University of New Mexico School of Medicine

The University of New Mexico School of Medicine (UNM SOM) is one of the oldest medical schools in the United States, having been established in May 1886. It was originally founded as the Medical Department of the University of New Mexico and was the first medical school in New Mexico. The first class graduated with a Doctor of Medicine degree in 1890. Over the years, UNM SOM has grown and developed into a nationally recognized leader in medical education, research, and patient care. In recent years, UNM SOM has implemented a number of innovative programs to better serve its students and community, including an interprofessional education program to train students from different health care disciplines to work together more effectively. Additionally, UNM SOM has become increasingly involved with community outreach initiatives such as providing free health screenings for underserved populations. Through these efforts, UNM SOM is committed to improving access to quality health care services for all members of the New Mexico community.

University of New Mexico School of Medicine

University of New Mexico School of Medicine, abbreviated as UNMSOM, is one of the top-ranked U.S. medical schools located in Albuquerque, NM. Keep reading to see admissions application information including average GRE scores, admissions selection factors and dual degree programs of University of New Mexico School of Medicine.

Basic Medical Sciences Building, Room 107
Albuquerque, NM 87131
(505) 272-4766

Admissions E-mail: somadmissions@salud.unm.edu
Web site: http://hsc.unm.edu/som/
Electronic application: http://hsc.unm.edu/som/admiss

Fall 2008 Admissions Information
AMCAS application accepted? Yes
Earliest application date: 06/01
Application deadline: 11/15
Oldest MCAT considered: 2003
Application fee: $50
Director of admissions: Dr. David Bear
Does this school ask for a secondary application as part of the admissions process? Yes

This school requires undergraduate work in these subjects in order to apply: biology, organic chemistry, inorganic (general) chemistry, physics, biochemistry, general chemistry

Is a personal interview required for admission? Yes
Are interviews conducted at the medical school? Yes

Acceptance notice to regular application for the 2007-2008 first-year class:
-Earliest date: March 15
-Latest date: March 15

Applicant’s response to acceptance offer for the 2007-2008 first-year class:
-Maximum time in weeks: 2 weeks
-Does the school consider requests for deferred entrance? Yes
-Deposit to hold place in class: None
-Deposit due: N/A
-Deposit refundable prior to: N/A
-Starting month for the class of 2007-2008: August

Early Decision Plan application period for the 2007-2008 first-year class:
-Does the school have an Early Decision Plan (EDP)? Yes
-EDP application period begins: June 1
-EDP application period ends: August 1
-EDP applicants notified by: October 1

Fall 2005 Admissions Statistics

The University of New Mexico School of Medicine has a highly competitive admissions process. For the 2019-2020 academic year, the school received 2,871 applications and offered admission to only 149 students. This gave the school an acceptance rate of 5.2%. The median GPA for accepted students was 3.77, while the median MCAT score was 509. In addition, nearly two-thirds of accepted students had at least one year of research experience and about one-third had some form of clinical experience. The school also has a holistic admissions process and considers a variety of factors outside academic performance when evaluating applicants. These factors include personal essays, letters of recommendation, extracurricular activities, and volunteer experiences. As such, the admissions process is designed to identify applicants who are not only academically successful but have qualities that would be beneficial to their medical education and future practice as physicians.

Applied Interviewed Accepted Enrolled
Total: 1,200 222 108 75
In-state: 227 195 101 70
Out-of-state: 973 27 7 5
Women: 544 112 53 36
Minorities: 482 89 45 30
International: 0 0 0 0

Acceptance rate: 9.0%

GPA
Average undergraduate GPA: 3.61

MCAT
Overall score (composite): 9.4
Verbal reasoning: 9.9
Physical sciences: 8.7
Biological: 9.7
Writing: N/A

Undergraduate Majors
Biological sciences (biology, microbiology, zoology, etc.): 51%
Physical sciences (biochemistry, chemistry, engineering, etc.): 13%
Non-sciences (sociology, economics, English, etc.): 5%
Other health professions (nursing, pharmacy, etc.): 5%
Mixed disciplines and other: 25%

Biological sciences (biology, microbiology, zoology, etc.): 51%
Physical sciences (biochemistry, chemistry, engineering, etc.): 13%
Non-sciences (sociology, economics, English, etc.): 5%
Other health professions (nursing, pharmacy, etc.): 5%
Mixed disciplines and other: 25%

Combined Degree Programs
Combined degree programs offered: M.D./Ph.D., M.D./M.P.H.

Does the school have a combined college/M.D. program? Yes
Number of years to complete combined college/M.D. program: 8 years
Web site for combined college/M.D. program: hsc.unm.edu/som/research/lyons/mdphdprogram/

Selection Factors
Details on the policies, preferences, criteria, factors and procedures used in the M.D. admission process:
(Data appear as originally submitted by this school)
Selection is based on academic achievement, motivation for medicine, problem-solving ability, self-appraisal, ability to relate to people, maturity, breadth of interests and achievement, professional goals, and likelihood of serving the health care needs of the State following postgraduate training. As a state-funded institution we primarily accept students from the State of New Mexico.