University of North Dakota School of Medicine and Health Sciences (MD)
Grand Forks, ND, US
Grand Forks, ND, US•Est. 1905
University of North Dakota School of Medicine and Health Sciences (MD) Medical School - 2027 Entry Requirements & Interview Format
The University of North Dakota School of Medicine and Health Sciences, established in 1905 and headquartered in Grand Forks, is the only medical school in North Dakota and one of the few US medical schools with an explicit mission to train physicians for rural Great Plains communities and Native American populations. The school trains approximately 78 students per year in a distributed model, with preclinical education in Grand Forks and clinical clerkships dispersed across communities throughout North Dakota and the upper Midwest. UND SOM has a strong commitment to Indigenous health, operating programmes in partnership with tribal health services and the Indian Health Service. Graduates have a strong track record of remaining in rural and underserved practice.
Entry Requirements
What you need to apply to University of North Dakota School of Medicine and Health Sciences (MD).
Admission overview
Bachelor's degree and MCAT required. Strong preference for North Dakota residents and applicants from the upper Midwest with rural backgrounds or demonstrated commitment to rural and Indigenous health. Applications via AMCAS; secondary application required. The school especially values applicants with North Dakota ties or exposure to rural or Native American communities.
MCAT median
508 (range 503–513)
GPA median
3.75 overall / 3.70 science (BCPM)
Acceptance rate
5.0%
Class size
78
In-state preference
Strong — primarily in-state
In-state matriculants
88%
CASPer
Not required
Holistic review emphasis
North Dakota or regional ties, rural and Indigenous health commitment, primary care orientation, and mission alignment.
Notes
Estimates from public AAMC FACTS / AACOMAS / ADEA AADSAS / class-profile; verify current cycle.
Specialities offered
Rural Medicine, Native American Health, Primary Care, Family Medicine, Community Health
Interview Format
How University of North Dakota School of Medicine and Health Sciences (MD) interviews applicants.
Format
Traditional panel interview — faculty and student one-on-one sessions
Interview window
October–February
Decision date
March 30 (AAMC standard)
Post-interview chances
Approximately 20–35% of interviewed applicants receive an offer; North Dakota residents and those with strong rural/Indigenous backgrounds convert at higher rates. Estimates based on publicly available data; verify with admissions.
What to expect at a University of North Dakota School of Medicine and Health Sciences (MD) interview
UND SOM conducts traditional one-on-one interviews with faculty clinicians and a current medical student, each lasting approximately 30–45 minutes. Interviewers read the application beforehand. Given the school's location in the rural Great Plains and its strong commitment to Native American health and rural medicine, interview questions probe commitment to underserved Great Plains communities, awareness of North Dakota's unique healthcare landscape, and interest in Native American health issues. The full interview day includes an admissions presentation, student-led discussion, and a tour of the campus in Grand Forks, with discussion of the distributed clerkship network across ND and adjacent states.
What makes University of North Dakota School of Medicine and Health Sciences (MD) different
UND SOM is the only medical school in North Dakota and serves a vast, sparsely populated rural state with one of the highest proportions of Native American residents in the continental US. The school has a distinctive Centre of Excellence for Native American health and has strong commitments to training Indigenous health professionals. Its distributed curriculum model sends students to clinical sites across North Dakota, northeastern South Dakota, and parts of Minnesota.
Tutor insight
UND SOM is one of the most mission-specific medical schools in the country — if you are genuinely committed to rural Great Plains medicine or Native American health, this is an extraordinary training opportunity and your application should lead with that commitment explicitly. If you are from North Dakota or the upper Midwest, emphasise your regional ties and familiarity with rural health challenges. The school's small class and distributed model mean students receive exceptional mentorship and breadth of rural clinical experience — cite this specifically in your secondary essays. The Centre of Excellence for Native American health is a genuinely distinctive programme; applicants with Indigenous backgrounds or tribal community connections are strongly encouraged to apply.
PrometheusQuestion Bank
595 medicine questions inside
Interview questions matched to University of North Dakota School of Medicine and Health Sciences (MD)
Two questions our tutors flagged as a strong fit for University of North Dakota School of Medicine and Health Sciences (MD)’s interview style. Try answering them out loud, then open Prometheus for the model answers and follow-up tips.
Easy·PanelQ1
AAMC Core Competency: Service Learning and Social Responsibility
You have spent the past year organising a weekly blood pressure screening programme at a predominantly Black barbershop in your city, modelled on published research showing barbershop-based hypertension interventions are highly effective in this population. Describe what you learned that you could not have learned in a clinic, and how this experience has prepared you for medical school.
Likely follow-up · Why are barbershop-based health programmes particularly effective for reaching Black men who are reluctant to engage with formal healthcare?
You are shadowing a primary care physician when a patient with Type 2 diabetes is told that her insurer has denied prior authorisation for a GLP-1 receptor agonist that her doctor considers the most appropriate medication for her comorbidities. The denial letter states the patient must 'fail' two cheaper alternatives first. The physician is frustrated but says she does not have time to file an appeal. As a future physician, how do you think about this scenario in terms of patient advocacy, and what would you do in this moment as a pre-medical student?
Likely follow-up · What is a step therapy or 'fail first' policy, and why do many physician organisations argue it harms patients?
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University of North Dakota School of Medicine and Health Sciences (MD) - Frequently asked questions
Bachelor's degree and MCAT required. Strong preference for North Dakota residents and applicants from the upper Midwest with rural backgrounds or demonstrated commitment to rural and Indigenous health. Applications via AMCAS; secondary application required. The school especially values applicants with North Dakota ties or exposure to rural or Native American communities.
Traditional panel interview — faculty and student one-on-one sessions. UND SOM conducts traditional one-on-one interviews with faculty clinicians and a current medical student, each lasting approximately 30–45 minutes. Interviewers read the application beforehand. Given the school's location in the rural Great Plains and its strong commitment to Native American health and rural medicine, interview questions probe commitment to underserved Great Plains communities, awareness of North Dakota's unique healthcare landscape, and interest in Native American health issues. The full interview day includes an admissions presentation, student-led discussion, and a tour of the campus in Grand Forks, with discussion of the distributed clerkship network across ND and adjacent states.
University of North Dakota School of Medicine and Health Sciences (MD) typically interviews in October–February.
Decisions are released March 30 (AAMC standard).
UND SOM is the only medical school in North Dakota and serves a vast, sparsely populated rural state with one of the highest proportions of Native American residents in the continental US. The school has a distinctive Centre of Excellence for Native American health and has strong commitments to training Indigenous health professionals. Its distributed curriculum model sends students to clinical sites across North Dakota, northeastern South Dakota, and parts of Minnesota.
