Office of Student Admissions

Selection of Applicants

The Committee on Admissions is responsible for the selection of medical students and is guided in the selection process by the Admissions Policy Statement that has been approved by the School of Medicine faculty. In general, the selection of students is based on academic achievement, motivation for the study of medicine, problem-solving ability, self-appraisal, ability to relate to people, maturity, breadth of interests and achievements, professional goals, and likelihood of serving the health care needs of the State following postgraduate training. This information is gleaned from the AMCAS application, secondary application, letters of recommendation and interviews with members of the Committee on Admissions. Because of space limitations, many qualified applicants are not accepted each year. Applicants who are not accepted are encouraged to seek advice from the Assistant Dean for Admissions on what they might do to improve their chances of admission in subsequent years.

The University of New Mexico School of Medicine has a compelling interest in assuring a regional representation of diversity among our faculty, staff and student body to comprehensively achieve our educational mission and effectively meet our obligation to the State in addressing state-wide health care access problems. It is imperative that our school work to obtain a critical mass of both Hispanic and Native American students, as well as faculty and staff role-models, and that we assure a learning environment that enhances cultural sensitivity and competence. A diverse student body promotes cross-racial understanding, creates a richer learning experience and better prepares our students to serve the communities of New Mexico. To this end, we will attempt to recruit and accept qualified Hispanic and Native American applicants from New Mexico into the MD degree program.

The School of Medicine fully endorses the spirit and intent of Section 504 of the Rehabilitation Act of 1993 and the Americans with Disabilities Act of 1992. Technical Standards for admission consistent with these Acts have been developed and are available for review in the Office of Admissions and are sent to each applicant in the secondary application. All accepted applicants will be required to sign the Technical Standards Declaration indicating they are able to meet the Technical Standards with or without accommodations.