2026-2027 Committee Members: Alex Miller and Kayleigh Berthiaume Fox

The executive committee is primarily responsible for the oversight and communication with the individual student committees. Executive committee members will meet once per month with the MSTP administration to discuss student committee needs and overall program goals. The members of the executive committee are directly responsible for program growth and should be actively involved with all program undertakings.

2026-2027 Committee Members: Robin Black (Student Chair); Thomas Larsen, PhD; Sameeha Rashid and Sun Woo Kim

The admissions committee is responsible for participating in the MSTP admissions process to select suitable candidates for the subsequent academic year. Student and faculty members of the admissions committee are divided among three subcommittees and are responsible for reviewing at least 10-12 applications. The committees then meet to discuss who should be selected for an interview, and student members are then responsible for interviewing approximately four applicants on each interview day. After interviews are over, the committee meets again to rank candidates and identify who should be invited immediately, as well as who should be placed on a waiting list.

2026-2027 Committee Members: Julianna Bianco and Abby Stapleton

The recruitment committee is responsible for the planning and coordination of recruitment activities surrounding interview days as well as outreach activities for a successful recruitment year. In general, the recruitment committee works closely with the admissions committee during application season. The recruitment committee is also responsible for scheduling outreach activities with undergraduate students and general promotion of our program to future recruits.

2026-2027 Committee Members: Helena Hurbon; Julia Morris, PhD; Brandon Lee and Manlin Shao 

The colloquium/continuity committee oversees the preparation and oversight of the monthly student “colloquia” hosted by the MD/PhD program. The committee members will fall into the student committee organizational structure established by the MD/PhD Program and will report to the executive committee. “Continuity” refers to continual medical education sessions, particularly aimed at graduate-phase MD/PhD students, that will be held at each colloquium, preceding or following speaker presentations, depending on speaker availability.

2026-2027 Committee Members: Kate Johnson and Robin Black

This committee exists to inform students about the resources and opportunities available to them through the American Physician Scientists Association (APSA) and encourage participation with other physician-scientists across the country.

APSA membership fees are covered by the program and include multiple benefits.

2026-2027 Committee Members: Quynn Hotan, Carolyn Dunlap, Sarah Seo, Madison LaRoche, Heidi Kitchel, Cam Bolles, Justin Roosma, Srbui Azarapetian

The retreat committee is responsible for overseeing and planning the annual summer retreat, to be held prior to the start of each academic year. Committee members will be responsible for budgeting costs of the retreat, selecting venues and speakers, and creating an agenda for the event.

2026-2027 Committee Member: Cam Bolles and Carolyn Dunlap

The wellness and alumni committee is responsible for promoting wellness, community, collaboration and networking within the MD/PhD Program by planning and hosting events throughout the year. An additional responsibility of this committee is continued communication and involvement with program alumni.

1. Students should apply through the AMCAS website and complete all application materials for the University of Arizona College of Medicine – Tucson.
2. Additional application materials specific to the MSTP program will be available when students indicate interest in applying for the MD/PhD program. You must select that you are interested in the MD/PhD Program on your AMCAS to receive the additional application materials. 

Office of Admissions

1. Entry to the MSTP Program is decided by the MD/PhD Admissions Committee. Both in-state and out-of-state applicants will be considered as well as applicants with a permanent resident visa status. International students are not eligible for admission to the program at this time.
2. Students must complete requirements for a bachelor’s degree at an accredited academic institution prior to matriculation as well as meet all admission requirements for the University of Arizona College of Medicine – Tucson
3. All applicants to the MD/PhD Program are expected to have outstanding undergraduate grades and high scores on the Medical College Admissions Test (MCAT).
4. Letters of Recommendation: Applicants to the College of Medicine – Tucson are required to obtain letters supporting their candidacy for admission. Three letters of recommendation are required. One letter must be from a clinical setting (clinical letter from a person who has seen you interact with patients, family members and other staff members (i.e., MD, volunteer coordinator, RN, nurse practitioner or other healthcare provider). Overall, letters should be from individuals with whom applicants are well-acquainted. The admissions committee is looking for accurate, in-depth evaluations of qualities suitable for medical school. These qualities include motivation to attend medical school, maturity, character and commitment to the practice of medicine. Letters from family and friends are not recommended.
5. Additionally, a minimum of one year in research experience is required. The goal of the program is to train the next generation of academic physician-scientists. Therefore, an important factor in selecting MD/PhD applicants is evidence of a passion for research supported by substantial research experiences that have provided opportunities for independent and critical scientific thinking. Publications and/or presentations at national meetings are encouraged but not required. Successful applicants will be those who recognize and are capable of meeting the demands and responsibilities of a MD/PhD program, which is at minimum seven years in duration.
6. For the 2025-26 application cycle the earliest MCAT we will accept is January 2023.

All interviews will take place virtually.

While we would much prefer to meet all of our applicants in person, we hope that our virtual recruitment events will help you get a sense of why our program is so unique and all the reasons we love College of Medicine – Tucson!

MSTP and MD interview process

The interview day (for MSTP) will include a variety of virtual interviews with admissions committee members, time to interact with current students, and research meetings with potential PIs.

The interview day (for MD) will be administered through the College of Medicine – Tucson and will also take place virtually. Please see the College of Medicine – Tucson Admissions webpage for updates and protocols being used this year.

Details will be emailed to selected applicants prior to the dates listed below

• Tuesday, October 20, 2026
• Tuesday, December 8, 2026
• Tuesday, January 26, 2027

Tuition Scholarships and Stipends

• Students accepted into the College of Medicine – Tucson MSTP Program are guaranteed financial support for the duration of their studies subject to good standing in the program.
• During the MD years, students receive full support from either the NIH or the College of Medicine – Tucson, including a stipend and full tuition coverage. Throughout the PhD years, support is provided by your chosen principal investigator (PI) as part of a graduate assistantship, which covers tuition, health insurance and a stipend. This means students pay no tuition for the entirety of their MD and PhD training.
• The current yearly stipend level is $32,500 during the medical years and is similar throughout graduate school training. Student stipends may vary slightly during graduate school depending on the funding source and department.

Student Health Insurance

• College of Medicine – Tucson requires that all medical students maintain health insurance throughout their educational career. Students may obtain health insurance through campus health or through their own health insurance carrier.
• Please see Student Health Insurance | Campus Health for rates and deadlines. There will be partial financial assistance available to help with insurance coverage if paid by the student during the MD years.
• Health insurance coverage during the PhD years will need to be discussed and arranged with the student’s faculty adviser and graduate department. Typically, the student health plan is fully funded during graduate school years.

Application is made through the American Medical College Application Service (AMCAS). AMCAS is open in May for students applying for enrollment in the 2027-2028 academic year.

You must select the MD/PhD Program on your AMCAS application. After your AMCAS application is received by the University of Arizona, you will be sent an email with instructions for completing the online secondary application. This allows you to complete the required MD/PhD essay questions that describe your interest in the combined degree program.

All letters should be sent directly to AMCAS. AMCAS will forward your letters to the College of Medicine – Tucson and the MD/PhD program.

The deadlines for the primary application is December 15 and the secondary application is January 1. Transcripts and letters of recommendation must be uploaded through AMCAS within two weeks of your scheduled interview date. We encourage you to have all application materials submitted as early as possible, as our admissions process is rolling.

U.S. citizens and permanent residents are eligible for admission. Due to funding restrictions, all other international students are ineligible to apply.

Students currently enrolled at the University of Arizona as MD students in the University of Arizona College of Medicine – Tucson or as PhD students in any graduate program can apply to the MD/PhD Program if they meet eligibility requirements. It is recommended that potential applicants contact the director of the MD/PhD Program to discuss this process.

Applications are reviewed by the medical school admissions office and MD/PhD advisory committee. Following the review process we will contact you if you are selected for an interview on a rolling basis.

Applicants must meet admissions requirements for the College of Medicine  – Tucson, including MCAT scores, undergraduate and graduate academic records, and letters of recommendation. A strong background in research is essential. Interviews are extended to applicants based on the above criteria using a holistic approach.

GPA 3.75, MCAT 515.

In recent years, accepted MD/PhD students have had an average undergraduate GPA of 3.75 with a range of 2.71 to 4.0 and an average MCAT of 515 with a range of 503 to 524. Students with a weak undergraduate GPA often have done a master’s degree with a strong GPA.

The research experience and potential to become a physician-scientist, as described in your physician-scientist motivation statement, is the most important part of your MD/PhD application. Students should have a significant amount of research experience. This includes, but is not limited to, at least one year undergraduate research, post-undergraduate research, senior thesis research and/or multiple summer projects, prior to applying to the MD/PhD Program.  

Strong letters of recommendation from faculty who know the student’s research experience and comment on their potential as scientists are important.

Publications are not required. Include all abstracts and presentations at national and international conferences to demonstrate commitment to research.

Each year our program receives approximately 100 applications. Interviews are extended to about 35 applicants. Approximately 25% of interviewees are accepted. Our program matriculates approximately 10 new students per year.

Currently, travel expenses are not covered by the program. All interviews are conducted via Zoom.

Yes, accepted applicants are encouraged to revisit the campus for the medical school Second Look event.

Yes, all students are provided with a yearly stipend and tuition support.

Maximum of 10, preferably from someone who has worked with the applicant. One letter should be from your current research adviser and one letter must be from a clinician.

The applicant needs to have a 3.0 BCPM and 3.0 total GPA and a 498 MCAT to be eligible to get a secondary.

We will receive applicants’ scores from the June MCAT in July. AMCAS will update those scores and we will get those results.

Yes, feel free to reach out to students, directors or coordinators of the program.

Tuition is billed each semester by Bursar’s Office, so for the upcoming academic year, you’ll be billed for fall and spring separately. You can confirm fall tuition costs on the Bursar’s website. Tuition billing will not occur until you are registered for fall courses. However, you need to be certain you’ve cleared up any of your enrollment holds listed in UAccess; e.g., Campus Health Hold (see the links in UAccess for more info). You can also view your owed charges on your Bursar’s account in UAccess reported in the “Finances” section.

Interview invitations sent: TBA