Application Requirements

• UNR Med participates in the American Medical College Application Service (AMCAS).
• Prospective students who meet all application requirements, including residency, MCAT, GPA, and prerequisites are invited to create an AMCAS account and designate UNR Med as a school to receive the AMCAS application.
• Upon completion of the AMCAS verification process, AMCAS applications are transmitted to UNR Med and applicants are invited to complete a Secondary Application.
• Applications are due Monday, October 3 for applicants to the MD program.

• UNR Med participates in the AMCAS Early Decision Program (EDP). The EDP provides applicants with the opportunity to apply early to one medical school and to receive a decision notification by October 1.
• Applying EDP requires the receipt of a complete AMCAS application, including three Letters of Evaluation and an MCAT score. In addition, EDP applicants must complete the three Altus Assessments (Duet, Snapshot and Casper) by August 1.
• EDP applicants selected for admission are required to immediately accept the offer and commit to enroll to UNR Med.  In general, admission notifications are sent between September 15 and October 1.
• EDP applicants who are not offered an EDP admission may apply to other medical schools and their application will be forwarded for further consideration by UNR Med as a Regular MD application.
• Advising appointments for anyone considering EDP are available by emailing officeofadmissions@med.unr.edu.

Upon completion of the AMCAS verification process, AMCAS applications are transmitted to UNR Med and applicants are invited to submit a Secondary Application. The Secondary fee of $75 is non-refundable and an application should only be submitted by applicants that meet all application requirements. The Secondary fee is waived for any candidate approved for the AAMC Financial Assistance Program (FAP).

The 2022-23 Secondary Application essays provide applicants with the opportunity to demonstrate readiness for medical school and how their competencies and attributes align with UNR Med’s vision, mission, culture and core values.

1. Describe your primary motivation for applying to UNR Med; discuss any important connections or motives for pursuing your medical education in Northern Nevada; and share how you anticipate contributing to UNR Med’s mission and our vision of a Healthy Nevada. (300 words)
2. Nevada, like many states, faces health care challenges that include health disparities among our underserved and vulnerable populations. Describe a service or life experience where you directly interacted with individuals from these groups; discuss what you learned from the experience; and describe how the experience has prepared you to be a medical student. (300 words)
3. Reflect on an experience when you contributed to the success of a team. Describe how the skills, attributes and strengths exhibited during this experience have prepared you to contribute to an inclusive and collaborative learning environment at UNR Med. (300 words)
4. Describe a time when you faced a significant life crisis, a personal struggle, or an academic or professional failure. How did you respond, what did you learn, and how did the experience influence your future actions? (300 words) 
5. Describe a time when you encountered a challenge that required you to use your critical thinking and communication skills to develop a creative or innovative solution. Discuss the successes or failures of your response, and what you may or may not do in the future in a similar situation. (300 words)

OPTIONAL: You are invited to provide a brief statement regarding anything not previously addressed or disclosed in your application that you would like considered during the review of your application. (500 words)

Between July and August, approximately 300 Nevada and 50 Out-of-State applicants receive invitations and instructions to complete Multi-Mini Interview (MMIs). Interviews are virtual and conducted on a secure interview platform. 

UNR Med engages in a mission-based, competency-focused and holistic review process. Each application is given an individual, comprehensive and balanced review that assesses the following:

• A commitment to the UNR Med's mission to improve the health and well-being of all Nevadans and their communities and to our institutional culture of diversity and inclusion.
• A mature passion for medicine that is informed through exposure to the field and clinical experiences, including patient interactions.
• A record of service that includes caring for individuals from vulnerable and underserved populations with compassion, respect, and cultural sensitivity.
• Academic readiness for medical school that includes a commitment to academic excellence, a capacity to improve, thinking, reasoning and problem-solving skills, communications skills and being teachable and willing to ask for help.
• Personal attributes and professional competencies that demonstrate readiness for medical school such as maturity, humility, and self-awareness, reliability, adaptability, teamwork, social skills, ethical responsibility and integrity.
• A demonstrated capacity to contribute to our school, our community and to the medical profession.

The competencies and attributes being assessed by our admissions committee are based upon the following:

• UNR Med Vision, Mission, Core Values and Diversity Statement
• UNR Medical Education Program Objectives
• UNR Code of Professionalism
• AAMC Core Pre-Professional Competencies

Prior to applying, we encourage you to review the cost of attendance (tuition, fees, room, board, etc.). In addition, applicants are encouraged to consider the following costs of applying:

• MCAT: The base cost to take the MCAT is $325. Late or rescheduling fees may apply.
  
• Altus Suite (Casper; Duet; Snapshot): The cost for the Altus Suite includes a $12 base test fee, plus a $12 distribution fee for each medical school selected.
• AMCAS: The cost to submit a primary (AMCAS) application for the 2022-23 cycle is $170 for the first school and $43 for each additional school. Your fees are waived if you are approved for the AAMC Fee Assistance Program.
• Secondary: UNR Med’s Secondary Application Processing Fee is $75. It is waived if you are approved for the AAMC Fee Assistance Program.
• Interviews: UNR Med is conducting all medical school interviews on a virtual platform.
• Campus Events: UNR Med will host two on campus Preview events in the fall open to any applicants invited to interview. Candidates selected for admission will be invited to an on campus Second Look. A stipend will be available to offset travel costs for those living outside the Reno/Carson/Tahoe area.   

AAMC Application Fee Assistance Program: UNR Med encourages applicants with financial need to apply to the AAMC Fee Assistance Program (FAP).

If eligible, FAP will waive your AMCAS application fee for up to 20 medical schools, provide free MCAT preparation materials, and your MCAT fee will be discounted. In addition, UNR Med will waive your Secondary application fee and Altus Assessments will waive the cost of your Casper, Duet and Snapshot fees.

Scholarships

The average scholarship awarded to an incoming medical student at UNR Med is $8,000 per year for a total of $32,000. Additional scholarships are available for returning students.

• Applicants who are reapplying to UNR Med must re-submit both the AMCAS and Secondary application.
• Reapplicants may use two (2) Letters of Evaluation from the immediate past application cycle as long as they were written no more than two (2) years prior to the date you apply and meet all current Letter of Evaluation requirements. A third letter must be new and dated for the current admission cycle year.

UNR Med requires applicants to be U.S. Citizens, permanent residents, or DACA recipients.

Non-traditional students with questions about the application process, or with concerns about meeting application requirements due to a break in education, are invited to request an advising appointment. Waivers of certain requirements, such as submitting an academic letter, may be available in certain cases.

The School of Medicine is not accepting transfer applications.

Prospective applicants are eligible to complete a Secondary Application and will be classified as a Nevada Applicant for admissions review if they can answer YES to one or more of the following statements:

• I graduated from a Nevada High School.
• I graduated/will graduate with a bachelor’s degree from a 4-year Nevada System of Higher Education (NSHE) institution.
• My current legal residence, as entered on my AMCAS application is/will be Nevada, or I will have resided in Nevada during the 12 months prior to August 1 of the year of my medical school matriculation.
• One or more of my parents or legal guardians, who claim me as a dependent on their taxes, will have resided in Nevada during the 12 months prior to August 1 of my medical school matriculation year.
• I am a member of a federally recognized Native American tribe, who does not otherwise qualify as a Nevada resident, and who currently resides on tribal lands located wholly or partially within the boundaries of the State of Nevada.
• I am a member of the Armed Forces of the United States stationed in Nevada as a permanent duty assignment, pursuant to military orders, or the spouse, family or legal guardian of such a person.
• I have a parent, grandparent, sibling, aunt or uncle who is a graduate or current student at the University of Nevada, Reno School of Medicine.

Candidates classified as a Nevada applicant must meet the following GPA and MCAT criteria:

• A cumulative undergraduate GPA of 2.80* or above, or
• Completion of 30 or more post-baccalaureate credit hours with a GPA of 3.50* or above, or
• Completion of a graduate degree with a GPA of 3.50* or above, and
• MCAT score of 497 or above.

*As calculated by AMCAS.

Important Information for Nevada Applicants

• Nevada Applicants, unless applying Early Decision, will be notified by November 1 if they are selected for an interview, and generally receive decision notifications between December and February.
• Classification for review as a Nevada applicant does not guarantee in-state tuition. Eligibility for in-state tuition is determined by the university’s Office of Admissions & Records based upon information submitted on the NSHE Residency Form. This form is collected as part of the application process.

Applicants who do not meet the requirements to be classified as a Nevada applicant, but who can answer YES to one of the following questions, and can produce documentation upon request, will be reviewed as out-of-state applicants.

• I am a legal resident of one of the following states: Alaska, Arizona, Idaho, Montana, New Mexico, Oregon, Utah or Wyoming.
• I am a legal resident of one of the following California counties: Alpine, El Dorado, Inyo, Lassen, Modoc, Mono, Nevada, Placer, Plumas, and Sierra, or

• My spouse, partner, or a member of my extended family (grandparent, sibling, aunt, uncle or first cousin) has resided in Nevada during the 12 months prior to the application deadline of my application year, or
• I have previously resided in Nevada for a total of 10 years.

Out-of-state applicants must meet the following GPA and MCAT criteria.

• Minimum cumulative undergraduate GPA of 3.30* or
• Completion of 30 or more post-bac credit hours with a GPA of 3.50* or above, or
• Completion of a graduate degree with a GPA of 3.50* or above, and
• MCAT score of 500 or above.

*As calculated by AMCAS

Important Information for Out of State Applicants

• Out-of-state applicants, unless applying Early Decision, are notified if they are selected for an interview by approximately December 1 and are generally reviewed in February.
• Approximately 10% of all eligible out-of-state applicants receive an offer to interview.
• On average, UNR Med’s incoming class includes 5-7 out-of-state students.
• Out-of-state applicants are assessed out-of-state tuition unless they meet eligibility requirements listed on the NSHE Residency Form.

The following course/credit prerequisites must be complete at the time of application, or the applicant must provide a plan to complete all courses/credits prior to August 1 of the year of matriculation to UNR Med.

• Biology: 15 credits including two (2) credits Biology lab and six (6) credits of upper division. The following upper-division courses are not eligible: Special Topics, Research, Advanced Mentored Research, Survey Courses, or Dissection Team.
• Chemistry: eight (8) credits, including a minimum of two (2) credits of lab
• Organic Chemistry: eight (8) credits, including a minimum of two (2) credits of lab
• Physics: eight (8) credits, including a minimum of two (2) credits of lab.
• Biochemistry: three (3) credits
• Psychology or Sociology: three (3) credits

 All listed credit requirements are in semester hours. To convert quarter credits to semester credits, use the AMCAS Grade Conversion Guide.

All courses used to meet prerequisites must have a letter grade of "C-" or above.

Pass/fail, satisfactory/unsatisfactory, or audit in lieu of a letter grade will not meet prerequisite requirements unless the course was not available as a graded course due to COVID-19 restrictions.

Advanced Placement (AP) and International Baccalaureate (IB) credits that are listed on an official undergraduate transcript may be used to satisfy lower-division prerequisites, excluding labs.

Lower division (100-200 level) prerequisite courses may be taken at any accredited college or university, including community or junior colleges.

All courses used to meet prerequisites must be completed at an accredited U.S. post-secondary institution for college credit and submitted to AMCAS for inclusion in your official GPA calculations. Online courses that do not award college credits are not eligible to meet prerequisite requirements.

The following will not meet prerequisite credit requirements:

• Correspondence or CLEP (college-level exam programs-test out)
• Professional school courses

In preparation for medical school, applicants are encouraged to take courses in a variety of disciplines and to engage in research and other activities that develop critical, reflective, and creative thinking skills; reading comprehension; written and verbal communication skills; quantitative reasoning, and familiarity with scientific inquiry. 

• Upper-division courses such as Microbiology, Genetics, Statistics, Calculus and Immunology.
• Courses that examine the psychological, economic, systemic and socio-cultural factors that influence health and well-being of individuals and populations.
• Courses in medical history, literature, and ethics.

• Applicants must take the MCAT no later than September 30 of their year of application.
• All eligible scores from the new version of the MCAT, offered after 2015, are accepted but applicants are strongly encouraged to take the MCAT during the three years prior to their date of application.  

UNR Med requires that all applicants complete the Casper, Snapshot & Duet Assessments by October 1.

• Altus Suite is a multi-part assessment that gives each applicant the opportunity to demonstrate their unique competencies and attributes.
• Please register early since there are limited testing dates. Then monitor emails from Altus for updates to the test schedule.
• Please direct about this assessment to the Altus ​Support Team via the help chat bubble in the lower right corner of the Altus webpage.
• Altus offers waivers for anyone who is approved for the AMCAS Fee Assistance Program.

UNR Med requires, and will review, three letters of evaluation, including one clinical letter and one academic letter. UNR Med strongly prefers individual letters that are submitted by the writer to AMCAS or via Interfolio. We will accept Committee (or Composite) letters or packets. However, if the Committee/Composite letters or packets do not include the individual letters we require (clinical and academic), they will not be considered and should not be submitted.

Letters should be written and dated during the year prior to the 2022-23 application deadline.

Note: If you are a reapplicant, the committee will accept two (2) letters of evaluation from the immediate past application cycle as long as they were written no more than one (1) years prior to the date you originally applied and meet all current requirements. The third letter must be new and dated for the current admission cycle year.

One (1) Clinical Letter of Evaluation

UNR Med prefers that the clinical letter of evaluation be written by a practicing physician, but will accept letters written by other healthcare professionals who can evaluate, based upon direct observation, an applicant’s interactions with patients, physicians, or other healthcare professionals; who can address an applicant’s passion for medicine; who can evaluate an applicant’s understanding of the roles and responsibilities of being a physician; and who can provide an informed evaluation of the candidate’s  interpersonal, communication and teamwork skills, and other professional competencies such as reliability, teachability, and adaptability.

One (1) Academic Letter of Evaluation

The academic evaluation should be written by faculty member or instructor who has directly observed an applicant’s commitment to academic excellence, to lifelong learning, and to applying and sharing their knowledge. Writers are invited to speak to the applicant’s experiences in the classroom, research lab, or as a teaching assistant or tutor and should evaluate competencies that directly impact academic performance such as dedication, collaboration, and capacity to improve.  

Note: Non-traditional students who are unable to acquire an academic letter may schedule a brief advising appointment with the Director of Admissions to discuss a waiver of this requirement.

One (1) Other Letter of Evaluation

The third required letter may be a second clinical or academic letter, but can also be written by someone who can evaluate an applicant’s communication and social skills, pre-professional competencies, personal attributes, and how their life experiences have prepared them for success in medical school and as a future physician.

• Letters of evaluation should be written by someone with whom an applicant has a professional or academic relationship. Applicants should not submit letters from family, friends, or parents' colleagues.
• Letters of evaluation should be written during the year prior to application submission.
• Letters must be signed and writers should be asked to submit letters on official letterhead.
• For more information, see AAMC Guidelines for Writing a Letter of Evaluation.

UNR Med does not accept letters of intent. However, there are opportunities within the Secondary application to discuss your interest in UNR Med and your commitment to attending medical school in Nevada.