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US Medicine · 2027 Entry

University of Puerto Rico School of Medicine (MD) Medical School2027 Entry Requirements & Interview Format

Location San Juan, PR, United StatesEstablished 1950Interviews (2027 entry) October 2026–February 2027Decisions (2027 entry) March 30, 2027 (AAMC standard)
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Full guide

How to get into University of Puerto Rico 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 Puerto Rico 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 Puerto Rico School of Medicine (MD)

The University of Puerto Rico School of Medicine was founded in 1950 and sits on the Medical Sciences Campus in Rio Piedras, San Juan. It is the only public medical school in Puerto Rico, and the oldest on the island.

It is the main training ground for Puerto Rico's physician workforce, with a strong primary care and community health mission backed by its public university mandate. Affiliations with major public hospitals, including the Puerto Rico Medical Center complex, give students high-acuity clinical exposure.

What makes University of Puerto Rico School of Medicine (MD) different

As the only public medical school in Puerto Rico, UPR Med offers the lowest in-state tuition of any PR medical school and has a formal mandate to train physicians for Puerto Rico's public health needs.

It is part of the University of Puerto Rico Medical Sciences Campus, which also houses schools of pharmacy, dentistry, public health, and nursing — enabling unique inter-professional training. UPR Med graduates have historically comprised the backbone of Puerto Rico's physician workforce.

University of Puerto Rico School of Medicine (MD) course & teaching

Integrated curriculum. 4-year MD. Years 1–2 at the Medical Sciences Campus in San Juan; clinical rotations Years 3–4 at Puerto Rico Medical Center hospitals and affiliated community sites. Bilingual instruction throughout; public health and community medicine are integrated from Year 1.

University of Puerto Rico School of Medicine (MD) research strengths

University of Puerto Rico School of Medicine (MD) is strong in these research areas:

  • Cancer epidemiology in Puerto Rico
  • Cardiovascular disease
  • HIV/AIDS
  • Health disparities
  • Tropical and infectious disease

How the University of Puerto Rico School of Medicine (MD) interview runs

Format: Traditional individual faculty interviews; panel format for some applicants

UPR Med holds interview day on the Medical Sciences Campus in San Juan. It usually includes one or two individual faculty or panel interviews of 25 to 35 minutes each. As the only public medical school in Puerto Rico, UPR Med selects mostly Puerto Rican residents.

Interviewers probe the depth of your ties to the island, your Spanish fluency, your motivation for community service, and your academic preparedness. The day also includes an admissions information session, campus and UPR-affiliated hospital tours, and informal time with current students.

Applicants are expected to show strong command of both English and Spanish, and to explain how they will contribute to Puerto Rico's healthcare workforce.

University of Puerto Rico School of Medicine (MD) intake

Approximately 105 students per year.

University of Puerto Rico School of Medicine (MD) at a glance

Founded in 1950. Based in San Juan, PR.

Programmes offered:

  • Primary Care
  • Internal Medicine
  • Pediatrics
  • Family Medicine
  • Public Health
Entry requirements

What you need to apply to University of Puerto Rico School of Medicine (MD)

Admission overview
Bachelor's degree and MCAT required. Applications via AMCAS. Puerto Rico residency is effectively required — the school's mandate is to train physicians for Puerto Rico's public health system, and non-residents are rarely accepted. Spanish proficiency is required. Strong academic preparation and community service background are expected. Secondary application required.
MCAT median
505 (range 504–515)
GPA median
3.80 overall / 3.58 science (BCPM)
Acceptance rate
12.0%
Class size
105
In-state preference
Strong — primarily in-state
In-state matriculants
98%
CASPer
Not required
AAMC PREview
Not required
Holistic review emphasis
Puerto Rico residency; commitment to island's public health workforce; bilingual proficiency; community service background.
Notes
Estimates from public AAMC FACTS / class-profile data; verify current cycle. Acceptance rate reflects near-exclusive PR resident admissions.
Specialities offered
Primary Care, Internal Medicine, Pediatrics, Family Medicine, Public Health

MCAT, GPA, acceptance-rate and class-size figures are taken from University of Puerto Rico 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 Puerto Rico School of Medicine (MD) interviews applicants

Format
Traditional individual faculty interviews; panel format for some applicants
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 40–55% given strong in-state preference and large class size relative to PR applicant pool. Puerto Rico residency and mission fit are the primary determinants.
Tutor insight
UPR Med is effectively reserved for Puerto Rico residents — non-residents face an extremely steep path regardless of academic credentials. For island residents, it represents exceptional value: lower tuition, the largest PR class, and affiliation with high-volume public hospitals that provide broad clinical exposure. In your interview, demonstrate deep engagement with Puerto Rico's public health challenges — not just generic medicine motivation. Spanish proficiency is non-negotiable; your clinical training will be bilingual from Year 3. The Puerto Rico Medical Center complex provides exposure to a high-acuity patient population that rivals many mainland academic medical centers, which is an underappreciated strength to highlight in essays.
Practice

Practise for your University of Puerto Rico School of Medicine (MD) interview

PrometheusQuestion Bank621 medicine questions inside

Interview questions matched to University of Puerto Rico School of Medicine (MD)

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

MediumMMI · PanelQ1

AAMC Core Competency: Cultural Humility in Clinical Practice

An attending physician you are shadowing tells a patient, a recent Haitian immigrant, that she needs to stop drinking herbal teas prepared by a community healer and switch entirely to her prescribed blood pressure medications. The patient agrees in the office but the attending later tells you she probably will not be adherent.

What do you think went wrong in this interaction, and how would you approach the conversation differently?

Likely follow-up · What is the difference between cultural competence and cultural humility, and why does the distinction matter clinically?

3 expert tips in Prometheus
MediumPanelQ2

US Healthcare Ethics: Climate Change as a Public Health Crisis

"The WHO describes climate change as the single biggest health threat facing humanity, and major US medical associations, including the AMA, have adopted policy declaring it a public health crisis." Rising temperatures increase cardiovascular and respiratory mortality, expand the geographic range of vector-borne diseases, worsen food and water insecurity, and disproportionately affect low-income communities and communities of colour.

How does climate change fit within the physician's clinical and advocacy obligations, and what specific role can medical professionals play in the response?

Likely follow-up · What is the clinical evidence linking extreme heat events to cardiovascular and respiratory mortality in vulnerable populations?

3 expert tips in Prometheus
Open Prometheus for University of Puerto Rico School of Medicine (MD)Browse 1,106 free questions →
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MCAT Strategy

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Interview preparation

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Personal statement help

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Sources

Where University of Puerto Rico School of Medicine (MD)'s figures come from

Compiled from University of Puerto Rico 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.

University of Puerto Rico 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.
FAQ

University of Puerto Rico School of Medicine (MD) — frequently asked questions

University of Puerto Rico School of Medicine (MD) matriculants have a median MCAT of 505. The middle range of matriculants is 504–515. 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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