November 13, 2025
Written By
Michael Minh Le
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Let’s be honest, the University of Utah School of Medicine acceptance rate is low. As one of the most competitive programs in the Mountain West, it’s known for favoring high achievers with strong GPAs, MCATs, and a demonstrated commitment to underserved communities. But stats alone aren’t enough. You need something more.
In this guide, we’ll walk through everything you need to know: how hard it is to get in, the latest GPA and MCAT averages, tuition and scholarship details, and what makes Utah’s program unique. You’ll also learn how to approach the application process for this school specifically, from timeline to personal statement, secondary essays, and more.
To help you craft an application that impresses beyond just stats, we’re giving you access to our free Application Database: 8 full AMCAS applications that earned acceptances to top med schools like UCLA and UCI. Learn what works, model your own story, and give yourself the edge most premeds are missing.
Get your free resource here.
For the 2025 entering class, the University of Utah School of Medicine received over 5,000 applications. Out of those, just 125 students matriculated.
That puts the University of Utah Medical School acceptance rate at about 2.5%.
And here’s the kicker: preference is heavily weighted toward in-state applicants. About 60% of the entering class hails from Utah. So if you're applying from out of state, your odds get even slimmer.
Let’s break down the numbers. For the most recent entering class, the average GPA for accepted students was 3.86. The average MCAT score? 512.
Compare that to the national averages: around a 3.77 GPA and 511.7 MCAT. Translation? Utah’s accepted students are coming in above average on both. Which means to stand out, you’ll need to do the same.
But here's the thing: Utah also emphasizes a holistic review process. They’ll look closely at your leadership, service, and life experience, not just your stats.
To apply to the University of Utah School of Medicine, you’ll need to meet the following minimum academic requirements:
You’ll also need to meet the following general requirements:
There is no indication that U.S. citizenship is required just to apply to the MD program. The website says it “encourages applications from qualified students nationwide.”
That being said, for the combined MD‑PhD program, the program states: “Applications must be submitted by US citizens or permanent US residents only.”
For the 2025–2026 academic year, tuition and fees are about $34,553 for Utah residents and about $66,318 for non-residents.
However, these numbers only tell part of the story. When factoring in the full Cost of Attendance (COA), including housing, food, books, transportation, and personal expenses, total costs rise to an estimated $69,306 for residents and close to $99,106 for non-residents in their first year alone.
To help offset the financial burden, the School of Medicine offers a range of scholarships and financial aid opportunities. Students must first submit the Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA) and then complete a supplemental application specific to the medical school. This form becomes available on November 1 and is typically due by March 15 each year.
Scholarships are awarded based on academic excellence, leadership, and financial need. The school administers numerous endowed scholarships, many of which are tailored to students with specific interests, backgrounds, or career goals, such as practicing in rural areas or pursuing primary care specialties.
The Spencer Fox Eccles School of Medicine (SFESOM) at the University of Utah distinguishes itself through a purposeful blend of mission‑driven education, innovative curriculum, impactful research, and deep community integration.
Below, we break down more of what makes this program stand out.
SFESOM’s mission states that it “serves all people and communities of Utah and the Mountain West by intentionally working to improve individual and community health outcomes and quality of life.”
This regional emphasis means that students are not only trained in urban tertiary‑care settings but also are prepared to address rural health disparities, social determinants of health, and the health needs of broader populations.
In recent years, SFESOM has rolled out a newly designed MD curriculum centered around professional identity formation, coaching, and longitudinal relationships. This is a move away from typical lecture‑based models you’ll find at many other medical schools.
The curriculum emphasizes that becoming a physician is not only about mastering knowledge, but also about exploring one’s values, building meaningful connections (with peers, faculty, patients), and learning over the long term through longitudinal experiences.
SFESOM is embedded in a major academic medical center and has notable strengths in genetics, biomedical informatics, cancer research, and other cutting‑edge areas. Because the school is the only MD‑granting institution in Utah and serves the broader Mountain West region, students have access to unique research settings, often less saturated than major East/West coast hubs.
Departments and divisions span 20+ clinical and basic science units, giving students flexibility to engage in a variety of scholarly activities and tailor their interests.
Given its location in Salt Lake City and statewide role, SFESOM gives students exposure to a mix of urban, suburban, and rural patient populations, including underserved and frontier communities. Students have the ability to serve diverse populations, engage in longitudinal patient care, and gain exposure to unique regional health challenges.
Getting into the Spencer Fox Eccles School of Medicine takes more than just checking boxes. It takes clarity, grit, and a story worth reading. Yes, your GPA and MCAT matter, but they’re just the surface. This is about showing why you belong in medicine, why Utah, and why now.
It uses the American Medical College Application Service (AMCAS) for its MD program.
This school does operate on a rolling review basis. That means applications are reviewed, interviews offered, and acceptance decisions made throughout the cycle rather than only at the end.
Translation? Don’t procrastinate this application timeline:
Your personal statement for the University of Utah School of Medicine is your narrative. This is your shot to show who you are, what you care about, and the kind of doctor you're becoming. It's not just a place to say you’re passionate about healthcare. You need to use your experiences as proof.
If you say you care about health equity, then show experiences in free clinics and outreach in underserved communities. If you say you love teaching, then you’d better show tutoring or mentorship on your resume. The University of Utah values resilience, community focus, and genuine motivation, so don’t fake it.
Secondary essays give the Admissions Committee a chance to see why you’re genuinely interested in their program and how you’ll contribute to their community, beyond test scores and activities.
Below are the most recent prompts for UUSOM and some advice on how to address each one.
Prompt 1: What motivates you to pursue and complete your medical education at the SFESOM mission‑driven, medical doctor program? (300 words)
How to address it: Use this space to connect your personal and professional motivations to UUSOM’s mission. Show that you’ve done your homework about their program (“SFESOM”), and explain why here and why now.
Highlight what you bring to their learning environment, like your unique background, experiences, values, and how you’ll thrive in and contribute to that mission‑driven setting. Avoid generic platitudes; instead, pick 1–2 concrete examples that align with their culture of teamwork, communication, service, and innovation.
Prompt 2: Describe how access to healthcare has impacted you, your community, and/or communities you have served? What might be some viable solutions? (300 words)
How to address it: Here you’re being asked to reflect on inequities or barriers in healthcare, either in your own life, in communities you’ve worked with, or in broader patterns. First, describe what you observed or experienced: e.g., limited access, disparities, social determinants of health.
Then move on to what you learned and what solutions you envision. The solutions part should be realistic and tied to your experiences or future role as a physician. Admissions will want to see that you’re thoughtful, aware, and engaged with community‑health issues, not just aware of “healthcare access” as a buzzword.
Prompt 3: Please share more about your experience in the pathway program(s) and how these experience(s) have helped you prepare for medical school. (300 words)
How to address it: This one is only required if you’ve participated in one of UUSOM’s Utah Pathways programs. Focus clearly on what you did in that program: the experiences, the learning, the challenges.
Then explain how those specifically have prepared you for medical school. Think skills, mindset, teamwork, clinical exposure, research, and whatever else is relevant. Don’t simply list what you did, but reflect: “Because of this, I realised… I developed… I am ready for…” Make the link to your readiness for UUSOM.
For the University of Utah School of Medicine, you’ll need at least three letters of recommendation.
The school accepts:
Letters must be submitted via the AMCAS Letter Service (or whichever process the school uses) to count. And it’s strongly recommended that letters be dated within one year of your application.
Use signature (electronic or digital is fine) and preferably letterhead (though not always required) for professionalism.
When invited to interview at U‑Utah, you will participate in both a Multiple Mini Interview (MMI) and a longer traditional interview.
On your interview day, you’ll face a circuit of timed one‑on‑one station interviews (the MMI portion). This is where evaluators present situational prompts or scenarios and assess ethical reasoning, communication, decision‑making, and professionalism.
Then, you will have at least one longer form interview (traditional style) where the interviewer will explore your motivations for medicine, your understanding of the profession, your interpersonal skills, and leadership.
The format may be virtual. For recent cycles, U‑Utah has offered virtual interview days rather than travel to campus.
In terms of timing, applicants report interviews lasting over 50 minutes in many cases. Most applicants reported being interviewed by two people, though feedback varies.
Choosing a medical school is about finding where you’ll thrive. Think about whether your values, goals, and style of learning align with what the institution emphasizes.
Here’s a look at whether the University of Utah School of Medicine might be the right fit for you.
SFESOM is a good fit if…
SFESOM may not be a good fit if…
The University of Utah School of Medicine doesn’t just want high scores. They want high-impact applicants. That means even if your GPA and MCAT fall within range, what separates accepted students from rejected ones is how clearly and confidently they present who they are beyond the numbers.
That’s where most applicants stall. They don’t know how to write their story.
That’s why we’re giving you access to our free Application Database: a collection of 8 real AMCAS applications that got accepted to competitive med schools like UCLA and UCI. These applications include actual personal statements, experience descriptions, and more, so you can see how top applicants made themselves stand out. Use this access to reverse engineer what works.
Get your free resource here.
