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US Medicine · 2027 Entry

Dell Medical School UT Austin (MD) Medical School2027 Entry Requirements & Interview Format

Location Austin, TX, United StatesEstablished 2016Interviews October–FebruaryDecisions March 30 (AAMC standard)

Photo: ajay_suresh · CC BY 4.0

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Overview

About Dell Medical School UT Austin (MD)

Dell Medical School at the University of Texas at Austin, founded in 2016, is a public medical school created to redesign how physicians are trained and how healthcare is delivered. Located in Austin — one of the fastest-growing US cities — the school focuses on producing physicians fluent in health systems science, value-based care, and community health alongside clinical excellence. Dell Med integrates clinical training at the adjacent Dell Seton Medical Center and leverages UT Austin's engineering, business, and public policy schools for interprofessional education. The school is public and applies through TMDSAS.

What makes it different

Dell Medical School is the only medical school built from scratch in 50 years at a major US research university. Founded in 2016, it was explicitly designed around value-based healthcare, systems redesign, and community health rather than adapting a legacy curriculum. Its clinical home — Dell Seton Medical Center — was built alongside the school specifically for this integrated model. The school emphasizes equity in healthcare and produces a high proportion of primary care and health policy-oriented physicians.

Course & teaching

Integrated curriculum. 4-year MD. Year 1–2: "Fundamentals" curriculum integrating basic science with early clinical exposure, health systems science, and interprofessional education with UT Austin schools of nursing, pharmacy, and social work. Year 3–4: core clinical rotations at Dell Seton Medical Center and affiliated Austin Health community sites. All students complete a "Catalyze" health systems project.

Research strengths

Dell Medical School UT Austin (MD) has notable research strength in Health systems innovation, Value-based care, Community health disparities, Health equity, Population health.

Interview

Dell Medical School UT Austin (MD) interviews via MMI (multiple mini-interview stations) with value-based health systems emphasis. Dell Medical School uses an MMI format typically comprising 6–8 stations of approximately 8 minutes each, reflecting its core values of redesigning healthcare delivery and community health systems. Stations probe ethical reasoning, collaborative problem-solving, communication, and health systems thinking — particularly value-based care and social determinants of health. The school opened in 2016 as the first new UT medical school in 50 years and was deliberately designed to produce physicians who will lead healthcare transformation. Interviewers include faculty, community health leaders, and current students, and the interview day includes a campus tour of the integrated clinical campus at Dell Seton Medical Center at UT Austin.

Intake

Approximately 50 students per year.

At a glance

Founded in 2016, based in Austin, TX. Programmes offered: Health Systems Science, Primary Care, Community Medicine, Value-Based Care, Health Equity.

Entry requirements

What you need to apply to Dell Medical School UT Austin (MD)

Admission overview
Bachelor's degree and MCAT required. Applications via TMDSAS. Strong preference for Texas residents. The school seeks applicants with demonstrated interest in healthcare redesign, community engagement, and collaborative leadership — not just strong academic metrics. Secondary application required.
MCAT median
517 (range 509–519)
GPA median
3.93 overall / 3.75 science (BCPM)
Acceptance rate
2.2%
Class size
50
In-state preference
Strong — primarily in-state
In-state matriculants
98%
CASPer
Not required
AAMC PREview
Not required
Holistic review emphasis
Health systems engagement, collaborative leadership, community health orientation, value-based care awareness.
Notes
Estimates from public AAMC FACTS / class-profile; verify current cycle.
Specialities offered
Health Systems Science, Primary Care, Community Medicine, Value-Based Care, Health Equity
Interview

How Dell Medical School UT Austin (MD) interviews applicants

Format
MMI (multiple mini-interview stations) with value-based health systems emphasis
Interview window
October–February
Decision date
March 30 (AAMC standard)
Post-interview chances
Estimated post-interview acceptance rate approximately 20–30%. The very small class size means each interview is highly weighted; mission alignment with health systems redesign and demonstrated community engagement are decisive factors.
Tutor insight
Dell Med is one of the most distinctive medical schools in the US for applicants who genuinely want to practice differently — if you are interested in value-based care, healthcare policy, and systems change, this should be a high priority. Its small class size (~50) creates intense community and mentoring but also makes it harder to gain admission than raw acceptance rates suggest. In your MMI, demonstrate concrete knowledge of value-based care models (bundled payments, ACOs, PCMH), not just buzzword familiarity. Research Dell Seton Medical Center and the UT Austin interprofessional context; interviewers quickly identify candidates who have not prepared specific knowledge about the school's distinctive features.
Practice

Practise for your Dell Medical School UT Austin (MD) interview

PrometheusQuestion Bank621 medicine questions inside

Interview questions matched to Dell Medical School UT Austin (MD)

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

HardMMI · PanelQ1

US Healthcare Ethics: Informed Consent and Capacity Assessment

A 60-year-old man with moderate depression and poorly controlled diabetes presents for an elective leg amputation recommended by his vascular surgeon to prevent death from gangrene. He tells you he refuses the operation: 'I would rather die than live without my leg.' His wife insists he is 'not in his right mind' due to his depression and demands that you proceed with the surgery. What is your ethical and clinical obligation?

Likely follow-up · What is the legal standard for decision-making capacity in the US, and how does depression affect it?

3 expert tips in Prometheus
MediumMMIQ2

US Healthcare Ethics: Cost Transparency in Prescribing

A patient with a new diagnosis of Type 2 diabetes asks which of two equally effective medications you recommend. One is a brand-name GLP-1 agonist costing $900 per month out of pocket; the other is an older generic that costs $12 per month with similar glycaemic outcomes. The patient is uninsured and working two jobs. How do you approach this prescribing decision, and what are the ethical dimensions of cost transparency in clinical practice?

Likely follow-up · At what point, if any, does cost become a clinical factor rather than purely a patient preference?

3 expert tips in Prometheus
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