.

Oregon Health & Science University School of Medicine (MD) intake

Approximately 150 students per year.

Oregon Health & Science University School of Medicine (MD) at a glance

Founded in 1887. Based in Portland, OR.

Programmes offered:

  • Oncology
  • Neuroscience
  • Rural Medicine
  • Primary Care
  • Cardiovascular Medicine
Entry requirements

What you need to apply to Oregon Health & Science University School of Medicine (MD)

Admission overview
Bachelor's degree and MCAT required. Applications via AMCAS. OHSU gives preference to Oregon and Pacific Northwest residents but accepts out-of-state applicants given its statewide mandate. Secondary application required. CASPer is not currently required.
MCAT median
509 (range 505–514)
GPA median
3.66 overall / 3.57 science (BCPM)
Acceptance rate
3.3%
Class size
150
In-state preference
Strong — primarily in-state
In-state matriculants
82%
CASPer
Not required
AAMC PREview
Not required
Holistic review emphasis
MMI performance, Oregon/Pacific Northwest residency, rural health awareness, research experience, and community service.
Notes
Estimates from public AAMC FACTS / AACOMAS / ADEA AADSAS / class-profile; verify current cycle.
Specialities offered
Oncology, Neuroscience, Rural Medicine, Primary Care, Cardiovascular Medicine

MCAT, GPA, acceptance-rate and class-size figures are taken from Oregon Health & Science University School of Medicine's published admissions data. Class profiles are republished each year — confirm which entering class these numbers describe before you rely on them.

Working towards the MCAT score Oregon Health & Science University School of Medicine (MD) expects? Build a week-by-week plan from your test date — free for the first two weeks.

Interview

How Oregon Health & Science University School of Medicine (MD) interviews applicants

Format
MMI (multiple stations, typically 8–10, in-person or virtual)
Interview window (2027 entry)
October 2026–February 2027
Decision date (2027 entry)
March 30, 2027 (AAMC standard)
Post-interview chances
Estimated post-interview acceptance rate approximately 20–28%; MMI performance is blinded for most stations.
Tutor insight
OHSU's MMI is blinded at most stations — your application does not follow you into station rooms. This means drill the 8-minute rhythm and ethical reasoning frameworks, not personal narrative. Oregon residency helps but OHSU does admit a meaningful number of out-of-state applicants, particularly those with rural Pacific Northwest ties or research backgrounds aligned with OHSU's strong oncology and neuroscience programs. The rural Oregon mandate is taken seriously: if you are from outside Oregon, demonstrating awareness of Oregon's healthcare geography (rural Eastern Oregon, coastal communities, tribal health) shows genuine fit research. The OHSU campus is notoriously hilly and isolated — asking about student life and community in Portland shows contextual awareness.
Practice

Practise for your Oregon Health & Science University School of Medicine (MD) interview

PrometheusQuestion Bank621 medicine questions inside

Interview questions matched to Oregon Health & Science University School of Medicine (MD)

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

MediumPanel · MMIQ1

AAMC Capacity for Improvement: Receiving Hard Feedback

Describe a time you received criticism that was difficult to hear — from a supervisor, a coach, a professor, or a peer. How did you respond in the moment, and what did you actually do with the feedback afterward?

Likely follow-up · What was your honest first reaction, before you had time to process it?

3 expert tips in Prometheus
HardMMI · PanelQ2

Holistic Review: Post-SCOTUS 2023 and Race-Conscious Admissions

In 2023, the US Supreme Court ruled in SFFA v. Harvard and SFFA v. UNC that race-conscious admissions programmes at universities were unconstitutional. The Court noted, however, that applicants may still discuss how race affected their lives, including through discrimination.

How should medical schools approach diversity in admissions in this new legal landscape, and why does physician workforce diversity matter for patient outcomes?

Likely follow-up · What is the difference between using race as a category in admissions decisions versus considering an applicant's lived experience of race as a biographical fact?

3 expert tips in Prometheus
Get support

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Sources

Where Oregon Health & Science University School of Medicine (MD)'s figures come from

Compiled from Oregon Health & Science University School of Medicine's published admissions material and checked for internal consistency. Not independently re-checked against the official course page for 2027 entry — confirm the figures with the school before you rely on them.

FAQ

Oregon Health & Science University School of Medicine (MD) — frequently asked questions

Oregon Health & Science University School of Medicine (MD) matriculants have a median MCAT of 509. The middle range of matriculants is 505–514. US schools publish medians rather than cut-offs, and committees review holistically — the MCAT is weighed alongside GPA, clinical and research experience, letters of recommendation and secondary essays.

Apply to Oregon Health & Science University School of Medicine (MD) with confidence

We've helped students turn their MCAT, personal statement and interview prep into offers from Oregon Health & Science University School of Medicine (MD) and other US medicine schools.