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US Medicine · 2027 Entry

University of New Mexico School of Medicine

2027 Entry Requirements & Interview Format

University of New Mexico School of Medicine is a US MD program in Albuquerque, NM that takes 2027-entry applications through AMCAS. Its published class profile lists a median MCAT of 506 (range 505–515), a median GPA of 3.77, a 4.0% acceptance rate and a class of 103. The school holds a traditional interview: September 2026–February 2027.

Location
Albuquerque, NM, United States
Established
1961
Interviews (2027 entry)
September 2026–February 2027
Decisions (2027 entry)
Rolling; most decisions by March 30, 2027
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University of New Mexico School of Medicine (MD) — Exterior of Castetter Hall on the University of New Mexico main campus…

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Photo: John Phelan · CC BY 3.0 · Photo: John Phelan · CC BY 3.0 · Photo: Kimberly Vardeman · CC BY 2.0

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Full guide

How to get into University of New Mexico 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 University of New Mexico 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 University of New Mexico School of Medicine (MD)

The University of New Mexico School of Medicine was founded in 1961. It is the only allopathic medical school in New Mexico, and the principal academic medical center for the whole state. It sits on the Health Sciences Center campus in Albuquerque. Training centers on service to New Mexico's unusually diverse population.

Hispanic and Latino communities make up about 50% of the state, and Native American and tribal nations about 11%. Rural and frontier populations are spread across a vast, medically underserved geography. UNM Hospital is a Level I trauma center and the state's only academic referral hospital.

What makes University of New Mexico School of Medicine (MD) different

Only medical school in New Mexico; serves as the sole academic referral center for the state. Recognized as one of the most racially diverse medical school classes in the US. Strong training in tribal and pueblo health through partnerships with 23 federally recognized New Mexico tribes and the Indian Health Service.

Home to the Hispanic Center of Excellence and programs addressing health disparities in one of the most ethnically diverse US states.

University of New Mexico School of Medicine (MD) course & teaching

Integrated curriculum. 4-year MD. Pre-clerkship (Years 1–2): organ-system-integrated curriculum with early clinical exposure and community health threads. Year 3: core clerkships at UNM Hospital, VA New Mexico, and affiliated rural/tribal sites. Year 4: required rural and underserved clinical rotation; selectives available in tribal health, global health, and leadership. Longitudinal community health project embedded throughout.

University of New Mexico School of Medicine (MD) research strengths

University of New Mexico School of Medicine (MD) is strong in these research areas:

  • Health disparities and minority health
  • Tribal health and American Indian medicine
  • Rural and frontier health
  • Cancer prevention
  • Infectious disease and HIV

How the University of New Mexico School of Medicine (MD) interview runs

Format: Two Zoom interviews with two different admissions committee members, 30 minutes to an hour each; interviewers do not see MCAT, GPA or academic history

UNM SOM interviews by invitation only, online via Zoom. Applicants have two interviews with two different admissions committee members, each lasting from 30 minutes to an hour depending on the interviewer, so block out the whole day.

Interviewers do not see your MCAT scores, GPA, or academic history beforehand: the interview is based strictly on non-cognitive skills, drawing on your clinical and research experiences, volunteering, letters of recommendation, and personal statement. Expect to discuss motivation for medicine, commitment to New Mexico communities, cultural competence for a Hispanic-majority and tribal population, and ethical reasoning.

Applicants are evaluated holistically, with particular emphasis on service to underserved and tribal communities and demonstrated New Mexico ties.

University of New Mexico School of Medicine (MD) intake

Approximately 80–85 students per year.

Where University of New Mexico School of Medicine (MD) is

University of New Mexico School of Medicine was founded in 1961 and is based in Albuquerque, NM.

Programmes offered:

  • Rural & Tribal Health
  • Primary Care
  • Internal Medicine
  • Trauma & Emergency Medicine
  • Health Disparities Research
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Entry requirements

What you need to apply to University of New Mexico School of Medicine (MD)

University of New Mexico School of Medicine (MD) at a glance

University of New Mexico School of Medicine Medicine — 2027 entry at a glance
MCAT / GPA (medians)506 · 3.77 (MCAT range 505–515)
Acceptance rate4.0%
Class size103
In-state matriculants76.7%
Interview formatTraditional interview
IntakeApproximately 80–85 students per year
University of New Mexico School of Medicine Medicine admissions profile — 2027 entry
Admission overviewBachelor's degree and MCAT required. New Mexico residents very strongly preferred; out-of-state applicants are rarely admitted. Prerequisites include standard pre-medical sciences. Applications via AMCAS; secondary required. UNM SOM explicitly values cultural competency, Spanish language skills, service to tribal and rural communities, and New Mexico connections.
MCAT median506 (range 505–515)
GPA median3.77 overall / 3.67 science (BCPM)
Acceptance rate4.0%
Class size103
In-state preferenceStrong — primarily in-state
In-state matriculants76.7%
CASPerNot required
AAMC PREviewNot required
Holistic review emphasisNM residency, Hispanic/tribal community service, Spanish language, cultural competency, rural health commitment, MCAT/GPA.
NotesChecked 2026-09-14 against the school's own published figures: mean MCAT 506; mean GPA 3.77; class of 103; 79 of 103 in-state. Where a figure is marked mean, the school publishes a mean rather than a median. Not confirmed from the school's own pages: science GPA, acceptance rate. Interview format checked 2026-10-07 against https://hsc.unm.edu/medicine/education/md/admissions/apply/interviews.html.
Specialities offeredRural & Tribal Health, Primary Care, Internal Medicine, Trauma & Emergency Medicine, Health Disparities Research

MCAT, GPA, acceptance-rate and class-size figures are taken from University of New Mexico 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.

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Interview

How University of New Mexico School of Medicine (MD) interviews applicants

University of New Mexico School of Medicine Medicine interview — 2027 entry
FormatTwo Zoom interviews with two different admissions committee members, 30 minutes to an hour each; interviewers do not see MCAT, GPA or academic history
Interview window (2027 entry)September 2026–February 2027
Decision date (2027 entry)Rolling; most decisions by March 30, 2027
Post-interview chancesEstimated 45–60% of interviewed in-state candidates receive an offer; out-of-state conversion very low. Estimates approximate — verify with UNM SOM admissions.
Tutor insight
UNM SOM is one of the most mission-specific medical schools in the US — the entire curriculum and patient population is oriented toward New Mexico's Hispanic, tribal, and rural communities. Applicants who can speak Spanish, have tribal or pueblo health experience, or have deep NM community roots have a significant advantage. The school does not produce a significant pipeline for competitive subspecialty programs at major metropolitan academic centers — it trains physicians for New Mexico. Be honest in your application and interview about whether this deeply regional mission truly resonates with your career vision.
Practice

Practise for your University of New Mexico School of Medicine (MD) interview

PrometheusQuestion Bank621 medicine questions inside

Interview questions matched to University of New Mexico School of Medicine (MD)

Two questions from our US bank that match University of New Mexico School of Medicine (MD)’s panel format. Try answering them out loud, then open Prometheus for the model answers and follow-up tips.

HardMMI · PanelQ1

Should the US adopt single-payer healthcare?

The US spends far more per capita on healthcare than any other wealthy nation yet has worse outcomes on several measures and tens of millions uninsured or underinsured. Some advocate a single-payer ('Medicare for All') system, others favor building on the ACA's mixed model.

What do you see as the strengths and weaknesses of the current US approach, and how would you reform it?

Likely follow-up · Why does the US spend so much more without proportionally better outcomes?

3 expert tips in Prometheus
HardMMI · PanelQ2

Insulin Rationing in the Coverage Gap

Millions of low-income adults in non-Medicaid-expansion states fall into a coverage gap: their income is too high to qualify for Medicaid under their state's rules but too low to receive marketplace subsidies under the ACA. A patient in your clinic is one of them. She has Type 2 diabetes, cannot afford insulin, and is rationing doses.

Her state has not expanded Medicaid. What are the ethical obligations of her physician, and what practical options exist?

Likely follow-up · What is the difference between a physician's duty to an individual patient and a physician's duty to advocate for systemic change?

3 expert tips in Prometheus
Open Prometheus for University of New Mexico School of Medicine (MD)Free medicine interview question bank for University of New Mexico School of Medicine (MD) applicants →
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Sources

Where University of New Mexico School of Medicine (MD)'s figures come from

Checked against University of New Mexico School of Medicine's own website on 14 September 2026: our record for the school was reconciled with what it publishes there. For most US schools that is class size and interview format only, so MCAT, GPA and acceptance-rate figures remain unconfirmed.

University of New Mexico School of Medicine (MD) — official course page →Entry requirements, interview format and deadlines published by the school itself. The primary source for everything on this page.University of New Mexico School of Medicine (MD) — published admissions data →The class profile and admissions statistics this record's MCAT, GPA, acceptance-rate and class-size figures were taken from.University of New Mexico School of Medicine (MD) — published admissions data →The class profile and admissions statistics this record's MCAT, GPA, acceptance-rate and class-size figures were taken from.
FAQ

University of New Mexico School of Medicine (MD) — frequently asked questions

University of New Mexico School of Medicine (MD) matriculants have a median MCAT of 506. The middle range of matriculants is 505–515. 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.

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