Application Requirements

Selection Criteria

Thank you for your interest in UNR Med. Our admissions committee engages in a holistic review of each application to identify students who reflect and fit with our vision, mission and core values and whose application demonstrates: 

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  • A passion for medicine.
    • A mature understanding about the role, challenges, and ethical responsibilities of a physician.
    • Examples that demonstrate your commitment to serving and caring for others with compassion and cultural sensitivity.
    • Examples of activities that illustrate how you have nurtured and prioritized your passion for medicine through purposeful exposure to health care.
    • Examples of paid and/or volunteer clinical experiences that include direct patient contact and care.
    • Familiarity with current affairs in healthcare and medicine.
    • An awareness and acceptance of the personal and financial investment required to become a physician.
    • A wellness mindset in relationship to one’s own physical and mental health.
  • A commitment to academic excellence.
    • Self-motivation and accountability for one’s own learning.
    • A commitment to continuous improvement, including the demonstrated ability to solicit and accept feedback.
    • Grades and test scores indicative of an excellent foundational understanding of molecular and macro systems including biomolecules, molecules, cells, and organs and of the psychological, socio-cultural, and biological factors that influence health.
    • Examples of engagement in courses, scholarly projects or research that demonstrate the application of knowledge, critical thinking skills, and quantitative reasoning.
    • A commitment to life-long learning.
  • Personal attributes and professional competencies.
    • Integrity – Ethical and Moral Judgement
    • Cultural Sensitivity, Respect for Others, and a Commitment to Diversity and Inclusion;
    • Social Awareness and Engagement;
    • Compassion for Self & Others;
    • A Service Orientation;
    • Reliability and Responsibility;
    • Self-Awareness and Maturity;
    • Teamwork Orientation and a Collaborative Approach;
    • Problem Solving and Conflict Resolution;
    • Capacity to Improve and Innovate;
    • Commitment to a Healthy Nevada;
    • Written, Verbal, and Listening Communication Skills.

Application Information

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  • Early Decision Program (EDP) Applicants

    If you meet all residency, MCAT & GPA requirements in any of the categories nelow, you are invited to apply via the Early Decision Program (EDP).  Applying early decision means that you submit one AMCAS application to your preferred medical school by August 1 and that school will notify you with an admissions decision on October 1.

    • If you receive an EDP admission to UNR Med, you will have two weeks to accept the offer. If you decline the offer, you will not be eligible to enroll but may apply to other medical schools.
    • If you are not offered an EDP admission at UNR Med, your application will be reviewed again as part of the regular pool of applications and you are eligible to apply to other medical schools. 

    For more information about how to designate EDP on your AMCAS application, please visit AMCAS EDP. 

  • Re-applicants

    If you are reapplying to UNR Med, you must re-submit the AMCAS and Secondary applications and confirm that you meet all current requirements for application including residency, MCAT and GPA, and prerequisites.
    Please Note: The committee will accept 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 requirements. The third letter must be new and dated for the current admission cycle year.

  • International or DACA Applicants
    • DACA recipients who have resided in Nevada for 12 months as of October 1 are eligible to apply for admission.
    • Non-U.S citizens are not eligible to apply.
  • Transfer Applicants

    At this time, the School of Medicine is not accepting transfer applications.

Residency, MCAT Score & GPA Application Requirements

To be considered for an interview at UNR Med, you must meet all residency, MCAT Score and GPA requirements listed under Admission Category A, Category B or Category C.

Please note:

  • Meeting the requirements in these categories results in eligibility to apply. Residency for tuition purposes is determined by the University of Nevada, Reno upon receipt of a Residency Request Form that is submitted with your Secondary Application.
  • In general, 90% of students offered admission are Nevada residents or can demonstrate significant connections to the state.
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  • Category A

    I can answer YES to one (1) of the following: 

    • I am a U.S. Citizen, permanent resident or DACA recipient who has resided in Nevada for a minimum of 12 months immediately prior to November 1 of the current application year; or
    • I am a U.S. Citizen and have a parent who has resided in Nevada, for a minimum of 12 months immediately prior to November 1 of the current application year; or
    • I graduated from a Nevada high school; or
    • 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; or 
    • I graduated with a bachelor’s degree from a four-year NSHE institution (University of Nevada, Reno; University of Nevada, Las Vegas; Nevada State College or Great Basin College), or
    • I was previously or am currently classified as an in-state student at one of the above 4-year NSHE institutions for the purposes of tuition, or 
    • I have a parent who is a graduate of the University of Nevada, Reno School of Medicine, or
    • I am the spouse or dependent of someone who has relocated or transferred to Nevada specifically for the primary purpose of permanent full-time employment or to establish a business in Nevada within the last twelve months prior to applying to UNR Med, and

     I can answer YES to ALL of the following requirements.

    • I have a cumulative undergraduate GPA of 2.8 or above from an accredited U.S. university, or a 3.5 GPA in graduate courses; and 
    • I have scored a 497 on an MCAT taken no later than September of my application year and within three (3) years of my anticipated year of matriculation.
  • Category B

    I can answer YES to one (1) of the following requirements:

    • I am a U.S. Citizen who has resided in Alaska, Arizona, Idaho, Montana, New Mexico, Oregon, Utah, or Wyoming for a minimum of 12 months immediately prior to Nov 1 of the application year, or
    • I am a U.S. Citizen and have resided in California counties that border Nevada on the eastern slope of the Sierra Nevada range: Alpine, El Dorado, Inyo, Lassen, Modoc, Mono, Nevada, Placer, Plumas, and Sierra, for a minimum of 12 months immediately prior to Nov 1 of my application year; and 

    I can answer yes to ALL of the following requirements. 

    • I have a cumulative undergraduate GPA of 3.3 or above from an accredited U.S. university, or a 3.5 GPA in graduate courses, and
    • I have scored a 500 on an MCAT taken no later than September of my application year and within three years of my anticipated year of matriculation.
  • Category C

    I can answer yes to ALL of the following requirements. 

    • I am a U.S. Citizen who does not meet the requirements in Category A or B, but I have significant connections to the state of Nevada and am prepared to request a residency exemption as part of the Secondary application process, and
    • I have a cumulative undergraduate GPA of 3.3 or above from an accredited U.S. university, or a 3.5 GPA in graduate courses, and
    • I have scored a 500 on an MCAT taken no later than September of my application year and within three years of my anticipated year of matriculation.

Application Requirements

Before applying, please confirm that you can meet the following requirements:

MD applicant holding a My white coat means ... sign
  • Complete a minimum of 90 semester credits at an accredited U.S. postsecondary institution prior to application.
  • Complete six (6) credits in upper-division science courses within three years of the UNR Med application deadline. These courses may not be taken online and the following courses do not meet this requirement: Special Topics, Research, Advanced Mentored Research, Survey Courses, or Dissection Team . For the 2021 application cycle, six credits must be completed after October 2018. Exceptions to online restrictions may be available if a course was moved online due to COVID-19.
  • Demonstrate written and verbal competency in English composition and complete all English composition requirements at your undergraduate institution.

Course/Credit Prerequisites

Applicants must meet all of the following course/credit prerequisites at the time of application, or provide a plan to complete all courses/credits prior to August 1 of the year of matriculation into medical school. To inquire about whether a specific course meets a requirement, please send the course name, number, and a link or copy of the courses description to officeofadmissions@med.unr.edu.

  • Biology: 15 credits including 2 credits Biology lab and 6 credits of upper division. Upper-division courses cannot be taken online and may not be Special Topics, Research, Advanced Mentored Research, Survey Courses, or Dissection Team courses. Exceptions to online restrictions may be available if your course was moved online due to COVID-19.
  • Chemistry: 8 credits, including a minimum of 2 credits of lab
  • Organic Chemistry: 8 credits, including a minimum of 2 credits of lab
  • Physics: 8 credits, including a minimum of 2 credits of lab.
  • Biochemistry: 3 credits
  • General or Abnormal Psychology: 3 credits 

Please note the following regarding prerequisites course/credit requirements:  

  • All listed credit requirements are in semester hours.
  • All courses used to meet prerequisites must have a letter grade of "C-" or above. Exceptions may be available if your course was moved to pass/fail due to COVID-19.
  • Advanced Placement (AP) and International Baccalaureate (IB) credits accepted by your undergraduate institution and listed on an official undergraduate transcript may be used to satisfy lower-division prerequisites, excluding labs.
  • Lower division (100-200 level) prerequisite courses can be taken at any accredited college or university, including community or junior colleges. A maximum of six (6) lower division (100-200 level) prerequisite courses may be taken online. Exceptions to online restrictions may be available if a course was moved online due to Covid-19. 
  • The following are not eligible and will not meet prerequisite credit requirements:
    • Correspondence or CLEP (college-level exam programs-test out)
    • Pass/fail or audit in lieu of a letter grade
    • Upper division (300-400 level) online courses. Exceptions may be available if a course was moved to online due to Covid-19.
    • Professional school courses 

Test Requirements

Medical College Admissions Test (MCAT)
  • You must take the MCAT no later than September of the year your application is submitted and you must meet the minimum score requirement based upon whether you qualify to apply under Category A, B or C above.
  • The oldest MCAT considered will be three years prior to date of your expected matriculation. If you apply to enter Fall 2021, the MCAT must be taken between January 2018 and September 2020.
CASPer Situational Judgment Test
  • Complete the CASPer assessment by October 1 of your application year. All UNR Med applicants must complete the CASPer assessment by October 1 of the application year.
  • Please visit the CASPer website for information on when registration for the American Professional Health Sciences test (CSP10101​)will be available for the current application cycle.
  • Please note that there are limited testing dates available for your CASPer test so don’t delay registering.
  • You will need to provide your AMCAS ID ​and ​a piece of government-issued photo ID. ​
  • Please use an email address that you check regularly; there may be updates to the test schedule.
  • Please direct any inquiries about CASPer to ​support@takecasper.com​ or use the chat tool on the CASPer web site.

Letters of Evaluation Requirements

Please note the following regarding letters of evaluation:

  • UNR Med accepts Pre-Professional Committee Letters. However, a separate letter of evaluation from an MD, DO, PA or NP must be included within the committee letter or submitted separately.
  • It is recommended that your letters of evaluation be written within six months of the application submission date. Letters written more than two (2) years prior to the application submission date will not be accepted.
  • We encourage you to provide letter writers with copies of your resume/CV, your personal statement and with a link to or copy of the AAMC Guidelines for Writing a Letter of Evaluation.
  • Please remind letter writers to use official letterhead and to sign the letter of evaluation.
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  • One (1) Clinical Letter of Evaluation
    • One clinical evaluation written by a physician (MD or DO), a Nurse Practitioner (NP) or a Physician Assistant (PA) who can evaluate, based upon direct observation, your performance within a clinical environment, including any direct patient care, your passion for medicine and your pre-professional competencies;
  • One (1) Academic Letter of Evaluation
    • One academic evaluation written by an instructor or faculty member with direct knowledge of your commitment to academic excellence and who can provide information about your thinking and reasoning skills as well as pre-professional competencies that directly impact academic performance.
  • One (1) Other Letter of Evaluation
    • Your third required letter should be from someone who can offer a professional evaluation of how your pre-professional competencies, personal attributes, and life experiences have prepared you for success in medical school and as a physician. We suggest a supervisor, research advisor, volunteer coordinator, clinical provider, or a faculty member.

Learn More about the admissions process

Admissions Process